Hey all, I would like to know what your impression is of these character names. Orophin Darkwood Jamie Amanacia Krakus Goldshield Amerin ______. Like others have posted I am curious as to what people see. My WIP is a fantasy setting with high levels of magic. Very much LotR, Wheel of time, or Dragonlance styles. as for Amerin, I'm still working on a last name, perhaps you have a few ideas? Thanks
Orophin Darkwood - He's a wizard. He's been doing his wizardly thing for about a thousand years. He carries a quarter staff. Not a Gandolf type staff, a real fighting weapon. He doesn't need a stick to cast his spells, nothing but a crutch for weak wizards. Jamie Amanacia - She's an orphan girl who Darkwood rescued a few years ago. He's tried to teach her magic but she sucks at it so far. The last time she tried to scare away a leopard with a flash of light she accidentally turned it into a cat. Now it won't stop following her. Krakus Goldshield - Krakus deserted from the King's army. He doesn't shy away from a good fight but he was sick of the King's idiotic skirmishes. The man just doesn't understand what his troops go through. Krakus also walks with a slight limp now. He was shot in the knee with an arrow while running from some of the king's guards. He carries a two handed sword and a few daggers up his sleeve at all times. There's also a mace on his back. He feels contempt for anyone who fights while holding a shield. Amerin is just Amerin. He doesn't have a last name. At least not one he's willing to tell you. He had stolen a horse and was later captured by some of the King's guards. He made his escape when Goldshield took off and distracted them. Krakus has fought along side him a couple of times since their journey north and so far he trusts the little guy in a fight but he wouldn't turn his back on him.
"I used to be a member of the King's army, but then I took an arrow to the knee." Sorry, couldn't resist. But seriously... Orophin seems like a wizardy type to me too. Not the feeble sort who spends all his time in a tower reading books, but an active, out-in-the-world, adventuring mage. Jamie... Female, maybe half-elven (or raised by elves, hence the last name)... a teenager (sixteen or so), red-hair, kind of shy. She's never been out in the world before now, so everything is new to her. Krakus is definitely a warrior. Maybe dwarven (if they exist), or a burly human with black hair/eyes and a beard. He's a friendly type who speaks in a booming voice; when he does something, he goes all in - be it drinking, eating, fighting, or even just a game of cards. Amerin Dagalish: Sounds vaguely elven. A young man who speaks little (or maybe he's completely mute). He's lean, has shoulder-length light blonde or silver hair, and gray eyes; he wields a rapier/slim longsword as well as a couple daggers; he's a fencer who fights with sword and main-gauche/dagger.
Orophin Darkwood- A beautiful, effeminate and sophisticated sorcerer. Eerie, tragic and solitary. Gay. Jamie Amanacia- A strong, independent woman, possibly with nature magic. Orphan. Tomboyish. Krakus Goldshield- A tough warrior. Brutal and savage. Bitter about something. No-nonsense. Amerin- A mysterious rogue. Nobody knows whether to trust or like them. Androgynous looking. Full of secrets and unique agendas.
Thanks, I'm loving what your all coming up with. It's always nice to see how others view the names you have chosen for main characters. Here is a bit more info on my world. Similar to the Wheel of Time books. untrained mages are hunted by elite assassins. they are given the choice to learn how to control their power by leaving everything they know and move to the Isle of Magi or die. Magi who leave the tower before they have ascended are hunted and killed on sight. Races do exsist in my world including, Humans, Elves, Dwarfs, Halflings, Ect. I plan to create a few of my own races. I have three major cities/powers on the main continent two are at war and one is trying to act as a mediator between the two to keep peace. Anyways keep the impressions coming!
Orophin Darkwood - Full of himself. A master mage, probably Jamie's mentor. Humanoid or human. My guess would be like elfish or somthing along those lines Jamie Amanacia - Probably hates his? last name. Human. Wizard apprentice or summat. Probably really awkward and underestimates himself and as such looks like a really crap magician. Krakus Goldshield- A warrior, probably not human. I imagine some sort of brawny horned orcesque type creature. Loyal. The heavily honourable type. Amerin ______. A centaur. Shoots things with bows and stuff
I would be careful about too many syllables or too difficult to pronounce names. I think it takes some readers out of the story (albeit briefly) when they trip over names. Orophin - Makes you mumble. Amanacia - If you are used to pronouncing onomatopoeia you might not trip over this one but it has the same issue, you have to stop, figure it out and then say it a few more times before you can read it quickly. The rest are OK.
I'm fine with pronouncing those names, but I guess I am somewhat practised saying weird fictional names and I also have a large vocabulary so I know weird real words.
The names aren't hard after you sound them out once or twice. But for some of us, me, my eye flows over the word and I have to pause to find where the syllable breaks are. Once I do that a couple times, the word is fine. But what I'm saying is for many readers that little delay finding the syllable breaks is annoying. That's fine if you need that name for some reason. And I'm not saying only use simple names. I'm saying make it a conscious choice or be careful using certain multi-syllabic names.
Hey all, I never considered the names hard to read. I find that quite surprising. granted I do agree with you now that I think about it. compared to my other names however, those are quite modest. This is awesome keep it up!
Aurelia doesn't have the same problem. I'm sure there is a key to the problem I'm not articulating correctly but let me try again. Think of it as, does the name cause a tongue tied problem or not? Au-rel-ia has natural syllable breaks that roll fine of the tongue. Think of, 'She sells sea shells down by the sea shore.' Your tongue gets tied. Amanacia: My brain starts with am-a-nan-a. It doesn't naturally stop where ci-a comes in. So I have to go back over the word, A-ma-na, and consciously stop then add ci-a, even then I want to add an 'n': A-ma-nan-cia. Keep in mind these are nanosecond stumbles, and not everyone will experience them or even the same ones. You'll find some irregularities in some languages that come from similar tongue stumbles. Here are some examples in Spanish where a feminine word that should have the article 'la' has instead the article 'el': Keep in mind I'm going with my gut on the two names in question and my gut may be the only gut that senses these two name pronunciation issues.
I didn't either, the first time... but I read back over it, and it just seemed to have too many As. Another thing hit me - these names look like they were inspired by the Forgotten Realms naming system. Just saying.
