GP A Crown because gp are already referred as Galifar, so crown and king go together.
PP A Kingdom, because what good is a king without a kingdom?
I just can't come up with a slang term for the silver piece. So any of you have any ideas? Is this whole idea stupid and/or silly, or do you think people should post up ideas for slang to apply to other aspects of Eberron?
At least BFE as "Bumf---, Eldeen" seems to transfer well ;)
Eldeen Reaches: Bears, Treehuggers, Nuteaters.
Karrnath: Hilts, Wolves, Redwolves, Bloodlovers, Dead Ones
Aundair: Dandies, Birdbrains,
Breland: Bearf----rs,
Lord of Blades: Lobster
members of the Silver Flame: Flamers
There are a couple of variants used in my campaign's the bear only a passing resemblance to Common. Sharn natives, for example, speak a mashed-up pidgin of words borrowed from all over the continent as well as a number of terms unique to the city... the end result of which is something akin to Hammett or Chandler. Difficult to decipher at first, but it grows on a body after a few bells up over your head in downside, jive?
I've sprinkled other colloquialisms and hints of accent into the other places of Khorvaire as well, and I was delighted when my PCs correctly identified a changeling spy by noticing that he spoke like he was from Aundair when he claimed to be from the Holds.
I've sprinkled other colloquialisms and hints of accent into the other places of Khorvaire as well, and I was delighted when my PCs correctly identified a changeling spy by noticing that he spoke like he was from Aundair when he claimed to be from the Holds.
...I really, really want to play in one of your games now.
There are a couple of variants used in my campaign's the bear only a passing resemblance to Common. Sharn natives, for example, speak a mashed-up pidgin of words borrowed from all over the continent as well as a number of terms unique to the city... the end result of which is something akin to Hammett or Chandler. Difficult to decipher at first, but it grows on a body after a few bells up over your head in downside, jive?
I've sprinkled other colloquialisms and hints of accent into the other places of Khorvaire as well, and I was delighted when my PCs correctly identified a changeling spy by noticing that he spoke like he was from Aundair when he claimed to be from the Holds.
Yeah I want to play in your games as well.
I like what you're doing with the Sharn accents. I guess the closest thing to my mental image of Sharn-speak are the various accents in Gangs of New York (the lower city and the Cogs really have a Five Points feel).
Speaking of class distinctions, I can see some really small details in 5N generating slang. For example, in Aundair "barehander" or something to that effect could be either a dire insult or an expression of working-class pride, with those foppish party gloves serving as a class marker like knee breeches vs. long trousers did in Revolutionary France.
Here we go with the language again. Seriously, where's Darth Syntax gone?
Some I know:
'Forged: A Warforged
Marcher: An inhabitant of the Shadow Marches.
'Mark: Bearer of a Dragonmark.
Mourner: A Cyran reugee.
Stormchild: Heir of House Lyrander.
Those are all pretty common though.
Perfect for substituting "Bull****!"
'Canny = Member of House Cannith. "That 'Canny smith gave me a great deal on a sword."
'Canner = derogatory term for a member of House Cannith. "Bloody 'Canners can shove off, they've no right to my salvage!"
Old Blood = Karrnathi term for an aged Karrn, usually a follower of the Blood of Vol. "That old blood over there was givin' you the evil eye; better watch your back, and your neck."
Hawker = Aundairan merchant, many of which use the Aundarian dragonhawk as their symbol. "That hawker thinks he can charge me double, just because he's a damn Aundy!"
Blood-brain = Dragon's blood addict. "The Watch picked up a whole cart-full of blood-brains from around the docks last night."
Riedran Teapot = Hooka used to smoke dreamlilly. "Watch Confiscates Smuggled 'Riedran Teapots' Headed For Illicit Dreamlilly Dens"
And, Wyld, Gangs of New York is an excellent example. I need to watch that again...
Since we seem to be collecting a lexicon without meaning to, I may as well make a contribution of some of the slang that's come up in my last Eberron arc, as well as the novella that will link it and the next arc.
D'Mark houses:
Bull: member of house Cannith, derogatory.
Maker, Builder: member of House Cannith.
Squid: member of House Lyrandar, derogatory, usually used by members of House Orien.
Tusker: member of House Tharashk. Derogatory when used to refer to a human member, but some of the Half-Orc and Orc members use it as a term of fellowship.
Groundhog: member of House Tharashk, extremely derogatory.
Lizard: member of House Medani, some use it as derogatory, but it is usually used with humorous irony within the house.
Unicorn, Horn, Horse, Pony: member of House Orien, especially a courier. to "drop a horn" is to send someone a message via Orien Courier.
