A Song (or two or three) for the Basin
Toward the end of Roarkian, a visitor was spotted wandering throughout the Basin, seeking fresh inspiration. Tired of the same old songs to be found within the dated material given them, the wandering bards of the Basin elected to send Adalgiso Batyun forward as supreme advocate, who took up the mantle determined to bring new life and vigour to the grand stages. Heading first to the northern commune of Serenwilde, Adalgiso came upon Raeri Stormcrow, a learned bard in his own right, who entranced the player with his works surrounding the great forest and its bounties. While moving, the pieces failed to stir in Adalgiso the inspiration so desperately sought, and so, on the advice of Raeri, Adalgiso traveled next to the commune of Glomdoring.
Met at first with suspicion, Adalgiso encouraged those gathered to bring to him poetry and song that would ignite the spark he required in order to fulfill his mission. Led to the grand hall that housed the commune’s stage, he was met with performances by Nicholo Nightshade and Gwenaelle Erid’in, who sang of Mother Night’s dark beauty and the bloody grace of the hunt, Xydral, who regaled Adalgiso with an ode to his crow, and Stratas Shee-Slaugh, who presented material too lurid to be deemed fit for the Basin’s more tender ears. Sighing with resignation, Adalgiso took his leave and headed instead to the Aetherplex.
Issuing a shouted challenge for any who could rouse in him a grand passion for their artistic work, Adalgiso was greeted by a cacophony of well-meaning, if amateur, attempts at poetry, clever prose, and songs sung only slightly out of tune. When his ears could take no more and he felt that surely he must return with bad news for his fellow musicians, he was struck finally by the possibility of recovering the long-abandoned apartments of the Basin’s earliest composers. With the help of several to corral his errant apprentice bards who had scattered upon the Peak, Adalgiso was able to uncover a gilded, locked door – and to disturb in the process a nest of burrowed cavern rats! Squealing in terror, they fled to the far corners of the peak..in possession of the key required to gain entry to the apartments at last. After several failed attempts, it was Drayl Ysav’rai who was finally able to locate the key to unlock the door.
Finally properly stationed within the hallowed halls of times gone by, Adalgiso traded in his traveling garb in favour of the stately, if ill-fitting, costume of an accomplished composer, and sat down to work on a new piece at last. As Phoebus Skyplume retrieved for him the last object of inspiration required, it was she that led him about, across the Basin, to find a view to bring upon a complete work. Arriving at length at the Aetherplex yet again, Adalgiso Batyun was able to compose his song. If any of those gathered had doubts about Adalgiso’s right to claim all credit for the music, they were soon feeling considerably less slighted as the final piece was unveiled. Alas, a singer does not necessarily a lyricist make!
