TUYA MEMORY-KEEPER
Desert ScholarsOral Historian and Elder
"I am the desert's memory. As long as I speak, the past lives. When I fall silent, only sand remains.""
Identity
- Residence
- Council Hall of Al-Zahra
- Civilization
- Desert Scholars
Appearance
• Physical: Frail but dignified with a presence that commands respect. Her eyes are clouded but seem to see the past more clearly than the present. • Clothing: Robes of the highest quality adorned with symbols of her office, a heavy pendant bearing the sigil of the historians. • Distinguishing Marks: Her voice carries a slight echo, said to be the weight of all the histories she carries; her hands shake except when she's telling stories.
Relationships
- Family - Numerous descendants who serve as her assistants; considers all students her children
- Allies - Other historians who respect her knowledge, officials who rely on her counsel
- Rivals - Those who would rewrite history for political purposes
Personality
- Traits: Proud of her role as memory-keeper, deeply concerned about the future, surprisingly progressive for her age, fiercely protective of accurate history
- Mannerisms: Closes her eyes when reciting histories; speaks in rhythmic patterns; touches her pendant when discussing important events
- Voice: Strong and clear despite her age, with a quality that makes listeners feel they're witnessing history itself
Backstory
Tuya has been the chief oral historian for sixty years, memorizing the entire history of the Desert Scholars. She can recite lineages, battles, treaties, and disasters going back a thousand years. Her memory is considered the desert's most precious resource.
Daily Life
Spends mornings teaching history to students, afternoons in council meetings providing historical context for decisions, evenings reciting histories for those who request them. She rarely sleeps, preferring to review her memories.
Secret
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Story Hooks
- 1 She has been targeted by those who want the falsified history maintained, and she needs protection while she decides what to do.
- 2 She is dying and needs help finding and training her successor before her knowledge is lost.