Savornian

The Tongue of Yearning

Savornian is a rich and evocative language that arose from the deep-seated cravings and desires of the Epicurean elves, a hedonistic society devoted to the pursuit of sensual pleasures. This language is characterized by its melodic cadence, lush descriptions, and vivid imagery, reflecting the elves’ appreciation for the finer things in life.

Linguistic Attributes:

• Phonology: Savornian is renowned for its melodic flow, featuring a preponderance of vowel sounds and soft consonants. The language is highly musical, with words often containing lilting rhythms and gentle inflections that caress the ear.
• Grammar: Savornian follows a subject-object-verb word order and employs a complex system of adjectives and adverbs to convey nuanced descriptions of sensory experiences. Verbs are heavily conjugated to express various shades of desire, longing, and craving.
• Vocabulary: The lexicon of Savornian is rich in words that evoke sensual pleasures, from the delicate flavors of fine cuisine to the tactile sensations of luxurious fabrics. Common expressions include “Savornai’lar” (roughly translated as “To indulge in exquisite delights”) and “Veluthin’aria” (meaning “The silken caress of desire”).

Magical Powers: Savornian is believed to possess a unique magical property known as the “Allure of Yearning.” When spoken with genuine passion and longing, certain phrases in Savornian can temporarily imbue the speaker with an aura of charm and allure, making them more attractive and persuasive to others. This effect is thought to be a manifestation of the Epicurean elves’ innate connection to the forces of desire and seduction.

Cultural Identity and Usage: Savornian is the primary language of the Epicurean elves, spoken widely throughout their opulent cities and pleasure gardens. However, due to the elves’ reputation for hosting lavish soirees and indulgent festivities, Savornian has gained a following among certain noble houses and aristocratic circles, where its sensual qualities are appreciated.

Rarity and Type: Savornian is considered a rare language, primarily confined to the Epicurean elves and a few associated cultures. It is classified as a constructed language, as it was intentionally developed by the elves to reflect their unique cultural values and sensual expressions.

Script and Source: Savornian is traditionally written using the Epicurean Script, a flowing and ornate calligraphic style that resembles the intricate patterns found in fine tapestries or delicate embroidery. These scripts are often inscribed on luxurious materials, such as silk or vellum, reflecting the elves’ appreciation for beauty and refinement.

History: The origins of Savornian can be traced back to the ancient Epicurean elves, who sought to create a language that could capture the essence of their hedonistic lifestyle and their reverence for sensual pleasures. As their society flourished, Savornian evolved to become a highly nuanced and expressive tongue, allowing for the articulation of even the most subtle cravings and desires.

Sensory Experience: To the untrained ear, the experience of listening to Savornian can be akin to savoring a rich and decadent delicacy. The language’s melodic flow and lush descriptions evoke a sense of indulgence and sensual delight. For those fluent in Savornian, the language holds a profound appeal, allowing for the eloquent expression of yearning and desire in a manner that tantalizingly stimulates the senses.

Tags: Sensuality, Elegance, Indulgence, Yearning, Charm, Opulence, Desire, Allure, Pleasure, Refinement, Seduction, Luxury, Melody, Passion, Lust, Artistry, Intimacy

Ceremonial phrases:

• Magic Inscriptions
  • “Savornai’lar veluthin, seren’thira loquess.” – Indulge in delights, and let the silken touch guide the soul.
  • “Veluthin’aria naquess lira’del, savornai ethel.” – The caress of desire shapes beauty, yearning creates wonder.
  • “Thessur’velai, lunor’thia, savornai’kel.” – By taste, by moonlight, by indulgence.
  • “Quorin’thessa veluth, marionai sura.” – Threads of pleasure weave the path.
  • “Savornai tal’quess, veluthin lira’quorr.” – Pleasure becomes power, the caress becomes truth.
• Political Oaths
  • “Eriath veluthin, savornai thal’serra, thessur’quorr.” – In beauty we trust, in indulgence we stand, in pleasure we unite.
  • “By the silken thread and the golden cup, I bind my word to the council.”
  • “Savornai e’quess, naquell serra, lira’del thorin.” – In pleasure, in loyalty, in the artistry of truth.
  • “Veluthin’aria quorin, marionai’kel savornai’thir.” – The caress of loyalty, the yearning of unity.
  • “I drink the cup of veluthin, to hold faith with my kin.”
• Cultural Ceremonies
  • “Savornai lunor, quorin’thessa mariath.” – Pleasure in moonlight, weaving joy.
  • “Veluthin quorrelle, savornai thal’essari.” – The caress gathers, pleasure crowns the heart.
  • “Marionai’thir veluthin, quorr lira’kel.” – Unity of touch, truth of beauty.
  • “E’quessa veluthin, e’quessa savornai.” – To beauty we vow, to pleasure we vow.
  • “By the lace of dawn and the silk of dusk, may our hearts remain entwined.”

Feast Without End, and Cup That Broke

It is told, though with many cracks in the telling, that in the Age before the Age, when the sky was young and the rivers still learning their curves, the First Table was laid by the Hands of the Epicurean Lords. Upon that Table, there was no hunger, for every dish tasted as the eater most wished, and each sip sang a song only the drinker could hear. The Lords spoke to one another in a tongue of ribbons and perfume, a language that rose like steam and curled like silk — Savornian.

In those days, to speak Savornian was to taste what you said, and to hear another’s words was to smell their thought. Desire was not hidden, for the words were woven with longing, and the longing was pure in its intent. It is said the rivers themselves learned to murmur in Savornian, so that travelers might feel thirst quenched before lifting a hand.

But among the Lords there was one named Veluthas, whose yearning was a mountain and whose patience was a thimble. Veluthas desired the Feast not for joy but for ownership, to have all flavors and touches be his alone. He studied Savornian until each syllable was a gem in his pocket, and he believed that by speaking the Perfect Oath of Desire he could make all beauty belong to him.

On the night of the Long Cup, when the moon was a round pearl set in black wine, Veluthas rose at the Table. His voice was honeyed glass, and his words bloomed like night-flowers. The Oath spilled from his lips — not as it was taught, but bent, sharpened, and glazed with hunger. The dishes leaned toward him, the cups trembled toward his hands, and the guests’ eyes turned glassy, for they felt their own pleasures being drawn away.

Yet the Table was older than the Lords, and the Tongue of Yearning older still. The language answered not to greed but to harmony of craving, and so when Veluthas twisted it, the words cracked like frost-bitten fruit. The Feast folded upon itself. Dishes turned to salt, wine to ash, silk to spiderweb. The Perfect Oath became the Breaking Cup, and Veluthas found his hands full of nothing but the hollow taste of his own thirst.

The Lords wept, not for the loss of the Feast, for it could be set again, but for the fracture in their language. Savornian had been wounded; it could still charm, still caress, but never again would it wholly trust the tongue that spoke it. From that night, to speak Savornian with false longing was to invite silence — the words would simply vanish into the air like smoke on stone.

And so, each generation has kept the telling, poorly though it is remembered, that the tongue of yearning must be fed with truth, or it will spit out dust. The Fae in distant gardens, the bards in jeweled courts, all hold this tale as a thread in their weaving. For Savornian may open the heart, but the heart that opens only to seize finds its own feast rotting before it can taste.

Moral: True desire shared becomes a table for many; false desire hoarded becomes an empty cup.