| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Christopher_Rowe
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
879 Posts |
 Posted - 27 Sep 2008 : 18:52:42
|
Anybody got a source for Arkaiun names? Those poor folks have had such a wacky history that it's kind of hard to pin it down.
Because most of the lore about them so far has been from during the time that they were enslaved by the Crinti, published NPCs seem rare to the point of non-existent (Dambrathan NPCs were almost always Crinti).
The only names a quick search turn up are Arkaius, the ancient wizard king who gave his name to the people when they were still almost purestock Nar, and Reinhar, the traditional name of their kings once they finally settled in Dambrath.
Looking at languages doesn't help me much, frankly because my knowledge of Faerūnian philology is pretty much nil.
2E sources say the Akaiuns spoke "Akalan," and identify that as "the original tongue of the Akaiuns," which would make it a dialect of Nar, probably.
3E sources give the language as "Dambrathan," which is "a combination of Old Illusk and ancient Nar, neither of which are spoken today." I got no problem saying that Dambrathan is just another name for Akalan.
4E sources say that they speak a dialect of Damaran, the language used in the northeast (places the Moonsea, Narfell, Rashemen, etc). And again, this all matches up.
It's interesting that both the language and the alphabet used by the Dambrathans is different than that of their neighbors (who mostly Untheric tongues).
So, where would you look in the lore for inspiration for naming Dambrathan characters? Up around the Moonsea and the Unapproachable East?
Outside the lore--avert your eyes if "real world analogues" make you itch--Reinhar is Old German and Arkaius, while apparently a neologism, is clearly inspired by Slavic names. Which makes for an interesting frisson given the Reformation-era pampas feel of current Dambrathan socio-geography.
|
My Realms novel, Sandstorm, is now available for ordering. |
|
|
Gray Richardson
Master of Realmslore
USA
1291 Posts |
Posted - 28 Sep 2008 : 17:31:12
|
I keep a list of sample names whenever I run across them. Here are some sample Damaran names and then some Dambrathan names. I think I got these from Races of Faerun:
Damaran male names: Bor, Fodel, Glar, Grigor, Igan, Ivor, Kosef, Mival, Orel, Pavel, Sergor.
Damaran female names: Alethra, Kara, Katernin, Mara, Natali, Olma, Tana, Zora.
Damaran surnames: Bersk, Chernin, Dotsk, Kulenov, Marsk, Nemetsk, Shemov, Starag.
Dambrathan male names: Aethelmed, Houn, Rhivaun, Umbril, Waervyn, Xaemar, Zeltaebar.
Dambrathan female names: Chourm, Glouris, Maeve, Hayaera, Sevaera, Xaemarra, Zraela.
Dambrathan surnames: Calaumystar, Lharaendo, Mristar, Talaudrym, Wyndael.
|
 |
|
|
Christopher_Rowe
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
879 Posts |
Posted - 28 Sep 2008 : 17:59:10
|
| Wow, that's awesome! Thanks Gray! |
My Realms novel, Sandstorm, is now available for ordering. |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
Arkaiun names
