A Coterie of Musicians: The Sounds and Songs of Avalore
The below is intended to act as a repository for the collective creative consciousness of the community of Avalore; a representation of the different songs, ballads, sagas, poems and more that can be found or learned within the Reach and beyond.
Valkian Music
A Market Day - Valkian song about a merchant toiling in the markets. It attempts to extol the virtues of hardwork and perseverance, but it is derided by other cultures as being a celebration of the vice of greed.
The Knight Questor - Valkian song about a roaming Knight Errant, questing in service of the Lady of the Lake. A series of tragedies befall him, ending with his defeat at the hands of a rival. The song is depressing, but the lyrics contain a hopeful undercurrent that our hero will bounce back from even the worst of situations.
The Lass of Rulan - A Valkian tavern song about a beautiful serving girl the protagonist falls madly in love with. Frequent mention is made as to the shape of her posterior.
Mistan Music
Our Calm Path - A popular Mistan sailor's song with generally higher notes, with brief, somber sections spread throughout. Alluding to the Siren Serene indirectly, it is a hopeful, shanty-like tune meant to appease, and asks for safe passage on a journey and the way back home, acknowledging the hubris of those who have fallen before. It has seen much use and has spread to subsections of other peoples, such as the Valks, who have an iteration that has mutated to be slightly more general.
Moonlight Mists - Mistan song about the way the Moonlight reflects off the mists eponymous to the Mist Isles. Haunting but pleasant.
The Three Old Seamen - The song has two versions, both equally popular. The first is a sea shanty, sung primarily on Mistan ships departing for the Southern Reach. The second is a slower, mournful melody often sung around the fire when Typhon's storms force ships to remain in ports. The song tells the story of three old sailors who are blown by an unusually strong storm to the coast of Aedall, only to find the land devoid of life. After the sun sets, however, they encounter the ghost of an Aedall girl, to whom each of them, years ago, had promised to marry and take back to the Mist Isles. At this point, the first version ends and repeats on itself. The second, slower version continues with the sailors lamenting that their broken promises sealed the girl’s fate. At this moment, the sailors look down from the cliff where they are standing, only to see their own broken bodies below. The song ends with their realization that they indeed perished in the storm and are doomed to forever haunt the coast where they broke their promise.
Beloved, My Beloved - A ballad dedicated to the singer’s beloved, the identity of which has been disputed heavily. Most commonly it is believed that the subject of the song is either the Siren Serene or the ocean itself, though some readings interpret the subject as being a mortal woman, and in some interpretations, a man. "Return to me, as you did before. Return to me like the sea to the shore."
Oh, Foolish Shazad - A cautionary tale in the form of a ballad relating the woes of a foolish merchant-king. The ballad follows his rise and subsequent fall, touching on themes of greed and pride before ending with Shazad’s untimely death. "For there once was man who wanted for none, by greed and pride he was undone."
The Songbird’s Tragedy - A mournful song, focusing on the story of a mother songbird and her nest. She attempts to protect her nest from predators, lighting a fire on a neighbouring tree in hopes that the smoke draws attention away from her own. However, the fire spreads to her own tree, burning her nest and killing the children she was so desperate to protect. Strong themes of desperation, regret, and sorrow.
“Oh gentle songbird, your pretty feathers stained with ash, what have you done? Oh mournful songbird, your sweet voice choked with pain, what have you done? Oh, what have you done?”
Korami Music
Flows from Water - The Haiku usually goes with this one said before the performance, it is traditionally played on a flute and a vocalist as a two man performance, with a somber tone in D minor at a tempo of 62, its most well known lines goes as such "A spring from love flows, a spring of hope, and will open into a river of life ever flowing on"
Sun's Dusk - An entirely wordless song but well known it goes by 3 different names in different countries/cultures as it is also known as Roosters Crow and Elders Yawn depending on where but Sun's Dusk is its original name coming from Korami, It is a jovial piece usually played on a shamisen but adapted into harp work but more usually mandolin usually in other countries, it is played in the key of F major with a tempo of 80, and is a common piece to drink to.
Haikus
Battles' Lament:
A new day rises
You are not here to watch it
the dusk falls like blood
Water of Life:
Love is like a spring
Life comes from water flowing
and water shall flow
Poets' Brush:
A poet walks brisk
a poet knowing his brush
a brush from words
Falstoner Music
Fireborne Music
Walljack Music
A song that starts somber, but picks up in speed an energy as it goes on. It's mostly played in minor key. It tells the story of a clever bard who's chased from his home by a spiteful knight, which he describes with much sarcastic, yet somber praise. Off of the familiar path, the bard senses something wrong, a chill in the air, and a wailing in the distance, with the knight having fallen behind in the chase. It comes to him, a disembodied screaming of many restless souls, as the leaves begin to be ripped of off the trees, piling on the ground in a "Green Autumn!" The man runs, and by luck happens into a little den full of beasts too frightened too move, the voices of the spirits screaming at him from outside. When it finally passes, and he looks around, he finds the knight once more, catatonic and shivering in his fancy armor.
