(OOC) Naming Conventions & F.A.Q.

Hello there bois and grills. :)

Due to the custom-built nature of the lore/project, it's hopefully understandable to all involved that the names of your characters are held to a certain standard, and are expected to "fit in" with the rest of the world. Just so you don't bang your head against the wall trying to come up with something that's vaguely similar to the plethora of names you've seen in lore you've (maybe) read, we're just going to drop you a list of pre-made names for your characters to use.

Of course, nothing is set in stone, and one can always experiment, mix/match certain elements of the names, but do try to make it fit the faction/race/culture/subculture that your character belongs to. It goes without saying that any meme character names are not allowed outside the Spark, as they would both be detrimental to the immersion of other players, and just look really, really out of place. But in the creation zone itself, go wild, no-one will bother you!

Check the contents list for each relevant culture/subculture combo and dig in, pick the one you like, or at least get inspired by it, then make your own unique name. :)

Note: There will be certain overlap for certain cultures that have been geographically connected, or interbred, such as the elves and the nordling humans, as well as the Avaline and Istrian folk.

## Humans

### Nordlings -- the *Keepers of the Old Ways*

""Nordling" is a blanket term, one most often used to describe the inhabitants of barbarian kingdoms that had existed on Neuvalon prior to the elven conquest, but also to those tribal chiefdoms of Lenanh, of Nossos, and even as far as the southernmost reaches of Suthria. These hardy men and women have a rich history irrelevant of geographic location, though some men of science have claimed that they had roots similar to the old-avaline progenitor tribes of eastern Nossos.

### Ealingas -- *Ealing Rules the Waves!*

*"The inhabitants of the isles of Ealing go by several different names, Ealingers, Ealingas, Iclingas, Aelin-a-rin, Ellinos, Eclingas. Their purported origins lie in the east, where they were a nomadic people that had interacted heavily with early Iolennians (from whom it is believed they had inherited their seafaring expertise) before the establishment of Ealing as their permanent home.*

*During the rise and fall of the elven empire they had remained obscure -- there had been only one notable mention by a minor elven historian of a people that would have matched their description, and it had been made centuries before their rise to power. Based on the island chain which had a central location in the Whispering Sea, they had become a maritime empire c. one hundred years before the assassination of empress Ettari. With the elves removed as a major power from Neuvalon, the Ealingas spread across three continents, founding several dozen colonies, and entering a prosperous albeit short-lived golden age.*

*By 3800 TC, they had lost most of their overseas holdings, relegated to a minor power once again. Faced by famine, climate change, ever-increasing piracy and corruption, the Ealingas now seek to regain their place as masters of the sea -- starting by rebuilding their colonial strength."*

### The Avaline -- *the Children of the West*

*"The Avaline people are an old race of men believed to have originally come from the far eastern reaches of Nossos. Thousands of years ago, they had crossed land bridges between the young continents, eventually settling on the far southern reaches of Lenanh, and the island of Tor Vallon. Over the centuries that followed they lived a peaceful existence until the conquest and annexation of their lands by the rising elven empire under Carassar Farain.*

*Initial relations after the wars was understandably hostile -- though over the years, in accordance with elven assimilation practices, the Avaline slowly took on more and more of their overlord's culture, their language (which to this day bears striking similarities to an oft-spoken dialect of Olmë in the south of Lenanh), and other customs. Some are of the belief that their longer than average lifespans can also be attributed to blood-mixing with the elves.*

*By the time of the empire's collapse, the Avaline had become a divided, jaded people, embittered by the state of their homeland, warring with each other as hungry children wrangling for crumbs under the table. A faction led by the future King Ter-Beren I broke off from the rest of their people, and the empire itself, and set sail to the untamed and long-lost lands of Oron. It was there that they founded the Kingdom of Neuvalon, which quickly asserted its strength and assumed a dominant position on the white continent, as a paragon of civilisation and nobility."*

#### Heartland Avaline

These long-lived scions of Tor Vallon who value blood purity above all else have become a minority in Neuvalon, believing that far too many of their countrymen have "polluted" themselves by interbreeding with the natives. Many of these men and women are part of the nobility in the inner core of the kingdom, yet not all. Nonetheless, they cling to Vallonese traditions and customs where they can, which includes the practice of adding a "determinant" or "hopeful" trait to the names of their children.

#### Serisians

The city-state of Serisia, the wayward daughter of Neuvalon, has a past as varied as any of its inhabitants. It is home to a plethora of different cultures, religions and races, all bound by a love for one thing: **gold**. Serisia was once known as Saressa, an Iolennian colony founded at least several centuries prior to the arrival of the Avaline settlers who had occupied and expanded the city during the reign of Gen-Surion, in the early 3600s. Thanks to its position on the Ebro river and proximity to the Cerulean trader cities, it became an economic powerhouse, and a gateway to trade with northern Neuvalon. While they had since become independent of Neuvalon itself, much of its population has roots in the kingdom, despite being of mixed blood. This is reflected in their names, which have obvious outside influences.