How do you name things?

sgtcallistan · 11-21-2020, 07:02 AM

Tend to use the assumption that in the PC's own culture, things are described with their own (or older forms of) language so; Newport, King's Road, Stoneybridge, Farleigh, Brynach's Wood.
Sometimes a legendary / mythical / historical event will intrude: Four Fox Landing, Wolf Island, Deadhorse bridge, Aillel's Ford.

When they travel, we tend to use the foreign language versions of the same names.
It's been fun to discover that others know us as some variant of 'many-coloured madmen of the North'.

Oh, that's places: things, things...
Depends on the source; a magical sword might be called 'swiftness of a thousand blades of grass', a spear 'light of the moon piercing shadows'.
More mundane things have names like 'that cloak from Bronze Hill', or 'my reindeer-herder's-gift belt'.

Works quite well in reminding players that this is a non-literate society.

11-21-2020, 07:02 AM	#7
sgtcallistan Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Chatham, Kent, England	Re: How do you name things? Tend to use the assumption that in the PC's own culture, things are described with their own (or older forms of) language so; Newport, King's Road, Stoneybridge, Farleigh, Brynach's Wood. Sometimes a legendary / mythical / historical event will intrude: Four Fox Landing, Wolf Island, Deadhorse bridge, Aillel's Ford. When they travel, we tend to use the foreign language versions of the same names. It's been fun to discover that others know us as some variant of 'many-coloured madmen of the North'. Oh, that's places: things, things... Depends on the source; a magical sword might be called 'swiftness of a thousand blades of grass', a spear 'light of the moon piercing shadows'. More mundane things have names like 'that cloak from Bronze Hill', or 'my reindeer-herder's-gift belt'. Works quite well in reminding players that this is a non-literate society. Last edited by sgtcallistan; 11-21-2020 at 07:13 AM. Reason: Correction