In my world, The Shell, the main universal language is called God’s Tongue.

It is spoken across almost every Great Land (the major landmasses/continents of the world), but is not the only language. Most countries, cultures, religions still have their own native languages and regional slang. God’s Tongue is simply the shared language most people use when dealing with strangers, law, trade, schools, courts, ports, and international politics.

After the terrible ruin of the old world and the Mana Wars, the surviving nations eventually united through a political gathering called The Great Parley. The Great Parley is not an empire or world government. It is more like a massive treaty where recognized nations send representatives called Mouths to speak for them. It is held in City Of Vowspire on The Seven Lanterns, one of the most important Great Lands in the Shell. (Think NATO)

Ancient writings were discovered on The Seven Lanterns, carved into ruins and fragments that seemed far older than any surviving nation. Many believed these writings were not human in origin, but remnants of the language of the Gods. More specifically, the language of the Father of the Siblings, the being believed to have existed before the Sister and Brother. (The Gods thought to of made mankind they way they are now) And because of that, the language became known as God’s Tongue.

The old form of the language was difficult, sacred, and not very practical for common use. It had meanings that did not translate cleanly into modern thought. During The Third Great Parley, scholars, translators, record keepers and representatives from many nations worked together to translate, simplify, and standardize it.

The goal was not to erase local languages. The goal was to give the Shell one shared voice after generations of war, broken records, and distrust. A farmer in one Great Land, a rail worker in another, a mage in a Wellspring Academy, a merchant at a port, and a diplomat in Vowspire could all speak to each other without needing five translators and a chance to start a war by accident. After the Third Great Parley, God’s Tongue was taught everywhere it could be taught. Over time, it became the standard language..

But there is still tension around it. Some people see God’s Tongue as holy. Some see it as practical. Some see it as political. Some cultures resent how dominant it has become, even if they use it every day. Older priests argue that the simplified modern version has stripped away sacred meaning. Scholars argue that without simplification, it never would have spread. Nationalists accuse the Great Parley of using it to soften local identity. Merchants, meanwhile mostly just like being able to read contracts without getting robbed by translation errors.

The written form of God’s Tongue also has a practical design reason behind it. I built it using the fewest marks possible, which is why it is made only vertical lines, dashes and circles. When letter grouping, I researched which letter pairs and combinations appear most often in English and based that on how Flares would work, so common sounds and combinations could be written and grouped together more efficiently. Because of that, some longer words become much shorter when written in God’s Tongue, yet sometimes short words can look longer. It also means certain groups or “sets” may look similar at first glance, so reading the language depends heavily on context. The surrounding letters, words and sets all help clarify meaning.

My world has a universal language called God’s Tongue…