Daily Life: Language and Literacy

There are dozens of different languages spoken in Tirenia. Different regions have developed their own tongue, which are descended from the Auromian language of the gold dragon empire. In practical terms, this means that while everyone in Tirenia can generally understand each other, there is also a lot of room for confusion and irritation. In game terms, there is no 'common' language, as featured in other games. Instead of knowing different languages, a character can learn dialects. Characters who don't share a dialect can still make themselves understood, but have Disadvantage on Charisma-based skill checks. On the other hand, when one is far from home, it can be extremely reassuring to hear a familiar language when you are far away from home. At the Dungeon Master's discretion, characters far away from home can have Advantage on Charisma-based skill checks when talking to someone who shares the same language as them.

In this time before the invention of printing, literacy is also not as wide-spread as it is today. One's degree of education depended on what they could afford, with the richest having access to university studies, and the poorest having to make do with whatever they could learn at home. Books, having to be hand-copied, were also very rare. However, professionals have a basic literacy that lets them perform their jobs. In game terms, any character with a Intelligence modifier of +0 or better is assumed to be able to read and write. Higher modifiers indicate a higher level of literacy. Characters that start with a negative Intelligence modifier have not received an education and are functionally illiterate.

Image result for renaissance art reading
Art: 'The Magdalen reading.' Ambrosius Benson, c. 1525.

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