Tales of Anequina: M'Na-Dan's Tale

[CoGDork]

I've been lurking on this site for some time, but I've never really felt the urge to truly participate until recently, when I began to consider doing a multi-part story about one of my Oblivion characters, as well as one involving the expansive "Elsweyr: The Sands of Anequina" mod. This isn't my first time doing a long-term creative writing project, but please bear with me all the same, as it is my first involving TES.

 

NOTE: As this story (for the most part) takes place in Elsweyr and involves mostly Khajiit, I will be using some "invented" words in the Khajiit language (aka Ta'agra) to make up for the fact that only a handful of words have been translated. At the end of each chapter, I will add a list of words and phrases I used here that the context of the story may not have made entirely clear. With that in mind, please enjoy the story!

 

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PROLOGUE

The Clawless One

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Contrary to popular belief, Khajiit are not averse to water; indeed, when one lives in the desert water becomes a precious commodity, requiring many villages to have water brought to them from nearby cities to replenish their meager supply. It should come as no surprise then that the arrival of rain clouds on the horizon caused much commotion and excitement among the citizens of Twin Moon, a small village off the main road from Dune to Corinthe. Buckets were set out in front of the huts in preparation for the arrival of much-needed rain, and gardens that had been covered to protect the meager amount of crops from sandstorms were exposed to the sky.

 

Such joys had been few and far between for the residents of this hamlet; Many centuries ago it was almost a city in itself, home to the prestigious Khanassa clan, proud warriors, archers and theives in service to the Mane. Those days ended long ago with the clan's fall from grace (an event vague enough in origin as to result in unsavory rumors whispered in hushed tones across the region), and when the clan's fortunes were destroyed, residents began to leave the once-bustling town until it was just another insignificant dot on the map. The few that remained were the remnants of the clan, who only refused to leave their home for the fact that their name had become worthless anywhere else.

 

It was on this day that Nedrassa, clanmother to the Khanassa remnants, decided to personally join the scouts whose duty it was to make certain that the clouds would, in fact, reach Twin Moon; her decision would change her life, as well as the life of the clan.

 

----------

 

"Clanmother, is this truly necessary?" The youngest of the scouts was not necessarily pouting, but the tone of his voice carried the sort of frustration that comes with futility. "If the rain comes, it won't matter if we know it will. If it does not, then vaba, we will have no control over that either."

 

Nedrasha did not look back at the young one, instead speaking calmly as she maintained focus on the horizon: "You see only the present, M'Dar-Shan. We may not have power over what happens now, but if we look ahead, we will be prepared for whatever may come tomorrow."

 

"Dharet, clanmother, but if I am to be the clan chief in the future, would it not make sense for me to hunt for food and fend off beasts and bandits rather than look at clouds?"

 

It was then that M'Dar noticed that his clanmother was no longer listening, but was instead looking at something just over the dunes to the east, towards the main road. Following her gaze, he saw what had caught her attention: smoke rising as from a fire, the scent of ash and burning flesh choking the air. The whole party rushed toward the source, dreading what they knew likely waited for them there. Their fears were confirmed as they reached the summit of a large dune: The remains of a large caravan of ten to fifteen wagons and carriages, set ablaze. Scattered among the wreckage were many corpses, some burnt beyond recognition, others with many heavy wounds from both arrow and blade, all left to rot and burn.

 

"There may have been some wisdom yet in your words, young one, though I have not often seen mere bandits cause such carnage," Nedrassa said, attempting to hide her horror at the wretched scene so as not to spread it to her charges. Suddenly, she heard one of the scouts shouting:

 

"Clanmother, sha dreiit! One yet lives!"

 

Hurrying to the scout, both Nedrassa and M'Dar saw the survivor, though he was not at all what they expected:

 

A young imperial infant, naked and unconscious, cradled in the arms of his mother's corpse.

