Your agents' daemons?

Subject: Your agents' daemons?
Author: Tomash
Posted on: 2019-10-18 05:50:30 UTC

Probably due to the book I just finished reading, I had a thought for a good writing question: if your agents (or other characters) ended up in the His Dark Materials-verse, what form would their daemons take, and why?

(For those who haven't read those books, the question is basically: if your agents' soul took the form of an animal companion, whose form usually indicates something about their personality/who they are, what would that form be?)

My general thoughts for my characters:

Peregrin's daemon would be a racoon or something along those lines, seeing as they're clever and are rather willing to intelligently work around or break systems to get what they need.
Taq's daemon was a bit harder to pin down, but, when I got to thinking about him, I realized he's generally happy with a straightforward life - food and such, something to do, and, more importantly, a group of folks to be social with. So I figure he'd have a cow, or some species along those general lines.
Farah's also social, but she's much more of an explorer and someone who wants to meet all the shiny people out there. She's also rather open to different forms of experience, so my intuitive guess for her daemon is a bat.
Kkukttak is pretty good at poking mechanical things into shape (which is part of how he survived a lot of, shall we say, surprise reorganizations) and is generally rather introverted. So, if we ignore a lot of the backstory-induced anxiety that'll clear up at some point, I'd peg his daemon as a beaver.

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Your agents' daemons? by Tomash on 2019-10-18 05:50:30 UTC

Well, Daemon, daemon... by Hardric on 2019-10-21 14:28:13 UTC Reply

I'd say an owl for Richard. Solitary, fly around to distance yourself from things, but also potentially as a way to discover more, old association to wisdom...

And after thinking about it, a raven for Marina. Clever, opportunistic, and despite the apparent squabbling, dedicated to their families...
Thoth by Thoth on 2019-10-20 00:59:46 UTC Reply

...Had a daemon.

He doesn't talk about it.

Tom's Daemon... Uh, hm. I dunno. Although he's probably try to alledge it would be the system daemon. Which is probably the most adorable little daemon ever but not really fitting for Tom.

May I suggest... by Neshomeh on 2019-10-20 20:09:23 UTC Reply

Perusing some animal totems associated with knowledge for Thoth? 'Cause you can't really not have a daemon and still be a functioning person in HDM, else I'd have done that with Derik. {= ) A daemon can be permanently injured, though; his swan probably looks pretty banged up and maybe can't fly.

Speaking of which, I'm fairly amused to see the goose on that list, but I doubt it'll be your choice.

As for Tom, some kind of monkey, maybe? He is a code monkey of sorts, isn't he? {= D

~Neshomeh

Well, yeah by Thoth on 2019-10-20 20:14:28 UTC Reply

I was making a joke: because of course, im his home universe, Thoth did used to have a Daemon. They didn't call it that at the time though.

HDM!Daemon-wise, he might have an Ibis. Because of course.

I agree wrt the monkey for Tom though. Tom is very monkey-esque.

Ah, sorry. ^_^; by Neshomeh on 2019-10-21 04:39:36 UTC Reply

I did catch the reference to Tutelaries, but I gave it even odds that you were joking because you didn't know about HDM and erred on the side of Helping.^TM

Does the ibis go by Djehuty, then? ^_^

~Neshomeh

Uhhhh... by Thoth on 2019-10-21 15:33:10 UTC Reply

I don't know who Daemon naming works. If the Daemon names himself, perhaps.

Then again, Thoth may have named it. I dunno what he'd name it, but I have a sense of humor, so he may have named it Epimetheus. Because he probably finds his daemon infuriating.

Well, actually... by Cassie on 2019-10-23 19:48:17 UTC Reply

As Neshomeh and I discussed further down, daemons usually get named by the parents' daemons, or by others, not by themselves.

I thought it might be something like that by Thoth on 2019-10-24 10:31:21 UTC Reply

In which case who knows?

*climbs out of Google rabbit hole* by SunAndMoon on 2019-10-19 12:41:10 UTC Reply

Jack: Blue jay. Confident, talkative, and fiercely protective of what he loves.

