True Names or Parts Thereof

[Kagami]

Hey all, new(ish) to the DFRPG but a fan of the FATE system. Anyways, that aside, looking to get into the game a bit more and a few questions regarding True Names have stuck with me since I started lurking the forums/reading the books again. Since from what I could search here didn't turn up quite what I was looking for (and apologies if this has been covered), it was enough to get me off the benches and register to ask:

How much of a True Name do you need to know to make use of it in Thaumaturgy?
Ferrovax in Grave Peril uses only parts of Harry's name to get an effect on him and Demons will apparently trade services for only part of your True Name as spoken by you. If your true name is Bob X and they only get Bob, what sort of mechanical effect (if any) can this reflect? Is it enough to provide a link for the short while before Bob's True Name changes, or do you need the full shebang?

Can places or things have True Names?
Demonreach is a decent example. It's many things, such as an island AND a prison AND has a genius loci, but does 'it' have a name that 'it' holds?

Do adopted names or nicknames do anything?
As an example, is there any way to use 'Ivy' to connect to the Archive if you're Harry or Kincaid if the Archive identifies herself in some small way as 'Ivy'? Obviously a bit overpowered if it counted as the thaumaturgical fetter needed, but could it provide a bonus?

Thanks in advance to those helping me think these through. My personal gut reactions are that nicknames probably don't do much, but that a substantial part of a True Name would count for something. As for locations/objects, I would think that if there is a Genius Loci, it would likely have a True Name of some sort.

[cold_breaker]

Farrovax (sp?) used only part of Harry's name - badly - and still got an effect simply because he's so powerful. It was a demonstration of his power, not of the power of true names.

As for how they work? I'd say no, it has to be a true name. How much of the true name is up to you or your GM - I'd say break it up by word - Harry is one, Copperfield is another, Dresden is a third and so on.

Mechanically? I'd handle this as a long term sticky aspect. Each name would be a separate aspect that would count as a tie for a spell, or a +2 to effect the named person. Thus, knowing Dresden's full name would be a easy +6 or +6 to the power of a spell cast on him. As all aspects, you'd get one free tag of it, then require fate points to continue to tag them - but losing the aspect would be pretty difficult short of straight out brainwashing or killing the person who knows it.

[Wordmaker]

I would treat Ferrovax's use of part of Harry's simply as the narrative description for a Mental attack or maneuver, perhaps invoking Mr. Ferro's aspect 'I Know Your Name', and possibly even 'Behold and Despair, Mortal' (OW pg 144).

True Names are mostly useful for giving a spellcaster a permanent connection to a person, allowing them to use magic on them as they wish, as though they had an unlimited supply of blood or other DNA. It might also be worth a permanent additional aspect or using a milestone to change an aspect to "My enemies know my True Name."

The idea of places having a True Name is cool, and fits with the setting. Places already have spirits, and spirits tend to have Names. Although. if Demonreach has a True Name, we don't know it (and Harry's head would probably explode if it told him...).

Nicknames don't work. There's a special magic to when a parent names their child. I think it would take a serious shift in a person's identity and understanding of their self to change their True Name. Like finding out you were adopted and your real father was actually some undead Dark Lord somewhere...

The name Ivy is important because, again, Harry named the Archive. She didn't have a name before then and it likely wouldn't count as her True Name, but I think it certainly gives Harry some strong connection to her.

[cold_breaker]

Nicknames don't work. There's a special magic to when a parent names their child. I think it would take a serious shift in a person's identity and understanding of their self to change their True Name. Like finding out you were adopted and your real father was actually some undead Dark Lord somewhere...

This could be iffy - not sure if it's in the Dresdenverse that names can change at all - although it's how I would run it, personally. Mortals are chaotic beings who are constantly changing, and as a result I think a mortals name should change gradually throughout their life, and possibly change drasticly when a major life event that changes who they are. Notice I said mortal though: by definition a creature from the never-never doesn't change, and so their names don't change much either.

Another way to play this that makes me smile might be that you can break a name up into six parts in total - learning one part is actually learning someone else's aspect - after all, someone's aspects is what makes them who they are. In this way, by spending a lot of time studying someone, you could gradually make guesses as to what someone's true name is... Might be an amusing way to interpret it.

[Wordmaker]

That's an interesting take on it.

You're correct that there isn't really any case so far of someone's True Name changing in the books. But like you, I'd allow it under the right circumstances because humans are just that chaotic, relatively speaking. But creatures of the fae, they simply are.

[Kagami]

This makes a lot of sense. I especially like the breaking of True Names down into components as it would explain why demons would do service for even part of your name. Of course, it might also be the case that this trading is done simply as a "first one's free" to get someone reliant enough on demons to eventually trade their full True Name.

Thanks guys!

[Kagami]

So, just to put a nice cap on this, I did some research into the books on mortals' True Names changing. Chapter 23 of Grave Peril pretty much sums it up. Basically, if something life-changing happens and alters a mortal's self perception, it changes their Name too. Harry even mentions that a name is likely to get stale quick if it isn't used quickly.

Thanks again for the replies! Just thought I'd post this for the benefit of any future queries into the matter.