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The Bard's Music Compendium
In the stacks of tomes and scrolls hoarded by guilds, libraries, and personal collectors, I have managed to find references to a number of songs which are said to possess magickal properties. It is my belief that these are the very songs which Sa has granted to those who follow the path of the Bard the songs that were made famous by their composers. Some of these songs were carefully formulated for precise results, others were created in times of desperate of need to help someone. It is my findings both physical and theoretical which I will outline in this compendium.
Before we get into the details of musical magick, what is a spell-song? A spell-song is a runeweave created by Sa to aid those of bardic spirit. From my experimentation's, all known spell-songs use one harmonic rune and one genre rune, commonly know as the elemental and shape runes, respectively. The list of harmonic runes available is quite small compared to that of the Runemage, however it suits our purposes quite well. These harmonic runes are: Blood, Calm, Confusion, Disruption, Enchant, Fear, Movement, Pain, Sleep, Strength and Vibration. The list of genre runes available to a Bard is almost nonexistent. We currently have the choice of two genres, Chant and Song. With these 13 runes, I have found a total of 12 songs and chants, many of which I am still unable to sing. The spell-song is created in much the same way as a runespell. One must WEAVE a harmonic rune and a genre rune in the traditional form of the high magick. Rather than enormous spheres of fire or shackles made of ice, we are able to create songs and chants that can cause someone to physically harm themselves or even entertain people. All of the songs available in the first few seasons are considered harmful by the laws of Spur however I have heard that there is one which I will learn soon that is not. I am unsure as to the effects of most songs for those of more advanced training.
In the days when Bards were growing in numbers, long before the Unmagick, a learned person could write his or her own songs. With the proper training, these composers were able to create dazzling effects to accent their songs to help entertain crowds. These effects fantastical songs were uncommon, however a number of bards learned the method of creating songs with practical uses ranging widely in their effects.
The first of these practical songs which a young bard will learn was created by a young Anthian by the name of Searhon. Searhon had a habit of chanting to himself while he walked from place to place. Many of these chants were simplistic in nature, however one was so poorly crafted that the words themselves cringed when he spoke them. There are no written records of what the actual words of the chant were, however there are many accounts in the Tome of Musica, a historical account of Anthian music. Many entries refer to Searhon's Cringing Chant as the most God-awful thing ever to have been uttered. It is my believe that the song granted to Bards of the first season, the Pain Chant, is an adapted version of Searhon's creation. The practical use of Sa's newer and more reliable version of the Pain Chant causes a random amount of damage ranging from 4 to nearly 16 depending on skill. The damage is not inflicted by the Bard directly, but by the listener's own hands when they clutch their head in pain. The damage from this chant is not affected by armor. This spell-song is quite formidable if the target is unaware it is being used.
The next spell-song is said the be received upon the Bard's second season, however after speaking with many new young bards, I've found that the guild does not hand out this powerful spell at such an early point in the career. One must attain their third season of training before they can use the Vibration Chant. The Vibration Chant is based on Searhon's Cringing Chant in theory. There are records that indicate an inexperienced Drag-al by the name of Lambent tried to imitate Searhon's ability but instead, her smooth voice and playful style caused the pain encouraged by Searhon's chant to be increased and repeated. Lambent's Lament as it was soon called became one of the most dangerous offensive song in the bard's repertoire. Our current version of the Lament is more or less a hunting spell. It can be used against other adventurers but their armor will stop most if not all of the damage. The song repeats itself 4-6 times before your arrive at the Coda to finish. The damage can range from 6-20 in some cases and is most useful against people who do not wear armor or creatures that are attacking you.
Wynsome's Whistle of Warding was created by an Usilin Bard. Rumor has it that Wynsome was a mother of three that was very meticulous about her Study and whenever her children dared to enter she would invite them to a story. Most of the time the stories never ended because the children ran out of the room screaming in terror. Judging by this description, it seems that Wynsome has managed to capture the essence of fear in her words the same way Sa has done for the bardic weave of Fear Song. Bards, to my knowledge, are the only class to receive a fear spell at such a low season of training and very well can become potent defensive folks if their life is in danger. The long, random perpetration time makes for an unreliable song but a very useful one. The fear can last different lengths depending on the skill of the singer. This spell-song is not effective for one on one combat when one first obtains it, however later on it may prove more useful.
Once a bard has reached his or her 6th season, they can look forward to singing a new song. Its predecessor is well known as a popular form of entertainment used when crowds were not so willing to let loose. A feisty and vindictive Fir Elf Bard named Darkwind composed a waltz that was so inviting that any she sang to would stop their travels to dance for her. She is known to have made an entire room of Drunken Hithuals to step across the floor as if they had been trained in the Academy of the White Forest. Her less than graceful approach to audiences made her one of the most popular performers in her day until a tragic accident when she was trampled by a Secian dance troop and their Drake partners. Today's version of her Waltz of Euphoria has made its way into the headlines of the Spurian Spectator a time or two and has already become a popular request amongst the Spurian population. Today's Spell-song has a fairly quick preparation time, roughly as quick as Lambent's Lament. The actual effects of the song are quite humorous indeed. It causes the listener to lose all control of their feet for a short time and dance in one place. They can still attack and fly yet cannot do anything which requires the movement of their feet as they are moving involuntarily. The actual weave itself is not immediately obvious however if one will take a long look at the list of harmonic runes, they will see only one such rune which could possibly cause this effect.
The 8th season is one of mystery until now. I have been asked repeatedly about the spell-song for this season and happily demonstrate it for any who care to listen. The Song of Enchantment is modeled after a very similar spell-song composed for the Baron Von Voueech, the former warlord of the keep at Cold Pass. Voueech was a cruel San Elf that was eventually run off by those he had enslaved and was later captured and placed in a holding cell. He became quite aggressive and a contest was held to find a way to calm him. A middle aged Anthian Bard who is never actually named in the records I have found came and sang to Voueech a song so soothing that his aggression subsided. Today, bards have this powerful song at their disposal. Currently it is not fully in effect according to rumors around the backstage area. When used against a creature that is attacking, their aggression leaves them and they will wander away if nothing else tries to damage them after the song takes effect. It seems that adventurers currently are able to resist this part of the spell-song's effects and are merely lost in the beauty of the song. There is no word as to what the song may do when Sa finishes the effect. It has an average casting time, longer than that of the Lament or the Waltz but shorter than the Whistle of Warding. It is a fairly simplistic weave to create. One must merely understand the name and the list of harmonic runes.
There are many more songs which have yet to be explained, I hope to teach you all these songs and their effects as soon as possible, however the best way to learn is by doing. No matter how much I tell you, it will never replace what you learn from trying things for yourself. On a side note, I want to point out that you may use spell-songs any way you may see fit to, however, I charge each and every bard to use them only in a defensive manner and to never let anger or hatred cause the notes to fly. If for some reason, I hear of such outbreaks of harmful intent, then I will no longer aid the bards in general, only those whom I believe will use the spell-songs as I believe they were intended.
Narcisuss Blossomkiller
Wandering Bard of Spur