Time to zoom back out for a day or two. In fact, I think it’s time to revisit the 41 questions, don’t you?
I think that we’ll delve into the section on sociology for the next couple of days. Let me pick one or two of the questions for today, and see where I can get with them:
There are two divergent types of the Common tongue in Lenryn, each for one of the continents. Goranans speak Goranish, Alramans speak Alramish. The two tongues are vastly different, and spring from different sources. Goranish developed from the original language of the Eladrin, and is very similar to the modern tongue of the Eladrin, so much so that Eladrin in Alrama actually speak Goranish, and refer to it as if it were Eladrin. (The Eladrin who reside in Gorana speak “High Eladrin,” a tongue that more closely approximates ancient Eladrin.) Goranish is known for the ease of pronunciation, but also the complexity of its grammar and its overwhelmingly large lexicon. Goranish is a flowing tongue, with few consonantal sounds.
The origins of Alramish, on the other hand, are lost to history. Alramish shares some commonalities with the native tongues of Tieflings, in its use of guttural sounds, and the use of the alveolar trill (rolling r’s). The lexicon, however, has more in common with the Dwarven folk. This would seem to be advantageous to communication, however it actually serves in the opposite way. More than half of the shared words between Dwarven and Alramish have opposed meanings. Thus, “tall” in Alramish means “short” in Dwarven, etc.
The races all have a native tongue, as well. Tiefling, Dwarven and Eladrin have been mentioned; The few Dragonborn that remain in the world speak a variation of Draconic; Halflings are the exception that make the rule, as they tend to speak Common exclusively.
There is one other language worth mentioning. The merchants of Lenryn have developed a universal trading language, so that as they travel from region to region or deal with various races. Referred to by merchants as, simply, “tradespeak,” some others have referred to it, in a derogatory fashion, as “greedspeak.” The ability to speak tradespeak provides many benefits in terms of the marketplace.
- What are the social stratifications? Are they economic? Are they social? Racial?
Society in Lenryn can vary greatly from one region to the next, or even from one city to the next. However, there are some basic principles that govern most of the world:
- Eladrin are considered the Elites. They are the ruling class, and deference should be paid to them. They hold the majority of positions of power in government, religion, and social organizations.
- Tieflings are considered an underclass. They are generally distrusted, and it is rare to see a Tiefling in a position of legitimate power. The best hope for a Tiefling who wants to advance legitimately is through military service.
- Dragonborn are all but extinct (more on this later). They are considered oddities, and rarely come to any sort of status.
- The other races are, for the most part, somewhere in the middle. You may find a dwarf or a human in a position of power, although never at the very top. Elves are slightly toward the higher end of this range, and often favored by their Eladrin cousins.
- Economically speaking, wealth tends to be concentrated among the Eladrin. The lowest 60% of people own literally nothing, and live in a condition of serfdom.
- There is an emerging trend here, again among the merchant class. The merchant class, in many ways, has exempted itself from Eladrin control, beyond paying their taxes. In fact, many of the merchant class tend to be wealthier, if not of a higher status, than most Eladrin. In some areas, the Eladrin have seized this opportunity and regulated and taxed the merchant class In some areas they have tried a more heavy-handed approach, seizing property and imprisoning merchants who become too wealthy. Many of the merchant class maintain luxurious living conditions, yet are afforded little social status. At the least, the Eladrin tend to consider merchants a pariah, although other races and segments of society are warming greatly to the merchant class, and looking to them for liberation from serfdom.
There you have it. Dry sociological data. It reads a little like the original Greyhawk boxed set, without the flora and fauna section. God, there were times that Gygax was dry. At any rate, your explanation of these particular questions might not be as in-depth, but that’s all right. I’m sure I’ll skimp somewhere that you’re inspired, at some point.
