Ravenloft names - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Ravenloft names

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Jul 27, 2006 19:44:48 I am planning several Ravenloft campaigns. Each set in a different domain (unless such a doimain is unsuitable for starting characters. For example: if I run a campaign focused on Timor, the players will start out living in Pariadon, and eventually be drawn into the sewers at some later time, maybe not even until the final adventure.) The first one will feature Barovia, and After that I'm not sure. A few choices I'm considering are Forlorn, Scourange, and Verbrek. Anyway, I'm having trouble with names. The Gazetteers note that Barovian and Gundarakite names are different. If so, they cant both be based on Romainian names. Forfarian names are obviously scottish, but I have no idea what Thanni names are based on. I think Verbreker names might be Welsh, but I'm not sure. I would appriciate any information. Here are some sample names from the gazetteers.

Barovian:Alexandru, Bela, Uta, Bianca
Gundarakite:Lazlo, Demetrius, Serafin, Antonia
Thanni:Ysni, Gjon, Vona, Blerta
Verbreker:Cadoc, Herveig, Yuveot, Goulvena
#2
orodruin
Jul 28, 2006 2:51:52
The Gazetteers note that Barovian and Gundarakite names are different. If so, they cant both be based on Romainian names.

Barovian:Alexandru, Bela, Uta, Bianca
Gundarakite:Lazlo, Demetrius, Serafin, Antonia
Thanni:Ysni, Gjon, Vona, Blerta
Verbreker:Cadoc, Herveig, Yuveot, Goulvena

You might want to look up some russian names for the Barovians. Considering the names of some of the more prominant Barovian characters, like Sergei, Tatyana, Irina Kolyana (daughter of Kolyan Indrirovich), Ivan Dilisniya, etc...
#3
zombiegleemax
Aug 08, 2006 10:55:02 You might want to take a look at this. I belive, there's a netbook somewhere that features (or at least tips for) typical names in a domain. Or maybe it was on the Kargatane site. Don't know if those books are still avaible.

For Souragne, anyway, I'd go with French names (Anton Misrois, Jean / Luc / Marcel Tarrascon / etc...).

It might also be helpful, to read the Ravenloft Novels and note the names used in there.
#4
rotipher
Aug 08, 2006 13:16:04 Note that the "Bloodlines" family trees from the old Black Box book listed quite a number of German-sounding names in the old Barovian noble clans, even though the Gazetteers mostly restrict pseudo-German nomenclature to Falkovnia. One possible way to resolve this is if you assume that the ruling families of Old Borjia (Material-Plane nation of origin for the Von Zaroviches, Dilisnyas, etc) had intermarried with the nobility from a neighboring German-style nation for centuries, such that Germanic first names tend to crop up among the "upper-crust" Barovians and Borcans, whereas commoners' names are consistently Slavic.

This would account for why Strahd had an ancestor named "Von Holtz" and a brother named "Sturm", neither of which sound particularly Slavic IMHO. It would also create more of a distinction between commoners and nobility in their naming habits, on par with how you expect to find more "Reginalds" in wealthy English-speaking families and more "Ralphs" in low-to-middle-class ones.
#5
zombiegleemax
Aug 16, 2006 2:21:38
You might want to take a look at this. I belive, there's a netbook somewhere that features (or at least tips for) typical names in a domain. Or maybe it was on the Kargatane site. Don't know if those books are still avaible.

For Souragne, anyway, I'd go with French names (Anton Misrois, Jean / Luc / Marcel Tarrascon / etc...).

It might also be helpful, to read the Ravenloft Novels and note the names used in there.

This link does not work. Do you know why this is?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Jul 27, 2006 19:44:48	I am planning several Ravenloft campaigns. Each set in a different domain (unless such a doimain is unsuitable for starting characters. For example: if I run a campaign focused on Timor, the players will start out living in Pariadon, and eventually be drawn into the sewers at some later time, maybe not even until the final adventure.) The first one will feature Barovia, and After that I'm not sure. A few choices I'm considering are Forlorn, Scourange, and Verbrek. Anyway, I'm having trouble with names. The Gazetteers note that Barovian and Gundarakite names are different. If so, they cant both be based on Romainian names. Forfarian names are obviously scottish, but I have no idea what Thanni names are based on. I think Verbreker names might be Welsh, but I'm not sure. I would appriciate any information. Here are some sample names from the gazetteers. Barovian:Alexandru, Bela, Uta, Bianca Gundarakite:Lazlo, Demetrius, Serafin, Antonia Thanni:Ysni, Gjon, Vona, Blerta Verbreker:Cadoc, Herveig, Yuveot, Goulvena
#2 orodruin Jul 28, 2006 2:51:52	The Gazetteers note that Barovian and Gundarakite names are different. If so, they cant both be based on Romainian names. Barovian:Alexandru, Bela, Uta, Bianca Gundarakite:Lazlo, Demetrius, Serafin, Antonia Thanni:Ysni, Gjon, Vona, Blerta Verbreker:Cadoc, Herveig, Yuveot, Goulvena You might want to look up some russian names for the Barovians. Considering the names of some of the more prominant Barovian characters, like Sergei, Tatyana, Irina Kolyana (daughter of Kolyan Indrirovich), Ivan Dilisniya, etc...
#3 zombiegleemax Aug 08, 2006 10:55:02	You might want to take a look at this. I belive, there's a netbook somewhere that features (or at least tips for) typical names in a domain. Or maybe it was on the Kargatane site. Don't know if those books are still avaible. For Souragne, anyway, I'd go with French names (Anton Misrois, Jean / Luc / Marcel Tarrascon / etc...). It might also be helpful, to read the Ravenloft Novels and note the names used in there.
#4 rotipher Aug 08, 2006 13:16:04	Note that the "Bloodlines" family trees from the old Black Box book listed quite a number of German-sounding names in the old Barovian noble clans, even though the Gazetteers mostly restrict pseudo-German nomenclature to Falkovnia. One possible way to resolve this is if you assume that the ruling families of Old Borjia (Material-Plane nation of origin for the Von Zaroviches, Dilisnyas, etc) had intermarried with the nobility from a neighboring German-style nation for centuries, such that Germanic first names tend to crop up among the "upper-crust" Barovians and Borcans, whereas commoners' names are consistently Slavic. This would account for why Strahd had an ancestor named "Von Holtz" and a brother named "Sturm", neither of which sound particularly Slavic IMHO. It would also create more of a distinction between commoners and nobility in their naming habits, on par with how you expect to find more "Reginalds" in wealthy English-speaking families and more "Ralphs" in low-to-middle-class ones.
#5 zombiegleemax Aug 16, 2006 2:21:38	You might want to take a look at this. I belive, there's a netbook somewhere that features (or at least tips for) typical names in a domain. Or maybe it was on the Kargatane site. Don't know if those books are still avaible. For Souragne, anyway, I'd go with French names (Anton Misrois, Jean / Luc / Marcel Tarrascon / etc...). It might also be helpful, to read the Ravenloft Novels and note the names used in there. This link does not work. Do you know why this is?