Names

[Jumbley]

*Don't read if you're one of my players! You have been warned...*



Very simply, I need a name for a Deathless, but I've scoured the books and can't find mention of any Orgoth names whatsoever!

Anyone know of any? Or should I just think up something suitably sinister?

[Askew37]

To me, the Orgoth have always given off a distinct medieval Scandinavian and Germanic feel. Of course this feel is if both cultures had evil black magic twins, but you get the picture.

[Whimper]

I gave my Orgoth names of ancient Roman generals and conquerers. Check out this list for ideas:

http://www.novaroma.org/nr/Choosing_a_Roman_name

[Jumbley]

That's an exceptionally good idea; thanks Whimper.

Also, totally unexpected Nova Roma pride!

[Killj0y]

When the orgoth left Immorren they purged nearly every trace of their presence from the land, burning buildings, razing towns, salting the earth and so on. Which explains why there isn't much in the way of written records.

I'm also pretty sure they weren't very prolific beauracrats tending more towards the pilliage and burn end of the government spectrum.

There was also the matter of forbidding their slaves literacy (i'm pretty sure).

So aside from the mouldy ole tower or crumbling monolith there isn't much left.

As to your question:

Are you looking for something to strike fear into their hearts or simply to make them remember? Is this going to be a recurring villian, end boss or simple room encounter.

I mean no point in giving him a name if he's going to be roadkill 5 rounds after they kick down the door.

[Askew37]

I gave my Orgoth names of ancient Roman generals and conquerers. Check out this list for ideas:

http://www.novaroma.org/nr/Choosing_a_Roman_name

Never thought of that, but it makes a lot of sense. I may also have to steal this idea.

Thanks!

[Jumbley]

This guy is gonna be the big bad villain (without wasting space explaining my entire campaign premise) so he needs a suitably memorable and nasty name. I'm going with a suitable placeholder for now, but if someone suggests a better one I'm jumping on it!

[Killj0y]

I've always seen the orgoth as a kind of 300 style persian army with a lot of big armies led by overly pierced/tattooed guys and backed by monsters and witches.

The armies that blot out the sun and shake the earth think kind of appeals to me.

The question is, do you need names that sound good in Orgoth or that sound good when translated.

Chances are that the party doesn't read orgoth, or doesn't speak it. And since it's been about 400 years since a native speaker walked the land the pronunciation is going to be abysmal.

If it's spoken then just make up something memorable in phoenetic structure, I suggest Egyptian, arabic or turkish. Something with a lot of short vowel heavy words.

If you're looking for something translated I suggest an appropriate deed-name. Something that describes an obscure but relatively stomach turning element of his personal history. Example: Vlad the Impaler got his title for the habit of impaling people he didn't like (everyone) on spikes. Amun-Re Slaughterer of the Unborn sounds sufficently powerful.

If you need power I recomend hard consants. K's, X's, C's.
Xerxes (zerK-sees)
Khan
Kossak

It's almost an assault on the eardrums and speaks to the power of the individual.

Never underestimate the power of a silent letter. Adding one rather threatening but silent letter to a name can put someone on the defensive as they struggle to pronounce the unpronouncable. The same effect can often be achieved by dropping a needed vowel and replacing it with an apostrophe. Rh'ylea C'thulu

Radchak the Bloody Handed
Grimhotep Twiceborn
An-danan Deathless

Or perhaps a trick from history. Logo Mortus. The death of a name. Reserved as punishment for those who commit horrible crimes in order to become famous. The accused's name is striken from every written record and speaking or writing it is punishable by death.

Imagine a being who did something so horrible that the Orgoth refuse to speak his name...

[Jumbley]

I love the idea for a deed-name (I'd even use Slaughterer of the Unborn... but, I'd get nothing but abortion jokes from my players if I did! =P ) , but that dead name concept could work very, very well. No name but simply a title, perhaps named for the deed that had his name taken away to combine the two?

[Killj0y]

Kind of defeats the purpose. The idea being that you are erased from history entirely only a rumor and a bad smell to mark your passing.

If you're into obscure magical styles it kind of prevents people from nailing down your true name or having any true power over you but at the same time sort of disconnects you from reality in not being an actual person.

[Whimper]

Well, I'm not as convinced as Killj0ythat the Orgoth's scourge of their records was complete and spotless. There are Orgoth scholars in the IK, there are feats for such scholarship, and there are known examples of Orgoth writing to be found. Also, it's important to remember that the proto-IK were not utter slaves to the Orgoth, but an occupied people. Literacy was not abolished.