Harvey: Badger. Patient, organized, and self-reliant.

That was fun!
*squee!* HDM! by Cassie on 2019-10-19 12:02:38 UTC Edited Reply
I did this years ago for all my guys! I've been a fan of the series for ages :D rummages

I guess I'll just list some of the ones who actually got mentioned in my works...
- Cassie Young - a hare, named Matareka
- Nat Freidar - a squirrel, named Corwynn
- Kelvin Talathion - a kingfisher, named Arianwen
- Lyra Mackenzie - a wildcat, named Kaivao
- Cara Fielding - a cat, named Njord
- William Marshall - a peregrine falcon, named Maeghen
- Amber Dashel - a roe deer, named Hisoka
- Luke Celinus - a horse, named Lalita
- Jessie Lancaster - a barn owl, named Ayden
- Russell Holston - a red wolf, named Olwen
- Kayla Richards - a lion, named Asher
- Faith Felix - a wolverine, named Vailean
- Andrew Reed - a sparrowhawk, named Vesna
- Dayn Aisenhek - an otter, named Aislin
Plus there's a few kids whose daemons havent settled yet.

And I'll stop there. XD

Ooh, I forgot they have their own names. by Neshomeh on 2019-10-19 18:59:28 UTC Reply

Also that they're usually the opposite sex from their person. Do I remember right that it is just usually, not always?

How did you go about picking their names?

~Neshomeh

Oh yeah. by Cassie on 2019-10-19 20:50:51 UTC Reply

Having a daemon the same gender as yourself is rare, but not impossible. Nobody's ever confirmed exactly why.

And yeah, they have their own names. I just kind of poked around baby naming sites for meanings I liked, or that seemed to fit their characters. For some of them whose cultural/national identity is a very strong part of them, I specifically picked names that matched. For example, Nat's Welsh, and Kelvin's mother tongue (Sindarin) was strongly influenced by Welsh, so I chose names for their daemons that came from the Welsh lexicon.

I'll have to think about this. by Neshomeh on 2019-10-20 00:35:04 UTC Reply

According to Wikipedia, Word of God has it that daemons are (usually) named by a child's parents' daemons. They don't come into existence with the power of speech and knowing their own names, like Pernese dragons. That helps!

~Neshomeh

There was one instance in the books... by Cassie on 2019-10-20 13:03:16 UTC Reply

When Will found his daemon, she was nameless, and she ended up being named by Serafina Pekkala, so it's not unheard of for other people to give names.

That said, it wouldn't surprise me if some people who found their daemons later in life chose names themselves, either on their own or after talking with their daemon to decide on a name together. We never find out how Will's father named his, after all.

*shuffles through list of agents* by Four Moons Watching on 2019-10-19 03:34:46 UTC Reply
- Alantha: Deer, of course! Sweet and friendly, but puts up a fight when her back's to the wall.
- Allanya: Wolf, or maybe bear. Wild-hearted, spiritual, and fiercely protective of those she cares about.
- Aelis: Falcon. Sharp-eyed and solitary, preferring to keep her distance from the chaos of ground level.
- Nowhere: Squirrel. Cheerful and resourceful, with a deep knowledge of the forest.
- Ava: Coyote. Fierce and cunning, with endless tricks up her sleeve.
- Ailienas: Goat. Stubborn, passionate, and good at getting into places she shouldn't.
- Feloriel: Snow leopard. Seemingly dignified and aloof, but has a softer side.
- Falloren: Raven. Intelligent, willful, and fond of collecting trinkets.
- Itae: Collie. Sociable and optimistic, with a work-hard-play-hard attitude.
- Iria: Rabbit. Timid, agile, and driven by instinct.
- Faylise: Ferret. Playful and witty, with a knack for sneaking around and stealing things.
- Eladria: Lion. Brave and showy, but fiercely loyal.
- Nathas: Tiger. Consummate hunter in tune with nature.
- Leah: Dove. Gentle, devout, and loves to fly.
- Reiya: Cow. Generous and kind, with a fondness for simple pleasures.
- Cor Caroli: Butterfly. Sociable and gentle, and her Polari heritage ties her to the sort of delicate beauty butterflies represent.
...whew. I have a lot of these.
Liber Daemonium by Scapegrace on 2019-10-18 22:11:17 UTC Edited Reply

