Many Mountains
Many Mountains is a habitable planet in the Settled Systems. It is home to the human Kebotoians, known for their lack of a spoken language. The administrative capital is Red Forest.
Name
The Kebotoians endonym for their planet is Many Mountains. The star Kebotoi derives its name from the Kebotoi system, who is named after the Ulaharim scout vessel Kewotoy which discovered the planet.
The Kebotoi designation for themselves is Those Who Sign.
History
The surface of Many Mountains was made suitable for human habitation following decades of terraforming by a SATOR probe. Human settlement began in the early 2nd century AAI, when a spacecraft transporting a community of illiterate, hard-of-hearing individuals was abandoned on the planet. Isolated from external contact and lacking established spoken or written language traditions, the settlers developed a unique sign language to facilitate communication.
As the Kebotoian population grew and diversified, with later generations including both hearing and deaf individuals, sign language remained the primary mode of communication. The absence of external influences and the effectiveness of sign language contributed to the continued lack of a spoken language tradition on Many Mountains.
Language and Communication
Kebotoian Sign Language
The primary language of Many Mountains is Kebotoian Sign Language Dialect Group (KSL), a sophisticated visual-gestural language used by the entire population. KSL is the medium of communication in all aspects of Kebotoian society, including education, administration, and cultural expression. Regional dialects of KSL have developed, each characterized by variations in vocabulary and signing style. Though Kebotoians are highly egalitarian, and have not designated an official form of KSL, the Capital Dialect (KSLCD) is most commonly used as a lingua franca.
Paralanguage and Vocalization
Although Kebotoians do not have a spoken language, they are not silent. Vocalizations are commonly used as paralanguage to express tone, emotion, emphasis, and other contextual cues. These sounds, which include hums, clicks, laughter, and sighs, accompany signed communication and are an integral part of social interaction.
Literacy
Written forms of KSL exist and are used for record-keeping, literature, and education. These include the Kebotoian script, which is a compact way of encoding hand signs into a readable format.
Demographics
Many Mountains has one of the highest proportions of deaf individuals among the CASS worlds, with approximately 15% of its population being deaf from birth. Nevertheless, the majority of Kebotoians are hearing, although sign language remains universal across the population.
Culture
Kebotoian music is characterized by atonal, rhythmic, and repetitive vocalizations, often accompanied by body percussion, clapping, or stomping. Musical performances typically integrate sign language, with visual storytelling synchronized to the musical rhythm. Dance and visual arts are also highly developed, with performances often combining intricate choreography and narrative signing.
Interplanetary Relations
Kebotoian and Coalition scientists, at the time of contact between the two civilizations, were of mutual interest to each other due to the difference in communication. Kebotoians were equally as intrigued by spoken language as Coalition scientists were at the fact that a human civilization arose without spoken language, previously thought to have been a universal feature of all human civilizations.
Despite having now been exposed to centuries of spoken language, Kebotoians never developed their own spoken form, relying on communicating in Iquis should the need for spoken language arise. A large number of loan words from Coalition Standard Sign Language (CSSL) has been introduced into KSL.