Need help with secret society name

[Ken of Ghastria]

Hey folks, I hate to ask, but I just got an idea for the Ravenloft session I'm running tonight, and I'm drawing a blank on a name. What is the secret society that's split into three geographical regions in the Core, and the heads of each branch try to outdo each other in the acquisition (by any means) of arcane knowledge? I want to say it's the Fraternity, but a French-sounding name keeps popping up in my head. Thanks!

--Ken

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

I believe you mean L'Academie des Sciences (CoD, 59-60) with bases in Richmulot, Borca, Mordent, and Dementlieu, but a "triad" of leader competing for the top spot.

[Ken of Ghastria]

That's it! Thanks very much, Gonzoron.

--Ken

[wolfgang_fener]

Regarding french sounding names, which are often used in RL, it must be nice and exotic when you play in english... But I play in French so it loses some of the exotic flavor

By the way, did anyone catched the absinthe reference in the ''Pernault Bay'' name in Dementlieu ? As in Pernod & fils...

Even Dementlieu could itself be translated to ''crazyplace''. And I don't even need to translate Port a Lucine...

Of course modern science curently know absinthe didn't make people crazy and this was just an hoax pushed by the competing wine industry but still, this is cute (anachronism alert!).

[Joël of the FoS]

Regarding french sounding names, which are often used in RL, it must be nice and exotic when you play in english... But I play in French so it loses some of the exotic flavor

By the way, did anyone catched the absinthe reference in the ''Pernault Bay'' name in Dementlieu ? As in Pernod & fils...

Even Dementlieu could itself be translated to ''crazyplace''. And I don't even need to translate Port a Lucine...

Of course modern science curently know absinthe didn't make people crazy and this was just an hoax pushed by the competing wine industry but still, this is cute (anachronism alert!).

Since the thread has been answered, I'll embark on this new topic with ear of highjacking it.

Well the worse place where French names are a giveaway to a darklord's nature is Richemulot, with Ste Ronges, Pont-a-Museau. My players went through it recently, and they all said "oooh, smell like wererats..." (Should have used Ricoba instead, darn, or at least change these names)

And #2 would be Marcel Guignol, where any French who a little culture will tell you a guignol is a puppet... I will have to change his name when the players will meet him.

Joël

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

I can see how that would be annoying... for some reason, it seems very clever to a non-french speaking english speaker like myself. Is translating into English an option? or do your players speak english as well?

[CorvusCornix]

I can see how that would be annoying... for some reason, it seems very clever to a non-french speaking english speaker like myself. Is translating into English an option? or do your players speak english as well?

Or German? We could do a whole thread of name-changing for those of us whose main language isn't English and turn those give-away names into something that sounds good and doesn't reveal all the secrets. Maybe Alhoon would be willing to turn some names into Greek?

But same here, I play in German, and for some reason my players avoided "Teufeldorf" (Devil's Town) and went to "Zeidenburg" (Silk Castle) instead, just because of the name. And I haven't decided yet what to do with that awful "Ermordenung" (which MIGHT want to mean "Mord", "Murder")

[Bloody Morgan]

Even Dementlieu could itself be translated to ''crazyplace''. And I don't even need to translate Port a Lucine...

Isn't that referenced in the Gazetteers? I think S- says that the name really does mean "Crazy Place", due to a period of turmoil during the (presumably false history) colonisation period.

I didn't know what Teufeldorf or Zeidenburg meant - that's nifty. Is there a list anywhere of what various placenames translate to? And if not, should one be made?

[Rotipher of the FoS]

And I haven't decided yet what to do with that awful "Ermordenung" (which MIGHT want to mean "Mord", "Murder")

Heh. You could always rule that Ivana Boritsi's Falkovnian is just as bad as the old TSR writers' German....

[Catman Jim]

I didn't know what Teufeldorf or Zeidenburg meant - that's nifty. Is there a list anywhere of what various placenames translate to? And if not, should one be made?

