For you deepname lovers, some more information about common deepname configurations :))

A person can acquire up to three deepnames. Most people don’t have any deepnames at all, and most named strong have a single deepname, usually a three-syllable.

Each deepname can have between one and five syllables. Shorter deepnames are stronger - a lot of blunt power can be harnessed through a single-syllable deepname.

Deepname configurations can be stable or unstable. Stable configurations tend to remain the same, while unstable configurations are difficult to hold and usually result in the wielder trying to change the configuration in some way, usually by trying to add another deepname.

Single-deepname configurations

Three-syllable: the most common single-deepname configuration in the land. It has no name as a rule, or is sometimes known as the Common Name. It is stable, allows the wielder to perform simple magics with relative confidence, and is very safe to take. A three-syllable is very stable, and most people who have taken a three-syllable just stay there. However, a three-syllable is a common first deepname on the way to a larger configuration.

Two-syllable: sometimes called The First Step. This single-deepname configuration is unstable, and few people remain there forever. In adolescence, this is is an optimistic configuration and a great first step towards more powerr, for example The Lord’s Angle. It is quite safe to acquire for people who have the aptitude for it.

Single-syllable: sometimes called Ambition, or Spike. It can be stable, but is usually not the end destination for people who successfully acquire it. A single-syllable is a very ambitious first powertaking, and it is not safe. Nor does it make much sense in configuration planning - it is easier to take shorter deepnames the second and third time. The main reason to start with a single-syllable is in hope for the Warlord’s Triangle. Very, very unsafe. Those who survive the single-syllable powertaking attempt to take further single-syllables. Adolescence truly is hell.

Four-syllable: rare, but not all that rare. It’s usually not named, but sometimes called Sigh. Northern academies teach that four-syllable is acquired by someone who wanted a three-syllable but hesitated or became fearful during the first powertaking. A four-syllable enables its wielder to do very small acts of magic (light a rather faint candlebulb, slowly warm a room, etc). It’s not good for much else, and is rarely expanded into a two-deepname configuration - at least not in the North. This configuration is stable, but not as stable as a three-syllable.

Five-syllable: usually called Folly in the Northern academies. The Lepalese academies sometimes refer to it as “gossamer.” A single five-syllable is usually considered a mistake - it is not strong enough to enable any magics, but it does give its wielder headaches. In the North, a common wisdom states that it’s better to have no deepname at all than a five-syllable. This configuration can be considered stable, but that’s not necessarily a benefit.

Two-Deepname Configurations

In the Northern academies, two-deepname configurations are often known as Angles. Southern academies and the Khana people have different names for them, often lyrical ones.

Two-Three. The Common Angle. This is indeed the most statistically common angle configuration - it usually represents progress from a single three-syllable. For example, a teen can take a three-syllable deepname first, and then a few years later acquire the stronger two-syllable. Much less common is the opposite progression - from a first two-syllable to a second three-syllable. This configuration is relatively stable. In the Northern academies, it is taught that the Common Angle represents middling ability and middling ambition. Someone could have probably taken something more powerful if they strained, but they decided not to risk it. A two-three is the lowest risk progression from a three-syllable. Among northern students this is often considered a “chill” configuration - it offers quite a bit of power and limited risk, and is one of the favorite configurations of young nobles. Despite its low-risk and the impression of mediocrity, this two-deepname configuration is quite powerful, and more than enough to guarantee good employment.

One-Two. The Princely Angle. This configuration usually represents an ambitious but steady progress from a two-syllable, and can open many doors. A powerful configuration, it is much less fraught than a larger, three-name configuration, and can be used to create strong magics applicable in civil and military life. This configuration represents ambition and success, and those who attain it are often dissuaded from risking a third powertaking.

One-Three. This is the Maker’s Angle. It is commonly attained both ways, as a progression from three-syllable to one-syllable, or as a progression from a one-syllable towards the more mellow three-syllable. This configuration is superior for art and craft - people who take it are less interested in power for its own sake and are more oriented towards creativity and making. In the great Burri desert, this configuration is often known as the Weaver’s Promise.

One-One. Someone is really trying for the Warlord here, or else they are an assassin (see Assassin Configurations below). This configuration is unstable, but some people retain it, in which case a military career direction is pretty much guaranteed.

Two-Five. The Odd Angle. This is the configuration of Dedéi Brentann in “Geometries of Belonging.” They chose it because it is both stable and rare. Yes, Dedéi gave this a lot of thought - they started with a two-syllable and then decided to progress towards a five-syllable, which was not an easy feat. This configuration is very, very unwieldy. But it’s cool.

