Nicknames and avatars

[Phinn]

Long time ago I created a thread about nicknames and I really enjoyed reading people's replies. The thread, sadly, is long dead, so I thought...

Currently there is 26,288 registered memebers of the Wyrd Forums. Some of the nicknames and avatars are just hilarious, some are mind boggling...
So, how did you choose or got your nickname? Why did you choose this particular avatar?

And do not be discouraged if your nickname or avatar isn't unique, I want to hear the story

[Gnomezilla]

In a time so long ago that EverQuest was using the original MMO models of 1999, some of us sillies who were better roleplayers than game players met to “raid” in imitation of real gamers. There were ruins. There was the inevitable downtime among players who didn’t know how to organize a raid. There was a childish gnome necro, shortest of races. There was a shaman (not gnomish) with a newly acquired Grow spell. Then there was a gnomezilla towering above the other players and even the ruins.

Later I learned how to play well enough to raid properly, even with a guild which kept up with current end-game content, and used shrink along with other proper raiders (to turn off collision detection among players so we could close-pack the raid). But I never let go of the stompy joy, and saw no reason not to raid in clockwork gnome armor illusion or mini-mecha illusion or without my steamwork multitool weapon (ok so I swapped it for the correct weapon during burn phases, good raid protocol, but wore it for everyday XP).

[Strictly speaking, a neato necro gnomie girl should’ve become a Molly, but I really really wanted a peacekeeper...and my raiding brain craved the needlessly complicated number-crunching a good raid necro did.]

When the Divergent Paths event rolled around, to occupy that sliver of September before Ripples of Fate hit the stores, I laid eyes on the inquisitive child and was instantly enchanted. So began my very loud online, and oh so very ineffectual in my play group (1-9-0), campaign to mold her into a little mechromancer. Not long after her art and lamentable lack of mercenary trait was revealed, I switched from the picture of my Malifaux girl-child in Guild livery to Marlena.

[Shadowopal]

My nickname is from high school and is unusual enough that it is usually available. If there is a Shadowopal anywhere it is most likely me. 

My avatar is my kickstarter reward for the level I pledged for Evil Baby Orphanage......me in Evil Baby Mode. 

[necroon]

Well I was 12 and wanted a Yahoo account named after the "SUPRISE" last boss of Final Fantasy IX. I spelled it wrong and when I went back to make the correctly named account discovered "Necron" is actually quite popular largely in part because of some other gaming company..... so I kept it. Also I didn't capitalize it so that just kinda stuck as the norm. 

My avatar is an old man playing chess with a clunky looking robot. It sorta speaks to me about how people can come together over a game even if they have so little in common and that really embodies what the (local) Wyrd community has meant to me - everyone is extremely friendly, helpful, and fun to play games with. I've created a lot of friendships with people I would otherwise have never thought to spend time with. It helps to remember it's our similarities, no matter how few, that can bring us together and not our differences, no matter how many, that should push us apart. 

😅

[Franchute]

In my case, it just means "froggy" in Spanish, not really an insult---but almost---to Frenchmen. I am French myself and I have been living in Spanish speaking countries for more than 10 years now. Hence, the explanation.

The avatar is the eldest Dalton from the French comic book "Lucky Luke". It is a French representation of the Western ambiance, hence somehow related to Malifaux.

I know this sounds pretty nationalistic, but I'm actually not a good patriot to be honest. I even tend not to like the concept of "country". I guess I chose this nickname just because of the need to define myself in a country where I'll always bee a foreigner.

[Stark]

Very interesting topic))

My nickname isn't a true nickname, that's a real surname from my great grandmothers family, thats a branch of the Scottish highland clan Robertson (know almost nothing about it, unfortunately), who very long time ago emigrated to Sweden, and then become Russian subjects. When Revolution 1917 was, half of my ancestors are leave Russia and assimilated in France and Sweden again. I always like that surname more than my own and used it long before all that hype around Marvel  and PLIO Starks happen). 

What about my avatar - that's simple) That's a death marshal recruiter I've painted) He turned out pretty damn-ass and I thought that he can take Dr.Grimwells place, who was on my avatar before (also painted by me xD). Besides, I really like wyrd miniatures and I thunk that's great to use Malifaux miniatures as avatar on the most exellent and awesome forum ever 

[emiba]

3 hours ago, Stark said:

...who very long time ago emigrated to Sweden, and then become Russian subjects. When Revolution 1917 was, half of my ancestors are leave Russia and assimilated in France and Sweden again. I always like that surname more than my own...

