Naming Weapons

[Dark Spark]

You've wrestled with a good name for your character(s), so have you wrestled over a good name for any particular weapon those characters have? Something that inspires fear in its enemies, or was it inspired by something that happened in the game? Does a certain character follow a roleplaying rule of carrying a family sword, or a holdover from the war? Or do you simply prefer to use a unique weapon such as Chillrend or Dragonbane and don't worry about naming stuff?

I realize that I fail a lot when it comes to naming swords in any sort of story I create. A melee weapon such as a sword is simply a sharp ribbon of metal to me. Axes and clubs have even less personality to me, so I just can't find the "right" name for one that doesn't end up sounding like a clichéd device in a pot-boiler of a fantasy story. My current character resorts to using a fire-enchanted sword called 'Shadowreaver' simply because the light of the flames would make any shadows go away. That, and it sort of sounds mean. But that's all the inspiration I have for it: I have spent way too much time hunched over an Arcane Enchanter with every magical detail picked out for a good sword— except for a good name.

With my assassin I've been trying sword names with a theme of rain or mist (Casandra's last name, Serein, means "rain from a cloudless sky"). But I struggle for a long time, only to come up with crappy names like 'Bloodmist' or 'Stormcutter'.

Bows or other ranged weapons, on the other hand, I find rather easy to name— they have a personality or temperment I can see with every shot. 'Whisper' is a good name for a bow. And if I can mate an appropriate bow with the samurai-like Blades outfit, I would call it 'Cloudless Sky'.

So, do you name your characters' weapons for the cool-factor right off the top, or does it evolve after a few hours of gameplay?

Yes, any cool names you come up with will likely be stolen by others. Anyone who makes a sword named 'Bloodmist' will be laughed at. Pointing of fingers may be involved as well.

[Raynil dralas]

I tend to apply the same name to different weapons as I find new and better materials.

I usually have a dagger called "blooddrinker" which is absorb health, I often name battleaxes with chaos or damage health as "Grimcleaver" I usually have a frost dagger called "frostfang" and ebony swords tend to get "the blackblade" I usually make a bow with paralysis called "Black widows bite" I usually end up with a shock enchated claymore called "Skysunder blade"

Often Ill make some race specific weapons, my dunmer characters usually have a "blade of nerevar" or something and Altmer would get a "Highborns glory" or some such. I had a dagger once called "thorn of Wayrest" for a breton character ect.

Ive never been too creative and I tend to just rush into naming the weapons.

[Chadonraz]

On one of the characters I still have on the 360 I've named both of her weapons.

A Glass Sword with the Soul Trap enchantment is called Thalmorbane, because I enchanted it using a Black Soul Gem I filled during "Diplomatic Immunity".
A Hunting Bow (I wanted to avoid becoming OP with my archery) with Shock Damage is called Dragonsting, because... I can't remember why I chose that name, tbh. I enchanted it in like October last year.


On an even older character I crafted a Dragonbone Sword that I named Paarthurnax's Wisdom (can't remember what the enchantment was).

Spoiler:

That was the first (and only) time I decided to side with the Blades, hence the name. I crafted and upgraded the sword to Legendary using Paarthurnax's remains.

That sword was then used to kill Alduin; I remember I got to land the killing blow.

[Varyag]

You don't worry about naming

<- that. When I have less than hour per day time to play, fiddling with names isn't high priority. So my bosmer Malandor used to dualwield scimitars named Left and Right (one had fire damage-enchantment and other absorbed health) and he has bow named....Malandor's bow. Very imaginative, I know.
I only name gear I don't want to sell, so my chars are wearing gear like Nelya's Boots or Illia's Circlet.m

[skullclutter]

I try and name things based on what the enchantment does. For example, I've got a pair of boots enchanted for frost resistance I called simply "Insulated boots". My main is a mage who uses bound weapons, if any, so I haven't had to come up with any good weapon's names.

I've also used names from mythology. In Oblivion I had boots enchanted with feather I called Talaria.

[ZeRoc]

On my character that actually maxed out enchanting I did name things. Most of his equipment is named after some facet of chaos, the Enforcer of Change, Zealot of Chance, that kind of thing, and his helmet was his name, as a sort of homage to the dragon priests, whose souls I like to think were the ones that fueled his armor. It's hard to tell with the Black Soul Gems involved in making it of whose did what.

Other than that, I usually name them after what they do, as mentioned in the post above mine.

[VirtualWeasel]

I've named weapons a few times, but often what ends up happening is the game decides that that weapon doesn't deserve a name anymore.
Meaning, simply, I've had names disappear from weapons for no explainable reason several times. I don't really even do it now because of that.

[logansrun]

Back in the day when we had custom character classes (remember those?), I’d name my magic items after my class such as “Sword of the …” (Shadowscale, etc.)

I also had three enchanted rings of Levitation, Water Breathing and Water Walking named “Ring of the First Element” (air), Ring of the Second Element” (water), Ring of the Third Element (ice / combination of the first two “elements”, hence “water walking”)

Then I had my favorites from Elric / Stormbringer lore with Absorb Health and Soul Trap named after the (in)famous Elf’s soul drinker, “Stormbringer”, as well as a companion, “Stormbreaker”.

[Dark Spark]

...I've had names disappear from weapons for no explainable reason several times. I don't really even do it now because of that.

Interesting (more like 'alarming', actually). Because I just looked at the UESP Enchanting and Glitches pages for this problem. I did a more general internet search as well. I've found several people asking about this bug, where the item reverts to its generic name, but no one has come up with an explanation nor a means to avoid it.

