Khardûl (please respond)

[Grimhelm]

If you have been following the recent discussions you will note that there has been a bit of bad feeling regarding the making fun of our new world name.

I think it might go a long way to restoring the name if people would actually give positive feedback. So far, no one has said one positive thing about it, and this has been disappointing in the sense that Vince and I have truly labored at this name for over a month.

If you like it, please let us know. The world is named Khardûl to me, anyway, and I think it is a good name and one worth talking about and getting a feel for in a general sense.

Let us know! Yours, with great appreciation for the appreciation I know you feel for our efforts and Vince's tireless DMing.

Mark

[BobProbst]

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[APewty]

I assume I am also to blame. I remember the first game as folks made fun of Alex's name. I remember before we started the name I picked was called into question, though not made fun of in a ridiculing sense but still looked down at as not worthy. Yet, I wasn't offended so much as scratching my head at why anyone cares what name I picked?

What's in a name? I actually hate my name (Rodney) and I didn't pick it, but it is what it is. An old friend of mine, who's name was Kerry Woodcock and who was known as Splinter Dick probably wanted to shoot a few people, and, I dare say, still does. Perhaps the most heinous and blasphemous of things to say about a name is when folks point out that God is dog spelled backwards. So what?

I do apologize for taking a part in marginalizing something that one or more people hold dear. I had no intent other than to bond with the mysterious Mr. Probst and to show that I got a chuckle. And said chuckle only because it brought to mind an old computer game that I remember playing called AutoDuel, partly because of the name and partly because of the picture. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoduel

But I implore everyone to not be too thin skinned. You know how it is when your child falls and someone laughs. Guess what? People watch tv and movies to see people fall or otherwise hurt themselves. It is humorous to a great many. It hurts us because of our attachment and feelings for the target. I didn't realize your attachment. I had no idea. Had you just blurted out Khardul in a live session without thought, would you be as angry if a couple of people chimed in the same thing as was posted? I'm guessing not.

I'm not trying to say that making fun of the name was correct or even acceptable. I'm saying, have a care and realize no harm was intended, at least on my part, even if harm befell. I don't believe harm was intended against my choice of name Bink or even Alex's choice of name.

I again state I had no idea what amount of time, if any, went in to the name. Nor would I have any idea how long it took. At the risk of angering you Vince, looking back at it now, it seems that during sessions you have made up names on the spot a couple of times. In fact, someone pointed out that you used the same name twice, and you changed the second using of it. Of course, I realize that is part of the job and I have no problem with it. However, when you first posted that lots of thought went into the name, the first thing that came to mind was that you seemed to be making it up as we go, at least in part. Indeed, the world's name is just now chosen. My character is being done the same way, not knowing the world he's supposed to have been living in, I'm not sure what road I wish to take. I could have written a backstory of being fast friends with a tobacco farmer, only to find out later that tobacco is illegal in your world. Naturally, without even thinking, when I saw the name of the world I didn't suppose it took a month to invent.

For this shortsightedness, I apologize.

In actually addressing the topic of this thread, I say again the name is perfectly fine and I will have no problem with it, saying it or using it. It is what it is. The world will be shaped by deeds and stories and will not be defined by a simple word.

I hope not anyway.

[Fyrestryke]

I like the name as well. You guys haven't told us about the creation of the name. I think the story needs to be told.

As for joking about the name, making fun of the name, etc. If you love something as much as Khardûl and if it's so perfect for the world, no amount of jibing (wow, that word spell checked), joking, flip flopping, etc should ever make you "throw the baby out with the bathwater" if you truly love your creation.

I say keep it (it's really awesome - and that was honestly my first thought before the thread exploded) and let's see what Khardûl has in store for us and we for it. If the "creation" story is too much to type, we can discuss it at the next session. Save some for me on the 30th of August.

I just google'd Khardûl and it's a very unique name.

[InzeladunMaster]

Originally Posted by APewty

I remember the first game as folks made fun of Alex's name.

I misheard him and thought he named his character "Haggis." Then when it was repeated to me, I still heard it wrong. I thought my mishearing of it was funny, not his actual name. Probably if I had seen it spelled first, the episode of laughter wouldn't have occurred.

Originally Posted by APewty

I remember before we started the name I picked was called into question, though not made fun of in a ridiculing sense but still looked down at as not worthy. Yet, I wasn't offended so much as scratching my head at why anyone cares what name I picked?

