Being a bard means being able to make others smile. It is the ability to hear a song or story once and be able to perform it again, and again, and again, to the delight of young and old, large and small, rich or poor. It means collecting lore and tales from around the town, the province, or the realm and relating it to those who want or need to know. Being a bard means having fun with everything, and always being ready to break into song or dance. Basically, being able to perform on a moments notice. And performing is what it is all about.

| Silvyfrost's Speech to New Bards | | Instrument Care | | Instrument Bonding | | Bard Titles | | Enchantes | | Bard Only Verbs | | Riverhaven Parchment | | Scroll Songs | | Crossing Guild Tapestry | | Gods of the Bards |

Silvyrfrost nods and then whistles, "BOYS!"

Several large Gor'Togs suddenly come out from the back room of the guild, grab you, and drag you into a darkly lit chamber. There, they proceed to ask you several mind-boggling questions and put you to the task of pushing heavy objects, punching large bags full of sand, and other odd tasks. After several hours, you stumble back into the main bardic chamber, where Silvyrfrost awaits you.

"Well," she says, "I got good news, and I got bad news.... The good news is, we can make you a bard. The bad news is...you don't really meet the standards, so if you wanna join, you're either going to have to go out and train yourself into shape....

"...OR you can allow us to put you through some extra courses that WILL satisfy our requirements. Which, of course, has a nominal fee tacked onto it."

Silvyrfrost suddenly bursts into song:

For just under a year you train with Silvyrfrost, learning all she can teach you and all you are willing to learn. With other classmates, you come close to weeping as she recites the ballad of Kanton and Sorril, along with other myriad tales. One day, she places a hand on your shoulder and says, "It's time. I've taught ye all I can for the most part. But now, stay and listen so that I may impart some final wisdom unto ya."

"Ah," she says. "It's been a good time frae you and I here at the guild. But now tis time to let the kestrel soar. First, however, I wish to impart my wisdom -- albeit limited -- to ye."

"First, while ye donnae have it now, you will have the ability to acquire magical songs when you gain more experience and understanding. I or one of the other guildmasters will impart this knowledge to ye when the proper time is arrived." She smiles.

"Know ye also that your instrument is your life, in many ways. It will be the vessel for yer magic for some songs. I recommend that you learn the stringed instrument skill for now, since the song I teach you after this Circle shall depend upon it."

"Fatigue, concentration, skill, and remaining true to bardic ways will ensure that you are successful in your life. You will find soon that there are scrolls for sale at local shops from which you may learn common songs and that, eventually, when you are older, you will be able to teach these songs to other bards." She hums to herself.

"Now to start y'rself off right," Silvyrfrost says, "make sure ye find y'rself some armor suited to ye and a good weapon if ye have not already, so's y'r trainin' can start right quick. Share with others all ye be learnin'; the Bard's greatest lust is the thirst for knowledge, and knowledge is not a thing easily contained."

Her eyes sparkle as she lapses for a moment into reminiscence. "Ah, what a fine voice you have. I have given ya the first steps t'usin' it, but I recommend ya get to usin' it much more after leaving here. You may find after singing too much that ye'll need to get a drink and rest yer voice. This is only natural, and ye should welcome it as a welcome respite frae performin'." She winks at you.

"Before you leave, I impart you with the song 'Hodierna's Lilt'. It will help you heal others, and can be played on stringed and percussion instruments. Use it well.

"Get going now," she says. "I hope to see you back here again soon."

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Being a bard means an important part of your life is your connection to and ability to play your instruments. As such, you need to care for, repair and keep them safe. Before you play an instrument be sure to APPRAISE it, so you will be able to see its condition.

Always keep your instruments cleaned and tuned. String and percussion instruments require a cloth or rag to clean. Wind instruments can be easily cleaned by hand. The best cleaning you can attain, is extremely clean. Always be sure your instrument is extremely clean before playing it. Also, make sure your string instruments are in tune. If your instrument is out of tune it will be either SHARP of FLAT. TUNE your instrument to stay on key!

Never drop an instrument, this will damage it. If you need to free your hands and don't want to place your instrument in a container, PUT {instrument} ON THE GROUND.

