Talekeeper's Sash
Introduction
"In every thread a memory; in every knot a story"
Worn only by the skalds, bards, and memory-keepers of the Vigari' ra clan of the Tir'naru tribe, the Talekeeper’s Sash is no mere ornament. It is a sacred garment made out of memory, duty, and ancestral flame.
The Vigari' ra are known as the custodians of stories. Their storytellers, known as Talekeepers, travel the Pariant Wastelands preserving the oral traditions of their people. They do not merely recount tales, but actively seek them out. They are explorers of myth, hunters of lost songs, and weavers of wisdom hidden within legend. To them, truth lives in stories, and the Talekeeper’s task is to carry that truth across generations.
Receiving the Sash
Not every member of the Vigari' ra bears this duty, but all who do carry the Talekeeper’s Sash as a visual declaration of their role and a record of the stories they have collected.
A sash is not earned by birth, but by calling. Those who feel drawn to the ancient traditions must undergo the Binding, a ritual ceremony in which the initiate must share an original tale that reflects their spirit. This story is called the First Knot, and it is sewn into the sash during the ritual.
Three elder Talekeepers preside over the Binding. If they accept the tale, they begin weaving the initiate’s sash by hand in tones of dusk: deep indigo, sunset red, and ochre gold - colors that, for the Tir'naru, echo beginnings and memory. Each elder adds a thread, creating the first pattern in the tapestry of a new legacy.
From that moment forward, the Talekeeper wears the sash across chest and waist, never removing it in public. It is a mantle of memory, and from that day, their voice is no longer their own: it is the voice of those who came before and speaks for those that will come after.
Language of Threads
The sash is a living archive. Its surface is embroidered with a myriad of symbols - spirals, broken lines, eye motifs, waves - each one signifying a turning point in the Talekeeper’s journey: stories found, truths uncovered, ancestors honored.
But these symbols are not explained aloud. The tales they contain are shared through performance, not annotation. Even within the Vigari' ra, the symbols are interpreted through memory, context, and connection, not codified meaning. To outsiders, the sashes may appear beautiful but are indecipherable. To a Talekeeper, it is a soul-script.
Woven into many sashes are life-knots: small pouches sewn shut with thread made of silk. Each contains a relic: a shard of pottery, a sliver of wood, a drop of dried ink, a broken tooth, a strip of worn cloth. These objects hold stories that are too painful and personal to be spoken aloud. They are memories held close - not to be forgotten, but to be carried in silence.
Sashes of the Fallen
When a Talekeeper dies, their sash becomes an object of great reverence and sometimes, a great burden. If the stories carried within it were passed down and completed, the sash is burned in ritual flame. Its ashes are then mixed into ink, used to tattoo the next generation of Talekeepers, binding them through ink and fire to the line of memory.
But if the tales within the sash are unfinished, it cannot be burned. Instead, it becomes the charge of another Talekeeper. They must wear it alongside their own, studying its knots, traveling to uncover its truths, and completing the legacy left behind. Only when its stories are finished may it be burned, its weight finally lifted. This is not seen as a punishment, but a profound honor; to carry the voice of another through to its final breath.
Role Among the Tir’naru
Though born of the Vigari' ra, Talekeepers are revered across all Tir'naru clans. In times of war, they serve as neutral heralds, weaving songs to honor the fallen. In times of peace, they bring the clans together in celebration. Their tales do not belong to one people but to all. A Talekeeper may be the only soul to walk safely between rival clans.
During nights of grief or celebration, the Talekeepers are welcome at all fires, their presence seen as a blessing. It is said a Talekeeper can recall a tale lost to time simply by touching a knot on their sash. Other clans often gift threads to Talekeepers during visits, in hopes that their stories will be remembered. In the wastelands, where memory can erode like wind-worn stone, Talekeepers and their colorful sashes are the vaults of the Tir'naru legacy.
All written content is original, drawn from myth, memory, and madness.
All images are generated via Midjourney using custom prompts by the author, unless otherwise stated.
The tradition of keeping a physical relic of stories, passing them down, and even finishing incomplete ones is very lovely ^^ And it's very fitting for a nomadic group.
Thanks CoolG! It was so fun to write this article. Kena'an is my cozy place it seems :)
I can tell :D