[NA/DC] The Aetherian Bards [Total Immersion RP]

Twilanthe

Our Purpose
We are the Bards of Aetheria, all of time is our tapestry. We are minstrels and performers, singers and poets, and adventurers at heart. We travel the width and breadth of Tamriel, seeking stories and tales that endure the test of time. We uncover the lost songs and histories buried deep in the ancient ruins and crumbling civilizations of the past.

We also venture from every tiny farming village to great city from Hammerfell to the Skyrim in search of modern stories of war, strife, romance, heartache, adventure and heroes. These stories, from past to present, are collected, inscribed, memorized and performed by the Aetherian Bards in every inn, palace, tavern, and streetside venue we come across.

We are nomads, gypsies, never staying in the same place, never calling one specific building or city home. We remain neutral in the political conflicts and agendas of our age, traveling everywhere in the Daggerfall Covenant, the Aldmeri Dominion and the Ebonheart Pact.** We've even been known to entertain and perform for the armies in Cyrodil.

No story is too great or too small, no tavern or pub is beneath us, no instrument or meter is foreign to us, and no home or hearth is too good for us. We never demand pay, but we do not turn away gifts given in the spirit of enjoyment. Such generous gifts often see us through the day, or find new strings on old lutes, and we appreciate them.
.
.

The Bardic Code
We seek the tales that kindle heart and soul
To far beyond the width and breadth of Nirn
Our hearts and souls sing out the truth we toll
Never to twist the stories that we learn

From lute to flute to dulcimer we play
Spinning vast tales of hope in each tavern
And for our work we never demand pay
But gifts of coin and food we will not spurn

Never do we feature center stage
In great stories that we tell in hopes to turn
Burning passions of great lust and rage
Into the dreams of which we hope and yearn

For in the wide, vast world of Tamriel
Are true stories a-bound for us to tell

-Pearl Fen, 2E 583

Out-of-Character
We like to think of ourselves as bards both in-character and out of it. We are storytellers, and taleweavers, performers and catalysts. We feel that too much RP takes place behind closed doors, and with player housing coming that may only worsen. It is our desire to enliven and to enrich open-world RP. As such, we often create stories for non-guild members, random encounters to be stumbled upon. We create alternate characters (alts) to set-up in specific locales to further the story, like a kind of scavenger hunt. We also put on random flash-mob like performances throughout the world, out in the open for people to see and enjoy. We wish to get the RP going openly, not confine it to dimly lit taverns and dusty palaces (though we perform there too).

Scavenger-Hunt RP Adventures
If you see someone sporting the Tabard of the Aetherian Bards, you know something is afoot! Go up to this player (if they don't approach you first! We aren't shy!) and start RPing! They will have a tale to tell. Follow their message, their clues or their direction. Each new Bard you meet will have a little more of the story to tell. Those of you who are familiar with D&D can consider them mini-DMs. They will emote for themselves, but also for any NPCs, enemies, or other things that cannot be readily seen (though we try to use the environment wherever possible).

Completing one of these little RP adventures can be done solo or in a group of your friends, and sometimes have a reward at the end of gold, rare crafting motifs, crafting materials or trait materials, or laundered items worth gold.


Plays, Stories & Songs
Not every Bard you see is part of a scavenger hunt. Sometimes we are there to entertain! One or two of us my spin an epic tale or sing a soaring ballad, or a few of us may be prepared to put on a play. We have tales from all over Nirn, and may spin true tales of historical events in Tamriel's past, or strange tales that seem to not have taken place yet (stories from Tamriel's future) or stranger yet tales of fantasy and unbelievable happenings from far off words (myths/stories from real outside-game life).

These bits of entertainment are meant to be enjoyed. We can pop up in any tavern or other RP hot-spots. We may even show up at your guild base (we don't know where any of them are, we just go everywhere and anywhere in all of Tamriel). Our plays or stories will never be too long as to bore or overstay our welcome.

On occasion, our bards will be sent out with sealed scrolls in wooden cases, carved with fanciful designs. These are invitations to larger plays that may last a couple hours (with an intermission). These will not take place in any RP hot-spots, but in random locations throughout Tamriel.

Hiring the Bards of Aetheria
While we never charge for our work, we will come to a requested location and time to entertain at your event. We appreciate any gifts of gratitude you may provide, but they are not required for us to entertain your guests.

