Names

*'Kanishk sought to become a Name. In pursuit of that end, he made Lok Kahuli the vessel of his appetites, promising Lok that they would ascend together. At the Spider's Door, he betrayed his lover...'*
 *'Account of Kanishk at the Spider's Door''*
**Names** are beings that act as high-ranking servants and even emissaries of the Hours. Like lesser spirits, Names possess a variety of forms and traits, typically tied to the nature of the Hour they serve, and can be summoned for aid by occultists. Unlike lesser spirits, the vast majority of Names retain their individual identities, and are afforded a great deal of power and respect in the Mansus’ hierarchy. Despite this privilege, Names are also subject to intense scrutiny from the Hours, who fear Names' ambition may bring them to one day murder and usurp their patrons.

Some Names serve as occult facilitators of sorts, assisting with the ascension of new Long. This can be done by instructing adepts on the deeper mysteries of the Principles, telling adepts what tasks the Hours require of them, judging adepts’ contributions to their patron, or even by directly altering their bodies. Other Names seem to help their patron Hour in shaping the world; for instance, the Grail’s Thirstlies, Ivories, and Lovelies are known to create new desires within the Red Church. Interestingly, it is stated in the book ‘On Thirstlies, Ivories, and Lovelies’ that usually each Hour is limited to seven Names. For reasons unknown, the Grail is an exception to the limited number of Names.

## The Making of Names

All Names whose origins are clearly identified in Cultist Simulator come from one of two origins: either they are direct emanations of their patron Hours, or they were a Long, mortal, or some other preexisting being that arose to their patron's service. The Long that have been observed ascending to Namehood must first emulate their patron's enactments - three phrases that describe the Hour's fundamental nature - and it is reasonable to assume that the birth of Name-emanations must do the same. Below are described three case studies of how Names enact their Hours.

The Names of the Forge of Days must **remake with fire**, **end what will not change**, and **end all nights**. One way for Forge-Long to accomplish this is by using a fragment of the Sun-in-Splendour to create an alchemical nuke known as the Dawnbreaker Device. They must then detonate their Dawnbreaker atop a flaw in the world, a tear in reality that causes events (e.g. the names of nearby settlements) to align in every History. The detonation of the Device produces significant amounts of heat and light, destroys an otherwise unchanging part of the world (as well as everyone nearby), and combined with the Biting Key gives the Forge-Long enough power to force their way through the Savage Door into the Forge's service.

The Names of the Watchmen must **illuminate**, **navigate**, and **be not compassionate**. One way for Lantern-Long to accomplish this is by luring dreamers to the Lesser Crossroads using a luminous tree. These dreamers serve as Witnesses to the opening of the Tricuspid Gate using the Key of Days, which causes Glory-light to stream through it. The resultant illumination allows the Lantern-Long to navigate their way to the Mansus' highest reaches, although the souls of the Witnesses, along with hundreds of other dreamers', will be unmercifully destroyed in the process.

The Names of the Red Grail must **give life**, **take life**, and **be not sated**. One way for Grail-Long to accomplish this is by having a child with another Long, and then consuming this child to sate their resulting hunger, but as this would constitute the Crime of the Sky they would be unable to enter the Mansus without shame. An alternative to this is for the Grail-Long to offer their blood to a terminally ill mortal, which has the effect of restoring the mortal's health. After being made sufficiently delicious, the mortal is then eaten alive by the Grail-Long and countless others in the Vitulation, a cannibalistic orgy of enough sensation to draw the Grail's attention through the Kingskin Gate.

## Sources

1. ↑ An Immortal Enemy
2. ↑ The Ecdysiast's Riddle, Q: Can Names be independent of Hours?...
3. ↑ The Enactments of the Hours
4. ↑ The Gate Opens Outwards?
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Dawnbreaker Technique
6. ↑ Thine Eyes Have Seen
7. ↑ The Last Pieces of the Great Work
8. ↑ The Gate Opens Outwards
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 The Last Elements of the Vitulation
10. ↑ Savorous Blood
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Moth Names and Minions
12. ↑ Knotwingknot Nest
13. ↑ The Locksmith’s Dream tickets available now!
14. ↑ Summon the mysterious Name known as the Baldomerian, Teresa
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 The Lodge of the Sage Knight
16. ↑ Kinship
17. ↑ Inquisitions for the Demiurge, Discord Follower Count Lore Snippets
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Read 'Kitling Ripe and the Moldywarp's Grave (and Other Stories)'
19. ↑ The Name of the Velvet, The Name of the Black-Flax
20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Follow
21. ↑ Pentiment
22. ↑ An Audience With Mme Matutine?
23. ↑ Into the Mist
24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 Name of the Mother, Name of the Moon, Name of the Serpent, Name of the Sister
25. ↑ Biedde's Blade (Exile)
26. ↑ Biedde's Blade
27. ↑ Make a Pilgrimage to an Iron Shrine, for a Revelation, Quirinic Meditations
28. ↑ Make a Pilgrimage to an Brazen Shrine, for a Revelation
29. ↑ 'Miss Naenia'
30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 The Elegiast's Name
31. ↑ Explore the Gallery, 'Miss Naenia'
32. ↑ To the Stag Door
33. ↑ Entering the Stag Door, The Stag Door
34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 The Red Church
35. ↑ Ezeem, the Second Thirstly
36. ↑ Wild Lessons, #spirit\_graile\_edge
37. ↑ Summon one of the Name-emanations of the Red Grail
38. ↑ “Got your book..."
39. ↑ The Wolf's Name
40. ↑ An Act of Sabotage!, Defending the Great Work
41. ↑ The Name of the Flowermaker, The Lilyking's Name
42. ↑ King Crucible
43. ↑ Read 'The Iron Book'
44. ↑ The Legeia Club Twitter
45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 45.2 Read 'The High Mysteries...'
46. ↑ Read 'Sunset Passages'
47. ↑ An Operation of the Strix
48. ↑ Scholar: Vak
49. ↑ The Peacock Door
50. ↑ The Colours of the Horizon
51. ↑ On the Friar's Tapestry
52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 Velletri Interviews
53. ↑ Lesser Bridge
54. ↑ A Journey to the Grove