LIFE IN VANGAARD

In Vangaard, languages reflect culture and geography; a dwarf raised in Shinsenlin might not know Dwarvish, but a halfling raised in Schrittwolke might. The historical development of languages and cultures also explains the scripts used to write various languages. For example, the Orc language is written using the Goblin script (rather than Dwarvish, as stated in the Player’s Handbook), because the orcs of Vangaard learned to write from the Hobgoblins.

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Common is the language of the Tri-Human Nations and the language of trade in Vangaard, known by most of its people. Goblin was the trade language of the hobgoblin empire of Kabal'Ara and survives as the primary language there, and for many parts of The Packlands. Goblin displaced the Orc language; and Orcish people typically speak Goblin, and Orc is an exotic language, and. Members of all races in Himinskross speak Giant and use it as their trade language. Undercommon is a dialect made up of a variety of phrases from Elvish, Halfling and Dwarvish, and put together in a structure different from its root languages. Someone who speaks one of these languages can likely decipher bits and pieces, but could never understand the whole language. Someone who speaks all three, would likely comprehend all of the words, but would have to spend some time deciphering the structure to understand.

With the DM’s approval, you can exchange a language granted by your race for a different language from this language table. If your halfling was raised in the Schrittwolke, rather than Val Gideau, you might replace Halfling with Dwarvish to reflect that background. The DM may change the languages assigned to a monster or NPC. An ogre from Kabal'Ara likely speaks Goblin instead of Giant.

NAMES AND SURNAMES

The naming conventions among the people of Vangaard tend to follow language, rather than being linked to race. A Shinsenlin dwarf who doesn’t speak Dwarvish might also carry a name with an Elvish origin rather than a traditional Dwarvish name.

Most citizens of Vangaard have a given name followed by a surname. A surname associated with the Common language is usually either a family name or related to an occupation or region of origin. So Orlaith Ní Ceallaigh, Rodrigo of Stoneshire, and Aethelwulf Cooper are all names you might find among the common folk.

These conventions often carry through to many other languages, however, many people who uproot their life to move somewhere as else, not something uncommon in Vangaard, often create new names for themselves in order to start a new life. Other more specific groups, such as the anthrofolk of The Packlands, take names that reflect their personality as they reach adulthood, or Goliaths of Himinskross, who are given names at birth by parents, a nickname by their village elder and keep a family name, introducing themselves with all three names in that order, but keeping it to just the nickname in more casual conversation.

TRANSPORTATION

An excellent system of roads connects the central nations of Vangaard. Travellers can always make their way by horse or coach, which might employ draft animals bred purely for this purpose. There are more expensive versions of standard wagon travel, when travelling with among Kalashtar Caravans, you may be able to take transport, for a fee of course, and their beasts of burden are stronger, and faster, due to carefully cultivated relationships with areas where the veil between planes is thinnest. This also comes with the added benefit of the safety that comes with travelling as part of a caravan.

In the humanoid nations, horses are standard fare for transportation, however, in certain colder regions, you are also likely to see Bison as mounts. In the Goblinoid and Anthrofolk nations, you are more likely to see Wargs, and occasionally more exotic animals, such as elephants or rhinoceroses. In cases of the extremely wealthy, some may be in possession of wagons that are automatically drawn through a complex system of cranks and pulleys integrated with the body of a warforged.

Two main options provide long-distance travel across land. Major cities in Vangaard are linked by the national railways, which allows you to avoid the perils—and tedium—of the roads. Trains are more expensive than wagons, however, the trip is much faster, and (usually) much safer.

If speed is an issue, you can book passage on an airship, of which there are public usage varieties, and military transports. Civilian transport airship are of an older design, whereby they are structurally identical to a traditional sea ship, or a galleon, where the sails have been replaced by a specially designed hot air balloon. The military variety, however, are massive iron dreadnoughts, kept aloft by state-of-the-art propulsion engines. This is almost the fastest way to travel, but also the most expensive. Despite the older designs being more readily available and usable by the wider populace, the expense associated with the travel means that these airships only travel routes between each nation's capitol city, but some may occasionally be chartered in the case of an event of great significance.

For those with no time to spare and plenty of money to spend, some mages college and government building have access to teleportation circles in Vangaard's major cities. At significant cost, an attendant will transport passengers instantaneously from one circle to another.

The Travel Services table summarizes the cost of travelling by these extraordinary means.