The Word

The Word is a form of communication, separate from The Song.

Description
The Word can be stated to be any form of language derived from the first known "non-Old Tongue language" originally created by THEE-I-DARE and fellow independent Voices over time, and which is separate from both The Song and Old Tongue. It seems to encompass all modern languages and all those known historically in human history, barring evidence of Old Tongue that may potentially exist.

Before the Game
The Word is a form of language originally created by THEE-I-DARE, some time after THEE-I-DARE's split from the original form of SPEAK-AS-ONE, as a means of speaking with his newly awakened hosts and the hosts of other independent Voices who also broke off from SPEAK-AS-ONE. SPEAK-AS-ONE controlled the First Tribe, which at the time used Old Tongue to communicate. Old Tongue was easily recognisable and demanded hosts submit to orders that they could not disobey while unconscious. The Word, on the other hand, did not demand action amongst hosts who had been awakened, and could be used without drawing the attention of those who did not know it, allowing for relatively safe and control-free communication between the (likewise) now awakened, independent Voices. It did take time, however, to truly separate and formulate The Word to be usable and separated from the previous forms of communication known to these hosts.

THEE-I-DARE has stated in Player Interactions that he helped shape the Word to be distinct from the Song. The Word is "OF ONE MIND. YOURS." whereas the Song "CONNECTS YOU, ASLEEP." The Word and the Song conflicted due to the Word acting on a conscious level and the Song acting on a subconscious level.

As more and more hosts awakened and tribes separate from SPEAK-AS-ONE's hive mind grew, the Word became more and more common, eventually becoming the main form of communication for human civilizations. SPEAK-AS-ONE fought with their many siblings to regain control of human hosts, a battle that continues to this day, seemingly worldwide as well as within Redacre.

In-Game
Within the game players may speak audibly, use text chat or otherwise converse using anything other than Old Tongue emotes to speak in the Word. Players may speak openly using Open Mic Chat, whisper to themselves (or to a Voice if present) using Push to Talk (which can be heard by Voices even when a player does not activate it, as long as the microphone is not muted), or text on the phone/use sign language via text chat.

The Voices all use the Word to speak to players, with THEE-I-DARE and SPEAK-AS-ONE's Watchers using the Word with the assistance of what may be seen as "visual telepathy" to communicate. In this form of communication a player will see what appears to be a large grey eye repeatedly opening and closing in the middle of their screen. Players will then close their eyes in the same way that they would to see the Shape. At this point players will see the Voice in question speaking through red text (which is the actual 'Word' portion of communication), which will remain either for a short period of time, or until said Voice sends another message in place of the previous one. In this form of communication a Voice may speak to one player individually without others knowing, or to multiple.

Voices can also communicate verbally: a player will hear a Voice speaking to them telepathically and all players present will hear the Voice speaking at the same time. They will appear to speak louder than the surrounding environment, and will be at the same volume irrespective of location.

SPEAK-AS-ONE despises the Word, calling it clumsy, and says the contact they make with hundreds must be slow and careful to verify information in order to keep the Song true and pure.

Trivia

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