EDIT: Nope, no surname. Cyric's father is only mentioned as a nameless "low-ranking Zhentarim soldier", and his nameless mother was a failed-bard-turned-prostitute of no consequence. He was sold into slavery a few times, but never seemed to pick up any name beyond his given first name, although at one point he was taken as a son of sorts by a Sembian vintner, Astolpho, and his wife. Since they passed him off as their own for years, he probably had adopted their surname as his own, but it wasn't mentioned. Cyric's last name could be just about anything common to the Moonsea region, the Dalelands, or Sembia.
Cyric's mortal name was Cyric. Unlike Midnight, who adopted the name Mystra in order to keep the flame of faith alive in the hearts of the Mystrans and usher in an easier transition, Cyric retained his mortal name as a way to effectively flaunt his rise from mortality to divinity and demand worship from the former priests of the deities he usurped/killed. As for a surname, I don't recall ever coming across one. I might go look through Prince of Lies to see if I can gleam a last name, because there was the one scene of the True Life of Cyric reading, which reveals his upbringing.
EDIT: Nope, no surname. Cyric's father is only mentioned as a nameless "low-ranking Zhentarim soldier", and his nameless mother was a failed-bard-turned-prostitute of no consequence. He was sold into slavery a few times, but never seemed to pick up any name beyond his given first name, although at one point he was taken as a son of sorts by a Sembian vintner, Astolpho, and his wife. Since they passed him off as their own for years, he probably had adopted their surname as his own, but it wasn't mentioned. Cyric's last name could be just about anything common to the Moonsea region, the Dalelands, or Sembia.
Also in the Realms people of low birth sometimes just did not have a surname I believe. I seem to remember reading some lore about that...
The greater bulk of humanity takes a single name, such as “Doust” or “Mourngrym,” with a secondary name added if there is confusion, either from profession (“Doust the Fighter” ), location (“Doust of Shadowdale” ), or lineage (the latter in particular if some legendary figure was in the family line, such as “Doust, Grandson of Miniber the Sage” ).
Whereas nobles and gentry more regularly use a family name.
My buddy has a campaign (not Realms) where I played the bastard son of a soldier and a ****. I came up with Doogan Swordson as my name, he liked the sound of Swordson and decided that its a common surname given to bastard children of soldiers, so theres quite a few Swordsons running around. So its possible maybe the Zhents might do something similar, perhaps Cyric was known as Cyric Darkson, which he changed to Darksun once he became a god, just a thought.
Personally, Cyric always struck me as just a one-name guy. Sort of like Madonna, or Cher, but not really talented enough to earn it... like Eminem or Coolio. Plus, Cyric hated his father (or resented the idea, anyway), didn't have a particular fondness for the Zhents, and even re-wrote that whole goofy magical history book of his past because he was such a tool. I doubt he would even want a last name, because his ego qualifies him as a douche. Like Bono, Prince or Fabio.
My buddy has a campaign (not Realms) where I played the bastard son of a soldier and a ****. I came up with Doogan Swordson as my name, he liked the sound of Swordson and decided that its a common surname given to bastard children of soldiers, so theres quite a few Swordsons running around. So its possible maybe the Zhents might do something similar, perhaps Cyric was known as Cyric Darkson, which he changed to Darksun once he became a god, just a thought.
Personally, Cyric always struck me as just a one-name guy. Sort of like Madonna, or Cher, but not really talented enough to earn it... like Eminem or Coolio. Plus, Cyric hated his father (or resented the idea, anyway), didn't have a particular fondness for the Zhents, and even re-wrote that whole goofy magical history book of his past because he was such a tool. I doubt he would even want a last name, because his ego qualifies him as a douche. Like Bono, Prince or Fabio.
Dude, If you think Cher and Madonna have any talent whatsoever, then you got more problems than I thought!
Dude, If you think Cher and Madonna have any talent whatsoever, then you got more problems than I thought!
Much of the world would disagree with you. They both sell millions of records... Cher's net worth is around $850 million and Madonna's is around $350 million.
Dude, If you think Cher and Madonna have any talent whatsoever, then you got more problems than I thought!
Much of the world would disagree with you. They both sell millions of records... Cher's net worth is around $850 million and Madonna's is around $350 million.
Theres no accounting for taste I suppose. Madonna, she does have a good voice, I'll giver her that, I just dont like her music, but thats me personally of course, but Cher, ugh, to each their own i guess, but I just dont see how she sells out concerts, shes a good actress, shes done some good movies, but I just dont think she can sing, but any way this is getting really off topic. If you really want to argue the point we should do it in the Spam Club.
