So, I have a question that I'm hoping someone might be able to answer. While in the midst of preparing to run "A History of Ashes" it occurred to me that the Shoanti expressions in the back of the AP leave a lot to be desired when it comes to describing their language. This got me thinking, does the Shoanti language have a real world counterpart it was modeled off of? And, for that matter, does it actually have a set of grammar rules or other qualities which might make it a more believable, if not exactly complete, fantasy language?
For that matter, what exactly are Shoanti naming conventions, if any? I've noticed names such as "Thousand Bones" and "Ash Dancer," among tribal shaman, but Chieftains (at least the two encountered in CotCT) all have hyphenated names ("One-Life" and "Ready-Klar"). Are these names merely intended to sound Native American, or are they modeled off of a real world naming convention of some tribe?