View source for Troubadours by the Fireside - 5121-03-14 (log)

Troubadours by the Fireside was a cozy storytelling event hosted by [[Argent Aspis]] on March 14th, 2021.  A variety of characters shared original works with the assembled audience.

== Katiesa ==

Allyria says, "And our first performer for the night is Katiesa. Katie, grab a seat on the bards bench. And begin when you are ready."

Katiesa lightly says, "This story, I have sort of told before here in Aspis."

Katiesa amusedly says, "Like life, this story has a lot of... options.  But I'm sure it involves ale and taverns."

Katiesa nods once.

Katiesa dusts off the blue glass orb in her hand.

Katiesa affably says, "This tale is of a young ale-loving man who was ready to set out in the world."

Katiesa amusedly says, "He thought of the ales he might drink and finding a fine young lady to wed."

Katiesa chuckles to herself.

Katiesa says, "He wasn't much good at decisions, though, so his mother bought him a magic orb."

Katiesa laughs softly, trying to hide her amusement.

Katiesa brightly exclaims, "Like this one!"

Katiesa taps a bubble-filled blue glass orb, which is in her right hand.

Katiesa winks.

Katiesa says, "So this...this is his story."

Katiesa clears her throat.

Katiesa recites lightly:
    "A fine magical guide a wise mother did plan
     For her ale-loving son who'd become a young man.
     He was not overblessed by too much common sense,
     Yet was handsome, good-natured, not overly dense."

Katiesa recites:
    "She presented the orb, then its powers explained.
     Her son poured out a pint, in delight he exclaimed:
     "I shall go on a trip without any delay--
     With such portable wisdom, I shan't go astray!"

Katiesa recites:
    "His fresh ale in right hand, he trekked fast 'til he got
     To the spot where the trail from the village let out.
     Addressed orb in left hand:  "Quick an answer give now!
     So which way should I go -- is it best to go south?"

Katiesa glances at a bubble-filled blue glass orb in her hand.

Speaking to her blue glass orb, Katiesa inquires, "Well, what say you? Will he go south?"

Dark blue motes of light twinkle within the blue glass orb in response to Katiesa's voice.

Katiesa shakes her blue glass orb vigorously!  Within the mottled two-toned blue glass, iridescent blue and silver bubbles of varying sizes bounce and spin off one another.  One by one, motes of dark blue light blink into existence within the orb and begin to coalesce into recognizable shapes.  The light pauses momentarily on the answer "Not a chance" before bursting into tiny dark blue specks which quickly dissipate.

Katiesa cheerfully exclaims, "That's No for North!"

Katiesa points north.

Katiesa attempts to hum a merry little tune.

Katiesa recites cheerfully:
    "He'll be journeying north!  "I do hope they'll have beer--
     Maybe berry-infused and does not cost too dear?"
     Such wonder-filled thoughts kept a frown from his face
     And a song in his heart 'til he reached Ice Mule Trace."

Katiesa recites:
    "Now once there he walked into the Tartifacts shop
     Where quickly the eye of a halfling he caught.
     She was tall for a halfling and asked very sweet:
     "Would you like to join me for some tarts and some tea?"

Katiesa recites:
    "This isn't a tavern!" He thought in alarm,
     Then realized completely the halfling's rare charms--
     And to spend time with she of such beauty renowned
     Might clearly be worth some sobriety now."

Katiesa delicately comments, "Charms."

Katiesa recites:
    "I'm a cleric of Lumnis," confided the girl.
     "I only drink tea as that keeps my mind pure.
     Do you not agree?"  And he did not say nay.
     So they sat and they sipped and they chatted away."

Katiesa recites:
    "After tarts and some tea, with uncommon clear head,
     He thought, "Maybe this damsel is one I could wed!"
     To the orb whispered loudly, "Hey, what do you see?
     Should I offer to buy her some more stinky tea?"

Katiesa glances inquiringly at a bubble-filled blue glass orb in her hand.

Speaking lightly to her blue glass orb, Katiesa asks, "Well, shall he?"

Dark blue motes of light twinkle within the blue glass orb in response to Katiesa's voice.

Katiesa shakes her blue glass orb vigorously!  Within the mottled two-toned blue glass, iridescent blue and silver bubbles of varying sizes bounce and spin off one another.  One by one, motes of dark blue light blink into existence within the orb and begin to coalesce into recognizable shapes.  The light pauses momentarily on the answer "Excuse me?" before bursting into tiny dark blue specks which quickly dissipate.

Katiesa frankly says, "He really did feel that was NOT much help."

Katiesa smiles suddenly then simply laughs out loud.  With a wink, she explains, "No matter.  He did not ask the question well.  You'll see."

Katiesa recites bemusedly:
    "You just TALKED to that BALL?  And you said my tea SMELLED??"
     She stared coldly at him and all ardor was quelled.
     So quite quickly his plans for sobriety fled--
     After saying good-night, out the doorway he sped."

Katiesa lightly says, "But he was not wrong.  That tea did smell as if milked from a gak."

Katiesa wrinkles her nose.

Katiesa recites:
    "He traveled 'cross town 'til he came to a pub
     That music spilled from, and smelled of good grub.
     Inside was a corner that held an oak stage--
     This surely did seem a fine Cholen-blessed place!"

Katiesa recites whimsically:
    "Ascending the stage, a fair sweet vision strolled--
     Her loose hair worn in ringlets of summer-sun gold.
     In a velvety voice she crooned clear and so true
     While playing along on a crimson-hued lute."

Katiesa recites:
    "I'm a cleric of Cholen," confided the maid,
     When she came and sat with him right after she played,
     "Will you buy me an ale?" So they shared a carafe,
     And they drank and she sang and they laughed and they laughed."

Katiesa hums happily to herself.

Katiesa recites brightly:
    "Her golden gown shimmered, her eyes shone pure blue.
     This must be his soulmate, he just somehow knew.
     And as the two shared berry ale freshly-brewed,
     He planned how to ask his mum's orb what to do."

Katiesa recites amusedly:
    "When the lads twirled their lasses in one final dance,
     He quick begged to Oleani to bless this romance--
     Then finished that ale made of berries and wheat,
     And -soft- asked the orb: "Shall I wed her this week?""

Speaking excitedly to her blue glass orb, Katiesa echoes, "Will he wed her that week?"

Dark blue motes of light twinkle within the blue glass orb in response to Katiesa's voice.

Katiesa glances expectantly at a bubble-filled blue glass orb in her hand.

Katiesa shakes her blue glass orb vigorously!  Within the mottled two-toned blue glass, iridescent blue and silver bubbles of varying sizes bounce and spin off one another.  One by one, motes of dark blue light blink into existence within the orb and begin to coalesce into recognizable shapes.  The light pauses momentarily on the answer "Unlikely" before bursting into tiny dark blue specks which quickly dissipate.

Katiesa frowns at a bubble-filled blue glass orb.

Katiesa gives a sigh of disappointment.

Katiesa says, "He definitely could not call THAT answer a yes.  So, with no small regret, he ruled out that week."

Katiesa taps her foot impatiently.

Katiesa taps her foot impatiently.

Katiesa leans forward.