Make sure to keep your instrument out of bad weather and rain! Nothing's worse than having a good instrument warped or destroyed by the weather. Do not carry your instrument exposed to the weather outdoors. Always keep it in a container and keep the container closed to protect the instrument. If you do play outside make sure you OBSERVE WEATHER first! If it is raining or snowing, DO NOT play your instrument outdoors.

Always keep your instruments in good repair. The bard shop sells repair kits and all the items you will need to repair your instrument if it gets damaged. The shop also sells strings and skins for various instruments, as some may need only strings or skins to make them operational. To use the repair kit make sure you OPEN it, then FIX {instrument}. You can also buy refills for the repair kit.

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Bonding with your instrument is a mysterious process. You can bond, but all of the benefits are not yet known. Only bards can bond. Bonding is a long process of becoming emotionally in tune with your instrument. In a sense the instrument becomes almost sentient.

The bonding process occurs when you clean your instrument. The process is fairly random. Bonding encourages bards to clean their instruments often and to use a specific instrument many times and to build up a "loyalty" to that instrument. At some point in time, you will feel a strange attachment with an instrument while cleaning it. Then, from time to time, while cleaning it, you will feel the bond grow stronger. Eventually, the instrument will vibrate or hum strangely and you will be Fully Bonded. A fully bonded instrument will stay in your hands if you die while holding it.

It takes many partial bonds before you are fully bonded with an instrument. You may bond with more than one instrument, but it will take awhile. You may go a month without any growth in bonding, and then might start to bond every time you clean your instrument. It seems random and variable, so be patient.

Once fully bonded, if another bard APPRAISES the fully bonded instrument they notice something strange (but unidentifiable) about the instrument. Also, every time you clean a fully bonded instrument you will feel a strange joy or tingle wash over you.

Fully Bonding with an instrument is a mark of distinction for any Bard.

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CIRCLE	TITLE
5-9	Storyteller, Busker, Crier, Journeyman/woman, Vagabond, Buffoon.
10-19	Balladeer, Minstrel, Wordsmith, Mediator, Gadabout, Jokester.
20-29	Tale Singer, Dancer, Herald, War Drummer, Reveler, Prankster.
30-49	Poet, Bard, Courier, Warrior Poet, Gypsy, Jester.
50-69	Songsmith, Taleweaver, Scribe, Battle Chanter, Aes-Danai, Satirist.
70-89	Scop, Troubadour, Orator, Skald, Dreamweaver, Farceur.
90-99	Maestro, Jongleur, Chronicler, Defier, Swashbuckler, Humorist.
100-124	Master Poet, Master Bard, Historian, Songsworn, Spell Singer, Master Fool.
125-149	Laureate, Thespian, Archivist, Bladesinger, Harmony Rider, Harlequin.
150+	Composer Savant, True Bard, Lore Keeper, Sonus Sunderer, Aes-Amachi, Myth Weaver.

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Enchante	Instrument	Function	Circle
Hodierna's Lilt	String/Percussion	Increases the healing ability of those in the room; restores vitality, spirit healing, and fatigue faster than normal rate.	First Circle
Eye of Kertigen	Sung	Allows the bard singing it to see most hidden and invisible people in the room.	Second Circle
Faenella's Grace	Chanted	Increases the bard's ability to teach others.	Fourth Circle
Rage of the Clans	Chanted	All listeners will be inspired towards better, more effective fighting in combat.	Sixth Circle
Redeemer's Pride	Chanted	Causes all listeners to have a better defense against fear spells.	Eighth Circle
Drums of the Snake	Percussion	Gives a survival skill bonus to all listeners.	Eleventh Circle
Albreda's Balm	Chanted	All listeners not a part of the chanting bard's group will be calmed on a failed will vs. will basis.	Fourteenth Circle
Meraud's Blessing	String/Percussion	Brings a bonus to the harness of all listeners.	Seventeenth Circle
Nexus	String/Percussion	Temporarily raises the magic in the room, especially elemental magic.	Twentieth Circle
Eillie's Cry	Chanted	This enchante, at a cost to the dead bard's spirit's life and bardic abilities, will send an image of the bard's location to all bards in the vicinity. Be careful, as over-use of this enchante can seriously shorten depart time.	Twenty-fourth Circle
Demrris' Resolve	Chanted	This enchante, if the bard's will and talents are strong enough, sends an image of doom to the minds of those not in the bard's group. Unlike the others, this enchante does not cycle. Beware the cost to the bard's own body.	Twenty-eighth Circle
Naming of the Tears	Chanted	Gives all those in a bard's group the increased ability to defend themselves.	Thirty-sixth Circle

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APPRAISE {instrument}: Gives special appraisal information on instruments for Bards, such as condition of instrument, how clean it is, and whether or not it is bonded to a particular Bard.

