#9 – Magogo kaDinuzulu – Bard

One thing I really wanted to do with this series of characters was to show off lesser-known historical figures. I mean, everybody knows King Henry the 8th and Joan of Arc and so on, but who’s ever heard of this lady? Princess Constance Magogo Sibilile Mantithi Ngangezinye kaDinuzulu (deep breath) was born to the last king of the Zulus, Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo, and was one hell of an amazing lady. In a society that treated women very poorly, Magogo not only made her own way in life even after marriage, but actually played a hugely pivotal role in preserving the art and culture of the Zulu in the early 20th century. She was a very skilled musician herself, both in European classical music and with several traditional African instruments (shown here with an ugubhu). Basically, she was seriously badass and there’s not nearly enough information about her around.

Mostly a support class, Bards use their music in combat to inspire allies and discourage foes — basically, they buff allies and debuff enemies, usually with a series of damage or effect-over-time skills, gradually weakening enemies and strengthening allies. For a long time, Bards were severely underappreciated class. Usually relegated to being that one obnoxious party member who never really added that much to combat, these days Bards can be pretty dang impressive. They’ve become the go-to non-healing support class, and sometimes even usurp the White Mage as the party healer.

Category: 2011, Fantasy