FAQ

Names

Each of the main cultures of the Fane has a standard naming convention attached to it. I've always found that it helps to associate campaign cultures with real-world naming schemes because it gives coherence and character to the fantasy setting.

The naming conventions are given here to help players choose a name for their PC that will fit into the setting. They are an aid, not a restriction to any character. A PC can be called anything that the player can reasonably explain, although any blatantly silly, insulting or crude names will be vetoed.

Dwarves of the Fane attach a lot of importance to names. A dwarf's ancestry is a matter of great pride and has a serious impact on his social position. It is therefore standard practice for a dwarf to use his full name, particularly when greeting someone for the first time.

Dwarven first names are Germanic in origin. It is quite common for a dwarven child to be given the name of a famous ancestor, so certain first names are very common. Such names include Arnulf, Bartram, Dedrick, Elmer, Gervase, Godfrey, Hagan, Hildebrand, Kenelm, Manfred, Osborne, Oswald, Reynold, Roland, Selwyn, Talbot, Waldemar, Warner and Wolfram for men, and Adela, Brunhilda, Erma, Gilda, Giselle, Helma, Hildegarde, Irma, Matilda, and Rowena for women.

Dwarves may also be given nicknames such as Bloodaxe, The Tall, The Rash, Bullroarer or Death-helm. The nicknames with the greatest value are those that have been earned through notable deeds.

Finally, all Dwarves have a Clan name. All dwarves of Leithian trace their ancestry back to the ten Dwarves who first arrived on the surface of the world. The ten Clans are named after these ancestral lords. The Skallgrim clan were wiped out in a civil war many centuries ago, and any Dwarf who claims that he is a Skallgrim is admitting that he is outcast from his original clan. The nine clans that survive are Angantyr, Ingling, Skjoldung, Magnus, Skane, Lombard, Hakon, Bornhelm and Anlaf. Most dwarves of the Fane region are of the Skane clan.

The Elanii like giving their children grand names with a lot of providence. The names of heroes, both real and fictional are common. The Elanii use Greek or Roman first names. The noble houses also use family names, which are usually derived from major and important ancestors. Lesser Elanii will usually distinguish themselves by naming their parents i.e.Cadmus, son of Lysander , or their lord, i.e. Lyris, faithful servant of Artemas.

Sample names for men include Aeneas, Artemas, Cadmus, Damon, Demetrius, Hector, Herakles, Isidore, Julius, Leander, Leonidas, Lycurgus, Lysander, Nestor, Nicodemus, Theron, Timon, and Ulysses. Female names include Acantha, Adonia, Alcina, Alethea, Ara, Atalante, Calantha, Calypso, Cassandra, Cytherea, Hera, Lydia, Persephone and Zenobia.

The Ythaldin also use Greek names, although they are more likely to use shortened or more familiar names as well. On the rare occasions when a Ythaldin wishes to distinguish his ancestry, he uses his mother's or grandmother's name.

Gnomes take names very seriously, since they believe that names hold a great power over those that bear them. A gnome child bears a "play name" until they are 30. At this point they receive their true name, and it is the most important ceremony that a gnome ever participates in.

Gnome names are Finnish or Norse in character. Examples of male first names include Arvid, Bendik, Berse, Cnuth, Dain, Egil, Freyvid, Gaetir, Hakan, Ingimar, Kylan, Lifsten, Olyn, Raynor, Saemund, Thorald, Thorn, Ulfar, Valgard and Wyborn.

Female Gnomish names include Astrid, Bifrost, Catla, Dyna, Eldrid, Gala, Gudrun, Haldana, Ingeleth, Kriemhilda, Madrene, Quenild, Quenyeve, Raven, Rhona, Sangrida, Thorhalla, and Uppsala.

Gnomes can also earn or invent nicknames for themselves, but they will only accept them if they believe them to be earned.

Halflings are a prosaic people, and they like solid, useful names. Their first names are Anglo Saxon (see the listing below for humans), and if they then have to distinguish themselves any further they apply either their father's name, their profession, or their home town as a surname.

The Humans of the Fane also use Anglo Saxon names. Some of the noble families have started to use surnames derived from a notable ancestor, and successful guildsmen sometimes use their trade as a distinguishing name. However, most humans of the Fane rely on the name given to them by their mother at birth, and nothing more.

Sample male names include Aeledred, Aelfwine, Aethelburt, Ardolf, Aykon, Bancroft, Beadwolf, Caewin, Calder, Caedwalla, Dalston, Durwyn, Eadfrith, Erwin, Faran, Freyne, Galan, Grendel, Hadwin, Langworth, Octha, Raedwald, Selwyn, Sihtric, Thrydwulf, Walcott and Wulfgar.

Female human names include Awdra, Bodiccea, Coenburg, Deira, Eadgifu, Godiva, Hildred, Krysteye, Lisbeth, Maydena, Moira, Odelyn, Radella, Sexburg, Udele, Vivian, Wynflaed, and Zabrina.

The Orcs also use Anglo Saxon names, with a few British first names as well. Most orcs will also proudly announce the Warrior House of their birth when meeting someone for the first time. Most orcs of the Fane region belong to the Blood Dawn House - the House (re)-established by the legendary orc hero Guthrum following his rejection of his Elanii masters.

Half-elves and Half-orcs use whichever naming convention is most suitable for their early upbringing. It's also quite common for freed Half-elves to reject their original (probably Elanii) name and take a human name instead.

(NB; for an excellent resource for names, which can be searched by category, check out the http://www.kabalarians.com/gkh/yourbaby.htm Okay, it's a baby name site, but it's got enough names to keep most role-players going for years.)Okay, it's a baby name site, but it's got enough names to keep most role-players going for years.)