Frankish and Wendish Names

Names that seem historically accurate are a difficult thing to find, so I made this list of "campaign appropriate" names for my NPCs, and decided to share it with my players too.

Frankish Names -

Frankish (Germanic Frankish)

Male Names -

Abrahil, Abram, Adalbald, Adalbert, Adalgari, Adalgrim, Aegidius, Ageric, Agilbert, Agiulf, Ailbert, Albric, Aldedramn, Andica, Ansovald, Arcambald, Aregisel, Arnegisel, Arnulf, Ascaric, Audovald, Austregisel, Autbert, Autgari, Autgeri, Avremar Badegisel, Balduin, Barnard, Berald, Bernard, Berneri, Bero, Berold, Berthefried, Bertlin, Bertram, Bertrand, Burchard, Karloman, Ceslin, Chararic, Charibert, Childebert, Childeric, Chilperic, Chlodomer, Chlothar, Chramnesind, Clodio, Clodion, Clovis, Creat, Dagaric, Dagobert, Drogo, Eberulf, Ebregisel, Engilbert, Euric, Everard, Faroard, Faroin, Feremund, Feroard, Foroen, Frobert, Frotari, Frothard, Frothari, Frotlaic, Fulcari, Fulcrad, Galteri, Gararic, Garivald, Gaucelm, Gaudulf, Gaujoin, Gausbert, Gausbold, Gautmar, Gauzbert, Gedalbert, Gedalca, Genobaud, Gerbert, Gerhard, Gerold, Gislari, Gislevert, Gocelm, Godalbert, Godomar, Gozhelm, Grimald, Guadulf, Gualtari, Gualter, Guillabert, Guitard, Gundobad, Gunthar, Guntram, Haldemar, Hartmut, Hildebald, Hildebold, Hildegaud, Hildevold, Hildoin, Hucbert, Hugbert, Imnachar, Ingalbert, Ingomer, Karl, Lambert, Lantbert, Leudast, Lothar, Magnachar, Magneric, Mainard, Mallobaudes, Marachar, Marcomer, Marell, Martin, Maurifi, Meginhard, Merogais, Merovech, Munderic, Niebelung, Odelric, Odolric, Otbert, Otgeri, Otker, Pepin, Pharamond, Pippin, Radulf, Ragambald, Ragena, Ragenard, Raginari, Ragnachar, Ragnald, Ragno, Raimbold, Rainald, Ramnulf, Rathar, Raynold, Reginari, Ricchar, Rignomer, Roland, Robert, Rotbert, Segoin, Seguin, Sicbald, Sichar, Sicland, Sicleard, Siclevold, Sigebald, Sigebert, Sigeric, Sigismund, Sigobert, Sinop, Sunnegisil, Sunno, Tancrad, Tancred, Tassilo, Teotbert, Tetbert, Teutbald, Teutbert, Theoderic, Theoric, Theudebald, Theudemeres, Theuderic, Theudoald, Theutbald, Trutgaud, Vuitard, Vulfari, Vulframn, Vulvari, Waltgaud, Werinbert, Wilbert, Willichar, Wolfari

