Thieves' Cant
Thieves' Cant (more often merely The Cant) is often thought of as a language, but it is in fact a complex system of codes, ciphers, and behaviors which combine to afford those practicing in trades outside the confines of the law the ability to secretly communicate on topics relevant to their business. The Cant consists of four primary modes of communication, detailed below.
The Five Hundred Names
The Five Hundred Names are a standard set of adornments and monikers used by rogues to identify one another. the details are complex and sparsely known, but the end result is that those who "wear" one of the five hundred names can easily feign familiarity with one another and establish communication without raising suspicion.
Wearing a Name
Each of the five hundred names has a set of markings or adornments worn or carried or otherwise presented to identify their trade and the name they should be called. There are names suitable for every combination of ancestry, gender, and trade such that fitting names can easily be displayed anywhere in the world without standing out. Among these monikers are a myriad of "dead names" included as traps for anyone trying to gain unwelcome entry into the criminal underground.
Example Names
| Trade | Spring
/ Dawn |
Summer
/ Daylight |
Autumn
/ Dusk |
Winter
/ Moonlight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fence | ||||
| Information Broker | ||||
| Smuggler | ||||
| Assassin | ||||
| Jailbreaker |
Coves
By far the most common form of the Cant occurs as a special variant of the gambling card game Coves, which is played throughout the world. In this mode, someone looking to buy information, leads, etc. would sit down to a table of
Chicken Scratch
Pawley
Pawley (from the Araxian word parlere meaning to speak) is the spoken form of the Cant. It is
