Pashak Names

Pashak have a very traditional approach to the naming of kits and the choosing of additional names, and every pashak has between three and six names.

1. (Numerate) - Multiple births are common among pashak, and kits born into a litter are given a number denoting when they emerged in the litter. Kits born individually are occasionally given a name like Sole or Lone in place of a Numerate.
2. Natal - The Natal name is given at birth, based on auspicious aspects of the parents immediate geographical surroundings, astrological events, festivals, gifts or other signifiers. All members of a litter are given the same natal, distinguished by their numerates. A natal does not have to be a single word, but may be a short phrase. Larger litters are often given longer natal names, in part to facilitate a wider range of familiates.
e.g. Crownshadow, Forest Mist, Moonrise, Midwinter Dawn, Cross of Stars, Silver Shoes, Lightning in Grey Clouds.
3. Familiate - Families almost invariably create contracted forms of a kit's Natal name, used both as terms of endearment and to distinguish siblings. By convention, the older kits would have more impressive familiates, while the youngest in a litter would be more likely to be saddled with a diminutive.
   An example of numerate, natal and familiate names, a litter of three born as a great roc flew overhead were named One, Two and Three Thunderbird Shadow. As they grow, but before choosing their personae, they come to be known as Thunder, Shadow and Birdseye.)
4. Persona - At some point during their childhood, a pashak kit chooses a name to be their own. This may be an ancestor name, chosen to honour a pathfinder or family friend, or simply a collection of sounds that the pashak finds pleasing. Most pashak go through a period of experimenting with different names before settling on one that suits them, and the final selection is a rite of passage. This is the name they will tend to use in place of a pronoun.
5. Communate - All pashak bear the name of their parents' clowder or kindle as a surname. Those born without clowder or kindle may instead bear the name of another culture's settlement, or an anonym.
e.g. Willowford, Thronehill, Proudwalker, Greywains, Roadborn, Traveller.
6. (Legend) - Pashak who achieve great things may be awarded a Legend, a name which memorialises their deeds. Continuing to use a Legend is a claim to greatness, and if not backed up is likely to be met with derision. There is very little less dignified than clinging to a Legend earned in youth.
7. (Allegiate) - Members of the great houses of the Riverlands also use the name of their merchant house as an additional identifier, in the form 'of the House of...'
e.g. Ninesisters, Silverhand, Spicewhiskers

A pashak's formal name is made up of their numerate, natal and communate.
As kits, pashak are initially refered to solely by their numerate and natal. Family and family friends will typically switch to use of the familiate, but kits will always be introduced to strangers by numerate and natal, and in formal settings also by their communate.
As an adult, the persona becomes the pashak's default, with the formal name being reserved for official use, and the familiate for those who earn their respect and affection. Youngest children who find their familiate unflattering may opt not to use it anymore.
Any pashak can claim a legend, but it is up to the other pashak around them to judge if it should be maintained and respected, or thoroughly mocked.
Members of the Houses will introduce themselves by their formal name 'of the House of...' and may even attach this appelation to their familiate when dealing with non-pashak trading partners.

Examples

A litter of five kits are born to parents from the Drumstep kindle. The parents are travelling in the north, and the litter are born as the sun sets behind a mountain in the Auroral ranges, creating a magnificent natural display. Their parents give them the natal name 'Mountain Burning in Indigo Twilight' to honour the splendour of the moment, and to ensure there are names to go around.
Dark of fur, One Mountain Burning in Indigo Twilight Drumstep is given the familiate 'Twilight'. A keen musician, she later adopts the persona 'Songbird'. Her masterwork is 'Nine Stones Under Nine Clouds', a song describing a historic battle which earns her the legend 'Singer of Ninestones'.
Two Mountain Burning in Indigo Twilight gains a reputation as a hothead and the familiate 'Burns'. He achieves some fame as a fighter and becomes known for a cloak given to him by his grandfather, adopting the persona 'Redcloak'. At the age of seventeen he challenges and defeats six opponents in turn at a tournament and takes the legend One Against All. Unable to repeat the feat once he reaches his late twenties, he simply stops using the legend.
Three and Four Mountain Burning in Indigo Twilight are inseperable in their youth. Their familiates are taken from the same part of the natal name and they are known as 'Indi' and 'Digger'. As adults, Indi becomes a scholar and Digger a water-finder (an important role in travelling communities) known as Dust and Sweetwater respectively.
Finally, Five Mountain Burning in Indigo Twilight is the smallest of the litter, and becomes known as 'MoMo'. In adulthood, and following a significant growth spurt, he chooses to use a part of his formal name as the persona 'Five Mountains'.