Excerpts from Tyra's Elvish Lessons

[ShiffDrgnhrt]

Looking for understanding of the Elven language, Tyra asks Razeriem to tutor her in the Elvish language, and is told these few words to start with...
[INDENT]Iracce - Hello
Veewfaa - Goodbye
Laamemw - Sword
Wmety Wailty - Drop Dead
[/INDENT]As per instructions, Tyra uses these words as often as she feels appropriate.

[Aerimor]

Tyra you have to practice you vowels, especially your double vowels.  Remember the accent in most double vowels in elven is on the second vowel not the first.

Keep practicing all the words I give you.  But in addition I want you to say your vowels ten times a night before bed.

*Raz lists out all Elven vowels and their combinations*

//Assuming 30 or so variations or more.

If you can't get the vowels, you can't speak Elven.  Elves take great pride in their subtle manners.  They don't seem to like to do anything simple if their is a complex option.

[ShiffDrgnhrt]

Along with saying "iracce" and "veewfaa" to all the Elven patrons while on duty at the Arms, Tyra mutters to herself a series of elvish dipthongs and vowel sounds.
 
 "Ah, eh, ee, eye, oh, ewe, eigh, aye, ow, wah, weh, we, uh, owe, aye-ewe, eh-aye..."
 
 After a few days she goes downtown to find Razeriem, looking for something to put her murmings to use with.

[Aerimor]

"Iracce Tyra. Come in."

*Hands her a sheet of paper with hand written elven words with their common counterparts.  Waves her into the den area.*

"Sit and read the words and their meanings as I say them.  Then repeat them how I say them after I say each one."

//Raz reads the words below but not their common counterparts.

"I//E, Aey//You, Sa//Me, Sa/My, Yla//Us, Aniraa//They, Anirass//Them, Ira//He, Laira//She, Anirilan//That, Anirela//This, Aniraem//Their, Eym//Our.

Say them again."

*Corrects her as she goes.*

"Again."

*Corrects her as she goes.*

"Again."

*Corrects her as she goes.*

"Again."

*Corrects her as she goes.*

"Alright second group of words on the page, same procedure.

Amire//Who, Amiral//When, Amirama//Where, Amira//Why, Amirilan//What, Iream//How, Aala//Yes, Le//No, Ela//Is, Ilma//Are, Ils//Am, Ceela//Live, Ceela//Love."

*Corrects her as they go.  Pointing out the inflection on Ceela and Ceela as he did with Sa and Sa. Repeats the process as above having her say the words as many times as it takes.*

"Your tounge is thick and heavy for the language is it not?  Keep practicing it can be done.  But in addition to saying your vowels at night, rolling your tounge for a minute without pause. Hmm do your vowels in the morning and the tounge roll then as well.  I expect you to not confuse the words I give you,  I know outsiders think they sound a lot alike.  But as you are learning the lesson, you do not have that excuse.

I am also going to start speaking to you in hybrid Elven and common, expecting you to know the words I have given you.  If you have questions, you have the words now to ask them, or at least in hybrid.

Such questions will be: Ela anirilan aeym laamemw? Ilma aey well today?  Amirilan ilma aey doing tomorrow?

Do aey have any questions today?  E believe E gave aey a lot to study.

Oh and before E forget  Next Thursday evening E want aey to come by and make aeym first payment for lessons.  And look nice, take a bath, comb aeym hair.  E do not care what aey wear, it will not matter."

[ShiffDrgnhrt]

After turning red and glaring at Razeriem, she goes back to the arms to Practice before Bella comes back from practice...
 [INDENT] Amire - Who
 Amiral - When
 Amirama - Where
 Amira - Why
 Amirilan - What
 Iream - How
 Aala - Yes
 Le - No
 Ela - Is
 Ean - It
 Ilma - Are
 Ils - Am
 Ceela - Live
 Ceela - Love
 I - E
 Aey - You
 Sa - Me
 Sa - My
 Yla - Us
 Aniraa - They
 Anirass - Them
 Ira - He
 Laira - She
 Anirilan - That
 Anirela - This
 Aniraem - Their
 Eym - Our
[/INDENT] When Bella comes back, Tyra stops with the Elvish and takes Bella into the woods for technical training, spending the entire day going over various past lessons.  At night, after Bella is asleep, she writes in her journal...
 [INDENT] "Ela anirilan aeym laamemw? Ilma aey well today? Amirilan ilma aey doing tomorrow?"
 Hybrid...  That's what he calls it... A mix of Elvish and common...
 Ean ela strange to speak anirela...  The common grammar, or aniraa call ean, doesn't really work with Elvish.  E ils used to anirela...  I'm probably not even using anirass words right.  But there is little chance I will learn if I... E don't use anirela.  Iream ils E supposed to practice though?  If I start... E start talking like anirela all the time E ils going to sound silly...  I might...  E might just have to talk like anirela with Ira.
 
