Etymology of Angel Names in DF

[wizard nelson]

With epithets like the "Webweaver" and the "Temptress", the spider theme seems to fit better imo.  Raistlin's eyes seem to be more of a symbol for time itself.

Yea true but look at how he was seduced and by whom, the 7 headed dragon of darkness and chaos turned him to the black robes.

[Griffyn612]

I don't normally mess with the names of the Fallen that we don't have a description for, since we have no way to tie their form with their potential aspect of creation.

But with all the speculation on Varthiel, I took a look, and found a few things.
 - Var, from Dutch, meaning "male pig; boar".  Would most likely have a menacing boar-like form.
 - Var, from Serbo-Croatian and Czek, meaning "heat" and "boiling" respectively.  Would most likely have a fire/heat based ability, with a form that might literally bubble like hot tar.  Might be scalding at a touch.
 - Var, from Hungarian, meaning "scab".  Would most likely be a nasty scab-covered form with oozing blood and puss, but not sure how combat-worthy it would be.  There are ties to scab diseases, but those seem limited to potatoes. 

[megarows]

Found one source that defines Varth as meaning "A wonder"

Thanks, will add both.

With epithets like the "Webweaver" and the "Temptress", the spider theme seems to fit better imo.  Raistlin's eyes seem to be more of a symbol for time itself.

Yeah, that's what I always thought it was, the "come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly" thing.

Similarly, Anduriel's sigil being a smudge seemed to refer to his shadow form.

Ursiel's... probably just vague, but maybe a ref to the spinning radar dish "thinking cap" second brain that Shardik in King's "The Dark Tower" had on his head.  But I don't know... Shardik was about the inevitable failure of anything created by man, of technology, no matter how well it was created (and Shardik lasted thousands of years), and with his creators long dead, Shardik eventually begin to break down, went insane and succumbed to rage.  That isn't really Ursiel.  Ursiel is eternal, the magic that the technolgy of Shardik tried to replace, and Ursiel's fall was by choice, not as the inevitable consequence of the nature of his creator.  So a technological reference in that context seems off.

Anyway, I once read Dragonlance a very long time ago but forgot it, so I'll need some more lore info/links to add that as some kind of summary.

[wizard nelson]

Anyway, I once read Dragonlance a very long time ago but forgot it, so I'll need some more lore info/links to add that as some kind of summary.

ok, I don't really care if you do add it but I truly believe that was his inspiration on the hourglass design.

with hourglass eyes that cause him to see Time as it affects all things. (This appearance was originally invented by Dragonlance cover artist Larry Elmore, "because it would look just great")

In Raistlin’s vision, all things wither and die before him; though longer-lived races, such as Elves, are said to only appear to age slightly, while the Irda do not age to him at all.

should I be trying to prove Harry and Raistlin are the same archatype character or is referencing the hourglass all? The way I figure it as, if Harry had let Lasciel in this is how he would have begun to view the world, by taking enough of the temptress into himself he would see the world through the same filters she does as a fallen, that of decay.
(i unfortunatly have no books of raist's anymore, but I believe the hourglass in his eyes were yellow)

[megarows]

Wait, Raistlin was the hero?  I just remember him being sickly, dragons getting stabbed with lances, and Tifa owning a bar.

Anyway, should be enough, thanks.

[megarows]

Added mantle and coin bearers/disposition.  Replaced all combat form summaries with literal canon text.

[wizard nelson]

I'd forgotten actually eldest gruff has those eyes.

[peregrine]

Also, the Jinn connection is not mine, I don't know who brought it up, but it's misattributed to me.

Also, for general angel info, check out Melek Taus, a major figure in the Yazidi religion who refused to bow down to Adam, and is thus quite similar to some stories of Satan.  Though they believe him to be a good guy, not evil, for his independence.

[Tami Seven]

Tarsier...a species of primates. This might work for Tarsiel.

[megarows]

Also, the Jinn connection is not mine, I don't know who brought it up, but it's misattributed to me.

It was the Samael thing.  Just reformatted everything by hand (ugh) and broke out the lore sections, should be more clear now.

[Griffyn612]

Tarsier...a species of primates. This might work for Tarsiel.

Battle form?

[Tami Seven]

Much cuter. 

Dictionary.com Tarsier

/ˈtɑːsɪə/
noun
1.
any of several nocturnal arboreal prosimian primates of the genus Tarsius, of Indonesia and the Philippines, having huge eyes, long hind legs, and digits ending in pads to facilitate climbing: family Tarsiidae
Word Origin
C18: from French, from tarse the flat of the foot; see tarsus

If 'Big Eyed Mini-Primate' of God doesn't work, it might be enough to say Foot of God.

[megarows]

Or even "Ankle-biting big-eyed mini-primate of God"

"So Tarsiel, I was thinking of rebell-"
"YES!  YES!  Soon, Heaven will be stained red with their precious ankle blood!  And the lacerated skies will drown in a rain of ankle blood the mountains of men!"
"Um... right.  I'll count you in then.  Thanks."

[Tami Seven]

Or even "Ankle-biting big-eyed mini-primate of God"

"So Tarsiel, I was thinking of rebell-"
"YES!  YES!  Soon, Heaven will be stained red with their precious ankle blood!  And the lacerated skies will drown in a rain of ankle blood the mountains of men!"
"Um... right.  I'll count you in then.  Thanks."

LOL 

[Ulfgeir]

Ah thank you, I was starting to worry I'd imagined it or it wasn't actually in the DF it said that.The hourglass symbol I figured might have something to do with the eyes of the dark Magician Raistlin Majere., from dragon lance fame. One of if not the most famous fallen wizard type. figure it was a reference to the 'truth' of how he was corrupted. Jims a fan, but I can't remember the authers name atm.

Dragonlance was written by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman.  If I recall correctly, the gods had sort of made a joke regarding Rasitlin and his twin brother Caramon. They were supposed to have been one being, but split apart into two beings. Then during his magic trial, he faced off against the previosuly greatest magician in Krynn (Fistandantilus). And yes Rasitlin was bad-ass enough that he broke all rules. In the game, he was the only character that reached lvl 20 (the world had a cap on lvl 18). He would even have beaten the goddes Takhisis, but surrendered as it would have meant he would have ruled over a dead world.

/Ulfgeir