Voice of the Cursed Bard

Item · 500 gp · Weight 0.25

Priests of Shelyn only speak the name of Francest, the Cursed Bard, in terrified whispers. There was a day when he was one of them, and his fame resounded from Varisia to Andoran. He traveled the world with a song and a smile, and a lovely wife at his side. He dreamt of creating the Song of All and spent years gathering sounds and notes for the melody that would encompass the entire Creation in supreme harmony. The laughter of a child and the confession of love, the triumphant cry and the gentle lullaby — all became sources for his inspiration. The journey brought the husband and wife to Drezen, where the great bard sang for the soldiers to inspire them before battle, but one night darkness descended upon Francest. "You are gathering only the notes of joy, bard," it whispered mockingly. "But there are so many other sounds you have never heard before," it murmured. "Pay me with the blood of your love, and I will reveal them to you." Francest attempted to resist Nocticula's seductive voice, but to no avail — by dawn, his hand reached for the knife on its own accord. He walked through the city streets covered in his wife's blood, singing a song with a happy smile on his face, and nobody dared to stop him — so terrifying and powerful was his voice. The call brought Francest to Alushinyrra where he kept gathering the notes to compose the Song of All: the cries of a mother whose children were butchered in front of her, the moans of a warrior whose hands were being chopped off, the wailing of lovers who would never see each other again. His cruelty astonished even demons. He murdered and tortured women and men, but the smile never left his face. Years went by, and the Song of All was almost complete. The Cursed Bard was lacking one final chord. He came to the Fleshmarkets and walked among slaves, treating them to sweet wine and even sweeter songs. The thralls watched him with hope and timid smiles. They gratefully accepted the cup he offered, but wine's tangy aftertaste quickly gave way to searing pain. The bard's wine casket was full of poison that liquefied innards, and the moans of the dying joined Francest's song as its final note. The Cursed Bard drank the bitter dregs himself. He sang as he lay dying... and was happy. The demons listened to his performance with bated breath. It was the Song of All Wicked, a hymn to the darkest night where the cursed fire burns bright. When Francest fell silent, his body was reduced to rancid ooze. The poison spared only the bard's vocal cords, which the demons preserved as a grisly relic. They became a memento of the most frightful, the most remorseless song Alushinyrra ever heard.

Location

Road junction near Valley of Temples · 3Worldwound→