What would "blackshield" be in High Gothic?

[Minigiant]

What would be the High Gothic for 'Blackshield'?

[Bjorn Firewalker]

What would be the High Gothic for 'Blackshield'?

"Niger Scutum" (singular) and "Niger Scuta" (plural), after the Latin terms? Alternatively, "Ater Scutum" and "Ater Scuta". From Wikipedia:

The Ancient Romans had two words for black: ater was a flat, dull black, while niger was a brilliant, saturated black.

Edited May 20, 2022 by Bjorn Firewalker

[Brother Tyler]

An alternative to the literal translations of "black" and "shield" would be to look at the figurative meaning of the role. The blackshield concept derives from what we recognize as a "black knight." This wasn't literally a knight dressed in black, but was one who didn't bear identifying heraldry. In the same way, a "blackshield" is one who doesn't divulge his origins. In this, you might look to concepts such as unidentified, mysterious, hidden, incognito, etc. In that, you might point to the brother's Chapter badge, the actual Chapter, or simply the concept of the mystery. The Japanese equivalent might be a ronin - a symbolic word whose literal meaning was "wave man" and which was used to describe masterless Samurai. In the same way, a Latin (High Gothic) term for a blackshield could also refer to the brother's status, using terms such as unbound, detached, divorced, foresworn, forsaken, or renunciate.

 

Examples:

 

Sine Cohors (Without Chapter)

Derelictus (forsaken - I wouldn't use this one)

Repudiata (divorced)

Renuntiare (renunciate)

Solutus (unbound)

 

Many of the single word options might be left alone, modified a bit (rule of cool), or even combined with another word to signify "brother" (Frater) or "warrior" (Bellator, Miles, Proeliator, etc.) or similar. Or they might point to the unknown/undivulged Chapter (as I've done with the Sine Cohors option).