Names¶
How the peoples of Terrun name themselves, as a matter of custom: how many names a person carries, where they come from, and when they change. Pronunciations and the index of names are in the Reference section.
Elves¶
"Elves have four important name parts" (S023):
| Part | Given | Use |
|---|---|---|
| First name | By the parents at birth | "Used frequently by those that are familiar and friendly." |
| Given name | "After adolescence, after their rite of passage. Age 35-70" | How the elf is known in the community: "a 'functional' name with a connection to their purpose, duty or spiritual gifts." |
| Family name | Inherited | "Matrilineal name: Inherited from the mother's family name", usually from a family sigil, profession or place. |
| Dynastic name | Taken on pledging to a house | Assumed "after allegiance has been pledged and received by a major or minor house", which cannot happen before coming of age. Marriage across houses can force a change. |
"This means that children are born with only two names: First Name and Family Name." The source's example is Etharil Othadar Daereven Vael'Dorais, whose given name Othadar "means Dream Bound". To outsiders he is Othadar; to his community, friends and family, Etharil Othadar; to stress his political weight, "Othadar of Vael'Dorais"; and in formal settings the whole name. See Elves and Vael'Dorais.
The Eldritch¶
The Eldritch carry their station in the first part of the surname, joined to the rest by an apostrophe: Nar for a member of the ArchConclave, Vaj for a battle-mage or renowned mage, Xal for a commander or governor, Nae for a knight or soldier, Ral for a builder or worker (S147). So Phaendar Nar'Vizerai, one of the Three Grand Sages of the ArchConclave, and Olauduin Ral'Zylven, "an Eldritch Creator". The prefixes are listed in full on Languages.
The Sancturi Imperium and the kingdoms¶
Personal names¶
A naming list of the Sancturi campaign (S157) sorts the people of the Broken Sea into five naming traditions:
| Tradition | Shape | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Imperial | A given name and a family name | Kuga Kornel, Maitu Cernat; Kuni Tudar, Onoko Stoica |
| Oesterkull | A single name, with "no last" name; a profession or place stands in for one | Sigewulf, Hunsten; Gunndis, Atla |
| Curcian, of the kingdoms | Given name and family name | Darius Sabarte, Petru Belarce; Roxana Burgana |
| Danari, of the kingdoms | Given name and family name | Tomaz Sagillius; Delfina Comanus |
| Naher, of the kingdoms | Given name and family name | Erik Argall; Ester Trewin |
Imperial is the naming of the Sancturi Imperium itself; the other human traditions are those of the Curci, Danari and Naher peoples, kingdom by kingdom.
Houses and offices¶
Every citizen belongs to a house and wears its sigil tattooed on the wrist (S323); the houses are on Great Houses. Places are named for people too: a prefecture "named after the appointees", so that "Falko Horst of House Arvumas is the Prefect over the Horst Prefecture", and a second prefect of the same surname makes a "First Horst Prefecture and Second Horst Prefecture" (S323).
The clergy are named by rank, position, branch and place: "\<Rank> \<Pos> of \<Branch> in/of/at \<Order/Location>", with the branch "almost always left out unless in very formal circumstances" (S321). The examples are "Ring Acolyte Bladewarden of the Bannerguard in the Splithorn Order", "Elder Juror of the Magisters at Racholm Temple in the Ungorim Prefecture" and "Brother Jacob of the Penitus at Alcaster Abbey". Heads of orders and regional and local leaders usually go by rank alone: "Bannerguard Principate of the Splithorn Order". Every member of the Divine Grace is "addressed as 'Your Grace'". See Sancturi Clergy.
Aeseans and Naher¶
The Compendium and the Naher outline describe Aesean and Naher names only by comparison with real-world naming, and give no examples (S372, S524). The noble titles of both peoples, from hertug and ealdorman to eorl and aetheling, are on Social Order.
Secret names¶
The Assassins of Ghoresh rename their own. "Upon induction as a full member of the brotherhood ... a member receives a name by which they will be known and referred to throughout the organization. The use of any other name within the brotherhood is forbidden" (S545). A member may ask another to make their mark, a magical sign that carries the name, to prove who they are, and the mark is left on stolen goods and at dead-drops. Members otherwise call one another by their branch: "Masks, Knives, Brother/Sister of the Spider or Coins".
Gap
No source records dwarven, orcish, Silek, Draconian or Proturan naming customs, or how a Sancturi slave or freeman is named.