Editing They Came from the North (section)

===Languages===
A character knows a number of languages equal to half their Smarts die, plus one for each point put into Knowledge (languages) skill. You don't necessarily have to choose these at character creation, and can instead wait until it becomes relevant in play ("In fact, I happen to speak Prainish, having learned it from my traveling uncle as a child! Such a lucky coincidence!"). Most nations and states have their own language that shares more or less elements with their closest neighbours. Some other notable languages include:

* '''Coastal Pidgin''' - A ragtag amalgam of dozens of tongues used as an informal ''lingua franca'' all along the southern coast.
* '''Elvish''' - A loose but intimately related family of tongues and dialects spoken by the elven tribes. Has no native written form.
* '''Hissing''' - The supple, sibilant tongue of the nomadic serpent peoples, widely spoken in the eastern steppes and the south-east lowlands. It is written with one continuous line, the letters formed by knots and bends.
* '''Holy Tongue''' - A formal language used by the clergy and nobility of the Holy Empire.
* '''Kalarish''' - The common language of the Kalarian empire, where knowing it is a requirement for citizenship.
* '''Sidereal''' - A highly precise and logical language known only to mages and scholars, allegedly spoken by gods that descended from the stars in ancient times.
* '''Taldrish''' - The language of Taldra, a northern city state and important center of trade, commonly spoken along most inland trade routes.