The Wyrdsong and the Forgotten Tongue

The Hollow Vale is a realm where memory and magic intertwine, and at its heart lies the enigmatic Tharionese language, or Lyth Ébrenn ("The Veiled Tongue"). This ancient tongue is not merely a means of communication but a ritualistic bridge between the past and the present, the seen and the unseen.

One of the most fascinating aspects of Tharionese is its connection to the Wyrd—a spiral resonance of memory that binds time and space. Unlike linear languages, Tharionese thrives on circular logic, repetition, and mirroring. For instance, the phrase "Wyrmreth astyred, niht becomen" translates to "The Wyrd stirs—night descends," evoking a sense of cyclical inevitability. The language itself seems to hum with the echoes of forgotten names and places.

The Companion Guide reveals that Tharionese was often inscribed on cavren (stones) and spira-carmen (spiral songs), which were used in rituals to anchor memory. One such ritual involves the Bellum naedh ("sacred bell"), a starforged artifact said to toll not in sound but in memory. The bell's toll is believed to awaken the Wyrd, binding the present to the echoes of the past.

Tharionese also carries a poetic beauty that transcends its mystical function. Consider this fragment from the guide:

"Caelwyn clymu, noster puella lucis,

Natus ex caelo et sod,

Gemærsod niht, bellum se hlysteth."

Translated, it reads: "Caelwyn binds, our girl of light, born of the sky and soil, marked in night—the bell listens." This verse not only highlights the lyrical nature of Tharionese but also underscores the central role of Caelwyn, the Bellbearer, in the unfolding narrative of The Hollow Vale.

The Wyrdsong and the Forgotten Tongue remind us that language is more than words—it is a vessel of memory, a keeper of stories, and a bridge to the sacred.