Female Names -

Adalgardis, Adallinda, Adaltrude, Adeltrudis, Adaluildis, Adelaidis, Airsenda, Albofleda, Albrada, Alda, Aldegonde, Aliberta, Alitrudis, Ansegudis, Ansegundis, Anstrude, Arsindis, Audofleda, Audovera, Austreberta, Austrechild, Balthild, Begga, Beretrude, Bernegildis, Bertenildis, Berthefled, Berthefried, Berthegund, Berthildis, Bertilla, Bertrada, Bladovildis, Brunhild, Burgundofara, Celsa, Celsovildis, Cesaria, Chlodosind, Chlothsinda, Clotild, Creada, Dagena, Eldesendis, Ermengardis, Ermengildis, Ermensindis, Eustadiola, Faileuba, Faregildis, Fastrada, Framberta, Fredegunde, Frolaica, Frotberga, Frotlildis, Frotlina, Galswinth, Gaudildis, Gautlindis, Genovefa, Gersvinda, Gertrude, Gisela, Glodesind, Goiswinth, Gotberga, Gundrada, Halderudis, Harildis, Hildegarde, Hildegardis, Hildesendis, Hiltrude, Illegardis, Ingitrude, Ingohildis, Ingunde, Itta, Landina, Lanthechilde, Lantsida, Leubast, Leubovera, Leutberga, Leutgardis, Liutgarde, Madelgarde, Magnatrude, Marcatrude, Marcovefa, Martinga, Monegund, Morberga, Radegund, Rictrude, Rigunth, Rosamund, Rothaide, Rotrude, Ruothilde, Rusticula, Sadalberga, Siclehildis, Sigalsis, Theodelinda, Theoderada, Ultrogotha, Vuldretrada, Waltrude

Latin Frankish (Old French)

Male Names -

Édouard, Érrard, Étienne, Adalbert, Adémar, Adrien, Aimery, Alain, Aldebert, Aldéric, Alphonse, Amaury, Amédée, Ancel, André, Angelbert, Antoine, Archambaud, Arnaud, Arnault, Arnoul, Aubry, Aymar, Barthélémi, Baudouin, Benoît, Bérenger, Bernard, Bertrand, Bohemond, Boson, Bouchard, Centule, Charles, Clotaire, Ebbon, Enguerrand, Eudes, Eustache, Evrard, Foulques, François, Frédéric, Géraud, Gargamel, Gaucher, Gaucelin, Gauthier, Geoffroy, Géraud, Gelduin, Gilbert, Gilles, Godefroy, Guichard, Guiges, Guilhem, Guillaume, Guy, Hélie, Hamelin, Henri, Herbert, Hildebert, Hugues, Humbert, Jacques, Jaufré, Jaspert, Jean, Josselin, Jourdain, Julien, Léon, Léonard, Lothaire, Louis, Loup, Manassès, Mathieu, Maurice, Nicolas, Ogier, Onfroy, Orson, Othon, Payen, Philippe, Pierre, Raimbaut, Raoul, Raymond, Raynaud, Renaud, Richard, Robert, Robin, Roger, Rorgon, Rorgues, Roubaud, Savary, Sigismond, Simon, Thibault, Thiébaut, Thierry, Thomas, Valeran, Yves

Female Names -

Éléonore, Élodie, Étiennette, Adèle, Adalmode, Adelaide, Adelinde, Agathe, Agnès, Aléarde, Alice, Aliénor, Alix, Almodis, Amelie, Anne, Antoinette, Arsinde, Aude, Aurengarde, Béatrice, Béatrix, Belleassez, Benoîte, Bérengère, Berthe, Blanche, Bonne, Bourgogne, Bourguigne, Cécile, Cathèrine, Charlotte, Constance, Denise, Douce, Echive, Eglantine, Elisabeth, Emma, Ermengarde, Ermessinde, Esclarmonde, Euphrosine, Eustachie, Eve, Gerberge, Gisèle, Guillaumette, Héloise, Helvis, Hodierne, Ide, Ida, Ildégarde, Isabeau, Isabelle, Jeanne, Judith, Julienne, Mafalda, Mahaut, Margot, Marguerite, Marie, Marthe, Mascarose, Mathilde, Mélisande, Mélisende, Mélusine, Péronelle, Pernelle, Perinne, Pernette, Plaisance, Raymonde, Sarrazine, Solène, Sophie, Stéphanie, Sybille, Tiburge, Valence, Yolande

