What languages do the Ascians speak?

[Necrotica]

I don't mean the tongue of the Ancients. I mean whatever spooky language they use in ARR and Heavensward. It is very different sounding from the Ancient language, but is clearly meant to be old. Lahabrea refers to our language as crude by comparison.

[AlenyaElizabelle]

I don't mean the tongue of the Ancients. I mean whatever spooky language they use in ARR and Heavensward. It is very different sounding from the Ancient language, but is clearly meant to be old. Lahabrea refers to our language as crude by comparison.

The red text when an Ascian speaks in-game right?
I always thought it to be Greek - whether Ancient Greek or Modern Greek, I can't say.

[Kranel_San]

I don't mean the tongue of the Ancients. I mean whatever spooky language they use in ARR and Heavensward. It is very different sounding from the Ancient language, but is clearly meant to be old. Lahabrea refers to our language as crude by comparison.

Probably a leftover from early designs.
Either that, or it's actually the ancient language, which the shades of Amaurot do not imitate it correctly.
It also could be an accent of the ancient language because languages change throughout the years and ascians have been around for 12k years so it's kind of possible they adapted new terms and some words from newer languages until they got a distinct accent that doesn't sound like what the Amaruotian shades say but are considered the same language.

[Rongway]

It also could be an accent of the ancient language because languages change throughout the years and ascians have been around for 12k years so it's kind of possible they adapted new terms and some words from newer languages until they got a distinct accent that doesn't sound like what the Amaruotian shades say but are considered the same language.

Language change is driven primarily by children. Even with thousands of years passing, the lack of new generations changing the pronunciations should leave them with basically the same accents they started with.

[Cleretic]

It's Meracydian. You just can't tell, because you've never met a Meracydian. Want to prove me wrong? Find one!

More seriously, it's one of the relics of the original Ascian concept that just got thrown away in the revamp because it was no longer worth having, and really shouldn't be thought of any further than that. You want an 'in-universe' answer, maybe it's a specific Convocation/Ascian language; they develop a language that nobody else can understand, so that way they can talk without fear of being overheard and worked against or raising a panic. We do know that the Ascians had secret facilities and operations, after all, and that two of the examples we see are specific to Lahabrea (both Pandaemonium, and the End of Days relics being researched in Akadaemia).

Or maybe that's just how Ancient Talk actually does sound like when coming from mortal tongues and into mortal ears without any magic or superhumans around (well, superhumans beyond the usual level for the setting).

[UkcsAlias]

they develop a language that nobody else can understand, so that way they can talk without fear of being overheard and worked against or raising a panic.

Ascian 1337speak

It can still make perfect sense towards those who know how to speak it and what the words mean in it. But for others it sounds like a garbled mess.

[Necrotica]

Ascian 1337speak

It can still make perfect sense towards those who know how to speak it and what the words mean in it. But for others it sounds like a garbled mess.

Kinda makes sense. The enemy of their race is a former member. So maybe it was an attempt to prevent Hydaelyn from understanding them.

[Lieri]

Whatever language it is, it surely is very efficient.

Ascian : "Hrrmm"
Translation : 3 Paragraphs

[SentioftheHoukai]

Clearly, it is the Black Speech of Mordor. For Ascians are Doom, and Fire, and Prime Evil.

.....No, you are not permitted to say or think otherwise.

[Cleretic]

Clearly, it is the Black Speech of Mordor. For Ascians are Doom, and Fire, and Prime Evil.

.....No, you are not permitted to say or think otherwise.

I mean, they weren't fire, but they were all of the rest of those things at the time this part of the story in question was written. They didn't get the depth that makes you fall over yourself to defend them until several expansions later, and didn't have the concept that you so adore until, as best we can tell, some point in 3.x.

No point getting mad about people disrespecting their concept before that point, because we literally don't know what it was before then.