Logomancy — Naming¶
Naming is the Logomancy Method concerned with the power held in a true name. To speak one is to hold power over the named. It is rare, dangerous, and the most feared Human art.
Threads (Naming)¶
- Call — speak a true name to compel attention or a truthful answer.
- Command — speak a true name to issue a single directive.
- Unmake the Name — strip a fragment of identity or power from the named.
Base Ka Cost (Naming)¶
Base Ka: 9
Unlike Oathbinding, Naming has no cheap tier — there is no small version of holding power over someone through their true name. This is deliberate: Naming is Logomancy's equivalent of Glamour's Bewitch or Tyrannize, meant to be gated behind real investment and a real name in hand, regardless of skill.
Scope of Command¶
| Use | Ka Modifier | TD Modifier |
|---|---|---|
| Call — attention or a truthful answer to one question | +0 | +0 |
| Command — a single directive the named must obey | +3 | +3 |
| Unmake the Name — strip a fragment of identity or power | +6 | +6 |
Requirement¶
Naming requires actually knowing the true name in question. A name cannot be guessed, looked up, or assumed — it must be learned, extracted, given freely, or stolen. This requirement is the real gate on this Method, not the Ka cost.
Duration¶
Naming effects are momentary — one question, one command, one unmaking. There is no sustained or upkeep cost. A caster wanting a lasting effect on a target should bind them with an Oathbinding instead.
Burn¶
Burn may be taken to: - force compliance from a target actively resisting - extract a truthful answer beyond what the target intended to reveal - prevent the target from later using knowledge of the working against the caster
Long-Term Fallout¶
Using a person's true name against their will is remembered — by them, by their allies, and often by the world itself. It is one of the surest ways to make a permanent enemy, and among Humans, one of the few acts that can get a wordbinder cast out of their own lineage.
Failure¶
Naming never fails quietly. A failed or resisted attempt reveals to the target that their true name is known and has been used — which is, on its own, a threat they will not ignore.