Katiesa recites theatrically:
    "The week NEXT he proposed and of course she said yes!
     She ran right out to buy an astonishing dress--
     A gorgeous concoction of crimsony-red.
     The next Feastday eve? The new lovers were wed."

Katiesa pours herself a magnum of silver champagne.

Katiesa recites lightly:
    "So the maid now his wife, his sweet muse, and new guide
     (For the cleric of Cholen was shrewd and quite wise),
     They proceeded to live a fine life amply blessed
     With fat babies, good song, berry brews, and much zest!"

Katiesa airily asks, "They bought a pub, she sang, he brewed ale, and his mum's orb? What happened to the orb?"

Katiesa chuckles to herself.

Katiesa amusedly explains, "Why, it sits safely up on a mantle, ready for the next generation's adventure."

Katiesa nods approvingly.

You grin at Katiesa.

Katiesa stands up.

Katiesa curtsies gracefully.


== Meril ==

Allyria says, "Our next performer is Meril."

Meril cocks her head.

Meril says, "Ah, I fear this will not be such a pretty tune as the last, but I will try my best."

Meril stands up.

Meril ponders.

Meril walks over to the bench and settles down.

Meril says, "I heard this tale first in a sylvan house, and I hope it is not a poor translation. It is about... flight, I guess, in a fashion."

Meril nods slightly.

As Meril tugs her leather into place, several bits of flora fall from its midst.

Meril begins playing a quiet song on her mandolin.

You see Meril.
She appears to be a Sylvankind.
She is average height.  She appears to have come of age.  She has hardened, piercing forest green eyes and fair skin.  She has waist length, flowing auburn hair interspersed with strands of grey.  She has a delicate face and slightly downswept pointed ears.
She is in good shape.
She is holding an ebonwood mandolin with star-shaped cloud agate inlays in her right hand.
She is wearing a strand of vaalin glowbark leaves, a faded russet linen cloak, a translucent amber doe symbol suspended from a strand of hazelwood, a cinched barkcloth pack, some eahnor studded splint leather embossed with ebon accents, some knee-length hunting skirts stitched from bands of shredded leather, and a pair of slouched henna brown leather knee boots.

Meril sings:
    "She stands silent before the pool
     Grey cloak falling from her shoulders
     Shifting ever slightly in the wind. . ."

Meril sings:
    "A couple passes by without meeting her eyes
     They bow their head in reverence
     With a murmured greeting--"

Without a change in dynamics Meril picks up the pace of the song, weaving a soft but playful theme reminiscent of the sound of a far-away horse running across the countryside.

Meril sings:
    "But their young child approaches curiously
     Peering at the grey fabric as it shifts again
     And cries out in marvel as he sees--"

Meril sings:
    "The brilliant, pristine white feathers
     On the wings folded behind her
     Caught for a moment in the light."

With a decrease in tempo, Meril gives her soft melody the aspect of a soothing lullabye that makes forgetting the day's cares as easy as closing your eyes.

Meril gazes heavenward.

Meril sings:
    "He reaches out and touches her
     And feels the softness of the feathers
     To convince himself that they truly exist. . ."

Meril sings:
    "She catches his hand gently
     As he babbles his words
     And returns him to his apologizing mother--"

Meril makes a sharp decrescendo, forcing you to strain to hear the soft notes.

Meril sings:
    "And as they are leaving
     She hears him asking his parents
     If he could ever have wings like that--"

Meril sings:
    "She wants to tell him
     If only she were not sworn to silence
     If only it were not forbidden--"

Meril brushes her fingers over the strings, modulating softly from chord to chord as if playing to herself.


Meril builds a soft harmony behind the cheerless melody, as fleeting as memory but as insistent as regret.

Meril sings:
    "And she drowns the old memory once more
     For it could not be permitted to surface
     For she must feel no pain nor regret."

Meril brushes her fingers lightly over the strings, allowing the haunting minor seventh chord to hang eerily in the air for a moment before beginning her sad melody.
Meril bridges her song into a new key, taking it to new heights of intensity.

Meril sings:
    "Before the hunter's moon
     She had asked the sisters
     When she would have her wings--"
Cyar hugs his knees and sways side to side.

Meril sings:
    "Not yet, they would tell her
     Not until the last hunt before the winter
     And beyond that they knew little--"

Paying complete attention to the mandolin's strings, Meril begins building an intense melody.

Meril sings:
    "For only those passing the trial
     Wore those brilliant white feathers
     And they were sworn to silence."

Now and again, some resin hidden in the wood is ignited by the flames, and the fire snaps and crackles loudly.  The sweet smell of the resin permeates the air and fills your nostrils.

Meril sings:
    "The night when the red moon rose in the sky
     They took everything from her
     And left her alone in the forest. . ."
Meril bridges her song into a new key, taking it to new heights of intensity.

Meril sings:
    "She looked at the wilderness around her
     And leaning close to the ground, she listened
     And suddenly she knew--"

Meril's concentration shifts and becomes more focused as she slightly tilts an ear in a particular direction.
Meril sings:
    "For there was no crackle of branches
     No birds flushed from their nests
     No deer fleeing through the bushes--"
Meril plucks her instrument's lower strings, adding a driving bass foundation to the melody.


Meril sings:
    "There was only the hunt
     There were only the hunters
     And so, she ran--"

Meril sings:
    "But she was not as elusive as the birds
     Nor as swift as the deer
     And they were closing in--"

Meril looks around nervously, ready to bolt.

Meril sings:
    "And she called out to her goddess
     For if it was a trial, there must be an answer
     But there was only silence. . ."

Meril sings:
    "They found her cowering behind the trees
     Beneath the blood red moonlight
     And left her dying in the forest."
Meril makes a dramatic change in the song's dynamics, sweeping from soft to loud in a sharp crescendo then back into the middle ranges.

The quiet, forlorn strains of Meril's song convey a gentle sadness, reminding you of friends long gone and family left to Lorminstra's care.
Meril sings:
    "And as her last breath passed
     She felt the feathery touch upon her soul
     Taking everything from her. . ."

Meril sings:
    "The joy and the compassion
     The pain and the anger
     The desire and the regret. . ."

Meril builds a soft harmony behind the cheerless melody, as fleeting as memory but as insistent as regret.


Meril sings:
    "Emptied and broken and remade
     For an eternity until at last
     She felt the cold sunlight upon her wings."

(Meril plays another wordless refrain, then shifts to a brighter key.)

Meril builds a soft harmony behind the cheerless melody, as fleeting as memory but as insistent as regret.

Meril's harmony dances about the melody, intertwining about it with pure, shining notes.
 
Meril sings:
    "She remembers the first time she touched
     The brilliant white feathers of a priestess
     And wondered if they came from the heavens--"

Meril sings:
    "If they could glide like the pelican
     If they could soar like the hawk
     If they could harness the winds. . ."

Embellishing on the simple melody, Meril skillfully conveys a measure of the joy she feels while playing.

Meril sings:
    "She asked all those questions
     And the priestess only looked at her
     With deep and unreadable eyes."

Meril sings:
    "But they were so beautiful and pristine
     And she dreamed of them for many nights
     Of taking flight beneath a silver moon. . ."