 

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WORDS AND PHRASES

 

The Mane--the traditional ruler of Elsweyr

 

Vaba--lit. "it is", though it is often meant as "so be it"

 

M'Dar-Shan--roughly translates to "Young warrior prince" (M/Ma=Young, child; Dar=Warrior; Shan=prince/heir to a noble family or small clan)

 

Dharet--"I understand"

 

Sha dreiit--"come quickly" (Sha=fast/quick; dre=walk; -iit=a modifier indicating a way of life, an ethnic origin, an occupation, or a present-tense verb)

 

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Feedback would be appreciated, but any form of criticism would be welcome, as it helps me know how to improve my writing style and story.

[LordWushin]

Seems you prepared a lot for this exceptional piece! Please continue the story.

[CoGDork]

Seems you prepared a lot for this exceptional piece! Please continue the story.

 

Actually, I didn't really prepare at all except for some cursory glances at the UESP wiki Lore:Khajiit page for the info on the few (read: less than 20) words from Ta'agra that have been translated, as well as examples from other parts of the site on Khajiit names for inspiration, and I did that while in the middle of writing this.

 

My style of writing is, the moment I get inspiration, I sit down and start writing a story off the top of my head and just let the words flow. I feel constricted when I have to research/prepare a lot beforehand, and I get easily bored by that kind of thing. I find it much easier and more enjoyable when I just write and wait until I stop to adjust and revise.

 

That said, thanks for the feedback. I'll get back on it as soon as I can.

[CoGDork]

Here's the second installation. To avoid a bit of confusion, I'd like to point out that, in Khajiit naming structure, the first letter or syllable (the one that comes before the apostrophe) is a modifier designating one's age or status, and as such changes as the person's age and/or status does. M/Ma becomes J/Ja, J/Ja becomes S, and so on. As such, when you see a character who in a previous chapter had a different modifier, just focus on the rest of the name as they are the same person. Also, keep in mind that when characters adress each other with their full names (prefix, middle, and suffix rather than just prefix and middle), they are being formal; shortening the name is a sign of familiarity. With that out of the way, Here's Chapter One, where the story really begins.

 

NOTE: As this story (for the most part) takes place in Elsweyr and involves mostly Khajiit, I will be using some "invented" words in the Khajiit language (aka Ta'agra) to make up for the fact that only a handful of words have been translated. At the end of each chapter, I will add a list of words and phrases I used here that the context of the story may not have made entirely clear. With that in mind, please enjoy the story!

 

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CHAPTER ONE

The Thief's Reward

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The merchant trotted out of the palace in Corinthe with a grin usually reserved for beasts after devouring fairly large prey. It was, however, somewhat appropriate, as he had just finished a lucrative business deal that promised him wealth beyond his wildest dreams. As a Dunmer, most people outside of Morrowind did not care for him, and in Elsweyr it was even more difficult; in addition to the general dislike and occasional suspicion of foreigners, he had developed a reputation for ruthlessness--a reputation he found acceptable given his occupation.

 

As he passed through the bustling market, a young man with shoulder-length dark brown hair and a traditional Khajiit scarf around his neck approached him.

 

"Pardon me, ramar, but you seem to have dropped your coin purse near the woodcrafting stall,"

 

The youth held out a fist-sized bag that made a clinking sound as it shook.

 

"Give me that," shouted the merchant as he quickly snatched the pouch and held it close to himself. "And how dare you adress me so commonly!"

 

"Ne vadhet, sir, I was only helping..."

 

"Well, help somewhere else, street urchin. I have more important business to attend to!"

 

The merchant shoved his way past and continued on his way, never thinking to look back; if he had, he would have seen a peculiar smirk on the young man's face as he disappeared into an alleyway.

 

After a while of walking through the bustling city, the merchant noticed something odd about the clinking sound coming from his coin purse, as well as an unusual weight. Removing it from his belt, he peered inside. What he saw turned his face white, then red, then an unsettling shade of purple: in place of gold and silver coins, there were iron nails, bolts and screws.

