From: Kmnellist@aol.com
Date: Fri 05 Nov 1999 - 12:40:17 EET
In a message dated 10/22/99 7:04:08PM, you write:
<< and where does Auld Wyrmish come in?
Good question. In RQ1 & 2 it was the human learnable form of the
Dragonnewt and Wyrm language(s). By RQ3 Greg had decided that the
language could not be written since most of it was like a sign language
with sounds most humans couldn't make, so Auld Wyrmish became a spoken
only language. The Orlanthi of EWF had to have an operation to split the
brain and tongue, and then had to learn to dance before they could really
learn Wyrmish (KoS).
Several of the old modules list scrolls in Auld Wormish, but it is
probably better to change them to EWF Sartarite instead.
Bob >>
My own version of Pavic/Old Pavic is this and languages spoken there is this:
First settlers of Robcradle were Jrusteli allied with Pure Horse People.
Pavis himself was, presumably, one of the Middle Sea Empire types (I'll
ignore the Aldyami connection at the moment). His Cradlesnatching
parents/buddies run away to Adari, the Port of Sog (now Sog's Ruins) and
other places when Waha and Paragua smash Robcradle. Pavis eventually goes to
the EWF, befriends a Mostali, learns Draconic (presumably) and then comes
back with assorted allies, including a fair number of Pure Horse People led
by their Not-So-Pure Horse Khan, Joraz Kyrem. Learning Draconic was easy in
those days; have your brain and tongue slit in two, or something similar; a
'magical' language that either
a:helped you to think draconic
or
b: that you could speak draconic if you thought draconic.
Either way, Wyrmish talking Pavis rebuilds Robcradle with his Wyrmish talking
Friends, his Mostali speaking dwarf workers, his Pure Horse (a Pentan
dialect?) speaking cavalry and horse herders, and his old Jrusteli Robcradle
Exiles, returned to start plundering the Cradles. I think that soon after
this a load of Safelster rebels could easily have been sold to Pavis as
slaves (by the Godlearner Monks in Ralios).
I also note at this point that Joraz Kyrem was a man of Issaries, so
presumably Tradetalk was spoken: if nothing else, all these different people
needed to understand each other. When the EWF ended people magically forgot
how to speak Auld Wyrmish. I think that the 25% limit has only been in place
since the end of the EWF. Anyway, it was more than just a language. Elegant
Pavic citizens suddenly had to communicate using only the crude mouth noises
(called speech) that they had used before they had learnt Auld Wyrmish.
Going back to Joraz Kyrem, man of the Sun and of Issaries, Khan of the Pure
Horse People, Captain of the Zebra Cavalry, Lord of the City of Pavis,
founder of the ruling Dynasty, we see that he is pretty important, and I
suggest that Pure Horse People (and their descendants the Zebra Cavalry) were
the most populous segment of the population. This leads to a speech that is
heavily influenced by Auld Wyrmish, which everyone (at least the EWF
immigrants from Dragon Pass) used to 'speak' (communicate with) all the
time, by Pentan which the majority of the population, the military, the local
nomads would speak, and Jrusteli/Seshnegi for the sea traders, sorcerors, and
the like. Then also, a Ralian slave poulation with their own dialects.
So Old Pavic seems a mish mash. Clearly Pure Horse would lack a lot of terms
for seas, trade, sorcery, business, technology. Jrusteli would nicely fill
this gap. Draconic words would suit religion and philosophy. Flintnailers
would know a few Mostali Masonry words.
When everything goes really badly wrong (ie the oceans close, the Port of Sog
gets stranded inland (presumably with other refugees from all over the west
fleeing to Pavis), Jaldon appears and besieges the city for ages, etc etc the
citizens of Pavis find a common enemy which unites them and their dialects.
So Old Pavic/Pavic (I agree that they are the same language) is, IMO, a
language that uses Theyalan grammar (because the EWFers who relied on Auld
Wyrmish the most reverted to Theyalan), has a lot of Pentan loan words
relating to social status and rank, the military, horses obviously(and
zebras), terrain, weather, Jrusteli words relating to technology, sea trade,
and other specialist subjects, and Draconic words and expressions for
religion, philosophy and other weird stuff.
The aldryami connection I still don't quite get, I'm thinking about it.
I will now go and read Jane Williams' site on the subject and see if any of
this agrees.
Keith N
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