Virtues of Verse
Music has been a part of Mennara's history from its origins; many of the oldest of records exist only as songs passed on from one generation to the next. Even in its darkest times, music and song have been used to strengthen wills and lead troops, as well as to woo and share fellowship. Music, though, can be much more than this in Mennara. When the most talented or earnest pour their hearts into their music, it is as though they can truly cast a spell upon their listeners.
The Elves have long sensed the link between magic and music, as they know so many things of the deeper nature of this world. They learned early on that even mundane music echoes in its art the Lays of the First, which flow through and nourish all of creation. Perhaps it is for this reason that song, dance, and music are fundamental elements of all cultures, from the earliest tribes of the Ru to the highest circles of Elven society. Some primal part of them remembers the songs of creation, and they unknowingly reprise that power when they are moved by or seek to inspire powerful emotions.
Each culture has its own traditions of song and music, with different roles for music and musicians depending on their needs. The Elven Loremasters sing the histories of their people, relying on tempo and key to convey what words alone cannot. The Dwarves sing their ancient rhythmic work songs to work their crafts at a steady pace. Gnomes use music to lighten the load and lift their spirits while traveling from town to town. Catfolk use song to call the tribes together when needed and communicate while hunting their prey. The Orcish peoples sing to celebrate their ancestors and the spirits of the land that nourish them. Humans, of course, use music to impress and woo one another, or simply to pass the time.
Singers, musicians, dancers, and poets of sufficient skill and sincerity are able to produce magical effects from their melodies, lyrics, and movements. Their rhyming structures, vocal ranges, or instrument techniques either evoke the magic of those original lays, or they inspire a near-magical response in the listener. As a result, bards need not be trained magicians in order to accomplish these effects, and indeed most bards are magically naïve (or boastful) individuals who would credit the effect of their music on their own virtuosity.
Sorcerers and Runemasters would say that bardic magic is much more limited and subtle in its effects compared to their own arts, but the troubadour knows the potency of their craft. They can imbue themselves and their companions with improved morale, revitalizing energy, increased determination, feelings of concentration, or speed and stamina when on the march. Certain performers are even able to produce unnerving dissonances which cause fear or resentment in their targets. For these reasons, despite the mystery surrounding their art, bards are valued members of adventuring parties and communities alike.
Known Bard groups include the wandering Motley Circus and the Children of the Harp.
Instruments of Mennara
The musical instruments of bards are as varied as the lands of Mennara itself. Stringed instruments are common in all regions, though, such as lutes, zithers, and lyres—some renowned Tamalir bards often use small dragon scales as picks. Instruments that use bows such as viols and the cranked lyres of Al-Kalim offer richer sounds but require greater skill or complicated mechanisms. A few bards employ drums, chimes, and even bell lyres, especially to produce percussive martial tones before battles.
Bards who don’t rely on their voices favor pipes, flutes, and the like. Horns are also popular; the Elves employ ones made using materials gifted from sentient creatures of the Aymhelin. Most notorious, though, are Dunwarr bagpipes made from preserved dragonskin, which fables say can turn entire armies away.
References
- Realms of Terrinoth