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'Kanishk sought to become a Name. In pursuit of that end, he made Lok Kahuli the vessel of his appetites, promising Lok that they would ascend together. At the Spider's Door, he betrayed his lover...'
'Account of Kanishk at the Spider's Door''


Names are beings that act as high-ranking servants and even emissaries of the Hours. Like lesser spirits, Names possess a variety of forms and traits, typically tied to the nature of the Hour they serve, and some can be summoned for aid by occultists. Unlike lesser spirits, the vast majority of Names retain their individual identities, and are afforded a great deal of power and respect in the Mansus’ hierarchy. Despite this privilege, Names are also subject to intense scrutiny from the Hours, who fear Names' ambition may bring them to one day murder and usurp their patrons.[1][2]

Some Names serve as occult facilitators of sorts, assisting with the ascension of new Long. This can be done by instructing adepts on the deeper mysteries of the Principles, telling adepts what tasks the Hours require of them, judging adepts’ contributions to their patron, or even by directly altering their bodies. Other Names seem to help their patron Hour in shaping the world; for instance, the Grail’s Thirstlies, Ivories, and Lovelies are known to create new desires within the Red Church. There seem to be a maximum amount of seven Names per Hour.[3][4] If this is true, The Twins would be exempt of this rule, as they share Names.[5] Their limit would therefore be 14.[6]

The Making of Names[]

All Names whose origins are clearly identified falls into one of two categories. They are either direct emanations of their patron Hours, or they were a Long, mortal, or some other preexisting being that arose to their patron's service. The Long that have been observed ascending to Namehood must first emulate their patron's enactments - three phrases that describe the Hour's fundamental nature - and it is reasonable to assume that the birth of Name-emanations must do the same.[7][8][9] The making of a Name therefore differ from Hour to Hour.


The Forge of Days[]

Apostleforge.pillar2

A Dawnbreaker Core

The Names of the Forge of Days must remake with fire, end what will not change, and end all nights. One way for Forge-Long to accomplish this is by using a fragment of the Sun-in-Splendour to create an alchemical nuke known as the Dawnbreaker Device. They must then detonate their Dawnbreaker atop a flaw in the world, a tear in reality that causes events (e.g. the names of nearby settlements) to align in every History.[9][10] The detonation of the Device produces significant amounts of heat and light, destroys an otherwise unchanging part of the world (as well as everyone nearby), and combined with the Biting Key gives the Forge-Long enough power to force their way through the Savage Door into the Forge's service.[11]


The Watchman[]

The Names of the Watchman must navigate, illuminate, and be not compassionate. One way for Lantern-Long to accomplish this is by luring dreamers to the Lesser Crossroads using a luminous tree. These dreamers serve as Witnesses to the opening of the Tricuspid Gate using the Key of Days, which causes Glory-light to stream through it. The resultant illumination allows the Lantern-Long to navigate their way to the Mansus' highest reaches, although the souls of the Witnesses, along with hundreds of other dreamers', will be unmercifully destroyed in the process.[12]


The Red Grail[]

The Names of the Red Grail must give life, take life, and be not sated. One way for Grail-Long to accomplish this is by having a child with another Long, and then consuming this child to sate their resulting hunger, but as this would constitute the Crime of the Sky they would be unable to enter the Mansus without shame.[13] An alternative to this is for the Grail-Long to offer their blood to a terminally ill mortal, which has the effect of restoring the mortal's health.[14] After being made sufficiently delicious, the mortal is then eaten alive by the Grail-Long and countless others in the Vitulation, a cannibalistic orgy of enough sensation to draw the Grail's attention through the Kingskin Gate.[13]


List of Names[]

