When I first joined Brass Goggles, I did not wish to use my real name because a) I tend to be a bit paranoid about privacy and b) I wanted something that would get me "into the spirit" of Steampunk.
My real last name is derived from the Norman word for "raven", and the Common Raven answers to the Latin name
corvus corax. The "von" is simply a mad-scientist flourish.
When I'm fully "in character" I answer to Professor Darwin Prætorius von Corax. (See my thread
Name, Rank and... Wait, Name?) Darwin is, of course, a reference to Charles and his grandfather Erasmus (but used more as a generic sciency reference than for any specific significance). Prætorius just sounded pleasantly big and pretentious, although it may have been subconsciously inspired by the
Narbonic character "Dave Pretorius". Also, my real initials are DPC.
Why "Professor?" "Mister" just seemed a bit commonplace, and I didn't want to arrogate any sort of unearned noble or military rank; also I wanted to tie into the Leverkusen Institute of Paleocybernetics (a rather oblique reference to a former employer) and to carry through the mad-scientist theme. And so I became
Prof. D. P. von Corax, Director
The Leverkusen Institute of Paleocybernetics
Sadly, not a Doctor, thanks to those short-sighted fools at the Academy. Especially the narrow-minded cretins on the so-called "Ethics Review Board." Mock me, would they? Question the "moral validity" of my research? Pah! I'll show them. I'll show them
all! They will
rue the day they laughed at Darwin Prætorius von Corax! MWAHAHAHAhaha... haha... heh... erm.
*Ahem.*
We now return you to your regularly-scheduled Æthercast, already in progress...
