The Origin of Names

The page on the left is the very first page of the famous "Big Red Book," in which the earliest Wildlander writing is contained. The page below is the second page. Along with several very rough drawings, they contain nothing more than a list of names. Actually, it is really just a list of words (some of which happen to be names) which were later adapted to become the names of lots of folks and places in the story.

Although the left page is smudged and difficult to read in parts, clearly legible are many very recognizable names. Some of them are obviously lifted right from the page (Bab el-Mandeb), others are combinations (Yared Mengistu), and still others are permutations (such as "Lalibela," which became Leila Bela). Some of the names are very famous in the context of the story, whereas others are historic footnotes or obscure places yet to be discovered. Among my favorites of these include the Lich Mai Shum, and the Giant Tabib, both of whom were slain by Zarbizul's father Thalzahar wielding the blade Akhoring. Also, the lost refuge of the Ras Dashen Elves (both Ras Dashen and Bahar Dar appear on the list) is a place called "Loch Angevin," for which Roscoe is currently searching.

Knowing the penchant of the players to ask for names in a pinch, I needed to have a solid list upon which to draw. This list comes almost exclusively from Graham Hancock's book, "The Sign and the Seal," which describes the author's journey through Ethiopia in search of the Lost Ark of the Covenant. Hancock's work is a great source of inspiration for me. Many of the place-names from the South Central Confederacy are Egyptian hybrid names (such as the metropolis of Bakara) that emanate from Hancock's writing. One of the best examples of this is the syllabic combination "akhor", which Hancock breaks down in detail in his book, "Message of the Sphinx." You'll find it in The Wildlanders in such uses as the aforementioned sword "Akhoring," (employing the Tolkeinian suffix "ing", i.e. "Glamdring,") and also for the deity "Kultakhor" (again a Tolkeinian combo that riffs on the name of the Vala "Tulkas," the god of strength).

It must be noted that other, more extensive lists of names come up later in the writing. These lists draw upon different sources, such as Tolkein, Brian Froud, and even George S. Clason. However, in the case of Tolkein, these names almost always divert from source names and become multi-syllabic hybrids. Most of the Dwarf names fall into this category. Author Christopher Paolini uses direct Tolkein names in his "Eragon" trilogy, a tactic for which the author has been criticized.

Despite the detailed accounting of how the names were created, most fans of the Wildlanders would probably agree that the very best of the names do not come from this list, or from any name list that derives inspiration from an outside source. Rather, the truly original names are the absolute best. These would include all the Halfling names, interesting characters such as Dorg Durg and Zarbizul, as well as the rare examples of truly "off the cuff" names such as Ulbor.

One final note: if you look at the second page, you'll see the name "Beckingham Huntingford." I don't know if it was used like that in "The Sign and the Seal," or if I took two names and paired them up in such fashion. Regardless, it evolved into "Buckingham Huntingford," a primary cover identity of the Great Jadot.