Wobbles: Western bluebird

Having a bluebird for her makes sense because they're a symbol for happiness in a variety of cultures, and the Western bluebird's relevance is twofold. First, it's actually from where she's from -- as a Twilight angstfic refugee, she's technically a native of Washington State. Second, it has very brightly coloured plumage but with a brown and grey underbelly, which represents her putting on a bright and colourful mask to try and hide her own insecurities.

Lola: Australian razorback

Feral pigs are a problem in Australia, especially in Queensland, which is like Florida but with more things trying to kill you. They're often a product of delib erate introduction during the acclimatization days, and they're a serious pest. They also have a reputation for being tough as old boots and hard to put down. A pest that just won't give up? That says XCOM to me.

Algie: Purebred lemon and white basset hound

Basset hounds are stumpy, wobbly, and have a slight air of defeat about them. They are also utterly charming or utterly insufferable, depending on who you ask. The lemon and white coloration is uncommon in a purebred, representing Algie's own uniqueness in the PPC and his family (a practical magician coming from a long line of Navy men). The basset is a purebred, yes, but they were also scenthounds purpose-built for hunting hare, and Algie's a slightly ponderous soul whose gift is for tracking down the considerably more flighty Suvians of the multiverse.

The Notary: Eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly

It's come up from time to time, but the Notary didn't have a happy time of it. The one thing she remembers fondly about it was going to the butterfly sanctuary in Arcadia, where the gentle downlands and rolling hillsides made her feel safe and happy at a time when very little else did. The eastern tiger swallowtail is also dressed in elaborate yellow and black, much as the Oncoming Form is herself, and has a glitter of silver about it too; that this is an Earth butterfly is also an indication that she's warming to her human partner.

Liber Pandemonium! by Scapegrace on 2019-10-19 20:35:39 UTC Reply

I completely forgot that they were named. Whoops. Now to name them!

Wobbles's bluebird: Olicolio

This is a slightly unusual name, but it makes more sense if you write it as O Li C O Li O, which reduces down to Li₂CO₃. Chemists among you might recognize that as the formula for lithium carbonate, a noted mood stabilizer and antimanic.

Lola: Durandal

Most of you, or most of you who are also colossal sword dorks, know Durandal as the sword of Roland. Now, the ex-XCOM field commander having a noble sword for a daemon is fun enough, but the name also derives in this case from Annette Durand, one of the named characters in XCOM: Enemy Unknown/Within and very commonly a psionic of prodigious talent who saves the world from alien invasion.

Algie: Trentweed

As well as sounding "tweedy", a common signifier of the academic, this ties into Algie's perception of himself as foremost a practical magician. The rivers Tweed and Trent marked the borders of John Uskglass's kingdom, and far more than any lunatic German slapped on the throne because his grandfather was the only non-Catholic option, John Uskglass is Algie's king.

The Notary: Maunderminima

Let's be honest, Maunderminima sounds the most like a daemon's name of the four listed here. However, it's a specific astronomical term concerning sunspots. It referred to a period during the Little Ice Age during which sunspots were barely seen; as sunspots are dark, cold patches on the surface of a star, it reminds her that the darkness and coldness in her life is not inevitable or mandatory, and that it too shall pass.

Ooh, hmm. Hurm.... by Iximaz on 2019-10-18 17:50:37 UTC Edited Reply

•The Aviator: A raven. Clever, aggressive, loves shiny objects. She and her daemon would probably squabble over her Suvian wand collection.

•Zeb: No, not a lion. Very likely a guard dog of some sort, probably a German Shepherd.

