Royal Storyteller

The magical art of storytelling is a peculiar - technically, there is nothing against the laws of nature in writing down stories or telling them in order that they may be kept alive. That's just a nice thing to have. But if you are plagued by ghosts and supernatural creatures who demand their story be written down in order to either a) not be haunted by them or b) rest in peace, your life gets a little more complicated. The first known ones for most of human history were two little girls who drew fairies so realistically that they could be pulled directly into life - literally making the inanimate, animate. Before them, though, there were several magical wielders, between -45,000 and the Atlantis era who were called "honored by the Goddess," and they were considered the chief champions against chaos and beloved by a literal deity. They still ARE beloved by a literal deity - it's just less socially acceptable to shout that out. They have a few primary traditions: the cunta of Cicaelia (based on the cuntisti of Siciliy), the griot of Mali, the seanchai of the Celtic Isles (based on the Seanchai of Ireland), and the hakawati of the Arabian cooridor (named after the storytellers of the same name in traditionally Muslim countries). Other variations include temple dancers who dance to pray in Bharata (based on Bharatanatyam dance) and the hanashika of Hinode (based on Japan), rap battles in Arabic (Zajal), dancing in Carithmia (based on the Caribbean and Calypso music), Hula dancing, and various types of shadow puppetry. Because of their dangerous powers (literally creating life), they have traditionally been both honored and humbled. A Griot is actually a low-ranking person in Mali, despite being the main advisor to the monarch. The main royal storytellers relevant to the timeline are descendants of Scheherazade, a young woman who had this power, fought many battles with supernatural beings, and defended her people against a corrupted king. Only one is usually born per century in a given region. The ghosts themselves act as their teachers for honing their skills.

Type

Magical, Professional