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Old 08-08-2019, 09:00 AM   #11
Fred Brackin
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Default Re: How do you name your dragons?

My last dragon was nocturnal, had enormous ears and an ultrasonic "breath" weapon.

So he was named BatDragon!.

Na na na na na na BatDragon!
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Old 08-08-2019, 10:04 AM   #12
ericthered
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Default Re: How do you name your dragons?

For some reason my dragons always get named by my PC's. My two most "developed" dragons in my games were:

"Dravo", named by some banestormed Romans. I don't remember why the PC's got to name him, but that game had a lot of NPC names flying around, and something so similar to Draco was a useful mnemonic.

"Prince Charming" was a nickname given by a PC who was "Rescued" by him. His true name eventually came up (magically significant, which is why he hid it at first), but he embraced "Charming" as a title. For the true name I tried to come up with something that sounded exotic -- I don't think I made an effort to make it sound any more dragon-like than any other wizard. The name was "Melporzan". I like the letter's 'Z' and 'R' for making names sound "Arcane"
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Old 08-08-2019, 10:35 AM   #13
Michael Cule
 
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Default Re: How do you name your dragons?

Well, you see Dragon names are in Draconic.

And humans don't have the throats to pronounce Draconic. They also like their full names to be long, poetic and reflect their true nature. Think of the names of Ships in the Culture: like that but paragraphs long!

So all my dragons have use names that mean something appropriate but in the local language Scarlet, the great red dragon who has been in and out of the adventures set on Yrth and nearby timelines since I first got GURPS for instance or Tharna, whose name means Smoke in Elvish. The Blue Dragon of Ware is always referred to by her title or as 'that frigid bitch' by those who don't like her.
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Old 08-08-2019, 11:11 AM   #14
Black Leviathan
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Default Re: How do you name your dragons?

I don't use Japanese names but I use Japanese word structure with Consent ant-vowel, consonant-vowel, consonant vowel.

Names like;
Raesaphon
Hashermae
Laretee

Makes names seem more primal.
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Old 08-08-2019, 02:42 PM   #15
Michael Thayne
 
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Default Re: How do you name your dragons?

Draft Ruby script for generating random dragon names:
Code:
def dragon_name
  consonants = ['f', 'fr', 'g', 'gr', 'k', 'kr', 's', 'sh', 'th', 'thr', 'x', 'z']
  end_consonants = ['f', 'g', 'k', 's', 'sh', 'th', 'x', 'z']
  vowels = ['a', 'ai', 'e', 'ee', 'i', 'o', 'u', 'y']
  name = ''
  3.times do
    name += consonants.sample
    name += vowels.sample
  end
  name += end_consonants.sample if rand(2) == 0
  name.capitalize
end
Example output: Grograixuth, Shifraise, Graikrugra, Frifukai, Kyfaifu, Seegrekeez
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Old 08-09-2019, 07:45 AM   #16
Phantasm
 
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Default Re: How do you name your dragons?

I don't limit my dragons to "hard" consonant sounds, but the sounds I avoid are "explosive lip" sounds ("B" and "P", basically). Humming sounds ("M") are also rarely used, but may show up from time to time, likely from loan words.

The only dragon I've ever actually named had a name taken from Hinduism: "Hiranyagharba", though now that I attempt to say it from the back of my throat I end up with "Hiranyagharda", so I may change it in the setting document.

The dragons in my setting don't really have their own language - if they do, they don't keep written records of it - preferring to converse in local tongues. The kobolds and lizardfolk in the setting, however, speak a common language (or a bunch of related dialects/languages) I call "Draconic", which the dragons find a lot easier to speak than the other languages because of similar throat biology.
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Last edited by Phantasm; 08-28-2020 at 02:08 AM.
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Old 08-09-2019, 08:36 PM   #17
RyanW
 
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Default Re: How do you name your dragons?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Phantasm View Post
The only dragon I've ever actually had a name taken from Hinduism: "Hiranyagharba", though now that I attempt to say it from the back of my throat I end up with "Hiranyagharda", so I may change it in the setting document.
I played a dragon named Ed, once. Technically it was Áed (Old Irish for 'Fire'), but everyone called him Ed.

He was mentioned in #486 of "Another 2000 Things I Am No Longer Allowed To Do In An RPG":
I should always warn the driver of what is about to happen before stripping naked, climbing out the window and onto the roof of the vehicle, and turning into a dragon.
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Old 08-09-2019, 11:35 PM   #18
ak_aramis
 
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Location: Alsea, OR
Default Re: How do you name your dragons?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Thayne View Post
Simple question. I'm trying to come up with a system of naming dragons for my fantasy game that (1) makes it look like the names all came from the same language (2) feels vaguely stereotypically "draconic" (something which sorry, I can't articulate) and (3) isn't Latin. I like Welsh or vaguely Welsh-looking names for elves, but am struggling to come up with something similar for dragons.
Long names (4, 5, or 6 syllables), lots of sibiliants, voiced and unvoiced (s, z, ž, š, šč, and the labiopalatal sibillants.), and two-consonant clusters in around 1/3 to 2/3 of syllables. Few plosives (t, p, d, b).

the labiopalatal sybilants, to make them, instead of the tongue at the teeth for s and z, the tip of the tongue is moved back a bit to the dome of the palate.

My dragon naming is strongly influenced by Dragonlance, tho'.
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Old 08-28-2019, 06:10 AM   #19
sgtcallistan
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Chatham, Kent, England
Default Re: How do you name your dragons?

Dragon names in our fantasy game usually derive from an 'old word' source such as 'Orh' suggesting both the source and product 'ore, oil/ale'.

This lead to a stream of oddly coloured and tasting water that revealed a source of metal and the natural spirit of the place.

A dragon, who had her own ideas about ownership and use of herplace.

This led a 'the king and the land are one' ceremony that bound a PC to adragon in exchange for access to the quality iron.

It's been fun.
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