Meril finishes the verse of the song then begins the next, further embellishing the melody by adding an ecstatic moving harmony.

Meril sings:
    "Until the day she gathered her courage
     Letting her dreams guide her
     And asked to be given those wings."

With a final joyous flourish Meril stills her fingers on the mandolin, allowing the final bright chord to fade into silence.


Meril stands up.

Meril gazes about with serene contemplation, then gracefully crosses her hands across her leather and executes a gentle bow.



== Traiva ==


Allyria says, "Next up will be Traiva."

Traiva smiles at Allyria.

Traiva says, "That is quite the tale to have to follow.."


(Traiva makes her way to the front of the crowd.)

Traiva stands in front of an upholstered bench carved with various musical motifs.

Speaking to Traiva, Katiesa whispers aloud, "This is why you go first."

Traiva thoughtfully says, "But.. let us see about changing the mood here some..."

Traiva grins slowly.

(Traiva cradles her maoral cittern against her torso and brushes her fingers across the strings, checking the tune as she begins to speak.)

Traiva sheepishly begins, "For all I support the drinking at Paupers, I am sadly inept at writing any good, rousing drinking songs myself."

(Traiva gazes thoughtfully down at her cittern for a moment before her lips slowly spread into a wry grin.)

Traiva muses, "Perhaps that means I should be drinking more, no?"

(Traiva laughs softly, almost to herself, and quietly begins a rollicking melody.)

Traiva merrily continues, "So I hope you will indulge my singing a song I did not write, but rather have heard during my travels and quite enjoy."

Traiva smiles and tilts her head toward you.

(Traiva suddenly increases the volume of the rollicking melody flowing from her cittern while stomping out the beat with her heel. After two rounds she makes a slight decrescendo to a steady, rhythmic strum.)

Traiva sings liltingly:
    "Though the night be dark as dungeon, not a star to be seen above,
     I will be guided without a stumble into the arms of me only love.
     I went up to her bedroom window, kneeling gently upon a stone --
     I rapped on her bedroom window - "My darling dear, do you lie alone?"

(Traiva strums her cittern loudly and skips lightly about the room, encouraging you to clap along with the beat as she sings.)

Traiva sings jauntily:
    "For I'm a rover, seldom sober.
     I'm a rover of high degree!
     And when I'm drinking I'm always thinking
     How to gain my love's company."

(Traiva's eyes seem to sparkle as she loudly returns to the rollicking melody, again making a sharp decrescendo as she begins to sing again.)

Traiva sings liltingly:
    "She raised her head from her feather pillow, raised her arms up around her chest
     Saying "Who's at me bedroom window disturbing me and me long night's rest?"
     "It's only me, your own true lover, open the door and please let me in --
     For I have come on a long night's journey. I am near drenched to the skin!"

(Traiva grimaces dramatically as she launches loudly into the chorus, beckoning you to join in with a jaunty toss of her head.)
Traiva sings boisterously:
    "For I'm a rover, seldom sober.
     I'm a rover of high degree!
     And when I'm drinking I'm always thinking
     How to gain my love's company."
Traiva skips around in a happy little circle.

(Traiva's skirt swishes around her legs as she skips about, her fingers seeming to fly across her cittern's strings with the jaunty tune. She runs it enthusiastically through, calling out excitedly to those gathered.)

(Traiva makes a sharp decrescendo, the strums low and steady as a heartbeat.)

Traiva sings flirtatiously:
    "She opened the door with the greatest pleasure, and she drew me in with a warm embrace.
     All through the night we stayed together until the sun dared to show his face.
     "Well now me love, I must go and leave you, though the mountains be high above --
     Well, I will climb them with greater pleasure that I have been with me only love!""

(Traiva pulls her fingers quickly from her cittern's strings and taps out the beat against the soundboard.)

Traiva sings rollickingly:
    "For I'm a rover, seldom sober.
     I'm a rover of high degree!
     And when I'm drinking I'm always thinking
     How to gain my love's company."

(Traiva loudly strums the chorus and begins weaving through the crowd, her expression brightening as others join in.)

Traiva sings raucously:
    "For I'm a rover, seldom sober.
     I'm a rover of high degree!
     And when I'm drinking I'm always thinking
     How to gain my love's company!"

Regwen claps her hands rhythmically.

You clap your hands rhythmically.

(Traiva plays the rollicking chorus again twice through as she dances among the crowd, finally bringing it to a jaunty close as she again stands before you.)

(Traiva holds her cittern by the neck as she raises it triumphantly before sinking into a deep curtsy.)



== Nazarr ==


Allyria says, "Next up is Nazarr."

(Nazarr walks to the bards' bench.)

Nazarr walks over to the bench and settles down.

Nazarr recites:
    "This is a song about a woman in a tale most of us know but whose name is ignored by history and whose attributed motives are rather shallow. I thought she deserved better, so I decided to tell her version of the story. This is 'Aqila the Forgotten.'"

Beginning without preamble, Nazarr starts playing his flame maple harp -- it rings with the speed of the notes, as he displays his easy virtuosity and beautiful tone.

Nazarr sings with a clear tenor:
    "There was a queen in days of old. Aqila was her name,
     Though that name's been forgotten now, which is a crying shame.
     King Eder was an idle man who did not care to rule.
     Aqila reigned while Eder feasted, hunted, played the fool."

Nazarr sings with a clear tenor:
    ""Aqila" means "intelligent". Her people deemed her wise,
     For through her life, food, trade and wealth fair poured down from the skies,
     This stung her foes like nettles or a spiny cocklebur,
     But peace was kept throughout her reign. They feared to war with her."

Nazarr's hands skip over his flame maple harp, mixing fourths and fifths in complex lines played at very high speeds.
Nazarr chuckles.

Nazarr sings with a clear tenor:
    "And schools filled that distant land (the Landing has but one)
     While beggary and illness that country seemed to shun.
     The arts there shone with brilliance--in fact, they coruscated!
     So naturally, the queen who ruled this paradise was hated."

Nazarr brings a hard-hitting fresh energy to the chorus as his hands race over his flame maple harp, barely touching one string before attacking the next.
Nazarr sings with a clear tenor:
    "Not by the common people! Their love was deep and strong.
     But certain of her generals thought peace endured too long,
     And some merchants and couriers thought more wealth was their due.
     So king and queen had bodyguards. I'll speak of only two."

Nazarr sings with a clear tenor:
    "The queen's was her most trusted friend who'd been with her for years.
     She wielded a poisoned fan and read folks' hopes and fears.
     Talespinner and Aqil'--they were a splendid pair.
     But finding one who'd guard the king? Alas, now that was rare."

Nazarr plucks staccato notes in the treble then tosses off fleeting notes tumbling down the octaves, sounding like frogs leaping into the pond.
Nazarr sings with a clear tenor:
    "He feasted dawn to noontide. He danced away the night.
     Between, he hunted till each bird and beast had taken flight.
     Forever he exhausted guards while swilling down red wine
     Until he hired a ranger-guard whom he thought near-divine."

Nazarr sings with a clear tenor:
    "For never was she weary, and her step was like a feather.
     She could track both beasts and birds in any sort of weather.
     She saw Eder as kind and wise, a generous, brave king 
     Although she was the only one who deemed him such a thing."