Rat: Gnome, especially a member of House Sivis. Adapted from the Dhakaani word for the race, which translates to "Jungle Rat." Derogatory.
Races:
Gummer: Changeling, derogatory. From Dhakaani gaa'ma, or "wax baby."
Nationalities:
Flamer: A Thrane, especially a follower of the Silver Flame.
Bear: A Brelishman, usually complimentary. Such as "Well done, old Bear!"
Drugs & other illegalities:
Flowerhead, hophead, hash-head: Dreamlily junky.
Snowbird: Drug addict.
Shooter, Juicer: Someone addicted to Dragon's Blood or any alchemical item, even beneficial ones.
Cyran Angle: to be on the take; under the table. Derogatory to most Cyrans.
Rocks, Stones, Eggs: Dragonshards, especially stolen.
Trade & Commerce:
Black Stripe: Expensive; overpriced; high quality. After House Cannith's use of a black stripe to represent House-approved merchants.
Head: a gold piece, bearing the profile image of King Galifar I.
Wyrn, Snake: a platinum piece.
Letters: House Kundarak trade notes.
The Weather: a member of House Lyrandar, particularly of the Stormcaller's Guild. As in "Look's like the Weather's back in town."
Travel:
Boiler: Lightning Rail carts; steerage-class is known for being crowded and stiflingly hot. To "hop in a boiler" is to go somewhere or travel a long distance, especially by Rail.
Ring: Airship, originated within House Lyrandar.
Ride a Storm: to travel by any House Lyrandar vehicle, particularly Wind Galleon or Stormship.
Gut-wrencher: an Orien teleportation circle.
Pony Parade, Pony Show: an Orien caravan.
Pony Express: to travel or ship by Orien caravan. Used with heavy irony by members of House Lyrandar.
Sharn:
These are slang and phrases more-or-less exclusive to Sharn's unique dialect, though a few have their origins elsewhere. This "jive" as they call it is typically used by the lower classes and shunned by the nobility, but most Sharn natives, regardless of class, use some of it from time to time. Being able to speak and understand it is taken as a sign that you're a "local" and thus worthy or more respect than someone from anywhere else, which Sharn natives tend to see as unfortunate (for not being born in Sharn) at best, and as a threat to "their" way of life at worst. In addition to the phrases below, I've borrowed a great deal from Hammett and Chandler and other authors of pulp-era "hardboiled" fiction, as mentioned earlier, for the Sharn dialect.
Dive: to die, or be killed. Specifially, bodies found in the Dagger River are said to have "gone for a dive" or "taken a dive."
Step Off: Leave, go away. As in "step off a tower."
Cloud City, The Clouds, The Top, Silvertown: Skyway. To have one's "head in the clouds" is to visit the district.
High Pillows: Upper-class, especially residents of Skyway.
Bigtown: Sharn.
The Breeze: Stormhome.
BBC: Brokenblade Castle, used to refer to Wroat as a whole.
Dragons: Money, specifically platinum pieces.
High Bells: Midday.
Cliffside Sunset: Murder, especially by pushing someone off said district.
The Karrn Act: Suicide. To "Pull a Karrn Act" is to kill yourself.
Masks: Halflings of the Talenta Plains. Typically used by more urbanized Halflings. Vaguely derogatory.
Cloak, Cape: a member of the Sharn Watch, specifically a member of the Red Cloak Battalion.
Dance, Twist: To run from or fight against the Watch; to be hanged.
an example of Sharn Jive in use
The bead-bedecked ankle caught up with me half a tower down, got my attention with a tug on my tails and ducked me into an alley out of the rain and bodies.
"Sorry, bo, to catch like this," she said, spouting the cant better than I'd have pegged her for -maybe a real local and not so wild as I'd thought. "But I heard when you grilled Pickie about the uptowner who went for a dive?"
She made it sound like a question, asking permission and hoping not to get dry-gulched again -braver than I'd piped her, too. I jerked a nod.
"Well, I had my head in the clouds pair a' Zul back -friends of friends, right? -and a couple of plugs passed my way gumming it over a broad about to take a dive. Didn't take at the time, but I heard you and thought -y'know? Maybe."
"Maybe." Right place, right time. "You jab the jive just fine, Moll, but the threads talk about everywhere else. What's your name?"
"Dair," she chirped, "L-P born and bred, but I've bounced the boilers from bigtown to the breeze and picked up the rags all between. As to the jive, call me a fan."
"Flat, kid. Any chance the friends of friends wouldn't mind a horn at their step?"
