The denizens of Pallavia speak many languages, some of them passed down within family lines, others taught through rigorous study, and most picked up by listening and doing business.
Unsurprisingly, this is the official language of Pallavia. Everyone native to the country is expected to speak it fluently, although there are regional variations.
Pallavian’s written form uses an alphabet of 29 letters. Most peasants are illiterate, though tutors are usually easy to find in Pallavia’s towns. See Education.
The common tongue is a pigeon language using words borrowed from many different langauges, including Pallavian, Bochamese, Orcish, Dwarvish, Elvish, and the native languages of countries from across the sea. It allows merchants and travellers from all over the world to communicate to at least a small degree. Additionally, there is no written form of Common.
Common is not suitable for intricate conversations or scholarly study. People who need to discuss things in detail, or who will be traveling together for an extended time, should find a different shared language.
Bochamese is the official language of Bocham, Pallavia’s eastern neighbor. Bochamese and Pallavian share some loan words and bits of grammar, but are otherwise very different. Nobles from the two countries commonly learn the language of their enemy.
Draconic is the language of scholars and nobility. It is an ancient and nuanced language able to convey subtle layers of meaning for almost any concept. Its written form is substantially more complex than most, using one or more unique symbols for every concept.
There are typically two reasons why Draconic is used: its ability to concisely convey complex information, and being snooty. It’s not at all uncommon to hear nobles chatting to each other in Draconic just to show off.
The language of dwarves is very common in Pallavia. Its spoken and written forms are passed down through dwarven families all over the country and it’s a reasonably popular language among merchants. Its written form uses an alphabet of 24 simple letters that are easy to chisel into stone and other hard mediums.
Elven is another common racial language in Pallavia. Besides being passed down through elven families, it is a common language of study in Pallavia’s academies. Its spoken and written forms are lyrical and elegant.
Orcish is a fairly rare language outside of orc tribes, but some merchants and townsfolk learn it in order to do business with the nomadic orcs. It’s a language of simple words that can then be strung together to build more complex ideas. Its terse simplicity is ideal for urgent commands or callouts.
Sylvan is an extremely rare language used exclusively by fae and witches. It sounds almost ephemeral when spoken by a fae.
pronounced noov-OP oo-ACK
There is a Nuvop’uak Dictionary with a few known words.
Nuvop’uak is a brand new language in Pallavia. It is the native tongue of the Nu’hol beasts. Academics are scrambling to learn its nuances and precious few non-nu’hol are able to speak it. The language has a harsh, gutteral sound when spoken, not unlike orcish.