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APENDIX ONE: The Elven Language: =================== Introduction by Zebin Al Zord ----------------------------- I have attempted, in this minor work, to describe the basic structure of the Elven language as used in the performance of magical rites and incantations. The major references on the use of Elven magic are held in the tower Astimiah Eckhart, Mage of Brettle. It was he who so kin- dly allowed me to spend many hours delving through his library's ext- ensive stacks. To him and the brothers of his order I am in debted. Original research on ancient Elven was conducted by the mage Yonden Clang in the years 734 to 767. He discovered the fifteen "trees" of Elven speech, and documented the various historical varations which define modern spoken Elven. In this summary of his research I will endeavor to do justice to his fine linguist research. History of The Elven Language ----------------------------- Use of Elven in Ashtalarea began, of course, with the appearance of Elves on the continent around the year 686. At that time, there were three forms of Elven in common use: , , .. , Anfel, Kafarifel, Eavorfel. --------------------------- ( little french and german pronunciation things...) Anfel is the commonly-known Elven language spoken by all Elves in one dialect or another. This is the language taught to non-Elves by Elven sages. Kafarifel is the secret language of the Elven Lords, and is used ostensibly in the preparation of Elven military plans and other Elven secrets. Presumably the location of the famed "Secret Elven Wood-City" is discussed in Kafarifel. The last, Eavorfel, is the language of magic and incantation. All three Elven languages trace their etymologies to the fifteen "trees"(1) These trees are the roots of both Anfel and Eavorfel. Of Kafarifel I was able to learn nothing, but it is likely that it derives in some form from these fifteen Trees as well. The Trees describe all that the most Ancient Elves knew of their world, and they are divided into three "families": natural, familial, and unnatural. These categories havn't any linguistic signifigance, although the three"families" form a cons- istent theme in the literature of the Elven houses. It is interesting to note the existence of the "unnatural" family, and that it contains fire, stone, and noise, which comprise the Anfel word for Dwarf, TUYASWA. Elven hatred of Dwarves is a result of the historical Elven Disdain for linguistic members of the unnatural family. In this text I will discuss only the Anfel and Eavorfel languages of Elven speech. A reference to "Elven" should be taken to refer to both languages. Items appearing only in one or the other will be clearly identified as such. Notes On Pronunciation ---------------------- 1. Not all Common letters are represented in Elven. The Elven alphabet (transcribed into the Latin alphabet) reads as follows: A B D E F I K L M N O P R S T U V W Y Z. 2. Vowels follow the general European patterns: A = ahh (as in "father") E = ay (as in "way") O = oh (as in "go" or as in "bought") I = i (as in "him" U = oo (as in "loop") 3. Double and Special vowels are read as follows: oo = ooh (as in "school", longer than "u") ee = ee (as in "he") , e = eh (as in "exit") .. .. .. e = a (as in "make" or the german "Rader") 4. Accents are quite simple to learn. The only general rule is that verbs in their infinitive form are accented on the final syllable .. .. (manYA, lawenYA, kutYU.) In all other cases the accent must be learned, and the Elves themselves are undecided on the proper pronunciations. Stress, it would seem, is a major factor in distinguishing between the various dialects of elven speech. Thus the new learner of Elven is often left to decide opun his own ac- cents. This creates enormous difficulties in the lexicography of Elven. A positive note is that, however pronounced, magical inca- ntations all seem to work, and I have heard some quite horrendous pronunciations of the spells by mages across Ashtalarea (especially among the Krag Barbarians). The Three "Famalies" And The Fifteen "Trees" -------------------------------------------- All words in Elven are derived in some way from one of the fifteen "Trees". These Trees (or "root words", if you prefer) are the basic ideas which the ancient Elves first put into language. They also represent the letters of the Elven alphabet. The Trees are divided into three "Families", which reflect the bases of all Elven thought. , The Natural Family (Anon) ************************* The natural family is comprised of the "Trees" which the Elves hold most sacred. They are the things which