Wendish Names -

Male Names -

Aleksander, Andrzej, Antoni, Aron, Barnim, Bartosz, Bedrich, Bezprzym Blazej, Bogislaw, Bohdan, Bohumir, Boleslaw, Boriwoj, Bozydar, Branimir, Branislav, Bretislav, Casimir, Ctibor, Dobieslaw, Dobromil, Drosuk, Dytryk, Frantisek, Gawel, Grzegorz, Havel, Jacenty, Jakub, Jakusz, Janusz, Jaromar, Jaromil, Jaromir, Jaroslav, Jedrzej, Jindrich, Jirí, Jozef, Juliusz, Kajetan Kamil, Karel, Kasper, Kazimierz, Kliment, Kolman, Kornel, Kresimir Krzeslaw, Krzysztof, Lech, Leszek, Lubomir, Lucjan, Ludvik, Marek, Marian, Martin, Mateusz, Mieszko, Mikolás, Miloslaw, Milosz, Miroslaw, Mscislaw, Msciwoj, Oldrich, Ondrej, Otokar, Patryk, Pawel, Piotr, Prendota, Przemysl, Przybyslaw, Radomil, Radomir, Radoslav, Rostislav, Ryszard, Sambor, Sobieslav, Stanislaw, Strasz, Swietopelk, Swietoslaw, Szczepan, Szczesny, Szymon, Tadeusz, Tomasz, Udalrich, Urjasz, Vojtech, Waclaw, Walenty, Wratislaw, Wawrzyniec, Wenceslaw, Wincenty, Wizlaw, Wladyslaw, Wlodek, Wlodzimierz, Wlodzislaw, Wratislaw, Zbigniew, Zdenek, Zdislav, Zygmunt

Female Names -

Agnieszka, Alzbeta, Andela, Anna, Berta, Bohuslava, Bozena, Branislava, Dagmar, Danuta, Dobravy, Dobroniega, Dorota, Dragomira, Edyta, Ewa, Geira, Gertruda, Gracja, Grazyna, Halina, Hanna, Irena, Izabela, Jadwiga, Jarka, Jarmila, Jolanta, Judyta, Kamila, Katarina, Kenna, Kornelia, Krystyna, Ksenia, Lidia, Ludmila, Magda, Magdalena, Malgorzata, Marcelina, Maria, Markéta, Martyna, Mateja, Matylda, Milena, Miroslava, Pechna, Róza, Radomila, Radomira, Radoslava, Raina, Regelinda, Rycheza, Salomea, Smiechna, Stanislava, Stefana, Svetlana, Urszula, Václava, Vladislava, Wera, Wojslawa, Zdenka, Zofia, Zwinislawa

Religion in the Ostschild Campaign Setting

Here's a clarification I sent to my players today, because nothing is ever just generic "standard" D&D with me DMing.

The default religion is Christianity, it is the religion of the Holy Roman Empire, and Ostschild is a member state of that empire. Specifically Latin rite (Catholic) Christianity, as opposed to Greek rite (Orthodox) Christianity. The great schism hasn't happened yet, but it is coming soon.

Various forms of paganism still exist in Europe, and many pagan rites are still celebrated with a Christian veneer in the kingdom, but paganism is officially done in Ostschild.

Heresies seem to crop up with alarming regularity within the kingdom, mainly due to the influence of Chaos emanating from the Elf-King's lands to the east.

Islam exists and is considered to be an existential threat to Christendom, especially in the lands surrounding the Mediterranean, but is pretty inconsequential in Ostschild. Pagans were more of a threat, but they are in retreat all over Europe, despite their overwhelming threat not even a century past. Scandinavians are becoming Christian now by choice and central Europe's Slavs by conquest.

Greek rite Christians are still considered brothers, there is no animosity religiously, but many Greeks are viewed with suspicion just because they seem to look down on Ostschilders as barbarians (much as Ostschilders view Northmen or Cumans).

Ostschild Map

It occurs to me I never shared the campaign map, so here it is. I made it with Hexographer, I am still getting the hang of it, and I have Worldographer (Hexographer 2), but I haven't really used it yet. Making maps isn't a strength of mine, but I think this one turned out OK. The Holy Roman Empire is to the north, west and south west (Bohemia), the incipient kingdom of Poland is to the northeast, Hungary to the southeast. Elf-Land is directly to the east, along the Golden Way.

