RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes

Telluride · **11-14-2014, 12:16 PM**

The Coffer and Coffin was packed, wall to wall, with patrons. There were dust-bedecked miners, wiping their noses and chugging cheap ale. Merchants of many-hued tunics, tabards and tops congregated in tight little pockets, enjoying slightly more expensive libations and lagers. Broad-shouldered porters sat closer to the counter, determined not to lug their drinks far after spending the whole day carting crates for gil. A few men and women of the Brass Blades, armored and wary, made up most of the rest of the complement, with but a pair of fancy-dressed Elezen women who could be taken either for slumming syndicate molls or perhaps overeager courtesans.

None of their identities mattered to the tall highlander standing on the corner table, clad in leather, lute at the ready in his hands. All that mattered was that his pulse raced, and gone were the murk and muddle of the day before. After all, he'd taken his own advice. Fortune and fair lady would come, or they would not, and for yet another shining moment, Nathan Telluride, itinerant bard, had the thing he loved as much as anything upon the face of Hydaelyn: an eager crowd, one that was actually interested to hear a tune and forget the day's travails. This was life, this was every sunrise and sunset and moon and patch of starlight in a single instance, and it had no room for sadness or wistfulness. A bold feeling demanded a bold song to warm the crowd.

He stood straight, balanced himself on the table, and lifted his hand. He needed no preamble for this song, this favorite of skalds everywhere, and simply strummed the chord with a force and flair fit for casting spells:

"Brothers of the verse, rejoice!
Play your strings with me!
Sisters, let me hear your voice!
Sing, sing, sing with me!
Play your tunes in every town,
Praise the sky and stomp the ground
Show the power in your sound
Flirt because we get around!

Born to the song, bred to spread the harmony
Raised in the taverns, traveling from sea to sea
Hearts made for rhythm, bass in our bones
To live by music makes us free,
Brothers, sisters, sing with me!

I am a bard and I'm playing a song
Come and clap along, come and join the throng
I am a bard and I'm singing a song
Come and play along, make your voices strong

Traveling through copse and wood
Tread, tread every pass
"til we find your neighborhood
Raise, raise every glass
Entertaining is our quest
Draw a smile from every guest
Good for every song request
Warm the beds at your behest!

I am a bard and I'm playing a song
Come and clap along, come and join the throng
I am a bard and I'm singing a song
Come and play along, make your voices strong

Born to the chorus, live to make the desp'rate laugh
Raised in the backstage, joy will be our epitaph
Wardens of the woodwinds, and sovereigns of the strings
Wet our whistles with your ales, whet your passions with our tales!

I am a bard and I'm playing a song
Come and clap along, come and join the throng
I am a bard and I'm singing a song
Come and play along, make your voices strong

Born to the song, bred to spread the harmony
Raised in the taverns, traveling from sea to sea
Hearts made for rhythm, bass in our bones
To live by music makes us free,
Brothers, sisters, sing with me!

I am a bard and I'm playing a song
Come and clap along, come and join the throng
I am a bard and I'm singing a song
Come and play along, make your voices strong!"

Upstaging - a bard's tales. [Journal]

RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes