A lot of animal communication is soundless, and most of that is through movement and posture. I've learned to understand that and make the appropriate motions in return. That much is obvious to anyone's eyes, though they may not realize that I intuitively understand the sounds animals make as well. When communicating back with them it can get tricky, I haven't learned many of the right sounds in their speech. Thankfully they understand my tone of voice for emotional context, even when I'm whistling to a bird or meowing to a cat. They seem to pick up on human language, at least when I say it, but it's like someone speaking with a bad accent. If I'm slow they get enough, and maybe part of the problem is that humans use more intricate concepts linguistically. Animals don't need most of that.
Anyhow, they get me and I get them, but I'll keep learning more of their sounds so we can talk easier and also not be understood by humans when we talk.
Some legends talk about humans learning the languages of animals, often from a mystical source like tasting dragon blood, but also as simple as being taught bird tongue by a bird. How did this ability spontaneously manifest? Honestly, it's through an inherent connection with animals that comes about from latent and innate shapeshifting abilities. It's in the blood, metaphorically anyway.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
You may understand and communicate to terrestrial animal as if you are fluent in a relevant language.
When Ottgeier puffs his blunt, his words just 'hit' different smooth, slow, and easy to understand. The smoke drifts and swirls, almost like it’s vibing with the conversation, sometimes forming lazy shapes that match his words. No matter who or what he’s talking to, they just 'get' him.
You gain the following benefits at all times. You must actively and obviously be using a Blunt to gain the benefits of this Effect.
You may understand and communicate to Creatures and humans as if you are fluent in a relevant language.
Possession of this Power grants the following Trauma at all times: The last blunt (Nightmares).
One of the symbols fills with a faint werelight and a spectral image of it washes over the mouth of a living target as the hourglass etching within the crystal seems to animate, counting down an hour.
When used on a person, they find their memory has filled with strange recollections of learning a language they didn't previously know, in a place they have never been. No details of this other life are gleaned, and when the hour is over, the magic fades and the memories and language are lost.
When used on an animal, they are able to speak as a human would, with a young woman's voice(regardless of the animal's age or gender)
Finally, when used on a memento possessed by a dead creature at the moment of it's death, a spectral form of the creature is called forth from the object, and is able to speak with the bearer while the magic holds, before dissipating
After the death of River Lodestar, Alan has used his study of timelines to link back to hers through one of her crystals, and in so doing has infused it with the power to recall those once lost from the instant before their death to commune with the living world.
River, conversely, had used these crystals to enter the minds of creatures, and "borrow" their forms for a time.
While Alan's magic is distinct from River's, he was able to borrow a bit of her ability to connect with other minds. Using this crystal, one can reach back into their past and gather the memories of a language the bearer knows, how they learned it and have spoken it for years, and can place just that part of themselves temporarily into the mind of another. they become able to understand and even speak in this tongue until the magic fades.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Sapient being, human, Creature, or Dead target within 50 feet. For dead targets, you must possess their an object the target physically posessed at the time of their death. Roll a single D10 as a critical failure check. If you roll a 1, the Effect fails, and you are struck mute.
The target can communicate in your language for the next hour.
You may only use this Effect once per target per day.
The knife's holder understands any form of communication, and is able to reciprocate in kind.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
You may understand and communicate to Creatures, humans, and Sapient beings as if you are fluent in a relevant language.
This also includes understanding any recorded communications from the relevant targets, including writings, scent trails, etc.
Luna closes her eyes, and reaches past this layer of reality.
Thankfully, whatever operating system reality runs on keeps excellent snapshots, and she's able to, if she can find the index, recover a personality from it, just for a short time.
Spend one minute. Select a Dead target within 50 feet. For dead targets, you must possess their true name.
The target can communicate in your language for the next hour.
Communicating with a being cannot directly damage your Mind or cause Injury. All rolls to resist Effects that rely on communicating with you are made at -1 Difficulty.
Denis lights up a stick of incense and blows the smoke over the fragments of the target's dead body, giving an offering for the spirit to appear and answer questions asked by him.
Exert your Mind (unless you win a coin flip) and spend an Action. Select a Dead target within 50 feet. For dead targets, you must possess their fragemented remains. You must use up a stick of incense in order to activate this Effect.
The target can communicate in your language for the next hour.
You may only use this Effect once per target per day.
The beastmaster can speak to and understand any animal.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
You may understand and communicate to terrestrial animal as if you are fluent in a relevant language.
The Necromancer spits into the mouth of a recently deceased corpse. For the few minutes, the corpse's head comes back to life and speaks to the Necromancer.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Dead target within 50 feet. Dead targets must have died within the past week, and you must have their remains in your possession.
The target can communicate in your language for the next hour.