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Old 10-01-2019, 10:20 AM   #1
jason taylor
 
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Default Inanimate Object Names

What are some ideas for names for inanimate objects, for instance in a "heroic" society that attributes personalities to such.
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Old 10-01-2019, 10:23 AM   #2
Anders
 
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Default Re: Inanimate Object Names

You mean, a sword named "Lullaby" and stuff?
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Old 10-01-2019, 12:24 PM   #3
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The bard could name his lute "Lucille". It's a fittingly PC-like origin story, anyway.
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Old 10-01-2019, 12:33 PM   #4
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Default Re: Inanimate Object Names

Redbeak and Bluetongue are two classic sword names from the Long Ships.
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Old 10-01-2019, 05:20 PM   #5
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Default Re: Inanimate Object Names

Grásíða seems to have been a popular weapon name here. I know of both a sword and a spear having that name. There were two different owners of said weapons (as in they owned one each) and they lived in different centuries.

Sturla Sighvatsson (Snorri's nephew) owned the spear, and it was the weapon he used in his final fight. Said spear is mention as being so old and bad that it bent repeatedly and had to be straightened by stepping on it.

There's a Grásíða in Gísla saga Súrssonar and that sword would bring anyone who fought with it victory.
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Old 10-02-2019, 01:44 AM   #6
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Default Re: Inanimate Object Names

I have a flaming knife called Scorchmark in our current campaign.
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Old 10-02-2019, 03:40 AM   #7
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Default Re: Inanimate Object Names

Wikipedia has a long list of mythological objects, many of them named.
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Old 10-02-2019, 03:44 AM   #8
Michele
 
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Default Re: Inanimate Object Names

Quote:
Originally Posted by jason taylor View Post
What are some ideas for names for inanimate objects, for instance in a "heroic" society that attributes personalities to such.
The usual combinations for composite names.

Adjective + normal name of the object. Swiftsword, for a sword that is light and well-balanced, and thus fast to hit.

Adjective or past participle + rarer synonym of the object. Honedblade, for a sword that is particularly sharp.

Present participle + normal name, rare synonym, or rhetorical device of the object. Dancing Sword, Dancing Blade, Dancing Steel, for a sword that seems to move on its own.

Other object's name + verb +er, for what the object does. Soul-stealer, for a sword that, well, kills. Skull-crusher for a very heavy sword.

A whole rhetorical device. Serpent Breath, or Sting. These are not mine, of course (Cornwell, Tolkien).
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Old 10-02-2019, 03:59 AM   #9
Anders
 
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Default Re: Inanimate Object Names

Agent nouns are fairly common too. Draupner, Mjolnir, Gungnir...
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Old 10-02-2019, 04:58 AM   #10
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Default Re: Inanimate Object Names

In our Celtic game many significant places, weapons, even people have 'public' and 'real' names, sometimes with a 'familiar' name between.

It reflects the degree of familiarity the speaker has, as well as a level of trust for an acquaintance.

It,s been fun.
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