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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Brix" data-source="post: 191265" data-attributes="member: 4576">The next one is from Eldric IV (Arizona)He has some excellent ideas that would easily make up for a great epic adventureYour ideas are welcomedQuestions: - Why has Corynn left his rural, pastoral home in order to become a bard?[He had always been fascinated by the tales told by bards passing through his rural home. He became enchanted with the bardic life as they told him of how glorious and rewarding the life of a traveling poet was: choosing your own way, living in the eternal, adoring admiration of others, traveling with interesting and heroic adventurers. Of course, now Corynn realizes that either they were lying or he just did not possess the full ability to realize that dream life.]- How did he learn his trade?[While the bards who passed through his town taught him many of the basics indirectly (Corynn was always an attentive listener), he is mostly self-taught, filling in the missing pieces with what he believes a true bard would do.]- What is special with the Bullride Tavern? (Innkeeper, guests)[The Bullride Tavern is the secret meeting place of two rival gangs in Gatetown. The innkeeper makes sure to keep the gangs separated at all times, and has given each a different entrance into the secret room hidden in the wine cellar below. Neither gang has any idea that their nemesi use the same room for arraging heists, but it is only a matter of time before the innkeeper slips up and leaves a clue behind.]- Features of Gatetown? What is special with this small town that borders to the barren land that leads to the forbidden forest?[Probably the most substantial secret within the town relates to the town constable, Gareth Riven. Gareth and his men defend the town from the creatures that brave the open area between the forest and the town. What most people do not know is that a group of hobgoblins from the forest are secretly in league with Gareth. They drive already weakened creatures such as kobolds, goblins, and large, predatory animals from the cover of the trees so that Gareth's men have little difficulty driving them off. In exchange, Gareth is embezling money and supplies from the provincial government to equip the hobgoblins. This arrangement keeps Gareth in the comfortable position of town constable and ensures that the hobgoblins remain a force in the dangerous forest. No one knows when one side or the other will be willing to call off the arrangement to persue other ends.]- Why did the Bards power dwindle?[The power of the Bards dwindled due to the influence of a secret sect of bards called The Lyre. The members of The Lyre were all potential bards who had been turned away from the Bardic College for one reason or another. They chose the name Lyre because it was one of the most basic tests for entrance to the school.The Lyre worked from the darkness to discredit the most powerful and influential Bards of their time. They were masters of planning and deceit, making up in those areas what they lacked in musical ability. Their scheme had the effect of making almost every top-ranking Bard seem involved in a plot to assassinate the rulers that they worked for in an attempt to put the Bards in a position of domination that bordered on an empire. Although the rumor was later proven to be false, the people realized just how much trust they had placed in the Bards. They no longer felt safe with one organization (if you could call it that) in so many positions of power throughout all the land. So, in a matter of decades, the once mighty position held by the Bards came to an end.]- Why did the Bards forget their ability to use spell singing?[A more dastardly attempt by The Lyre to destroy the Bards resulted in the loss of the ability to spell-sing. One of the few musically competent members of The Lyre, Marhault Ellsdragon, journeyed far and wide to the keeping place of Heward's Mystical Organ, the Bardic College of Castrani. Within the Hall of the Organ, Marhault played a song of such sweetness that the earth began to weep with joy. He then turned the notes sour, purposefully misplaying the magical organ. The magic flowing through the music became vengeful and stole the power of the spell-song from the Bards, along with the life from Marhault. If one could find the Mystical Organ and play the sweet melody once again, maybe the unknown force(s) that stole the spell-song would return it.]- Who are the Annoon?[The Annoon are a race of celestial elves that were confined to the College of Castrani. They were the original teachers of the Bards. But, after the song of Marhault, they and the college vanished.]- What are the courts of Avardia?[Avardia was once a great and powerful empire that stretched across the lands on the other side of the ocean. Avardia had established colonies on the continent and that is where they first met the Bards. The music of the Bards was well received in Avardia and it was not long until some of the Bards traveled across the ocean and attended the courts of Avardia, a feat that the rulers of the continent had not yet accomplished.]Quote:  But is he really dead, or is he still "alive" (maybe not that alive)? If still alive in some form or another:How has the dark tune changed or transformed him?Are his vile songs (of corruption) still carried by a band of loyal followers through the land? (the members of the Lyre)What was his major plan when he tried to currupt the artifact?  