Character 12 - Halfling Bard
You were born in Spudbarrow, a quiet town of Pastoral Smallfolk named after its main trade crop, but famous for its Strawberry Festival. Your family settled here just before you were born, and while the village folk have always been friendly, they've never quite accepted your family as part of the village. You've heard the whispers all your life: "Those Free Spirits will never settle down... they'll take off any day now... you just wait and see". But your family stayed. They built a cozy house into a hill at the edge of the village; they planted a garden like every Pastoral in town. They joined in the celebrations at Festivals, and weddings, and births, and harvests, and whatever else happened to trigger a village-wide party. But your family were always "the Wanderers".
From an early age, you showed a musical talent - something in great demand in a village that had as many parties as Spudbarrow did. There were others in the village who could play instruments, sing, and dance, and these were happy to teach you and develop your talent. One old halfling in particular, Isembard Barrowes, took an interest in you - he was an absolute master of the lute, and he said he'd teach you everything he knew.
By the time you were sixteen years old, you could play almost as well as he, and that was when your real lessons began. Isembard taught you that, in the right hands, a lute could literally weave magic, and he was convinced you had the inner spark needed for this to happen. He taught you a special tune, and demonstrated for you that this tune could actually help minor wounds to heal before your eyes! Isembard explained that while he knew quite a few of these "special tunes", you would have to discover for yourself what magics were waiting inside you to be released. All he could do was teach you to focus on your inner self; you would find your way from there. He was able to teach you a rather difficult set of flairs which, he claimed, would extend the effects of your magic if you inserted them properly into your magical compositions. The final thing he told you, though, was that in order to reach your full potential, you needed to get out into the world and experience more of it.
That was all your Free Spirit inner self needed to hear. It was time to go and see the world. You had a talent that would always bring you coin - playing in taverns or town squares. You have been learning many of the popular tavern tunes from the minstrels that traveled through the town and performed in the tavern from time to time, and you had quite a number of songs unique to Spudbarrow that would be interesting to others beyond the village. Isembard warned you, though, that you wouldn't get very far alone - you'd be best off joining a group of adventurers, since the world is a dangerous place.
After a few days to gather your belongings and say your good-byes, you gathered your lute and the few parting gifts that Isembard provided: an old, but well-kept set of studded leather armor that he said had served him well years ago, and a slender rapier - one of a pair that he owned, and one with which you and he had practiced with from time to time when music lessons were long and tedious. You headed up the road toward Feybridge Crossing, but your destination was an inn in the midle of the forest about halfway to that village.
You've been at the Bugbear's Head Inn for three days now. Theodric, the owner, graciously agreed to let you pay for a room and meals by performing in the evening - sometimes solo and sometimes accompanying his daughter Ellabeth (a human who, you knew, had the Bardic Gift as well). Sooner or later, the right group of adventurers would come along, but until then, this was a pleasant enough start to your adventure.
From an early age, you showed a musical talent - something in great demand in a village that had as many parties as Spudbarrow did. There were others in the village who could play instruments, sing, and dance, and these were happy to teach you and develop your talent. One old halfling in particular, Isembard Barrowes, took an interest in you - he was an absolute master of the lute, and he said he'd teach you everything he knew.
By the time you were sixteen years old, you could play almost as well as he, and that was when your real lessons began. Isembard taught you that, in the right hands, a lute could literally weave magic, and he was convinced you had the inner spark needed for this to happen. He taught you a special tune, and demonstrated for you that this tune could actually help minor wounds to heal before your eyes! Isembard explained that while he knew quite a few of these "special tunes", you would have to discover for yourself what magics were waiting inside you to be released. All he could do was teach you to focus on your inner self; you would find your way from there. He was able to teach you a rather difficult set of flairs which, he claimed, would extend the effects of your magic if you inserted them properly into your magical compositions. The final thing he told you, though, was that in order to reach your full potential, you needed to get out into the world and experience more of it.
That was all your Free Spirit inner self needed to hear. It was time to go and see the world. You had a talent that would always bring you coin - playing in taverns or town squares. You have been learning many of the popular tavern tunes from the minstrels that traveled through the town and performed in the tavern from time to time, and you had quite a number of songs unique to Spudbarrow that would be interesting to others beyond the village. Isembard warned you, though, that you wouldn't get very far alone - you'd be best off joining a group of adventurers, since the world is a dangerous place.
After a few days to gather your belongings and say your good-byes, you gathered your lute and the few parting gifts that Isembard provided: an old, but well-kept set of studded leather armor that he said had served him well years ago, and a slender rapier - one of a pair that he owned, and one with which you and he had practiced with from time to time when music lessons were long and tedious. You headed up the road toward Feybridge Crossing, but your destination was an inn in the midle of the forest about halfway to that village.
You've been at the Bugbear's Head Inn for three days now. Theodric, the owner, graciously agreed to let you pay for a room and meals by performing in the evening - sometimes solo and sometimes accompanying his daughter Ellabeth (a human who, you knew, had the Bardic Gift as well). Sooner or later, the right group of adventurers would come along, but until then, this was a pleasant enough start to your adventure.
Compositions
Children
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