From “Disambiguating Scholarly Speculation in Akorosian Linguistics” by Professor Lativan Smek

From “Disambiguating Scholarly Speculation in Akorosian Linguistics” by Professor Lativan Smek

Look, if you don’t have an academic theory to push or an image as a proper grown-up expert to defend, it is perfectly reasonable to accept the common understanding of how Doskvol got its name. The Skov kingdom built the mine and called it “The Skov’s Coal” and that translates to “Doskovol.” The extra “o” in the middle was dropped along the way to common usage.

Pinning down the origin of the nickname “Duskwall” is even simpler, as it stems from a single point of misunderstanding compounded by lack of correction. In the 380s, the Dagger Isles were expanding their trade routes in lock step with their improved shipping hulls and rigging schemes. Under the Sail Sultan, Lord Masaath, a daring cartographer named Sirinaav Kraylatha was given a golden statue with the dimensions and likeness of each of his family members in exchange for an authoritative map of the Void Sea and its interruptions. His occult charting techniques were fiercely accurate, in contrast to his grasp of Akorosian. He wanted the Dagger Isles charts to be unique, so he bypassed the Akorosian name for the port (North Hook) and penned in “Duskwall.”

People normalizing that nickname are signaling that they were influenced by the criminal underclasses. The nickname only got purchase among those who dealt extensively with Dagger Isles nautical types, and the main reason to do that was the smuggling of luxury items.