New Feature for Ostschild Campaign

Once per week, going forward, I am giving the people in my campaign the world and local news in the group I created. Here is week One (Early June 1018 AD) -

News from abroad - The Count of Holland, Dirik III, is in revolt against the Emperor over the right to charge tolls on shipping in the imperial canals that wend their way through his fiefdom. There are hopes for a negotiated peace, but the emperor has charged the Duke of Lorraine with recruiting an army to punish him if he does not submit to imperial will and law. Prince Clovis and his majesty's bastard son Adalbert have declared they will respond to the imperial call to arms with a force of knights and men-at-arms from Ostschild.

An army of Poles under Duke Boleslaw the brave has marched towards Kiev to press his claims over the area, possibly paid for with the huge ransom that King Pepin paid for the release of our crown prince Karloman, who lingers yet in Krakow due to a fever contracted during his time as a prisoner of war.

Closer to home -

Princess Hildegarde is leaving Ostschild for Wallachia for her impending nuptials to their Count Vlad, a large train of wagons and armed men accompany her as her dowry is substantial.

The archbishop of Lenz, Heribert the wise, has ordered the dissolution of the Teutoberg priory due to an unprecedented level of heresy. This is the third cloister thus affected this year.

There has been an outbreak of cholera in the vicinity of Vecht.

Rumors -

Man sized rats have been spotted in the night in Lenz.

Great wealth is being plundered from heretofore unknown caverns beneath an old heathen temple to the east of Lenz.

The Knights of the Lance are said to be petitioning the crown to build a new preceptory fortress in the mountains north of Lenz.

Heathen Northmen are moving in force near Isar, such a host has not been seen in the better part of a century, what could have stirred them?

This is another tidbit I gave the group exploring the ancient heathen temple's underground labyrinth-

Also, it should be noted, while you are in town you hear rumors of another expedition to the ruined heathen temple, apparently others are encouraged by your party's success.

Ostschild Starting Languages

It makes no real sense that Humans in the Ostschild setting would speak Dwarf, or Goblin or Elfin or any of a dozen or more other fantasy languages common to D&D. This is a more historically based setting, so I thought I'd toss in some historical languages. All PCs are going to speak the common language of Humans in Ostschild, which is Frankish, by a nose over Wendish.

Dwarfs will speak Dwarf, which is said to be similar to the tongue of the Northmen. Elfs will speak Elfin, the language of the courts of Faerie. Halflings have no special tongue of their own, but speak the tongues of men in their vicinity.

The Languages of Men

Local Languages

Frankish, Wendish.

Frankish not only hangs on in Ostschild as a prestige language, even as it evolves into French to the west; but it prospers, replacing the Wendish tongue in the region. Frankish is a Germanic language, with a lot of Latin loan words, not unlike modern English in that regard.

Wendish is a Slavic language, the ancestor of modern Czech and Slovak, it is the language of the population that was conquered by Charlemagne.

Nearby Languages

To the North – German, Norse.

To the East – Polish, Russian, Cuman.

To the South – Italian, Romanian, Serbian, Magyar.

To the West – German, Wendish.

Further afield – Greek, English, Breton, Bulgarian, Irish, Welsh, French, Spanish, Occitan, Turkish, Arabic, Farsi, Dutch, Finnish, Basque. All of these languages have lots of dialects and regional variants, D&D isn't a language simulator though, and adding that kind of complexity seems kind of pointless, so I have made some arbitrary decisions about languages here. Hell, maybe this is already too complex.

Religious Languages

Latin,Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Arabic. The languages of the old and new testaments, plus the Koran. There are other holy languages in the world than these ones obviously, Sanskrit comes to mind, but these are the languages that are likely to be seen in the Ostschild setting.

