Ancestral languages!

Post by **Rias** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 1:50 pm

While Common is currently the widespread, unified language spoken by just about everyone on Arad, some nations and cultures still retain their ancestral languages as well. For our first update, characters of the Faewyr, Nuum, and Viali races will now have access to their respective languages!

Use the speak command to switch your language.

For any who wish to roleplay their character as not knowing their own ancestral language, or being only partially knowledgeable of it, send an email with your request to rias@contrarium.net.

We're still deciding what options the other races will have as far as languages. Here's what we're considering so far:

Hillfolk: Option of partial Faewyr OR Viali languages, as they're descended from the lost kingdom of Aetgard which was a mix of the two cultures. Possibly their own dialect, which would occasionally have words understood by speakers of pure Viali or Faewyr due to the similarities.
Rhuidim: Full or partial Nuum language, as they clung to many of the old Nuum traditions
Giganti: Fluent Faewyr, as they're a sub-race
Grummers: partial of any one of the more common languages, as it's a central, "melting pot" sort of nation
Mixed: Partial or fluency in any one language, backstory/explanation reasons required
Fasa: Their own language, most likely. Need Rithiel's input.

Post by **Rias** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 1:53 pm

And since I'm sure people will ask, the concept of learning other languages is possible, we're just deciding how exactly to do it and how to moderate it, so everyone doesn't end up knowing every language.

Nootau · Post by **Nootau** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 2:10 pm

How many languages would you like people to know? You could try their native language, the common language and two learned languages?

Post by **Rias** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 2:21 pm

I was thinking three total (Common included in that total). There aren't a lot of core languages, really:

Common
Faewyr
Viali
Nuum
Fasa (possibly the proto-language of Arad)
Metztli (people of Tatlhuecan)

Those would be the ones you'd ever hear with any regularity. Then there's the less-common ones like Hyra, and those spoken by people from other continents, but people wouldn't get a whole lot of use out of those, obviously. You'd be the cool guy in town if someone came by that DID speak one of those, though. Heh heh.

Nootau · Post by **Nootau** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 2:27 pm

What happens if someone would like to forget a tongue to focus on learning a new one? Will that be possible?

Post by **Rias** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 2:33 pm

I'm leaning toward "no," unless the language you want to give up hasn't been studied much by the character yet.

Lae · Post by **Lae** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 2:35 pm

Just a few thoughts:

Maybe have learning languages be a learning experience in game. Some guilds and other things are attached to certain histories. Like the church is based in Ivial so wouldn't it make sense that someone there might be willing (if a member shows dedication to the Church and it's works) to teach them the Viali?

Traveling merchants from some areas might be able to teach language under special circumstances. Make it a kind of a quest/roleplay type of thing.

My two cents =3

Post by **Rias** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 2:58 pm

I like.

Rasui · Post by **Rasui** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 7:33 pm

Thank you.