[SpectreofEschaton]

Okay, here's the deal. The novel I'm writing is high, mythological fantasy. Very lofty. I think everything I've ever posted on this board is related to it.

Anyway, I have a problem. Among the more world-fitting kinds of magic I use, I also have a sort of psionics, and for the life of me, I cannot come up with a pronoun/title to refer to wielders of such a power that sounds fitting for my story. (And I have one of them as a fairly major character, besides.)

Things like "psychic", "psion", etc sound too modern and technical to me. If it helps, this sort of magic comes from self-knowledge, very monastic and "spiritual" despite not being related to the soul (if that makes sense). The whole idea is that by mastering their own minds, they can master their bodies and the world around them. It accounts for telepathy, telekinesis, precognition, and heightened control over the body (to an almost super-human level in some cases).

So, yeah, anyone have any ideas? This has been eating at me for months, if not years. I'm usually pretty good with this stuff, but I just can't seem to come up with anything. It doesn't help that pretty much every word in the "psychic" vein I'm familiar with covers a "seer" archetype, while this sort of psychic ability is much more directly applicable.

I just... really don't like seeing the word "psychic" in a fantasy novel. :|

[Aptorian]

When I run into that kind of issue I like to use a thesaurus. Look at this page as an example:

http://thesaurus.com/browse/psychic

But you could also just make up your own name for a psychic.

[Soulessdreamer]

Anne McCaffery caled hers talents. Or you could try someting like adepts, gifted, cursed, touched, bound etc.

TTFN

[Adjutant Stormy~]

I enjoy the following epithets:

Sage
Seer
Natural Mage
Kinesist (should be kineticist, but I've abbreviated it)
Adept
Jedi (just kidding)

[Illuyankas]

Brainbarians. They summon grizzlies made out of kinetic force to fight for them and are bad at grammar. MY MIND BEARS ARE GREAT PAIN

[Fist Gamet]

I too have a rare few people with psychic abilites within my work who are called different things in different parts of the world. The names people give them depends upon their general attitude to them. In some places they are said to have "the spark" and in others they are "god-touched" or "cursed". Most commonly they are known as "the crowned" as historically, as they were potentially able to submit Kings to their will, they were greatly feared and hunted. As a result rulers sought to find ways to tame them and they discovered a rare black metal that could be fashioned into circlets and put on their heads. It was anathema to them (think Otataral) and the rulers could then use them to find and capture others of their kind.
So I think that the best bet might be to either make up some new word entirely or think about how their talents and abilites are perceived in general. Probably all the best and coolest sounding types of names one could think of have been used by someone before and if you try to hard to find original names to describe them (real words, that is) it will sound forced and daft.
Like they say, if he looks like a mage, walks like a mage and talks like a mage...he's a mage

[dktorode]

Reverie

[SpectreofEschaton]

That's an excellent point, Gamet, regarding cultural perceptions. I already have made-up fantasy gibberish name for their people/ethnicity, so I'd prefer an actual word for their "profession" as it were. Expanding the search into something more subtle (and hopefully more evocative) sounds like the best option.

Though, I have to admit, Brainbarian certainly has its charms...

And, Apt, I think I have that thesaurus.reference.com entry memorized. I've come close to tearing my hair out looking over its inadequacy.

Perhaps I'll go with something focusing on their tenet of annihilation of the self. (The character in question consciously projects a fabricated personality whenever he has to interact with other people. Luckily, he's very good at it, though I plan to have another character call him on it at some point.)

I'm sure I'll think of something. Thanks for the input, everyone.

[Studlock]

When I am having troubles with names of things, places, people, etc. I use a translator and put the english or a very board defintion of the word I want to use and pick a language and then modifie that word. It may be cheating but it works for me.

[ScottM]

Pslayers if they tend toward, or are simply trained for, the more violent use of their innate talents. If not, you're on your own. I tend toward the more violent use of my innate talents

[nacht]

Quote

If it helps, this sort of magic comes from self-knowledge, very monastic and "spiritual" despite not being related to the soul (if that makes sense). The whole idea is that by mastering their own minds, they can master their bodies and the world around them. It accounts for telepathy, telekinesis, precognition, and heightened control over the body (to an almost super-human level in some cases).

Sound like a yogi. How about Yogin

Sattvas (from Bodthisattva)

Vajra (from Buddhism)

Tirthankar (from Jainism)

Atman (from Hinduism(

[Tarcanus]

nacht, on 14 March 2011 - 08:03 PM, said:

Quote

If it helps, this sort of magic comes from self-knowledge, very monastic and "spiritual" despite not being related to the soul (if that makes sense). The whole idea is that by mastering their own minds, they can master their bodies and the world around them. It accounts for telepathy, telekinesis, precognition, and heightened control over the body (to an almost super-human level in some cases).

Sound like a yogi. How about Yogin

Sattvas (from Bodthisattva)

Vajra (from Buddhism)

Tirthankar (from Jainism)

Atman (from Hinduism(

Along with these ideas, perhaps 'Tori' would be a good title, short for satori. It's my understanding that it's a kind of supreme enlightenment moment. Sounds kind of like what happens to your psions in order for them to gain their abilities.

[SpectreofEschaton]

Tarcanus, on 14 March 2011 - 08:46 PM, said:

nacht, on 14 March 2011 - 08:03 PM, said:

Quote

If it helps, this sort of magic comes from self-knowledge, very monastic and "spiritual" despite not being related to the soul (if that makes sense). The whole idea is that by mastering their own minds, they can master their bodies and the world around them. It accounts for telepathy, telekinesis, precognition, and heightened control over the body (to an almost super-human level in some cases).

Sound like a yogi. How about Yogin

Sattvas (from Bodthisattva)

Vajra (from Buddhism)

Tirthankar (from Jainism)

Atman (from Hinduism(

Along with these ideas, perhaps 'Tori' would be a good title, short for satori. It's my understanding that it's a kind of supreme enlightenment moment. Sounds kind of like what happens to your psions in order for them to gain their abilities.

Those are all excellent and interesting suggestions. I'll have to do some research into those. Thanks a lot.