 

 

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The youth sat down in an alleyway behind a run-down local tavern, looking at the fruits of his handiwork: coins of gold and silver, adding up to nearly twenty septims--pocket change in Cyrodiil, but a fortune in poorer provinces such as Elsweyr. He had done this particular scam enough to have perfected it into an art form, but this was by far his most successful theft. As he stuffed the coins into the hidden pouch in his scarf, a familiar voice came from behind.

 

"How many times must you do this before it no longer amuses you?"

 

The thief whipped around to face the voice, which came from a khajiit who face belied a mix of frustration and slight embarassment.

 

"Ah! You startled me, rada."

 

"I told you not to refer to me as such, M'Na-Dan!"

 

"Sorry... J'Dar-Shan." M'Na averted his gaze as he said this; he clearly did not like having to be so formal.

 

"Must you always do this when we come to Corinthe for supplies? What if you had been caught?"

 

"Dune and Orcrest don't have anything worth pinching," said M'Na defensively. "Besides, that jisiit merchant deserved--"

 

"It doesn't matter. And I doubt clanmother would approve of your language."

 

The young thief stopped at that last sentence, a look of remorse on his face; J'Dar merely rolled his eyes dismissively. "Come, M'Na-Dan. Our business here is finished."

 

Standing up, he followed J'Dar toward the city gates, unaware that a shadowy figure had begun to follow them...

 

 

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After returning to Twin Moon, the J'Dar sent M'Na to carry the supplies to the common storage hut for distribution among the villagers. The crates in which the supplies (mainly crop seeds, clothing, iron for forging and other materials) were quite heavy, but M'Na had become used to his adoptive elder brother giving him the manual labor tasks. As he lay the last crate down and wiped his brow, he looked towards the village center, where J'Dar was talking with an emissary from another village; clan politics, even among smaller clans like the Khanassa, were a daily sight in desert villages, and as J'Dar was technically clan chieftain it was his responsibility to barter, trade and ally with other clans in the area. As he watched the exchange, something caught his eye: the emissary had brought his daughter again.

 

Shamora was in many ways average for a Khajiit her age, but her clear eyes and spotted fur coat indicated an older lineage. This barely registered in M'Na's mind, though, as his focus was on her general beauty. He often tried to block her from his mind whenever he saw her--after all, despite the fact that he identified himself more as a Khajiit than a human, he knew that they were still different species. Besides, as the daughter of a prominent member of another clan, she would likely be married off to J'Dar instead, which would explain the length of the meeting. Finishing his work, he went into the larger hut where he, J'Dar, and the clanmother lived.

 

Nedrassa was no longer in her prime, but was still perfectly capable of handling important affairs herself. Even so, with J'Dar taking up the mantle of clan chief she had mostly relegated herself to the dual role of priestess and advisor. As of late she had been making potions, and weaving clothes for the clan children, the latter of which she was doing when M'Na walked in.

 

"Ne varana, clanmother. May I speak with you for a moment?"

 

"You need not be so formal, my son. You are eighteen summers old, after all. Now what do you wish to speak of?"

 

"Why did you raise me?"

 

Nedrassa paused at the question. He had asked this of her before, but this time she heard something other than curiosity or loneliness in his voice; instead, there was a sense of frustration and longing.

 

"I have told you before, child. You needed a family, and I gave you one."

 

"But why not give me to one of my own kind?"

 

"I sense that the questions you speak are not the ones you truly wish to ask."

 

It was M'Na's turn to pause now. She had always been able to see through anyone, but they seemed to share a closer bond. Indeed, she was one of the few in the clan that treated him as one of their own.

 

"Cleverness and skill in stealth and trickery are prized among our people. Since I was old enough to understand, others have always insulted me. They have always told me that I would never be a true Khajiit, that I would never be equal to them."

 

Nedrassa nodded, sensing where this was going.

 

"So I trained myself to be as talented a thief as any true Khajiit, and yet my own brother still refuses to acknowledge me. I cannot even refer to him as my brother! And now..."

 

"You fear he will take Shamora from you."

