What/Who exactly is Underlord?

[na_piCZu]

Hi guys,

i have started translating WFTO to czech and i have this probably really stupid question which bothers me for some time.

What or Who exactly is Underlord? I could keep name Underlord and just add proper inflection, but i would rather translate it to correct meaning, but Underlord has according to my view two meanings:

1, Someone who rules over underworld
2, Someone who is just servant of higher power

Of course those two can be also combined and can mean both. Currently my czech translation could be translated to english probably as "Sovereign of underground" (most accurate translation i can think of currently).

I hope you understood my problem and help me to untangle it

Thanks and cheers,
Daniel

 

[Tim White]

Hi Daniel,

I like your translation of "Sovereign of underground" - it makes "Underlord" sound powerful and linked to the subterranean realms, and also reminds me of our Spanish version, translated as "Deity of the Abyss".

There may have been an element of subservience in the "Underlord" name when it was originally coined, but I think it is better to emphasise the cooler "ruler of the underworld" aspect. The choice of course is yours, since this is your translation

Gender-neutral versions of "Underlord"
I am unfortunately not familiar with the intricacies of the Czech language, but I know that in some of our supported languages we have had to invent different terms for "Underlord" for when the male or female gender of the character is not known, in these cases:

• When addressing a player character as "Underlord" in Skirmish mode, but the game doesn't know the player's gender e.g. "Underlord, your Dungeon Core is being attacked!".
• When referring to an "Underlord" in the third person in general terms, so not specific to a single gender, e.g. "Welcome to Lockshackle, a penal colony just begging to be liberated by an enterprising Underlord.".

This does affect Spanish for example, and so in our official translation our localisation partner devised these terms for such cases:

Underlord male: Signore del Male
Underlord female: Signora del Male
Underlord third person (gender-neutral): Divinità dell'Abisso (Deity of the Abyss)
Underlord when addressing player (gender-neutral): Sua Malvagità (Your Evil Highness)

Hope that is useful!
Cheers,
Tim

 

[na_piCZu]

Hi Tim,

thank you for great answer! I also like prefer version that sounds more powerful, so i will stick with that

As you have noted, we also have differencies between male/female when addressing them. Generaly i will use male variant, except cases when i will directly know i am addressing female Underlord (Kasita for example). I dont know now, if you are using two different text keys (one for male, one for female), but i expect you do not as i havent seen anywhere in settings any gender option.

BTW: I really like Your Evil Highness variant Also in our language it can be used for gender neutral addressing, maybe i will use it in campaign, but bit later and not directly from beginning. Without achievements you dont deserve it

Thanks and cheers,
Daniel

 

[Tim White]

Hi Daniel, understood, that all makes sense

I dont know now, if you are using two different text keys (one for male, one for female), but i expect you do not as i havent seen anywhere in settings any gender option.

You are correct in that the game doesn't have a gender setting for the player. The only time we know the player's gender is in the Campaign, when they are either playing as the male Oberon (Main Campaign), or female Kasita (Heart of Gold).

Cheers,
Tim

 

[na_piCZu]

Hi Tim

thanks for explaining

Cheers,
Daniel