Before You Read
Hey guys! Thanks for picking up Blackthorn!
I wanted to include an index of places/pronunciations for the world of Blackthorn. A lot of the names used in this story are of my own creation, any similarities to any other works are purely coincidental. I do try to be selective and original with my worldbuilding, but I do take influences from European and Russian culture. You might notice names and places possessing common structure/dialect from these cultures.
Blackthorn is meant to be real-world adjacent; the people and places fictional, but resembling cultures from the world we know.
That being said, I have some rough pronunciations to help read Blackthorn a little more fluently. Feel free to discard this information, it’s just to show how the names and places were originally envisioned in my crazy brain box.
Altovar/Altovans: uhl-toh-VAHr / uhl-toh-VEHNS
Vraila: vRAY-luh
Barcena/Barcenians: bahr-SEHN-ah / bahr-SEEN-EE-ehns
Rhonesmith: ROHn-smith (that one’s pretty easy)
Catrice/Catricians: cah-TREESS / cah-TREE-shehns (like caprice and capricious, the last C changes from “s” to “sh”)
Silderret: SIHL-duh-ray
Dolimuth/Dolimuvans: dah-lee-MOO-θ(/th/) / dah-lee-MOO-vehnz
Ithuza/Ithuzans: ih-θ(/th/)OO-zuh / ih-θ(/th/)OO-zehnz
De Vrosse: Deh VRO-sseh
Trelov: tREH-lahv
Cesturo: SEHS-tuhr-oh
Let me know in the comments if you would like any more added to this list. Thanks, and enjoy! :)