Dair wrinkled her nose. "Wouldn't try. Not the sort you send silver on without dragons to greet, you know?"
"Savvy on that, but I gotta skirt who knows the clouds better than I know my own mug."
"Well," she scuffed a foot and thought, "maybe. Big T's little pad, you know it?"
"Heard of, never been."
"Well, tell your skirt to ask for Tessa, but I can't promise anything."
I took a glance at the clouds above. "Right now I'm sitting on aught but smoke and shadow, Moll. No promise is better than that. Thanks."
"Just trying to help. I'll take a bunk. Hey- dropped mine, but didn't catch your name."
"Cole."
She nodded and smiled, flicked a wave, and stepped back into the rush and was gone, leaving me alone with my haunts and thoughts in the alley.
"Sorry, bo, to catch like this," she said, spouting the cant better than I'd have pegged her for -maybe a real local and not so wild as I'd thought. "But I heard when you grilled Pickie about the uptowner who went for a dive?"
She made it sound like a question, asking permission and hoping not to get dry-gulched again -braver than I'd piped her, too. I jerked a nod.
"Well, I had my head in the clouds pair a' Zul back -friends of friends, right? -and a couple of plugs passed my way gumming it over a broad about to take a dive. Didn't take at the time, but I heard you and thought -y'know? Maybe."
"Maybe." Right place, right time. "You jab the jive just fine, Moll, but the threads talk about everywhere else. What's your name?"
"Dair," she chirped, "L-P born and bred, but I've bounced the boilers from bigtown to the breeze and picked up the rags all between. As to the jive, call me a fan."
"Flat, kid. Any chance the friends of friends wouldn't mind a horn at their step?"
Dair wrinkled her nose. "Wouldn't try. Not the sort you send silver on without dragons to greet, you know?"
"Savvy on that, but I gotta skirt who knows the clouds better than I know my own mug."
"Well," she scuffed a foot and thought, "maybe. Big T's little pad, you know it?"
"Heard of, never been."
"Well, tell your skirt to ask for Tessa, but I can't promise anything."
I took a glance at the clouds above. "Right now I'm sitting on aught but smoke and shadow, Moll. No promise is better than that. Thanks."
"Just trying to help. I'll take a bunk. Hey- dropped mine, but didn't catch your name."
"Cole."
She nodded and smiled, flicked a wave, and stepped back into the rush and was gone, leaving me alone with my haunts and thoughts in the alley.
Hopefully there's some use people might get out of this. Enjoy.
...HOLY CRAP.
Hmmm. Some of the novels have a few wonderful nuggets of Eberron speech patterns. The first Inquisitives book, for example, has a bit on Karrn speech patterns.
I have two favorites, though. One, from the same Inquisitive book, is an Aundairan vet bellowing, "Aundair Dares, Bastard son of Cannith!" to a warforged.
The second is in the third book of the Dragon Below trilogy, where Singe provokes a brawl in an outdoor cantina in Deathsgate with a few choice words.
The 'official' slang for money (what the designers and novelists use) is crown (cp), sovereign (sp), galifar (gp), dragon (pp).
Keith uses all at least galifars and sovereigns all the time instead of gold and silver. cp and pp did not come up in our game.
i believe the names given above are also included in the eberron campaign setting [3.5]
Anyone remember this thread?Actually, they aren't (although they might be in one of the other sourcebooks for it), because I was the one who asked about it in one of the first Q&A sessions after the setting book came out and it took about two weeks to get an official response on what exactly to call gold pieces...
humm, that's strange. just checked, it's not in the ECS as far as i can tell from a quick scan... but i really saw something like such a table or glossary... maybe it was just in one of the books...
Hopefully there's some use people might get out of this. Enjoy.
Now that's pretty shiny, mate. Nicely done!
humm, that's strange. just checked, it's not in the ECS as far as i can tell from a quick scan... but i really saw something like such a table or glossary... maybe it was just in one of the books...
First book in the Dreaming Dark trilogy.
First book in the Dreaming Dark trilogy.
I so happen to have that book right hear. *Reaches over to grab book. flips through pages* Ah, hear we are:
Crown=copper piece.
Sovereign=silver piece.
Galifar=gold piece.
Dragon=platinum piece.
I've sprinkled other colloquialisms and hints of accent into the other places of Khorvaire as well, and I was delighted when my PCs correctly identified a changeling spy by noticing that he spoke like he was from Aundair when he claimed to be from the Holds.
I will move so that you can be my DM...
First book in the Dreaming Dark trilogy.
yeah, must be there i read it. was actually the first time i had something to do with eberron, before we switched to playing there..