 

"No, not... not take her. She is her own. It's just... I know nothing will ever come of it, but she was always the one dream I felt I truly had for myself."

 

Nedrassa stood and walked to him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

 

"You may not see it. Your brother may not see it. She may not see it... but you are still one of us. You must learn to look within, not without. Once you learn to do that, others will see as well."

 

"Dharet, clanmother, but I--"

 

The moment was interrupted by shouting coming from the courtyard. Nedrassa and M'Na rushed out of the hut to see several riders in light armor lead by a third in heavy armor; all of them were Dunmer, and bore a symbol of an eagle pierced by a sword on their armor. J'Dar pushed his way to the front of the crowd of villagers, and shouted in an accusatory tone:

 

"What is the meaning of this? We are in the middle of important business, and it does not concern you, outsiders!"

 

The leader of the Dunmer stepped forward with a scowl on his face.

 

"Your business will have to wait. Our patron was most displeased by the actions of your clan today, and one of you will pay the price!"

 

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WORDS AND PHRASES

 

Ramar--a highly formal name indicating a member of the nobility

 

Ne Vadhet--"I am sorry" (Ne=self-referencing prefix along the lines of "I" or "me"; Va=to be; Dhet=forgive)

 

Rada--"elder brother" (Ra=prefix used to show high respect, or to indicate one's societal superior; Da=brother/sister)

 

M'Na-Dan--"Young Clawless One" (M/Ma=young/child; Na=without; Dan=Claw

 

Jisiit--a fairly harsh swear word, often specifically indicating someone who maliciously cheats and/or mistreats others

 

Ne Varana--formal greeting (Ne=self-referencing prefix; Va=to be; rana=greet/welcome/hello)

 

Dharet--"I understand"

 

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I feel like I'm having trouble with the structure of conversations; I always feel like I'm using the wrong pronoun or repeating myself too much, but if I don't I feel like it might get confusing for the average reader. Any tips from more experienced writers?

 

EDIT: Revised version is up!

Edited August 25, 2011 by CoGDork

[CoGDork]

I recently found an error in my translations: according to the Khajiit lore page on www.uesp.net, Dar means thief, not warrior (that would be Do, according to the same page). I have decided to keep the error intact in my story, however, as it is used in J'Dar-Shan's name as a means of indicating his social status/responsibilities/expectations, as well as his prideful nature. Also, Dar sounds better in the name than Do would, so there's that too. In any case, here's the next chapter.

 

NOTE: As this story (for the most part) takes place in Elsweyr and involves mostly Khajiit, I will be using some "invented" words in the Khajiit language (aka Ta'agra) to make up for the fact that only a handful of words have been translated. At the end of each chapter, I will add a list of words and phrases I used here that the context of the story may not have made entirely clear. With that in mind, please enjoy the story!

 

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CHAPTER TWO

Exile

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M'Na had arrived in the courtyard just in time to see all eyes in the clan focus on him. The expressions varied from face to face; shocked. Worried. Unsurprised. Angry. J'Dar. however, displayed the latter two more than anything else, appearing almost as angry as the large group of heavily-armed Dunmer that had, until now, been the center of attention.

 

"Ze viriit, M'Na-Dan," J'Dar pointed angrily at M'Na, then swept his hand toward the Dunmer group. "See what your foolish acts have brought down upon us!"

 

It did not take M'Na long to piece together what was happening. Ignoring his brother entirely, he turned his gaze towards the more obvious threat.

 

"If you are asking for me to apologize for lifting a few septims off your 'patron,' you might as well give up," His tone was at once both dismissive and angry. "He brought it on himself, acting the way he did. A mere cub could have passed as his elder!"

 

"Do you have any idea of whom you stole from, boy?" The lead Dunmer was positively fuming, his right hand beginning to reach for his longsword. Nedrassa broke her stunned silence in a vain attempt to defuse the situation:

 

"Please, calm down, ramar. Is there some arrangement we could--"

 

"Clanmother, how could you defend him? His actions have caused this, and even now he shows no responsibility for them," J'Dar interrupted.

