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Jeff the Green
2012-03-29, 01:49 AM
I'm finally at the part of my campaign world where I design the religions. Probably my favorite part, actually.

I've run into a problem with the main kobold religion, however. They believe that at some point in the future, a dragonwrought kobold will achieve dragonhood, thereby becoming both the first true dragon in existence and the supreme god. Their clerics/favored souls/adepts receive their power from him/her retroactively. Most of their religious devotions consist of prophesy and ensuring that all dragonwrought kobolds receive the training and experiences necessary in case they happen to be The One.

But they don't have a name.

My first thought was the Cult of the Dragon Ascendant. Nice and flavorful and appropriately both inspiring (to kobolds) and terrifying (to everybody else). But then I realized that there's the Cult of the Dragon Below from Eberron and the Dragon Ascendant from the Draconomicon. So I need a new name. Help?

Grinner
2012-03-29, 02:19 AM
First, I'd like to point out that a cult is not usually a mainstream religion. It's usually an alternative religion, and it's usually very small.

Edit: Does the term cult describe their organizational method. In that case, the term coven may be more appropriate. Or how about "Scale"?

Edit 2: Actually, I feel like Scale would serve better as a rank name.

Ravens_cry
2012-03-29, 02:38 AM
I would say any Kobold religion would count as a cult as everything they do is small scale.

Jeff the Green
2012-03-29, 04:09 AM
First, I'd like to point out that a cult is not usually a mainstream religion. It's usually an alternative religion, and it's usually very small.

Edit: Does the term cult describe their organizational method. In that case, the term coven may be more appropriate. Or how about "Scale"?

Edit 2: Actually, I feel like Scale would serve better as a rank name.

It's a cult in the Greco-Roman sense: a group of people devoted to the worship of a single god, out of many that exist. There are many cults in this world; hell, the dwarven political leader is in charge of the cult of the chief dwarf god. But it doesn't need to have "cult" in the name.

I do like Scale. "Scale of the X" could be the cult members devoted to homeland defense, "Fang of the X" could be the cult members who venture outside of their mountain ranges, and "Heart of the X" could be the cult members who preach and plan.

Pyron
2012-03-29, 06:10 AM
Cult of Hallowed Wyrm (or Dragon, if you prefer)

navar100
2012-03-29, 08:22 AM
Meepo's Progeny
:smallsmile:

aldeayeah
2012-03-29, 09:09 AM
Heralds/Harbingers/Ancestors of the Dragon/Wyrm

Lord Il Palazzo
2012-03-29, 09:24 AM
One of my favorite ways to make a cult name is to call them the "Sons of [X]" where X is either the name or a title of whatever god they serve. In this case, you could try the “Fathers of [X]”, "Forerunners of [X]" or "Harbingers of [X]" to fit with the backstory.

Similarly, I like "The Hand of [X]" as it gives a feeling that they see themselves as their god's direct agents on the present/material plane. In the case of a dragon cult "Claw or [X]" or "Talon of [X]" might be more fitting and sound pretty cool too.

As for the X, here are a few ideas:
"The Ur-Dragon" - Yeah, it's borrowed from a handful of Magic the Gathering cards. Still, it has a sounds impressive and plays to the whole first true dragon angle.
"The Dragon/Wyrm/One to Come" - Ties into the future dragon back story, and has kind of a threatening ring to it. ("Look out! There's a dragon coming!")
Some suitably draconic proper name - I don't have any non-borrowed ideas off the top of my head, but I'm sure a little Googling should find a good number of dragon names you could use. A good proper name can be as good as any title.

Particle_Man
2012-03-29, 12:23 PM
Garth's Raiders. :smallsmile:

zorba1994
2012-03-29, 03:25 PM
Hand of Pun-Pun

The Wyrm Fathers?

The Wings of the Wyrm

DrBurr
2012-03-29, 03:38 PM
One of the things I do when making cults is never use the word cult cause I feel it makes the group's role to obvious and I prefer my players referring NPC groups by their names instead of that cult, I'm the same way with gangs naming them The Black Wings or The Daggers.

