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Swordofknowledge Spreading literacy with book and blade from I like it here... Since: Aug, 2012 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Spreading literacy with book and blade
#9751: Mar 28th 2025 at 2:22:29 PM

[up] @ Marchen:

Yes, Eclipse is definitely in my top 3 so far. It fits the "time of day" criteria while—although maybe silly—keeps the little Shout-Out to the story's old origins as a Twilight Saga satire.

As for your question, here is an example of the powers that exist in the story and their names.

There is an individual who can turn herself and anyone she's touching invisible and undetectable. Her power is codenamed Unseen Flesh.

Another character can force people into a deep sleep that can only be resisted through high willpower. This ability is codenamed Siesta (although this is subject to change).

I hope that gives a bit of a picture of what I mean.

Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar Walllace
Marchen Too hot (Hot damn) from Somewhere Out in Space (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: It's not my fault I'm not popular!
Too hot (Hot damn)
#9752: Mar 28th 2025 at 2:57:46 PM

Hmm... Nope! Honestly, I kinda feel more lost now. Like, they all have pretty different vibes. Not necessarily a problem. Just think of Jojo, which has names like Crazy Diamond, Gold Experience, and Stone Free, but also names like Superfly, Sticky Fingers, and Limp Bizkit.

Specifically, Unseen Flesh feels... "gothic". Like, dark spires, foggy nights, creepy men wearing coats, green lightning... you feel me? I'd expect names like... Tenebrous Land or Slumbering Weald or something.

Eclipse meanwhile, feels blunt and to the point, but still with some flair. Comparison names might be Invisible and Sandman. I realise both of those are titles, but still, you get my point.

Finally, Siesta is just a little goofy. The Limp Bizkit of these names*. Like, it's real casual, but still sums up the ability real nice. I do like it, to be clear, but it's very distinct in vibe. Other names like it might be No Show or Lights Out.

Does this make sense? Uh, consider all of these suggestions, I guess?

*Edit: Poor example, Limp Bizkit doesn't explain anything. It's more like... Sex Pistols, I guess?

Edited by Marchen on Mar 28th 2025 at 11:00:40 AM

Read Otr of the Flame (She/Her)
Swordofknowledge Spreading literacy with book and blade from I like it here... Since: Aug, 2012 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Spreading literacy with book and blade
#9753: Mar 29th 2025 at 5:31:15 AM

[up] @ Marchen:

Sorry I didn't see this earlier tongue. You're right about the inconsistency of the names; I kind of pulled them from all over the place, with the only commonality being that I wanted to ensure they were short and to-the-point, without much dramatic flair. I was kind of inspired by D&D spells, which are almost hilariously blunt about what effects they have.

Just think of Jojo, which has names like Crazy Diamond, Gold Experience, and Stone Free, but also names like Superfly, Sticky Fingers, and Limp Bizkit

I hadn't thought of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure in a while, but that's a good reference point...although if I recall, the Stands all have names modeled after songs or bands. If anything, I felt like looking at the Sternritter of Bleach since their unique powers are had a similar convention of being pretty straightforward but stylish.

Thanks for the compliment about Siesta. Yes, as I mentioned, it's still under construction, but I do think Lights Out would be a better fit or at least something similar.

Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar Walllace
AdeptGaderius Otaku from the Anime World Since: Nov, 2018 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
Otaku
#9754: Apr 1st 2025 at 5:33:45 AM

I need to find a name for a In-Universe nonfiction book. Said book mainly focuses on the history of film adaptations of survival horror video games like Resident Evil and the behind-the-scenes look on how these films were made.

RLH4 Cool Loser from Midgard Since: Sep, 2019 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Cool Loser
#9755: Apr 1st 2025 at 6:44:14 AM

Behind the Screams?

Clown To Clown Handshake Initiating...
ArsThaumaturgis Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: I've been dreaming of True Love's Kiss
#9756: Apr 1st 2025 at 10:06:40 AM

Maybe "Survival Horrorshow"?

[edit] Or maybe "Resident Reel".

