#jerenda

[somethingsomethingcyoa]

jerenda input: Where do you live, something?

Something gestures to the white void. It looks endless? It might be endless.

[writingwithcolor]

1/2 I'm considering making a group of religious nomads coded as Romani in my fantasy world, and I want to know if this is inherently problematic. They're priests/priestesses of Desperation, a goddess who provides aid to those in times of desperate need, and they travel around the land providing aid to the poor and anyone they see in need. They have a very positive reputation, such that they can walk through war zones unharmed and bandits are kind to them. This is partly out of spiritual respect

2/2 (your hour of desperate need could arrive any moment) and partly practical, as this could be the priest who is bringing supplies and essential medical equipment to your family back home. Because of how this group is portrayed in my world, they won't be facing prejudice at all similar to what Romani go through IRL. Is that disrespectful, or would Romani readers see it as a fun way of writing about people who look like them without loading the story down with pain that doesn't belong to me?

Rroma-coded nomadic people in fantasy

Honestly, I think it is inherently problematic to write Romani characters as nomadic. Romani people are not usually nomadic by choice; it is a very real issue that we face in many parts of the world. Often, Romani people travel either in search of seasonal work, or because they are driven out of our homes. 

My advice would be to scrap the Romani identity of these religious nomads. It wouldn’t detract from your story at all, and it would remove a very problematic stereotype that is offensive to many Romani people. Obviously, there are some Roma who would not find this to be a problem, but I think it would be better to err on the side of caution in this instance.

-Mod Tess

Ask Published Oct 2021