Additional Language

Every character already speaks the language of his or her homeland, and every nonhuman character is bilingual, speaking a racial tongue plus one human language. Rogues and corsairs can also converse in thieves' cant, and most barbarian and primitive folk know sign language. Beyond that, each further spoken language must be bought with experience, at 500 XP. Villagers and city dwellers may take one extra language as a background skill, and aristocrats may take up to two. Reading and writing are a separate skill.

The major human tongues of the Atlantean world are Atlantean (or Mediterranean), Erian, Gondwanan, Tamoan, Khitan and Hyperborean, several with regional dialects. Non-human tongues include Aesir, Andaman, Aquatic, the Dark Tongue, Drow, Dwarvish, High Elven, Naga, Sylvan, Zephyr and the Ancient tongue of dragons, which normally only druids and beastmasters may learn. At the Game Judge's option, speakers of different dialects of one language may understand each other only in part.