[Evil-i]

I tend to refrain from naming things that won't come when I call them.

[sinister]

When I enchant my weapon(usually a sword), I name it Kindness. I literally kill people with Kindness.

[Snail's Pace]

^ That's pretty funny.

Dark Spark - Doesn't Cassie have a dagger named "Mr. Stabby"? That's a good name.

My Oblivion character has a bow named "Electra", and three daggers named "Carlotta", "Esmeralda", and "Sparkles". My Skyrim characters get items with names like "Larawen's Ebony Bow" and "Jess's Circlet 3" (before that came - you guessed it - "Jess's Circlet 2").

For some reason, my sense of whimsy doesn't follow me to the enchanting station in Skyrim.

[scribbane]

I don't always name my weapons, but when I do I call them "scribbane." And then I go to Solstheim and attempt to relive my glory days.

[Dark Spark]

...Dark Spark - Doesn't Cassie have a dagger named "Mr. Stabby"? That's a good name. ...

Mister Stabby is less of a weapon and more of her imaginary friend. If she were ever to become a Daedric Prince, it would be her artifact. It would summon time-traveling cowboys to fight at your side.

I also name apparel without much poetry. The armor, gloves, and boots I craft for followers get matching names, even if they are not matched material. Erik the Slayer, for example, gets Steel Plate armor matched up with hide bracers. The items are named 'Slayer Armor' and 'Slayer Bracers'. There are other outfit names for other followers: Scout, Assassin, Auxiliary, Native, etc.

The only thing Cassie kept from Helgen were the Light Imperial Boots. It's the straps that get her (very 1960's, I think). Once enchanted, they were named 'Walking Boots'. That's what they were made for.

Honestly, though: nobody gives their clothes actual names.

[ElderSkillz]

I like default generic stuff. I try to make the most cut-and-dry characters and attributes that I can. I play my characters like I'm acting out a role. (Usually sword and shield heavy armor warriors or a backstabbing guild thief.) There's something satisfying about having everything the way it "ought" to be.

I don't mind the default equipment names. For me the personality comes from the actual lore in the game, and the only unique items I ever have are artifacts.

[Dark Spark]

What I'm really looking for in this thread are some really cool weapon names out there, because I can't seem to think up any.

[Chadonraz]

Regarding equipment names, my all-time favourite would have to be "Ring of the Wannabe Argonian" that, you guessed it, had the Waterbreathing enchantment.

I also remember another soul trap weapon I used to have; it was called "Essence Eater".

[Dave2380]

Currently my assassin is using an Ebony Bow named Judgement, my Daedric war axe is named Dremora's Kiss. Finding a good name for a weapon that hasn't already been used by a writer somewhere can be a bit of a pain.

Although when i'm hunting Dragon priests for their masks i tend to name a Dragon Priests Dagger after them, Hevnoraak's Bane, Rahgot's End etc. I do it with Dragonbone weapons too for every named Dragon i kill.

But finding a good name for a weapon can be tricky.

[Evil-i]

Any names I could think of would probably exceed the character limit in the naming window. Things like "You Won't Be Going Home For Supper Anymore", "Enjoy The Tag On Your Toe" and "It's Time For You To STFU".

Brevity often eludes me.

[rcbecker123]

I guess using your name and weapon type isnt what your looking for but it sure makes clearing out the junk after a dungeon hull easy.
Example.
Gildas Dwarven dagger.

[all_freed]

I just use some really cliche names like...

Kiss of Sithis
Mantle of the Witch King or Witch King's Mantle
The Tenderizer or Butcher's Cleaver or The Desecrater
Legacy of the Void
Intaglio of... or blah blah's Intaglio
Mark of...
Bane of.... blah blah blah

Stuff like that. :p

[Finn Wolfshorn]

Let me see... Marilyn (I) had a daedric katana & wakizashi named "Marilyn's Kiss" and "Marilyn's Lovebite", respectively. My Breton witch made her husband Cosnach a bow named "Cosnach's Greeting", upgraded later to "Cosnach's Curse"; all his other gear was named as well, all of which I don't remember, but it should actually be buried in some other thread where we discussed this briefly (no idea which, it might have been the "weird habits in Skyrim" one). Marilyn (II) has a soul-trapping silver katana called "Soulreaper" (quite predictable...); also an armour made from Frost's hide named "Marilyn's Horsehide". Most of her armour pieces are named "Marilyn's this or that" so that I find them easily in the favourites menu. My Argonian druid had an enchanted battlestaff named "Staff of Moonfire", later replaced by "Staff of Soulfire" (guess the enchantments).

A few names I haven't used yet: "Silvertongue" for a sword and "Blunt Reply" for a mace or hammer, for a character well versed in speechcraft; also "Quill" for a sword or dagger, wielded by a character who used to be a clerk.

[Emzi 43]

I remember my Dragonborn nord Knight Thorogood used a silver sword called "Kingsguard". He went on to wield Dragonbane and later a dragon sword of his own making named "Skybreaker". He also made 9 Dragon swords for each hold, and named them respectively "Blade of ****". His little bit of personal lore was that there will be a great threat to Skyrim after the Dovahkiin left, and only 9 heroes from the 9 holds wielding these 9 sword (Each) in service of the 9 divines, would be able to save Skyrim.

[logansrun]

Just a quick side note to the above post, there are also nine dragon priest masks as well.

[Emzi 43]

there are also nine dragon priest masks as well.

I hadn't thought of that, I've got to assemble the whole set now!