The Vistani are a group of humans who travel the lands around the
Blue Sea in brightly painted caravans much like the
Tabaxi with whom they have friendly relations.
Although they originally were welcomed by the common folk in all the lands surrounding the Sea
they came into conflict with the
Pelorean Church and are currently banned from travelling
through Cambria and Reetland. The ban
is only partially effective as being similar in appearance to other
Southerners they can enter either country easily if they travel without
their caravans.
Their conflict with the Peloreans stems from their use of magic which the Peloreans and other more formally taught
magic users both scoff at and at the same time find threatening. Something of the minor powers of the Vistani may
be gleaned from the charms and potions they sell to the common folk: potions for love and healing and charms and wards against magic. However, they also tell fortunes, curse those who cross them and are said to use the 'old roads', or 'back roads', as they
call them, as a means of travel. The Vistani in their defence say their 'curses' only operate on
those who break their agreements with them; they set great store by their verbal agreements and for their part
keep to them as a matter of honour. They also say like many folk they take the safest roads when travelling.
The Vistani are also accused of negotiating with 'dark powers' and many cite their agreement with the
Demon Queen for safe passage through
Fenghast. The Vistani on the other hand say that it is only reasonable for them to seek such agreements
and all they do in exchange is give news of their travels to the Queen as they do to many folk both high and lowborn. Other say, however, that they also make agreements are with the fey and dark gods but the Vistani insist that any
agreements they make are for their own safety and they would never agree to do anything evil in return.
The Vistani claim to worship no God but to have respect for the
Fey, the 'Old Gods' and the natural world. The identity of 'the Old Gods' might give
a clue to the land in which the Vistani first arose but no scholars have identified these gods with the gods
of any known lands or tribes. The Vistani themselves, although their folk tales soemtimes speak of a time
before they started wandering, say the have no knowledge now of where that land might be. Ravens are held
as sacred by the Vistani as in their beliefs the birds bring messages 'from other realms' with the implications
that not all of these realms might be earthly.
For such a free spirited people it is somewhat strange to outsiders to find that the Vistani social structure is very hierarchal.
Each year all their clans meet at a pre-arranged location (for example the Lyryn Horse Fair) and elect a 'King'
who has the final say on all matters. Clans also have their own seperate meetings to elect clan leaders.
The 'King' and the clan leaders are the individuals who have the power to make 'agreements' with outside
bodies. Unsurprisingly, given their lifestyle, the Vistani get on well with Druids and Rangers and their first
instinct is to welcome fellow wanderers to their campfires particularly if they have an interesting or entertaining
tale to tell.