Nazarr taps the fingers of his right hand on the soundboard of his harp, sounding like so many finger snaps while the beat goes on below.
Nazarr sings with a clear tenor:
    "You can get drunk on flattery, and Eder did, be sure.
     He soon began to loathe his wife for reasons immature.
     For thirty years Aqila'd reigned, aye, thirty and a day 
     And now Eder, from envy, dreamt of putting her away."

Using careful motions and placing his fingers precisely on the strings of his flame maple harp, Nazarr produces a sound that is at once big, subtle, and full of a thoughtful spirit.
Nazarr sings with a clear tenor:
    "The gossip of his preference soon reached the Spinner's ear.
     She ran and told the queen the king's new guard was cause for fear.
     The ranger's gentle, well-meant words had turned Eder's heart sour
     And now he would reclaim his throne, unseat his queen from power."

Nazarr sings with a clear tenor:
    "Aqila and her bodyguard both plotted, schemed and planned
     To find some cause to send the naive guard 'cross desert sand.
     Reasons didn't matter--land and queen were under threat,
     And King Eder the Idle couldn't govern on a bet."

With lots of great chord work, Nazarr varies the rhythm, contour, and intervals as he pulls the tune from his harp, bringing an intensity to the air that is all his own.
Nazarr sings with a clear tenor:
    "The Spinner placed a potion within the ranger's wine,
     Then put into her slumbering hand a dagger serpentine.
     Two feet from the king's bed she lay, a poisoned knife in hand,
     And the Spinner's cry, "She's come to kill the king!" filled all the land."

Nazarr sings with a clear tenor:
    "The guard was quickly exiled. A duller guard was found.
     But Eder soon suspected Aqil' wouldn't be uncrowned
     And that his guard was innocent. He dared not jail the queen,
     But he flung the Talespinner into dungeon long unseen."

With lots of great chord work, Nazarr varies the rhythm, contour, and intervals as he pulls the tune from his harp, bringing an intensity to the air that is all his own.
Nazarr expresses all of his sensitivity and talent through his harp as he carries the sad ballad into the next verse.

Nazarr sings with a clear tenor:
    "Vainly did Aqila strive, and vainly she did plead.
      The king missed her he would make queen, and nothing he'd concede.
      No allies dared to help the queen, and she was sunk in gloom
      For a friend condemned to starve to death within her living tomb."
[General] Crimsoneve thinks, "Between the crevice and the bridge."

Nazarr's harp playing becomes spare yet sensitive as he approaches the depths of the ballad's sorrow.

Nazarr sings with a clear tenor:
    "Aqila begged the Tyrant-Queen to help her save her friend.
     The Queen of Domination said, "This will have no good end,
     "And you have never served me, so the payment will be high."
     Said Aqil' to Eorgina: "For the Spinner I would die.""

Nazarr sings with a clear tenor:
    "Weeks passed. One night--the hour of one--the queen awoke in bed
     To see the vengeful forester aglare with hate and dread.
     A dagger slashed Aqila. She hit the headboard with a thud 
     As the Spinner stabbed the killer and drank her immortal blood."

Nazarr's harp playing becomes spare yet sensitive as he approaches the depths of the ballad's sorrow.
Nazarr places his fingers deliberately on the strings of his flame maple harp, ensuring that each sonorous chord rings clear and true.
Nazarr sings with a clear tenor:
    "And now the regal bodyguards are bitter, holy foes
     King, queen and country are now dust and buried--where, who knows?
     Forgotten now, Aqila's power, her reign and royal duty--
     For what could any woman crave, except to be a beauty?"

The strings of Nazarr's harp resonate long after the last sonorous chord is struck, his fingers lingering in the air.  Finally Nazarr takes a deep breath and drops his hands as he looks up.

Nazarr stands up.

Nazarr bows.

(Nazarr leaves the bench and sits on the floor.)



== Leifa ==


Allyria says, "Next to share is our own Leifa."

Alosaka turns to face Leifa.
Leifa rises, momentarily holding the fabric of her skirt up until her feet are firmly planted underneath her.

You whistle at Leifa!

Leifa walks over to the bench and settles down.

With a serene smile, Leifa laces her fingers together in quiet repose.

Leifa stands up.

Leifa begins, "Good evening, my friends and sibs!"

Leifa waves.

Leifa nods in greeting.

Leifa explains, "While you may know me now as a devout follower of the Goddess Imaera, I was once a rather randy lass who spent far too much time in taverns."

You see Leifa Ar'Anya Faendryl.
She appears to be a Dark Elf.
She is strikingly tall.  She appears to be youthful.  She has a shimmer of silver on her eyelids, beautifully ash grey-outlined thick-lashed intense viridian eyes and sun-kissed bronze skin.  She has manelike, voluminous ash blonde hair pulled back with a chain-latticed geldaralad caught with teardrops of tempest stone, leaving her side-swept bangs to brush across her temples.  She has a lean, angular face, a strongly sloped nose and palpebral tribal scarification patterns etched lightly above her deep-set eyelids.  She has delicately curved ears and an elegant neck that tapers down to a slight hollow in her finely sculpted collarbone.  A twining dirge-vaon tendril is wrapped around her wrist.
She is in good shape.
She is wearing an antique silver-traced onyx cameo strung from a black satin ribbon, a patinaed silver-clasped clutch slung over her shoulder, a half-buttoned storm blue silk pelisse, a teal-veined ebony marbrinus bodice, a cascading marbrinus silk skirt caught at the waist with a row of nielloed chains, and some slouched high-heeled boots trimmed by silver filigree toecaps.

Leifa blushes a deep carmine hue to the tips of her ears.


Leifa removes a dried wildflower bouquet tied with an old purple ribbon from in her storm blue silk pelisse.

Leifa stammers, "While I've moved on from those days, I do have quite a few stories that I've collected over the years..."

Leifa adds, "And a few songs, as well!"

Leifa breathes very slowly and looks much calmer.

Leifa informs, "This particular tune is called a sea shanty, a type of traditional folk song that was once commonly sung as a work song to accompany rhythmical labor aboard large merchant sailing vessels."

Leifa murmurs, "I hope you enjoy the one I've prepared for you tonight."

Smiling to herself, Leifa slides the fabric of her skirt through her fingers.

Leifa flicks her wrist, and a swift breeze of iridescence dotted with tiny opalescent leaves wraps around her body.

Leifa smiles with excitement as she concentrates on the swirling opalescent leaves coalescing around her.  The shimmering breeze swirls around her like ebbing waves as ethereal strands of blue flow in gentle pulses outward.  The swirling lights begin to form a ghost-like pattern of a sailing ship, rocking to and fro upon the sea.  As the visage takes complete form, a haunting siren's hum can be heard coming from all corners of the room.

Leifa nods rhythmically.

Leifa sways back and forth.

Leifa holds a dried wildflower bouquet tied with an old purple ribbon in her hand close to her body.

Leifa sings rhythmically:
    "Oh I'll tell yous a tale
      Of one helluva gal,
       Like ye ne'er seen across the sea."

Leifa sings:
    "While we work and we sweat,
      Salty dogs, don't ye fret,
       I'll regale of The Lady called Braidee."