What's in a name? I actually hate my name (Rodney) and I didn't pick it, but it is what it is.

I adore my name. I do put a lot of thought into the important names - partly because I recognize the importance of my own name. Names are vital to setting up atmosphere and mood. A PC's name is important, to my mind. Whenever I find myself in stressful moments, my name always comes to mind and I know I will emerge victorious. My name means "he who conquers." I never forget that.

I tend to presume someone naming their character puts a lot of effort and pride in that name. It determines how others see the character and react to the character. One of the coolest names ever for a dragon comes from a movie called "DragonSlayer" - Vermithrax. God, I wish I had come up with that name. A wonderful mixture of vermin and anthrax. If one was going to name a dragon which was a plague upon mankind, this is the name. Consider Vermithrax the Dragon vs. Smoke-Puff the Dragon. Which kind of atmosphere is conveyed by each?

J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, Frank Herbert, and many other authors - all of them took meticulous care with their names to provoke a particular mood or characteristic.

Originally Posted by APewty

At the risk of angering you Vince, looking back at it now, it seems that during sessions you have made up names on the spot a couple of times.

That is a bit of a game between Mark and I, I have to admit. I know enough about names I can do it reasonably well and fairly quickly - and Mark knows this and will always pressure for a name from me quickly - as a challenge. Although I have my flubs as well - and those are funny. Some are even intended to be funny, especially when I consider the character or place to be comic. However, any names I make up for something important are well thought out. The names of the cities, the names of the authors of the books I gave out - each of those were hand picked to achieve a certain atmosphere.

Normally, a bit of fun at a name doesn't bother me. The anger I felt this time was a bit abnormal for me, and probably arised because no one said anything positive before it was attacked by a non-player... and because a lot of work went between Mark and I as we tried to catch just the right tone and sound.

Names are a serious business with me.

Originally Posted by APewty

For this shortsightedness, I apologize.

No need. As a player, you have a right to be critical.

[InzeladunMaster]

Originally Posted by Fyrestryke

I like the name as well. I say keep it (it's really awesome) and let's see what Khardûl has in store for us and we for it. I just google'd Khardûl and it's a very unique name.

Thanks!

[Grimhelm]

We are all guilty of fun-poking. I used to get called Grim-cap by members of my own party, but looking back, it was the perfect name for a pompous, arrogant knight and would-be king named Grimhelm, who probably needed a little gnome calling him names to bring him down to size.

This is how I take it. Let's not take it too seriously, but, at the same time, let us take it very seriously! And, maybe we can even laugh at ourselves and how seriously we take ourselves at times. It's good for us to have our egos dented from time to time.

As for the name...

Vince and I had been kicking around multiple names for nearly a month. The name Khardûl just popped into my head and I sent it to Vince, who liked it immediately. This is sort of a joke between us too. We do place lots of power in names, and despite Shakespeare's musings, we do place lots of importance on them. We must also realize, however, as Shakespeare knew, that ultimately these names are meaningless!

Vince and I have a long history of laboring over names, and we have always been critical of them. So... anyway. There is no real history to the name. It is just a name that came to me and sort of stuck.

[fred_jaboobi]

Would the characters on this world even have a need for the name of the world? If a character only lived in and heard news of things in Indiana care that the world was called earth? Wouldn't it call the world Indiana?

I don't know. It seems like in time if the world you create becomes truly awesome no one will make fun of the name.

Just reading what you guys have posted for this world has helped me create 4 new character ideas. I didn't need the name of the world to inspire me do that. It was your creativity and ideas that helped with that.

[InzeladunMaster]

Originally Posted by fred_jaboobi

Just reading what you guys have posted for this world has helped me create 4 new character ideas. I didn't need the name of the world to inspire me do that. It was your creativity and ideas that helped with that.

I'd love to hear those ideas!

[Grimhelm]

Fred, to answer your question, characters have no need of a name for the world, though I think having a name for the "known" world is somewhat important. I think for the players it can convey a sense of the game; what to expect, the subtle overtones.

This is also why Vince and I labored so much over the name. We wanted to convey the perfect sounding name to go with our conversations and discussions about what the "known" world will look like, at least in a general sense. It is also very likely that this is just the name given by speakers of our local gaming language. Far to the west the known world might be named Cadbury!