CoP, re-reading (thank you, Rick, for making the reprint available), might be better described as "Cults of Pavis". "Invader Deities" include Humakt, Pavis, Black Fang, the Seven Mothers....
The cult is specifically described as being almost irrelevant in Prax, but more popular in the city. As described, it's a cult of formally organised soldiers - ranks and hierarchy are given. No way is this the tribal Praxian version of the cult.
And Sword Speech... Good grief. Comes under the ability to read and write for Rune Priests. "...is not necessary, as the other Priests will instruct the new candidate in the battle language techniques of the cult, a secret language. There is also a special notation system used for recording secret weapon techniques. It is very specialised, but not difficult to pick up. It is called Sword Speech."
This is not how I'd remembered it. A *written* language. In fact, two of them!
Well, the hand-signals I had remembered aren't spoken, so I suppose if you draw pictures of each sign, you've got a written language, of sorts. And given those "silence" geases, a non-spoken language of some sort does make sense. Can't learn "real" writing, not without upsetting Lhankor Mhy, so you invent your own - specialised, and limited.
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