I've been world-building a science fiction/space opera setting, and I'm trying to figure out what to call one of the alien factions. They're based on the "grey alien" stereotype, only in this case they're actually wearing form-fitting grey environment suits with black goggles. Their main thing is that they're essentially a species of mad scientists. They have a habit of abducting members of other species, dismissing some and sending them back with altered memories, while taking others away to be subjected to experiments involving genetic modification, cloning and selective breeding. The goal of these experiments is apparently to produce various sub-species with certain traits, but the aliens do this seemingly at random and for no apparent reason. Very occasionally they also do stuff like attacking a random planet or space habitat, killing anyone who resists, mutating the rest of the population into werewolves or something, and then leave. Pretty much all other civilizations in the galaxy considers them a major nuisance at best. Thing is that they are pretty much impossible to communicate with. Their language in an indecipherable series of clicking and trilling noises that may require a telepathic component to comprehend. Speaking of which, all attempts at telepathic communication has failed since the minds of these guys don't seem to work like that of any other sapient species - the only thing other telepath can read in them is garbled nonsense and psychic static. All other forms of communication are either ignored or met with unpredictable responses, making it clear that the aliens themselves are entirely disinterested in talking to others. Because of this, nobody knows what they actually call themselves. This of course means I can't just make a name up like with all the other aliens. So I figure they've just giving these creatures a descriptive epithet - you know, like "the Engineers" from the newer Alien movies, or the "the Harvesters" from Independence Day. I've been trying to think of a word or term that would suit them, preferably something clever and unusual, but I'm have trouble with it. I could just call them "the Gray", but I feel there's got to be something more creative than that. It's one of those cases where I just know in the back of my mind that there's a good name for these guys - something suggesting "a group of lunatic troublemakers", perhaps? But I'm drawing a blank on it, so now I'm taking suggestions.
How close are you to finishing the world building? 'Hooligan' is the first that comes to mind from your literal description, but that's not very sinister sounding. Banditti is actual a plural form of 'bandit', you could maybe alter it somwhat like Vanditti. Personally, I always liked the name of an alien race in the Science Fiction RPG 'Star Frontiers', the Sathar. They actually match your description vaguely (mysterious, no known communication in the original game). If it were me, I'd be tempted to email the creator of 'Star Frontiers' and ask if it would be OK to use the name in the world building, in your case maybe say that 'Sathar' is an onomatopoeia of one of the sounds they make. But I realize that's not very original, but as I said I like the name and maybe it's more a homage.
Perhaps you are trying too hard to find something in our language that just won't work in theirs. Given your description of them and their language, maybe something completely unpronounceable is appropriate. Clicking and trilling is hard to describe but something could be approximated. When I had to find a name for the opponents of one of my sword and sorcery characters, I would simply type a few letters on the keyboard, without looking, just to see what came out. When something appeared I thought I could use, I would capitalize it, maybe change a letter and there it was. Some examples: owiefjb k'dsnoiu iwuefb oijd'n JMHO...
Not at all, honestly. I'm not very good at world building, partially because I find it tedious. When I do this sort of thing it tends to be more of an occasional hobby-project that may turn into something useful down the line. (I also have a superhero setting that's pretty much the same deal.) When thinking of writing an actual story I tend to only concern myself with whatever world-building I need for the plot to work and keep the deeper lore as an afterthought. So far I have a rough idea of the backstory of humanity meeting aliens and going to space, how psychic powers and technology works, a couple of weapon concepts, and ideas for some 7-8 types of aliens including the one in question. If you're interested I may post a rough draft of the setting sometime later, but it's kinda messy and despite my laziness it's still more than I'd usually post, so I'll have to look it over first. I feel like it would be more disparaging or sardonic than sinister, really. Kinda like: "Goddammit, it's those guys again. Someone get me my beam rifle!" Also I should mention, they were most likely named by one of the older space-faring species, so the name would just be the human word translated from their language. Yeah, I'd rather not. Especially since I've never even heard of that game. Anyway, I can just make something like "Sathar" up fairly easily. I just think that giving them a descriptive name would sorta underline how difficult it is to understand them. You misunderstand. Their name for themselves in their own language is a mystery, so everyone else just started calling them... whatever it is they're called. In this setting, even the techno-barbarian shark-vikings and the giant xenophobic bugs are still at least capable of introducing themselves and explain what they want. These guys just stare at you and then they'll probably teleport you to their ship, graft extra arms to your torso and refuse to elaborate. That's what makes them so weird, which is the point.
I remember a certain game. The opening dialogue went something like this: "Aliens have landed on Earth. We are unable to determine their intentions. We are calling them 'Ravagers'".
Yeah, like that, but they don't usually "ravage." It's more like they... pilfer? They're sneaky, clandestine types who yoink people when you're not looking and disappear with them. Despite having some of the most advanced tech, they actually tend to run away when meeting serious resistance. Even when they do launch a big raid, they don't cause more damage than they need to. It's as if they view all other species in the galaxy as unruly lab rats.
Hmm, tempting, though that almost sounds too pejorative. Makes me think of South Park for some reason. "Snatchers" might work, though I don't quite like the sound of it. These ones wear gray, which I guess is their equivalent. I'd shorten it to just Techs, though that sounds more like a species of gadgeteers and mechanics. Makes me imagine a small, funny alien that scurries around ships, crawling into the machinery to make repairs and constructing questionable inventions out of spare parts.
Meddlers comes to mind, since they're apparently not too significant a threat relatively speaking. Interlopers doesn't have as much a ring to it... The Odd? Odd ones? Odd Makers? EDF! ... EDF! ... EDF!
A lot of times we call other people nouns based on where they came from. Germans don’t call themselves Germans, that’s our English word for them. Because they’re from the land we call Germany, it makes no difference that they called it Duetchland. So what star system/cluster/region are they from? Call them that.
I actually haven't quite decided how much of a threat I want them to be, honestly. I definitely do want the potential for action sequences - space battles and so on - but part of the concept for the setting is that huge galaxy-scale conflict is very uncommon: Skirmishes occur but large prolonged wars don't tend to happen often, most societies are decentralized with independent or semi-independent colonies or city-states rather than big empires, and the various species mostly get along and mingle a lot. It's a setting designed for individual heroes flying around space and having adventures rather than heavy political stuff or apocalyptic threats. Think Star Wars but with less war. I was thinking of having these guys be part of the "Trinity of Troubles" - the three species most likely to cause problems. The other two are an entire society of pirate raiders with a natural inclination towards violence and a bunch of very territorial giant bugs with eco-terrorist tendencies. (Although I'm developing a soft spot for the bugs.) I'm not sure they even have a proper star system: At least for now I'm picturing them as being very mobile, spread out and possibly nomadic. They mostly live in hidden space installations or on planets they sized for experimentation purposes, the latter of which they will abandon if defending them becomes too troublesome. Their original homeworld may be lost, destroyed, abandoned or hidden away somehow. Also, they are a very old species who've been capable of space travel for as long as anyone can recall. In short, the whole point is that they're super-mysterious and inexplicable.