 And he better not try anything when I come by...  Or I'll knife him...
[/INDENT] She then, quietly as possible, leaves her desk and goes to investigate her armoure, and a certain article she's never worn...

[ShiffDrgnhrt]

Tyra comes back to her room at the arms, red faced, but craddling...  herself?



Holding a 2'6" statue of herself, Tyra carefully makes sure Bella is not around when she puts it on in her trophy case and changes (very quickly) out of the dress she wore.

[ShiffDrgnhrt]

Iream Ilma Aey? - How are you?
Iream ela ean? - How is it?
Amirilan ela ean? - What is it?
Amirilan ela anirilan? - What is that?
Amirilan ilma aey? - What are you?
Amirilan ela anirela? - What is this?
Amirama ilma aey? - Where are you?
Amirama ela ean? - Where is it?
Amirama ils E? - Where Am I?
Amirama ela sa laamemw? - Where is my sword?
Amiral ela ean? - When is it?
Anirilan ela ean. - That is it.

[ShiffDrgnhrt]

Tyra sits in her room copying down some more common phrases and questions that have come up while talking to Razeriem...
[INDENT]Amirilan ela aeym lilsa? ~ What is your name?
Sa lilsa ela . . . ~ My name is . . .
Amirama ela . . . ~ Where is . . .
Amirilan anesa ela ean? ~ What time is it?
Nyill aey iracty sa ameanir sa ilmsem? ~ Can you help me with my armor?
Iream synyir amecc ean nyelaan? ~ How much will it cost
Iream nyill E iracty aey? ~ How can I help you?
Amirilan we aey amillan omes sa? ~ What do you want from me?
Amirilan we aey amillan? ~ What do you want?
Cailela sa ilcela. ~ Leave me alone.
We lean aneynyir sa. ~ Do not touch me.
[/INDENT]. . .  Some more often then others...

[ShiffDrgnhrt]

After a strange encounter with a Sea Elf, Tyra spends a night practicing her elvish in hopes of not having to look like an idiot again...

[ShiffDrgnhrt]

Sitting at her desk after a night of stalking,Tyra pulls out a scroll: the list of elvish vowel and consonant sounds.  She strains her mouth to get the sounds out.  She sighs when she spots someone looking at her, mouth agape and brow raised, and kicks the door closed.

Later in the day she can be heard reciting the simple phrases she had committed to memory, trying to get the stress pattern down properly as well as the proper pronunciation of the words.  She struggles for a while, then stops when a drunk elf laughs at her while she's in the hallway...

[ShiffDrgnhrt]

After a visit to Blackford Castle to find a random text in elven, Tyra takes a day to transcribe the elven calligraphy so that she ca become familiar with it.

[Aerimor]

*Tyra is presented with more sentences to practice basic Elven grammar with.  She also has the 3 dozen most basic rules of Elven grammar written out for her and two examples of when each would be applicable.*

*A letter is also attached to the bundle of sheets written in Elven.*

Miss Tyra,

  Please find attached the heart of your lessons over the next coming weeks.  While this will in no way completly cover even half of the rules of Elven grammar, it is what is used most frequently.  It is past time that we had you speaking as a simpleton only.  I trust you still practice even your basic sounds.  I will be out of town for few weeks.  Once I return expect double lessons for a couple weeks.  As well as to allow time for you to start paying on your lesson fees.  I am sure you miss me dearly already as this letter finds you, but fret not, I will be home soon enough.  If you are without place of residence, I have a room I can spare for the time being or you could use my bed.

With Love,

~Razeriem

P.S.:  Who did you get to translate this letter for you?  I am curious if I should make them more risque in the future.

[ShiffDrgnhrt]

On a otherwise boring boat trip from Lor to Kuhl, Tyra spends the time below deck looking over the sheets Razeriem left her.  Stealing a candle-lamp from one of the upper decks, she hides in the cargo hold.

She spends most of the time trying to understand the sheets, taking notes in the margins, then practicing what each sheet teaches.

Since the trip takes many days, she concentrates on decoding and practicing one sheet at a time when she is not sleeping or stealing some food from the mess deck.

