Eshu
Eshu take their name from the Yoruba trickster spirit, which also served as a messenger. They first sprang into being from the dreams of the nomadic people of Chaldea, spreading across the African continent, through Mesopotamia, and into India.
Eshu are the true wanderers, unable to resist the call of the open road. Their wanderlust carried them across the globe, where the naturally-adaptive eshu adopted elements from the many cultures they encountered. Intelligent and intuitive, eshu remember every story they hear, weaving it into a tapestry of complex oral history and a record of myths and legends from countless civilizations still living or long dead.
Though curious about other cultures and their practices, eshu guard their own secrets closely, veiling their personal lives and rituals from any outside their kith. People often believe themselves closer to an
eshu than the eshu actually feels toward them, and are surprised to discover how little they truly know this enigmatic kith. Conversely, even the wariest troll and most taciturn slaugh may realize — only after the fact of course — that they have inadvertently confessed their dearest secrets, only to later find them spun into tales the eshu shares over the fire.
Eshu are born wanderers, nomadic at the core, and seldom stay in one place for long. Eshu grumps may limit themselves to a few favorite spots, but continue to travel long into their later years. For an eshu, dropping anchor is tantamount to losing herself entirely, so those looking to befriend or romance an eshu should prepare to either uproot themselves as well or to make the most of an eshu’s company for however briefly she stays put. Eshu parents often homeschool (or “unschool”) their children so they can continue to travel. Eshu children enrolled in schools typically seek out the new kid to learn all about him, though they often lose interest and move on to a newer friend once they’ve exhausted their old friend’s stories.
Gifted storytellers, singers, and performers, eshu are well suited for lives as traveling entertainers. Because they have seen mortal history unfolding for thousands of years, many eshu develop a fondness for tugging on a single thread of a story and following it from its beginning to the role it plays in current events. Eshu wilders often find themselves swept up in movements dedicated to social and political justice, though they don’t always stay long enough to see those movements to fruition. An eshu can make posters in the morning, march in a protest in the afternoon, then be two cities over by dinner, sharing the story with yet another audience. In this way, eshu actually help to spread awareness of important social issues and the techniques used to pursue justice.
