Atilium Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Okay, so I'm working on a magic system and I'm trying to find a name for my magic users. I have a slag name already, I'm just looking for a more... "formal" name, like Misting vs Allomancer. But I don't want it to end in "-mancer" or "-mancy" or anything like that. And I don't want "mage" or something since I want to have the feel that my magic isn't magic, it's a scientific part of the world. So does anyone else have any idea of prefix's or suffix's or ancient names or anything for magic users? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunnyburn Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Can you give a little background into their abilities and the source of these abilities? I'd love to help brainstorm but I don't know where to start. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atilium Posted July 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Can you give a little background into their abilities and the source of these abilities? I'd love to help brainstorm but I don't know where to start. Ah well basically, the magic users (slang name Burners) are all born with birthmarks that they "burn" (kinda like branding) and different types of marks grant different "powers" - enhanced speed, strength, etc, for the duration of the burning. Very simple explanation there, I can PM you if you'd like more details? not very comfortable with putting my best ideas up n the internet for anyone to see 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunnyburn Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 I assumed as much. I feel the same way. Just spittballin' here: "The Branded" "Scorchers" "Marked Ones" "Fireskins" I did a quick wikipedia search on cattle branding, and apparently unbranded livestock are called "cleanskins." Maybe that could be a basis if you need a term for your "muggles." If you're comfortable divulging more, I might be able to come up with a few more. Keep it to yourself if you want, though. I totally understand. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atilium Posted July 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 I assumed as much. I feel the same way. Just spittballin' here: "The Branded" "Scorchers" "Marked Ones" "Fireskins" I did a quick wikipedia search on cattle branding, and apparently unbranded livestock are called "cleanskins." Maybe that could be a basis if you need a term for your "muggles." If you're comfortable divulging more, I might be able to come up with a few more. Keep it to yourself if you want, though. I totally understand. Oh I like those.... "cleanskins" is awesome too. Sure, I'll PM you 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashiok Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 If the marks grant elemental powers, try Firemarked, Watermarked, etc. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delightful Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 "Imprinted" "The Seared Ones" Something like that? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swimmingly Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Watermarked sounds like something you do to stock photography. I'd make several relevant terms, depending on specificity and who's using it - if there are lots of them, and they make prominent figures in the underground, you might hear about mob boss Barnes Burnie Boys, but if they're of the upper class, you might call them the Branded, the Seared, etc. They might think of themselves as specialties - I was Branded, a (insert power set here). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prince of Ravens Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Do what I do at the times like this. Find answers in other languages. Less speakers of that language the better ... than you mangle it and create new word. It would be inspired by blend old foreign word but it's reincarnation would be awesome made up word with meaning Let's see: English branded, let's transle it to some slavic tongue. Like Serbian. That would be žigosan. Ž is pronaunced like g in mirage. Zhigosan? "Hey that guy over there is one of the Zhigosan" "Really? We better move out before he decides to burn some poor cleanskins like us." Works ... sort of. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atilium Posted July 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 If the marks grant elemental powers, try Firemarked, Watermarked, etc. That's a cool idea! They're not elemental but I still love the sound of Firemarked... "Imprinted" "The Seared Ones" Something like that? Loving Imprinted... really gives the impression that they believe a god is "imprinting" them. Thanks! Watermarked sounds like something you do to stock photography. I'd make several relevant terms, depending on specificity and who's using it - if there are lots of them, and they make prominent figures in the underground, you might hear about mob boss Barnes Burnie Boys, but if they're of the upper class, you might call them the Branded, the Seared, etc. They might think of themselves as specialties - I was Branded, a (insert power set here). Hahaha! I was thinking something along those lines... though I'm worried it would be a bit confusing for the reader? Do what I do at the times like this. Find answers in other languages. Less speakers of that language the better ... than you mangle it and create new word. It would be inspired by blend old foreign word but it's reincarnation would be awesome made up word with meaning Let's see: English branded, let's translate it to some slavic tongue. Like Serbian. That would be žigosan. Ž is pronaunced like g in mirage. Zhigosan? "Hey that guy over there is one of the Zhigosan" "Really? We better move out before he decides to burn some poor cleanskins like us." Works ... sort of. I love doing this too, though I often find that nothing works.... or lots of them would work and I cant choose It's always possible to alter the spelling, like turn Zhigosan into zaegosin or something.... hmm... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haradion Drogon Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Soulmarked? Thaum is Latin for Magic (or it might be greek) So... Thaumarked? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swimmingly Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Thaum is a bit overused 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunnyburn Posted July 23, 2014 Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 Would arcane birthmarks be an appropriate definition? If so, we can take the latin "nevi" or "naevi" for birthmark and mash 'em together somehow: "Arcanaevian" "Arcaevian" (that last one sounds a bit magic-bird-y.) Or "thaum" and "naevi" somehow? I'm stuck on these cool sounding latin words. A bit cliche but effective in my opinion. Thaunaevian? Thaumaevian? I know you wanna avoid -mancer, but I'm gonna throw Nevimancer and Naevimancer out there. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atilium Posted July 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 Would arcane birthmarks be an appropriate definition? If so, we can take the latin "nevi" or "naevi" for birthmark and mash 'em together somehow: "Arcanaevian" "Arcaevian" (that last one sounds a bit magic-bird-y.) Or "thaum" and "naevi" somehow? I'm stuck on these cool sounding latin words. A bit cliche but effective in my opinion. Thaunaevian? Thaumaevian? I know you wanna avoid -mancer, but I'm gonna throw Nevimancer and Naevimancer out there. I did think of Naeviomancer... I must admit I like it Arcaevian is cool. Soulmarked? Thaum is Latin for Magic (or it might be greek) So... Thaumarked? Soul marked won't work, I have another magic system in the same world that focuses heavily on souls. Not sure about thaum. I like the sound of it but I'm worried well-read Fantasy readers will recognize it,and as (i think) I mentioned I don't even want to say the word magic once, or associated words ie witch, mage etc. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swimmingly Posted July 23, 2014 Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 Then don't say it in other languages either. That's kind of a cheap trick, and if the root isn't clear (it's in a language sufficiently far from English that it doesn't even have the right sound) then it doesn't do your story any good either. I would go with Branded, Seared, Scorched, or even maybe a descriptor of the usual shape. If you want a scientific feel, you could take off the capitals: I'm an engineer, I'm a soldier, I'm a burner. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prince of Ravens Posted July 23, 2014 Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 Then don't say it in other languages either. That's kind of a cheap trick, and if the root isn't clear (it's in a language sufficiently far from English that it doesn't even have the right sound) then it doesn't do your story any good either. I would go with Branded, Seared, Scorched, or even maybe a descriptor of the usual shape. If you want a scientific feel, you could take off the capitals: I'm an engineer, I'm a soldier, I'm a burner. Well that depends. Is language in that fantasy world English or are we reading it in English by some form of translation convention? If we know that they don't actually speak English few words left untranslated would make world seem more alive. Of course you can go all Tolkien and invent new language and new script. It is left to you how much you are committed to world building. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashiok Posted July 24, 2014 Report Share Posted July 24, 2014 Hmm... I have ideas, but I need to know how the brands manifest and if the shapes and powers vary/ what kinds of shapes and powers there are... Send me a PM? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swimmingly Posted July 24, 2014 Report Share Posted July 24, 2014 Something built off the root of "Cauterized", maybe? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atilium Posted July 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2014 (edited) Then don't say it in other languages either. That's kind of a cheap trick, and if the root isn't clear (it's in a language sufficiently far from English that it doesn't even have the right sound) then it doesn't do your story any good either. I would go with Branded, Seared, Scorched, or even maybe a descriptor of the usual shape. If you want a scientific feel, you could take off the capitals: I'm an engineer, I'm a soldier, I'm a burner. I can see your point and I partly agree with you... but on the other hand, knowing what the root is helps me. In my one world I ahve a small island-continent that is almost entirely desert and mountains. So I looked up names that meant "dry" and "mountain" and combined two of them and fiddled with the spelling to form a name for the country. The name is no longer recognizable as either of those, but in my head, I feel as if I didn't just pull a fanatsy-sounding name out of my head. Well that depends. Is language in that fantasy world English or are we reading it in English by some form of translation convention? If we know that they don't actually speak English few words left untranslated would make world seem more alive. Of course you can go all Tolkien and invent new language and new script. It is left to you how much you are committed to world building. I tried making my own language last year... nope, not as easy as Tolkien, Paolini and Brandon make it look! (though you could argue Paolini's ancient language was a rip-off of Eupoean languages all squished together) Hmm... I have ideas, but I need to know how the brands manifest and if the shapes and powers vary/ what kinds of shapes and powers there are... Send me a PM? sure sent! Something built off the root of "Cauterized", maybe? yeah that could work... kaiein means "to burn" I could maybe combine naevi and kaiein... Kainevien - to burn the birthmark? Edited July 24, 2014 by Atilium 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swimmingly Posted July 24, 2014 Report Share Posted July 24, 2014 That's got a nice ring to it 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daienlll Posted January 3, 2016 Report Share Posted January 3, 2016 If it's a scientific sort of magic, why not give them a scientific name? Example: we are Homo Sapiens, but we're called humans or people, or salt is sodium chloride. These are probably bad examples, but something like a scientific name and then "Burners" could be a common name. Like Homo Combustum or something. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.