
Ro'Thad (also transcribed Ro Thad or RoThad) is the main language of the KessRith Empire. While rather abstract and simple in structure and most of its vocabulary, it is made difficult by a wide range of different honorary forms of address and a frighteningly complex vocabulary with subtle shades of meaning pertaining to subjects of combat and competition, honourable / dishonourable conduct, appreciation of natural beauty and symmetry, and ways to meet one's death.
KessRith honorific language is made complicated by a host of circumstances that can influence meaning and intent; in some situations, insulting the addressee is actually a compliment because it implies that the speaker respects his prowess and expresses his desire to compete with him.
Ro'Thad phonology includes deep growls, grating sounds, gargles and loud glottal stops that are near impossible for a Human voice box to emulate. While Humans can make themselves understood to KessRith, they are incapable of correct pronunciation and have to substitute some sounds. This renders Humans incapable of observing niceties of tone and inflection; the result is a pidgin that is serviceable but lacks depth as far as a KessRith is concerned. KessRith have less difficulty pronouncing Galatin or Galanglic but are forever struggling to bring their finer points across when talking about honour, death or warfare.
RoThad Words and Phrases[]
B[]
- Bak'h Matha : "sword of vengeance", "avenging sword", "a bladed weapon used in revenge". The name of a heavy grav tank.
- Bav'Rik : the name of a KessRith weapons manufacturer.
C[]
- Ch'fath : "venture", "undertaking". Name of a heavy grav tank detailed in Renegade Transmissions vol. 3 / 4.
- Ch'ktal Nor : intranslatable concept; a death in dignity and in certain ideal circumstances. Name of a grav tank.
- Chnud'wae : "thunderstorm", "momentous events". Name of a medium grav tank detailed in Renegade Transmissions vol. 3 / 4.
D[]
- Dal'thakgundar : an exclamation of mild surprise or annoyance.
- Darada : a kind of millet-like plant common on KessRith worlds.[1]
- Djaqui K'Kladth : name of a capital-class starship. Meaning unknown.
- Djeg : "water-rot grain", a type of beer created and enjoyed by human slaves on KessRith-controlled worlds.[1]
- Drashok : unknown meaning. The name of a battleship.
F[]
- Fek-Tar, Feq'tar : "solid punch or kick". KessRith nickname for the Iron Duke class of battleships.
- Fr'chakti'gcog : "clanhunt", a process in which a family splits away from its clan and sets out to conquer a homeworld of its own.
G[]
- Ga Kakt'Tcha Shuk'sha : "delicate silver blossom floating on a slow river". Name of a starfighter.
- Gav'Rosk : name of a class of cruiser warships. Meaning unknown.
- Ghihizan : the right to call oneself a warrior due to working in a combat-related position.
- G'Th'vaghark : Code of honourable conduct.
K[]
- Kardeesh B'arkaahhr : "bone crusher", name of a class of cruiser warships.
- Klaxt't'ch : state of dishonour incurred by deserting one´s sworn battle-brothers. Klaxt't'ch is a permanent stain that can only be atoned for by the greatest of sacrifices.
- Klekhna : meaning unknown. The name of a KessRith battleship.
L[]
- Lahra'ha : "mild breeze", "zephyr". A poetic expression. Name of a light grav APC detailed in Renegade Transmissions vol. 3 / 4.
M[]
- Mala : "combat", "conflict", "competition", "play", "game". To a KessRith, those concepts are the same.
- Mala'ku Tora : the physical combat part of a Domination challenge.
- Malavoqa : "sweatless combat"; verbal sparring or intellectual controversial debate. A favourite pastime among KessRith.
- Miko Tscha´ghur Ghak : "gentle mountain breeze", the name of a class of carrier warship.
N[]
- Na'Ctka Moquka : "petal fluttering in the breeze", the name of a starfighter.
- N'Cath Co M'mn : "fury shining brightly like a sun", the name of an Ajax-class destroyer.
Q[]
- Qora T'Toqua : "starlight on winter leaves", the name of a starfighter.
R[]
- Rak'math Qo'mnara : "wisp-like cloud floating in the unchanging sky", the name of a starfighter.[1]
- R´qavak : "sudden flowering of compassion", a largely intranslatable concept involving gaining supreme and intimate harmonic attunement with the opponent´s mind while engaged in a conflict.[1]
S[]
- Sefalus : "sword-kindred", a pledge of mutual assistance and brotherhood-in-arms; implies that everything one battle-brother owns and can do is at the others' disposal.
- Sheka : "dead(ly) silence", "silence of the dead". KessRith name for the continent of Rolandrin on the planet Caralis.
- Sovi Kess´Roth : the KessRith homeworld and KessRith Empire capital.
T[]
- Taral'skwae : "artistic impulse flowing from the resounding beat of the forge hammer", a deep KessRith cultural concept which states that a thing (or concept) which has endured multiple attacks or trials has an unmatched beauty all of itself, and that the process of conflict breeds beauty. Also, the name of a heavy grav tank.
- T'arla : name of a ground tank. Meaning unknown, could be a rendering of the tank's Galanglic name Harrasser.
- Trosi : unknown meaning. Name of a planet.
U[]
- Uvesa : a pack animal native to the KessRith homeworld that has a thick armoured hide.
V[]
- Vac'To : name of a cruiser class vessel. Meaning unknown.
- Vash' dah : Meaning unknown. Name of a medium grav APC detailed in Renegade Transmissions vol. 3 / 4 .
- Vrak'tar : Meaning unknown. Name of an experimental heavy fighter detailed in Renegade Transmissions vol. 3 / 4.
KessRith Clans[]
- Gath : a minor clan that came to the aid of Trothas V when that planet rebelled against the TOG.
- Na'Valk, N' Valk : the clan that founded Da'Valk in the Commonwealth.
- Quoqa : the dominant clan in the KessRith Empire.
- Sovi Kess´Roth : the clan that holds the KessRith homeworld and KessRith Empire capital.
- V'Itzak : a clan subservient to the N´Valk clan of Da'Valk in the Commonwealth.
KessRith Names[]
- GathGhan t'Chak : Clan Elder and marshal of the KessRith invasion fleet at Trothas V.
- G'Ganik : the current Gatherer of Joy (head of intelligence of the KessRith Empire.)
- Rharka Gosker : a famous KessRith philosopher and war leader.
- Shak'Marrarh : a KessRith destroyer captain in the service of the Renegade Legions.
- Shox V´Itzak : a Renegade weapons alignment control officer aboard the RLS Halsey, a County-class carrier.
- Tlocca : a Tarpaulin pirate captain on the planet Monsoon.
- Tvarqi Quoqa : Patriarch of the Quoqa clan and current Grand Dominator of the KessRith Empire.
- Z'Tac : a KessRith who battled himself to Grand Dominator in a series of duels with the entire Council of Champions in the early 5000s.