The Greystone Bastard (naming lore query)

[Anonymoose]

I'm guessing that "a bastard surname" means that they have surnames that they just give to bastards?

Bastard surnames are a common theme in one huge franchise at the moment, and not really that big of a thing elsewhere. By the ancient rite of shibboleth, I suspect that you are not a big fan of the works of George R. R. Martin. (Shun the nonbeliever! Shunnn! Shunnnn-n-n-nuh...)

In Westeros, there are seven kingdoms (and a further two regions) where noble families customarily (but not necessarily) give bastard children a surname that separates them from their father's house. For example, if you're a noble bastard from the North, your trueborn siblings would inherit your father's name, but you would have the surname Snow. If you were from the Vale, it would be Stone. The Riverlands, it would be Rivers. And so on. If your dad got around, he might have some of each. It just signifies that you are not in the line of inheritance (unless something catastrophic happens to your bloodline and the king signs a decree re-establishing the name and title upon the bastard to keep it going). In a lot of cases, you also get treated like crap by snobby nobles.

My assumption is that using the name Haurchefant Greystone was a way to invoke our contemporary cultural knowledge to let a big enough chunk of people know what's up that they can fill in the rest. If you know Jon Snow, you have a lot of context for what's up with Haurchefant (not that they didn't explain it good'nuff between the MSQ and the Tales from the Dragonsong War).

Do we know if the Heavens' Ward members who seem to have similar surnames have bastard surnames or are those titles?

It's a pretty safe bet that unless you're told otherwise, you're looking battle nicknames and not bastard surnames.
Even Haurchefant wasn't Haurchefant Greystone in battle.

[ExKage]

Bastard surnames are a common theme in one huge franchise at the moment, and not really that big of a thing elsewhere. By the ancient rite of shibboleth, I suspect that you are not a big fan of the works of George R. R. Martin. (Shun the nonbeliever! Shunnn! Shunnnn-n-n-nuh...)

I apologize all A Song of Ice and Fire fans! I am awaiting the end of the series to continue reading, books in particular to save my heart from tearing up inside from angst over some of those who I briefly fell in love with. Or his death.

:|

[Anonymoose]

I am awaiting the end of the series to continue reading, books in particular

I look forward to discussing it with you as we point out references in the lore of FFXVII Online.

(Not that he shouldn't take as long as is required to be completely comfortable with them. I would.)