language – Weirdlanders

Lost Queen, i noticed that Voteil has a last name? I wasn’t aware the Kuros had last names , or perhaps its because they don’t and that ‘Kuroghvok (Kuroghson? Son of Kurogh?’ means something else? Also does that mean Cynder would be known as Cynder KuroghInvel?

Lost Queen : Oh yes, we often do have last names. Males often have their sire’s name, not all the time full. Voteil took on his father’s name despite Kurogh’s protests, as he WAS his son. It’s a way of telling others who your sire is. Or, some may keep an ancestor’s name as their last name as it may be more iconic for other’s to remember. It’s up to the parents, or the child when they’re old enough, which parent to add as their last names. Sons tend to take their sire’s, while daughters took their dam’s.

If Cynder wanted, her last name could be Feur’invel, “Daughter of Feuriah”, but I think most just know her as the Lost Queen’s daughter by now. But I do not know if she willingly has a last name, let alone takes on her people’s traditions on naming.

There are other ways of spelling out ‘son’ and ‘daughter’, if the name does not flow well. Like with Havok, his last name already means “Last Son” in Kurosian (technically), having his name Kaosvok doesn’t flow well. So it’s translated into english, Havok Kaoson. Hysteria’s last name is “Feur’ivel”, with the n taken out, but still translates as “Daughter of Feuriah”. “Yinn” is also another word for Daughter, but used mostly for names rather than in normal conversation like “Invel”

Is it possible for a Kuros to break it’s bones? Because…I have an ugly feeling that metal tends to bend more than break…

Lost Queen : And here’s a great fault in our bones; yes, they bend more than break. However, it’s the flesh around the bone that gets the most damage before the metal even bends. Broken or bent bones are rare, usually if a Kuros is under that much pressure, they’re already dead, the limb is torn off or the flesh is so destroyed it has to be amputated. It’s the muscle and joints that are shredded before any bending or breaking happens.

I’ve had my share of torn muscles, dislocated sockets, and ripped cartilage to say without a doubt that IT THOKT’N HURTS.

How do Kuros celebrate the birth of a child?

Lost Queen : It sort of depends on the rank of the family. Though, no matter what, there are two celebrations. The first celebration happens when the clutch is laid. This usually only includes the parents and those closest to them to celebrate with song, dances, and plenty of specialty drinks brewed only for clutch-laying celebrations. There is a fun tradition of the dam and sire having to drink a pint per egg.

However, the second celebration is often city wide. Naturally, Kuros all breed around the same time, so the eggs all hatch within a single week. If a kuros pair bred early, or even if the pair didn’t breed that year, they still participate in this celebration of new life. Possibly one of the biggest celebrations of our tradition, this one lasts for an entire week until most of the eggs hatch.

The second celebration, called “Feilradh Dol’Leasolbocht” or, “Festival of New Life”, often includes visiting as many of the newly hatched babies and congratulating the parents; even if you don’t personally know them. Other activities include lots of dancing, food, music, gifts, and social bonding.

Kurogh wasn’t too big on this celebration, but I did my best to visit as many families as I could. There’s just something about newly hatched children that filled me with such hope and love for our people… I miss it, I miss this festival.

Was it hard learning Kurosian? Is Kurosian all they spoke in Kurosia?

Lost Queen : Yeah at first it was difficult, but living among the Kuros really helped.

We did speak a few languages, depending on the dragon mostly. I can speak English and Kurosian fluently, but I can only read Arkeyan. I have a hard time speaking it, but it was a requirement of all Kuros to at least be able to read it and understand it.

Does the Kurosian castle have a name or title?

Lost Queen : It’s usually referred to as the “Kurosian Castle”, since it’s our capital castle of our race (or was), but in our language it’s called “Kurosin’laidirlon” (pronounced Kuro-sin-lie-dur-lawn). It basically translates to “Kurosian castle”, but in full it’s “Castle of the strong Kurosian race”.

Kurosian Headcanon: Battle Songs

Before battle, the soldiers would build morale by singing in the guttural ancient Kurosian tongue.

Not only did it bring the soldiers closer to each other by calling upon Mara and bringing them a sense of unity, they would normally do it close enough to their enemies’ encampments that they could hear it. Often, the Kurosian songs would be the dirges for opposing armies, and instill fear in them just by the sheer power and harmony of the songs. Sometimes it would spurn some of the weaker minded ones into just giving up before the battles began on hearing it.

Males and females took part in the singing, and had varying ranges in pitch. There are various songs that pay homage and call upon the will of the Gods, although one of the more popular songs was ‘The Lay of Mahoura,’ which was led by the General and accompanied by the rest of the army.

Legend has it that the song might have been written by one of the first Kings of Kurosia, on the eve before the first conquest attempt by the Kurosians. It is said that he passed on after singing the song with his men, with the song still on his lips. Though no physical record exist of its origin, and though it is taught to all Kurosians in their youth, one of Kurosian blood need not be taught the words to know it down into their soul.

The Lay of Mahoura

Hear, mother of Love.
Your Children call thee!
Your sons and daughters,
Call ‘pon thy power.
Tie fast our hearts,
Thou our Mahoura.
E’er your Children,
E’er family true.

Mahoura, we call on thee;
To forge our minds and souls.
Guide us, Mother of All,
To dawn together.
Your Children forever,
Thou who hast carried,
Born and birthed,
All those before us.

Guide us, Mother of All.
Bind our souls to one,
That your love extend
To all that will come.
All Mother,
Protect and guide us.
Love cometh and end with thee,
From Our hearts as one.

(Stanza loosely based on Heyr himna smiður, an Icelandic hymn that translates to “Hear, Smith of heavens,” by Kolbeinn Tumason. Listen to the original song here!)

Miss Lost Queen could tell us about the Kurosian language a bit? Like what were the words for the elements or sky and sea?

Lost Queen : You’re… interested in my natural tongue? I’m… honored ;u;

Our language is revered by many of the dark arts. Wizards who can master it use it to summon spells, as our very words are linked with the darkness. Few who are not of Kuros blood can master it; those that can are respected.

As for the elements, we have many. But specifically, the word for sky is “Himul”, the sea is “Yagul”. But we have different words for seas and skies, like the sky that sits above our city, we call it “Rjunhuld”, which means “Chosen Skies”. Kurosia is the main city of all Kuros, therefor our people believe it’s where we reach our own ‘heaven’.

Yein Uch’Drafiur (pronounced Ye-in, Aa-ch’ Dre (rolling ‘r’), lee-fer, sounding close to “Ach Jennifer”. Translating to ‘Adoptive Sister’, “drafiur” meaning sister while adding ’uch’ means that the other is an addition to the family but not blood related.

// OOC : fun fact; most of the Kurosian language is heavily based off of Irish, Gaelic, Norwegian, and sometimes Finnish languages. I lean more closely to Irish/Gaelic, as a great deal of my family and inlaws are Irish ❤ The phrase above is a mash-up of “adoptive sister’ in Irish.