 

"And why should I? He had it coming."

 

"Have you no sense at all, M'Na-Dan?"

 

"Please, my sons, calm down...

 

"ENOUGH!" The Dunmer roared, his patience nearly at an end. "There is but one arrangement--give the boy to us, else your entire clan will suffer!"

 

Before M'Na or Nedrassa could say any more, J'Dar shoved the former toward the armored man. "Take him and be gone from here!"

 

Nedrassa nearly recoiled at what had just been said. "What... what did you say? He is your brother--"

 

"He is not one of us. He never was, nor ever will be! His mere presence has caused embarrassment and damage enough to our clan."

 

The arguing began anew, this time between J'Dar and Nedrassa, and the rage within M'Na grew with each exchange, until he could stand it no more. With a bloodcurdling scream, he struck blindly at the nearest target: the Dunmer leader. With a single motion, the armored man knocked him aside, drew his sword, and struck to kill.

 

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It took several seconds for everyone present to process what had just happened. M'Na more than anyone else.

 

Seeing her adopted son knocked down by the Dunmer, Nedrassa had, without hesitation, thrown herself in front of the blade that would have taken his life. With an irritated grunt, the armored elf removed his blade and slung the dying woman to the ground.

 

"Mother!" A horrified M'Na leapt to her side; Nedrassa looked up at him weakly, caressed his face, and then fell silent.

 

At that moment, chaos ensued; The Dunmer leader barely had time to react before he was struck with blow after savage blow by J'Dar, who had become a frightening personification of pure rage. The myriad archers and riders did not last much longer amid the rush of vengeful Khajiit out for their blood, and above all the din was the sound of ultimate suffering as M'Na screamed in pain and anger.

 

Upon the death of the last offending Dunmer, all eyes turned to the dead clanmother, cradled in her charge's arms.

 

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Ze viriit--Look at this/that (Ze=second-person prefix, i.e. 'You'; Vir=look/see; -iit= suffix indicating a verb, ethnic origin, or way of life)

 

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I'm feeling a little more confident in my writing, but I don't want to get too cocky--keep the feedback coming!

[SoulofChrysamere]

I know the feeling of writing off the top of my head...it feels so much better when the ideas are fresh and you've got the "think on your feet" ability to put it to paper while it's there. Kind of like this one I wrote featuring chess. Elder Scrolls and Chess: A Short Story by Myself No planning, no rough drafts. All improv.

 

 

Fine writing! Keep it up. :thumbsup:

Edited September 3, 2011 by SoulofChrysamere

[CoGDork]

I'm kind of regretting adding Shamora (the female Khajiit M'Na is checking out) in the first chapter--while the scene does work in terms of showing his conflicted identity as well as other aspects of his character, IMO it came out as if I were introducing a new character. Ah well. Here's the next chapter:

 

NOTE: As this story (for the most part) takes place in Elsweyr and involves mostly Khajiit, I will be using some "invented" words in the Khajiit language (aka Ta'agra) to make up for the fact that only a handful of words have been translated. At the end of each chapter, I will add a list of words and phrases I used here that the context of the story may not have made entirely clear. With that in mind, please enjoy the story!

 

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CHAPTER THREE

vengeance

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As he walked through the front gates of Orcrest, M'Na stopped and looked at the city center; he knew this was the poorest city in a poor region, but, having never seen it in person before, it still surprised him--while most city centers in Elsweyr had buildings surrounding a central courtyard filled with market stalls and a fountain or well for water, there was no such order here. Two or three mud-brick buildings along the outer wall, both of them unadorned and ugly, surrounding a simple oasis filled with water of questionable quality. Even Twin Moon was better than this. Moving on toward the residential area, M'Na recalled the events two days previously, when his world was shattered.

 

He had just managed to finish grieving as he gathered what few possessions were his. He attempted to walk toward Nedrassa's grave, but J'Dar and the other clan members blocked his path, pointing towards the road out of the village. He did his best not to look at the faces of his former clan--full of anger, hate, and worst of all, satisfaction at his exile. There would be time for grieving later. He had a mission, and he was determined to see it done.