nurture and nourish the Elves and the children of the forests: .. AN the woodlands EA water LA the sun NA foodstuffs , FA the wind , The Familial Family (Onon) ************************** MA mother DA father VORRA the Elven gods RI elf , , FE singing, speech ONO family, clan , The Unnatural Family (Ason) *************************** .. TU stone AWE fire , ASA noise, sounds KU the moon .. , The Use Of Eavorfel In Magic ---------------------------- .. , Eavorfel, the Elven language of magic, is typically the first Elven which non-Elves learn. It is actually a simplfied form of Anfel with a few syntactic changes. These changes will not be discussed here, but must be dealt with at some future point if one wishes to become fluent in Anfel. Since all Elven magic concerns itself with its effect on living things, the vocabulary of the incantations is actually quite limited Formation of spell names ------------------------ The object of the spell is written first -- that is, the race on which the spell will have effect. Next comes the particular personal statistic affected: All spells increase or decrease some stat. For example, incr- easing or decreasing the Body stat is the magical way to cause or heal wounds. In Old Eavorfel the affix for the body was declined according to the family from which the targeted race is derived (The Natural Family ="a," Familial Family = "o," and Unnatural Family = "U"). "Human Body," for instance, derives from "DAYSA" (humans), whose stem is ASA, which is in the Unnatural Family. The word for Human Body therefore is "dayVU" whereas "Elven Body" is "AnVO" and "Animal Body" is "AnVA". In modern Eavorfel, however, these declinations are no longer used, and the generic affic "na," of unknown origin, is used regardless of the etymology of the creature affected by the spell. The severity of the spell is affixed nest, followed by the range of the spell and its duration. Finally, a suffix denotes the particular sub- class(es) of creature atat which the spell is targeted. These creatures suffixes are derivations of the Anfel cardinal numbers, and relate dire- ctly to historical listings of creatures of the lands which were first made by the Elf-Druid Elandrohil hundereds of years ago. Spelling and Vocabulary ----------------------- , .. , In actual practice, spellings of Anfel and Eavorfel words have under- gone a number of variations since their introduction in Ashtalarea. In general, diacritical marks are seldom used in Eavorfel text. Except in special cases, omission of thediacriticals does not change the pronun- ciation or meaning of the incantation. Anfel is less forgiving, not on- ly because fewer non-Elves use it but also because the much richer voc- abulary of an active language requires more subtle differentiation bet- ween lexical items. In short, if you are casting a spell, you can ignore diacriticals, but if you'rewriting a poem, you'd better use them. .. , In addition, Eavorfel names for spells are written using twelve characters or less, due to the necessity for speed in speaking incantations during combat. Many Eavorfel words therefore are difficult for the non-specialist to analyze liguistically. In The list below the original spellings of Eavorfel words and phrases have been kept to aid in formation of future incantations names. The most frequently-used abbreviated Eavorfel words are listed alongside their Anfel variants (Anfel spellings minus diacrit- ical marks): Statistics: *********** , .. , English Anfel variant Eavorfel ------- ------------- -------- STRENGTH DANTURA DAN QUICKNESS VAFA VA FORESIGHT DAVORA DA INTELLIGENCE VORNIFA VOR FATIGUE TWE , TWE OFFENSE KUTWE KUT DEFENSE ANDANA AND BODY NAVA NA Classes ******* , .. , English Anfel variant Eavorfel ------- ------------- -------- HUMAN DAYSA DAY ELF ANRIeA(.. OVER e) AR DWARF TUYASWA TYA KELDERHEIT KELDAR KEL ANIMAL ANNEA AN DRAGON DAKU DAK ELEMENTAL VORNEA VON GIANTKIND KUMATWE KUM LEGENDARY VORANNEA VAR REPTILE ENNEA EN SPECTRE KUNEA KUN UNDEAD VORKUNA VOR Severity ******** , .. , Anfel Eavorfel ------------------- Insignificant Healing/Damage: Ri R Moderate Healing/Wound : La L Serious Helaing/Wound : Wa W Great Healing/Wound : Ye Y Tremendous Healing/Wound : Fe F Range ***** Close (Adjacent Or Touching) ON Long YR Duration ******** Minimal : A Long : O Short : E Longest : U Medium : I SUBCLASS ******** The Eavorfel Numbers -------------------- , 1 LA 10 KE , 2 MU 11 aT , 3 FE 12 LO 4 TI 13 RI , 5 MI 14 oT .. 6 KO 15 Yo 7 RA 16 U .. 