Taipii Bards Guild A guild for Taipii musicians and storytellers.

Traveling bards playing music and recounting stories at Taipii inns and taverns are one of the Taipii's favorite forms of entertainment, and they are often accompanied by dancers, jugglers, or acrobats of the  Taipii Dancers Guild to attract larger crowds and gratuity.

Mission

The mission of the bards guild is to delight and entertain audiences with a moral Taipii culture.

History and Origin

The culture of Taipii musicians and storytellers extends back to the nomadic Taipii, and nearly all of the Taipii's oldest tales being told around campfires long before the words found their way into written books. While the old stories are entertaining, very few Taipii believe the legitimacy of the older stories as with each telling the stories became more grandiose and exaggerated.

Shortly after the establishment of the Taipii city of Chalei, a tale titled "Machiiara's March" became popular among storytellers, a tale which incorporated real-world events, conspiracy, intrigue, and a lot of fiction. The tale wove together a series of "clues" that  the Felo Goddess Machiara and her mages were conspiring against the other Taipii with a great many secrets. The popularity of the tavern tale frustrated and enraged Machiiara, forcing her to make copies of her private journal from the time available in public libraries to "set the record straight". Her account was received by most Taipii as "unbearably tedious and boring" in comparison to the fantastic Machiiara's March tale.

Dissatisfied with the result, Machiiara rebuked the storytellers for accusing her of malice and demanded the author come forward with evidence of the story's claims. The original author of the story was never discovered, and Taipii bards stopped telling the story.

Shortly afterwards a small group of musicians and storytellers started discussing the establishment of a Bards Guild to pursue the collective right to tell fictional stories without drawing the ire of the gods. The Bards Guild was formed, and with the hesitant blessing of the gods (including Machiiara) set to establish some guidelines that would allow bards to tell fantastic fantasy tales in a way that didn't confuse and misinform the Taipii.

Roles

Musical Performers

Lutist

Lutists play a variety of stringed instruments including harps and lutes. Storytellers will often become lutists, as the stringed instruments are easy to play while telling a story.

Flutist

Flutists play accompanying instruments, which are typically wind-based. Flutists are common for music and dance ensembles and are less common as tellers.

Banger

Bangers play a variety of percussive instruments such as drums, cymbals, and bells. Bangers are typically are a member of a musical or dance ensemble, and banger tellers are rare but not unheard of.

Tellers

Storyteller

Storytellers master the performance and art of telling fictional stories to an audience.

Truthteller

Truthtellers are master storytellers whose specialty is in telling historical accounts of the Taipii in a way that is engaging while also preserving historical accuracy. While the success and popularity of truthtellers was limited at first, with time the truthtellers were able to research and refine their stories (often with the help of the Guild of Taipii Scribes) to become popular favorites even among tavern goers.

Composers

The composers role includes creative members of the guild who seek to create new musical compositions and fantasy stories. Most short stories are available in a musical form, and long stories will typically include several musical bits to compliment the story, such that the two creative roles are intertwined.

Composers are encouraged by the guild to write stories that provide a simple moral lesson.

Customs and Traditions

Guild Relationships

Taipii Dancers Guild

The Bards guild frequently works with members of the Dancers Guild to coordinate events and performances. Bard guild halls are frequently located adjacent to or near a dancers guild hall.

See More:

Taipii Dancers Guild

A guild of Taipii dancers and entertainers

Guild of Taipii Scribes

Truthtellers of the Bards Guild work closely with historical scribes of the Scribes guild to provide an accurate telling of historical events.

See More:

Taipii Scribes Guild

The Taipii Scribes Guild collect books and maps to offer services to copy them. They work closely with the Explorers Guild to acquire new books as they are discovered

Guild Chapter Halls