Monday, October 17, 2011

What We'll Call Stuff...

Space Elf Yra by cashmerekiss
SandWyrm here. I'm still working on those preliminary movement rules, but I thought that I'd offer up a cool idea for how to name our Space Elves and some other races. Plus some thematic stuff.

I suggest that we refer to the Space Elves as the Aesir and the Vanir.

Both are generic Old-Norse terms for their gods. The Vanir were associated with fertility, wisdom, and the ability to see the future. While the Aesir were a more generic term.

So thematically, if the Space Elves (Aesir) had a fall/war/collapse and only some who were able to see the future (Vanir) escaped, then that sets things up quite nicely. The 'Illr' (evil) Aesir could be quite numerous (though still few in comparison to humans), corrupt, and deadly. While the more civilized Vanir would only survive as nomads. Or, if they forsook their tech to be left alone (through some Illr pact), as primitive farmers.

The Aesir could be the agents of death and dispair. With a hedonism and power that has attracted certain breakaway human factions to them. Such as the "Fallen" orders of Imperial Knights. Who wish to learn the Aesir's secrets and use them to "free" humanity from the stagnation of the Imperium.


Along the same lines, our Space Dwarves could be called the Dweorg. Which is another Old Norse term. Perhapes an uplifted slave race of the Aesir that got away from them?


As for the big green guys, 'Orcus' was the Roman god of death. 'Brutii' was the ancient Roman name for the people who lived in southern Italy. 'Occupo' is Latin for 'enjoyment'. 'Ferus' is Latin for 'Fierce'. 'Saurr' is old Norse for 'Filth'. 'Grün' is German for 'Green'.

I'd just like to find something fitting that's not just another misspelling of 'Orc'. Though Tolkien's spelling is generic enough now that we could probably use that.

-SandWyrm

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