Okay, assuming that Marhault survived in some alternate form (most likely a powerful, variant form of ghost- maybe a male form of banshee), the magic of the music has twisted his soul and now he is only able to speak through twisted, deadly song. His movement is accompanied by dark melodies (even though he is incorporeal and would usually move silently). In an ironic twist, he is completely deaf.Marhault's trapped soul guards the Mystical Organ, either trying to stop someone from reversing his deed or trying to stop someone from making a bigger mistake. It is possible that an offshoot group of The Lyre (inspired to continue the organization by the fanaticism shown by Marhault's sacrifice) continues to guard his vile song, ready to unleash it and its prodigy on the world if ever it served their purposes. They have spent the years studying the song, reveling in how perfect yet evil it is. They have tried their hands at creating songs to rival it; the most evil come close but none have yet matched Marhault's song.Marhault's original plan for the Mystical Organ was to imbue himself with the essence of the spell-song; but, at some point in his playing, he realized that the secret could never be his and in his jealous rage he sought to destroy the ability and wipe it from the world forever.Quote:  1. There are no bards as such. Every so-called-bards is nothing more than someone with musical or other artistic abilities. There is virually no class bard, for their secrets are lost. Only if someone manages to play the Song of Reversal on the magical organ he learns of the secrets of bardcraft and teach it to others (if he does not fall prey to the melancholy curse of the artifact)After such an incident the first "true bard" is born again.2. The bards have their regular powers, but the "true bard" (or as we will call it) is something like a prestige class with emphasis on magical powers. Something like the Song Mage (from Monte Cooks Book of Eldritch Might 2)3. Something I don#t think ofWhat do you prefer?  The first variant sounds interesting and would make for a good novel, but the second is the easier one for play. The core bard class (or monte's variant) is a watered down version of the Bards of old. Should some brave soul play the song of reversal on Heward's Mystical Organ, then current bards would be able to rediscover the spell-song and rise to the lost level of power that the Bards once held (via a powerful prestige class).Quote:  THE GANGSwhich are the two rival gangs of gatetown?What are their goals?Important members?  The two rival gangs of Gatetown are the Acquisitioner's Consortium (a branch of the thieves guild that holds power in the closest large city- made up of halflings and gnomes who specialize in retrieving certain objects for a price) and The Torn Princes (created by a minor noble that was exiled from his homeland- made up of humans and half-elves).The Acquisitioner's Consortium does not view itself as a thieves' guild as such. According to their leader, Pontifar Five-knives, they are no more a criminal than a librarian. Where a librarian searches among the dusty tomes for the one book that you desire, so the Acquisitioner's Consortium roots through the ubiquitous junk that plagues even small towns and finds whatever it is you need (although it is known that they sometimes "find" stuff among the possessions of others). The goal of the Acquisitioner's Consortium is simply to make money.The Torn Princes, founded by Prince Abu Naram, is a true thieves' guild. They run protection, prostitution, numbers, shakedowns, and robberies. They have been ousted from another nearby city that recently decided to "clean-up" its seedier districts. Although they are aware that the Acquisitioner's Consortium is not as pervasive in criminal activities, the Torn Princes still view them as a threat to their total domination of the fledgling Gatetown. While the Torn Princes are more combat ready than the rival gang, they have an internal power struggle that prevents them from completely eliminating the Acquisitioner's branch in Gatetown. The current leader, Chaud Brookhart, was responsible for getting them exiled from their former base. One of his underlings, Huri Reinhart, is trying to win the loyalty of the members and take over command of the Torn Princes.Quote:  THE LYREa secret sect of (evil) bardshow are they structuredimportant members(long term) goals  The Lyre was originally structured as a council of eleven ousted bards. They were the original schemers who plotted the downfall of the major Bards. However, as more potential members were turned away from the Bardic College, the council approached those who seemed to be sypathetic to their cause. The council remained in power for the duration of the original Lyre group, while all new members simply filled a pool of talent that was called upon as needed.The longterm goal of The Lyre came to fruition with Marhault's song, but the offshoot organization of fanatics continues to plot against major figures. They no longer confine themselves to Bards (although those with Bards for ancestors would do well to not reveal that fact), pointing their evil machinations at kings, queens, wizards, and powerful priests as well. However, unlike the original Lyre, this offshoot is so far more talk than walk.</blockquote>

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