Enforcer84

Well, I'm still only 3 pages in. I have characters but my overall plot is kind of weak.

I think I'll write little bits for each of the major characters I have in my head and then try to weave them together.

but Names are killing me. I'm wary of using my usual "throw letters together" method, but I've still done so at least once.

One of my heroes is a Water Elementalist. He comes from the Dragon Clans and is an arrogant, cranky academician whose parents were far more successful than he thinks he ever will be. He has grown up around the court and king as his folks are the royal wizards. He's well acquainted with the upper nobility (whom he's pretty contemptuous of) and the royal family. He harbors unrequited love of the eldest daughter of the king but has been stuck as an adviser/guardian to the youngest daughter. (a fiery paladin who wants to set the world right with her sword)

The name I'm using for him is Calder Arlyn. (both names reference water and war/violence) Calder is tall and regal, his people are considered stewards of the world, as he strongly relates to the water dragons, he has dark blue hair and ocean green eyes. He has a darker complexion despite not being outdoorsy in any way. He tends to wear light colored clothing with a dark cloak. His familiar is a weasel - that can breath water.

The princess, who is obviously inspired by my limited manga/anime viewing, is a naive, good-hearted engine of (social) destruction. She has dedicated herself to the God of Community (which is something of a sore spot with her father who is a devotee of the God of Nobility/Wisdom. But she's well aware that she won't be queen - so she's more of a People's Princess. A trait that is slowly winning Calder over. She's visually different than him. She's shorter, with red hair and fair skin. Green eyes, she's loud and impulsive, speaks before thinking, and wears white armor with gold accents.

Her name is Thyra Sharmane, but she had something of a difficult time learning her name and people still call her "Tillie" which was her name for herself as a tot.
Thyra (Thor's Warrior) and Tillie (Mighty in Battle) were found on a web search, Sharmane is a play on Charlemagne.

One of the main villains is Arratus Otieno. He's a devotee to the Blood Moon Goddess, and the father of one of the protagonists. Charming and handsome, he seeks immortality and eternal youth Arratus is a big deal in his home country; the scion of a powerful noble family, though his goddess isn't officially or openly worshiped there, he's relatively blatant about it. He has two daughters by two different women. He's trying to sacrifice them. (Arratus comes from Arrats, a basque name meaning dusk, and Otieno is an african name meaning "Born at night")

Lastly, one of the heroes, has an animal companion who is known as a Lunascion, or moon-touched animal. Hers is a jaguar/panther but silvery white (Silver Moon Goddess) and I call her Ashi but her full name is Ashivati which is a nonsense name I made up (though it could be a real one for all I know) and its meaning among the tiger people is "Calm Warrior of the Silver Flower" (referring to the silver moon) The panther can speak telepathically with her companion and she is something of a bossy mother figure towards her charge.

...anyway...thanks for listening