Historical and mythological inspirations

[tjhairball]

Looking at the historical and mythological inspirations, it's very obvious that we have a Baba Yaga and a Dracula, the Kossites seem to be very loosely based [mostly just named for] Cossacks, the spriggan is [very oddly] named after a British mythological creature of mischief, and the faction has as a whole a very Russian flavor.

Am I missing anything?

[Matthaeus]

Nowadays "juggernaut" and "behemoth" are part of the language, but both names have mythological origins as well (respectively an Hindu deity and a biblical land-dwelling creature of monstrous size). Ubiquitous in fantasy settings, "berserkers" are also shrouded in legend (crazed Norse warriors of old).

That's all I can think of for Khador. And yeah, I was suprised to find out about the Spriggan !

I seem to recall a kovnik named Stalin, but I think it has more to see with it meaning "iron man".

That's off the top of my head and I'll gladly take corrections.

[Natetehaggresar]

Kovnik Markov looks like Stalin. http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&s...55&tx=46&ty=76

http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&s...,r:1,s:0,i:145

Greylords operate a secret police force like the Russian NKVD. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NKVD

Assault commandos are like world war 1 storm troopers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stormtrooper

[scout's honor]

Uhlans were light cav, Polish if I remember correctly. 18th-19th century or so.

I choose to believe Orsus (Zoktavir) is liked to the Latin "ursus", or bear. I'll take all the bears I can get in Khador. Kodiaks are a species of bear as well.

No idea which Ivan, if any Ivan in particular, Black Ivan is named for but Drago most likely stems from Ivan Drago, Rocky's Russian opponent from Rocky IV.

A Man-o-War is a heavy battleship (or a jellyfish, likely not relevant in this case).

Fenris a monster in the shape of a wolf, from Norse mythology.

[Dennis]

I think Kovnik is Colonel in Russian.
Funnily enough the decimator is badly named. Originally in english, decimate means take 1 in 10... Perhaps explains the low RAT?

[Marth]

You should search for the thread "I just got the pun" on this board. Has lots of interesting intel in there.

Just don't post in it. It has been quiet for ages.

[tjhairball]

Drago most likely stems from Ivan Drago, Rocky's Russian opponent from Rocky IV.

I would doubt that. If it is, it's a very silly coincidence.

Vlad Tepes (lit. "Vlad the Impaler") aka Vladimir III, Prince of Wallachia, was known as Dragwlya during his life (signed his name as that, even) because he chose to use that name as a patronymic honoring his father, who was himself known as Drakul, literally "The Dragon," i.e., Dracula = "Son of the Dragon."

"Drago" is a clear derivative of either "dragon" in English... or more directly, the Latin draco for dragon, i.e., as in the relatively rare surname Drago. In either case it means "dragon."

The relationship between a character called Prince Vladimir Tzepesci ("Vlad of the house [line] of the impaler") and an ancestral warjack named "Drago" (dragon) is much more likely the simple and direct one - it's all about the baggage associated with Prince Vladimir III "Tepes" Dragulea, of the house of Draculesti, born in Transylvania and later a very famous figure - villified in German and Hungarian sources, lionized in Romanian and Slavic sources, and eventually the inspiration for Bram Stoker's character.

The images used for Vlad Tzepesci in this game have added a goatee to his actual historical look, though - the actual Vlad Tepes only wore a mustache, as was traditional in that place and time, though a rather large one.