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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Water Bob" data-source="post: 5517389" data-attributes="member: 92305">NAMING CIMMERIANS The Blind Bards tell of a time, in ages past, when Crom and other gods walked the earth.  There were seven demi-gods back then, all brothers, called Titans.  There names were: Foilloch (Foil-lock)Huogh (Hugh)Thrallan (Thrall-an)Caelis (Kay-lis)Daollcohr (Dale-core)Silaigne (Sill-ay-knee)Padranag (Pa-dran-age) Crom had given the Cimmerian people the secret of steel--something that, before then, was only known by the gods. At that time, there were gods greater than Crom, and one of them, the god called Dagda, was greatest of all.  Dagda sent the seven Titans to punish Crom for divulging the secret of steel to the mortals, and Crom faced all seven at once.  A huge battle ensued that left the earth scared.  But, when the combat ceased, only Crom remained standing.  Crom had killed all seven of the Titans, and from the side of the mountain, he drew forth seven headstones, setting them in the ground in a circle, burying the seven Titans in a radial grave, like the symbol for the sun or spokes of a wheel when viewed from above.  Crom then returned to face Dagda, defeated him as well, and Crom became the greatest of all gods, as he remains to this day. The battle described in the legend took place on the very ground where your village now stands.  At the outskirts of town is a circle of ancient, rune-covered, stones that jut 30 and 40 feet up into the sky.  Think of the sight as being similar to Stonehenge in England, except these large stones do not have cross-pieces.  They are seven monolithic stones that taper to a narrow point near the top resembling black teeth erupting from the ground. These seven stones are where your village gets its name:  Seven Stones Ridge.  In the Cimmerian tongue, the Seven Standing Stones are known as the prachaun grul (Praw-con-grool). And, it is said that the blood of the Titans that has seeped into the soil makes the warriors of your clan larger and stronger than even most other Cimmerians. The prachaun grul is a protected clan resource, but Cimmerians from other clans will sometimes journey thousands of leagues to see the site where Crom defeated the Titans.  Your clan elders allow pilgrims from other parts of Cimmeria to approach the stones under a watchful eye. Cimmerians respect honest effort, even in defeat.  If a person gives it his all, he is respected whether he wins or loses.  Cimmerians can respect defeated enemies if the enemy fights with honor and never gives up.  Thus it is with the Titans who faced Crom.  It is said that each of the seven fought bravely against Crom.  Crom showed his respect at their effort by burying them with the seven headstones so that all would remember them (otherwise, Crom would have left their bodies to rot on the battlefield where they fell, soon to be forgotten in time). Because of this sentiment in Cimmerian culture, it is an honor to take a name from the Seven Titans.  Most of the time, only family names are taken from the Titan names.  Your family name is Duncohr (Dun-core), which is taken from the Titan Daollcohr.  But, family names are almost never used by Cimmerians.  Note how Conan only ever used his given name--never his family name or his clan name (this also had to do with the fact that Conan is sometimes considered an outcast, not associated with the clan or family). Every once in a while, a Cimmerian's given name will be taken from the Seven Titans.  This is very unconventional, but it is done from time to time--usually only with a reason.  It is an honor to be given such a name. Caelis is the son of the village Elder, Finn Duncohr.  Thrallan is Finn's adopted son.  Both are part of the first generation to be born of the Blue Fox Clan (Finn used to be a member of the Grath clan--that's another story.  Your clan is new--just now a generation old.), and to honor that fact, Finn named his sons after the Titans. Branoc, Caelis' living twin, was not named for a Titan as your mother, Lyme, named him for her father, Branard, as she was giving birth.  Then, as the birthing turned dangerous, and Caelis fought his way out of the womb past the dead triplet Padran, it was Finn who named the other children (Caelis, Padran, and Thrallan). What this does is set the PCs off as a bit special.  You're not only the chieftain's sons, and you're not only part of the first native generation of Blue Fox clansmen, but you've also got given names taken from the Titans.   Your family name, Duncohr, is taken from the Titan Daollcohr. Your dead brother, Padran, takes his name from the Titan Padranag. One character was found at the foot of the Thrallan headstone as a babe, so Finn named him for that Titan. Finn then named his unnamed son, Caelis (and the dead triplet), for the Titans with Standing Stones on either side of Thrallan.   Remember that the number 3 is a sacred number among the Cimmerians.  Rutcrana, the old, blind hag of an oracle in the village, was heard to have said that Thrallan stands with life on one side and death on the other.  Was she referring to the position of the Titan Standing Stones, or the Thrallan character, with the dead triplet and the Caelis living character, or both?  Does Caelis represent life?  With the way he is thought of fighting his way out of his mother's womb?  Does the dead triplet, Padran, represent death and weakness because he was not born? Food for thought.   From time to time, Cimmerians pick up names that further describe them and their experiences.  These are usually not self-picked names, but names that have been placed upon them by others for deeds or actions or witnessed experiences.  Burok Bear-slayer, Brig Tall-Wood, and  Gard Foehammer are all good examples.  Most people, however, go through life using only their given name.  Conan, Cul, Daol, and Maev are all good examples. Your characters, for better or worse, have both been saddled with additonal names. Thrallan was the first to pick up a name.  He is called Thrallan Stone.  Some just refer to him as Stone. This is a reference to how he was found as a babe, abandoned at the base of one of the Seven Standing Stones.  Remember, when Thrallan would not quit the Ras Croi even though his ankle had been pulled, and he attempted to jump the gorge and catch Branoc to win the race, this event was praised by the clan watching the race.  Since that time, Thrallan has been given an honor afforded only one other Blue Fox clan-member.  The warrior Beck was the first to complete the Ras Croi, becoming the first Ar Grais.  The fallen tree he used to cross the gorge has become known as "Beck's Bridge". Now, the previously un-named gorge that Beck's Bridge crosses--the same that Thrallan attempted to jump--has been named Stone Gorge, in honor of Thrallan's effort. Branoc may have become the Ar Grais, but Thrallan has a part of the Ras Croi named after him.   Caelis has been attached to the name "Red-Birth".  Caelis Red-Birth.  This is a reference to the thought that Caelis killed his own brother in his mother's womb in a fight to be born. Today, most refer to these player characters as either Thrallan or Caelis, or, more formally, Thrallan Stone and Caelis Red-Birth.</blockquote>

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