Naming Fey characters

[Dannyalcatraz]

Found this site for medieval Slavic names.

I like Dalibor Gostislav

I found a few that have potential:

Blazh m Medieval Slavic
Medieval Slavic name derived from Slavic blagu meaning "good, blessed, happy".

Borisu Борисъ m Medieval Slavic
Medieval Slavic form of Boris, probably ultimately of Bulgar Turkic origin. (BORIS- a Bulgar Turkic name, also recorded as Bogoris, perhaps meaning "short" or "wolf" or "snow leopard")

Dobrogost m Polish (Rare), Medieval Slavic
Derived from the Slavic elements dobru "good" and gosti "guest".

Gostislav m Medieval Slavic
Derived from the Slavic elements gosti "guest" and slava "glory".

Milivoj m Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Medieval Slavic
Derived from the Slavic elements milu "gracious" and voji "soldier".

Radomil Радомил m Czech, Medieval Slavic
Derived from the Slavic elements rad "happy, willing" and milu "gracious, dear".

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Since the PC has 2 heads…

Perhaps 2 names are in order? Not the true name, per se, but the “call signs” their allies know them by, as opposed to the epithets they use with the world at large.

 

[cbwjm]

Back in a previous campaign, I had somewhat long names for Eladrin. One the players interacted with was named Dappled Moonlight on the Water, moonlight for short, though only mortals or Eladrin who were pressed for time would use the shortname, it was otherwise considered rude to use in Eladrin society.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Back in a previous campaign, I had somewhat long names for Eladrin. One the players interacted with was named Dappled Moonlight on the Water, moonlight for short, though only mortals or Eladrin who were pressed for time would use the shortname, it was otherwise considered rude to use in Eladrin society.

I can almost hear a sassy Eladrin bard introducing themselves to a group of other Eladrin that includes someone they dislike…and pointedly saying, “I’m Dappled Moonlight on the Water, but YOU,” pointing, “can call me Moonlight.”

Gasps & dropped glasses ensued.

 

[Baron Opal II]

I tend to fall back on Shakespeare for fairy names. Sir Mustardseed and Lady Peaseblossom have made many an appearance. Given the number of theater people in my games, it's always good for a chuckle. Otherwise, floral and nature names are par for the course.

I had an angle guarding an area named Third Wave of the Oncoming Storm which was perceived as suitably intimidating. Happy with that one.

 

[Mad_Jack]

I named a 4E Eladrin assassin Sirius Moonlight...

If this thing's got two heads, they could go by the names Cú Allaidh Gorm and Cú Allaidh Dubh...
("Coo Ah-liv Gorum" and "Coo Ah-liv Doov" - Blue Wolf and Black Wolf)

Alternately, in Japanese the word for wolf is Okami and blue is Aoi, so... Okami Aoi?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I named a 4E Eladrin assassin Sirius Moonlight...

If this thing's got two heads, they could go by the names Cú Allaidh Gorm and Cú Allaidh Dubh...
("Coo Ah-liv Gorum" and "Coo Ah-liv Doov" - Blue Wolf and Black Wolf)

Alternately, in Japanese the word for wolf is Okami and blue is Aoi, so... Okami Aoi?

How about “left” & “right”, like Katy Perry’s dancing sharks?!

PS: love the Bowie homage! I’m a big fan myself.

Hmmmm…maybe I could incorporate some nods to his Ziggy Stardust days in the PC’s visual aesthetic. Even though the character isn’t a bard, Bowie was damn near a Fey himself, after all.

 

[Mad_Jack]

How about “left” & “right”, like Katy Perry’s dancing sharks?!

Ar dheis ("air yesh") for right and Ar chlé ("air khlay") for left...

There's an idea - mess with people by just naming him Dancing Shark...

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Ar dheis ("air yesh") for right and Ar chlé ("air khlay") for left...

There's an idea - mess with people by just naming him Dancing Shark...

I’m assuming that’s the Celtic? What about the Japanese?

Well, then we start getting into the “too meta” issue that prompted me to start this thread.

OTOH, given the animalistic epithets out there like “Lion Heart”, something like that could be another fitting epithet. With his white fur and twinned rapiers and Fey wit…

The Winter Hedgehog?

Or more floral, like Frost-Rose? Bougainvillea can have thorns several inches long. Methinks I’ll do some digging into which thorny plants grow in cold climates…

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

You all are going to get me using Shakespearean Eladrin in an upcoming game.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

You all are going to get me using Shakespearean Eladrin in an upcoming game.

A gift for you, then, good sir!

Shakespearean Insults Generator

Visit this site dedicated to William Shakespeare including a Shakespearean Insults Generator.Fast and accurate Shakespearean Insults Generator.Have fun with the Shakespearean Insults Generator.

www.literarygenius.info

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Looking into the cold-climate thorny plants, some names are starting to emerge. Wild roses, Barberries and Hawthorns have popped up as being popular natural perimeter plantings on one survivalist message board.

Edit: there’s some good mystical properties & legends attached to each, too.

