Languages

Though the Empire has existed for 1,400 years, the mixing pot of races has only imperfectly assimilated langauge.  Whether it be out of a desire to preserve some shred of cultural heritage, to obfuscate their dealings from outsiders, or simply because that is the way they have always done, individual populations continue to preserve and use their native langauges from the time before the Empire's founding.

TONGUES OF THE ARMANT EMPIRE

Imperial - The "official" language of the Empire, it is based off the common language of the world before the Dark One's War.  All government work is carried out in this language, as is the majority of commercial interaction between businesses, guilds, and noble families.  Mastery of Imperial is considered a prerequisite for any sort of government service, and even the least educated of the Empire's citizens can carry on at least a broken conversation in this language.

Aquan (Undine) - Undine rarely indulge in the traditional language of the plane of water, but it comes to them easily because of their blood ties to that place.

Auran (Sylph) - Given the chaotic nature of the sylph, it is surprising that this tongue has changed so little since coming from the plane of air.

Dratha (Dusk Elven) - Used almost exclusively for their private rituals, the sibilant tongue of the dusk elves is often described as "unsettling" by those who have cause to hear it.

Drathim Hand-Sign - A complex sign language developed by the dusk elves, it requires an understanding of Dratha to use.

Dwarn (Dwarven) - The dwarves of the Empire have steadfastly refused to replace the highly ritualistic language of their people, complete with a massive written lexicon of logographs that require students of the language to memorize tens or hundreds of thousands of runic sigils to read fluently.

Fyrallish (Rougarou) - Though critics will say the language is little more than yips and barks, lacking in much of the nuanced complexity of other tongues, the rougarou seem more than satisfied with the amount of communication their mother tongue allows.

Ghoran - Sacrificing brevity for a thoroughness of meaning, the ghoran language requires true dedication to master, but it is almost impossible to indulge in misunderstanding when one has accomplished it.

Gokikuri (Naga) - A graceful tongue handed down by the true naga millennia ago, the nagaji have defended it fiercely from change, creating a language that has proven as stable as the magical planar languages.

Halftalk (Halfling) - Language cut and streamlined with typical halfling efficiency, halftalk is as unpoetic a tongue as you can imagine, with extraneous words sacrificed on the alter of brevity.

High Elven - The language of the high elves, unsurprisingly.  Even if an oustider is completely fluent in the complex nuances of this language (which can take even a gifted linguist from another species decades to accomplish), they can expect their usage of it to be met with derision by the haughty high elves.

Hisra (Catfolk) - The catfolk of Armant are desperate to hold onto whatever vestiges of their past glory they can, and that extends to preserving their language despite its archaic nature and the clear superiority in both utility and clarity that Imperial presents.

Huldrani (Frost Elven) - Considered coarse and gutteral by other elven groups, the native tongue of the frost elves has fallen deeply out of favor even amongst native speakers, and it is rare for a frost elf to indulge in publically speaking it in modern Armant.

Ignan (Ifrit) - Originally the language of the elemental plane of fire, it is most widely associated with the fiery ifrit now.

Pelg (Goblinoid) - Though it is most widely known as the langauge of goblins, few scholars debate the belief that it was the hobgoblins that developed this shared language.  They certainly have a far more robust vocabulary (and far better grasp of grammar) than their stunted cousins.

Phryss (Ratfolk) - A language of high-pitched utterances that evolved out of the need to carry well and retain its clarity even when echoing around crammed corridors, it is a popular second language among scouts and thieves alike.

Seeryn (Tengu) - It is difficult for other species to properly form the words of this beak-born language, but most tengu are amiable enough to try and interpret the speaker's meaning.

Terran (Oread) - A stolid, unchanging language with many similarities with dwarn, the langauge of the oread is unchanged from its planar origins associated with the elemental plane of earth.

Tsun (Kitsune) - Closely related to Imperial (or, more accurately, the proto-language from which both Imperial and Tsun evolved), speakers of one langauge often complain that the other sounds almost like the speaker is saying somthing comprehensible, until they stop and try to listen.

Vestran (Vanara) - Though it is essentially a dead language in modern times, scholars still keep the tongue of the vanara alive for its usefulness in reading the many and thorough works of scholarship written in it in the past.

Yanyava'a (Lizardfolk, Vishkanya) - A hissing, sibilant language that came with a disparate group of refuges early in the history of the Empire.

TONGUES OF OUTSIDERS

Abyssal

Celestial

Draconic

Infernal

Giant

Gnoll

Protean

Sylvan

Wemic