House Bari

## **Seafarer Shamans**

Starting Location: County of Canarias

**Background:**

Originating from a family of subsaharan Africans which migrated through the desert northwards, eventually settling into the archipelago in the west, the Canarias, the Bari family has its origins in shamanhood and herbal treatment of diseases. With knowledge of how to treat diseases that originated from the harsh conditions of the land, the Bari family was elevated to an important position in the isles. With a sudden death of the leading chief and his family, being the other in the most important position as shaman of the Canarias, Dani Bari was voted to be chief, nevertheless he maintained his medicinal and religious role, and taught his children the same.

**The life of Cané Bari:**

Emir Cané Bari, first Bari ruler of the Canaries islands, spent much of his time in there studying the different kinds of fauna and flora in the islands, for different from the recorded ones in the guinea coast, many were different. This time spent did wonders to helping the settlements of the Baranis people there, with more shipyards to connect the cities built, forestry and fishing vessels to feed the people, resulting in a boom of population, with diseases taken care by Cané and others. What permitted this was the isolation and the lack of care of the muslim sultanate of Almohavid, which dominated the nearby coast. This culminated in a grandiose work of medicine, a book that would serve as a foundation of medicine in Africa, and even copies sold out in Europe and the Middle East, the “Art of Saving a Life”, by Cané Bari was considered a treasure by the people of the Canaries, and a source of pride.

Despite adapting to the largest populace of Baranis people, the Siguist faith practiced by the Bari family was still considered primordial in the islands, and thus when contact came from a messenger south of the great saharan desert of a realm of Siguists able to repeal the muslim invaders, communications started occurring.

Mali, the realm governed by the Moor Tahir dynasty, a proper kingdom, fueled by rich gold mines, was a saving grace presented to the people in the Canaries. Sending one of his daughters to marry a Moor Tahir son, friendly relations became very good and the sharing of knowledge as well, with Bari medics being sent to treat people in Mali. After years of goodwill and the Mali kingdom securing more of its position against the muslims, an offer was made. A return, the people in the islands, despite making it heir home, were not originally from there. Many still longed for the dry lands underneath the desert, the meeting with people similar to them. Cané was vertently against violence, even if it was against those who expelled them from their home first, and despite the offer he couldn’t bring it in himself to do the necessity of war to reclaim their home.

Now an elder, indeed one of the eldest people to have ever lived in the world, Cané was widely respected by the Siguist community, for not only was his knowledge of science, medicine and biology incredible, he had also dedicated time to study and gather the sacred texts, drawings, messages and signs by the ancestors once access to the homeland was given to again with the help of Mali. However despite he being considered a paragon of Siguism, he did not have the temporal power required to gather all the shamans and devouts and consolidate their beliefs. But he could teach. The Moor Tahir heir was still the grandson, for the son tragically died, and was young, thus he was brought to the Canaries to be tought by Cané about all that he could and gathered, for with the Mali kingdom’s power and the respect and knowledge of Cané a reformation of the Siguist faith was made. In that sense Cané was considered after death a prophet, having written and codified what would be the religious texts to be followed by a large part of subsaharan Africa, “The Guide of Spirits”. As well as having the Bari dynasty always have influence in the newly created Siguist High Council.

Cané Bari was an incredible figure in Takrurian history, despite the lack of obvious feats such as conquest, he led a people in despair and far from home, secured them a home on islands far from home and procured alliances to the return of the home after his passing. Became renowned as a physician and scientist, being responsible for the discovering of cures of many tropical diseases and helping codify the Siguist faith and teach the next generation. An elderly man in his early 90s, Cané passed away peacefully in sleep, where it is said that he now teaches the next generation in the afterlife with Amma as they perform the Sigui.