World Note 20

The Magic of Names/ Valshimology

The following is a brief summary of a larger examination of the magical study of names and its many interpretations across cultures. This paper was published by the researcher GM Pel-Sparr.

The common usage of individual names is a near universal trait in the basic social structure of nearly every culture and race throughout history. Although we may take this trait for granted, it is not only incredibly useful but also has roots in a field of magic that few still practice despite the reliable records of its powerful applications. The terminology to defines the practice of Name Magic varies and so in this paper I shall use the term "Valshimology" as a way of paying respect to the word "Valor" which in the language of Primordian means "Chosen" and Lorshim which in old elvish means "Title". Although this nomenclature is simply to describe the study of the magic of names but the practice of this magic has several different types which, ironically, has no defined classification in modern magic due to the concept being incredibly difficult to define and recreate as of the writing of this paper.

Different types of Name Magic:

Title Crafting: This magic is most notably used by the metafell of the Ebony Tables to create the names given to the higher ranking citizens of their culture. The basis for this type of magic is the crafting of a name. This concept can be quite complex to explain but is framed better by outlining that metafell are in essence "shapeless" and even if they bare a physical form thier nature is fluid. This is partly due to the fact that each member of the metafell race has the ability to take any shape they chose under unrestricted circumstances but unfortunately are forced to remain in one shape as the transitional form they must take to change shapes destroys all sense of identity. This means that in essence, the metafell before receiving a name are purely chaotic beings of constantly changing energy but physically appear as a simple creature. This makes them prime candidates for receiving names as the first benefit of names are the focusing of energy and direction of essence. This is also true for any other in the sense that a name gives our essence form and direction. The effect is suttle but has a profound and cumulative effect over the lifetime of a being. The crafting of a name may seem as simple as thinking of the letters in a name, but the magic of title crafting is as exact and complicated as professional crafting, such as blacksmithing or Alchemy Most accomplish this magic throughout their own lives and build the structure of a name through their thoughts and feelings as it relates to an identity. By the end of a full life, a name is usually fully formed and can sometimes be passed to another if done properly. This, however, is a different type of magic. In a sense, it is easier to think of a name much like a physical object one wears. Metiphorically, the name may take the shape of a hat or coat, and that is the names purpose. The powers of the name vary based on its construction and s¥me name£ may in of thems₩lves be a type of being which wears the per₩on. These names, however, are best forgotten to the sands of time.

Ordination: The magic of bestowing a name upon something. This magic is the power of giving a name to a being but also can be used to attach names or titles unwillingly to a being. The first part in this type of magic will cover the regular passing of a name. As stated above, a name is much like a physical object. As such, it can be given to a person if it is not possessed by another. The act of doing so may sometimes be understood as simply naming something, but this is not at all accurate. A parent does not always use ordination in the naming of a child. Although a person does use title Crafting naturally in their life, the naming of a child might simply be the direction of a parent given to a child to utilize the natural magic of title Crafting. There is, however, an instance in which a parent may use ordination in the naming of a child if they pass a name that is not currently used by a living being. Then, through the act of teaching the child the nature of the name, the child may gain this name and the effects and powers of it as long as they live. The passing of a name can happen naturally such as this but records show that this practice can be used to mold individuals into similar types of people by passing a dropped name along. Some early human records showed that small magical tribes used this practice to keep certain social structures stable by passing names to the inheriters of these responsibilities. This is the basics of ordination, but there is a second part. The forcing of names. This practice may be some of the most devastating magic that exists. The usage is well understood, and application is impossible by modern mages, but records have shown that in the past, certain titans and powerful mages were able to force a being to bear a cursed name. Cursed names had debilitating effects or impacted the behavior of a person as long as the name was forced upon them. Even if the individual never heard the name outloud they could often feel the name within them and in cases of having multiple names the 2 names may either coexist in the best circumstance or corroded or corrupt one another at worst. The method of curing this situation was possibly the most forbidden magic any may find.

Namless Magic: The magic of taking names by force. [Details Redacted by Wayfare Council]

Declaration Magic: The magic of evoking names to use their power temporarily. This magic might be the easiest to understand as it mirrors much of how basic magic operates. The users of this type simply knew names with special effects and used them to temporarily gain these benefits. The only restriction to this is that the name must be unclaimed and and so users of this would often steal names or collect names that have been dropped to add to thier collection.

Notes from the author: This section will be brief and less formal than my previous writings. I fear my research on this subject has left me with a horrible feeling. A conclusion that I have reached after much thought and speculation. My studies have occasionally led me to the term "Orgin Entity." These creatures were those whose presence appears only in the scraps of documents from the grand seers of the ancient elves. These documents had little to say except that the entities' names were never to be written down due to some undefined fear of the seers. The ancient elves were aware of name magic and knew their power. They fooled with magic that makes modern magic look like elementary dribble. So why didn't they use these names? What na₩e is so dangerous that the most powerful mages alive feared to even record them. Unless... the names hav€ a will of their own?