Hawthorn Power in Fairy Tales, the Cult of the Virgin, and the Cult of the Undead - Yale University Press

Bill Vaughn— In “Hawthorn Blossom,” the Brothers Grimm rewriting of the folk story Sleeping Beauty, a queen is informed by a frog that the royal couple finally will have a... READ MORE

yalebooks.yale.edu

Barberry magical properties |

BARBERRY ROOT – lay this root across the path of an enemy to undo or diminish their effect on you, "bars the way" of your enemies. Used in protection amulets for the home and for children and is also known as Holy Thorn. Used to free yourself from the power another holds over you. Barberry, when...

www.aromagregory.com

The rose - myth and meanings - Wander Lord

The rose - myth and meanings. The custom of exchanging flowers may have less to do with romance and chivalry than with anxiety. For the shy or uncertain,

wanderlord.com

There’s others, too, like blackberries and salmon berries, but they’re more popular for being a food source with only modest thorniness.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I also found a list of cold-resistant herbs, and found out (with a little more digging), that Tarragon also has some mystical properties:

Magical Properties of Tarragon | How to Use Tarragon in Spells

Learn how to use regular tarragon in spells and rituals. This French herb is great for peace, luck, cleansing, and more.

plentifulearth.com

Soooo…going with taking a naturistic bent on the name, mysticism, giving each head its own name, and piling on aliases like Puck being aka Robin Goodfellow, I’m starting to get things like Ballantine Wildrose, Tom Tarragon and John Hawthorn.

I’m not necessarily sold on any particular name, but I’m heading in the right direction. There’s still the Slavic/Russian type names that I was considering, after all.

 

[ruemere]

Assuming that you have a divide of the Fey into Courts, Houses and Station, you could create elaborate naming scheme that refers to these:

I am Court-adjective Court-noun.
I am Court-verb Court-adjective Court-noun.

Station-name.

Of House-name.

For example:
(Spring Court minor clerk and devout soldier)
I am Treads Lightly Upon Petals.
I am an East Wing Guardian who Greets Unwelcome Visitors from South.
Of Third House of Swallow.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Assuming that you have a divide of the Fey into Courts, Houses and Station, you could create elaborate naming scheme that refers to these:

I am Court-adjective Court-noun.
I am Court-verb Court-adjective Court-noun.

Station-name.

Of House-name.

For example:
(Spring Court minor clerk and devout soldier)
I am Treads Lightly Upon Petals.
I am an East Wing Guardian who Greets Unwelcome Visitors from South.
Of Third House of Swallow.

Actually, I hadn’t! That’s some good stuff there, though.

To clarify: this is a PC idea I came up with that really appealed to me, so I started fleshing it out. There’s not even a 3.5Ed campaign on my radar. But if one should pop up, I’ll have this character concept ready as a potential option. So whatever the Fey hierarchy this PC would interact with depends on someone else.

Regardless, your naming convention (or something like it) could be a good way to organize the PC’s names & epithets.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

“Robin Goodfellow” still has me thinking. I would imagine the name is based on the bird directly, and not just the common name it became. Puck is is being compared to the (usually) welcome red-breasted bird who is a harbinger of Spring- a “good fellow” to most who want to see the end of winter.

So what birds might be good names for this PC?

I found the Gyrfalcon and several Shrikes are found in Russia.

The gyrfalcon sounds cool. It’s the biggest falcon, but it’s not as aggressive as smaller falcons, like the peregrine. Plumage ranges from almost pure white to brown. And c’mon…“Falcon” as any part of your name sounds cool!

But shrikes? They’re infamous for impaling their prey on thorns, barbed wire, snd so forth. Sometimes, their prey is bigger than they are. And this PC dual-wields rapiers. His prospective ranged weapons were all piercing, too. So thematically, “Shrike” works.

 

[Searlin]

Have you tried Gary Gygax's Extraordinary Book of Names? Say, p. 186-188?

It cannot be recommended enough.

Exactly what I was thinking. That book is one of my main DM tools for adding some great fluff.

 

[Aberzanzorax]

If you have any background or affiliation to nature, you could use that for part of the surname.
"______ of the crickets" is an example... and you are attuned to cricket chirping, maybe the DM allows you to know the exact temperature if you hear them (VERY MINOR perk) but you also are protective of them (VERY MINOR flaw).

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

If you have any background or affiliation to nature, you could use that for part of the surname.
"______ of the crickets" is an example... and you are attuned to cricket chirping, maybe the DM allows you to know the exact temperature if you hear them (VERY MINOR perk) but you also are protective of them (VERY MINOR flaw).

I don’t know that I’d use it as part of the actual name, but it could definitely work as an epithet. And it would be a good way to add chaos & whimsy to the character. It would underscore his fey nature quite clearly.

Guardian of Willows?
Defender of the Cheese?
Lord High Protector of Kittens?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Honey Bearer?
Berry-bearer?
Warden of Baby’s Breath?
Lord of Lillies?
Thistle-thane?
Turtle Keeper?