 

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"This is it?" M'Na's voice carried more frustration than surprise at his new home, if it could be called that. There was only one room to it, with a single rickety chair, a small table that had obviously seen better days, a dust-covered blanket in one corner and in the opposite, a large chamber pot whose contents had yet to be cleaned out, if the horrendous smell was anything to go by.

 

"Take it or leave it, urchin. Or would you rather sleep outside, with the rats?"

 

Sighing heavily, M'Na tossed the town guard a few septims for the hovel. It was all he had left, but at least he now had a roof over his head. The guard left, eager to return to the barracks office. M'Na placed his bag on the floor, sifted through its contents, and grabbed what he needed--the twin daggers he had purchased in Corinthe for his fourteenth birthday (he rarely got any gifts, save from Nedrassa), and a small scrap of paper with the symbol of an eagle pierced by a sword.

 

M'Na proceeded to search for answers, showing the symbol on the paper to as many people as he could, asking them if they knew who it represented. After several hours, he began to give up hope, and started back towards his makeshift home. It was then he noticed the trio of Orcs in his way.

 

"We understand you are searching for someone," the central figure said. He was fairly large, even for an Orc, and the gigantic hammer on his back would have intimidated most. M'Na, however, stood his ground.

 

"Khava za sha dreiit derevi. I am indeed looking for someone. I suppose you have something to say about that?"

 

"Yes. Stop looking." The Orc scowled, not quite understanding why M'Na was unimpressed by him. M'Na remained calm, and continued:

 

"Were you paid by someone to give me this message?"

 

"Yes--"

 

At that instant, M'Na drew his daggers and leapt at the leftmost assailant, cutting his throat in one swift motion. Before he could turn his gaze from the dead foe, M'Na was suddenly struck from the right by the central Orc's hammer. Rolling with the blow, M'Na attempted to stand, only to wince in pain from a broken rib and dislocated knee. Looking up, he saw the other two Orcs standing over him, ready to strike.

 

"You should have run, fool," said the leader, raising his hammer. M'Na sneered back, trying (and failing) to hide the severe pain he was in.

 

"Shut up and get it over with, zijariit."

 

M'Na closed his eyes, waiting for the final blow, when a cloaked figure approached, sword in hand.

 

"Let the boy go."

 

Both Orcs turned toward the strange man, who turned out to be a Khajiit. The leader chuckled in disbelief: "Could you repeat that? We thought you said--"

 

"I did. Let him go... and I'll let you live."

 

The two mercs charged in unison, but in two swift, precise strokes both were dead, the Khajiit not having moved an inch in killing them.

 

"Are you alright, boy?"

 

"Ze vare dreiit. I could have handled them. Ahh--" M'Na attempted to rise to his feet once more, but found himself unable to do so.

 

"Why do you speak Ta'agra like one of us, human?"

 

"Don't call me that! I don't care what people say, I'm-- Ah! Zijiri!"

 

The figure looked M'Na over, impressed by his determination and intrigued by what was said. After a pause, the man spoke calmly:

 

"Those Orcs were mercenaries from the local fighter's guild. They often work as enforcers for a major noble House from Morrowind. House Faronith."

 

M'Na stared at his rescuer in confusion. "Why are you telling me this?"

 

"You seem to have some deep grudge against them, no? I sense a great potential in you, young one, and were you to tell me your reasons for your anger, I would gladly aid you in developing your skill."

 

"And why should I trust you?"

 

"Did no one teach you to occasionally trust in fate?"

 

M'Na pondered this, his mind flashing back to the only mother he ever knew.

 

With new resolve, he took the hand of the mystery figure, prepared for whatever future awaited him.

