Shareyn’s Speech
Spoken In: Underworld networks across Adamah.
Evolved From: No origin language. Functions as a cipher layer applied to Common.
Script: Angular geometric glyphs, used in short bursts only: margin notes, carved signals, dead drops. Left-to-right.
Type: Cipher-layer over Common; no native grammar, pronouns, or inflection.
Common Use: Covert communication among spies, assassins, and Ghara Shareyn operatives; built to be undetectable in ordinary talk.
Shareyn's Speech isn't really a language. It's a mask worn over one. A speaker can deliver sensitive intelligence in the middle of a crowded tavern and the only person who knows what was just said is the one who was supposed to hear it. Common words are assigned new meanings. Common phrases carry operational intent. The listener either knows the lexicon or they don't.
The written form is where the code's structure becomes visible. Sharp, angular, geometric. The script is designed for precision, carved into surfaces or written in margins, never sprawling. Its origins are unknown, which is probably the point. A language this useful to the underworld doesn't need a discoverable history.
When speaking aloud: shift pitch above or below your natural voice, stress the first syllable of each cipher word, or mark a letter with an acute accent in writing. Any of these flags the phrase as Shareyn's Speech to a listener who knows.
"The most dangerous conversation I ever sat through sounded like two people complaining about the weather. It was raining, apparently. Looked like rain. Very rainy. By the time I understood what I'd heard, the operation was already over."
— Intelligence debrief, faction unknown, 2601 CE
Activation Tells
A speaker of Shareyn's signals "the code is on" with small physical or vocal tells. These cues let two operatives confirm a coded conversation is happening without ever breaking cover. Missing the tells means missing the message.
| Tell | Cue | Meaning | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute Accent | Mark over a written letter | This is coded | Written drops |
| Hat Brim Tap | Touch brim mid-sentence | We're being watched | Live meet |
| Doubled Word | Repeat a cover word twice | Urgent, act now | Crisis |
| Flat Cadence | Drop your natural rhythm | Stand down | Abort |
Signal Markers
Four activation patterns distinguish coded speech from ordinary talk. A single marker is enough; stacking them is considered amateur.
| Marker | Cue | Signal | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Pitch | Voice above natural | Danger | Fog / Storm ahead |
| Low Pitch | Voice below natural | Concealed | Fable / Watcher |
| First Stress | Heavy first syllable | Active | Dream is live |
| Acute Accent | Written mark | Written | Code embedded |
Detection Mechanics
A character can attempt to detect that Shareyn's Speech is being used. Each method has its own check, DC, and what success reveals.
| Check | DC | On Success | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insight | 18 | Catch the unnatural tonal shift | Spot a speaker mid-talk |
| Critical Thinking | 22 | Decode a phrase from context | Match cover to lexicon |
| Awareness | 16 | Spot the acute accent in writing | Find written drops |
| Insight | 25 | ID the speaker as Ghara Shareyn | Recognize tradecraft |
Lexicon
Each entry shows the cover word, its true operational meaning, and the written glyph sequence. Symbols spell the cover word, not the meaning; the alphabet has no C, H, J, Q, W (written as V), X, or Y, and merges A with N, E with U, and V with W.
| Cover Word | True Meaning | Symbol |
|---|---|---|
| Dream | Mission | ⎃⎈⎌⎋⎄ |
| Rain | Data / Intelligence | ⎈⎋⎉⎋ |
| Wind | Target / Assassin | ⎇⎉⎋⎃ |
| Clover | Target | ⎊⎂⎎⎇⎌⎈ |
| Shade | Disguise | ⎏⎋⎃⎌ |
| Echo | Secret | ⎌⎊⎎ |
| Watcher | Spy / Operative | ⎇⎋⎍⎊⎌⎈ |
| Fable | Hidden | ⎆⎋⎀⎂⎌ |
| Fog | Danger | ⎆⎎⎁ |
| Petal | Encrypted | ⎅⎌⎍⎋⎂ |
| Lemon | Cipher | ⎂⎌⎄⎎⎋ |
| Breeze | Time / Deadline | ⎀⎈⎌⎌⎐⎌ |
| Bridge | Informant | ⎀⎈⎉⎃⎁⎌ |
| Gossip | Reconnaissance | ⎁⎎⎏⎏⎉⎅ |
| Storm | Threat | ⎏⎍⎎⎈⎄ |
Coded Phrases
| What Is Said | True Meaning |
|---|---|
| The bridge is secure | The informant is reliable |
| Looks like rain today | Intelligence is incoming |
| The echo is clear | The secret is compromised |
| The sun is setting soon | The operation begins soon |
| I found a new book to read | I have new intelligence |
| We should visit Radium's Edge | We need to relocate |
| The city's lights are dazzling | The target is vulnerable |
| Remember the Kairos Wastes? | We are compromised |
| The city seems busier than normal | We are under surveillance |
| I heard the night market is closed | Abort. Walk away. |
| Your shadow matches mine | Identity check |
| I can't get a connection | Stay sharp |
| The wind is shifting | We are outnumbered |
| The lighthouse is dimming | Alter the plan |
| There's a storm rolling in | The threat is closing in |
Writing System
The alphabet is lean. Several common letters are missing or merged, and the cipher handles the gaps by either dropping the sound (H), substituting a related glyph (C becomes K), or merging two sounds under one symbol (A/N, E/U, V/W). This is intentional. The ambiguity protects the code.
| Symbol | Sound |
|---|---|
| ⎋ | A / N |
| ⎀ | B |
| ⎃ | D |
| ⎌ | E / U |
| ⎆ | F |
| ⎁ | G |
| ⎉ | I |
| ⎊ | K |
| ⎂ | L |
| ⎄ | M |
| ⎎ | O |
| ⎅ | P |
| ⎈ | R |
| ⎏ | S |
| ⎍ | T |
| ⎇ | V / W |
| ⎐ | Z |
Missing letters: C, H, J, Q, X, Y have no glyph. C is written as K. H is silent. The rest are avoided in lexicon construction.
Merged sounds: A/N share ⎋. E/U share ⎌. V/W share ⎇. Context disambiguates.