Leifa sings:
    "Ohhh meee, ohhh myyy,
      Haven't you seen her, that Lady divine!
       Ohhh meee, ohhh myyy,
        That gem of a Lady named Braidee!"

Leifa bursts out in a resounding cheer!

Leifa picks idly at a dried wildflower bouquet tied with an old purple ribbon.

Leifa sings flirtatiously:
    "Now Braidee, she's witty.
      A wee bit, she's snitty.
       She's sassy, boys, I'll tell ye that."

Leifa sings:
    "Gay and bonnie, the Miss
      Stop your heart with a twist,
       If you fall then you'll ne'er turn back."

Leifa sings:
    "Ohhh meee, ohhh myyy,
      Haven't you seen her, that Lady so fine!
       Ohhh meee, ohhh myyy,
        That brass of a Lady named Braidee!"

Leifa put a dried wildflower bouquet tied with an old purple ribbon in her storm blue silk pelisse.

Leifa removes a thick cotton cloth from in her storm blue silk pelisse.

Leifa removes a long silver needle from in her storm blue silk pelisse.

Leifa raises her silver needle skyward!

Leifa sings cheerfully:
    "She works down by the docks,
      Mending seams, darning socks
       In a runned down shack under the pier."

Leifa sings:
    "Urchins run her fine cloth
      From the rich folks up No'th,
       And she fixes dem up like a dear."

Leifa sings:
    "Ohhh meee, ohhh myyy,
      Haven't you seen her, that Lady of twine!
       Ohhh meee, ohhh myyy,
        That wisp of a Lady named Braidee!"

Leifa idly rubs the silver needle with her cotton cloth.

Leifa put a thick cotton cloth in her storm blue silk pelisse.

Leifa sings melodically:
    "Braidee tirelessly sews,
      But the Lady, she knows
       That a life ain't worth much without play."

Leifa winks.

Leifa sings:
    "S'when she sets down her thread,
      Locks her shop up, she'll head
       To the tavern to wrap up the day."

Leifa sings:
    "Ohhh meee, ohhh myyy,
      Haven't you seen her, that Lady likes wine!
       Ohhh meee, ohhh myyy,
        That tall drink of Lady named Braidee!"

Leifa put a long silver needle in her storm blue silk pelisse.

Leifa removes some herbed dark cherry wine from in her storm blue silk pelisse.

Leifa indicates some herbed dark cherry wine as a possible option.

Leifa sings mockingly:
    "Now a Lady, you'd say,
      Should not daudle away
       In a bar full of wharf rats and scallies."

Leifa rolls her eyes.

Leifa sings:
    "But Braidee, the dandy,
      With a knife, she is handy,
       Hidden deep 'tween those heavenly valleys!"

In a mere instant, Leifa's fingers grasp at the neckline of her ebony marbrinus bodice, suddenly revealing a drakar-edged skinning knife ensconced within the lining.  Taking a few measured steps backward, she slowly lifts the dagger before her.

Leifa sings:
    "Ohhh meee, ohhh myyy,
      Haven't you seen her, that Lady's alpine!
       Ohhh meee, ohhh myyy,
        That mount of a Lady named Braidee!"

Leifa tries to nudge her ebony marbrinus bodice.

Leifa chuckles to herself.

Leifa curls one side of her lips up into a furtive, playful smirk.

Leifa sings sharply:
    "I heard once of some bloke,
      thought that he'd take a poke
       At the Lady while she drank her spirits."


Leifa sings:
    "Painful lesson she taught
      A'fore he had a clear thought,
       Braidee's dagger sliced right through his..."

Leifa put a drakar-edged skinning knife in her storm blue silk pelisse.

Leifa clasps her hand over her mouth.

Leifa gazes in amusement at her surroundings.

Leifa teases, "...Awww, now don't make me tell ya THAT part of the tale or all ye boys'll be shambling outta here with your legs crossed, a'whimpering!"

Leifa raises her voice in merry laughter.

Leifa lightly pats a half-buttoned storm blue silk pelisse.

Leifa winks and flashes a sly grin.

Leifa sings:
    "Ohhh meee, ohhh myyy,
      Haven't you seen her, that Lady's got knives!
       Ohhh meee, ohhh myyy,
        That Cutpurse, the Lady named Braidee!"

Leifa winks and flashes a sly grin.

Leifa leans over and blows down at her high-heeled boots, then reaches down and brushes them off.

Leifa gives a sigh of longing.

Leifa sings wistfully:
    "Well, I guess I'll admit...
      I myself tried a bit
       At the Lady and hoped she'd be mine."

Leifa clutches her chest with an anguished expression.

Leifa sings:
    "But she laughed with a hoot
      And she gave me the boot,
       With a devilish glint in her eye."

Leifa wheels around in a spinning kick, one of her high-heeled boots flashing at head level.

Leifa shakes her head, clucking her tongue.

Leifa sings:
    "Ohhh meee, ohhh myyy,
      Haven't you seen her, oh Lady, be mine!
       Ohhh meee, ohhh myyy,
        That bonnie, the Lady named Braidee!"

Leifa winks at you.

Leifa looks around urgently, begging and motioning for assistance!

Leifa instructs, "Ok everyone!  Now all the way back to the first chorus now, sing it with me now..."


Leifa enthusiastically nods her agreement, causing several strands of ash blonde hair to fall around her face.

Allyria claps her hands rhythmically.


Leifa sings:
    "Ohhh meee!"

Leifa inclines her ear, listening intently.

Leifa mouths, "Oh me."

Katiesa dubiously repeats, "Lady??  Braiidee."

Bjornsong hums a fancy little tune to himself.

Enoso sings:
    "Oh my!"

Traiva sings jauntily:
    "Oh me!"

You singsong, "Oh meeee."

Cyar sings tunefully:
    "O me"

Regwen sings softly:
    "Goh my"

Dremerie applauds.

Leifa sings:
    "Ohhh myyy!"

Leifa smiles at the crowd encouragingly, cupping her hand around her ear to hear the crowd repeat the chorus.

You singsong, "Oh myyy!"

Regwen sings softly:
    "Oh my!"

Alosaka exclaims, "Oh my!"

Cyar sings tunefully:
    "O myyyy"

Traiva sings jauntily:
    "Oh my!"

Dremerie sings:
    "Oh Myyyyy!"

Leifa hoots.

Leifa sings jubilantly:

    "Haven't you seen her, that Lady divine!"

Leifa begs gleefully, barely able to control her excitement!

Leifa sings:
    "Ohhh meee!"

Dremerie sings:
    "Oh Myyyyy!"

Leifa sings:
    "Ohhh myyy!"

You echo, "Oh myyy!"

Regwen sings softly:
    "Oh my"

Traiva sings jauntily:
    "Oh me! Oh my!"

Leifa beckons Regwen closer with a slow curl of her forefinger.

Leifa sings powerfully:
    "That gem of a Lady named Braidee!"

Leifa renders a sharp salute with her dark cherry wine.

Leifa takes a drink from her dark cherry wine.

Leifa renders a sharp salute with her dark cherry wine.

Leifa smiles at the crowd and as she snaps her fingers, the spell illusion drops with a flash.

