Einspeak
Einspeak is the ancient language of human civilization in Storvhal, spoken during an age when magic and religion were not separate disciplines but two faces of the same truth. Scholars, priests, and mages all spoke Einspeak — it was the tongue of discovery, the language of spells committed to page and mind, the medium through which arcane knowledge and divine wisdom passed between generations.
The language emerged from that golden era's need to articulate the unarticulate: the sensation of casting a first spell, the weight of a religious vow, the name of something that had never been named before. Its vocabulary reflects a civilization at its most curious and most dangerous. When the Arcane Crisis cracked the balance of magic and the natural order, the Eloharian Church's rise curtailed both the practice of arcane arts and the language built to speak them. Einspeak never died — but it retreated into ruins, libraries, and the mouths of those who remember.
Vocabulary
| English | Einspeak |
|---|---|
| Discovery | Diskova |
| Exploration | Eksplora |
| Journey | Jornay |
| Knowledge | Knoledj |
| Adventure | Aventur |
| Quest | Kwesta |
| Horizon | Horazon |
| Magic | Magika |
| Spell | Spæl |
| Sorcery | Sorkëri |
| Charm | Chärma |
| Incantation | Inkanta |
| Alchemy | Alkemia |
| Oracle | Oräkl |
| Enlightenment | Enlïtenm |
Common Phrases
| English | Einspeak |
|---|---|
| By the light of the Ohros | Luxa thim Orissa |
| By the will of the Ohros | En va thul Ohrosin |
| Wisdom from the Ohros | Wïsda ur tho'gh Ohrosin enar |
| Ohros light the path | Lum Ohrosin pathi |
| Shadow of the Ohros | Tho'shar Ohrosin |
| Magic flows | Mægi flan |
| Breath gives life | Breith giv ilan |
| Knowledge is power | Knolidj iz vor |
| Seek the unknown | Sek tha unnun |
| The journey is the reward | Tha jornay iz tha rev |
| Magic is in all | Magic iz in tha alies |
| By the rune's power | Bi tha run's vor |
| Illusions deceive | Ilusions decive |
| The wise walk in shadow | Tha wis walk in shado |
| The horizon beckons | Tha horizon bekons |
| Fire in the night | Vora en niht |
Writing System
| Symbol | Sound |
|---|---|
| ⟓ | a |
| ⟘ | æ |
| ⟜ | b |
| ⟞ | d |
| ⟖ | e / o |
| ⟮ | ch |
| ⟟ | f |
| ⟝ | g |
| ⟡ | h |
| ⟕ | i |
| ⟚ | ï |
| ⟧ | j |
| ⟣ | k |
| ⟤ | l |
| ⟥ | m |
| ⟦ | n |
| ⟨ | p |
| ⟰ | q |
| ⟩ | r |
| ⟪ | s |
| ⟫ | t |
| ⟬ | th |
| ⟭ | w |
| ⟢ | y |
| ⟠ | z |
| ⟗ | u |
| ⟛ | ü |
| ⟙ | ø |
| ⟱ | x |
Script Notes
- Runic character forms — each glyph is angular and self-contained, suited to carving into stone and casting circles
- Diacritical vowels (æ, ï, ü, ø) distinguish archaic or sacred registers from common usage
- Shared glyph — u27d6 represents both e and o, differentiated by position within the word
Grammar
Sentence Structure: Subject-Verb-Object (SVO), though ritual and scholarly texts often invert to Object-first for emphasis — placing the subject of reverence or study at the head of the sentence.
Register: Einspeak distinguishes between common speech and elevated register. Elevated forms appear in divine invocations, arcane inscriptions, and scholarly texts — often marked by diacritical vowels (æ, ï, ü) and longer compound constructions.
Proverbs & Idioms
- "Luxa sunne" — By the light of the sun. An expression of clarity and truth; used when stating something self-evident or beyond doubt.
- "Lira rem" — Stone speaks. Meaning that history and past actions leave permanent marks, and cannot be undone or forgotten.
- "Vora en niht" — Fire in the night. Symbolizes hope and guidance during hardship or uncertainty.