Thieves' Cant

Thieves’ Cant of Nehwon

“In Lankhmar, the gutter speaks as loud as gold.” — Common proverb among fences

 

Overview:

Thieves’ Cant is the secretive and fluid dialect of Nehwon’s underworld—used by rogues, assassins, smugglers, and black-market dealers to communicate in plain sight. Often mistaken for regional slang or drunken mutterings, the Cant disguises critical information beneath layers of metaphor, gesture, and symbol.   While the language is most commonly associated with Lankhmar’s infamous Thieves’ Guilds, Cant is spoken or understood—at least in part—in every major trade port and criminal den across the continent. It is not a full language but rather a coded layer superimposed upon common speech and signs.  

Origins and Evolution:

Born in alleyways, prison cells, and ship holds, Thieves’ Cant draws from:  

• Dockside jargon of Ilthmar and Seabridge

 

• Dwarvish glyphs and merchant codes from Duhn Glorr

 

• Subversive chants from Kokgnab’s mystery cults

 

• And the ritual riddles whispered among assassins in Ool Plerns

  Over centuries, it has become a self-perpetuating dialect, ever evolving, shaped by guild wars, border conflicts, and secret pacts.  

Structure:

Thieves’ Cant in Nehwon functions on three tiers:   1. Spoken Slang: Seemingly innocuous phrases with hidden meaning. Examples:  

• “Dust the lamp” — Pickpocket someone in plain view

 

• “Toss the copper” — Bribe someone

 

• “Grayback” — A guard who takes bribes

 

• “Wet purse” — A pouch marked for theft

  2. Graffiti & Carved Symbols: Chalk signs, soot marks, or etched symbols in alleys, on door frames, or under carts.   A Triangle with a slash through it — Safehouse nearby   Three Dots, one on top, two below it — Surveillance suspected   A wheel — Fence operates in the area   A circle with a slash through it — Guild territory: outsiders beware   3. Gestural Signaling: Subtle hand movements, posture, and timing:
  Scratching your nose = “I’m being watched”
  Two knocks, long pause, one knock = Guild password
  One boot resting heel-first = “Armed and ready”
  Regional Variations:
Each region of Nehwon infuses Cant with its own flavor:   Lankhmar: Dense and layered, full of irony, sarcasm, and double-speak. Guilds often encode messages to foil each other.
Kleg Nar: Guttural and wave-rhythmic, ideal for use aboard ships. Full of nautical metaphors.
Mlurg Nar: Coarse and clipped; often accompanied by underwater signs or tapping on hulls.
Ool Plerns: Highly ritualistic; combines Cant with phrases from necromantic and elemental rites.
Kokgnab: Agricultural double-meanings, especially among roadside bandits and forest smugglers.
Duhn Glorr: Uses coded dwarvish glyphs and numerical shorthand; often found on crates, tools, or coinage.
 

Known Users:

Mentaur
A mysterious figure whose mastery of arcane and divine knowledge is unparalleled. Mentaur weaves Cant into riddles, scrollwork, and sacred geometries. His messages are often decipherable only to those who walk both shadow and truth.   Slayer
The secretive assassin's guild known simply as Slayer uses a brutally efficient version of Cant: gestures, eye movements, and single-word cues that can authorize death, forgiveness, or disappearance. Their Cant is nearly impossible for outsiders to emulate without grave consequence.   Gerry Underleaf
A well-known bargeman from Oakhaven, Gerry Underleaf plies his trade across the Sinking Lands, navigating treacherous routes between Seabridge and Toller’s Point. His knowledge of Cant is practical—born of decades avoiding tariffs, bandits, and “dockside misunderstandings.” He favors chalk-signs and boot-gestures over flowery speech and is respected as a neutral broker who knows when to talk, and when to drift away.   Tibbin Reedwhistle
An elder halfling and former guild whisperer, Tibbin is now the head auctioneer and appraiser in Oakhaven. Though he’s left behind his “nimble-fingered” days, his ears are still tuned to the rhythm of the Cant. Tibbin often embeds coded warnings into opening auction speeches, and his fondness for poetic metaphor makes his messages difficult to parse without proper training. He and Gerry Underleaf share a long friendship—and a subtle rivalry over who knows the Cant better.   Keesha Knight
A brilliant tactician and former agent of the Dead Masters Thieves' Guild. Fluent in hand-signal variants, Keesha can embed entire messages into body posture and gait. She now uses her knowledge to infiltrate and decode criminal activity as it intersects with the goals of the Order of Ix.   Adventurer’s Note:
Even knowing a few phrases of Cant can:  

• Reveal hidden jobs, clues, or enemies

 

• Alert you to danger before it strikes

 

• Help you pass as a local in dangerous towns

  But use caution: using the wrong word or symbol in the wrong quarter can brand you as a fraud—or worse, a spy.   Sample Phrases:  

• “The crow flies at dusk.” = Heist planned tonight

• “He drinks brine.” = He’s been bribed

• “Too many teeth in the barrel.” =This deal has too many watching it

• “The root rots fast in rain.” = Get out before things collapse