Sign language

A sign language was a system of communication involving hand and other gestures. They were used by deaf and mute people and those who learned it to communicate with them, and by people wishing to communicate in silence or secrecy. Several different forms of sign language were used on Toril.Sign languages have been mentioned a number of times in Forgotten Realms sources, but have not always been named or described. As such, it is unclear if they should be treated as the same, similar, or unrelated sign languages, while some are confirmed to be unique. For convenience, this article collects these various unnamed sign languages together. Named and unrelated sign languages are detailed on their own pages. Basic signals and instances of improvised signing, such as by miming, are not included. Such forms of communication were also called silent languages.
==Known Sign Languages==
Some specific sign languages were:
* Common Sign Language, which shared signs and vocabulary with thieves' cant;
* Draconic sign language, designed for dragons and employed movements of jaw, claws, and wings; 
* Drow Sign Language, also known as drow silent tongue;
* Harpspeak, used for secret communication by the Harpers, known as 'silent signs'.
* Malatran sign language, developed from signals used by hunters, with different systems in use across the Malatran Plateau; and
* Spell Cant, a secret sign language used only by the Knights of the Mystic Fire based on arcane spellcraft and religious lore to communicate only in metaphor, rendering it secure against comprehend languages.
Some spoken languages also included signs and gestures to some degree:
* Alignment languages, which each included a few certain gestures;
* Ruathlek, the secret language of illusionists, included a sign language.
* Thieves' cant, which employed hand gestures alongside coded language, where the signed element was known as hand cant.
==Users==
===Custom===
Carsten and Silke, two wizards held captive in a silence-affected cell in Ronras Prison, created a complex sign language to communicate. 
Nat, a deaf street urchin girl of Waterdeep in the late 1400s DR, devised her own sign language to communicate with her friends.
In Chult, Qawasha, a human druid, and Kupalué, a vegepygmy, communicated to one another using their own form of sign language.
As saurials could not speak Common, Alias taught Dragonbait a variant of the thieves' hand cant so he could communicate with her and Olive Ruskettle (who was annoyed at the sharing of thieves' secrets).
'Silent signs' were employed for secret communication among the Harpers, Zhentarim, agents of the Lords' Alliance, and other cabals, guilds, and groups.
Wayfinders, a unique dwarven variety of rogue that were quite proficient in learning other languages, sometimes knew sign languages.
===Ape===
Carnivorous apes could communicate in a sign language.
===Elven Language===
Katyr Toralynnsyr, a mute copper elf scout of the Elmanesse tribe of the Forest of Tethir, used a simple sign language. His wife Annelwin Toralynnsyr translated for outsiders.
Vander Stillhawk, a ranger of Tethyr, used a detailed sign language taught to him by elves after orcs cut out his tongue as a boy. Zaranda Star, Father Pelletyr, and his other adventuring companions also learned this language.
===Netherese===
Cragh, a deaf-mute Netherese arcanist of the Golden Age of Netheril, communicated in a sign language.
===Planar===
Elliach, a mage of the Wandering Emporium in Avernus who worked mutating demon ichor, was left deaf after his ears grew wings and flew off, so he used a strange form of sign language, owing to his tentacle-like fingers.
Lillendi as a whole had an uncanny ability to understand all forms of sign language presented to them.
===Wa-an===
In Aru in Wa, Fusae, the mute proprietress of the House of Heavenly Sand, communicated in a clumsy sign language. Her granddaughter Cachiko interpreted for customers as needed.
===Zakharan===
Bashi, a mamluk guard of Mabruk al-Hanash's home in Dihliz, was mute and communicated via a sign language.
==Appendix==
===Notes===
===Appearances===
===References===
Category:Sign languages