Naming Ceremonies

Savage societies, although intelligent and organized, tend to live outside the typical realm of tradition. It is an observed phenomena that many small folk clans (that being goblins, kobolds, certain subspecies of hobgoblin, etc.) encourage their newborn clutches to breed animosity by practice of negligence. They are fed, but only by the bushel and without supervision. They are given shelter, but communal amenities are contested multiple times a day. This, in turn, promotes clique-like cooperation and individual superiority on a level that civil society has not yet come to understand. By the time a newborn is approximately one year of age it is delegated a name. Those that don't make it that far weren't worthy of one in the first place.

Astonishingly, this ceremony extends beyond the topic of infants. Towns, trade camps, and professions tend to go unrecognized until they are considered established. These events call for a measure of democracy since they are beyond an individual, but given the uprising of most of these clan folk the process can be a vexing ordeal. When a settlement reaches agreement on a name it usually comes with the declaration of a clan chieftain, since they're the one left standing after a diplomatic throw down. Furthermore, a small folk isn't considered professional in something unless they can reliably best other small folk in that practice. Thus, it is quite rare to find kobolds or goblins showing expertise with volatile crafts like explosives, for example.

Much to the surprise of surveyors, naming ceremonies seem to be an event of great pride among these communities.  No matter the target, these events are host to a slew of inebriated revelry and contests of cunning.  Larger gatherings have been recorded to accept other clans for the occasion, should they prove worthy of attendance.  The aftermath has been described anywhere from hazardous to outright catastrophic, with some events spanning seven full days.  One instance is rumored of a bard regaling his audience how he witnessed a watchtower in the civil savanna that was set ablaze and toppled during its own ceremony.  Surely, the savage societies are devoted to their sideways customs.