"I was walkin' in Menthis!"

[Rel]

My recent reading of the Sharn book reminded me of a minor pet peeve: Fantasy places named to sound a lot like real places.

I realize this is bound to happen from time to time but it still bugs me when I come across it because every time I see (or worse, say) the names of these places I can't help but visualize the real world place that they sound like.

So when I get around to running my Eberron campaign set in Sharn, every time I talk about the University District, I'm going to be thinking about pit barbecue and the blues. And I'm sure that the relentlessly witty players I have will make great fun of this as well. My only saving grace is that the joke will get old quickly and they'll drop it.

Does this bug anybody else?

And before anybody suggests the obvious, yes I could simply change the name in my campaign. I won't for two reasons. First, while it does bother me, it isn't like it consumes me with the burning fury of a thousand suns. It rises to the level of "I wish they hadn't done that." but not to "This has to be fixed.". Secondly, there are so many references to it in the other related material that I'd be bound to slip up and say "Menthis" at some point and then my efforts at changing it would be for naught.

 

[Crothian]

Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. There are times when people create names that happened to sound like something familar by accident. I know I've done it more then once. Now, if the PCs all go there looking for blue suede shoes and walkingh ten feet off the ground, it might get annoying.

 

[Greylock]

*sigh*

Why is it always bbq, blues and Elvis when it comes to Menthis?

Why doesn't anyone ever mention the great museums, or the wonderful parks?

*sigh*

 

[Turjan]

So when I get around to running my Eberron campaign set in Sharn, every time I talk about the University District, I'm going to be thinking about pit barbecue and the blues. And I'm sure that the relentlessly witty players I have will make great fun of this as well. My only saving grace is that the joke will get old quickly and they'll drop it.

Does this bug anybody else?

You are right, they could have gone with something completely original like "Waterdeep" .

In old threads, most people were annoyed when city names were either too long or were not very easily pronouncable in English. This somehow narrows the number of selectable names down to short words that resemble English names. Of course, this means that resemblances are to be expected.

Edit: For me, with a different language background, Menthis has the sound of peppermint .

 

[Arnwyn]

Does this bug anybody else?

Yes. Yes it does.

You are right, they could have gone with something completely original like "Waterdeep"

My preference. Original != good.

 

[alsih2o]

*sigh*

Why is it always bbq, blues and Elvis when it comes to Menthis?

Why doesn't anyone ever mention the great museums, or the wonderful parks?

*sigh*

The beautiful riverfront, Mud Island, the Gibson factory, the bison herd, paddlewheelers, the Peabody, the Civil Rights Museum, St. Judes Children Research Hospital, The Pyramid, the historical Yelow fever epedemic (in which so many died the town lost its charter!!), the Birddog Trials. Why is it none of this ever comes up?!?!

Greylock, grab Beale Knight and Edge, we can meet at that little dry rub place south of B.B. Kings place, on the same suide of the street as the Elvis Presley restaurant and chow while we figure it out.

 

[Torm]

Why does it have to be Memphis, Tennessee? There's Memphis, Egypt, too, ya know.

Blend 'em fer inspiration - make Menthis the home of the (pyramid shaped) tomb of the Bard King. Have it guarded by awakened female tigers with levels of Bard. (The Bengals?)

 

[alsih2o]

Blend 'em fer inspiration - make Menthis the home of the (pyramid shaped) tomb of the Bard King. Have it guarded by awakened female tigers with levels of Bard. (The Bengals?)

We already kinda did that- http://www.c-eye.net/qtvr/pyramid_qtvr.html

Cool structure, though they are htinking of tearing it down.

But they may make it a big aquarium!

 

[Rel]

The beautiful riverfront, Mud Island, the Gibson factory, the bison herd, paddlewheelers, the Peabody, the Civil Rights Museum, St. Judes Children Research Hospital, The Pyramid, the historical Yelow fever epedemic (in which so many died the town lost its charter!!), the Birddog Trials. Why is it none of this ever comes up?!?!

Greylock, grab Beale Knight and Edge, we can meet at that little dry rub place south of B.B. Kings place, on the same suide of the street as the Elvis Presley restaurant and chow while we figure it out.

I can't be sure of whether Greylock was making a joke by referring to the in game parks and museums of Menthis or genuinely bemoaning the stereotyping of Memphis (the Tennesee one). In either event, my "BBQ & Blues" reference was an intentional oversimplification. I'm actually very familiar with Memphis since my wife's family comes from there. I've visited on a number of occasions and seen most of the sites you mention. One of my favorites was getting to stand right next to the Memphis Belle down by the river one evening.

But that's part of my problem. My familiarity with the city is one of the reasons that I can't help think about it every time I see Menthis in the book! Oh well, at least it is a place that I have positive feelings about.

 

[Torm]

We already kinda did that- http://www.c-eye.net/qtvr/pyramid_qtvr.html

I see. But is it guarded by tigers? And do they walk like an egyptian?