The third age of man officially began in Blue Mountain Year 0 (BMY0) when the former plains barbarians established their city-within-a-mountain. Yet there was civilization before then. The Bard of Epron hailed from one of the few bastions of civilization that has persisted throughout the ages; the Kingdoms of Skysea. He is perhaps the most famous bard in history. In his lifetime, he wrote 38 symphonies and countless number of songs and ballads. Yet his greatest work was the construction of the Quivayan Pipes. This magical artifact resembled a tower of stone, topped by a peaked roof. Yet the stone was no ordinary granite. The Bard called upon elemental forces to pluck rocks from the heavens and fashion his edifice of stone. Into the tower, he placed his pipes.
Only the purest of metals would do to produce the music he envisioned. For this he traveled to Dormun Deep where the master metalsmiths practiced their arts. Dwarves. But not just any dwarf. It had to be Twelidin, great grandson of the Smith of Night; Twelik who forged the Axe of the Dwarvish Lords.
For ten years, Twelidin labored at this task. Mithril was a very rare metal, not easily come by. Nevertheless, he succeeded in his task and the Bard collected the pipes.
Meanwhile, the Bard commissioned the elves of the Aelb-widu to fashion the wooden pipes and control box, though not the controls themselves. For these he sought out the elves of the sea. At his behest, the elves collected and fashioned the many black and white keys that would control the pipes.
Wen finally the pieces were done, the Bard collected them and retired to the island of Quivaya to place them in his tower. For 483 days, the Bard toiled in his labour of love. When the device was complete, he bound into it an air elemental of huge size to insure a constancy of pure air over the pipes, thus insuring perfect tones. It is this last that brought about the downfall of a desert kingdom and the gall from grace of the Bard.
He signaled the completion of his task by the sudden appearance of the tower in the front of the Sandhold, as the sultan’s palace of Bhrathairain was known. There he played a beautiful melody that was to become known as his first symphony. The townspeople flocked to the Sandhold and lined the Sandwall to listen to the musical rendition of bardic skill. Notes, pure and magical entranced the audience and took their imaginations on a fantastic voyage that left only sensations of wonder and delight when finally the music ended. To this very day in Bhrathairain, the seventh day of Mirtul is called Bard’s Day in honor of the great musician.
Over the next 50 years, the Quivayan Pipes, as his artifact became known, appeared in many of the desert cities and entertained many a populace for, wherever the Bard appeared, peasants and nobles alike flocked to his tower to hear the wonderful sounds and melodies of his Quivayan Pipes. And never did a false note escape his sure fingers.
Until Demonrage.
On the northern fringes of Skysea there existed the Emirate of Palmyra. Bard’s Day appeared and so did the Quivayan Pipes. As always, the people came. And listened. And were enraptured by the beautiful music of the gray tower. It was his 38th symphony now known as The Summoning of Demons.
It happened in the 4th movement as the music built to a resounding climax. As the people envisioned vast armies clashing in battle, a Wrong Note sounded and the tide was turned. The vision became a nightmare as demons rose from the depths of the earth and the people were crushed like ants. Desperately the army tried to regroup and undo what had been done. But there was no undoing the Wrong Note on the Quivayan Pipes. All that could be done was to return the demons from whence they came.
This was done. But as great cost. The city lay in ruins. No buildings yet stood. The pipes were silent. But the symphony continued. The whistling of the wind carried the melody to its own climax. It was accompanied by the screams and moans of the dying peoples of the emirate. The Quivayan Pipes had vanished.
The Bard of Epron was not seen again. Nor were his Quivayan Pipes. Of his 38 symphonies, only 6 still remain in the knowledge of man, including his 38th; The Summoning of Demons.
Yet rumours persist. What great power is stored in the pipes that a single wrong note could demolish a town? And by opening gates to the outer planes, no less. Many have searched for the pipes in hopes of harnessing its power. Yet still their whereabouts remain outside the knowledge of man.
(Author’s note. The Book that contains this legend also contains the six symphonies still in existence. They are outlined below.)
Symphony 1. Quivayan Pipes of Bhrathairain.
Symphony 5. Myralzatine.
Symphony 8. The Tides of Skysea.
Symphony 25. The Swords of the Sultan.
Symphony 38. The Summoning of Demons. |