8 a All,every TA , 9 Ua Modern Common Derivatives ------------------------- There are, suprisingly, a number of Modern Common words which derive from Elven: FLORA: Derived from Old Common flora , the goddessof flowers in one myth- ology. She was in fact an Elven princess from the Tinyu forest in Astrikan. , , , Her name felorra , derives from the Old Anfel felavorra, "song of the god". FAUNA: derived from the Old Common Fauna, the goddess of fruitfulness in ancient mythology, and the sister of Faunas. An Elven wizard-maiden named , , , Feanna is the basis for this name. It derives from the Old Anfel Felaan, "song of the woodland gods." FAIRY: derived from Old Common FATA, "goddess of fate," which derived from the noun 'fatum', "fate." Continuing the etymology into Elven, we find that it derives from Modern Anfel Feari, from Old Anfel Feeari, "water songs of the Elves." APPENDIX TWO Timeline For Ashtalarea ======================= Year's: ------- 604 : Dwarves Thrive under the mountains of Mytrone and Ghor unaware of the worlds above them. 604 : Ghor Dwarves surface from beneath the Ghor Mountains. 686?: ELves arrive on the backs of mystical winged steeds. 764 : Dwarves carve their way out of the Mytrone Mountains. 794: The Reign of King Zolod begins in Ashtalarea. 936-38: Ghow Dwarves encounter Stone Ogres. First Ogre War. 952 : Second Ogre War 960 : First Humans cross the Tyme Pass into Ashtalarea. 962 : Brettle Founded. 963 : Third Ogre War destroys Ghor mountains, reducing them to rubble. 972 : Time of Human expansion. Shellemoon founded. Feglar discovers Great Dismal Bay. 973 : Krell and Feglar fight. Krell flees into swamplands. Feglar enlists the aid of Mytrone Dwarves in building the Hobe. 977 : Brettle is made a Dukedom, Formation of the Brettle Regulars. 978 : Duke forms Highwaymen's Guild by hiring henchmen to build roads to Shellemoon and the Hobe. 980?: Pildar, the Dark Lord, begins amassing Orcs and Goblins in Drezin and South Tantowyn Forests. Pildar breeds humans for soldiers (Dark Guard) 984 : Small groups of Elves leave their homes and follow Pyar in the interest of trading with Humans. 997 : Pyar convinces Plainsmen to settle the border areas of Lintle despite other Elve's complaints. 1003: Dwarf Crelek goes North in search of Ghor remains and disappears into the hills. Htron founded. 1004: Elf-Human skirmishes break out. 1011: Walbars sail into Anchoring Bay and begin seatrading with Htron. 1026: First Htron ships set sail under command of the Rogue Poitle. Ship Olanth's Folly sets sail from Htron. 1042: The Dark War breaks out. Pildar's Orc and Ogre army attacks King Zobold in the Mytrone Kills. Goblins and Darkguard attack Shelle- moon. The city is besieged untill 1049. 1044: Dwarven city of Zobold is laid siege by Orcs and Ogres, City of Poitle founded. 1047: Elves from Litnle attack rear lines of Pildar's army in the Sodden Hills. King Usip dies, ending the lineage of Usip. 1048: King Zobold orders destruciton of water supply for his mountain city, thereby flooding it and committing suicide with over 1000 Dwarves. Olegar fights Pildar's mage Tranzadeel near Prazen Point. Sir Segallion and the Hobean Squires arrive in Mytrone too late to save Zobold, but they push Pildan's army south into the Valley of the Damned. 1049: In the Valley of the Damned, Pildar's army is defeated by squires and elves. Victory in the West. Shellemoon counterattacks against the siege. Regulars, Highwaymen, Amazons, Crelek and a new Dwarven army from Ghow attack and defeat Pildar's only remaining forces. 1050: Pildar retreats into the Dark Tower. End of the Dark War. Plain- smen settle all of Lintle before the Elves can return from the Dark War. 1057: Olanth's Folly enters Ebbwater and beaches. Town of Olanthen found- ed. 1065: Locks built in Poitle. Town renamed Poitles Lock. 1067: First Kelden arrive in Ashtalarea, in Brettle. 1077: Last female of the Usip line dies. 1079-96: Barbarians of Krag attack Thimblewald. 1088: Hrondar the Leaned enters Ashtalarea through the Tyme Pass. 1092: Dungar Stiffnuckles finishes road from Ghor to Brettle. Highwaymen extend it all the way to Htron. 1096: Thimblewald Keep constructed on the River Downing to defend against the Barbarians attacks. End of Barbarian wars. 1100: Present Day. Well, this is about it. I'll make the maps in a different archive someday, it's not realy important.. just wander around alot and get to know the place, that's alot better than any Map I could make for you. If you really want a map, I'll meet you somewhere... leave me mail on boards, ask some other people to get in touch with me... You'll find me on Mt. Olympus, Hunter's & Collectors, Paradise City, Phaoroh's Curse, Mega bbs, Cavalier bbs, Death Shroud, Terminal Frost ( or at least where Jack's going to run it... he's moving soon.)