To hire our group to entertain, you will need to send a missive to Pearl Fen to arrange a meeting (we are a total immersion guild, all this must be done in-character). Once you meet with Pearl you can discuss what kind of entertainment you desire/require. We can perform plays, or amusing skits, sing songs or tell epic tales. Some of us dance, or know other feats of athletics or tricks of magicka.

We will arrive at the location before the time your guests are to arrive so we can position ourselves and even rehearse. We request only two things, that our Guardians are welcome to attend in order to protect us, and that none of your guests try to harm us—we are not *** or play-things, we are not strippers or harlots, we are entertainers.

We will depart when our job is complete, and no payment is ever required, though again gifts of gratitude are welcome.

Joining the Aetherian Bards
It is to be expected that some may see our way of life and find it romantic. If you wish to join the illustrious Bards of Aetheria, you need only ask. You will be escorted to meet the leader, Pearl Fen, known among the bards as The Wordsmith, to see if you fit. We accept all: humans, werewolves, vampires, witches, mages, it matters not who you are, only that you share our passion for entertaining, for seeking out stories and adventures, and for nudging people into adventures of their own!

If Pearl deems you a good fit, you will be welcomed into our order as an Acolyte. After some time has passed and you have shown yourself dedicated to our ways and our lifestyle, you will be elevated to either Guardian or Bard, depending on your choice. If you chose to be a Bard you will then be able to choose a Guardian to Bond with.

(OOC: Please see the Rules section of this page before joining, to decide if you would be comfortable following them).

Bonding: Bards and their Guardians
Each Bard of the order has their chosen Guardian. The Guardians are Knights, sworn to protect their Bards with their lives. Guardians are not required to perform (though OOCly they are required to occasionally make alts for the scavanger-RPs) but are there to protect.

The bond is a magickal connection. When an Acolyte becomes a Bard, they may visit where the Guardians train and watch the un-bonded at their training. They may take as long as they like to decide before approaching the un-bonded they choose. It is uncustomary for a Guardian to refuse, it has only happened once in the history of the Bards, but it is their right to do so.

Once a pair has chosen, then Pearl will play for them the spell-song of Bonding, and the two will set forth on their own adventure. They will seek out a story from the past, delving into some tomb or ruins, facing danger and excitement to find their prize. By the time they emerge and return to the guild, the spell-song will have run it's course and they will be bonded by an invisible tether.

With this link a Bard and their Guardian can sense each other, they can feel each-others emotions such as fear, joy, pain or amusement. They can also pinpoint their location at all times. Perhaps not on a map, but a Bard could close her eyes in Daggerfall and point to her Guardian in the Rift, and it would be a perfectly straight line from their finger to their Guardian within a fraction of an inch.

In time, some have told of the bond strengthening, the longer it lasts, the longer two are bonded, the stronger the bond. Some have said they can even begin to speak telepathically, but whether it is true or just spinning tales is hard to know.
.
.
**We RP throughout all the zones, including silver/gold content, craglorn and Cyrodil. We are set in Daggerfall Covenant, so silver/gold is AD/EP. Currently all our characters are DC characters. Should the guild grow we may create characters in the other factions.
.

---

Contact and other Information
Website: http://aetherianbards.enjin.com/
Guildmaster: Pearl Fen (@Twilanthe)
Second-in-command: Valcantor (@Platymonk2)

Important Notice: This guild is newly formed. RP for it has not yet started, and wont officially start until the week following Dark Brotherhood's launch (to give members a chance to play through DB first, and to give us a chance to get a few last minute things sorted out). We've decided to post the information for the guild here now however to start recruiting people who share in our similar desires and wish to help the Aetherian Bards to grow. I am specifically seeking those who really wish to be Storytellers. People who can bring life to this new kind of guild.

If you are interested in joining, or have questions, please contact me here on enjin, or in-game.

AndrewCooper69

Greetings bards,

I myself dabble in the entertainment arts of Tamriel and would be humbled by an invitation to join your guild. I am Mor Bum, orsimer daughter to the Unblooded Chief Chargruel Bum and his beloved Wolfmaster Urglegross Bum. While i do engage in combat like my predecessors, i am also quite interested in the performing arts. I play lute, flute, drums, I can sing, act, dance, and some say my fire breathing act is... well... breathtaking. Please invite me within Tamriel (Mor Bum, @AndrewCooper69) as myself and my counterpart would greatly enjoy your company.

Safe travels, may the eight protect you.

MOR BUM