Three-Four. This is a very Khana configuration and is essentially unknown in the North. In fact, it is often postulated as “marginally possible, but unlikely.” The Khana men’s name for this configuration is “The Melilah Player,” and it is considered excellent for music.

There are other Angle configurations which I have not described in my stories yet; I will add them if/when they appear.

Three-Deepname Configurations

This is burnout, stroke, or famous person territory. A person who has three deepnames is able to see Bird come for the souls of the dead. This is a motivator for many people - Bird comes to each dying person as a different bird, and the opportunity to observe her is worth the risk associated with the third powertaking.

One, One, One. The Warlord’s Triangle. Welcome to the most powerful configuration in the land. The Warlord is not stable, but progress from this configuration is nontrivial and almost never happens. As a result, Warlord wielders are known to be prone to migraines, personality disorders and significant mental health issues, including paranoid ideation, extreme self-focus, and the infamous “battlefield addiction” where Warlord wielders seek out wars and other events where many people die and Bird can be observed repeatedly.

Don’t do this.

One, One, Two. The Royal House. This name was translated in the Northern academies from the Burrashti name “The Royal Tent.” Not quite as powerful as the Warlord, it is the most stable and benevolent configuration in the land. Often wielded by rulers, the Royal House is a configuration of wisdom, even though it can sometimes come with a patronizing attitude. The Old Royal wields it and according to many reports from the Southern academies, the configuration was named by them and/or after them.

One, One, Three. The Maker’s Triangle. The ultimate artist’s tool, this is wielded by legendary artists and craftspeople who dedicate their life to pursuit of artistic brilliance and meaning. This configuration is famous in Stromha, a small northern country known for its artisans. Both Maru and Vadrai from “The Desert Glassmaker and the Jeweler of Berevyar” have this configuration.

One, Two, Three. The Builder’s Triangle. This Triangle represents steady, considered progress and it is beloved of powerful artificers, strong builders, and especially professors of Strong Building, Artifice, and other applied disciplines. These academics will tell you that The Builder’s Triangle is the best Triangle and the best configuration to acquire, representing the least risk and the most reward for a person with an aptitude for three deepnames. It is extremely stable, and is usually acquired as a progression from three to two to one as the named strong matures and gains knowledge and confidence.

Three, Four, Five. The Healer’s Trapeze. Healer Parét invented and named it without once reading about it anywhere, but it is known among the Khana.

One, three, five. The Ghost Pyramid. Now, whose bizarre idea was this? Marvushi e Garazd wields it, of course, and with great relish. This one will really make the chariot roll, both literally and figuratively. The Ghost Pyramid is stable, but not comfortable, but comfort is not the point. The point is adventure.

There are other Triangles, but they are unstable, some extremely unstable. So much trauma and injury comes from attempting a Triangle that every academy cautions against it.

Assassin Configurations

Listed here separately: these two-deepname configurations are acquired at the School of Assassins, with the help of the Orphan Star. The assassins are connected to the Orphan, and only under those conditions are the assassin configurations stable.

One-One. Shraga. Sharp and deadly, these Assassin’s Court-specific weapons are semi-circular, and can be thrown or used in the hand. Much of the land prefers single-syllables for their power, but in the Court of Sandstone Terraces, Shraga is actually not a very popular configuration.

Two-Two. Dirks. This is probably the most popular configuration here.

Three-Three. Garrottes. Almost as popular as Dirks.

Four-Four. Swords. Long reach, but not very useful for an assassin. Still, it happens.

Five-Five. Poisons. Not a fighter configuration, this one is very rare, but can be useful indeed in the right context.

Hidden and Legendary Configurations

One, one, one, and ?. Really, this does not exist, but if it did, he would call it The Warlord’s Shield. And it is stable, but the trauma it took to acquire it and the power needed to hold it are so vast that he cannot trust anyone. Some assume that he has battlefield addictions common to regular Warlord wielders. You can think whatever you want, he does not care.

One, two, three, four, and five. The Pyramid. Now this one absolutely does not exist, the mind cannot physically hold five deepnames without a stroke. But if one could, write the accursed Khana apostates Berutiah and Makiel - if one could, then one would become very much like the Maker God, Bird’s hidden sibling, the Singer, Kimri. What could such a one do then? Ensouling automata would sound pretty appealing.