On topic, Cyric never seemed like a popular name to me, so there probably wasnt much confusion over it, so if some one said yeah it was Cyric, people knew who you were talking about and not saying Cyric? Cyric who? Which one? But he may have had a surname such as Darkson, or perhaps was known as Cyric of Zhentil Keep, or used his adoptive parents surname, or perhaps all of the above. Who knows? I dont think it really says any where, so its up to us to make it up.
On topic, Cyric never seemed like a popular name to me, so there probably wasnt much confusion over it, so if some one said yeah it was Cyric, people knew who you were talking about and not saying Cyric? Cyric who? Which one? But he may have had a surname such as Darkson, or perhaps was known as Cyric of Zhentil Keep, or used his adoptive parents surname, or perhaps all of the above. Who knows? I dont think it really says any where, so its up to us to make it up.
I don't see the need to "make it up" for Cyric, if it isn't there in the novels or other material we have. Mainly for the reasons people stated before, but I'll repeat them below here. Last names are common in our world, because we need that level of identification for credit cards and the like, but there just isn't that same necessity in medieval / renaissance times. And the Realms are known for commoners not having or using last names.
- Cyric has no intention of honoring his biological father's name.
- He's a mercenary / thief, who likely wouldn't mind being confused with others.
- He's not particularly proud of, or nostalgic for, his birth city.
- He hated his adoptive father as well, so why use their name?
- He isn't noble or royal.
- He wasn't known for anything particularly amazing (like "troll-killer") before the ToT.
- He was never heroic enough to earn a title.
Quite honestly, there's no compelling reason to believe that he would either need or want a last name, and since most commoners of the Realms don't place the same value on last names that we do in our society... I don't think he had one, or even used a titular reference. And no real reason to create one for him.
Of course, once he achieved godhood and had achieved some things, he did take several titles. Prince of Lies, the Dark Sun, the Black Sun, the Mad God, and the Lord of Three Crowns are among those that either he or his followers use for him. For him to acknowledge any mortal last name at this point would diminish the view people have of him as a god, as it would just serve to remind people of his not-that-long-ago mortality. And since the total number of worshippers is essential to a god's power these days, that'd be pretty dangerous.
PS: and I agree, in matters of taste there can be no argument. You don't like Cher, and I can't understand for the life of me why anyone on the planet would like Cyric or even want to use him as a deity in their realms. I just don't get it.
Hey, Joranhast, stop being so sexist. He obviously had no intention of honoring his mother's name either. 
;)
Other than that, I can't fathom why anyone would want to use Cyric either... he's better left ignored and in the rubbish bin than anything else.
Hey, Joranhast, stop being so sexist. He obviously had no intention of honoring his mother's name either.
Well, although "Cyric Whoreson" has a nice ring to it, somehow I think you're right. ;)
Other than that, I can't fathom why anyone would want to use Cyric either... he's better left ignored and in the rubbish bin than anything else.
I started reading Prince of Lies today, within the first few chapters I was confirmed in my opinion that if the Cyric as portrayed in the novels (by multiple authors, albeit, I admit, in the Avatar series) is anywhere near the official vision for him then what he needs is a spanking for being a spoiled, petulant little brat and to be sent to bed without any dinner... and forgotten entirely.
I never much liked him, even in the BGII game where at least he was portrayed as something other than a whiney little egomaniac, and this has really set the seal on it for me.
All of the above is my own opinion I expect it to neither matter or change the opinions of others.
Other than that, I can't fathom why anyone would want to use Cyric either... he's better left ignored and in the rubbish bin than anything else.
I started reading Prince of Lies today, within the first few chapters I was confirmed in my opinion that if the Cyric as portrayed in the novels (by multiple authors, albeit, I admit, in the Avatar series) is anywhere near the official vision for him then what he needs is a spanking for being a spoiled, petulant little brat and to be sent to bed without any dinner... and forgotten entirely.
I never much liked him, even in the BGII game where at least he was portrayed as something other than a whiney little egomaniac, and this has really set the seal on it for me.
All of the above is my own opinion I expect it to neither matter or change the opinions of others.
Oh snap, The_Silversword gonna be mad you said that stuff!
I don't see the need to "make it up" for Cyric, if it isn't there in the novels or other material we have. Mainly for the reasons people stated before, but I'll repeat them below here. Last names are common in our world, because we need that level of identification for credit cards and the like, but there just isn't that same necessity in medieval / renaissance times. And the Realms are known for commoners not having or using last names.
