Knighthoods, Cults, and Merchant Guilds: Creating Organization Titles in Fantasy
For some time I’ve had trouble naming the groups within my world. I didn’t want to consign myself to generic fill-ins that I see so often in rookie fiction: “royal guards,” “rebel army,” etc. Here’s a list of organization names from authors I admire. Hopefully it will help jog your mind!
GROUPS
“Sons of Perdition”
“the Congress of Mages”
warhost
“Order of the Headless Spear”
“Honorable Company of Wine Merchants”
“Assembly of Notables”
“The Ducal Concord”
“Banker’s Association of Ostia”
“Dominiate, where the noble families met to make law”
“Inner Council”
“Chamber of Peers”
Consistory (church council)
“Knights Pursuivant”
Fifth column (a group within a country at war who are sympathetic or working for its enemies)
Quorum (the minimum number of members of an assembly that must be present at a meeting to make an agrement)
Sons of Jacob (Margaret Atwood)
Chancery (court of equity)
Merchant-venturers
Banking firms
Syndicate: a group of individuals or organizations combined to promote some common interest
Cohort: group of people banded together or treated as a group)
Cadre: small group of people specially trained for certain skill or profession | “cadre of hired assassins”
Cortege: train of attendants; especially in a funeral procession)
Host
Assembly
Constabulary: the constables of a district, collectively
Collegium: a group in which each person has approximately equal authority
Personnel: body of people employed by company or organization)
Synod: ecclesiastical governing or advisory council)
Deputation: group of people chosen to represent another
Federation
Inner circle (“an honored member of the pope’s inner circle”)
“Federated banks”
“Mages of the Twilight Order”
Coalition
Directorate
Merchant Venturers
“Orphans of the Greenblood”
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