Unas speech

[StealthyLlama]

How are players handling/planning to handle speech for Unas PCs? Unas in the TV series are shown as speaking only their own language while understanding only simple English phrases. I can get behind the idea that Unas PCs have been among humans long enough to speak simple phrases and understand English fluently, but it seems a bit of a stretch that an Unas could speak fluently in any language other than their own. Is anyone planning on keeping Unas PCs to simple phrases only? Or perhaps speaking their native language and having a human PC that can understand them, like Han and Chewbacca? Looking for ideas on how to handle a possible Unas language barrier in my game!

Edited January 14, 2022 by StealthyLlama

[SteveR]

It's an interesting question - I've been wondering about it too.  In Thor's Hammer the possessed Unas speaks excellent English, voiced by none other than James Earl Jones.  So that would imply that the Unas have the vocal apparatus to speak, they just choose not to or don't have the necessary neurological support.  (Which, interestingly, some recent research says is the same situation as with chimps.)  None of which actually helps answer your question.    I suspect this is something that's going to be worked out in gameplay, and I also suspect it's going to end up pushing canonical Unas to be more fluent than, say, Chaka is with Daniel.  But that's just my opinion!  Lee (the Wyvern showrunner) and MGM may decide otherwise.

[Admittance]

I suppose you could say it was a former host and has managed to keep the knowledge to speak thanks to its prior tenant, similar to how Sam kept some of Jolinars memories in SG1. another option might be that your team of PCs have learnt to understand the Unas via a combination of familiarity with its body language and what fragments of language it can speak similar to how people tend to be able to tell what there pets want despite being unable to directly tell there owner tho with that option there would be some sort of difficulty with the unas speaking to NPCs without the aid of his team mates helping to interpret for them(as a bonus that situation could be flipped if your players encounter NPC Unas)

 

[LDucko]

Tantalizing idea playing an Unas - I've built a level one character but based on info in the core book, and the showing of Unas later in the series toward the end of season 6 they are very much more tribe based species etc.

For my own PC the idea behind them is that they would have developed over time at Phoenix and hence gained the understanding, but their own Vocal range is limited, therefore they would rely more on physical posturing, referencing other points of reference (like Chakka referencing the sun going up and down as a passage of time), or having a device made by the R&D to either synthesize a voice or be like the text to speech kind of tool, but that will hopefully be a team goal to deepen the connection with each other.

[DarkXtar]

Get a communicator from the standard equipment

[Grokken]

Sounds like a long term R&D arc  :).  But also vocal speech isn't the only speech available.  I would think that a sign language could be developed and used efficiently with vocal sounds for emphasis.  

[Tarmor]

A translator is base kit for a Diplomat, and I see no reason why a team couldn't ask for one if a team member is a Unas. I'd also assume that with a team that has been together for a while, the Unas and non-Unas members would be able to communicate most things without a language barrier. You can get a long way with basic English, body language, gestures and familiarity. If the Unas player is willing to role-play things, then they could start of using simple English and have some fun with misunderstanding.

IRL: My sister-in-law and I speak very little of each others language, but get along fine. She understands much more English that she can speak, and I'm good at getting her meaning from gestures, body-language, context and putting all that together with the few words I do understand.  

[1001100x02]

In canon, the unas iconic communicates poorly via the spoken word and relies as much on sign language and a coded transm itter that strikes me as somewhat similar to those doggy buttons