The Kargatane had a list at one time on their site, I found it using the Wayback Machine:
Abber English Could be a play on jabber.
Abd-al-Mamat Arabic "Servant of death"
Aerie English An eagle's nest.
Ankhtepot Anc. Egyptian Derived from anhk + tep + ut: "life upon the sarcophagus".
Arak Latin Likely a play on Arachne.
Arbora Latin From arbor, meaning both "tree" and "gallows".
Avernus Latin "Birdless"; in Roman myth, Lake Avernus is also said to be the entrance to the underworld.
Blaustein German "Blue stone"
Bluetspur German Could be "blood track"
Brujamonte Spanish "Witch forest"
Bussengeist German "Atoning ghost"
Chateaufaux French "False castle" or "place of falseness".
Corvus Latin "Raven"
Degravo English Probably derived from "degrade".
Delanuit French "From the night"
Dementlieu French "Place of madness", or "place of dementia".
Dervich Turkish A dervish is a member of one of several Moslem sects.
Ermordenung German Ermorden means "to assassinate" or "to murder".
Faerhaaven English Possibly a play on "fair haven".
G'Henna Greek, Hebrew Derived from Gr. Geena, Heb. Gehinnom; the valley of Hinnom, a place of ancient sacrifice which has become synonymous with Hell.
Graben German "Dig"; derived from grab, meaning "grave".
Guignol, Marcel French Guignol refers to a Punch and Judy show.
Mt Grysl English Likely a play on "grisly".
Haki Shinpi Japanese "Mysterious tomb" or "tomb of mystery".
Hazlik German From häßlich, meaning "ugly".
Hebi-No-Onna Japanese "Snake woman/maiden"
Hiregaard English Likely a play on "high regard".
Il Aluk English Possibly a play on "ill luck".
Invidia Latin "Envy"
Juste, Lemot Sediam Latin/French Lemot: possibly derived from lemma, meaning "theme"; Sediam: derived from sedeo, "to judge"; juste: "justly". Thus, possibly "I judged the theme justly". Alternatively, in French "le mot juste" means "the right word".
Kantora English Possibly a play on canter, the equine equivalent of a fast jog.
Kharkov Russian A city in the Ukraine.
Kirchenheim German "Church home"
Kriegvogel German "Warbird"
Lebentod German "Living dead"
Lile de la Tempete French "Island of the storm"
Ludendorf German From laden + dorf, with various possible meanings including "inviting village", "wretched village" and "angry village"!
Maligno Spanish "Evil one"
Maison de la D鴲esse French "House of distress"
Mt Makab English Possibly a play on "macabre".
Malbus Arabic "Frenzied, in a fanatical rage"
Mt Malcredo Latin "Wrong belief"
Maligno Italian "Evil"
Malocchio Italian "Evil eye" or "curse"
Malus Sceleris Latin "Evil wicked"
Marais d'Tarascon French "Tarascon's swamp"
Meerdorf German "Sea village"
Metus Latin "Fear"
Misericordia Italian/Spanish "Mercy"
Misroi French "Evil king"
Mordenheim German "House of murder" or "slaughterhouse".
Mordent Italian Mordente is derived from mordere, meaning "to bite". The English word mordant, from the same Latin root, means "caustic".
Nebligtode German "Misty death"
Neblus Latin From nebulus, meaning "mist, fog, cloud, darkness, obscurity".
Necropolis Greek "City of the dead"
Neufurchtenburg German "Be afraid of the new city" or "New fear city".
Noisette French "Hazelnut"
Nosos Greek "Disease"
Odiare Italian "To hate"
Paridon English Could be a combination of Paris and London.
Pont-a-Museau French May be "bridge to the muzzle".
Port-a-Lucine French Possible link with pronunciation - "Port-a-Lucine" becomes "Port Hallucine", as in hallucinations.
Quevari French "Those who transform"
Renier French "to repudiate", "to renounce"
Richemulot French "Rich field mouse"
Rivalis Latin Dual meaning: "one who uses the same stream," meaning "neighbor," or "one who uses the same mistress," meaning "rival".
Rokushima Taiyoo Japanese Could be "six island ocean" or "adventure of six crypts".
Sanguinia English Derived from sanguine, referring to the colour of blood.
Scaena Latin "Stage"
Seeheim German "Sea home"
Senmet Anc Egyptian Derived from sen met: can be "equally dead", "second-most damned", or any combination of the two.
Silbervas German, Latin Silber + vas, meaning "silver tray".
Stangengrad German/Russian "Pole city"
Ste Ronges French Possibly derived from rongeur, so "saint rodent".
Sturben German Possibly from sterben, meaning "to die".
Tempe Latin Tempe is a valley in Thessaly between Mt. Olympus & Mt. Ossa.
Teufeldorf German "Devil's village"
Tepest Romanian May be derived from tepes, meaning "impaler".
Timor Latin "Fear" or "dread".
Todstein German "Death stone"
Tristenoira French Can be "eve of sorrows" (as per the Castle Forlorn book), or "black Tristen".
Tristepas French "Sorrowful step"
Tristessa French Tristesse means "sadness".
Vechor Latin From vecors, meaning "insane".
Vecna English Anagram of "vance," as in Jack Vance, the fantasy author. Gary Gygax & Dave Arneson based D&D's magic system on Vance's writings.
Verbrek German From verbrechen, meaning "crime".
Vesanis Latin From vesania, meaning "madness

[CorvusCornix]

Heh. You could always rule that Ivana Boritsi's Falkovnian is just as bad as the old TSR writers' German....

Unfortunately, the Falkovnians Falkovnian isn't much better . Especially the Falkovnian Primer in Gaz2 is very strange...

Ludendorf German From laden + dorf, with various possible meanings including "inviting village", "wretched village" and "angry village"!
Mordenheim German "House of murder" or "slaughterhouse".

Ludendorf actually means "Village of the Pimps" - now that's one scary name, isn't it? But "inviting village" is fine as well, with a bit of imagination... However, I have no idea how they came to "wretched" or "angry".
Mordenheim rather means "City of murder". -heim is a popular ending for city names in southern Germany, as in for example Rosenheim. No, "Slaughterhouse" is far off.
Nice one, thanks Jim! Especially my French is too bad to get the references - but I didn't get "Verbrek" either