Prominent Figure: Storyteller Alejandro Benjázar

[Fabulous Secret Powers]

Alejandro Benjázar
Titles: Storyteller, Aransummar

Status: Deceased

Born in a small village off the coast of the Sea of Pearls, Alejandro Benjázar's youth was spent herding goats and gathering olives. While his family might have lacked great wealth, they never had a shortage of love or home-cooked meals. What the boy himself held in abundance was an ample mix of curiosity and imagination. It is this combination of traits that led him down the path of the storyteller. 

Shortly after his arrival to Ephia's Well, Benjázar sought employment as the secretary of the esteemed scholar, and commander of the Competition, Jamileh Attar. To him, history was in essence a bundle of tales, simply waiting to be told, so the position seemed perfectly suited for him. Jamileh's tutelage taught Benjázar a great deal about scholarship, and the position also introduced him to one of his closest friends: the dwarven defender, Snorri. Their friendship gave Benjázar important lessons about honor and heroism.

After acting as the Competition's secretary for some time, Benjázar attained membership among the Balladeers of the Lost Hearth. As a student, he met with some of the finest artists in the Well, and made plenty of new friendships, the closest of which was with the late Lyrist Lynneth Llywarch. The greatly respected Lyrist took him under her wing, and the two worked in tandem, ensuring that the interests of the Balladeers came to fruition. After this, Alejandro Benjázar attained the full rank of Balladeer, serving as one of the faction's officers. In the present day, he has retired from the Balladeers, to seek a different path.

While the Storyteller has been part of a plethora of excavations, easily the most famous amongst them is the one made to Kulkund. He was one of the Brave Eleven, consisting of seven members of the Order of Archaz, and four courageous outsiders, who wished to discover the truth behind Kulkund's hidden history. For his efforts there, Benjázar was named Aransummar, Dwarf-Friend. Alejandro Benjázar remains the only survivor of the eleven, his compatriots either lost to the trek itself, to the horrors of Luca Ferra, or to the Battle of Red Hill.

Today, Alejandro Benjázar's name has come to mean a great deal of different things to Ephians. He is easily the most commissioned bard in the Well, having wrote both tale and song for his many patrons. His archaeological expeditions attract many volunteers, allowing those with a love of history to come face to face with it. The Thousandfold Tale, an ever-increasing collection of fables and tales, continues to entertain and captivate.

With such a large assortment of contributions to Ephia's Well, it is difficult for one not to engage with them on some level. Benjázar's presence in the League of White is well known, and his hidden poems offer a meaningful reward for those that that tend to wander the more uncharted regions of the Disc. For the less adventurous sort, Benjázar's books and lectures provide a secure sanctuary for learning.

Those seeking to add to Alejandro Benjázar's tales should either simply seek him out, or send a letter to his office, found in the Krak de Roses. The Storyteller notes that he loves meeting new people, and that he will never turn down a new friend.

Disclosure statement: Alejandro Benjázar was nominated by Narwen Alendiel, who contributed 1000 dinari to the work of the Scribes of the Sublime Garden. Alejandro Benjázar further added a donation of 1000 dinari, alongside a precious piece of art.