Edited by ArsThaumaturgis on Apr 1st 2025 at 7:21:48 PM

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Nukeli Since: Aug, 2018
#9757: Apr 4th 2025 at 6:38:48 AM

Ideas for political titles in my scifi story?

So far i've come up with "First Minister", usually shortened to "The First", which is similiar to a prime minister, in a republic ruled by an elected council. They don't have any other leader besides The First, no president or monarch equivalent.

These definitely appear in the story, and also need titles;

  • More symbolic head of state who's also elected, but is basically a figurehead in a similiar elected council system, and also isn't a minister.
  • A much more powerful-in-government head of state, maybe comparable to US president(?) but they don't have federalism.

Also, other title ideas for other kinds of systems? All the "countries" are citystates, and the one system these aliens propably won't have is monarchy, because of the way they reproduce.

Edited by Nukeli on Apr 4th 2025 at 4:49:10 PM

~*bleh*~
MorningStar1337 The Encounter that ended the Dogma from 🤔 Since: Nov, 2012
The Encounter that ended the Dogma
#9758: Apr 4th 2025 at 7:53:39 AM

"Crown Mayor" is my immediate suggestion.

Nukeli Since: Aug, 2018
#9759: Apr 4th 2025 at 8:03:07 AM

[up]

For what? Also idk if they even have crowns.

~*bleh*~
Trainbarrel The Story Supporter from The Star Ocean Since: Jun, 2023 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
The Story Supporter
#9760: Apr 4th 2025 at 8:47:26 AM

How about "Vox" for the symbolic head of state

and "Constructor" for the powerful head in state?

"If there's problems, there's simple solutions."
Discar Since: Jun, 2009
#9761: Apr 6th 2025 at 7:28:13 PM

"Vox" is good, less certain on "Constructor." Maybe "Conductor?" Brings to mind a Man Behind the Man.


How does Star Armor Zero sound for a title? No context, that's the first thing you see. Possibly with some weird word combinations, like StarArmor Zero or something.

Writing a post-post apocalypse LitRPG on RR. Also fanfic stuff.
MorningStar1337 The Encounter that ended the Dogma from 🤔 Since: Nov, 2012
The Encounter that ended the Dogma
#9762: Apr 6th 2025 at 7:34:13 PM

[up] sounds like a scifi and/or mech series TBH

ArsThaumaturgis Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: I've been dreaming of True Love's Kiss
#9763: Apr 7th 2025 at 1:47:04 AM

[up][up] I think that I'd expect it to be anime/manga—or inspired thereby—and likely involve some sort of alien armour.

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MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#9764: Apr 7th 2025 at 11:00:33 AM

Is there a term for a clustered group of nests? Typically when one speaks of nests made by nonhuman primates, they refer to the individual nests that each individual makes to sleep in, but I've been unable to find any term for a group of closely placed nests, such as the ones that a troop of gorillas would build when they go to sleep at night.

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
RLH4 Cool Loser from Midgard Since: Sep, 2019 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Cool Loser
#9765: Apr 7th 2025 at 11:41:48 AM

I think Colony would be the closest term. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_(biology)# Rookery's also decent, though mostly for birds and some marine animals. For specifically non-human primates I don't think it gets any fancier than Nest Site.

Clown To Clown Handshake Initiating...
Nukeli Since: Aug, 2018
#9766: Apr 7th 2025 at 12:32:54 PM

Any other ideas for me? Preferrably in english?

~*bleh*~
Marchen Too hot (Hot damn) from Somewhere Out in Space (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: It's not my fault I'm not popular!
Too hot (Hot damn)
#9767: Apr 7th 2025 at 3:15:18 PM

[up] Let's see... for the symbolic head of state, would something like "Council President" work? Possibly with the council replaced with the actual title of the council. Like, they preside over the council?

And for the non-federalist one... "Top-" something? "Top Man" sounds weird, but... Aliens, right? Uhh, would probably need something more generic than "man" though. Just "Chief"? "The Chief"? Since there's no regional government? Actually, "Governor" might work, though it's almost plain.