Right, I did point out that Cyric wasnt a popular name, not that Im aware of, so its not like Cyric would have to go by Cyric the Younger or something like that to avoid confusion to the Cyric down the street or what ever. But the Realms are a unique place and should not necessarily compared to our Earth's medieval/ renaissance time period. Surnames did seem to be pretty popular in the Realms, I can think of lots of characters who had last names, the 3e FRCS had lists of surnames, but yes many didnt have surnames or didnt use them and others were known by titles or descriptions such as Mirt the Moneylender. Really I guess it depends on the local area, some places my take more pride in their family heritage than others. But yes Cyric, as portrayed in the novels, was just known as Cyric, and theres no real reason why he would of used a surname, I was just giving suggestions on what his surname might of been, or what he might of used at various points in his life, not saying that he HAD to have one.
Other than that, I can't fathom why anyone would want to use Cyric either... he's better left ignored and in the rubbish bin than anything else.
I started reading Prince of Liestoday, within the first few chapters I was confirmed in my opinion that if the Cyric as portrayed in the novels (by multiple authors, albeit, I admit, in the Avatar series) is anywhere near the official vision for him then what he needs is a spanking for being a spoiled, petulant little brat and to be sent to bed without any dinner... and forgotten entirely.
I never much liked him, even in the BGII game where at least he was portrayed as something otherthan a whiney little egomaniac, and this has really set the seal on it for me.
All of the above is my own opinion I expect it to neither matter or change the opinions of others.
Oh snap, The_Silversword gonna be mad you said that stuff!
Oh Snap!? Im not going to be mad at people voicing (typing) their opinions, thats what this forum is for right? I understand not everyone is going to like the same things I like, but I do think this might be a little off topic, I mean this is the what was Cyric's name as a mortal, not the dump on poor ol Cyric thread.
And anyway, to Stig: at least Cyric wasnt revealed to be really a member of the Seldarine!!!!
And to Iluvrien: Cyric killed your goddess, neener neener!
And to Jorunhast: Is that freakin He-Man?
Oh Snap!? Im not going to be mad at people voicing (typing) their opinions, thats what this forum is for right? I understand not everyone is going to like the same things I like, but I do think this might be a little off topic, I mean this is the what was Cyric's name as a mortal, not the dump on poor ol Cyric thread.
... ...
And to Jorunhast: Is that freakin He-Man?
You take me way to seriously. For that, my He-Man icon will now give you three dry humps. Because he has the powaaaahhh!
...theres no real reason why he would of used a surname, I was just giving suggestions on what his surname might of been, or what he might of used at various points in his life, not saying that he HAD to have one.
But, but, but earlier you said:
...I dont think it really says any where, so its up to us to make it up.
My mini-He-Man gives you three more dry humps, 'cuz you confuzzling mehs.
Oh Snap!? Im not going to be mad at people voicing (typing) their opinions, thats what this forum is for right? I understand not everyone is going to like the same things I like, but I do think this might be a little off topic, I mean this is the what was Cyric's name as a mortal, not the dump on poor ol Cyric thread.
... ...
And to Jorunhast: Is that freakin He-Man?
You take me way to seriously. For that, my He-Man icon will now give you three dry humps. Because he has the powaaaahhh!...theres no real reason why he would of used a surname, I was just giving suggestions on what his surname might of been, or what he might of used at various points in his life, not saying that he HAD to have one.
But, but, but earlier you said:...I dont think it really says any where, so its up to us to make it up.
My mini-He-Man gives you three more dry humps, 'cuz you confuzzling mehs.
Im saying its up to us to make it up, if the need arises, like maybe someone comes across Cyric's birth certificate or something, IM sure they have something of the sort in the Realms. If, for what ever reason the DM needed a last name, he/she/it would have to make it up, I didnt mean to imply that Cyric HAD to have a last name. If you want Cyric to have a last name, make it up, there is no canon source to contradict you. Thats what I meant. Sorry for the confusion.
And keep your dry humping He-Man away from me.
...like maybe someone comes across Cyric's birth certificate or something, IM sure they have something of the sort in the Realms....
Uhm... sure. They probably keep them in the same place as the Zhentil Keep social security records.
Unlikely that birth certificates would exist per se, it'd probably be more like a name written in a church registry, or more likely for him, a tax roll, if they even bother with such niceties.
Right, right, IM not saying that they would have certificates of birth as we know them, but IM sure theres something in the Realms to officially record a birth or some such, like you said a church registry, or something like that would work. The Heralds probably keep track of noble births, but obviously Cyric would not fall into this category, but still the rulers of Zhentil Keep probably had some method of keeping track of population, births, and deaths, for a variety of reasons, taxes most likely being the dominate one.
I started reading Prince of Lies today, within the first few chapters I was confirmed in my opinion that if the Cyric as portrayed in the novels (by multiple authors, albeit, I admit, in the Avatar series) is anywhere near the official vision for him then what he needs is a spanking for being a spoiled, petulant little brat and to be sent to bed without any dinner... and forgotten entirely.
Then better never read the chapters with bane in the "Pools of [...]" novels