BLUFF {person/self/item/critter}: Gives a message of a wild story which has been assigned randomly to your character.
BLUFF DISTRACT: Gain a better chance of hiding.
BLUFF AMAZE: Puts on a charizmatic show.
BLUFF DEAD: You dramatically play dead.

CHANT {song}: Some enchantes are chanteded instead of sung or played.

CHORUS: Describes how bards can sing with each other.

CHORUS STOP: Stop singing in chorus.

CLEAN {instrument} WITH {cloth, etc.}: Used to clean dirty instruments.

HUM {emote}: Along with regular humming, Bards can hum using emotes. For a Bard, you have a chance of affecting someone else in the room with the mood of your hum. Use HUM HELP for a list of emotes.

PLAY {instrument} (WITH {tool}) {how}: Plays an instrument the desired way. Some instruments need tools, like picks. refers to how you want to play the instrument; this includes Gentle, Rapid, Fierce, Playful, Flashy, Slow, and Aimless.

PLAY {name of song} ON {instrument} (WITH {tool}): Plays a specific song.

PLAYACT: Works identical to {ACT}, except commands are given without parenthesis. Usable only by bards above certain circle.

SING WITH {player}: Allows singing in chorus.

SONG: Similar to {SPELL}, this command shows a Bard what songs he/she knows, as well as what instruments can be used with the song.

SONG ALL: Lists all of the enchantes, and song scrolls you know.

WHISTLE {song}: used to whistle the opening notes of a known song.

WHISTLE TO {person}: Bard only messaging.

WHISTLE {emote}: Bards can use emotes when whistling. Use WHISTLE HELP for a list of emotes.

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Whomever finds this paper I pray that you are friend and not foe. So many seek the sanctuary of our guild who are no more than agents for the Priests, and so I beg your forgiveness that I need to present you with a riddle rather than an actual letter. If you are a true Bard, or are befriended to one, you should be able to decipher this easily. Good luck to you.

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A Bardic Prayer
A Refugee's Journey
A Wedding Wish
Chant of the Dark Gods
Damaris' Kiss
Dark Angel
Defenders Of The Lute
Elanthia's Dark Moon
Eluned's Winds
Hamael's Song
Heroes Walk With Us Still
Hodierna's Call
Itharr's Song
Nissa's Ride
Peri'el's Song
Saesealm's Song
Silverlock
Song of the Gods
Song to Lost Children
Sorril's Flight
Spring Serenade
Starless Eyes
Swift Runs the Blood
Tamsine's Fire
The Cat and the Cleric
The Dance of Life
The Dark Champion
The Manor of Dunshade
The Moon Mage's Tale
The Ravin'
The Riddle Song
The Wheel Song
Valor Song
Winesong's Tale
Wonder

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As your eyes slowly focus on a dusty tapestry, you can see three separate scenes depicted with multi-colored stitching. Blinking, your eyes are drawn to the first image on the left side of the tapestry. A large lecture hall stands filled with many Bards of varying age and rank. An ancient Elven Bard stands in their midst, reading to them from a large leather-bound tome that bears the crest of the Bardic Guild.

You blink the vision away as your eyes move to the next image. In the center of the tapestry you see a depiction of a small chamber, barely lit with candles, crowded with wounded and harried-looking Bards. Some try to sleep, some gently cater to their damaged instruments, others pore over torn and charred notes and scrolls.

Your vision clouds again, as another image overtakes you: Moving slowly, a scarred hand of an elder Bard passes a tattered vellum scroll into the eager hands of a novice . . .

Blinking away the vision, your eyes are drawn to the final scene on the right side of the tapestry. Several Bards are being lead to a boarded-up building by a determined Elven woman who holds a cutlass in one hand. Her other hand, outstretched and tearing at the seal upon the structure, is almost overshadowed by a menacing scaled and clawed hand that reaches for her.

