# Need help with an organization name!



## MystiqueRain (Aug 15, 2012)

I'm currently working on a long series with my friends involving a world where people can control a certain element: Water, Wind, Fire, Earth, Light. However, they eventually discover a lost sixth element, darkness. Though not necessarily a bad element, it's one that can be harmful if used incorrectly. 

During the course of the story, two secret organizations begin to present themselves. One of them I've already named, "Monarca", since their symbol is a monarch butterfly, but the other one is proving to be difficult to name. Right now we've just been resorting to the unfortunately pitiful name of the DO (incidentally creating a string of puns dealing with female deer) which by no means is a respectable title for one of the most important forces in the story. 

Currently the goal of the DO--standing for "Darkness Organization"--is to gain revenge against Monarca for oppressing the darkness element for centuries because of the side-effects that go along with "artificial" dark users, or users that don't have darkness as their native-born element. They believe that darkness is simply a misunderstood element, which it is, and that Monarca's puppet reign over the government should be ended. So technically neither of the organizations are "good" or "bad", though they can be perceived that way. 

I've been struggling on a permanent name for the DO for a while now, and whatever I come up with just doesn't seem to work. Usually it turns into something cheesy or overused in my opinion, and I'm trying to avoid that as much as possible. They don't have a symbol or icon or mascot, which makes it difficult to base a name off of that. I'd like to be able to state their goals or values in the name since in reality, it's only a temporary organization until their goal is achieved. An acronym would also be a good choice. 

Could you give me any suggestions, words, or names that could be a suitable name for this organization? I'd be happy to answer any additional questions you might have.


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## ThinkerX (Aug 15, 2012)

'Nocturne Group'

'Order of Midnight'

'Darkest Hour'


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## Aosto (Aug 15, 2012)

League of Darkness
oppressors of Light


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## ShortHair (Aug 15, 2012)

For a Latin sound, Concilium Obscurum (Dark Council)


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## Sieryn (Aug 15, 2012)

Going a different route,  if they are symbolic with the butterfly, go for something that is its predator like a mantis.  Alternatively, choose a lovely name for a black winged (dark) butterfly like Sapho, Battus, Antiquus, Dryadula or Phaetusa.


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## CupofJoe (Aug 15, 2012)

I'd leave it as DO as a placeholder until the right name hits you and it will.
but if you want one... "Anisoptera" Latin for the order of dragonflys to follow Sieryn's lead.


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## T.Allen.Smith (Aug 15, 2012)

If it were me I'd stay away from Latin wording. It's too common a recourse for writers when naming things in a fantasy setting (especially when dealing with magic). It just feels lazy to me unless you're writing a historical fantasy set in latin speaking times. 

Be creative, jumble words around, create anagrams, research word origins & twist them about.


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## Sheilawisz (Aug 15, 2012)

Hello MystiqueRain, and Welcome to Mythic Scribes!!

Your story and Magic sound very good, and my name suggestion for that organization would be... The Shadow Knights. Darkness as an element for Magic has a great potential, I like that.

I have already moved this thread to the World Building Forum =)


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## MystiqueRain (Aug 15, 2012)

Hello to you too  

Thanks for moving the thread to a more appropriate location. I wasn't sure when I was first posting it where it would fit best. 

And thank you to everyone with suggestions so far! I'm seeing inspiration in the future


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## Lunaairis (Aug 16, 2012)

Obscure day, darkest day, The order of lucifer (as in enlightenment, or truth.), blade, Oblivion, Void maybe a combination of oblivion and void, Voidivion?
 I just some ideas, when ever I think of darkness I always think of the void of space.


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## MystiqueRain (Aug 16, 2012)

Haha, in regards to your second statement about darkness being a void...you're actually closer than you think on how the darkness element works in my story. However, I'm not dropping any specifics


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## Saigonnus (Aug 17, 2012)

Ebon Gauntlet
Shadow Society
Ibris Khulain


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## Varamyrr (Aug 22, 2012)

The veiled...
the opague ..
the shrouded
the unlit

I'd try to give them a sigil which might lead you into a different direction. Because all I can think of now is anything related with darkness.


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## MystiqueRain (Aug 22, 2012)

Varamyrr said:


> The veiled...
> the opague ..
> the shrouded
> the unlit
> ...



I've tried that, but so far I've come up empty-handed. While the organization they're against does have a symbol that makes sense, the only thing that really symbolizes the DO is darkness and revenge. Not a particular animal, plant, or thing that is exactly easy to think of. At least, not for me. 

Those aren't bad suggestions though, especially when I'm looking for something not blatantly obvious like "The Cloaks of Darkness".