Name Patron Origin Notes
The Knotwingknot[15]
Unknown
  • Has a nest in the Wood, which can be visited by consuming copious amounts of alcohol[16]
Ferezeref the Magpie[15]
Unknown
  • A Name of the Moth which joins the Avian Hours yearly for their meeting at the Roost[17]
  • 'Wings Within Wings' aka the Invisible Opera is dedicated to him. Ferezeref generally deputises a lesser power to arrange a suitable disaster at the Opera. But he has been known to attend the performances himself.
The Motley[15]
Unknown
  • Existence only known through a leaked list of the Moth's Names in Book of Hours
Goddess-who-changes-skin
Unknown
  • Presumably, it's the Moth's forgotten Name[18]
  • Its statue is found at the Chapel Calicite under the Hush House[18]
The Baldomerian[19]
Ascended
  • Owner of the Lodge of the Sage Knight, candidate for the Watchman's Pilgrimage[20]
  • Status as a Name is unclear due to the ambiguous status of Lantern-Long
  • Formerly Teresa Galmier, a human occultist during the 1920s, the author of The Locksmith's Dream book series
  • Father is an Antaean, the French-Italian Reckoner Lord Duffoure; mother appears to have had ties to the aspect of the Lantern[21][22]
  • Temporary regained the corporeal body by Fr. Stanislav John Schaller
  • Lover of Christopher Illopoly, a contemporary of hers, though the two parted ways owing to their different goals
Kitling Ripe[23]
Unknown
  • Resurrected the Velvet[23]
  • Can be encountered during the Dancer Legacy at the Unnumbered Stones[24]
  • Enjoys hunting immortals
  • It's possible to achieve immortality by arousing the Kitling's appetite enough to become her quarry, but not quite enough to be caught
The Nameless Name[25]
Unknown
  • Collect secrets for the Velvet in the Wake[26]
  • Only ever seen by the greyest of cats, who can lead mortals to Misty Nook, where it resides[25]
  • Acquainted with the Ligeian known as Morgen[27]
  • Can conceal mortals within its obscuring mists for a price[28]
Old Mother Anguish[29]
Unknown
  • Mother of Ahad and Daha
  • Came to parley with her son and daughter in a dream in Kerisham, where Ahad was seemingly killed
Ahad (deceased)[29]
Ascended?
  • Son of Old Mother Anguish, brother of Daha, and a notorious murderer
  • Came to parley with his mother and sister in a dream in Kerisham, where he was seemingly killed
Daha
Ascended?
  • Daughter of Old Mother Anguish, sister of Ahad
  • Came to parley with her mother and brother in a dream in Kerisham, where Ahad was seemingly killed
Biedde[30]
Ascended?
  • Name may be a bastardization of the Arabic word for "mosquito"
  • Supposedly a surgeon-highwayman during the 18th century[31]
  • The blade that bears his name leaves wounds that do not stop bleeding until fully healed
Quirinus of the Two-Headed Spear[32]
Unknown
  • Worshipped in Roman times as the deified version of Romulus
  • Name is also one of Janus' epithets, used in the rites of he Unnumbered Legion
  • Is one of the more approachable Names of the Colonel
  • Can be encountered during the Exile Legacy at shrines dedicated to the Colonel
Menhit[33]
Unknown
  • An Egyptian warrior goddess associated with lions
  • Can be encountered during the Exile Legacy at shrines devoted to the Lionsmith
Miss Naenia[34]
Ascended?
  • The gentlest of the Elegiast's Names[35]
  • She has always stood high in the Sun-in-Rags' favour; and she offers her consolations also to those Long who have taken him as a patron
  • Can be encountered in the form of a painting at London's Montmerenzi-McDonald Gallery in the Ghoul Legacy,[36]
  • Can be encountered during the Heart route of the Dancer Legacy at Port Noon[35]
Ghirbi[37]
Ascended
Ivories[39]
Emanation
  • Congregate, feast, gossip, and create new desires in the the Red Church in the Mansus
Thirstlies[39]
Emanation
  • Congregate, feast, gossip, and create new desires in the the Red Church in the Mansus
Ezeem, Second Thirstly[40]
Emanation (allegedly Ascended)
  • Claimed to have had sexual liaisons with the Mother of Ants prior to her ascension to Hourhood; if true, this would make Ezeem one of the oldest extant Names[41]
  • Often flirted with the Forge (with the Forge?) [42]
Lovelies[39]
Emanation
  • Congregate, feast, gossip, and create new desires in the the Red Church in the Mansus
The Pine Knight (formerly)
Ascended
  • Formerly an ambitious mortal musician who sought to match the Grail's appetites
  • Flayed alive by his patron to help her wrest control of Heart from the Twins and appease the Horned-Axe; ascended to Hourhood in the process
The Sage Knight[43]
Ascended?
Coelle[44]
Ascended
  • Corpse washed up on the shores of Noon Island after she drowned herself
  • The only known Name to have ascended by committing suicide rather than through a methodical ascension process
Wolf-Splinters
Emanation
  • Can be encountered in the Apostle Entheate Legacy threatening the Great Work[45]
Karpellus[46]
Unknown
  • Can be encountered in the Foxlily Meadows of Transylvania during the Dancer Legacy
King Crucible/The Crucible Prince[47]
Emanation
  • Summoned by the Ordo Limiae as a last resort to punish members who violated their oaths of secrecy[48]
Eskhara-Meligounis[49]
Unknown
  • Can be summoned in The Lady Afterwards
  • Potentially a former Name of the Twins
The Amethyst Imago
Unknown
  • After returning from a brief period of servitude to the Witch-and-Sister, sent by the Moth as penance or on a whim to hunt the rogue Lethean Matthias
  • Eventually fell in love with Matthias, allowing him to sever her wings with the Shears of Alakapura, and castrating him in return to prevent the Crime of the Sky
  • Pledged herself to the Forge of Days together with Matthias and reportedly "rose higher" in the Mansus; if still alive at present, likely resides in the Malleary
The Meniscate (formerly)
Emanation (presumed)
The Sun-in-Rags (formerly)
Emanation (presumed)
The Madrugad (formerly)
Emanation (presumed)
Striges/The Many-Winged Ones[52]
Unknown
  • Judge the trophies of potential Edge-Long, honor the flesh of fallen warriors, carry the souls of fallen heroes before Hours
  • Out of universe, may have been inspired by the Valkyries of Norse mythology
  • In-universe, may have inspired Norse myths about Valkyries
Vak/The Peacock Door[53]
Emanation?
Robigo, the Generous With Hosts[57]
Emanation?
  • Was the cause of the Ortucchio incident, leading to the dissolution of the Nocturnal Branch into the Suppression Bureau[58][59]
  • Can cause people to become "robigoid", symptoms of which include coughing fits, incoherence and a lack of awareness[58]
Three Faces, Nine Colours
Unknown
Echidna
Unknown
  • Used to be the Name of gods-from-stone, which means she is either more like a corrupted Long now or she is still the Name who serves the Twins.
The Excellency Gnathobasis
Unknown
Instruments
Ascended?
  • A collection of seven Names whose musics support the Thunderskin's rhythm. Tradition has it that a duendrazon that has known seven caesurae becomes eligible to replace an existing Instrument.