•Elanor's obviously not going to have a fixed animal, but for the time being she probably loves keeping her daemon as a fluffy chinchilla.

•Ix: Not a wolf. Not a hare, either, though that's what her Patronus is. I think hers would be a chicken. They get quite the sterotype of being cowardly, but they can actually be quite vicious.

•Charlotte: No, not a spider. :P I think hers would actually be a beaver. She might gripe and moan at having to learn how to be a human and how to fight without her super strength, but she works hard at it and enacts change on what might seem impossible. Beavers with their dams—and her becoming human again. Not to mention beavers mate for life. D'aww.

•Dax: As tempting as it is to say chameleon, I think his would be a rat. Why? Because changelings can blend in to every environment, and barring a few places where you won't find rodents, rats are found all over the world. Not to mention most of his life is based on deception, and rats hardly have kind associations.

•Lorson: A kangaroo. Because they jump like crazy and won't hesitate to kick the sh*t out of you.

•Zaphoriel: sputters "A demon?! I beg your pardon?!" In all seriousness—he's an angel, so he's got no soul to manifest as an animal.

•Alex Dives: A ring-tailed lemur. He's always working with his hands, he's clever, and he loves climbing.

•Farilan: This one's tricky, because I was flip-flopping between solitary animals and herd animals. I think I'll go with an alpaca, because although they're definitely herd animals, they're also quite mean and territorial.

-Iximaz needs to pare down her agents

(Bonus round: Agents who have made it into RPs but aren't canon yet)

•Erica Ambrose, the Mutants and Masterminds Jack Harkness stand in. Hers is a rabbit. Use your imagination.

•Jinx: A black cat. I mean, come on—it's right there in the name.

Hmmm. by Neshomeh on 2019-10-19 13:29:00 UTC Reply

If Zeb's is a German Shepherd, maybe I'll make Ilraen's a Standard Schnauzer. We had them when I was a kid, and they're wonderful dogs. Bred to be herding dogs, but not to nip at the animals' heels, they instead jump up and push them around with their paws (or so I was told, anyway). Schnauzers are very intelligent and good-tempered, and also make wonderful family pets, service dogs, and guard dogs.

Can you just see Ilraen's daemon pushing Farilan's around when she's being too objectionable? ^_^

~Neshomeh

Oh my goodness, yes. by Iximaz on 2019-10-19 16:32:36 UTC Reply

Farilan's alpaca probably spits at his Schnauzer a lot, but still loves to cuddle.

Ooh, fun. by Neshomeh on 2019-10-18 16:06:16 UTC Edited Reply

Well, Nume first, because he was pretty easy: a skunk. He puts up this elaborate defensive front because he really doesn't want a fight, and would be perfectly happy left alone to curl up in his den. {= P

Derik: a swan. Maybe a trumpeter swan, known for its distinctive voice (video). Plus, in addition to everything the SunSigns article says about partnership, artistry, emotions, ties to sea and air, etc., swans can be pretty nasty and will beat you up if you mess with them or their family.

Jenni: a robin. Really. I was as surprised as anyone by how well it fits her. That's not why I chose her surname at all!

Ilraen: a shepherd. Figured he'd be some sort of canine, being the loyal and people-pleasing sort. This seems to encapsulate that and more.

Gall: a goat. Specifically one of Scandinavian breeds, of course. Small, but tough, clever, agile, eats almost anything, and really hard-headed. ^_^

~Neshomeh

(Edit: I forgot my signature. Good grief.)

Naming names. by Neshomeh on 2019-10-21 05:27:27 UTC Reply

Nume's skunk daemon is called Clarabee in honor of Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross. His mother and her daemon served with them during WWII.

The twisted part of my brain thinks Derik's swan would be called Christine due to his badfic origins, but since I'm at the helm for this decision, it's not happening. {= P In fact, I really want to name her Nadira after the Persian, given the name Nadir Khan in Susan Kay's Phantom, who appointed himself Erik's keeper and his conscience (and only friend). It's the sort of name you could just about explain with Pernese naming customs if you had to; or perhaps Pernese daemons remember old Terran names? IDK. I might change my mind about this.

