Kevin's Watch

I'm not usually one for running contests in an RPG, though I think this will be a good one to enhance player association with the vessel. To speed things along, I am going to design the ship which the players will call home (the game intends for this to be usually done by the players).

However, I would like for players to come up with a name for the vessel. Therefore, every player is allowed to place two entries for a name for the ship. For each entry you submit, I will provide a small Experience Point bonus (20 points per entry). The winning entry will gain the player a further 60 Experience points.

The contest will close on Monday the 8th, after which I would like players to submit votes to me via PM (to be closed on the Friday). Remember, you may submit a maximum of two ship's names.

Although I will gain no prize if my ship's name is selected, I would like to submit:

Mandragora's Wake

Celestial Wanderer

Traffic (as in, "all that the Traffic will bear")

The Vanguard of Human Civilization

Harbinger of the Void*

*anybody remember the old game Human Occupied Landfill?

Invictus Aeterna
(High Gothic for "Forever Unconquered", or "Unconquered Eternally")

She retains this name from her centuries of service as a Strike Frigate in the Imperial Navy. The crew sometimes refer to her simply as the Invictus, or "Old Invictus", given the ships venerable age.

Aeon Ended

The ship was renamed when she was recommissioned as a Rogue Trader vessel; this name refers to the end of her long service in the Imperial Navy. Again, the crew often refer to her with black humour as the Aeon, "Innumerable Aeons", "The Crumbling Aeon" and such with regard to her age.

Just a reminder that there are two more days left until I close entries for this contest.

Prometheus Lacuna

High Gothic literally meaning Foresight into the Void, representing the ships role of being at the forefront of human expansion.

Aetherium Exulis

The name Aetherium Exulis is often considered to mean Celestial Wanderer to signify the ships long career of exploring space. However, some who believe in Superstitions and curses point out that the word Exulis also means Exile, and that having a ship that is literally named Celestial Exile is nothing but a bad omen, and it is many a man over the centuries of the ships service who has stated that there is some truth to such dark omens.

if it hasn't already been taken, i like "(The) Pandora" as a ship name.

I just realised my entry was the same as Drak Kungs. I didn't even realise I just sat on a Latin Translator and tried different words that kinda fit. Sorry for my plagiarism.

^I noticed but I didn't want to say anything . The High Gothic could have multiple translations though...

OK - the entries are closed.

I would like everyone to submit their votes to me via PM. Please give a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place preference. There are no restrictions on voting, although some may think it indecorous to vote for your own entry in 1st position

Is voting open only to players, Montresor?
Or are lurkers welcome to weigh in as well?

Menolly wrote:Is voting open only to players, Montresor?
Or are lurkers welcome to weigh in as well?

Ummm...only player's votes count, of course :p

You can always just let us know which ones you would have picked.

I voted.

All the cool kids vote.



*Brought to you by the Cool kids voting campaign, encouraging youth to pay attention to politics since 1989

Montresor wrote:

Menolly wrote:Is voting open only to players, Montresor?
Or are lurkers welcome to weigh in as well?

Ummm...only player's votes count, of course :p

You can always just let us know which ones you would have picked.

Fair enough.
You did say "us," so since my votes don't count I assume posting them publicly is what you meant.

1st ~ Aetherium Exulis
I like the sound of the "High Gothic" and Dorian's explanation of the name.
However, if chosen, I would split the XP between Dorian and Drak Kung, as the translation in to English is the same for both entrants.

2nd ~ Invictus Aeterna
Ditto liking the sound of the "High Gothic" again, and Stone Magnet's explanation this time.
However, by using Invictus in the name, I can't get Requiem out of my head. Hoping that is updated sometime soon, as the stories were intriguing all around.

3rd ~ Celestial Wanderer
I know, basically the same in meaning as Aetherium Exulis. But should an English name be preferred, I like this the best of those suggested.

Honorable Mention ~ Mandragora's Wake
The meaning of the name soars over my head.
But it is the GM's entry.
'nuff said.

yeah I did say to Montresor last night that if Aetherium Exulis was chosen to send half of the XP to Drak Kung

Menolly wrote:
Honorable Mention ~ Mandragora's Wake
The meaning of the name soars over my head.
But it is the GM's entry.
'nuff said.

In Christian myth, a Mandragora is a small doll created by the Devil, given to sorcerers so that they may commune with him. Of course, people in the 40k universe have long forgotten what Christianity or the Devil were, but I still felt the name had resonance. Given that ships travel into the Warp - the realm of nightmares, unreality, and daemonic entities - I thought that the idea of a ship being a doll to 'commune' with Darkness was neat.

But GM's entry does not automatically score points because it is the GM's! Thanks anyway, though

^ Ah. I was assuming it was a direct reference to the Mandrake plant, and the name was referring to its hallucinogenic/poisonous properties; or a drug in the 40k universe possessing similar properties.

Menolly wrote: 2nd ~ Invictus Aeterna
Ditto liking the sound of the "High Gothic" again, and Stone Magnet's explanation this time.
However, by using Invictus in the name, I can't get Requiem out of my head.

To be honest I had to think about what you meant by this, but then the Requiem reference clicked home. Latin aye. Everyone wants a piece.

Um... can't Dorian just change the name of the ship once he takes command?

Andrea Chan-Gauthier wrote:Um... can't Dorian just change the name of the ship once he takes command?

If he wants to offend the Machine Spirit, insult the crew, and watch the morale plummet through the floor...sure, he can re-name the vessel

I'm pretty sure those were all on his agenda anyway. Except for offending the Machine Spirit.