"Hands waving behind shadows, swift as wires dance from the tips of fingers in delicate movements, the sound of wooden bodies moving, clicking loudly, hollow feet patting across a stage - before a sudden burst of applause. Puppetry is theatre. On the corners of busy streets, on stages framed in light, to the large Opera houses of high society where monsters made of wood are made to come to life.
And like most things of style and complexity, it too has inevitably come under consideration for another craft. That oldest of art forms. The art of war. Why should you risk your own flesh, when you could substitute it for something a little bit more… robust.
The Puppeteer starts their training as most do. The wizard picks up a book. A soldier a sword. For the puppeteer, training starts with string and wood. Erratic and clumsy movements producing little to no reactions. Hundreds of hours of practice later, and the movements themselves start to resemble art. The faintest of tugs producing subtle and striking actions. And when they have mastered the fundamentals, they are allowed to learn the true secrets of the craft. The hidden skills of the trade.
Forgoing the strings of silk for something a little bit more… ephemeral. Lines of psionic energy, sprung forth from fingertips, linking to puppets the size of most humanoids - made not only for entertainment but also for turning the battlefield into a stage."
(Author Summary)