Kieran the Bard is a figure that is shrouded in mystery. Some of his stories have been lost, while others were successfully documented. His recorded tales fall into three categories dubbed the Woodland Cycle, Castles and Kings, and an unnamed lustful category. Some stories have become mere shells of the original and are now simple bedtime stories, and it is unknown if his stories are based on true events, allegory, or if they were simply written to entertain.[1] He has shrines called Kieran Theatres in Hammerfell and High Rock,[2] and he is of significance to Bretons. A Bretonic ruler of a kingdom neighboring the Bloodfall Kingdom is rumored to have had a tale of Kieran staged at a Old Life Festival.[3]
One story involving Kieran tells of his journey to feed the family of an injured robin. In this tale, he avoids feeding them a caterpillar, to not deny it the chance to become a butterfly and thus bring joy with its beauty. Then he declines giving them an earthworm who claimed to be a prince, for it would ensure its kind would clean the forests of organic material. Lastly he comes across a white tree grub, who spew its spit on Kieren in a panic. Seeing the pathetic creature pleading, he released it, and he inadvertently freed a princess from a curse thanks to this act of kindness. With nothing to cover herself, she took the frightened bard's coat to cover herself and ran in the direction to the kingdom she was to inherit. With no alternatives, Kieran provided the robin's family with his own mutton chop instead, and took off into the direction of the princess as he had many questions, and because he needed back his coat.[1]
ReferencesEdit
- ^ a b A Tale of Kieran — Vegepythicus, editor
- ^ Associated shrine locations in Daggerfall
- ^ Rulings possibility exclusive to Breton rulers in Castles