Leifa drops into a deep curtsy, moving smoothly as her arms sweep grandly to her sides.



== Regwen ==

Allyria says, "Regwen is next."

Regwen vehemently admits, "I've blatantly stolen this from elsewhere and adapted it to my liking."

Regwen winks.

Regwen encouragingly says, "Feel free to sing along once ye catch the tune."

Regwen flashes a wide grin.

Katiesa cheerfully exclaims, "To larceny!"

Regwen slings a silver-inlaid varnished ash mandolin strung with twisted silver off from over her shoulder.

Regwen nods at Katiesa.

With a wave of her hands, Regwen brightly strums her mandolin in the opening chords of a flamboyant tune.

Regwen sings playfully:
    "In town there is a little pub,
     Which gives much satisfaction.
     The men don't go there for the beer,
     The barmaid's the attraction!"

Regwen decorates her flamboyant strum with a complex pattern of fingering.

Regwen sings playfully:
    "Her age is, oh well, quite all that,
     And more on Volnes morning.
     She knows her onions, take my word.
     She's heard the gypsy's warning."

Suddenly, Regwen ceases her song!  With a grin, Regwen uses the opportunity to begin again in a manner that is more flamboyant yet.

Regwen sings raucously:
    "There is a tavern in the town.
          In the town.
     And in that tavern there's a barmaid of renown.
     The barmaid at Helga's Tavern!"

Regwen smiles merrily and dances along to her song while she holds her mandolin close.

Regwen strums the strings of her mandolin with a wide sweep of her arm and a convoluted pattern of fingering.  Showoff!

Regwen sings merrily:
    "She lays on powder as thick as crust.
     I've smacked her cheek and what a fuss!
     I couldn't see her face for dust.
     The barmaid at Helga's Tavern!"

Regwen coaxes rich notes from her mandolin with a showy variant on the common strum.

Regwen sings merrily:
    "She's got a figure fine and fair.
     There's lots of it and some to spare.
     It goes in here and comes out there!
     The barmaid at Helga's Tavern!"

(Regwen nods and waves to you, encouraging you sing along.)

Regwen strums the strings of her mandolin with a wide sweep of her arm and a convoluted pattern of fingering.  Showoff!

Regwen sings raucously:
    "There is a tavern in the town
          In the town.
     And in that tavern there's a lass forty inches round.
     The barmaid at Helga's Tavern!"

Regwen smiles while swaying her hips as she adds some fancy footwork to her dance.

Leifa repeats, "The barmaid at Helga's Tavern!"

Using fancy fingering, Regwen embellishes heavily on a simple theme.

Regwen sings merrily:
    "She always looks so very posh.
     So many rings she wears, by gosh!
     Her hands she never has to wash!
     The barmaid at Helga's Tavern!"

Regwen sings merrily:
    "The pendant round her neck is great.
     It's larger than a dinner plate!
     She's got round shoulders with the weight!
     The barmaid at Helga's Tavern!"

Seomanthe melodically echoes, "The barmaid at Helga's tavern!"

Regwen gives her head a gentle toss, causing her long hair to lift up and away from her eyes.

Swinging wildly from loud to soft to loud again, Regwen puts on a flamboyant show for her audience.

Regwen sings raucously:
    "There is a tavern in the town
          In the town.
     And in that tavern there's a lass in a glittering gown.
     The barmaid at Helga's Tavern!"

Regwen sings raucously:
    "With jewel-ery that she has won.
     Her earrings weigh quite half a ton.
     She let gnomes swing on them for fun!
     The barmaid at Helga's Tavern!"

Regwen makes the simplest of strains as complex as is possible, coloring it with harmonies and chord variations.

As Regwen plays her varnished ash mandolin, some silver stars suddenly flow out of the instrument, pulled into existence from the magic of her song.

Using fancy fingering, Regwen embellishes heavily on a simple theme.

Regwen sings flirtatiously:
    "If she ever falls for you.
     A kiss will last an hour or two.
     She's got her lipstick mixed with glue!
     The barmaid at Helga's Tavern!"

Regwen winks.

Regwen runs through the chorus twice, as if to make certain you will not be able to stop humming it anytime soon.

Regwen sings raucously:
    "There is a tavern in the town.
          In the town.
     And in that tavern there are lips that have won renown.
      OHH!!!"

(Regwen holds the last note for a long while, letting anticipation build.)

Regwen sings boisterously:
    "The barmaid at Helga's Tavern!"

With a final jaunty chord, Regwen stills the strings of her mandolin.

Regwen slings a silver-inlaid varnished ash mandolin strung with twisted silver over her shoulder.

Regwen curtsies gracefully.

Regwen beams!

Bjornsong sings happily:
    "Your song, it really made me laugh
      And thirst for Helga's Dragonsdraught
      But Bardfest brew's so good to quaff
      If you don't down one, your more than daft!"

== Alosaka ==

Allyria says, "Next, a story told by Alosaka."

Alosaka stretches.

Alosaka exclaims, "Well, we've had a long run of happy stories so far... Let's see if I can't fix that!"

Alosaka grins.

Alosaka says, "A story, about friendship and loyalty."

Alosaka sits down.

Alosaka says, "Once, when the world was much younger, there was a great huntsman."

Alosaka says, "He wandered the lands south of here, in a place we call nowadays the Sea of Fire. But back then it was a lush forest that stretched across the horizon, draped in mists that never faded and filled with wondrous creatures."

Alosaka says, "One of these creatures was the Catoblepas."

Alosaka says, "The only one of its kind. A beast left over from the early days of the world, when the drakes themselves were fledglings, and the surface of Elanthia was still covered in dark waters, and the mountains had yet to rise above the waves."

Alosaka tilts his head up.

Alosaka says, "Some say that the Catoblepas was the offspring of Koar and the Ur-Daemon princess Traces-of-Snow-in-the-Void, the first true oracle of Winter, who taught the young Lorminstra the names of every person who would ever die of cold. Others say that the egg from which Catoblepas hatched fell from the stars in a burning fire and took a thousand years to cool."

Alosaka shrugs.

Alosaka says, "When you read stories of the Catoblepas, you might imagine an ugly, foul creature. It had the body of a bison, with shaggy hair like a yak, and a head so heavy its horns always dragged on the ground."

(Alosaka stoops forward, his arms stretched out before him for balance, and lets his head hang loosely, the tips of his hair dangling almost down brush the floor.)

Alosaka hugs his knees and sways side to side.

Alosaka exclaims, "And from its head, like a gorgon, was a nest of snakes for hair, and also like a gorgon anyone the Catoblepas gazed upon would die instantly!"

Alosaka stops dead in his tracks.

Alosaka says, "Well."

Alosaka clears his throat.

Alosaka exclaims, "One day, our huntsman was wandering, as was his nature. And he came across a horrible sight!"

Alosaka says, "A small village by the river, filled with farms and orchards, lay torn apart like a rotten log. Its streets reeked of decay. And as the huntsman climbed over the ruins, he found the remains of dozens of families, torn asunder by some savage beast. To the west, through the fields, a great mass had carved furrows in the soft earth. Enormous hoofprints led into the woods."

