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'DUERGAR SPEECH' (2936)
Duergars are often known to speak crudely, sounding uneducated to most
other races, even - or perhaps especially to - dwarves. This pattern
stems not from a lack of education, but rather the bastardization of
language, along with the bastardization of everything else that crosses
a duergar's path. Driven by lust, greed, and anger, duergar language is
often sprinkled with curses, threats, and lewd references. Occasionally
duergar raised apart from their cutthroat society learn to speak with
greater serenity that is even more disquieting than their enraged
brethren, as their tones take on an unfathomably cold and callous bite.
Some phrases and idioms that are common to the duergar are:
"surface-wretch" - duergar reference to any surface race
"mountain mongrel" - duergar reference to dwarves
"pansy-sniffer" - duergar reference to druids and other naturalist types
"sun-snivellers" - reference to elves, paladins or other particularly
virtuous people
"worthless breeding wench" - sexist duergar insult, commonly used when
women blunder
"damned floating fireball!" - one of many insulting ways duergar refer to
the sun
"Wisdom ends with an axe in yer back!" - duergar proverb (one of the very few)
"Stop yer snivelling and die already!" - sentiment in frustratingly long
conflicts
"May ye find bounty and bloodshed!" - duergar well-wishing
"The Eternal Abyss." - duergar reference to death