In the third book of The Auralia Thread — Cal-raven’s Ladder — Cal-raven will venture to a very creepy place… a place where a meteor once struck and destroyed a forest, leaving a deep crater full of strange, glittering dust.
Don’t worry… he won’t find any UFOs there. But he will find something akin to a graveyard. A graveyard for massive trees, the tallest that ever grew in the Expanse. Imagine the California Redwoods, and then triple the circumference and height of its greatest tree. All of those extravagant trees were buried in the crater. But Cal-raven’s headed there because his mentor told him he’d find something important there… if he climbed the tallest tree. How can he climb a tree if they’ve all been smashed into the earth?
Anyway, before I give away any more of the story, here’s the question:
What should I call this dusty scar, this forest’s graveyard, this meteor-smashed crater?
Get creative. Invent a name. You can try coming up with something that has meaningful roots and origins, or you can just start smashing words together, as I often do, to come up with something that sounds good.
DEADLINE: New Year’s Day, January 1, 2009
Last year, I hosted a similar contest, and the winners (there were two whose answers I liked, and combined) are receiving signed copies of Cyndere’s Midnight. This year, I’m making it tougher. Because I’m going to start coming up with my own ideas for names. But I want you to come up with a better one.
The name I end up choosing for the book will earn the inventor a signed copy of Cal-Raven’s Ladder, upon its arrival.
Oh, and just a reminder: This Thursday night, I’m at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park (North Seattle), reading from Cyndere’s Midnight and signing copies at 7 p.m. You’re invited! And afterwards, we’ll hang out and enjoy some food and drink in the Third Place Books food court.
My suggestion: Galt Craith or Craith Galen. Good idea for a contest and an even better setting for Cal-Raven’s adventures.
Josh
Perhaps Ominous Void or like you said crunching words together Ominoid.
Melissa
It could be the Deeprise Wood, to kind of emphasize the juxtaposition of something so mightily high being buried under/above ground in this strange glittering tree crypt.
The Woodgrave.
Deathwood.
Shatterwood.
Vernal Rift.
Most of the names you have used thus far (well in Aurelia, Cyndere doesn’t come in till Wednesday for me) have been fairly simple. I think this should follow suit.
How about the Deep-wood Vale? (Hyphen optional)
Certainly has an ominous or mysterious sound to it.
Morte-Arbole
Dar-wan or Dar-wan Wood
It is a mix up of the country name, Rwanda, and a tribute to the once-tall people who were laid low by a devastation that was presaged (like a meteor) but utterly horrific and dark. I like that his mentor would send him there, into that death and darkness, to climb the tallest tree–a tree that is both standing and not standing. Rwanda is a country rebuilding, a country in anguish, but learning to stand, and to stand tall, again. The country as a whole is on a journey of reconstruction, learning forgiveness, learning to live again.
Deep Dust Crater.
Dark Dust Crater.
Crater of Glittering Dust.
Smashwood or Smashed Woods.
Big Rock Fall
Personally, I wouldn’t go for anything with the name “wood,” “crater,” or “vale” in it. I would give it a NAME…something like Mirusa mentioned above. Something that makes it seem almost like a character itself, and is to be taken seriously, secrets and all. More like a name Tolkien would use, I suppose.
I’ll post if I think of anything. 😀