You realize there are words stitched into the tapestry.

Please do not persecute those who do not understand -- teach them as you were taught before -- treat them as you would hope to be treated in kind.

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Glythtide - god of joy, mirth and merriment, of wine and song and good fellowship; a very happy figure, he is the patron of bards, poets, troubadours, and musicians -- as well as of loafers, gourmands and drunks. Glythtide's mere presence is abhorrent to some of the darker gods due to his unstoppable happiness. It is said amongst the Halflings that the one time he frowned and cried, night was created. Arthe Dale is favored by Glythtide, and he has been suspected of making a few visits upon occasions (usually denoted by the sudden lack of liquor and tarts within the town). Chief deity of the Halflings; his emblem is the ram.

Saemaus - the gentle god of Love is also the god of festivities and a toast is always made in his name at most wedding ceremonies or festivals if one wishes to ensure a marriage filled with love or a grand party. A god of happiness, Saemaus' anger is hard to come by, but terrible to behold. He has been known to curse his enemies with a malaise of love-sickness -- usually by making them fall in love with another enemy of his (or theirs). The patron of lovers, pregnant mothers (and expecting fathers), maids of honor as well as their male counterparts, Saemaus is also known for his tendency toward being tipsy as well as an unmatchable chef; Saemaus is the inventor of the tart. His emblem is the donkey.

Be'ort - the god of bitter partings, love lost, opportunities wasted, and insanity, Be'ort is the rain on a wedding day, the wine that turns to vinegar before a party. Be'ort is a great, sulking figure who despises revelry and wallows in melancholy. Wars of attrition (such as the Elven-Human war) are his specialty. Be'ort always appears as a wild-eyed and mussed-hair man who is usually giggling a bit oddly. If Be'ort truly wishes to destroy someone, he will first make sure their relationship sours, then destroy their status in their profession, and then, when his miserable prey has sunk to their lowest, he makes sure their mind snaps. His emblem is the coyote.

Faenella - "the fair bard", Faenella is a performer extraordinaire and a muse of poetry and wanderlust, she is also an inventor of creatures. Faenella is the creator of the Faerie, who are considered her "progeny". Dryads, sprites, nyads, and angels (who are not Faerie but are of her domain) are all her "children". She is the patron of bards and youths who runaway from home to seek adventure, as well as adventurers themselves. Her gift to mortals was inspiration, and she created the harp and stringed nstruments. Caravans are often under her protection. Despite the fact that her emblem is the wren, she loves felines (as well as birds), and keeps one close at hand as she plays her music. She is, like her other aspects, highly visible and often portrayed with glowing brown hair and bright green eyes, slender and Elven. Faenella despises undead, and will destroy them as often as possible. Her emblem is the wren.

Murrula - the goddess of beauty and gifted youngsters, Murrula sings mostly a capella and is virtually indestructable -- her creation is the phoenix. Murrula cannot stand bad singing, and will silence those who sing badly or else gift them with a beautiful voice. Murrula also seeks out young bards and will train them incognito (or one of her servants will) and make sure their wandering feet do not stray them into trouble. She is the protector of travelers and her kiss remedies hangovers, she is the creator of the flute and woodwinds. She is often pictured as a beautiful, slender young woman who appears Elven, with flowing fiery red hair and bright amber eyes. Her emblem is a phoenix.

Idon - the "reaver" is a god of roving bands of thieves; as well as rakish rogues who love and leave women, and mothers who abandon their children to continue their life "unburdened". Idon is obsessed with his own good looks; if he sees a man or woman who he feels "outshines" him, he may turn them into a pig. While Idon is very vain, he is also charismatic. Idon is extremely lusty, and once when a member of a clan exclaimed, "By Idon!" and a visitor asked, "Why do you say that?", the clan member responded, "Because half of us are!" Idon is the god of lust and wild music usually unfavored by others -- his creation is the drum and other percussion. Idon's music is often too outrageous to listen to, but no one will ever say so to his face without risking his wrath, which can be dangerous. Idon appears as a black-haired and blue-eyed youth who is lean and well-muscled. While not a good fighter, Idon is an excellent backstabber, and he is second only to Damaris in planning a good ambush. His emblem is the heron.

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