The Merry Minstrel

In early Estar, the Voice of Gullagumbah stirred, mentioning a strang rumbling, unheard to the Minstrels He alerted. Confusion was abundant until the Basin rumbled, the sound emanating from the Northern Mountains. As the rumbling subsided, a soft melody was briefly heard, carried about upon the winds. As many wondered about the sounds, in the Minstrel’s guild hall, the Voice of Gullagumbah began calling out to the Minstrels, and He began to speak of a mysterious person, only referring to them as “him.”

Taking up form in the Effervescent Keg of Gullagumbah once more, the Voice followed Synkarin to the Northern Mountains, where the Voice began to tell a tale about this mysterious person.

As the Soulless were trapped away during the Vernal Wars, the Voice of Gullagumbah, tired of His confines, wandered out in search of activity. Naturally, He was drawn to the celebrations of the mortals, and would often times take home within one of the party-goers and join along in the festivities. Less and less did the Voice stay hidden, amused by the antics of the mortals, and, enjoying their company, the Voice decided to take up a companion to join Him in His travels. He passed along His most cherished possession, the Golden Stein of Gullagumbah, to these companions, and with it, they became His vessel.

With the stein in hand, the two travelled, and inspired by how He had helped this mortal, they began to work to bring joy to those who thought they’d never see it again. Over time, as they worked together bringing happiness to others, the Voice’s companion came to be known as the Merry Minstrel. The title was passed down from companion to companion, until one day, their journey brought them to a small distillery atop Mount Wend. This was when the Frost Spite stole away the Voice, and He never knew what happened to His Merry Minstrel.

The Efferevescent Keg of Gullagumbah told the mortals that the melody that had drifted through the air was one He had tought to the Minstrel long ago. Believing that His Merry Minstrel had returned, the Voice led the Minstrels to Mount Wend, finding the old distillery had been lodged free by the avalanche of a mound of snow that had hidden it for so long. Sensing His Merry Minstrel inside, the Voice grew excited. The Frost Spite began to stir, and fearing that He would be captured once more, He fled back to His home in the Minstrel’s guild hall.

Greeting the Merry Minstrel, it was Talan Ysav’rai, of Hallifax, whose curiosity about the Voices drew her here, that first received the golden stein of Gullagumbah. Turning it in her hands, she saw many within the Basin who needed cheer, so with the Minstrels in tow, along with others from the city of Hallifax, she began to bring cheer back to the Basin once more.

Enemies travelled together, biting their tongues, as they helped fulfill the Voice’s wishes. Tempers rose, however, and eventually, Talan split off from the pack, taking up the task herself. The Voice of Gullagumbah stirred, asking His Minstrels once more if they had any success in helping the Minstrel. They told Him that another held the stein, and was helping the Minstrel at the time. Wary of this unknown person helping the Minstrel, the Voice asked if they had asked to carry the stein instead. Shulamit Lunarose spoke up, asking Talan, and was the next to work towards helping the Merry Minstrel.

Continuing where Talan left off, Shulamit travelled with Synkarin, the Minstrel champion, and continued to bring cheer to the Basin and laughter to the lost souls of Mount Wend. In the end, it was she who eventually succeeded in getting the Frost Spite to bellow with laughter, bringing an echo of the Voice of Gullagumbah forward to sing with the spirit of His Merry Minstrel once more. And so, Gullagumbah’s final song was heard once more, and the Merry Minstrel was able to rest.

Rumors say, however, that the spirit returns every so often when laughter is needed once more.