Magical Languages

Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Arabic, Sumerian, Demotic, Coptic, Etruscan, Minoan, pretty much any ancient language will work. I am adding this category, because I am always tinkering with the game, and my current thinking is that Magic-Users keep their Grimoires (Spell Books) written in some ancient tongue rather than in some special esoteric “magical” language.

Non-Human languages

Dwarf and Elfin are the two key languages here. I am unsure whether or not the campaign really needs any others. My current thinking is that Goblins and other Fey creatures probably speak some lower class dialect of the Elfin tongue. Dwarfs speak their own elder Nordic tongue. I honestly don't see any need for a “Draconic” language, or really any other fantasy languages. In folklore the odd creatures all speak the tongues of men anyway.

Character Death

Character Death.

It happens, and with greater frequency I think than any of us would like to see. The life of an adventurer is rife with danger, it's the game we're playing. Older editions of D&D were far more lethal than their modern versions, and even with the steps we've taken via house rules, it is still true. Grumpy grognards (including me) will often point out that new editions coddle their players by making them more powerful and worrying about encounter balance, but the fact is that was always true. DMs fudged die rolls behind the screen to keep PCs alive, whether it was lowering the number of monsters encountered, or missing when they should've hit, or making a bad guy miss a save, or any of a hundred other “balancing” things we did to keep the game, and the fun, rolling along.

Now I am a much more “let the dice fall where they may” kind of a DM. I try not to coddle my players with poor tactics, but instead to play monsters and NPCs as written, and I roll all of my dice out in the open, except in those cases where players need to make a decision without knowing whether or not they were successful, this is mostly in regard to Thieves Skills and Secret Door checks. That's my philosophy now, I am a neutral referee, as much as I can be when I am also controlling the opposition.

Preamble aside, death is an omnipresent part of the game, without the risk the rewards are meaningless; so here's a couple of things about death in Ostschild.

First off, those who are not buried with proper Christian rites are likely to rise as undead. This is said to be a curse placed on the kingdom by the Elf-King, but other people say it happens because there was pagan death cult centered on the area from ages past. Some people say it because of all the heretics and witches found in this kingdom, or maybe just the general rise in power of Satanic cults. Regardless, if you want your friends and family to rest peacefully, they need to be buried with proper Christian rites.

Secondly, and hearkening back to heathen times, heroes of Ostschild are often buried with grave goods proper to their station in life. Making a sacrifice of items to the grave of a hero, when he is interred offers actual, in game, benefits; the minimum of which is an increase in experience points. 250XP for a one use item, 1000XP for a permanent item. There is also the possibility of getting a random beneficial spell side effect that may last for up to a month, examples include protection from evil (or good), Bless, Invisibility to Undead, etc.

Funeral costs are not insignificant for heroes. If a hero dies in the wilderness, and his body cannot be reasonably transported back to civilization for burial, it is possible to give the hero a proper burial in the wild, but the benefits are lessened. You still get full XP for grave goods, but are less likely to receive any other supernatural benefit. However, if the hero's remains are transported back to civilization, or, by chance he dies there, a proper public funeral is in order. The cost of the funeral varies with the stature of the hero being interred, but generally includes the price of both the funeral service and the funerary feast.

Note that Christians (also Jews and Muslims) are buried, only heathens cremate their dead.

So, henceforth we need to keep this in mind.

Addendum -

Wills – Any character can designate an heir, the heir must be a blood relative of the PC and of the same species. The heir can receive all of the non-magical wealth of the deceased, minus a 10% inheritance tax collected by the crown and one magic item belonging to the dead character. Choose wisely and before your character dies. Any character that dies intestate will forfeit their wealth to the crown.

Dwarfs prefer to be interred if Christian, cremated if not. They never leave any of their goods to an heir in either case, preferring to take all of their worldly possessions to the afterlife.

Halflings follow the funerary rites of the communities in which they dwelled in life.

Elf bodies evaporate slowly over the course of several hours after being killed.