Jenni's robin is Sam. Why? Same reason Jenni is Jenni: that's what they decided. Beyond that, I have no idea; I just know.

Ilraen was given his name by Agents Twiggy and Brittany, and following K.A. Applegate's example, they took inspiration from Middle-earth names: Gilraen, mother of Aragorn, in this case. Therefore, I'll name his Schnauzer daemon after Aragorn's father, and call her Thorn. Just a single-part name for her, I think.

Finally, Gall's billy-goat is Snorri, because it's a great name for a goat and it's also a callback to my original name for her dragon, which was terrible. ^_^

~Neshomeh

Thoughts... by Snowblaze on 2019-10-18 11:42:57 UTC Reply

So for Kat, I feel like I can only really choose an eagle, that being her bird form... but does that really fit her personality that well? I don't actually think it does. I think I see her as more of... (this is harder than I expected it to be) a dolphin? That sort of makes sense - clever, but in a playful sort of way, and not taking herself too seriously.

Edward, on the other hand, I could definitely see working well as an eagle: a ruthless "predator", working alone... yes, that fits very well.

For Mira, my first thought is black cat... and it makes reasonable sense too. Again, solitary and untrusting, with depths you rarely see.
I... hmm. Question. by Huinesoron on 2019-10-18 08:08:24 UTC Reply

The question is because I had an immediate answer: Kaitlyn's would be a hedgehog, and Selene's either a wolf or a bat... but those are their Patronuses. Obviously those are very different manifestations, but my question is: what's the difference in the way you decide what they are? 'You' as a writer in this case.

I suppose there's an element of the Patronus showing what you think your personality is (or want it to be?), while the daemon shows what it actually is. I think Kaitlyn still gets a hedgehog for both, but Selene is more bat-like than she would like to believe.

Dafydd, of course, already carries a small animal around on his shoulder, and it's hard to imagine a more emblematic creature than a fire lizard. Having a fictional daemon probably messes with the canon a bit, but... he's Dafydd. He does that.

hS

I think you've got it right. by Neshomeh on 2019-10-18 16:18:58 UTC Reply

Your daemon is a manifestation of your soul, so it shows who you truly are. Daemons are unfixed in form until about puberty, when they assume a permanent shape. With external daemons, it's much harder to front or play anyone false about what kind of person you are at heart; it's out there in the open. Makes things like dating and hiring a bit easier. ^_^

A Patronus is more what you'd consider to be your guiding force or protector, I think? Hence why a Patronus will sometimes change to resemble that of a significant other.

Dafydd is definitely cheating. ^_~ I'd think he might be some sort of brilliantly plumed songbird?

~Neshomeh

Oh my God... by Neo Skater on 2019-10-19 21:11:04 UTC Reply

I just did some digging and realized that I watched the movie adaptation of one of the books, The Golden Compass. All this time, I was looking at your His Dark Materials content and thinking, "Wow. I've never heard of this, but I might want to read it." I didn't even know I knew a part of the general plot.

I should probably read it now.

I really should be sleeping, but... by WolfQuill on 2019-10-18 06:34:51 UTC Reply

Ollie: Ollie's an expressive fellow with a flair for the dramatic, so I think he'd have a peacock.

Marie: A rat. She's small, quick, and clever, but if someone's in trouble she'll do her best to help them out. Also surprisingly social.

Jesse: I was thinking they'd have a wolf, but Jesse's not much of a team player. So, I picked barn owl. They're a hunter and defensive of what they say is theirs. They are also constantly ready to throw down more than any of my other children or Delkhii.

Delkhii (he's a janitor, not an agent, but deserves a place on this list): Delkhii's deamon would probably be one of those little birds that clean an alligator's teeth, since he's totally willing to clean up your mess but usually only if it benefits him in some way. He also lives vicariously through his agent friends.