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ok, here it is: a thread about Eralei’s first name and the “mystery” of sorts that has been surrounding it since the day I created her three years ago. Please bear with me; you all know what I’m like when I talk about her. 
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so one thing you should know about me: I actually love naming characters. I complain about it a lot, because it’s FUCKING HARD sometimes, but it’s one of my favorite parts of character creation. And yes, I am one of Those Peoplehttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="™️" title="Registered-Trade-Mark-Symbol" aria-label="Emoji: Registered-Trade-Mark-Symbol"> that generally likes to pick out Name Meanings.
Like I will scour endless internet lists to find the perfect sounding name with at least some vaguely thematically appropriate, if admittedly arbitrary meaning that suits the character I’m creating. Sue me. It’s fun.
(Please note this is not a hard and fast rule for me. I do have exceptions. Severine’s name is from a movie; Mheera’s name is entirely made up, just because I thought it sounded purrfectly catlike and suited for her species. Bagheera from The Jungle Book was an inspiration.)
but IN GENERAL....for serious characters, ones that I have at least some genuine intent for them to be significant in some way, I almost ALWAYS trawl baby name websites, or mythology websites, or whatever else, for the perfect name.
Except, for Eralei.... I didn’t.
Except, for Eralei.... I didn’t.
I had a plan for her and everything. Much of her character was already plotted out. (She didn’t listen to me, and ended up quite different, but that’s another thread for another time.)
(...it is also worth noting that I spent a *year* trying to find the perfect surname lmao)
(...it is also worth noting that I spent a *year* trying to find the perfect surname lmao)
But yes—for whatever reason, as I was creating her, the sound of this name just popped into my head. I knew immediately that’s what I wanted it to be. I didn’t even question it. I didn’t do any name meaning searches like I almost always do; I didn’t even try.
I didn’t even think it MEANT anything.
But something about that has always bothered me. Like some part of my brain has always said, “there’s actually something to this.” I just didn’t have any leads, because as far as I knew, I had literally just “made it up” and that was that.
But something about that has always bothered me. Like some part of my brain has always said, “there’s actually something to this.” I just didn’t have any leads, because as far as I knew, I had literally just “made it up” and that was that.
WELL. just today I was digging through a whole mess of old pictures I have saved, and I came across this picture of an old pet site that I used to go on (yes, like Neopets, but geared to an older/not Literal Children audience)
And I found this image of the last pet I ever made.
And I found this image of the last pet I ever made.
Something immediately clicked in my brain and suddenly, all the pieces started coming back to me.
I REMEMBER making this pet and searching for the perfect name, as I (almost) always do. And looking at the date, I created that pet just over a year before I made Eralei. Not long.
I REMEMBER making this pet and searching for the perfect name, as I (almost) always do. And looking at the date, I created that pet just over a year before I made Eralei. Not long.
I’m convinced that some part of my subconscious dredged that name, or at least the sound of it, back into my memory as I was creating her, and that’s where her name came from. I mean, they’re too similar for me to ignore.
But it gets better.
But it gets better.
A simple google search tells me that those baby name websites claim that Erelah means “angel.” That definitely checks out, given the type of pet I created on that site.
It also, apparently, means “Holy Messenger.”
This is what really got me.
It also, apparently, means “Holy Messenger.”
This is what really got me.
Eralei is a very heavily symbolic character. She has several recurring themes, both by intentional design and later-discovered happenstance, that all mean so very much to me. Her symbolism is inseparable from her character, and is incredibly important to the whole narrative.
One of her most significant symbols is that of the Black Dog from folklore. In her case, it is the symbol of her family name; her noble House. (Star Wars-equivalent, in any case. There are doglike species in that universe, so it’s fine.)
The Black Dog is symbolically related to several of her design elements. Her tattoos, her black hair, even the fact that sometimes this creature is depicted with glowing orange eyes.
Even the in-game houndlike imagery; the warrior being described as a “lap dog”....
Even the in-game houndlike imagery; the warrior being described as a “lap dog”....
.....”on her master’s leash” and so on, both for Darth Baras and, later, the Emperor himself during her time as the Wrath.
and in my canon, she later obtains two black hounds of her own, as guardians and loving companions; two female vornskyr named Asha and Aistra.
and in my canon, she later obtains two black hounds of her own, as guardians and loving companions; two female vornskyr named Asha and Aistra.
ANYWAY. Those of you familiar with Eralei also know that she, herself, is not as sinister and grim as The Black Dog’s stigma implies. This is also thematically appropriate for her, as someone who struggles with the stigma of becoming Sith... reluctantly so.
And she is fully aware of the meaning of her family’s symbol. It is, after all, on the crest of her House. It is also the pinnacle of what she was expected, what she was MEANT to be; the latest in a long, proud bloodline of Sith.
Her whole character is about making peace with herself, her choices, her actions, her destiny. And part of that peace is in finding her own way; her own way of being Sith. Of being a leader. A commander.
Her interpretation of the Black Dog?
A messenger.
Guiding souls to their own purpose, or their destiny... or their peace. One way or another.
It’s something she takes great comfort in, after everything.
A messenger.
Guiding souls to their own purpose, or their destiny... or their peace. One way or another.
It’s something she takes great comfort in, after everything.
Imagery is so important to her character. And things like this keep happening; I keep finding perfect meaning in things about her that were NOT by my own intentional design.
I always say it’s like the universe itself has been conspiring to help me create this perfect character.
I always say it’s like the universe itself has been conspiring to help me create this perfect character.
This utter coincidence, the meaning of her first name, was just realized a bit ago, but the symbolism, the imagery, the interpretations, have all been in place for YEARS.
This is her newest armor. It was modeled after the Black Hound.
Wings for a messenger.
This is her newest armor. It was modeled after the Black Hound.
Wings for a messenger.
Thanks for reading. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="♥️" title="Herz" aria-label="Emoji: Herz">