Here are some neat names of historical warlords that might suit a Deathless villain:

Artaxias
Vercingetorix
Azarathes
Nicephorus


Another option would be to go with Viking names, seeing as the Orgoth were awfully Viking like in their longboats.

http://www.angelfire.com/wy/svenskil.../viknams3.html

[Bikko]

The Witch Coven of Garlghast from WM are Orgoth witches. The three are named Helleana, Morgaen, and Selene so I'm gonna go with Askew and say Germanic/Scandinavian names sound like they'd fit best.

[Jumbley]

I think Whimper's historical warlord names are exactly what I'm looking for. I'm less concerned about naming conventions as I am about a malicious villain image!

I never knew the Witch Coven were Orgoth... I should read their Warmachine entry. I've done enough homework on the occupation as it is for this adventure path, whats a little more?

Many thanks to everyone, I never expected such a big response!

[SkaliSharpnose]

I think for a big bad, you'll also have enough time spent on the character to have both a real given name (I agree with the pseudo viking feel, lots of hard consonants) and titles and monikers. An Orgoth warlord might style hims Vaandrak the Merciless, Undefeated Tyrant, Headsman of the Thousand Cities. His subordinates might refer to him (privately) as Vaandrak Stoneheart, The Red Executioner, or Blooddrinker. Remember the parallel of Lord Gyyrrshyld being called Goreshade over time by his peers and subordinates. Then you get to the local names he might have. If it's a deathless, this is likely a folkloric resource, stories of how six centuries ago the area was ruled by a dark, terrible sorceror-lord called Breathstealer, The Ravager, or Worldscourge. Folk tales would have evolved over time and been embellished, so imagine how bad an exaggerated version of a bloodthirsty Orgoth would have to be!

[Munindk]

The Witch Coven of Garlghast from WM are Orgoth witches. The three are named Helleana, Morgaen, and Selene so I'm gonna go with Askew and say Germanic/Scandinavian names sound like they'd fit best.

The Germanic/Scandinavian names also fit snugly with the description of their longboats and the horned helmets I've seen in at least one illustration.

[Askew37]

The Germanic/Scandinavian names also fit snugly with the description of their longboats and the horned helmets I've seen in at least one illustration.

That combined with their tall stature and facial features that I believe resemble my friends of strong Swedish decent further put this idea forth in my head. Since it's only been partially established, I feel there is more than enough room for creative interpretation.

[Munindk]

I've always imagined the Orgoth to have dark hair, which makes them more danish/german than swedish, but then again, I'm danish so I'm a bit biased

[Slagathor]

Actually it doesn't say that the Coven are Orgoth, only that they spoke an Orgoth dialect when first encountered. They might possibly have some Orgoth ancestry, but considering pretty much all of the Orgoth left about 600 years ago that likely wouldn't mean much. I find it more likely they learned the Orgoth language from the Egregore, which may or may not be an Orgoth artifact.

[Killj0y]

BTW: My notes on the scourge are simply the reason that you won't see much about them in print. The IKCG and a lot of the source material are written from a very IC perspective mostly cygnaran if I can put that out there and tend to ignore a lot of the "secret" information that is out there.

the OP was saying he'd scoured the books and couldn't find any names written down, I was just giving a plausible reason why the PP guys wouldn't have written any down in the books they've given us so far.

[KrielMaster]

the døömladên neo-viking name consensus with a dash of Roman gets my vote, and a Deathless is next on the menu for my PCs as well.
I also support the Egregor {google THAT btw} as Orgoth Artifact hypothesis, it having been the Coven's nanny makes it a logical step as to why they speak a version of Orgoth {I like to think of it as the version taught to kids, modified with the bad syntax of triplets using a 'special secret' language, who use a lot of text-messaging shortcuts in their speech. A sort of LOL-speak Kawaii Cyrxi-Orgoth, if you will. Something that would actively lower the IQ of a native speaker...}

[Whimper]

As for specific Orgoth names in the Canon of the IK, there are exactly three examples I can think of. All three names are found in the first volume of the Witchfire Trilogy, The Longest Night:


1. Orgoth coins, dating back to the occupation era, bearing the likeness of "His Most Dreadful Aspect, Emperor Kale XXXIV of the Orgoth Empire".

2. An Orgoth dagger bears an inscription in copper inlay: "For my son Ryark. May your blade always strike true. -General Orvus XIII"

[guruhoro]

The Germanic/Scandinavian names also fit snugly with the description of their longboats and the horned helmets I've seen in at least one illustration.

But the Vikings never wore horned helmets to war...

[Munindk]

I know, but its a stereotype, to most of the world the Vikings are axe wielding barbarians with horned helmets and long beards

I seem to recall that some germanic tribes did, but maybe I'm getting it mixed up with gallic tribes?