Naming Conventions: Allanak Vs. Tuluk

[Barsook]

I was looking back at some of the topics in here (World Discussion) and two things struck me regarding people's names, mainly NPC's and also for players that want to try follow them (for new PC's).  I also think most of this isn't really "found out IC".

1. Number of syllables in the name:

There are some tribes that have documented naming traditions, and I think that's pretty cool. What I wonder is: what about Allanak and Tuluk? Are naming trends different in those cities? Are some names more Allanaki and others more Tuluki?

Generally, northern names seem to be shorter than southern names.  Many figures in the histories of both city-states follow this pattern - 1 syllable names in Tuluk, 2+ syllable names in Allanak.

Looking at this, it seems to be true but it seems shifted if you look at the last two Tuluki historical figures: Ardith Lyksae and Oralia Negean.  I could be wrong here but these names have two syllables.  If so, compare with Kul and Isar.(Okay, I'm looking at the new site not the old one, so this maybe a bad example)

For Allanak, I think commoners having two or more syllable names means that they are trying to copy the nobles like how they do with clothes.

But latter on in the same topic someone says this:

That seems to be backward, if you look at the names of the noble Houses in both cities.

This part doesn't make sense to me.  It's true but why? Was this due to random since these where rich commoner families or what?

2. How names end rules:

A set of rules for Name Structure would be interesting.   Thinking back on Earth History, you can usually guesstimate a time/location about a person from their name (i.e. The majority of Roman males had names ending in -us).

A simple guide of what was popular in each of the (major) cities wouldn't be too bad.  Anything that doesn't fit either of those could be either city or somewhere else completely.  Rules like this would be starting to form about now given how the two major cities have started isolating and distancing themselves from the other.  I wouldn't mind seeing a guide like this being put somewhere, I'd probably start using it, as comming up with a name for my characters usually takes longer than comming up with anything else.

One thing I have noticed, at least for Allanaki Major Figures (Important NPCs)  is that the name endings tend to follow a rule depending on if it is a soft ending or a hard one.

Hard Endings tend to be formed by the following:
either an 'a' or 'o'  followd by a gutteral consonant ('c', 'd', 'k', etc)

Where the Soft Endings tend to be formed by:
either an 'e' or 'i' followed by a softer consonant, most often ('s', 'l', 'r', or 'n')


As far as Tuluki names go, things I have noticed is that they tend to end in such a was as to be drawn out, almost fadeing out.  Usually many times reverseing the rules I've noticed for Allanak.  (using the softer consonats with 'a' and 'o', etc).  And many times end in vowels, where as Allanaki names almost always end in consonants.  Tuluki Name Endings also tend to include vowel combinations or double consonants (ex: Negean or Salarr).

Is this because of the Rebellion or because of history of each of those areas?  I'm assuming that since there were tribes who got conquered, there customs (including naming) two things could of happened: either melted in a melting pot or did both Kings created rules for customs and forced their people to follow.

3. Occupation of Tuluk:

Was there any laws that forced Tulukis to follow Allanak's laws on naming people?

[Lizzie]

I'm not seeing any rules at all regarding names. Or conventions. I'm seeing a few coincidences, but not even any actual traditions. I think you're reading a whole lot more into this than is necessary, or perhaps trying to apply a rule where none is needed. Notice that even your own quotes that you dug up, are four years old and in the last case you quoted, eleven years old. This indicates to me that there really isn't any interest in naming conventions, other than those you are creating for yourself.

[Kol]

I'm not seeing any rules at all regarding names. Or conventions. I'm seeing a few coincidences, but not even any actual traditions. I think you're reading a whole lot more into this than is necessary, or perhaps trying to apply a rule where none is needed. Notice that even your own quotes that you dug up, are four years old and in the last case you quoted, eleven years old. This indicates to me that there really isn't any interest in naming conventions, other than those you are creating for yourself.

I have to agree with Lizzie on this one, names in a game like Armageddon aren't structured due to any real naming traditions that exist IG, I know for myself that I usually pull the name out my arse, or from a different fantasy setting (I'm Spartacus!)

If you look, and compare it to RL, it'll never make any sense, names, both first and family, are generally region specific or the reason of language, professions, and historical activities (Jhon Fletcher would have a fletcher down his line somewhere, Mohamed Kuphat would be named after a religious icon, Raj Kutharpolly  would be named after the Maharajas ect.) While I appreciate there's an abundance of history, professions and regional differences, as well as religious in Armageddon, it'd be an inane exercise to try and  separate how and why people choose what name they do use in what regions for their PC's as we, the players, tend to draw our naming influence from elsewhere. Amos and Malik are likely to be 'Nakkis, from your notes, but in Zalanthas, could easily be from Tuluk too.

In the case of the Noble houses, For Allank, not having a large portion of it's nobles wiped out by a war, I'd assume the names are those of the original tribes Tek drew to him in the ages gone, in Tuluk, as a vast majority of nobles were raised after the re-claiming of Tuluk, we could assume the noble family names are either those of the tribes and families that were destroyed during the war (I don't believe any of them are, I'm sure I read about dead houses in a documentation on caste tattoos) Or were their family names which most Zalanthian commoners either don't bother to remember, or have never been told, or the most likely answer, and one I'd most vote for, is the names were given to those noble families by Muk himself after the reclamation of Tuluk.

Staff should be able to give more details on the latter part, though.

[Italis]

There are no regional, historical or cultural rules or traditions for names in Armageddon. Some tribal clans have certain conventions that should be followed, but mostly that simply entails including the correct family names. You are free to choose any name that meets our character creation requirements.

Attempting to enforce a rule that everyone has to pick distinctly northern or southern or whatever names would be a God-damn nightmare.

[HavokBlue]

When I'm planning a character or applying for a role in a specific city I generally write up 5-10 names that I think sound fitting and then slowly eliminate them as I go until I get to one I like.

In the south, my rule of thumb is generally more syllables for higher birth, with names generally taking a Roman inspiration and/or ending in is/os/us.

My Rinthers usually get mono-syllable names or actual words, like Scuffle, Spider, Tricks, etc.

I don't actually play in the north very much so I don't have an personal naming conventions for my northern PCs. Sometimes Babylonian or Assyrian.

My tribals vary depending on the tribe (coded or otherwise). I'm fond of middle-eastern/arabic names for humans. For something like a Soh Lanah Kah PC, I'd look at the names of notable historic figures from the tribe and existing NPCs and try to make something work using similar sounds. Examples for the Soh Lanah Kah include things like Saloh, Ketoh, or Kahri.