A closer look at building a positive reputation through storytelling.

The bard is not only a clever musician but also a great storyteller. His song is based loosely on fact and relying heavily on spin. Yes the witcher did prevail in the end, but the manner of his success was not as glorious as the bard’s song made out to be. The bard is clear about his goal to assist the witcher in achieving a better reputation among humankind. The witcher himself could care less about his perceived image, but the bard was fairly insistent on creating a better reputation for the witcher. While the bard surely has his own reasons for helping the witcher, why spin the facts?

For a quick reference to the lyrics you can read them here!

Looking for a source of inspiration and an epic tale that could only be gained by traveling with Geralt of Rivia the bard’s first adventure with the witcher goes poorly. To be frank , the witcher was knocked out and captured by the Elves. At the knife’s edge the witcher is able to convince the Elves that war with humanity is pointless and will lead to their full destruction. The witcher provides an alternative idea to destruction. The Elves should rebuild far away. While a miracle that the witcher was able to persuade the Elves (which deserves a closer look) and they in turn spare his life; the bard spins the facts in a different way.

Now telling the story of how the witcher and the bard were captured, nearly killed, wouldn’t make for a great song or story. It would make the witcher look weak and incompetent in his profession. It would make him look like a coward who begged for his life, undeserving of a commission for dangerous work. The bard committed to both his craft and his promise to spread the tale of Geralt of Rivia told the story in a positive light. The way the song is presented it makes the witcher look brave, tough and like a champion. The story spreads far and wide. Nobles in court even believed that song to the point that it is unquestionable truth, how else could the song be interpreted?

Reputation preceded the witcher in a positive light. While the song’s spin of the events is much different from the actual events of the story it doesn’t matter. No one was there to contradict the song and thereby contest the facts. The bard can take advantage of the fact that no one was there to say anything different besides the witcher; The witcher isn’t fully believed even when he tries to dispel the song as grossly inaccurate. The story takes precedence over the actual events because the listener wants the witcher to be their champion. This song is a clever retelling of near failure and death that makes the witcher look to be like a man that can be fully depended on when it comes to adventure and danger. The bard deserves credit for his great storytelling skills, toss a coin to your bard.

Agree? Disagree? What are your thoughts? I want to know!

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