Sorry for chopping but thought I'd save space. It's a nice name, means strong in Swedish. ☺️ 

Since I´m already writing... Mine is boring, it's the first letters of my first name and first letters of my surname. That's how they built or logins to the university web services and networks. Never really developed a nickname or screen name that I identified with.

I just love Zoraida's voodoo doll. That scissor is hilarious. Maybe I should use my painted one...

[Phinn]

@Gnomezilla, I thought that your nickname was "just" a clever wordplay, but the story behind it is actually amazing

I think I rememeber the story, @Shadowopal Weren't some mind-altering substances used during the process, by the way?

The story behind your avatar, @necroon, is definitely my favorite one so far

@Franchute, when me and my brothers were little kids we used to play "treasure hunt" in our father's attic and garage and one of the "treasures" I found was a Lucky Luke comics. All that I rememeber is that it was in some foreign language (french apparently ) and some pages were missing. The character was well known in Czech Republic back then (I rememeber that we also had some cards with various character where you had to match 4 of them and some stickers as well) but the comics wasn't published in czech for a very long time.

@Stark, that miniature was one of the research pictures I downloaded from internet when I was trying to learn OSL because of Iggy At least I think it was this particular one It definitely was one of your models though, because you have very characteristic and unmistakable style of painting

@emiba, you are like my long lost brother I photoshoped one of the Voodoo Dolls that are hanging around Zoraida's waist. I wanted it to look kind of like it set itself free and went on an adventure. Also wanted to add a tattered tophat but failed miserably
And the nickname... Originally I used to go by Laika, but that one is usually taken and because of how czech language works people allways assumed that I am a girl and my fragile sexuality couldn't bear such burden I know that Laika was a bi... a female dog, but still For some time I was using a lot of different nicknames - Wanderlustful Canine, The Gentledog and such - but then decided for Phinn. Originally it was supposed to be Finn, but that was already taken on the czech forum, so... The reasons are actually two. First - I used to love Adventure Time with Finn and Jake, and second - my name is Filip Hosman and Hosman used to be written originally with two N (after war people were changing their names so they would look less german) and if you take first two letters of my first name and last two letters of my surname (as it was originally written) you get Finn as well But as I already said, it was taken. Also, for some weird reason I was sure that it means quill pen in english which I quite liked, but... IT DOESN'T Not sure what happend there
And my title just declares my love for Zoraida and Swampfiends (my blog here on the forums is called Of Swampfiends and Men as well ) and that I am a very casual player - that's why it reads Peon

I am also interested in stories behind custom titles as well, by the way

[Burnin' Coal]

Some great reading here 😊

I came very late to the internet and tried to avoid cell phones until it became impossible....first forum I signed up for required a nickname....couldn't be bothered to put any thought into it...looked across to my turntable and typed in the name of the 45 I was playing at that moment - "Burnin' Coal" by Les McCann - killer tune !  https://youtu.be/pmWiBe8Z6Jk

My avatar I grabbed from Wyrd as the face on the Will O The Wisps for me just nails the crazy danger of the Neverborn

 

[Shadowopal]

2 hours ago, Phinn said:

@Gnomezilla

I think I rememeber the story, @Shadowopal Weren't some mind-altering substances used during the process, by the way?

The friend was a bit of a stoner. 

[valhallan42nd]

The Valhallan 42nd were a storied regiment of Valhallan Ice Warriors, noted for their bravery and zealous defense of the Emperor.*

*Really, I like the Valhallans, and the 42 reference is an obvious Douglas Adams reference. There's no canon reference to the Valhallan 42nd regiment that I'm aware of.

[Franchute]

@Phinn the writer who created Lucky Luke might be Belgian actually 😀 My apologize to the Belgians for this common French mistake

[Ludvig]

It was the first time my name wasn't taken online so I took it! I've always felt kind of dumb since I realised most people use nicknames instead.

The pic is old Samael because I felt really pleased with how he turned out and didn't know what else to pick.

[valhallan42nd]

Oh, and my Avatar is my Seamus Avatar run though an app that essentially turns pics into comic panels.

[Bengt]

Bengt is my given name. I stopped using nicknames on forums many years ago for reasons I can't recall. 😛 

The avatar picture is of my left eye.

