Many languages are common in Midgard, with the following warranting further description. An educated or well-traveled adventurer might learn any of these languages.
Common
The most common language in the Crossroads and the Seven Cities. All characters speak it.
Linguistic Bonus: Druidic - Beginner
Linguistic Bonus: Kariv - Intermediate
Linguistic Bonus: Northern Tongue - Beginner
Aklo
The language of aboleths, derro, linnorms, gibbering mouthers, and other bizarre creatures of the underworld. Rarely heard on the surface.
Ankeshelian
A dead human language, more than 3,000 years old, whose runes and glyphs are still used in magical writing today.
Linguistic Bonus: Vos’ghaen - Intermediate
Caelmaran
A very rare language, a human dialect of Infernal. Still spoken by the Master of Demon Mountain and a few wizards. Grants +1 to a Charisma (Persuasion) ability check or +2 to a Diplomacy skill check with devils, demons, and other fiends 1/day.
Darakhul
The language of the Ghoul Imperium, also called Ghoulish, Charun’s Tongue, or Undercommon, is an offshoot of Common and can be partially understood by surface dwellers who have Intelligence of 15 or higher. It is widely spoken in Morgau and Doresh and by vampires, and thus serves as the common tongue of the undead. Those who speak it gain a +1 bonus to Charisma (Persuasion) ability check or +2 to a Diplomacy skill check with undead 1/day.
Draconic or Mharoti
The language of drakes, dragons, and dragonkin in the Mharoti Empire. Rarely spoken by non-scaly races, it grants +1 to a Charisma (Persuasion) ability check or +2 to a Diplomacy skill check with scaly creatures 1/day.
Linguistic Bonus: Kobold - Intermediate
Druidic
A degenerate form of Elvish mixed with Common. Rarely used outside religious ceremonies. Druidic can be spoken even when in animal form.
Linguistic Bonus: Elvish - Intermediate
Dwarvish
One of the first languages, widely spoken in the Northlands, Krakova, and the Ironcrag cantons. Older documents are written in a slightly different script called “Anvil Dwarvish” and can be difficult to decipher (typically an easy Intelligence check, depending on the topic and age of the document).
Linguistic Bonus: Northern Tongue - Beginner
Elemental
The language of elemental creatures of fire, water, air, and earth. Related to Draconic.
Linguistic Bonus: Draconic - Beginner
Enochian
The language of the Celestial Sphere, spoken in Ishadia and among the Seven Heavens. Sometimes called Ishadian.
Linguistic Bonus: Khandirian - Beginner
Linguistic Bonus: Nurian - Beginner
Elvish
The language of the Elflands, the River Court, the Grand Duchy’s Court, and elsewhere. Remarkably unchanged over the past 2,000 years. Documents in the precursor language, Old Elvish (also called Thornish), can still be read with some effort by characters with an Intelligence of 15 or higher.
Linguistic Bonus: Umbral - Intermediate
Feather Speech (Pinion)
The silent language of the ravenfolk, spoken by the ruffling, position, and movement of feathers. Largely impossible for other races to speak unless aided by feathered fans, and even then, the effect is primarily comical.
Gnomish
A dialect of Elvish, with many words borrowed from Infernal. Those who speak it gain +1 to the DC of their illusions or enchantment spells 1/day.
Linguistic Bonus: Elvish - Intermediate
Linguistic Bonus: Infernal - Beginner
Huginn’s Speech
The spoken language of the ravenfolk. Remarkably constant in the North among the huginn and in the South among the heru. Sometimes used as a thieves’ cant.
Linguistic Bonus: Cant - Beginner
llyrian
An archaic language, rarely used outside the court of Illyria and among nobles, and now outlawed in the Dragon Empire’s new province of Rumela. Those who speak it gain +2 to Diplomacy in the Seven Cities 1/day, since it is considered a sign of noble status and personal tragedy.
Infernal
A planar language spoken by demons and devils.
Linguistic Bonus: Gnomish - Beginner
Kariv
A dialect of Common, flavored with many borrowed words and bits of cant. Those who speak it gain +2 to Diplomacy with Kariv wanderers and centaurs 1/day.
Linguistic Bonus: Cant - Beginner
Khandirian
A human dialect related to Enochian, spoken in the East.
Linguistic Bonus: Enochian - Intermediate
Khazzaki
An argot of eastern tongues, spoken only among the nomads.
Kobold
A somewhat simplified (some might say debased) dialect of Draconic, though most dragons and drakes pretend not to understand it.
Linguistic Bonus: Draconic - Intermediate
Machine Speech
A whistling, clicking language that’s incomprehensible to non-gearforged ears. Speakers of Machine Speech claim that the Clockwork Oracle of the Free City of Zobeck speaks in this form, and that their speech is faster and purer than any language of flesh-and-blood races.
Minotaur or Rue-Thothka
The language of the minotaurs is complex and resonant, and especially favored in the South. Its tones are guttural and dangerous sounding.
Morphoi
The language of the Western Ocean and most aquatic races.
Northern Tongue
Also called the Rune Tongue or Giantish. A human language deeply related to Dwarvish and sharing many loan words.
Linguistic Bonus: Dwarvish - Intermediate
Nurian or the Southern Tongue
A human corruption of Enochian, the divine language. A great deal of ritual magic is written in Nurian.
Linguistic Bonus: Enochian - Intermediate
Trolsung
Related to the language of the giants, Trolsung has a quicker patter but retains the giantish love of riddles, kennings, and wordplay.
Linguistic Bonus: Dwarvish - Beginner
Linguistic Bonus: Northern Tongue - Intermediate
Umbral
The language of the shadow elves, a dialect of Elvish.
Linguistic Bonus: Elvish - Intermediate
Void Speech
The language of the outer darkness, Void dragons, and alien gods, a tongue not meant for humanoid speech at all. It disquiets those who hear it, and adds +1 to the DC of fear-related spells and skill checks.
Vos’ghaen
An ancient human tongue, related to Ankeshelian. Speakers of Vos’ghaen are often wizards and masters of glyph magic.
Linguistic Bonus: Ankeshelian - Intermediate
Whisperium
A silent language common among gnomes and diabolists. If you know Whisperium, you may cast a spell silently once per day.