Orathic

Name

Orathic (also called the Stone-Tongue by non-Orasians) is the primary spoken and written language of the Orasians, believed to be shaped directly by the resonant flows of the earth itself.

Classification

Geomantic Language; Non-phonetic Script; Vibrational Transmission

Spoken Characteristics

Orathic is characterized by deep, resonant tones that echo within stone structures. Spoken words are shaped by the pitch, rhythm, and tonal quality of the speaker’s voice, and meaning often changes depending on the space in which it is spoken.

• Resonance-Dependent: Meaning can vary depending on echo feedback.
• Tempo and Silence: Long silences between words are grammatically significant, often used to denote emphasis or reflection.
• Monotonic Pacing: Orathic avoids inflection; variation in tone is used for grammar rather than emotion.

Written Form

Orathic is primarily written through **chiseling geometric glyphs** into stone. The language uses shape, orientation, and material resonance rather than alphabetic letters.

• Chiseled Glyphs: Angular, non-phonetic symbols arranged in spirals, grids, or concentric circles.
• Material-Sensitive Meaning: The type of stone used to inscribe glyphs can influence meaning. Basalt inscriptions carry authority; limestone denotes personal or poetic text.
• No Paper Tradition: Orasians reject transient materials—writing on parchment or hide is seen as an affront to permanence.

Variants

• High Orathic: Used in ceremonial rites and official decrees. Requires harmonic chanting and structured silences.
• Common Orathic: Spoken in everyday use; more fluid and pragmatic.
• Resonance Code: A form of silent communication using tapping and vibration through stone—often used by subterranean messengers or in sacred spaces where speech is forbidden.

Grammar and Structure

* Lacks tense: Time is expressed cyclically (e.g., "before the breaking," "during stillness").

* Noun-focused: Sentences are built around objects and geological states, not actions.

* Verb forms are modal and often fused with subject indicators via tonal modulation.

Mini Lexicon

Orathic Term	Literal Meaning	Contextual Use	Notes
Thar’un	Stone-breath	Refers to a living Orasian	Combines "stone" (thar) and "breath" (un) to denote consciousness in stone
Ekh	Beneath	Spatial or metaphorical depth	Used in ritual phrasing to imply reverence or foundational truth
Vall’kar	Wind of change	Disruption, erosion, or outside influence	Often used pejoratively to describe surface dwellers or instability
Morak	Silence	Reflection, unity, or pre-action stillness	A sacred term in ceremonies; also used to signal readiness
Ha	Is / Exists	A linking verb in common speech	Typically unspoken in formal Orathic; implied through tone
Orak’zen	Stone memory	Ancestral knowledge stored in rock	Used to describe both physical inscriptions and inherited wisdom
Jekkul	Echo	Response, agreement, or affirmation	Also a respectful reply during Council deliberations
Surnak	Fracture	Break, dissonance, or heresy	Considered a taboo term in formal speech; implies spiritual discord
Daenor	Deep-flow	A current of earth-osia	Used metaphorically for inspiration or guiding will
Thar-Khal	Unshaped Stone	Youth or uninitiated	Common in instructional chants for apprentices
Oskaet	Bond	Oath, pact, or joining	Carved into ritual stones when making formal alliances

Cultural Usage

• Oath Language: All legal and spiritual oaths must be spoken in Orathic within echo-bound chambers.
• Memory Stones: Historical and genealogical records are kept via Orathic inscriptions in stone archives.
• Ritual Performance: Music and speech are often interwoven—many ceremonial declarations are sung or chanted with resonance tools.

Example Phrases

• Thar’un ekh Vall’kar – “Stone endures beneath the breath of wind.”
• Morak-ha Terasil – “We are the silence within Terasil.”

Influence

Other subterranean peoples, including some Minthari guilds, use simplified Orathic for trade or ceremonial negotiation. Full fluency, however, is rare outside the Orasian population due to its reliance on geomantic awareness.