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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ipissimus" data-source="post: 4123181" data-attributes="member: 41514">Letter substitution is an auto fail, however. Particularly i -> y (Witch -> Wytch). No, you're not being clever. No, it's not cool.c -> k has a certain precedent in some cases what with Russian language conventions.I plan to stab the next person who transposes an 's' to a 'psi' or 'psy' in my presence.Beginning or ending with 'z' also a bad idea in general.I think the key is elegant simplicity. A name should 'sound cool' when you speak it, 'look cool' when it's written, be exotic enough to be 'new' and yet be simple enough to pronounce to gain traction. A good acid test is to see if people fight over the proper pronunciation: if they do you've got it wrong.Orc is a great example. I've never met anyone who didn't 'get' the word Orc and what they represent frist time out. Ogre might have traction from faerie tales and such, but I've encountered a few people who pronounced it 'ORG' for some wierd reason. Guenhwyvar also, despite its historical background, has caused more contention than any name I know. I've encountered 'GOO-en-HI-vwar', 'GWEN-why-vern', 'GEN-wyvver'... it's a mood killer if ever there was one.</blockquote>