Time for me to stop ranting about my peeves though, How about "The Great Wyrm's Coven" for the cult's name. Coven means a group of witches which I feel applies well to a Kobold religion

Or you could replace "The Great Wyrm" with whatever the Kobold's call their deity. Though I think the Scale of the Great Wyrm and Fang of the Great Wyrm have a nice ring to it.

hamishspence
2012-03-29, 03:45 PM
"Children of the Scale"?

nedz
2012-03-29, 08:35 PM
Going with the dragonwrought idea, these might be a tad dwarven though?

Dragonsmiths
Scalesmiths
Scaleiron
Wyrmsmiths
Serpentsmiths

Or for a more messianic feel

Dragonseekers
Wyrmseekers
Messianix

More Anglo-Saxon
Wyrmwyrd (Wormweird)

More Oriental
Wyrm-fu
Wyrm-do
Scale-do

Ravens_cry
2012-03-29, 09:46 PM
I know it rather fits thematically, but I think a little funny calling a kobold cult something related to claws, fangs, scales and various term for dragons.
It would be like a human naming a cult The Fingernails of the Primate, with with high muckamucks being called Epidermises or Molars.

Grinner
2012-03-29, 10:25 PM
I know it rather fits thematically, but I think a little funny calling a kobold cult something related to claws, fangs, scales and various term for dragons.
It would be like a human naming a cult The Fingernails of the Primate, with with high muckamucks being called Epidermises or Molars.

Remember that claws are more badass than fingernails. :smallwink:

Pyron
2012-03-29, 10:30 PM
Well... if these kobolds really believe that a Dragonwrought will ascend and one day rule the planet, I think a more fitting name would be the "Children of the Earth Wyrm". (bonus points if the Dragonwrought in question is named Jim).

However, if this dragonwrought in question has a unique skin (like the Dark One in OotS), then a name based on that might fit - Cult of the Purple Wyrm.

Or if you want to empathize that this faith is guide by the tapestry of fate, then the Cult of the Tape Wyrm might be what you're looking form.

Kol Korran
2012-03-30, 05:58 AM
First of all, i think that this dragon/wyrm or such should have a proper name. "Sons of the dragon" or the like sounds way too general then the "sons of [insert name]" that should at least be how the kobolds refer to it, though other races might indeed use a title more likely.

The same goes for the tiel of the worshipers- give them some ancient word in kobold that only those well versed in ancient kobold know, and that might mean different meanings:
think of a word which might mean blood/ body/ essence/ soul and so on. then decide on the real meaning ("i'm thinking of "warmth/ womb" that might define the kobolds' role well). it might be an interesting little detail to discover.

note: if you're looking at religions i'd HIGHLY recommend to read Faiths of Eberron and see how wonderfully they dealt with their religions. they made them quite believable.

NowhereMan583
2012-03-30, 04:19 PM
It would be like a human naming a cult The Fingernails of the Primate, with with high muckamucks being called Epidermises or Molars.

This is going in the planning notes for my next campaign.

Trufflehound
2012-03-30, 06:11 PM
I'd name it The Order of Tucker myself.

Harry
2012-03-30, 06:22 PM
The prophets of pun pun or the Nut-Puns :smallbiggrin:

Averis Vol
2012-03-30, 07:59 PM
google translate says "progenies dracones ignis" for brood of dragons flame, its latin, and latin makes everything sound cooler.

nedz
2012-03-30, 08:02 PM
I'd name it The Order of Tucker myself.

I did think of T' Ucker

Beleriphon
2012-03-30, 08:40 PM
You need to include the word Apotheosis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apotheosis) somehow.

The Dragonkin's Apotheosis perhaps.

JCarter426
2012-03-30, 08:47 PM
google translate says "progenies dracones ignis" for brood of dragons flame, its latin, and latin makes everything sound cooler.
My Latin's a bit rusty, but I think that would be "flame of dragon brood", and not "brood of dragon flame".

EDIT: No, on second thought, I guess that's sort of right, if a bit awkwardly worded. But I suspect part of that's due to the lack of an actual word for dragon.

I know it rather fits thematically, but I think a little funny calling a kobold cult something related to claws, fangs, scales and various term for dragons.
It would be like a human naming a cult The Fingernails of the Primate, with with high muckamucks being called Epidermises or Molars.
We do use things like head, hand, and fist, though.

Averis Vol
2012-03-30, 09:07 PM
yea i can't validate the competence of google translate, i just put in some words and got some other ones back. that being said i think i actually put in brood of dragons fire, i liked ignis better then flammas.

