Races, regions, and language

J

James Trotta

Spellsword
Diversity Committee
Do we assume in game that different races have different languages and could this vary chapter by chapter? Or do we assume that every player in game has 'common' or English as his/her native language?

I ask for two reasons. First the grammar and spelling police in the dream world dirve me nuts. Like on this thread, someone argues that Irontown is wrong and Ironton is correct. This reminds me of how Busan and Pusan are both viable speelings when you try to take the name of this Korean city (부산 if you have Korean fonts installed) and spell it in English. So could I reasonably respond that how you translate the name from one language to another might lead to this emaningless difference in spelling?

Second, my wife and I might sometimes speak Korean in game. When people ask us what language we're using, I'd rather answer "It's an Elven dialect from a distant land" than "Oh I'm not sure".
 
General convention is that if you want to speak another language you can speak another language.

You cannot, for instance, put you hand on your head and say that you are speaking Ancient Elven and then rattle off something in English.

While the grammar/spelling police may bother you, the question was asked (as the person who asked the question) in order to determine if the person was coming from a location named Ironton (that the character responding has travelled to) or from a location named Irontown (which I have never heard of).

The issue is not one of, "I translate it differently than you do for whatever reason" it is one of "What is the actual name of the place you are talking about."

As far as I am aware HQ has no defined IG origin for Korean, so you can call it whatever you want IG, but if people who overhear you are fluent enough to understand you, you can't go telling them that they don't really understand you because its such-and-such language.
 
Thank you for answering one of my questions - calling Korean something that matches the game atmosphere if we happen to use it.

Anyone know about the other question? Do we assume that each race has a native language other than English?

tieran said:
General convention is that if you want to speak another language you can speak another language.

You cannot, for instance, put you hand on your head and say that you are speaking Ancient Elven and then rattle off something in English.

While the grammar/spelling police may bother you, the question was asked (as the person who asked the question) in order to determine if the person was coming from a location named Ironton (that the character responding has travelled to) or from a location named Irontown (which I have never heard of).

The issue is not one of, "I translate it differently than you do for whatever reason" it is one of "What is the actual name of the place you are talking about."

As far as I am aware HQ has no defined IG origin for Korean, so you can call it whatever you want IG, but if people who overhear you are fluent enough to understand you, you can't go telling them that they don't really understand you because its such-and-such language.
Click to expand...
 
Its based on the chapter.

Ohio for instance has a native language for Biata that was created by the writer of the race packet.

NJ suggested the use of several real world languages for different races in their packets (the only one I remember is Farsi for the Sand Elves).

There is no Alliance-wide statement one way or the other about races having native languages beyond what might be stated in the individual chapters' race packets.

If there is a race assigned a language on a national level it would be in the national portion of that race's packet.
 
Thanks :D My Ashbury Wild Elf race Packet is from 1996 I think so it may no longer apply but it had a few made up "elven" words if I remember correctly. But Korean could be a language used by someone, somewhere in either Vandlar or the Ash Forest. I'll just pick one I guess and try not to have a long conversation about it...
 
Spoken (we did not change the biata substitution alphabet from the national). Dwarves will have one as well once the final go over is completed on it.
 
The sea-faring Rom of the Traverse City chapter (There is one. That is my PC. :D) speaks a version of Pidgin or Creole, mixing English words with phrases and sounds of Greek, Russian, Japanese, Urdu, Hindi, Serbian, Croatian, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, Esparanzo, Vietnamese, Latin, Elven, or basically any language ever. It's so fun just mixing up sentances and such and kinda speaking like Tia Dalma off POTC! :D
 
To jump off of one of your comments Tieran I've heard that national race packets exist but I have never seen one. How could I get one of those I am wondering? (Dark Elf in particular)
 
Dreamingfurther said:
To jump off of one of your comments Tieran I've heard that national race packets exist but I have never seen one. How could I get one of those I am wondering? (Dark Elf in particular)
Click to expand...

Your local chapter should have them. They may have just added their local packet to the National.
 
Dreamingfurther said:
To jump off of one of your comments Tieran I've heard that national race packets exist but I have never seen one. How could I get one of those I am wondering? (Dark Elf in particular)
Click to expand...

Any race packet you get should be in two parts: the National part (which has a drawing on the cover, and then the national section with the info every chapter should have, with a little copyright notice on the first page) and then your local chapters' part (which may have a different layout completely).

If you are not getting the National part, let me know, because chapters are required to hand these out.
 
tieran said:
You cannot, for instance, put you hand on your head and say that you are speaking Ancient Elven and then rattle off something in English.
Click to expand...
Why not? Biata and Stone Elves do it all the time. "You can't hear us, we're mindspeaking"... <haha, hoho, heehee, parry, spin, turn, thrust!>
 
Except that is done through a rules granted roleplay power.

And its usually done whispered.

And people shouldn't be doing it with their hand on their own head.

Other than that, sure.
 
jpariury said:
tieran said:
You cannot, for instance, put you hand on your head and say that you are speaking Ancient Elven and then rattle off something in English.
Click to expand...
Why not? Biata and Stone Elves do it all the time. "You can't hear us, we're mindspeaking"... <haha, hoho, heehee, parry, spin, turn, thrust!>
Click to expand...

Because the rule book states that in order to speak/read/write a different language you must be able to do it in real life.

Ga ga zoot ;)
 
Bah weep gran-na weep ninna bon.
 
Et tu, Marcena? One might, I dare say, accuse you of that age-old adage:

"Ire audacter eo quo nemo antea."

Of course, were we to begin using this language, I would be forced to correct "Romanes eunt domus" to "Romani, ite domum." Naturally, with a John Cleese accent. (That'd be funny as hell, though, considering Gypsies are referred to as "Romani". It's in the rule book!:)

ChrisO (Who's still learning)
 
Ahh, how good it is indeed to be a latin student! And Romani have no need of a "home" save for a good pair of boots! It's what makes us so special. :D

And as far as your accusation, may I counter with:

Quisnam verum agnosco Romani?

I think that's right. Maybe some conjugation musses, but it's been a while.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top