- "I'm a Belmont... so I know you're a nomadic people who gather knowledge, memorize it, carry complete spoken histories with you. I also know you gather hidden knowledge and have practitioners of magic knowledge in your tribes."
- — Trevor Belmont in "Necropolis"
The Speakers are a group of nomad scholars who maintain oral stories and traditions. They are persecuted by the Church, who see them as sorcerers and responsible for Dracula's wrath. Trevor Belmont helped them hide before the Church's agents came to kill them.
Known members of the Speakers are the Elder and Sypha Belnades.
Organization characteristics
- "Ah, yes, we are quite protective of our ways. History is a living thing. Paper is dead."
- — Speaker in Necropolis
The Speakers are a highly educated, nomadic group that memorize oral histories and events in Wallachia. There are many Speaker "trains" that are spread out across the nation. Though never stated, it is likely that the Speakers are nomadic so that they may witness history everywhere and exchange knowledge with other Speaker tribes. Speakers are all too happy to share their knowledge with citizens. While traveling, they will take precautions to protect tribal members. It is for this reason that all Speakers, male and female, have similar haircuts and wear the same robes; so as to protect the female members. In general, their clothing is similar to that of monks: they wear long robes with hoods and open-toed sandals, even in winter (the latter was commented on by Trevor in "Bless Your Dead Little Hearts", when he said that Sypha had cold feet).
Additionally, Speakers respect the nature of magic and even have practitioners as members, Sypha Belnades being a famous example. Befittingly, they study magic and would never use magic in the service of demons or evil, or for acquiring power. They are also aware that some of the histories and legends they have learned are, in fact, genuine prophecies of the future.
Along with keeping the history of Wallachia, Speakers are altruistic idealists. It seems to be universally accepted by all of them that Speakers must always help those in need, no matter the danger it poses to them. If those in need are suffering a full-blown community crisis, Speakers will temporarily settle in the region and stay until the need has passed. Their aid will often take the form of medical assistance, sharing resources, and being of use however they can. Beyond merely offering aid, they are dedicated to upholding decency in Wallachia. The Speakers in Gresit do not merely offer aid but seek a long-term resolution to Dracula's genocide by searching for those who could defeat him. They are also willing to die if it would show one person that the very soul of the people of Wallachia was at risk of being tainted.
Interestingly, although they strongly believe in improving the lives of their fellow man, according to Sypha the Speakers consider themselves to be the "enemy of God" and the reason they live cooperatively is to protect each other from his wrath. They do, however, revere Jesus Christ and his unconditional love. Speakers are almost completely pacifistic, even in the face of death. While all of them believe in non-violence, individual Speakers may hold their own interpretation on the virtue. The Speaker Elder accepts that violence can be used for good, although he would never commit violence himself and calls it "unnecessary". Other Speakers believe that violence is never justified and dislike those who would commit it. Sypha Belnades won't hurt humans and only uses her magic defensively around them, but will kill demons, vampires, and other monsters in defense of humans and her friends.
Though generally non-violent, Speakers are very defensive toward their practice of orally reciting history. They despise the idea of writing history on paper, explained in the words of the Elder: "History is a living thing, paper is dead." Sypha further claims that Speakers do this to protect stories so that God "cannot strike them down in jealousy" but also claims she is coming to the conclusion that her people "are idiots" for not also writing their memory stores down. Trevor Belmont's father once got into a fist-fight with a Speaker after attempting to convince them to record their knowledge on paper. When Trevor told the tale to the Speakers in Gresit, they were at first surprised but then completely understood the situation after the context was explained.
The Speakers and Belmonts have historically been on good terms, being that both groups are generational organizations that are dedicated to aiding Wallachia. This is still true as of 1476.
Trivia
- The Speakers are reminiscent of the Cathars, a real world neo-Gnostic group that developed in the Middle Ages in protest to the Catholic Church. Like them, the Speakers are nomadic and have no material possessions, and believe that the Judaeo-Christian God is a tyrant.
- They are also similar to the Jews (especially due to their reverence for knowledge and their tradition of oral history) and, to a lesser extent, to the Romani.