# Codenames.



## Calhanthirs (Jun 3, 2008)

I'm currently working on a story w/ comic-book style furs in it, and I'm having troubles coming up with good codenames for some of the characters so when they're in tights I can type them by a name that I don't mind calling them, and the reader doesn't find painfully cheesy.
So I thought I'd post some very minimum, bare-bones basics on them here, and see if someone can't help me out with some suggestions/ideas for codenames.

Species:River Otter
Gender: M
Powers: Heightened agility; ability to heal others.

Species: River Otter
Gender: F
Powers: Heightened agility; ability to go out of body and have her spirit explore places she couldn't otherwise get to.

Species: Coyote
Gender: M
Powers: He's basically a walking cartoon character.

Species: Horse
Gender: F
Powers: strength and stamina; growth up to 20'(with strength and stamina increasing with each ft-gain in height.)


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## Khizzy (Jun 3, 2008)

Shaman.

Ghost.

Lune.

The Growy Mare.

Payment now?


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## Stratelier (Jun 4, 2008)

It's hard to think up relevant codenames without some kind of bio to identify what each character's history (or role in the plot) is.

You may just have to give them a placeholder name, write the story, and _then_ when it's almost finished give them a codename (e.g. search & replace all).

There was one story I had where I gave one character a codename up front, but looking back the only reason for that codename was because _I_ liked the phrase ('Silver Phoenix').  It didn't actually describe anything about his character.

By contrast, in my Nanowrimo novel (during 2007), one character earned the nickname 'Redtail', I didn't give it to him until over halfway through the novel, the explanation was he was nearly killed in a fight, and his fur was left permanently dyed red from his own blood.  And _that_ nickname was most certainly worth it.

So sometimes, if you want a good codename/nickname for a character you have to do something to "earn" it first, i.e. write out the plot, see how the character progresses, then pick a nickname based on that.


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## Calhanthirs (Jun 13, 2008)

Shaman... I was thinking of using that one but wasn't sure how it really sounded. Seeing as someone else suggested it, it can't be all that bad(and a bad pun-filled scene has cropped into mind.). I was going to go with 'Thane' but that would suggest some sort of leadership desires/capabilities.  
     I'm having character images done right now by Eggplantman (Who does the Zodiac webcomic) and as he's putting character names right on the image, I kinda realized I needed names for the as-yet-unnamed characters sooner than I had planned!(Oops)  Rather not see names like 'That One!' and 'The Other One!' and 'Beats the Hell Outta Me Who This is Supposed to Be!' proudly displayed across the picture.


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## Calhanthirs (Jun 14, 2008)

Well, through my own research, and the help I've received here and elsewhere, I've gotten...(I've gotten? Is that right?) most of the code names. For the Otter who can have her spirit leave her body: Revenant (from a French word meaning to return; in this instance referring to death.)
For the Mare with the strength/stamina and growth, I wanted something that suggested strength and stamina, yet, had feminine connotations to it, however due to history being what it is, strong, feminine words are also associated with harping, shrewishness, bitching, and a general hatred of men, which this character does not have. What I've come up w/ so far is: Valkyrie, Amazon, and Virago. I do believe the first two are copyrighted by a comic book company for some of their characters, and I'm sure that Virago isn't but I'm not entirely positive on the connotations of that word.


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## Stratelier (Jun 15, 2008)

Valkyrie and amazon, the terms themselves, are public domain.


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## SlushPuppy (Jun 15, 2008)

I like Revenant. Why not give the mare a Greek goddess name? Like Theia (a titan), Alectrona (goddess of the morning basically), Erato (a muse of poetry), Thalia (another muse) means "blooming".


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## Stratelier (Jun 15, 2008)

> Species: Coyote
> Gender: M
> Powers: He's basically a walking cartoon character.


I suppose you could nickname that one "Wily"...


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## lobosabio (Jun 15, 2008)

-Shaman
-Specter
-Splat
-Shorty

Do any of those work?


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## Khizzy (Jun 16, 2008)

I CAME UP WITH SHAMAN.

Yes I did.


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## Bambi (Jun 16, 2008)

> Yes I did.


 
"Well, what the hell is a fothermucker?"

Sorry, reference to a Hardstyle song. You did also come up with Shaman.


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## Khizzy (Jun 17, 2008)

I have the support of Bambi, no-one can argue with me now.


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## Calhanthirs (Jun 17, 2008)

Stratadrake-- Valkyrie is public domain? Huh, and I thought Marvel owned that name. Well, seeing as I wanted something fierce and feminine, I may just have to use that one then. (I'd use Amazon, but naming a character Amazon who's married with two kids, just doesn't feel right. I don't know, maybe it's just me.)

Stratadrake-- Got a name picked out for the 'Yote.

Lobosabio-- Not sure about those last two, however Shaman (as Khizzy so loudly pointed out) is taken, as is Spectre by a villain.


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## Khizzy (Jun 17, 2008)

Hah! HAH! I KNEW it!

Also, bullshit to Valkyrie being owned, it's a word, not a name. That's like copyrighting the word 'lemon'.


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## Calhanthirs (Jun 18, 2008)

So we learn Khizzy, so we learn.


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## hillbilly guy (Jun 18, 2008)

whalfle 
flapjack 
hay  (i call all my frends that)
tomato


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## Calhanthirs (Jun 18, 2008)

Slushpuppy--Yeah, I was going to go with Revenant, but was talked out of it, they(as in, a handful of people) found it too creepy for the character, and not really fitting for her, and well,  I saw their point. Giving her ability to leave her body, and come back, 'Astral' works equally as well, and doesn't have the disturbing connotations Revenant does.

 Another name option other than Valkyrie I had for the mare was Destrier.(The other three Warhorse derived names being Courser, which sounds like she's really fast, Rouncy, which, just sounds silly. I mean, stand their arms akimbo, chest out, and in your most heroic voice proclaim "I am Rouncy!"; And Charger, which will make people assume she's a Dodge fanatic.)


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## Stratelier (Jun 19, 2008)

> Stratadrake-- Valkyrie is public domain? Huh, and I thought Marvel owned that name.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valkyrie

As for Marvel, they own a _character_ named 'Valkyrie'.


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## Hackfox (Jun 19, 2008)

lobosabio said:


> -Shaman
> -Specter
> -Splat
> -Shorty
> ...



I like these but for horse...perhaps horse with big boner XD lol jk these are best man.


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