[Glorantha] Re: Written form of Darktongue?

From: Jane Williams <janewilliams20>
Date: Sat Mar 17 11:00:09 2007

• LC <lc_at_lightcastle.net> wrote:

> I'd think there is a written form, but that it
> probably includes density and
> texture more than just shape. (Since Darktongue
> tends to be like that.)

This was my thought, though a vague one so far.

> Not sure if that would make it that Uz only write on
> one type of material. So
> maybe braille is the right idea, but it needs to be
> something solid enough to hold the shape, not flat.

I'd been thinking in terms of carving in stone, but variations in density are a good idea, too. Embedding things?

Malk:
> I seem to recall reading a Lhankor Mhy myth where
> trolls are taught to write, and get very stroppy
> because they cannot perceive the marks made by
> ink on paper..

That does seem reasonable.

> trying to remember what the outcome was...
> it certainly involved some sort of "relief" system,
> but whether it involved chiselled "rune" type
> characters ..or something more exotic, I cannot
> recall offhand.

This sounds more like an adaptation of a human reading system for trolls, though: I was thinking more of a trollish system that may or may not be readable by humans.

Santo:
> I would argue that if any written form of Darktongue
> that exists was invented by the cult of Arkat
> Kingtroll. Before that point it seems like the
> Uz are much more animistic/theistic with their
> religion and their ways, and so I more envision
> them using more "archaic" ways of language.

Ooh, that's a good point! And suddenly makes its implications in my game even more interesting.

In terms of what it would be like, though, that picks up Malk's idea: it really would be a group of trolls who had seen the human idea of "writing" and wanted something similar but more suited to trolls. So it would be artificially created, not naturally "grown".

Hmm, Earthspeech in its written form is done in clay tablets. Trolls could see that. Different types of clay would harden with different densities. Embed different types and shapes of small stone in there as well, you're heading towards a compact writing system. But hardening the clay? Trolls don't like fire, or sun. ZZ the troll scribe....?

There exists a LM feat that lets anyone who can speak a language read a document in that language. I suspect that in this case you'd need to have Darksense to even percieve the written form, which limits things somewhat. Would there be any further limitations, do you think? Could any passing troll with the feat cast on them read the writing? (My mind boggles slightly at the idea of a Sage actually doing this, but the players have suggested it, so...)                 

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