Darklands languages

In the Darklands, societies function with little contact from surface folk. Due to this isolation, the languages spoken by Golarion's subterranean inhabitants have evolved and developed quite independently from those of their surface-dwelling counterparts.

Aklo

Aklo is a language found in remote pockets of the Darklands, and is thought to have otherworldly origins. It is believed to be the language of the serpentfolk but is also spoken by creatures as diverse as linnorms, neothelids, alghollthus, shoggoths, and gibbering mouthers. Mortals struggle to learn and speak it. It shares certain similarities with Gnome and Orvian. Aklo is also spoken in the Darklands of Tian Xia, and by strange eldritch entities and certain ancient powers from the First World.

Caligni

This secretive language, also known as Dark Folk, is spoken exclusively by various forms of calignis, such as caligni dancers, caligni creepers, and caligni stalkers.

Canto

Canto is a primitive language found in the Darklands. Communication is achieved though percussive hits on body parts, weapons, or cavern walls, and is designed to travel long distances through echoing tunnels.

Drow Sign Language

See Sakvroth below.

Flail Snail

Flail Snail is the language of the enormous snails resident in the Darklands. It consists of sign language and slime writing: the flail snails cannot speak. The language has been studied and the findings published by the Pathfinder Society.

Gug

Gug is a language of the Darklands spoken by the grotesque giants known as the gug. It consists of little other than gurgling and grunting.

Necril

Necril is the muttering language spoken by the ravenous ghouls of the Darklands and by followers of the Whispering Way, but is also spoken by many intelligent undead throughout Golarion and by those who hunt them. It is a mixture of ancient and modern Osiriani, Aklo and Sakvroth, focusing on terms and concepts central to the ghouls' existence and morbid culture.

Orvian

Orvian is a truly ancient language still spoken in the Orvian Vaults of the Darklands. Some believe that it is descended from the language of the fabled Vault Keepers themselves. It seems to be heavily influenced by both Aklo and Terran.

Sakvroth

Sakvroth, also known as Undercommon,✝ is the most widely spoken language of the Darklands. It evolved from Elven and was repurposed by the drow over the centuries to fit their new homelands after the events of Earthfall. It incorporated words from Orvian, and eventually mutated so far that it was mutually unintelligible with its mother tongues.

Sakvroth is also a secret sign language employed in the Darklands by creatures who wish to communicate without being overheard. It is known to be used by the drow, although it is growing in popularity across the Inner Sea region and other creatures may have alternate versions.

Vegepygmy

Vegepygmy is a language incorporating thumps and slaps mixed with smells used by vegepygmies and other plant creatures.

Darklands Slang

Being such insular communities, the inhabitants of the Darklands have developed a specialized terminology or slang all of their own, many terms of which have made their way into a number of the languages spoken there.

References

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