 

 

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Khava za sha dreiit derevi--"Word travels quickly around here" (Khava=rumor/gossip; za=impersonal pronoun meaning "it"; sha=fast/quick; dre=walk; derevi=here)

 

Zijariit--curse word, roughly meaning "F---er"

 

Ze vare dreiit--"get out of here" (ze=second-person prefix, i.e. 'You'; Vare=away)

 

Zijiri--curse word, exclamatory; roughly, "F---"

 

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EDIT: Revised version is up!

Edited October 28, 2011 by CoGDork

[CoGDork]

I heavily altered the end of the last chapter due to a suggestion from a friend of mine. Please, don't be afraid to reply and critique--I could use the help!

[CoGDork]

I thought I'd set down some of the basics of Ta'agra (the Khajiit language), including grammar, rules, pronunciation, etc. NOTE: Most, if not all, of the following information is made up by me based on the words and phrases used in the story so far.

 

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PRONUNCIATION

 

The pronunciation of Ta'agra is slightly more complicated than it apppears; several sounds are slightly "mixed". I'll try to make it as clear as I can.

 

A--pronounced somewhere between Apple and fAther.

 

E--"eh" as in bEt.

 

I--About halfway between "ih" as in mIddle and "ee" as in greet.

 

ii--always pronounced "ee", as exaggerated as that sound can get.

 

"O" and "u" are almost never used, save for words translated from other Tamrielic languages. The ONLY time you will ever hear the "u" sound in regular Ta'agra is in the word "Skooma", which refers to a Hallucinogenic drug.

 

The consonants are as follows:

 

D--same as in English.

 

DH--fairly soft, with a slight hint of "th" as in "there".

 

J--sounds kind of like the average "j" sound in English, but with a little bit of a"zh" sound, as in "Frere Jaques".

 

K--not often used, but always a hard "K" sound, as in "Kick".

 

KH--used a LOT. Sounds like the "ch" in "Ach, away with ye!"

 

M and N--Same as in English.

 

R--always with a slight roll.

 

S--same as in English. If doubled, though, it has a slight hiss to it.

 

SH--same as in English.

 

T--Same as in English.

 

V--Somewhere between the "v" as in "Victory" and a "b" sound as in "Ball".

 

Z--Same as in english.

Edited November 18, 2011 by CoGDork

[CoGDork]

Here is the next part of my lesson on Ta'agra. This time, I'll explain the various grammatical rules that I made up pretty much right now based on what I've already posted, as well as what is known in the games. Here we go...

 

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VERBS

 

Verbs can be fairly simple once you learn THE most important/commonly used suffix in the language: -iit.

 

-iit is used as a modifier for three things:

 

• Designating an ethnic origin or occupation (as in "Khajiit");
   
  
• indicating a verb ("dreiit"), and
   
  
• signifying a present-tense verb or state of being (not yet used).
  

 

To create a verb using this, simply take the unconjugated form and add -iit. For example:

 

Dre is the unconjugated form of "walk". Then with the addition of this suffix, it becomes "Dreiit". If you want to make it present-tense, add the prefix "va-", meaning "to be" or "it is". Thus, "vadreiit" means "walking". Simple.

 

PRONOUNS

 

There are several pronouns in Ta'agra:

 

"Ne", meaning "I" or "me", "Ze" meaning "you", "De" meaning "him", "Di" meaning "her", "Za", meaning "those", or "them", and "Na" meaning "it".

 

To make the pronouns formal, simply add the prefix "ra-" to it. Again, simple.

 

NAMES

 

Names come in three parts:

 

1.) a prefix indicating age or social status,

 

2.) a middle, combined with a

 

3.) suffix, both of which create the actual name.

 

The middle and suffix are divided by a hyphen, and the prefix is divided from the rest of the name by an apostrophe.

 

Khajiit familial structure is clan-based; instead of being divided into parent/child groups, all families are based around large extended groups. Small clans (like the main character's) can number in the tens, while large clans can number in several hundreds. Thus, one's clan name is their surname. To add that, simply add the prefix "V'" (the apostrophy is used to divide it from the name) to the clan name. Thus, the main character's full name is M'Na-Dan V'Khanassa.