Naming mutant barbarians

[Scalenex]

First, a specific question. I'm homebrewing a world where there is a wasteland tainted by an evil goddess poisoning the water so that it sickens, mutates, and/or kills who ever drinks it. I was calling the poisonous water black water and the tainted area the Black Water Wastes and the barbarous inhabitants the Black Water Mutants (all of whom have the corrupt subtype from Book of Vile Darkness though a few manage to be Neutral rather than evil). Naturally the locals of the Wasteland don't actually call themselves that, but no one civilized bothers to learn their self referential term and the various tribal units in the wasteland can't even agree.

My friend points out that "mutant" is a little sci-fi. So what's a good "fantasy" friendly word for "mutant".

[Ravens_cry]

The Tainted

Burnt Folk

Scarred Ones

Cursed

Bent

Twisted

The Sickened

***
just some ideas.

[Asbestos]

Aberrant.

Done.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

The Unclean.

The Wrong.

The Cursed.

Touched by (god of corruption/evil).

[JeminiZero]

Black Water Beastfolk (or Beastmen, or whatever). Presuming of course they are sufficiently mutated to be mistaken for monstrous humanoids.

[BobVosh]

Do they consider it a curse or a blessing?

Said God's Children
Evolved


They may not even have a name for themselves, but for the ones who aren't. They are just "the people."

[Talic]

"Blighted"

"Chosen"

depending on your view of the affliction.

[xPANCAKEx]

depends whos talking about them - enemies will have less than polite terms for them trying to depict them as abnormal/evil freaks, where as those more sympathetic will probably have a name based more on pity

[Thurbane]

The Mutes.

[Scalenex]

Do they consider it a curse or a blessing?

Said God's Children
Evolved


They may not even have a name for themselves, but for the ones who aren't. They are just "the people."

Some consider a Curse and a Blessing. Those who apply religious connotations to their condition call themselves Children/Spawn/Get of Greymoria/Turoch. I like the idea of them calling themselves "the people" and the many names are intriguing, no reason they can't have lots of nicknames though I'm partial to tainted ones. Thanks everyone.

[AslanCross]

The Wayward.

The [Black Water] Drinkers.

Illkind.

The Wastrels.

The Sharers of [Evil Goddess's] Cup. <--- good name for clerics to address them by, works well with the Drinkers.

The Partakers.

The Ulcerants.

[newbDM]

Can ships sail on this dark water?

[Scalenex]

Can ships sail on this dark water?

I miss the Pirates of Dark Water, but but black water isn't as destructive as dark water. Nor did it inspire it. I actually got the idea from from the poisonous water in Flash Gordon.

To answer your question, no you can't sail on it. The Black Water Wastes are landlocked. This is to partially explain why it hasn't spread everywhere.

Also the goddess of the sea, Mera, has a divine artifact capable of purifying just about anything. Why hasn't she purified the Wastes. She has, the borders of the Wastelands contract by about an inch a year. It's done slowly so as to sneak the cleansing past her evil sister and because she can't purify the land in broader strokes without killing people and she still hopes she can bring some/all the Black Water barbarians towards being Good.

[Oracle_Hunter]

I'd say it depends on their organization. If they are united, then they probably have a name for their "people." Otherwise, they're more likely to refer to themselves by tribal affiliation, or whatever society they belong to. And those can be named normally.

For individual mutants, I've always been a fan of naming them after their deformity. It paints a crude picture of their society, and dehumanizes them nicely - if they're supposed to just be mooks to be killed. Otherwise, give them normal names based on their tribes.

Outsiders, of course, are prone to lumping various distinct peoples into broad categories (like barbars) so they will have one of those derogatory names for the Wastelanders.

[Demented]

What was the area called before the "Black Water Wastes"?

Name the people after that, and give their name a highly perjorative perception. I.e. If it was "La La Land", people would speak about "la la landers" or "la las" as if the term were a slur. After all, everyone there is either sickened or a barbarous mutant, so you aren't going to be worried about accidentally flattering anyone...

[newbDM]

I miss the Pirates of Dark Water, but but black water isn't as destructive as dark water. Nor did it inspire it. I actually got the idea from from the poisonous water in Flash Gordon.

Being someone who actually liked the new Flash Gorden series that was my second guess, but I figured I would go with the Pirates of Dark Water. (Boy, I wish there was an end to that series's plot. )

[Devils_Advocate]

"Blighted"

"Chosen"

depending on your view of the affliction.

The Blightchosen!

[Fax Celestis]

"The Pure" or "The Purified", if you like irony.

[mikeejimbo]

Why not "The Corrupt"?

[Fax Celestis]

"The Pure" or "The Purified", if you like irony.

Why not "The Corrupt"?

I find the juxtaposition here hilarious.

[mikeejimbo]

I find the juxtaposition here hilarious.

It is amusing. It all depends on which way the OP wants to spin it, though.

[Mewtarthio]

It's a perjorative slang term, right? I'd go with something direct and obvious.

Uglies
Freaks

[newbDM]

It is amusing. It all depends on which way the OP wants to spin it, though.

I personally think both should be used. It just makes sense that each side sees things from a different point of view.

[Lemur]

The Wastedwellers, or the denziens of Black Water is fairly to the point. Although you probably have plenty of good ideas by now.

It's a perjorative slang term, right? I'd go with something direct and obvious.

Uglies
Freaks

To me, that's more post-apocalyptic/cyberpunk than fantasy. The Uglies sound like something from Mad Max or something that lives in the sewers of Proto Neo New York.

[Prometheus]

Name them after a monstrous humanoid or creature that already exists in your world. So when the PCs go to fight "the Ogres" they find out they are really Ogres at all. The tribe might call itself "the Ogres" if they believe that they are making themselves stronger by making themselves ugly.

The Ogres-sounds like a sports team.

[newbDM]

Name them after a monstrous humanoid or creature that already exists in your world. So when the PCs go to fight "the Ogres" they find out they are really Ogres at all. The tribe might call itself "the Ogres" if they believe that they are making themselves stronger by making themselves ugly.

The Ogres-sounds like a sports team.

That sounds like a neat idea.

However, I am guessing this might depend on certain factors such as how long this plague has been going on, how well know are/were the residents of that area(s) before it all started happening, and if any communication or trade still exists between the black water drinkers and the "untainted" races.

[Stupendous_Man]

Children of Nurgle >.>

[newbDM]

Children of Nurgle >.>

I feel even geekier than usual for knowing that reference.

[Random NPC]

I'm partial to "the tainted"

[newbDM]

I'm partial to "the tainted"

Agreed. However, does anyone feel it is too cliche and overused?