Shareyn’s Speech
Shareyn's Speech isn't really a language. It's a mask worn over one.
The system is a covert code designed to blend seamlessly into everyday conversation. A speaker of Shareyn's Speech can deliver sensitive intelligence in the middle of a crowded tavern, and the only person who knows what was just said is the one who was supposed to hear it. Common words are assigned new meanings. Common phrases carry operational intent. The listener either knows the lexicon or they don't.
The written form — sharp, angular, geometric — is where the language's structure becomes visible. The script is designed for precision, carved into surfaces or written in margins, never sprawling. Its origins are unknown, which is itself likely intentional. A language this useful to the underworld doesn't need a discoverable history.
When speaking aloud: Shareyn's Speech uses a distinct tonal pattern — a consistently higher or lower pitch than the speaker's natural voice, or a heavy stress on the first syllable of each coded word. Practitioners sometimes mark written Shareyn's with an acute accent over one letter to signal activation.
Lexicon
Each entry shows the cover word and its true operational meaning.
| True Meaning | Cover Word |
|---|---|
| Mission | Dream |
| Data / Intelligence | Rain |
| Target | Wind / Clover |
| Disguise | Shade |
| Secret | Echo |
| Spy / Operative | Watcher |
| Hidden / Concealed | Fable |
| Danger | Fog |
| Encrypted | Petal |
| Cipher | Lemon |
| Time / Deadline | Breeze |
| Informant | Bridge |
| Reconnaissance | Gossip |
| Assassin | Wind |
| Threat | Storm |
Coded Phrases
| True Meaning | What Is Said |
|---|---|
| The informant is reliable | The bridge is secure |
| Intelligence is incoming | Looks like rain today |
| The secret is compromised | The echo is clear |
| The operation begins soon | The sun is setting soon |
| I have new intelligence | I found a new book to read |
| We need to relocate | We should visit Radium's Edge |
| The target is vulnerable | The city's lights are dazzling |
| We are compromised | Remember the Kairos Wastes? |
| We are under surveillance | The city seems busier than normal |
| Abort — walk away | I heard the night market is closed |
| Are you Ghara? (identity check) | Your shadow matches mine |
| Situation is volatile; stay sharp | I can't get a connection |
| We are outnumbered | The wind is shifting |
| Alter the plan | The lighthouse is dimming |
Writing System
| Symbol | Sound |
|---|---|
| ⎋ | A / N |
| ⎀ | B |
| ⎃ | D |
| ⎌ | E / U |
| ⎆ | F |
| ⎁ | G |
| ⎉ | I |
| ⎊ | K |
| ⎂ | L |
| ⎄ | M |
| ⎎ | O |
| ⎅ | P |
| ⎈ | R |
| ⎏ | S |
| ⎍ | T |
| ⎇ | V |
| ⎉ | Z |
Script Notes
- The Shareyn's script is geometric and angular — every character a clean, deliberate form. Nothing ambiguous, nothing decorative
- The script is rarely used for extended writing; it appears in short bursts — margin notes, carved signals, brief drops
- Shared recognition phrase: "Your shadow matches mine" — identity confirmation between operatives who've never met
- The written form is sometimes combined with the spoken form: ordinary Common text with Shareyn's characters mixed in only where the true message lives
Operational Notes
For players and GMs: Shareyn's Speech works mechanically as a cipher layer on top of Common. A character fluent in it can hold a full operational conversation in front of unsuspecting listeners. Detection requires either knowing the lexicon or succeeding on a very high Perception/Insight check to notice the unnatural tonal pattern.