[Aerimor]

Dear Tyra dear,

  Forgive me for being out of touch, but at least jail gave me some time to write you a letter.  I should be back in Leringard soon. I hope you have been practicing what I last sent.  Time for us to get back to lessons.  Next week our normal classes are back on.  Free your schedule if you need to, but I expect to be seeing a lot more of you for the time being.  I recently made a purchase of high quality marble and am anxious to play with them.  If you can spare the time, lets double the sessions for the next couple weeks.  Where are you living now that the Arms are closed?  Local inn?  I can free up a room for you if it would make things easier on you.  Room would be all yours. Let me know and I'll hire someone to prepare it for you.

Its time to collect on your offered payment.  Come prepared.  Also if I have not said it you have been a great student so far.  Obviously far more disciplined then myself.  You have done very well with the basics so far.
If you have kept your partice up on the gramar, conjugation, tenses and all the other junk I gave you, I think with a little boot camp practicing we can have you speaking like a child soon enough.  Walk before you run and all of that.  

Clear your schedule, join me for double lessons for a couple months and lets see if I can give you the tools to start learning some on your own.  Dress aproperiatly and I will see you soon.

With Love and admiration,

~Raz

*In Elven.*  The dreams of tommorow are given wings by the actions of today.

[ShiffDrgnhrt]

She intercepts the letter at the Twin Dragons, grumbling at Raz's comment of the Arms being 'closed' as well as his request for 'payment.'  She mutters something to herself, a bad mix of Elvish words and Common grammar, about the situation.  After heading to the bank, she digs through the chest she stuffed all of her salvaged things from the Arms and pulls out a smoke-saturated green dress and rolls it into a ball and stuffs it into her pack.
 
 She then picks up her work-sheets and looks for an elf patient enough to sit and talk with her in her broken elvish.

[ShiffDrgnhrt]

"Raz, iream synyir celvam we E irilela ane-"1
 "Shhh! I'm al-. . . most. . . There! Done."
 Tyra had been sitting on a wobbly wooden stool for the past two hours, doing her best to keep her face in the appearance of being 'happy,' a fake smile cracking the corners of her mouth as her eyes were forced not to glare.
 "Lae nyill E laanety-"2
 "Wait one more second...!" Razeriem, who sat behind a pedastle across from her, had been slowly carving away at a small block of marble, carefully using the tools in his hands to shape it into something reminiscent of Tyra's head. Raz liked to call it a bust. Tyra called it an 'excessive paper weight. 'You better -not- carve any busts onto that excessive paper weight.' " Okay... Now you can-"
 "Oelilcca!"3 Within a blink, Tyra's 'cheery' face returned to it's usual glare, her eyes narrowing and her lips straightening into their usual emotionless line. "You better not have made me look like some doll faced-"
 "Angel?" Raz grinned. "Oh come on, Tyra, you know you look like this when you think about me."
 Tyra rolled her eyes at Raz, walking over to the coat hanger to collect her scarf.
 "Well you're getting better, Tyra.  Not perfect yet..." Raz grinned, then winked, "but don't worry about that.  I'm just trying to get you to speak Elf.  You don't have a few decades to drill the vaguaries of Elvish into your head, and I don't really feel like doing that."
 "Appreciated."  Tyra snorted, pulling the coat over her arms before buttoning up the front.
"Any questions?" Raz dusted off the sculpture before putting his tools away in their special box.
"Yeah," Tyra found an empty stool to sit on, looking back to Raz with her arms crossed, "How does the past tense work in Elven?"
"What?" Raz dropped one of his files, looking up at Tyra with a bit of surprise.
"Well how would I say 'I went to Vehl' in Elvish?"  She tilted her head to watch Raz pick up his file.  "I can say 'E ils veelv ane Vehl4' ...  get it"
Raz rolled his eyes and sighed.  "Oh yeah...  the tenses...  And here I was hoping this would be easy."
Tyra grinned.  "Since when is doing anything with me easy."
 
 1//How much long do I have to-
 2//So can I stop-
 3//Finally
4//I am going to Vehl

[ShiffDrgnhrt]

While begrudgingly 'on a mission' for the Sun Kingdom, Tyra made us of her limited Elvish knowledge to help save a village of elves from the Sun Kingdom's wrath.  Deciphering the village elder's prayer to Aeridin, who was standing behind a barricade flanked by armed compatriots, she spoke plainly that Aeridin would not want them spill blood over their homes and urged them to consider the plea of her and those she was with to relocate.