Topic of the Month: To Call an Alphatian by His/Her Name or How to Avoid Feeblemind When Addressing an Alphatian
Officially, their two-part empire is named Alphatian Empire and New Alphatian Confederate Empire, and the people of both are called Alphatians. But how are they REALLY called?
In the Hollow World, things are quite easy
actually. The floating continent rests alone in the sky, and its
inhabitants maintain the old traditions they were used to since
coming to Mystara-and before. It is therefore generally simply
referred to as "Alphatia" by both its inhabitants and the other
peoples, though it is not uncommon to call the land "Floating
Alphatia" or "Floating Continent of Alphatia," too. The expression
"Floating Alphatia" is particularly liked by the "Floating" Arians,
who have lost their own floating epithet in the sinking, though
many commoners fail to catch the irony. At the imperial court and
at the council, all those terms are commonly used in addition to
the standard "Alphatian Empire," though opponents to Empress
Eriadna's policy of cooperation with the other nations of the
Hollow World have been known to stress on the word "empire"
indeed.
The inhabitants of the floating continent are universally known as
"Alphatians," and proudly announce themselves as such to anyone.
Among themselves, however, the Alphatians tend to rather specify
their place of origin, either a kingdom, or a city, or even a small
town or estate. Aristocrats especially are known to add their
family or personal estate to their name, in the same manner as the
famous Haldemar of Haaken, while commoners, except for the rare
very rich landowner, prefer a city or town name. Slaves of course
do not use such pompous and artificial titles, and will introduce
themselves as servitors of someone, if asked. A few sages of
Alphatia claim that their empire should not be called "Alphatia,"
but "Deltia," and its inhabitants "Deltians," as this is the fourth
incarnation of the empire (pure Alphatians, Alphatians/Cypri,
Mystaran Alphatians, Hollow World Alphatians); this theory is
popular among some pure Alphatian aristocrats, who call themselves
"Alphatians of Deltia" ("First Ones of the Fourth Empire").
In the outer world, the situation is considerably
more complex. The empire has lost its main continent, and with it a
part of its soul. At any rate, those who remained continued to be
called by outsiders "Alphatians"-except for Thothians-, and they
like the word even more so now because it has taken a new
dimension. As if they were the perpetuators of an ancient, evolved
civilisation that disappeared millennia ago, yet it was only years.
Within the NACE, however, they generally refer to their nation or
city of origin instead-but never to continents. The fashion of
adding family or personal estate to one's name, like in Alphatia,
is also in good use among the aristocracy, especially in the oldest
noble families of spellcasters who can trace their ancestry to the
continent of Alphatia. Some aristocrats of Floating Ar, who learned
about "Deltia," proudly call themselves the last "Gammians."
A new name also recently has made its apparition: "NACErs."
Actually, this is the spelling used by the military, who first
introduced the acronym to refer indistinctly to any inhabitant of
the confederate empire. However, Alphatian commoners, especially in
Ionace, have turned this into something more to their taste,
"Nacers." This word, while not widely accepted, has spread
throughout the Old World with yet another spelling, "Naycers,"
thanks to Minrothaddan merchants who added this modified version to
their patois.
Even more numerous are the ways to call the NACE itself.
Non-Alphatians generally either call it "Alphatia" or "the
Alphatian Empire;" people who are more knowledgeable about recent
events in the region since the sinking may use either of these or
"Alphatian Confederacy," or "NACE," including its spelling as
"Nayce." Only official documents, council members and a few rare
individuals go with the long name, "New Alphatian Confederate
Empire," however grand it may sound. Military officers and some
bureaucrats use "NACE," with some commoners, especially in Ionace,
going with the spelling "Nace." Within the aristocracy, and even at
the council, there are two main streams, one going with "Alphatian
Confederacy" to highlight the political changes in the outer world
Alphatia, while others stick with the old name of "Alphatian
Empire," maybe out of nostalgia. The Floating Arians are especially
virulent in their defence of the empire, as are many nations of
Bellissaria and the Isle of Dawn, while other nations who
traditionally-Norwold-or recently-Esterhold-have had secessionist
desires favour the notion of a confederacy. Never will an outer
world Alphatian call the NACE "Alphatia," though, as this is
reserved for both the floating continent in the Hollow World and
the sunken continent, and anyone misusing the word will be frowned
upon-and possibly fried.
So now, how will YOU call them?