Alosaka says, "Rage filled him! To see so many innocent lives destroyed, their bodies shredded like grain. Eaten. He hefted his bow and his axe and took off into the fields."

Alosaka says, "For days the huntsman tracked his quarry. Through woods, into swamps and across endless plains. In the evenings he would catch glimpses of it in the distance, always atop the next hill. He could see it was a great monster of some sort, far too powerful to challenge directly."

Alosaka surveys the area.

Alosaka exclaims, "And so he made a plan, to catch a stag and taint its meat with the marrow of an ash-leafed hellebore, and when it lay dozing in a poisoned stupor he would slay it with a single blow!"

Alosaka removes a sprig of hellebore from in his ivory satchel.

Alosaka glances at a sprig of hellebore and rubs his chin thoughtfully.

Alosaka says, "But, on the morning of the fifth day, with the meat of a stag and poison in hand, he found it. The Catoblepas lay sleeping in a glade."

Alosaka gazes with awe at his surroundings.

Alosaka says, "Friends..."

Alosaka says, "Friends, I told you the Catoblepas was a foul creature. And if you only saw it in a drawing, or read of its description, or heard my feeble tale, that is all it would ever be. But remember that the Catoblepas was one of the first beings to walk the world. In its age and majesty it was unmatched. Seeing it, overwhelmed by the eons that flowed through its veins, the huntsman fell to his knees in awe. All the rage that had fueled him drained away."

Alosaka says, "'He stared at it for hours. And when the Catoblepas finally woke and resumed its wandering, he realized he could never destroy it. Killing such an ancient being would deprive the world of something wonderful. It would be a crime."

Alosaka nods.

Alosaka says, "And so the huntsman became a shepherd. He used his cunning and his skills to lure the Catoblepas away from human settlements, into the deeper woods, where it could cause no harm."

Alosaka says, "Every few years, the Catoblepas' wanderings took it back near to settlements, and the huntsman would hear stories of remote homesteads torn apart by some foul monster. And he would go into the woods to lure the Catoblepas back away from the slowly growing bounds of civilization."

Alosaka says, "And he found a sort of balance in this. A peace. The memories of the ravaged village and its slaughtered people faded a bit further away every time he beheld the Catoblepas' wonder."

Alosaka sighs.

Alosaka says, "It lasted for decades. But it could not last forever."

Alosaka says, "One year the Catoblepas wandered near a human village, and it ignored the huntsman's efforts to lure it away. So the huntsman resolved to keep a closer eye on it."

Alosaka says, "And one day, as he was walking through the woods, the huntsman came across something new. A fellow hunter, though far younger, kneeling over the body of a stag he had slain. In his hand was the marrow of an ash-leafed hellebore, and he rubbed it into the stag's meat."

Alosaka glances at a sprig of hellebore and rubs his chin thoughtfully.

Alosaka says, "'"What are you doing, friend?" the huntsman asked."

Alosaka says, "The young hunter replied, "There is a great beast in the woods. It has attacked many homesteads, destroying them and consuming their people. I have seen this beast, and I know its weakness. I must protect my village, and so I will poison the meat of this stag with the marrow of an ash-leafed hellebore, and when the monster falls into a stupor, I will slay it."."

Alosaka says, "And the huntsman observed the young hunter and the stag. He could smell the hellebore's poison, and he saw how sharp the young hunter's arrows were. And he saw the strength in his drawing arm. He saw the shadow of himself, decades past."

Alosaka asks, "And he imagined how the hunter would react, when the Catoblepas finally showed to consume the bait. Would he fall on his knees in awe, just as the huntsman had all those decades before? Would he become the new shepherd for this wonder of the world? Could he finally lay down his burden, and pass it to another?"

Alosaka says, "He watched the young hunter set out the bait and ready his arrows, and together they waited for the Catoblepas to enter the clearing. It consumed the poisoned stag, wobbled, and fell to its knees. Beside him, the young hunter drew his bow."

Alosaka says, "And the young hunter fell to the ground, split nearly in half by the huntsman's axe."

Alosaka tilts his head down.

Alosaka says, "And the huntsman stayed by the Catoblepas. He guarded the monster until the poison faded, and then he led the wondrous beast down the forest trails, following the path the young hunter had taken, until they reached his village."

Alosaka says, "And there the huntsman slew all the men and women and children of the village. And he fed their pieces to his friend, one by one."

Alosaka bows.

Alosaka says, "Be careful of the friends you make."

== Marabet ==

Allyria says, "Next up is Marabet, a new member of the house."

Marabet stands up.

Marabet smiles.

Marabet softly says, "For many years, I sang as I wandered up and down the Vornavis Coast. Once I met an old sailor who taught me this simple song used to keep rythym while rowing."

Marabet taps out a beat on the wood back of her mahogany lyre, alternating between the instrument and tapping her foot.

Marabet leans back, her eyes closed, as she seems to pick out a random tune on her mahogany lyre, plucking string after string.

With a toss of her head, Marabet places her hands on her lyre.  Then, with a wink and a grin, she leaps gaily into a jaunty, lighthearted tune.

Marabet sings:
    "A nymph was found along the shore
     A song she wailed left one wanting more
     Our hero decided time was ripe
      For once and all to end all this strife."

Marabet recites softly:
    "Oh that song, one, two three
      pull the oar for home town chanty
     One, two, three! At sea!"

Marabet taps the fingers of her right hand on the soundboard of her lyre, sounding like so many finger snaps while the beat goes on below.

Marabet sings:
    "Oh, sailing across the seas
     He came at once upon an errant breeze
     When it was time to end the song
     He banged his shield like a gong!"

With the melody continuing in the right hand with very melodic single note lines, Marabet deftly changes the lyre's levers with the left and modulates into a new key.

Marabet recites softly:
    "Oh that song, one, two three
      pull the oar for home town chanty
     One, two, three! At sea!"

Marabet sings:
    "All at once the nymphs song stopped
     Which gave him a chance to get her whopped
      Ever since the sailors rowed and prayed
      for this Hero who was so brave!"

With a merry grin, Marabet plucks an irreverent, puckish, musical thumb-to-the nose statement on her lyre.

Marabet recites softly:
    "Oh that song, one, two three
      pull the oar for home town chanty
     One, two, three! At sea!"

Marabet sings:
    "A lovely lass she really was
     The hero was smitten because
     She firmly gave him her caress
     In love he fell then I must confess!"

Marabet taps the fingers of her right hand on the soundboard of her lyre, sounding like so many finger snaps while the beat goes on below.

Marabet recites softly:
    "Oh that song, one, two three
      pull the oar for home town chanty
     One, two, three! At sea!"

Marabet sings:
    "He stayed with her upon the shore
     A sailing he went nevermore
     And soon came daughters with golden hair
     But never again would they ever ensnare."

With the melody continuing in the right hand with very melodic single note lines, Marabet deftly changes the lyre's levers with the left and modulates into a new key.

Marabet recites softly:
    "Oh that song, one, two three
      pull the oar for home town chanty
     One, two, three! At sea!"

With nimble fingers and a flick of the wrist, Marabet plucks the last rollicking chords on her lyre, then stills the strings suddenly with both hands.

Marabet curtsies.

== Bjornsong ==

Allyria says, "Next will be Bjornsong."

