Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness (1988), p22 — Daemon Names

Virtually all Daemons take great care to keep their true names a secret. Only the most powerful Arch Daemons, who need not fear domination by any other creature, do not bother to hide their true names. Therefore, by definition, a Daemon who does not hide its true name is powerful enough to ignore any summoning or strictures paced upon it.

The true name of a Daemon is often completely alien and very nearly unpronounceable. Knowledge of a true name grants power, and gives some leverage when it comes to dealing with a Daemon. As a consequence, a Daemon will never voluntarily reveal its true name, nor can it be commanded to do so except on pain of utter and total destruction. Most Daemons will, however, reveal the true name of another Daemon, providing that it knows any names (but it may lie about this and 'make some up'); the name in question belongs to a Daemon that is weaker than it is, and a suitable reward for this service is offered. At the very least, this reward will be release from any binding or summoning.

Other sources of Daemons' names are books and tomes of daemonological lore or the notes of a Daemonologist. All these will be written in obscure and coded ways to keep such knowledge away from the foolish, unwise or weak.

WFRP: Not knowing a Daemon's true name gives a -25% penalty to the chance of controlling it. In addition to being written in Arcane Language - Daemonic, correctly puzzling out names that are present in a text also requires an Intelligence test. The GM should make this test in secret. Success means that the name has been correctly deciphered; failure indicates that the character has translated the name wrongly, has mistaken an inflection or otherwise made an error. A Daemon will still answer to this 'wrong' name but will not, of course, bother to correct its summoner. The mistranslated name grants no benefite to the character in dealing with the Daemon.

As a result of keeping their true names secret, Daemons use a number of false names and titles. These vary for a single Daemon, according to mood or circumstance: Pinchbottle, Maeltranseer, The Inescapable Defiler of the Way, The Silent Enemy or whatever. Daemons will apply such 'use-names' to themselves as they think fit or as amuses them. Daemons with the power to change shape are not above such elementary practical jokes as changing their names to match their latest form. Such use-names are not important to a Daemon, as they give no benefit to anyone who knows them.

The use-name of a Daemon will often reflect its nature. The Bloodletters of Khorne, for example, have use-names such as Fluxgore, Skullsucker, The Render of Limbs, The High-handed Slayer of Innocence and the like. On the other hand, the Greater Daemons of Slaanesh have names and titles such as the Puissant Giver of Indescribable Pleasure, Rutwobble, The Lurking Despoiler and the Bringer of Joyous Degredation. Examples of titles are given in the relevant sections for Chaos Daemons, and these can be used as inspiration.