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Old 08-10-2022, 08:45 PM   #715
jason taylor
 
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
Default Re: 'Imperial Culture' (non-canonista)

The Prince's Ancient and Honorable Shanachie Academy.

This is a college patronized by the Prince of Caledonia to train chanters and singers, harpers and pipers to perform in the Prince's Court. The establishment picks entertainers to tell poetic tales in High Gheldaght and Ganglic to the accompaniment of the Clarsach and Great Pipes.

Skilled entertainers are chosen for the school from all over the worlds of Caledonia and occasionally from outside. The most successful graduates are picked as permanent members of the Court Orchestra but just passing the course is enough to guarantee performing once before the Prince as well as pretty much assuring a career in Noble's courts' or before public media. Some graduates have become chieftains and/or nobles for their achievement.

Favorite subjects for performance are renditions of the pre-starflight works of Scot, Stevenson, and Burns as well as more ancient works including early medieval poetry. Also included are the songs of the Canadian bard Loreena McKeenitt. Other songs include heroic epics about the history of the Black Watch from it's formation in Ancient Britain to the colonizing of Caledonia, and heroic traditional tales from all through Caledonia's past to the present. It is customary for a Caledonian subject receiving honors to have a verse composed in his name. Aslan as well as humaniti often become members and sagas from clan histories are often rendered in Aslan fashion.

One of the most notable occasions for performance by members of the Academy was upon a diplomatic envoy to Capital to negotiate with the Emperor. Sheila PrinceDaughter of Michael III* was sent as leader both to lend aristocratic prestige and to give her experience for future political occasions. On this event the Emperor gave a feast prepared by some of the greatest chefs in the Imperium while the Academies bards played a series of heroic epics.

*In Caledonian usage only the Sovereign Prince is "Prince". The heir is "Tanist", the Consort is either Crown Prince (ess) or"Consort" and the other children are Prince's Sons or Daughters. Siblings and Cousins are referred to as Derbsman or Derbswoman.
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Last edited by jason taylor; 10-29-2022 at 10:09 AM.
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