Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a scripted prop that can be used with the PLAY verb, providing ambient messaging depending on the song play style. Playing a musical instrument is also tied to a skill, which can only be progressed by practicing. Instruments are categorized based on their type. Each instrument type has its own play skill as well as its own unique messaging when played. While all characters clan learn to play each type of instruments, only bards are capable of learning beyond 10 ranks of any instrument skill type.
Altering
- Main article: Player's Guide to Musical Instrument Alterations
A few short, IMPORTANT rules:
- Musical instruments can never be altered to be worn. In some instances special straps, sold by merchants, can be added to an instrument to be made wearable, but a merchant cannot change an instrument so you can sling it over your shoulder.
- Some adjectives change the entire nature of an instrument. A "concert harp" is large, cannot be easily carried, and has foot pedals; it is not readily portable. Uillean bagpipes are not constructed like our highland-based pipes. The messaging associated with them would not make sense transferred to Uillean pipes. The same applies to panpipe flutes. A GM must refuse to add any wording to an instrument that will make the instrument inconsistent with the messaging.
- Materials must make sense. Strings must be gut or metal, most instruments are made of wood. Exceptions are noted below. In some instances, merchants will deem a magical wood too rare or its properties too dangerous to allow it to be made into a musical instrument.
- Ornamentation must be logical. Detailed paintings and elaborately fine ornamentation should be put in a shown description. Ask yourself if someone could notice what you are describing in a room with poor lighting in the middle of a battle.
See the full Player's Guide to Musical Instrument Alterations article for detailed alteration rules and points for each instrument type.
Music Styles
All instruments can be played based on the available PLAY style options. Messaging varies between play styles, with more messaging options becoming available at higher instrument skill ranks.
Valid styles of music are: Joyful, Mournful, Soft, Fast, Slow, Intense, Jaunty, Flamboyant, Aimless, Somber, Inspiring.
Instrument Types
Horns
Elanthian horns cover two distinct classes of instruments: double-reeds (crumhorns and shawms) and aerophones (cornetts and lysards). They are made of wood. The wood of the horn may very authentically be covered with leathers, hides and skins. Rings, geometric patterns, tassels and streamers, simple inlays, paint, lacquer, filigree or carved work that suits the elongated, tube-like nature of the instrument.
Horns include the cornett, crumhorn, enshai, lysard, and shawm.
See all horn messaging options.
Necked String Instruments
Necked string instruments contain the same elements as a modern guitar. All of the instruments in this family may be played with Picks, or Plectrums, in the opposite hand.
Necked string instruments consist of a hollow box, or body, over which the strings are stretched. The body consists of the wooden soundbox and soundboard. Strings are attached to the briedge of the instrument below the soundhole. They progress from the bridge, crossing the soundhole and rising over the neck, then arriving at the head or pegbox, where they are attached to tuning pegs.
Necked string instruments include the ayr, biwa, cittern, lute, mandolin, shamisen, and theorbo.
The ayr is of Tehir origin. The biwa and shamisen were first released at Rumor Woods in 2019. A biwa is a short-necked, fretted lute with an exaggerated teardrop body. A shamisen is a three stringed instrument with a square soundbox that has rounded edges. It is often played with the aid of plectrum.
See all necked string instrument messaging options.
Percussion
There are two types of percussion instruments: finger cymbals and tambourine.
A tambourine consists of a wooden hoop or shell covered with a skin or hide. Metal jingles are inset into the sides of the shell.
Cymbals are small and metal, with a leather, cord or fabric loop attaching them.
See all percussion instrument messaging options.
Pipes
The bagpipe is played by blowing air into the blowstick or blowpipe where it fills a bag made from leather or hide. It has a chanter placed at the front of the bagpipe, which is the pipe with finger holes that allow the musician to form notes. The blowpipe is directly behind the chanter in the array of pipes.Behind the chanter are drones. The chanter and drones have reeds at their ends. The air forced through the blowpipe, into the bag, up the drones or chanter and through the reeds is what gives a bagpipe that buzzing sound. All of these parts are referred to as the pipes and are attached to the bag with stocks made from wood.
Pipes include bagpipes and the cornemeuse.
See all pipes instrument messaging options.
Stringed Instruments
All of the instruments in this family may be played picks and plectrums. They do not have a neck, but may vary slightly in appearance depending on the noun. They are always small enough to be able to be held in one hand.
Stringed instruments include the dulcimer, harp, lyre, psaltery, and zither.
See all stringed instrument messaging options.
Woodwinds
Woodwind instruments are a small instrument type.
Woodwind instruments include the fife, flute, ocarina, piccolo, and shinobue.
The shinobue was first released at Rumor Woods in 2019. Part of the flute family, it is traditionally fashioned of bamboo and has a high-pitched sound.
See all woodwind instrument messaging options.
Ocarina
Considered a subclass of the woodwind instrument, the ocarina has its own unique messaging when played. It is a type of vessel flute with fingerholes that uses the woodwind skill. It was first introduced at Ebon Gate in 2024.
See all ocarina messaging options.
Master Quality Instrument
Master quality instruments (or master instruments) provide additional messaging when played by a bard who is highly skilled in that instrument type. They provide no benefit to non-bard characters. Master quality instruments have been made available throughout the years as an auction tier prize at festivals and pay events. Automated certificates to turn a standard instrument into a master instrument have been sold at The Annex at Duskruin.
Examples of master quality instruments include a jewel-adorned ebonwood enshai and a bone-inlaid hawthorn ayr (auctioned Ebon Gate 2006).