Dragonmark Surnames [Archive] - Wizards Community

Dragonmark Surnames [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Lokkar
07-08-05, 11:11 AM I know on page 138 of the Eberron Campaign Setting book it talks about surnames.

My group will be starting our Eberron campaign tomorrow and I just wanted to clarify this a little bit. Do all members of a Dragonmarked house use the d'.

Also is it always the same name. I know thier are examples of House Tharashk members having different last names. I'm assuming this is because House Tharashk is formed of multiple clans. But does this occur in any of the other houses. I've looked over the books and I haven't found any other examples of a House Cannith member having a last name other than d'Cannith.

Well there is the women from forgotten forge but they change her name in Shadows of the Last War.

Specifically, I'm interested in House Ghallanda.

One of my players is playing a female Hafling from the Talenta Plains. Her father is member of House Ghallanda and her mother is by marriage but not by blood.

Any thoughts or suggestions?
MarkB
07-08-05, 11:24 AM All blood members of a House take the House name as their surname. Members who manifest a dragonmark add the d' on the front.

There are various family lines in each house, and these will have their own surnames - for instance Lady Elaydren d'Cannith from the official modules is actually Lady Elaydren Vown d'Cannith - but they don't tend to use these names when dealing with outsiders. House Tharashk is an exception because, as you say, there's still some major tribalism there, and also because they're a relatively young House.
cmanos
07-08-05, 11:25 AM RoE states halflings of the Talenta plains rarely go by more than one name. Members of a tribe don't share names to avoid confusion. If there do happen to be two named the same, they kind of use the Welsh tradition and give them nicknames based on physical or personality traits...

Morgan Goat and Morgan Gimp for example

I think the d' prefix on hte house isn't so much a surname as it is like 'ap' in celtic/gaelic names. Bob d'Cannith = Bob of House Cannith. So I'd think maybe when the halfling is in the big city he/she would go by the d'Ghallanda if he wanted to be recognized as part of the house. That is IF he knows that other races use a surname.
Lokkar
07-08-05, 11:41 AM All blood members of a House take the House name as their surname. Members who manifest a dragonmark add the d' on the front.

Oh I didn't realize the 'd was only for dragonmarked individuals? Is this referenced somewhere?
Lokkar
07-08-05, 12:08 PM Ahh I see I found some more information from manually searching through the ask keith baker thread.

Thanks for all the help this should clear things up.
Jayj
07-08-05, 12:58 PM I was under the impression, not only from the ECS but from the attitudes in the Sharn: City of Towers novel, that naming yourself after the family (d'Cannith, Ghallanda, etc.) is optional (though highly encouraged), and more importantly, the d' is only to indicate that you're part of the bloodline and CAN manifest a dragonmark. Reference ECS P. 138, Surnames sidebar.

"In a practice that predates Galifar and was introduced after the War of the Mark, those born of the blood of draonmarked houses add a d' to their surnames. Merrix d'Cannith, Orum d'Kundarak, and Elsen d'Medani are all blood members of the dragonmarked houses."

So someone who married into it might call themselves Cannith but the spouse, who is of the blood, would call themselves d'Cannith.

Reason for this is... if you go around calling yourself d'Cannith only when you have the Mark of Making, it's a dead giveaway. People automatically know that you're Marked. If you didn't want it automatically known that you were Marked, why would you declare that?

Also, the purpose of the d' shouldn't be so much to indicate whether you're marked as it should be whether you or your children COULD become Marked. It's a tool to help prevent outbreeding.

You could adopt a different name than your House's, you'd just likely be more liable to be respected in your House if you took their name rather than, say, your non-blooded father's name.

I can't remember where, but it seems like there are some NPCs with stats who had a d' in their name but no Dragonmark feat. Could be mistaken.

