Suggest a name for a cluster

[Nevermorrow]

My players had been bugging me for a while to design a domain or cluster with the theme of North American horror, so I've been working on one (mostly by ripping off whalejudge's alternate core thread). I've made up a group of domains that span some of the more distinctive areas/cities of the US and Canada, but I'm completely stumped for a simple name. I'm considering separating them and calling the domains based on Canada "the True North" (drawn from Canada's national anthem) but can't find an appropriate phrase from the "Star-Spangled Banner" or anything else.

Does anyone else have any ideas? Please?

[Strahdsbuddy]

Last Gleaming sticks out to me, if you're intent on using the anthem as a source; kind of a neat idea, imo. Dark Colonies might work, for entire cluster also, though it implies a direct link to a motherland. Could work better as the title of the campaign. Either way, this cluster must surely be the home of the brave....

[A G Thing]

Far Lands/World/Reach cluster.

New Prospect Cluster

Distant Reaches Cluster

Stolen Ground Cluster

Not necessarily my best but I am tired at the moment! I figure that any sort of America based cluster would have to deal with taking from the native populations more or less. Also I picture it being some sort of other side of the world sort of thing in possible names as well!

[ewancummins]

I think you should go with something dreived from either an explorer's or cartographer's name. Examples would be America after Amerigo Vespucci and Columbia after Columbus. (Note that I mean 'Columbia' with a U. It's the poetic or allegorical name for the United States. Hail Columbia, Gem of the Ocean!). You can use a fictional, Ravenloftian explorer or mapmaker.


Septentronialis mean 'Northern.' You could use some variation of it as the basis for the cluster name.


You might use some variation on the word/name Hesperides, to suggest an idyllic land far in the West.

[Nathan of the FoS]

If they're to the west of the Core, you could call them the Sunset Lands or similar.

[Catman Jim]

The Manifest Destiny Cluster

[Nevermorrow]

Thanks, guys! I appreciate the suggestions. I just drew a mental blank when it came to thinking up a name. Possibly creative fatigue (I'm not done with the cluster yet) or maybe I'm just getting old. Probably the latter.

[Kadarin]

Two more suggestions:
Vinland
and
Oinoksira or Oinochora (greek for "wineland")
after the name the vikings (probably) called America.
Although I find something like "Vespuccia" strangely, well, appropriate...

[ScS of the Fraternity]

Don't know if you're still looking for a name, but Manitou seems like a good one.
Its an old many Algonquian word referring to spirits.
We've names a bunch of things in Canada after it; Manitoba and Manitoulin Island just being the biggest and closest near me.

I'd say that you'd not go far wrong to base a domain off of the wilds of Northern Ontario. No need for mists, here: Everywhere you look are lakes, and rivers, and ponds, and streams, and marshes and swamps. There's water everywhere and where there is no water, there are rocks; tall black rocks. Over top of it all is a forest that never ends; woods that just go, and go and go and go, and go.... The woods are ruled by the black flies, hideous storms of biting, stinging flies that drive everything mad. Throughout the endless forest are the rotting remains of forgotten towns, reclaimed by the swamps and the trees. Everywhere, and I mean everywhere, are little inuksuk - stones piled up in the vague shape of a man.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

How does The Divided States sound?

[HuManBing]

"Terra Nullius"

(Spot the lawyer! )

[Blot]

Crunchy Nut.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

Knowing what sorts of domains it contains would be a help, if we're to suggest something that fits the flavor of the place rather than just being an historical in-joke. :-/

[MichaelTumey]

"The Colonies" evokes the Colonial America feel to a degree, plus it implies lands beyond Ravenloft, yet still a part.

[Nevermorrow]

Once again, thank you guys! These are all great ideas.

Knowing what sorts of domains it contains would be a help, if we're to suggest something that fits the flavor of the place rather than just being an historical in-joke. :-/

Well, I haven't finished it yet, and I did a lot of it by stealing the material from whalejudge's alternate core thread. In general, the domains are at a Renaissance level with an American-Canadian feel. For instance, Glenharrow is a small version of New England that isn't quite as advanced (except medically--I don't have my RL being quite as medically backward as Europe or the Americas at the equivalent time). Marospere is a more general US-inspired domain, only compacted. It is probably the most technically advanced domain on the continent because the northern part of the domain is getting more industrial all the time. I haven't decided on a name for the Nevada-inspired domain, but the city in it based on Vegas is called Lanjaro. It's a more primitive Vegas without the lights and hardly any laws to protect anyone (including children). Jonqulesia is derived from Louisiana, with the equivalent to New Orleans being Camarongue.

Chekoya is the domain that dominates about half the continent--the equivalent to the Native American peoples. There is probably more than one domain in its borders, but Chekoya's DL, Dances With Ghosts, is definitely the most powerful individual among the Chekoya Nations. Though a very evil man, his presence has prevented the conquest of most of the native peoples, and those that were expelled from the east by the Coreland invaders have found new homes in the west (though some are discriminated against; however, the diseases the Corelanders brought with them have created more room in the West for the eastern survivors to move in). Dances With Ghosts has forged the majority of the Chekoyan nations into an alliance that has made any dreams of westward expansion for the Corelanders in the east hopeless. They'll have to make do with the lands they've gained... and some are saying that the Chekoyans cursed the lands before they left (true only for a few sites; most are "cursed" by the negativity from the mass slaughters of native peoples).

As you can see, I have a ways to go before it can be considered detailed enough to play in. I'd thank whalejudge if he were still around too because without his work I'd be starting from scratch.