[Dragoon130]

In the long lost years of 1999 or 2000 I was obsessed, and still am to be honest, with a wonderful JRPG called Legend of Dragoon. When my older cousin helped 9 or 10 year old little me make my first email it was the first thing I thought of. Of course it was taken so we added 13, the day of my birth, on suggestion of the site and then that ended up being taken so he just tapped 0 and it stuck. Then as I got older and began to study history and especially the history of our tribe I began to love the real world concept of Dragoons. So it's just kind of followed me since. All my characters have traditional names too but thats how my username came to be. 

 

As for my avatar, it was just kind of a panic choice when I signed up long ago and I couldn't find anything more fitting. Since having to leave the hobby for life reasons and finally being able to get back to it after things settled and I could afford hobbies of any kind again it's gained a strange nostolgia factor for me so I haven't changed it.

[Boomstick]

In my first D&D game that lasted an grew into something amazing, I played the party sorcerer, who favored investigation over burning things to the ground. That said, he was very good at burning things to the ground when needed, and carried a staff, so he became known by reputation as the Boomstick. My avatar is my model of him. One of the first I ever painted.

[JimO]

I was feeling pragmatic when I created my forum account.  Jim O. is my name.  It was there and so I took it!

I think the logo for my avatar is from the fan site kit.  I don't think I had any models painted for pictures at the time, and I just haven't thought to change it.  That was a horrible story, but you asked for it.

Now I kinda want to change my avatar...but then the story will make no sense...

Maybe tomorrow...

[SAYNE]

My name came from a long story of me being a slightly edgy teenager where I used to sign things as Insayne Chyld after some concerned parents tried to lock me up for being too "scary". After I grew up I realized that Y's are still cool but I have much more control over my thoughts. So I'm just Sayne now... With a twist!

The picture is of an adorable twin tailed cat from Kyoukai no Kanata named Ai. I think it's just super cute. Horror and Cute things... Yeah I guess that works.

[Adran]

My name comes from a LARP Character I created, which had my first real use of online forums, so when I signed up I used the name of my character. They died (An amazingly heroic death) but I've kept the name as an online name because it always seems to be free.

My Avatar is my very quick attempt to create something when I got made moderator, so I took my default avatar of the letter A, and just added it to the Arcanist symbol. My luddite ways have failed me in my attempts to photograph models, or make good pictures and have left it looking fairly blurred, but its at least unique to me....

[Amdor]

Back in the early 2000's my family found a Tolkien-themed Elf name generator and my name came back as Amdor Elensar. A couple of years later my moody teenage self got fed up with my previous naming conventions (the typical 12-year-old stuff) so I tried Amdor for the heck of it and it's stuck ever since. Sometimes it's AmdorElensar or some other variant, but I have a habit of dropping the surname when possible, because back then remembering login details wasn't a thing and I was too lazy to write the extra 7 characters.

Haven't really found an avatar that struck a chord with me, so I switch it quite often based on my current interests or whenever I find something neat I can use. The current one is the Moon Precense from Bloodborne, one of my favourite games in recent years.

[Da Git]

My nickname comes from a character from the Orcs & Goblins 6th (I think) armybook. Wurrzag, prophet of the Waagh, was seeking Da Once & Future Git, the warboss to unite all the Orks and lead them on the Last Waagh.  Anyway, it sounded awesome and the name's never taken, so if you ever see a Da Git or Da Once & Future Git or any other derivatives, it's probably me (besides, my sense of self-depreciating humour finds it hilarious that my nickname's an insult!).

Quote

Everyone had heard of the mythical greenskin that once led them all, and would someday return to lead them to victory against their many enemies before falling in battle at the end of the world itself.

This carries on with my avatar being a Raving Madman from the Other Side.

[Kimberly]

My nickname is well... my name, because it has to be!

 

My avatar is my mental state at any given time.

[retnab]

Way back when I first discovered the Internet I decided to use NAB Master in some variation for my stuff (my initials, mixed with a bit of childhood overconfidence ). When I entered university I figured it was a bit awkward having Master in the name, so I made it backwards (Retsam) and put it at the start. But then a lot of people had trouble spelling it, so I shortened it to just Retnab. And now a lot of people ask if it's supposed to be "banter" backwards, and I always have to tell them no, that's just a happy coincidence! 

 

For my avatar, whenever I get into a new game/faction I change my avatar to a member of that which I painted myself and am pretty happy with (I've also used Retribution's Fane Knight and Cyriss' Enigma Foundry elsewhere, back in the day), so in a few months it'll probably become some Cult model I especially like!

[Lucius Mattheson]

The Secretary (and his aesthetic, especially that of the first edition drawing) drew me to Malifaux. My particular ''fluff'' interest is in the aristocracy of the Enclave.