- Jayj
MarkB
07-08-05, 02:17 PM Oh I didn't realize the 'd was only for dragonmarked individuals? Is this referenced somewhere?
It wasn't originally included in the setting, which is why there are some inconsistencies with existing names. As mentioned, it's something Keith's stated in the AKB thread, and I believe it's also referenced in the glossary of the City of Towers novel.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Lokkar 07-08-05, 11:11 AM	I know on page 138 of the Eberron Campaign Setting book it talks about surnames. My group will be starting our Eberron campaign tomorrow and I just wanted to clarify this a little bit. Do all members of a Dragonmarked house use the d'. Also is it always the same name. I know thier are examples of House Tharashk members having different last names. I'm assuming this is because House Tharashk is formed of multiple clans. But does this occur in any of the other houses. I've looked over the books and I haven't found any other examples of a House Cannith member having a last name other than d'Cannith. Well there is the women from forgotten forge but they change her name in Shadows of the Last War. Specifically, I'm interested in House Ghallanda. One of my players is playing a female Hafling from the Talenta Plains. Her father is member of House Ghallanda and her mother is by marriage but not by blood. Any thoughts or suggestions?
MarkB 07-08-05, 11:24 AM	All blood members of a House take the House name as their surname. Members who manifest a dragonmark add the d' on the front. There are various family lines in each house, and these will have their own surnames - for instance Lady Elaydren d'Cannith from the official modules is actually Lady Elaydren Vown d'Cannith - but they don't tend to use these names when dealing with outsiders. House Tharashk is an exception because, as you say, there's still some major tribalism there, and also because they're a relatively young House.
cmanos 07-08-05, 11:25 AM	RoE states halflings of the Talenta plains rarely go by more than one name. Members of a tribe don't share names to avoid confusion. If there do happen to be two named the same, they kind of use the Welsh tradition and give them nicknames based on physical or personality traits... Morgan Goat and Morgan Gimp for example I think the d' prefix on hte house isn't so much a surname as it is like 'ap' in celtic/gaelic names. Bob d'Cannith = Bob of House Cannith. So I'd think maybe when the halfling is in the big city he/she would go by the d'Ghallanda if he wanted to be recognized as part of the house. That is IF he knows that other races use a surname.
Lokkar 07-08-05, 11:41 AM	All blood members of a House take the House name as their surname. Members who manifest a dragonmark add the d' on the front. Oh I didn't realize the 'd was only for dragonmarked individuals? Is this referenced somewhere?
Lokkar 07-08-05, 12:08 PM	Ahh I see I found some more information from manually searching through the ask keith baker thread. Thanks for all the help this should clear things up.
Jayj 07-08-05, 12:58 PM	I was under the impression, not only from the ECS but from the attitudes in the Sharn: City of Towers novel, that naming yourself after the family (d'Cannith, Ghallanda, etc.) is optional (though highly encouraged), and more importantly, the d' is only to indicate that you're part of the bloodline and CAN manifest a dragonmark. Reference ECS P. 138, Surnames sidebar. "In a practice that predates Galifar and was introduced after the War of the Mark, those born of the blood of draonmarked houses add a d' to their surnames. Merrix d'Cannith, Orum d'Kundarak, and Elsen d'Medani are all blood members of the dragonmarked houses." So someone who married into it might call themselves Cannith but the spouse, who is of the blood, would call themselves d'Cannith. Reason for this is... if you go around calling yourself d'Cannith only when you have the Mark of Making, it's a dead giveaway. People automatically know that you're Marked. If you didn't want it automatically known that you were Marked, why would you declare that? Also, the purpose of the d' shouldn't be so much to indicate whether you're marked as it should be whether you or your children COULD become Marked. It's a tool to help prevent outbreeding. You could adopt a different name than your House's, you'd just likely be more liable to be respected in your House if you took their name rather than, say, your non-blooded father's name. I can't remember where, but it seems like there are some NPCs with stats who had a d' in their name but no Dragonmark feat. Could be mistaken. - Jayj
MarkB 07-08-05, 02:17 PM	Oh I didn't realize the 'd was only for dragonmarked individuals? Is this referenced somewhere? It wasn't originally included in the setting, which is why there are some inconsistencies with existing names. As mentioned, it's something Keith's stated in the AKB thread, and I believe it's also referenced in the glossary of the City of Towers novel.