Entity: Kitharodian Actor

May contain spoilers from Convocation

Source Rival Academies pg. 58

Some performers at Kitharodian Academy are so dedicated to method acting that they can completely disappear into roles in a manner that’s almost magical. These thespians are capable of mimicking Taldor’s vast array of stage-immortalized luminaries via vivid impressions, awe-inspiring vocal performances, and wild stunts that defy all expectations. The Academy’s foremost instructors and senior Lion Blades agents keep a close eye on all prodigies who show a sliver of this potential, helping them harness their talents for use in both the acting world and the world of spycraft.

Through Taldor’s long history, a handful of classic roles have been repeated and hammered into shape until they became icons and metaphors that define the art of Taldor. Although some of these are symbols of national strength, like First Emperor Taldaris, many are tragic or even comedic figures like Emperor Beldam I. Accepting any one of these roles in a high-profile production can be the highlight of an actor’s career, but the best of the best gather these roles like trophies.

Newer roles are added to the canon very slowly, with modern figures like Grand Princess Eutropia usually alluded to with references from other roles. Many performances with Cyricas and his animal friends now feature a dog at his side, for example, as a reference to the grand princess’s beloved pet.

Although the most famous internationally, Kitharodian Academy is not the sole repository of Taldor’s stories. Many other schools in Taldor, like the nearby Rhapsodic College, teach the classics. But these plays and songs are such a deeply rooted part of Taldor’s culture that prodigies arise from the soldiers of Zimar to the dwarven enclaves in Maheto.