Itan-Keepers

 In Yorukan society, the Itan-Keepers are the memory of the people. Their role is sacred: they preserve myth, ancestral wisdom, and cultural knowledge not through dusty scrolls, but through song, spoken story, parable, and proverb. These bards are more than performers; they are vessels of the Yorukan soul, able to draw power from the telling of stories as well as from the wisdom encoded in them. They can recall ancestral tactics, name hidden truths, and cut through lies like the edge of Shango’s lightning.

(3rd Level)

Itan Weaver

You gain proficiency in History and Insight if you don’t already have them.

When you make an Intelligence (History) check to recall information about a creature, location, or magical effect, you may add your Bardic Inspiration die to the roll. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier per long rest.

Lorekeeper’s Tongue

You gain the Cutting Words feature, flavored as sharp parables, ancestral proverbs, or mythic reminders that sow doubt or hesitation in an enemy.

Cutting Words can now also use History or Insight instead of Persuasion when appropriate, as your bardic force is rooted in inherited cultural truth.

(6th Level)

 Shared Itan

You can now give others the strength of remembered stories.

When a creature within 60 feet of you that you can see makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can use your reaction to let them draw from a story or proverb. Expend one use of Bardic Inspiration to let them roll your Inspiration die twice and choose which result to use. You describe a tale or lesson tied to their action.

You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier per long rest.

(10th Level)

Name the Thread

Your grasp of myth allows you to unravel even recent tales.

As an action, choose one creature within 60 feet of you. Make a History check (DC = 10 + target’s CR or level if a PC). On a success, you learn one of the following:

• A key vulnerability or resistance.
• A major goal or source of conflict (e.g., “This one fears exile more than death”).
• A past encounter or enemy they’ve faced.
• A lie they have recently told.

You may use this ability once per short rest. On a failure, you gain no information, but the use is not expended.

(14th Level)

Living Archive

Your voice carries not only your story, but the voices of all your people.

• When you cast a spell that deals damage or imposes a saving throw, you may replace its verbal component with an Itan. If you do, creatures of your choice that fail the save are also silenced (no verbal components or speech) until the end of their next turn.
• When you cast Legend Lore or Divination, the casting time is reduced to 1 minute and requires no material components.

You can record an Itan from any creature you observe for at least 1 minute (similar to countercharm). This allows you to recreate a scene from that creature’s life with near-perfect accuracy during performance or divination magic.