Read Otr of the Flame (She/Her)
RLH4 Cool Loser from Midgard Since: Sep, 2019 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Cool Loser
#9768: Apr 7th 2025 at 3:15:50 PM

Speaker? Secretary General? Consul? Prime Minister? Chief Minister? Premier? Princeps? Majordomo? Seneschal? Steward? Castellan?

Edited by RLH4 on Apr 7th 2025 at 6:17:49 AM

Clown To Clown Handshake Initiating...
MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#9769: Apr 7th 2025 at 3:37:31 PM

[up][up][up][up] "Colony" sounds good for a single independent group of sufficiently large size, like a 2-to-3-dozen-strong troop of gorillas or chimpanzees. But I also need something that is "lower-level", since the subject species that I'm asking this for follows a multilevel society model where the "colony" group has one or more tiers of subdivisions that the group splits into, with each such subdivision clustering their nests separately from the other same-tier subdivisions.

Edited by MarqFJA on Apr 7th 2025 at 2:42:35 PM

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
Nukeli Since: Aug, 2018
#9770: Apr 7th 2025 at 9:38:18 PM

[up][up]

"Governor" works because they govern directly.

The powerless symbolic head of state of the place actually ruled by council still needs a title. They can't be called "First" because they aren't ministers.

~*bleh*~
ArsThaumaturgis Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: I've been dreaming of True Love's Kiss
#9771: Apr 8th 2025 at 12:09:45 AM

[up][up] Hmm... If there isn't an extant term, then maybe something might be coined: if the larger group is a "colony", then the smaller group might be a "house". (Or more warmly, and especially if the individuals of a given site are closely related, simply a "home".)

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Starbug Men of Letters Field Agent from Variable (Seven Years' War) Relationship Status: What is this thing you call love?
Men of Letters Field Agent
#9772: Apr 8th 2025 at 3:36:13 AM

The sci-fi setting I’m trying to create, one of the humans is unofficially “married” to an alien.

About three years ago, he saved her from an assault. She repaid his kindness by biting him on the arm, drinking his blood. No, he didn’t turn into the alien; apparently, with their culture, saving one of them incurs a life-debt, and this bite/drink is a sign of this.

I thought of simply referring to them as “blood-bound”, but not sure if it sounds okay.

I’ve faked death under many names. Carswell; Trelawney; Marcato; Haddo; Gallion; Felton; Riddle…
TMH-Sir-Iron-Vomit The clown of STEEL from Ichnusa Since: Mar, 2024
The clown of STEEL
#9773: Apr 8th 2025 at 3:55:01 AM

"Glorious guide" for the symbolic head of state? Sounds corny, but it's for a sort of figurehead, so I guess it gets a very attention-grabbing name?


I had the idea of a game ability that scales a character's Damage Reduction with their "persuasion". While I don't feel like using it for my project anymore, the fact I couldn't give it a name irritates me — if anybody wants to use it for their project, it's free.

Basically, the concept behind this ability is that the character is so persuasive and endearing that it makes other characters hold back when they have to attack them. So I need words that can convey "too charismatic to die".

A very simple name would be just "Charming". The charmed status effect in Dungeons & Dragons made it harder for the affected character to harm the charmer, right? That's a tenuous connection, but it's there.

Oo oo ah ah
ArsThaumaturgis Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: I've been dreaming of True Love's Kiss
#9774: Apr 8th 2025 at 4:33:39 AM

[up] Maybe "Too Beautiful to Die"?

[edit] Or maybe something like "Disarming Smile"?

Edited by ArsThaumaturgis on Apr 8th 2025 at 2:03:47 PM

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Nukeli Since: Aug, 2018
#9775: Apr 8th 2025 at 6:36:10 AM

[up]x3

Honestly "blood-bound" makes me think about two guys who made a Blood Oath, not about a marriage.

[up]x2

That sounds like something a dictator would call themselves. So no.

Edited by Nukeli on Apr 8th 2025 at 4:36:35 PM

~*bleh*~

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