Real-world equivalents in GE: part 3/4

Part 1
Part 2
Part 4

While the first two articles in this series talked about possible real-world derivations and equivalents for some locations in the in-game milieu of Granado Espada, these next two posts have to do with the lovable, collectible, tradeable, and highly sought-after RNPCs.

I took the spellings for the RNPC names from this page. Don't worry about the Thai - when you click on the RNPCs' pictures, you're taken to a separate page which lists their stances in English.

So, right into it then.

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One of the first quests for GE newbies comes from Ramiro the Adventurer, and he is also the first RNPC that you have to duel in order to get his or her card. Speed and elemental traps aside, though, history records his first name as being related to the Spanish House of Aragon. There were two kings named Ramiro, who were also descended from the Jiménez dynasty, the first people to bring European culture and influence to Spain.

The Upgrade Merchant in Cite de Reboldoeux, Idge Imbrulia, has a familiar last name to us. It might have been derived from another source, but certainly her last name sounds like that of Australian singer, songwriter, model, and actress Natalie Imbruglia, who sang the hit songs "Torn", "Wishing I Was There", and "Wrong Impression".

The name of Ramiro's counterpart in the City of Auch, the boy pickpocket named Tiburon, means "shark" in Spanish.

My favorite RNPC, Pánfilo de Narváez, takes his entire name from a Spanish conqueror and soldier who lived from 1470 to 1528. He was an opponent of the equally famous Hernán Cortés, who led the Spanish Conquest of Mexico. De Narváez lived a troubled life, eventually perishing during a disaster-ridden expedition to Florida.

While he acts European, André Janzur may derive his last name from that of a town in the African country of Libya, which lies due west of its capital of Tripoli.

She may look militaristic and piratical with her eyepatch, but Port of Coimbra Weapon Merchant Adelina Esperanza owes her name to two decidedly peace-related concepts. Saint Adelina of the Roman Catholic Church was a French Benedictine nun [feast day 20 October], while "esperanza" is the Spanish word for "hope".

Idge Imbrulia's opposite number in Coimbra, the bare-chested Soho, may take his name primarily from the lively and multicultural West End district of London called, you guessed it, Soho. This location is notable for several reasons: it's the home of London's main gay village [centered on Old Compton Street], a part of London's Chinatown [centered on Gerrard Street], and a center for independent film and videos and for television and film post-production. Soho has also held the reputation of being the heart of London's sex industry for nearly 200 years! The famous London landmark Piccadilly Circus is also located in Soho district.

Other world locations called Soho are actually spelled "SoHo": the most famous are the New York City district SOuth of HOuston Street, and the area SOuth of HOllywood Road in Hong Kong.

Emilia Gianino, the Magic Items Merchant in Coimbra, may derive her first name from that of the wife of the villainous Iago, from William Shakespeare's play Othello.

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I'll conclude this series of articles in the next entry, and then we'll talk about some light-hearted topics, from my idea of a GE "flash mob" to some recipes lifted directly from Panfilo's recipe books.