Languages

        Languages are an unusual ability. Because while everything in HW is predicated on contests, I think in play the vast majority of the time language abilities are going to be used as a binary - you either have the ability (and can be treated as mutually intelligible) or not. Sure, you might roll to see how well you comprehend that myth written in that tome of old forgotten lore, but most of the time, all that matters to the plot is a basic level of mutual intelligibility.

	It seems that there are at least four ways to learn a language
	1) as part of your cultural keyword. For Orlanthi in Sartar, this gives one language, Theyalan/Sartarite, but it seems to get more complex in Pavis. It is stated that most Old Pavisites speak Old Pavic, but with Pavic/Sartarite or Tradetalk as a second language (for convenience, I'm assuming both for PCs). Sun Domers speak Firespeech and Pavic. Riverfolk speak Boatspeech, and apparently nothing else (for sanitys sake, I'm assuming at least all Riverfolk PCs also speak Pavic, but it seems reasonable to me that some knowledge of Pavic would be common enough to be part of the cultural keyword, though it isn't stated - Riverfolk have been integrated into Pavic society for centuries). Lunar Settlers speak New Pelorian, and the language of their homeland, which mostly gives them no way to communicate with other PCs by default (which seems reasonable as an assumption, if annoying enough in play that I expect all PCs to acquire a language). 
	2) as part of a profession keyword. The description of Sage profession says they generally know 1-3 languages, which can quite reasonably be listed as breakouts of the keyword. Fisher grants Boatspeech (perhaps redundantly, as most fishers are likely Riverfolk). Merchant oddly enough doesn't grant Tradetalk (though at least in Sartar most will gain it through their cult. Still, I would have thought merchants who worshipped other merch cults would still know Tradetalk). I would assume any sorcerous Adept professions would also include literacy in the profession description, though there aren't Adept professions written up in detail yet. 
	I think it is also reasonable (perhaps as a house rule for my game) to assume that the Godtalker profession assumes some knowledge of any sacred languages that the cult is known to use in ritual - Stormspeech for Orlanthi, Auld Wyrmish for Pavis, etc. This could be considered generous (it is certainly plausible that many just rote learn the important phrases), but I'm happy to be generous to my players on small details like this. 
	3) as part of a cult. Issaries initiates at least get Tradetalk as a free ability. Lanbril cultists know Thieves Argot. There might be other references I know about. 
	4) By having it as a separate ability. 

	The fourth seems oddly rare in at least example play - there are no example characters who explicitly learned an additional language other than as part of a keyword. My reading is that the Tastari Lunar Settler PC in the Pavis book by the rules speaks only New Pelorian and Talastari, and Talastari certainly isn't Southern Theyalan, so is going to be barely able to communicate with not only most people of Pavis, but also most members of the adventuring party. 

	I've been thinking about the idea that knowledge of a grimoire includes knowledge of the language it is written, but I can also see a case that the language of a grimoire is highly specific and the way it is used idiosyncratic (looking at eg the use of Hebrew in the kabbalah as a real world comparison). So if knowledge of a language becomes crucial, it isn't quite a stretch, but its certainly not a very appropriate ability. 

	Anyone have any other thoughts on language? It is surprising to me how few characters speak additional languages in the rules so far (that is, none who have taken an additional spoken language), and how unclear it is from looking at most character sheets what languages are spoken.

	Cheers

		David