Languages

LIVING LANGUAGES

Scholars at Candlekeep recognize over eighty distinct active languages on Toril, not including thousands of local dialects of Common, such as Calant, a soft, sing-song variant spoken in the Sword Coast, Kouroou (Chult), or Skaevrym (Sossal). Secret languages such as the druids’ hidden speech are not included here, either.

A character’s choice of race and region determines her automatic and bonus languages. The information on Table 1–4: Character Regions supersedes the automatic and bonus language information in the Player’s Handbook. However, the following languages are always available as bonus languages to characters, regardless of race or region: Abyssal (clerics), Aquan (water genasi), Auran (air genasi), Celestial (clerics), Common, Draconic (wizards), Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, Giant, Gnoll, Halfling, Ignan (fire genasi), Infernal (clerics), Orc, Sylvan (druids), Terran (earth genasi), and Undercommon. Druids also know Druidic in addition to their other languages.

If a character wishes to know a language other than her automatic and bonus languages determined by race, region, and the above list, she must spend skill points on Speak Language to learn it.

Regional          Language Spoken in . . .              Alphabet

Aglarondan        Aglarond, Altumbel                    Espruar

Alzhedo           Calimshan                             Thorass

Chessentan        Chessenta                             Thorass

Chondathan        Amn, Chondath, Cormyr, the            Thorass

                  Dalelands, the Dragon Coast, the

                  civilized North, Sembia, the Silver

                  Marches, the Sword Coast, Tethyr,

                  Waterdeep, the Western Heartlands,

                  the Vilhon Reach

Chultan           Chult                                 Draconic

Common            Everywhere on Faerûn’s                Thorass

                  surface (trade language)

Damaran           Damara, the Great Dale, Impiltur,     Dethek

                  the Moonsea, Narfell, Thesk,

                  Vaasa, the Vast

Dambrathan        Dambrath                              Espruar

Durpari           Durpar, Estagund, Var, Veldorn        Thorass

Halruaan          Halruaa, Nimbral                      Draconic

Illuskan          Luskan, Mintarn, the Moonshaes,       Thorass

                  the Savage North (uncivilized

                  areas), Ruathym, the Uthgardt

                  barbarians

Lantanese         Lantan                                Draconic

Midani            Zakhara*, the Bedine                  Thorass

Mulhorandi        Mulhorand, Murghôm, Semphar           Celestial

Mulhorandi (var.) Thay                                  Infernal

Nexalan           Maztica*                              Draconic

Rashemi           Rashemen                              Thorass

Serusan           Inner Sea (aquatic trade language)    Aquan

Shaaran           Lake of Steam, Lapaliiya, Sespech,    Dethek

                  the Shaar

Shou              Kara-Tur*                             Draconic

Tashalan          Black Jungle, Mhair Jungle,           Dethek

                  Samarach, Tashalar, Thindol

Tuigan            Hordelands                            Thorass

Turmic            Turmish                               Thorass

Uluik             Great Glacier                         Thorass

Undercommon       Underdark (trade language)            Espruar

Untheric          Unther                                Dethek

*These other lands on Toril are not in Faerûn.

DEAD LANGUAGES

Scholars and researchers of the obscure can name a number of dead languages. These languages are often the antecedents of one or more modern languages, but the original language is so different that it is usually incomprehensible to one fluent in the modern tongue. None of these languages has been a spoken, living language in thousands of years, and it is doubtful that anyone in the world knows their proper pronunciation.

Language   Alphabet   Notes

Aragrakh   Draconic   Old high wyrm

Hulgorkyn  Dethek     Archaic orc

Loross     Draconic   Netherese noble tongue

Netherese  Draconic   A precursor of Halruaan

Roushoum   Imaskari   A precursor of Tuigan

Seldruin   Hamarfae   Elven high magic

Thorass    Thorass    Old Common

These languages can be recognized by anyone who knows how to read the alphabet the language is written in, but the words are gibberish unless the character knows the language. Because Thorass is archaic Common and still somewhat comprehensible to those who know Common, you can attempt to read it with a 20 DC Intelligence check. The only way to read something written in Roushoum or Seldruin is to learn the language.