Onomancy

Soulname, progenitor name, true name; these are all words used to describe a unique word that, more than just an utterance used to refer to an individual, is well and truly etched into their being. Despite the common connotation with which a true name comes with, namely tied to that of the Nine Hells and fiends, most creatures in Perion possess a true name. These names are extremely dangerous, ancient words that are assigned to a soul. They hold great power over the beings which they are associated with; the power to control them, the power to harm them, the power to know their secrets. The vast majority of creatures are detached from the idea of true names and so they do not play a significant part in their lives, with the exception being fiends. In fact, most creatures possess very little knowledge of true names to begin with.

The process to unveil a creature’s true name is very rigorous and highly restricted. A creature with soulsight may attempt to decipher another’s true name, however, the process is very long and impractical to perform and in most circumstances requires the consent or incapacitation of the being whose true name is being deciphered. Thus, for the vast majority of creatures their true name is unknown, even to themselves. However, for a select few very powerful, ancient beings who have many enemies, such as archfey, archfiends, archangels or ancient dragons, their true name may be recorded in some archaic tome or known by some. Because of its significance, these beings tend to be very meticulous with removing all knowledge of their true name from existence though considering the vastness of the world, it often proves impossible. Naturally, any attempts at discovering their true name is taken as an act of hostility - many unfortunate people have met their end by accidentally coming across the true name of a powerful entity.

True names are intrinsic to nearly all souls and transcend mortal understanding and though many beings understand the implications of a true name and what one can do with it, they lack specific knowledge on its origins, nature and operation. Only the gods, heirs to the immense knowledge of the Meridians, possess even a basic understanding of true names. As one of the great mysteries of the universe in Meridia during the time of the Soulflux Contamination, it well and truly remains an largely unknown topic, even for the gods. The limited understanding they possess is that it is assigned during the process when soul essence coalesces into a soul. This process seldom occurs in the present and has already been done ages ago in several large instances.

A true name is uttered in the language of the soul’s origins, thus a fiend’s true name is spoken in abyssal or infernal as is a fey’s in sylvan. True names are often long and composed of several parts - the name itself and a title. Typically, the main part of a true name is also the first name that their soul has ever possessed. The name which belonged to a creature’s first incarnation is most likely part of their true name hence the alternate term ‘progenitor name’. However as the first generation of the civilised races were primitive and did not keep records, these names are lost to history.

The structure of a true name varies from soul to soul. For instance, a dwarf’s true name not only includes a title but also their clan. There is no clear or obvious way to guess the true name of all creatures as depending on their origin, they have their own unique format. This extends not only towards clear divisions such as fiends or celestials but also within them, such as demons and devils.

The study of true names is called onomancy and is a very rare and niche field of research for a multitude of reasons. Firstly, true names are incredibly difficult to obtain to begin with meaning that there is little to work with. Furthermore, due to the many different formatting of true names, even if an onomancer were to know the true name of a creature, it would only benefit further research into that creature’s specific race. This would also require extensive knowledge of a multitude of languages. However, the most significant reason must be that onomancy tends to earn the ire of powerful beings. Many onomancers who are even remotely successful typically end up dying at the hands of some powerful being.