Bjornsong stands up.

Bjornsong removes some fringed red velvet bagpipes from in his blue bagpipe satchel.

Bjornsong sings happily:
    "This one's sort of a reel"

Bjornsong picks up his bagpipes and plays the first notes of a jaunty tune.

Bjornsong sings happily:
    "Troll Dance"

Bjornsong sings happily:
    "I have made a troll skip, and I've made one to hop
      Plenty have run and just wouldn't stop
      But I've yet to meet a troll that could prance
      So this is how you make a troll dance"

Bjornsong touches his fingers to the bagpipes, chasing the chords up and down the scale.

Bjornsong sings happily:
    "First you must find one, no easy trick
      Even better if you find one agile and quick
      Begin by assuming your best battle stance
      Draw your blade and poke at him, or use a long lance"

With skilled fingers Bjornsong leads back into the toe-tapping chorus, a joyous call to the dance.

Bjornsong turns around.

Bjornsong sings happily:
    "As for me what works best is distraction with song
      One with a good beat, and you'll never go wrong
      If you can't sing on key, just try, take a chance
      It's the mood of the troll you try to enhance"

Bjornsong hums a masterful melody, embellishing each note as only a bard can.

Bjornsong sings happily:
    "Then once he is staring at you and confused
      Flash a big smile, and look more enthused
      As if the old troll you wish to romance
      For with trolls, when they mate they enter a trance"

Bjornsong touches his fingers to the bagpipes, chasing the chords up and down the scale.

Bjornsong smiles mischievously.

Bjornsong sings happily:
    "Last you push hard and turn him around
      Or better he stumbles and falls to the ground
       When dancing with trolls, this advice you should heed
      Whatever you do, don't let him LEAD!"

With skilled fingers Bjornsong leads back into the toe-tapping chorus, a joyous call to the dance.

With a final breath, Bjornsong removes the bagpipes from his lips, allowing the last jaunty notes to fade away.

Sweeping his arm outward, Bjornsong bows low in a grand fashion.

Bjornsong put some fringed red velvet bagpipes in his blue bagpipe satchel.

Bjornsong sits down.

== Rendena ==

Allyria says, "Next will be Rendena singing for us."

Rendena stands up.

Rendena walks over to the bench and settles down.

Rendena recites softly:
    "So this is a song revised, I call it fix the puzzle pieces"

Rendena recites softly:
    "Maybe after all this time, would you be mine, 
      because I'd jump anywhere just to catch you!
     Having dreams too big of us, this little town can't hold us, won't you be mine now?
     Maybe we'd meet again sometime,  then time is hard to find,
      the more time I spend with you."

Rendena recites softly:
    "Maybe after all this time we'd meet again with time to spend,
      just you and me.
      I've always been afraid that all the good days have passed."

Rendena recites softly:
    "Time does seem to fly, Not a worry for hours, Because i'd jump anywhere to just catch you!"

Rendena recites softly:
    "Time slows down and is right back, won't you bring me back to life? 
     Not a worry for hours, 
     Because i'd go anywhere to catch you!"

Rendena recites softly:
    "Maybe after all this time, we'd meet again with
     Time to spend"

Rendena recites softly:
    "They say the good days don't last,
      that leave these bittersweet memories."

Rendena stands up.

Rendena curtsies.

== Dremerie ==

Allyria says, "Dremerie will sing our last for tonight."

Dremerie recites melodically:
    "Well, not sing... just... a story."

Dremerie grins.

Dremerie stands up.

Dremerie sings:
    "Jacoi Peachtree grew bored one day
     And wandered off from idle play
     He explored the caverns dank and deep.
     Into fissures he did creep."

Dremerie sings:
    "Crept past ogres and orcs too
     Not to end up in their stew
     Slipped past wolves twitchin' their dreams
     Past dragons hissing clouds of steam."

(Dremerie sneaks across the stage nervously.)

Dremerie sings:
    "Snuck through a forest e'er dark
     Spirits moaning made him hark!
     Run up the hill to the light
     Rest a bit in sunshine bright."

Dremerie sings:
    "Saw a town down valley way
     To it now he did foray
     Wondrous sights met his blue eyes
     Silken clothes and fruity pies!"

Dremerie smiles brightly as she looks around in wonder as though at items in market stalls.

Dremerie sings:
    "Then he spied a strange eerie tree
     With wriggling legs dangling free
     Peering up saw gagged and bound
     Sev'ral halflings plump and round!"

Dremerie gazes heavenward.

Dremerie clasps her hand over her mouth.

Dremerie sings:
    "A Dhe'nar stood 'hind the oak
     Face hid within his darkened cloak
     As he bartered with a troll
     Jocai made haste t'hide in the bole!"

(Dremerie crouches down hiding behind an imaginary tree, then peering around as though from behind it.)

Dremerie sings:
    "'T'is a sin, these hanging blokes!
     I must save them from this moke!"
     Glancing round for inspiration
     Almost cried with elation!"

Dremerie sings:
    "Down the road came Rosey Bard
     Friend to those with life too hard
     Snuck out running to her side
     Under her cloak she did hide."

(Dremerie runs stooped over to hide under Katiesa's cape.)

Dremerie sings:
    "Whisp'ring quiet he told his tale
     About the Dhe'nar he wished to nail
     Halflings wriggling from the tree
     Prob'ly dinner lest set free"

Katiesa gives a sidelong glance at Dremerie.

Dremerie sings:
    "Could she help distract the elf
     While he climbed the tree himself?
     Rosey nodded with a grin
     Reaching down to chuck his chin."

Dremerie sings:
    "She joined the troll and Dhe'nar
     Taking out her small gittar.
     Played tunes sweet and compelling
     Jocai climbed with hope upwelling."

(Dremerie scurries back to her imaginary tree and makes climbing motions, turning to wave impishly at the audience.)

Dremerie sings:
    "Slid out on a fat ole limb
     Pulled one halfling up to him
     Cutting ropes from chest too tight
     Freed him to see yet another night!"

Dremerie sings:
    "Together cutting more free
     Making ready now to flee!
     Jocai nodded at the Bard
     Halflings jumped the bad Dhe'nar!"

(Dremerie lifts her fist and repeatedly pummels some poor imaginary foe!)

Dremerie sings:
    "Hit him on his too proud head
     Hopeful that they'd knocked him dead!
     Rosey caught the troll unaware!
     Pulled down his underwear!"

Dremerie winks.

Dremerie sings:
    "Poked him in his hindmost parts
     Then she got him in his heart!
     Turned to halflings with a smile
     "Better run off for a while!""

Dremerie smiles happily as she scurries over to stage left.

Dremerie sings:
    "Jocai led them back to their town
     Gave the elders the low-down
     Worked his way back home again
     From adventure swore he'd forefend!"

Dremerie sings:
    "Now he's happy as can be
     No longer bored as you see
     Just sits and eats fruity tarts
     Boasting boldy of his part!"

Dremerie smiles confidently as she holds her imaginary suspenders and struts around the stage.

Dremerie sings:
    "Telling kids this scarey tale
     About the leaving of the vale
     And the halflings almost ate
     By the Dinner Elf of fate."

Dremerie curtsies.

'''THE END!'''