TRUE NAMES

[ringleaders]

TRUE NAMES↴ Every creature with a consciousness and will possesses a True Name from the moment they are created. This is not their given name, or their use name, but instead a name assigned to them by the fabric of reality itself. If you think of it in terms of a computer, a True Name is like the universe’s system file name for each being. Each is somehow unique, and each has a meaning beyond being a string of numbers and letters. Those meanings and sounds can shift over time, but often, a name can remain the same for most of a creature’s life. It takes a serious and conscious effort to discover a being’s True Name, so most people have no idea what their True Name is and never will. Having full understanding and possession of your own Name is a path towards great wisdom and power, but usually it comes up in terms of an entity having stolen the Name of someone else. Possessing the Name of another person give you nearly unlimited control over them, right down to the very essence of their being. True Names are so deeply magical that even trying to comprehend one can be a major magical challenge. A True Name is made up of a precise pronunciation, complex letters from an unknowable alphabet, and the specific hues of one’s soul. In order to properly wield a True Name, the replication of all three of these aspects must perfected. This is a task difficult for even the likes of the High Fae. BECOMING NAMELESS↴ A True Name essentially contains the rights to a person’s identity. The being’s soul may be what contains all the aspects of a person, such as their memories, consciousness, and sense of self, but the True Name is the key that unlocks it. The partial possession of a True Name defaults to its owner, but beings of great power – such as the High Fae – are able to draw that Name out and take possession of it against a host’s will. This can only be done through significant magical effort and to a being that has been made susceptible to that level of violation, usually through wearing down their physical and spiritual defenses by other means. A willing being can also choose to allow a powerful entity to take their True Name as payment or as part of a contract. This is generally considered to be a price steeper than even selling one’s soul, because while a soul is what it is, a True Name can allow that soul to be altered down to its core. The severity of the effects of being nameless depend on how much access to their identity the victim is allowed by their master. This can scale from anything to simply not being able to take ownership of any real name or title, to outright denying them access to their memories, free will, or sense of identity. To many, becoming nameless could be considered a fate worse than death. SYMPTOMS OF NAMELESSNESS↴ 1) The inability to be named. Upon becoming nameless, a being – and everyone who knows that being – will forget all given or chosen names they ever possessed. From that point forward, no new given or chosen names will really “stick” – no matter how long a nameless uses a title or term of address, it will always feel unnatural and foreign to both the nameless and whoever is addressing them. They will never feel any sense of personal ownership or connection to a name until the day their True Name is returned, even if people have been trying to call them something for years. 2) A significant loss of magical and spiritual power. Being denied access to a name takes a major toll on a being’s ability to work magic or control their spirit. The ability is not removed entirely, but it is instantly handicapped and limited to a level far below what they could accomplish with their name. This is the reason many High Fae choose to leave their servants names alone – taking a being’s name makes them unavoidably far more weak and susceptible, even against the Fae’s enemies. 3) Partial or full loss of memory. If the owner of a being’s name wills it, they can remove access to memories and even personality traits with the use of a True Name. Even if the master makes no determination one way or the other, memories tend to become foggier. 4) Disassociation and loss of identity. At its worst, being nameless can feel like it’s totally destroyed one’s personal identity, rendering them incapable of recognizing themselves as a person, conceptually or physically. Even if they remember their past or personality traits, they will no longer feel real or like something that they could possibly be related to. However, a master doing this has no real purpose beyond sheer cruelty, as the effects are usually destructive enough to render a person completely useless as a servant.