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## FatCat (Aug 22, 2012)

Maybe try leaving it nameless, let the opposition use different slurs against the dark organization. If there truly the masters of dark magic, then who would know their groups true name....until later of course!


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## MystiqueRain (Aug 22, 2012)

FatCat said:


> Maybe try leaving it nameless, let the opposition use different slurs against the dark organization. If there truly the masters of dark magic, then who would know their groups true name....until later of course!



That's what I've been doing for the past...three books. xD It's been like "the organization" and variations of. But by the middle of the third book their name is supposed to be revealed...except there's no name to reveal.


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## FatCat (Aug 22, 2012)

Hmm, then its time to start the suggestion train.... how about something like Star-Catchers or something, since the don't think they're evil, its kinda ambiguous. Shadow Hand Society, Void Dreamers, Adepts of Luna.........Black Panthers  I'm gonna grab a coffee and like 10 cigarettes until I can think of something cool haha.


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## MystiqueRain (Aug 22, 2012)

Thanks for helping  I've been stuck on this for so long. All suggestions have been highly inspirational right now, but I just haven't gotten my brain cells together to fit it into a good name.  

They don't think they're evil, yes, but they really aren't "evil" evil. One of the main highlights of my novel series is that nobody/no organization is truly "evil", rather that their ideals could be labeled as such. Even a peacekeeping organization such as MONARCA is corrupt and uses twisted ways to instate their purpose and goals. The DO is such an organization that believes MONARCA is not good for the country--which in a way, it is--and wants to gain revenge for all the harm they've been dealt. So both of their purposes are justified in a good and a bad way, in the same way with the two sides that differ on what to do with a set of powerful weapons. 

Personally I don't want to draw on any existing group that's from history or other books, since I want this to be completely unique.  It should reflect their purpose, their mysterious nature, and the fact that they utilize darkness as an element. So take some time to think...it's had me for as long as I can remember.


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## FatCat (Aug 22, 2012)

Ok, got a couple more:
-Fellowship of the Silent Night
-The Shrouded Martyrs 
-The Society for the Advancement of the Black Arts, aka the S.A.B.A, lacks imagination but sometimes bureaucrats rule the world.
-The Shadow Weavers 
-The Guardians of the Void
I thinks that is sadly the best I could think of, is there a founding member of this society or some kind of deity you could use in there name? I think it would be a good idea to use some kind of person/object/idea that is explicitly used in your books, thus negating the need for any 'generalized' themes.


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## MystiqueRain (Aug 22, 2012)

There's not a defined founding member. I think it's implied that several dark-element borns (not present in the organization anymore) founded it years ago. There is a defined leader right now, but he's not really symbolic.


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## FatCat (Aug 22, 2012)

Hmm, if it's a rebel-type organization you could always use the 'Sons of ____ '(insert countries name here), kinda classic counter-culture namesake imo. It's tough to find the perfect anything, but I'm sure if you keep taking swings at it something is bound to click. Is this a political movement/rivalry that the countries populous is privy to, or is it kind of a magical rivalry being fought behind the scenes? Also, you may be over-thinking the name and getting drawn into a somewhat trivial headache, names don't always have to reflect all the ideals/passions/philosophy of the group. Try going simple! For example Monarca doesn't immediately bring any specific purpose to mind other than transformation, which I'm guessing is the point. The counter to this could be something like the 'Stalwart Shadow', implying unseen resistance.


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## Benjamin Clayborne (Aug 22, 2012)

Maybe the organization _doesn't_ have a name. Maybe that was part of the original plan of the founders: to not ever create something for an enemy to latch onto. Members of the organization identify one another via some sign, or signal, or phrase, or action; there's no need for them to refer to the organization by name. If they do need to refer to other members, maybe they just say "my friends" or "our friends." Something like that.


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## MystiqueRain (Aug 23, 2012)

Benjamin Clayborne said:


> Maybe the organization _doesn't_ have a name. Maybe that was part of the original plan of the founders: to not ever create something for an enemy to latch onto. Members of the organization identify one another via some sign, or signal, or phrase, or action; there's no need for them to refer to the organization by name. If they do need to refer to other members, maybe they just say "my friends" or "our friends." Something like that.



Right now, that's one of my options xD It's easy just to say "the organization" but sometimes I find it annoying as well to keep calling them that. I'll see. I'm sure when something clicks, it'll be good.


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## Benjamin Clayborne (Aug 23, 2012)

There's no reason that the organization's _enemies_ can't coin a name for it and use that, even if the organization itself deliberately eschews names.


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## MystiqueRain (Aug 23, 2012)

Of course  I'll think about it. There have been a lot of good suggestions on this thread.


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## ahhhitswells (Aug 28, 2012)

Vector Union, Abysmal Force, Nocturne Colony, Moonwash Kingdom....


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