JCarter426
2012-03-30, 09:27 PM
That's right, ignis is fire in general... but I like the sound of it better too. However, I think it got draco wrong. It seems to have conjugated it wrong, which is what initially through me off (that and ignis having two possible cases... I'm starting to remember why I don't like Latin - but to avoid a reputation as a philistine, I'll point out that I love Ancient Greek).

Anyway, it more accurately translates as "dragon family of fire". That's my best estimation, anyway. It seems to be using draco as an adjective, which it isn't (it's also a kind of snake, but never mind that), and it's modifying progenies rather than ignis. That said, "dragon family of fire" sounds pretty badass. Dragon family... of fire. :smallamused:

But if you want a more literal translation, I'd go with Progenies Ignis Draconum. That's "family of the fire of dragons", and I think "draconum" has a nicer, harsher, Roman feel to it. If you want it to be a specific dragon - "family of the dragon's fire" - then it's Progenies Ignis Draconis. There's also a fairly cool connotation here that I didn't notice before: progenies could also be translated as "descendents", so there's the implication that they're descended from the fire. Again, that's pretty badass.

I should also point out that one rank of priest was flamen. There was a Flamen of Mars, a Flamen of Vulcan, and so on. So I'd suggest that as another rank - Flame of Tiamat, for example.

Ravens_cry
2012-03-30, 09:49 PM
You know, all this Latin been bandied about is kind of interesting, because I once played a Kobold Wizard and I, for whatever reason, dressed him in a toga.

Averis Vol
2012-03-30, 11:40 PM
did he also preach philosophy in his off time?



-stuff i'll forget in a week-

note to self, take a latin class.

Ravens_cry
2012-03-30, 11:45 PM
did he also preach philosophy in his off time?
Nah, he was more into spell research.:smallamused: For example, a spell that removed the dazzled condition at the cost of darkvision.


We do use things like head, hand, and fist, though.
Yes we do, but Kobolds also possess such anatomical features.
It's not quite so species specific.

Cieyrin
2012-03-31, 04:52 PM
Honestly, I'm surprised that no one has brought up just naming the cult in Draconic. I based a Kobold character of mine, a Kobold Wereweasel Barbarian, in a kobold warrior sect devoted to Malar called the Baeshraiejir, which translates from Draconic to "The Beast-Blooded".

If the cult is to be devoted to a Dragonwrought becoming a real dragon, it could be Darastrixiejir or Tiburdarastrix, or if you want to focus more on the prophecied part of it, Darastrixlorsvek or Tiburlorsvek, which translate to Dragon's Blood, Born to be Dragon, Prophecied Dragon or Born as Prophecized in Common, respectively. If you want to futz with it on your own, the Draconic Language is in the appendix of Races of the Dragon. :smallsmile:

QuidEst
2012-03-31, 06:56 PM
Personally, I'm imagining a bunch of Kobolds together, all arguing about what to call themselves. It'd be great for the PCs to stroll in on.

NowhereMan583
2012-03-31, 07:01 PM
Personally, I'm imagining a bunch of Kobolds together, all arguing about what to call themselves. It'd be great for the PCs to stroll in on.

Even better, have this scene after the PCs have run into agents of the cult a few times, under a different name each time. Let them spend a few sessions convinced that they have several DIFFERENT kobold cults to worry about.

QuidEst
2012-03-31, 07:51 PM
Even better, have this scene after the PCs have run into agents of the cult a few times, under a different name each time. Let them spend a few sessions convinced that they have several DIFFERENT kobold cults to worry about.

And if this is a little silly (I mean… Kobolds. They make everything funnier.), then the "final" version could be all the names crammed together. "The Hand of the Claw of the Great Dragon's Apotheosis and Return with Doom!"

Slipperychicken
2012-04-01, 04:42 PM
Church of the Dragon Messiah.

JCarter426
2012-04-01, 05:07 PM
note to self, take a latin class.
I've forgotten most of what I learned in the six years since I last took it. Handy stuff, but frustrating and easily forgettable.

Yes we do, but Kobolds also possess such anatomical features.
It's not quite so species specific.
That's... a very good point. Well, we do use tooth, heart, and brain as well, which is a bit more specific. So things like claw or fang wouldn't be a stretch. I see your point regarding scale, though. But we don't really have any sort of equivalent to scales. Plus, they're shiny.