Sources[]

  1. An Immortal Enemy
  2. The Ecdysiast's Riddle, Q: Can Names be independent of Hours?...
  3. The Instruments of the Heart
  4. Ouranoscopy
  5. Coral
  6. WolframAlpha
  7. The Enactments of the Hours
  8. The Gate Opens Outwards?
  9. 9.0 9.1 Dawnbreaker Technique
  10. Thine Eyes Have Seen
  11. The Last Pieces of the Great Work
  12. The Gate Opens Outwards
  13. 13.0 13.1 The Last Elements of the Vitulation
  14. Savorous Blood
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 Moth Names and Minions
  16. Knotwingknot Nest
  17. The Locksmith’s Dream tickets available now!
  18. 18.0 18.1 Goddess-who-changes-skin
  19. Summon the mysterious Name known as the Baldomerian, Teresa
  20. 20.0 20.1 The Lodge of the Sage Knight
  21. Kinship
  22. Inquisitions for the Demiurge, Discord Follower Count Lore Snippets
  23. 23.0 23.1 Read 'Kitling Ripe and the Moldywarp's Grave (and Other Stories)'
  24. The Name of the Velvet, The Name of the Black-Flax
  25. 25.0 25.1 Follow
  26. Pentiment
  27. An Audience With Mme Matutine?
  28. Into the Mist
  29. 29.0 29.1 29.2 Name of the Mother, Name of the Moon, Name of the Serpent, Name of the Sister
  30. Biedde's Blade (Exile)
  31. Biedde's Blade
  32. Make a Pilgrimage to an Iron Shrine, for a Revelation, Quirinic Meditations
  33. Make a Pilgrimage to an Brazen Shrine, for a Revelation
  34. 'Miss Naenia'
  35. 35.0 35.1 The Elegiast's Name
  36. Explore the Gallery, 'Miss Naenia'
  37. To the Stag Door
  38. Entering the Stag Door, The Stag Door
  39. 39.0 39.1 39.2 The Red Church
  40. Ezeem, the Second Thirstly
  41. Wild Lessons, #spirit_graile_edge
  42. Summon one of the Name-emanations of the Red Grail
  43. “Got your book..."
  44. The Wolf's Name
  45. An Act of Sabotage!, Defending the Great Work
  46. The Name of the Flowermaker, The Lilyking's Name
  47. King Crucible
  48. Read 'The Iron Book'
  49. The Legeia Club Twitter
  50. 50.0 50.1 50.2 Read 'The High Mysteries...'
  51. Read 'Sunset Passages'
  52. An Operation of the Strix
  53. Scholar: Vak
  54. https://uadaf.theevilroot.xyz/rowenarium/recipe/commit.nyc.s.coil.chasm
  55. The Peacock Door
  56. The Colours of the Horizon
  57. On the Friar's Tapestry
  58. 58.0 58.1 Velletri Interviews
  59. Lesser Bridge
  60. A Journey to the Grove
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