Dronars:
Hand –I like this as it can be subdivided into different categories of worker; farmhand, hired hand, working hand, unskilled hands, and also because it is a physical body part and implies that hands are their primary tool. The downside is that it could be confusing – "there are ten Hands" – "Is that five people with two each, or 10 farmhands?" Several phrases are suitable are
"Biting the hand that feeds you" implies that food comes from Dronars.
Toiler – I like this because of the biblical quote: "Consider the lilies, how they grow: they toil not, neither do they spin;" And the Victor Hugo book title "Toiler of the Sea" becomes a story about Malkioni sailors.
Also, I tried to match the castes to those things offered by Churchill: "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat... where Blood is clearly Horal, Toil fits for Dronar, but it fell apart with tears and sweat. I think I could swing tears as a Talar thing, as they face the tragedy of the world and must make sad no-win decisions, but unless magic makes you sweat (which it might, who knows?) I think the metaphor fails.
Labor implies strenuous exertion, but not necessary such as overtasks the faculties; toil denotes a severity of labor which is painful and exhausting; drudgery implies mean and degrading work, or, at least, work which wearies or disgusts from its minuteness or dull uniformity. [1913 Webster]
Commoner – a bit like stating the obvious, since these are the common people - they are literally the most common.
People/Person – "I am a Person!" "We the People". I like this because one can then have a Talar saying "These are my People" and not include himself or his family.
Normal – I like this because it can be used in a derogatory way by those who are not normals. I believe some gamers do this: "Don't scare the normals."
Digger -
Servant -
Drone -
Labourer -
Artisan – more urban than peasant or farmer. They make stuff/things.
Blue collar – possibly some other item of clothing to indicate caste, I fear that this is too obviously slang.
Breadwinner – I like this because it ties in with the literal creation of food, which is the basic purpose of Dronari, but also with our modern ideas of earning money through work (rather than being a breadwinner by killing people and taking their bread). It sounds a bit odd in some contexts. "There are 500 breadwinners on the estate."
Proletarian, - a bit too Communist manifesto, but suitably non-peasant farmer – it highlights the more Urban world view of Malkioni.
Working Man – a reasonable term – "Send four working men to dig a ditch" Drudge, "I am a mere Drudge", while possible, is too demeaning for general use. Menial – similar to drudge, and I feel it is too much like a science fiction Brave New World style grouping.
HORALS
Fighting man/Figher – the D&Disms of this are clear – Fighting Man, Magic User, and even Commoner (all that Common tongue stuff), although the Talar do not really have a D&D class to call their own. If anyone remembers the role of Caller (the only player who speaks to the DM) from early D&D that would fit a Talar. Fighting Man/Fighter, Working Man/Worker, Leading Man/Leader, Magic Using Man/Magic User, would be a reasonable scheme apart from the D&Dism and the show business connotations of Leading Man.
Soldier – I somehow feel that this isn't strong enough to separate this caste from the others, or alien enough to make the Malkioni different.
Red Hand – this was a extension of the Hand, implying a corrupt Hand that deals in red blood.
Swordsman – could be more generalised as a Weaponman.
Arm – this is an extension of the Hand idea, plus a pun on Arms being weapons. Armed men, and Armed man being the more reasonable derivations.
Bloodman -
Red collar – following the blue collar working man reference.
Killer -
Slayers -
TALAR
Masters – I like this as a slightly sinister word that does not imply nobility, chivalry, or even wealth. But I think it would fit a Talar declaring "I am the Master here" meaning he is the one who makes decisions, or a Normal (Dronari) explaing that "We must obey the Masters!". It does have unfortunate racist Masterrace associations, but perhaps these are appropriate for the Rulers of Malkioni society. Also, unfortunate "Dungeon Master" associations.
Diplomat – too specific I think.
Politician – too modern
Leading Man/Leaders – too show biz.
Lord
Noble – not accurate.
Judge – too 2000AD.
Speaker/Caller
Spokesman
Voice
ZZABUR
Wizard
Magic User
Zzaburi
Magician
Wise One
Mind
Scholar
Book Man
COMBINATIONS
Some Farmer/Soldier/Wizard/Lord alternatives:
Hand, Arm, Mind, Voice.
Normal man, Swords Man, Spells Man, Spokes man
Working man, Fighting man, Magic User, Leader
Toiler, Killer, Enchanter, Master
Breadwinner, Protector, Spellcaster, Judge
Artisan, Soldier, Magician, Politician.
Common Man, Good Man, Better Man, Best Man,
Good Man, Bad Man, Better Man, Best Man.
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