True Names are supremely important in Vana Gloria, and combine aspects of what we might call "soul", "afterlife" and "reincarnation".
There is a finite number of Names, attached to incarnate beings at a Naming and detaching (usually) at death. The essence and experience of any being that has held a Name lives on within it. Any Vanan holding a Name has a set of "nominal ancestors": entities that held their Name before them and can guide, advise and influence them through the Name. This lineage is considered vastly more important than mere bloodline.
For humans Naming generally happens some time after birth as part of a ceremony. Naming can either assign a Name at the time from currently unheld Names, or mark someone as the designated heir of an already held Name. An heir will receive their Name on the death of the previous bearer. Because anyone who dies without ever having had a Name is denied any possibly of an afterlife pre-Naming babies, and nominal heirs, are in a risky position.
There is a finite number of Names, attached to incarnate beings at a Naming and detaching (usually) at death. The essence and experience of any being that has held a Name lives on within it. Any Vanan holding a Name has a set of "nominal ancestors": entities that held their Name before them and can guide, advise and influence them through the Name. This lineage is considered vastly more important than mere bloodline.
For humans Naming generally happens some time after birth as part of a ceremony. Naming can either assign a Name at the time from currently unheld Names, or mark someone as the designated heir of an already held Name. An heir will receive their Name on the death of the previous bearer. Because anyone who dies without ever having had a Name is denied any possibly of an afterlife pre-Naming babies, and nominal heirs, are in a risky position.