Did You Know? - Animal Languages

Every animal species in Zenkora has a language of its own! It uses this language telepathically, so it's not as though every bark or meow is a word (however, it does seem the barking and meowing helps somehow...). 

These are called the "secret languages of beasts".

Using this language, animals can communicate with each other much as you and I do. It gets a little trickier once more species enter the mix. When a greyhound attempts to strike up a conversation with a dachshund or a chihuahua, they may find it a little strange at first, but very quickly get used to it. For English speakers, it would be like hearing somebody speak with a strong accent for the first time. But what happens when the species get further and further apart?

Well, it's just a matter of learning and getting used to it. To a dog, speaking to a fox may be difficult (at first), but still way easier than talking to a sparrow. Similarly, a sparrow may find dogs quite frustrating to talk to, but fortunately easier to tell that hawk chasing it to chill out. Whether the hawk listens is, of course, another matter.

But if all animals can use this ability, why can't humans? Well, the truth is, humans would be able to - if humans didn't also develop spoken speech. The act of talking blocks out the ability to hear and use these languages, which makes it way harder - though not impossible - for humans to learn it. On that same note, humans who are raised in the wild by animals will find it just as easy to use the secret languages as their new families.

Now that you know, go ahead and practice. You'll be chatting with your pets in no time!

Just don't try to use your newfound gifts on an Ancient. They'll blow your mind in with a single word. Best to just be polite and back away slowly.

-Wesley

Did You Know? - Rionkanta

Rionkanta is the conlang developed specifically for use in Zenkora. In context, it serves as the requisite "mystical magic language" that is often in vogue for fantasy worldbuilders. Residents of Zenkora's ancient past use it to construct spells, names of importance, and otherwise facilitate communication. 

Rionkanta's true origins are unknown to most. Was it the creation of a prehistoric society? A gift from a forgotten god? The true nature of this strange and often bewildering language are a fascinating subject of study for Zenkora sorcerers and academics.

The alphabet of Rionkanta consists of an alternating pattern of three consonants followed by a vowel, repeating eight times, for a total of fifty-six letters. In the vein of similar real-world languages, each letter of the alphabet has 1 or 2 specific words and meanings traditionally associated with it! This feature allows mystics and spellmakers an additional layer of complexity to utilize in their magic.

As a language, Rionkanta possesses two distinct supernatural features. The first is that usage of Rionkanta facilitates magical action more easily than any other language; the cause for this is unknown and is the subject of much study. The second is that Rionkanta will naturally degrade in a user's memory more quickly over time than almost any other subject, similar to the effects caused by your standard memory-wiping spell. Practitioners therefore must spend a sizeable amount of time reviewing Rionkanta and its features in order to maintain their grasp of it. The most widespread theory for this is that whoever created the language must have wished to limit the usage of this language. Assuming that to be true, it nevertheless must have failed, for Rionkanta has become the dominant standard in most of modern sorcery!

-Wesley