"...So /noble,/ So /noble,/
So nastily /noble/,
And to me, a local...
A slap across the face!"
Stonerunner Music
Aedall Music
“Old Sky” - An Aedall song discovered by a group of explorers; the original artist’s name is lost to history. While no lyrics were found alongside the song, a strong sense of nostalgia can be felt from the melody. Likely originally created to be played on a harp, a skilled bard could use any plucked string instrument to play the song.
“Unnamed Song” - An Aedall song discovered by a group of explorers; the original artist's name is lost to history. The song is unfinished, ending abruptly partway through the third verse. What is written however shows the true skill of the artist; a rather complex melody involving two synchronous rhythms. It would take an experienced player to keep the beat with these competing notes.
Original Compositions
Gregort Major - A song of Rhutelan Kinhhalt’s devising; primarily to annoy the Valkian Envoy Gregort. Played exclusively in the G-Major scale, this song is punchy and high octane.
The Tushy of the Duchy - A song, in a recognisable Valkian style that is about the Duchess of Rulan’s rump. It's a crude and crass song, in the same vein as its sister, The Lass of Rulan. An original composition of Rhutelan Kinhhalt, but it is almost certain many other minstrels will have arrived at a similar destination.
Heckler’s Lament - Also known as the Beggar’s Lament, this original composition by Rhutelan Kinhhalt tells the story of a poor man who is harassed by a beggar. He scares the beggar off, only to be chastised by a dear friend. It's a silly little song written on a whim by Rhutelan, with a melody and tempo to go along with it.
The Forbidden Maiden - A song by Zephero Aercolé, not intended to be allegorical to his upbringing. Instead, it follows a heavily dramatized account of his own friend growing up, capturing what the man was feeling at the time.
[Verse 1] There is a maiden whom my heart has in its sight, / But a fa-ther’s hand denies her my love’s sweet light. / She is not free. / She cannot plea. / He forbids her from seeking passion day and night. [Chorus] Her heart is caged, / And so I sing. / Her fa-ther raged, / No wedding ring.
[Verse 2] She looks at me through stained glass with her longing eyes, / But her fa-ther's chains keep her locked a-way inside. / And yet I'll wait, / For ten days straight. / For I cannot thole her love to me is denied.
[Verse 3] Though the gates are barred and the walls are very high, / My heart will not allow the flames of love to die. / For ten days straight, / I’ll stay and wait. / For I cannot bear to gesture to her: "Goodbye."
Remember Pip - Written together by Zephero Aercolé and Rhutelan Kinhhalt in a drunken stupor, this song commemorates the life of Pip, former Councilman of the Circle of Four. The song doubles as a drinking game, challenging the listener to down the corresponding drink to that which is mentioned in the verse.
"There once was a man o' five-foot-three, /
The name of the man was P-i-p. /
And so he sat, his face in'a grin, /
'Said 'Start me witha' gin.'~"
"Pip, Pip, had a heart o' gold, /
'Til a knife wound kept him from get-ting old. /
So raise your mugs and take a sip, /
Remember good 'ol Pip!~"
"He spoke to me, said I could be, /
A drink-ing man as good as he. /
He downed his gin and raised his thumb /
Said 'Follow it up with rum!'~"
"Pip, Pip, had a heart o' gold, /
'Til a knife wound kept him from get-ting old. /
So raise your mugs and take a sip, /
Remember good 'ol Pip!~"
"Pip, Pip, had a soul o' steel, /
Very few could match his drink-ing zeal. /
So raise your mugs and take a sip, /
Remember good 'ol Pip!~"
"Was a member of the Circle Four, /
Could out-drink me till I'm on the floor! /
'Business, friends? Well, that’s quite fine, /
But I’d rather have my wine!'~"
"Pip, Pip, had a heart o' gold, /
'Til a knife wound kept him from get-ting old. /
So raise your mugs and take a sip, /
Remember good 'ol Pip!~"
"He made us laugh, let no-one snore, /
Told fire-side tales never heard before! /
He was good with cards, and quick to cheer, /
We all know Pip loved beer!~"
"Pip, Pip, had a heart o' gold, /
'Til a knife wound kept him from get-ting old. /
So raise your mugs and take a sip, /
Remember good 'ol Pip!~"
"Pip, Pip, had a soul o' steel, /
Very few could match his drink-ing zeal. /
So raise your mugs and take a sip, /
Remember good 'ol Pip!~"
"Now in the Cask we don't drink wa-ter, /
To forget us how he met slaugh-ter. /
We'll honor his name with a mug o' mead, /
'Cause drink-ing is our creed!~"
"Pip, Pip, had a heart o' gold, /
'Til a knife wound kept him from get-ting old. /
So raise your mugs and take a sip, /
Remember good 'ol Pip!~"
"So fill your mug right up with ale, /
Drink it up till your face gets pale! /
Pour another one up, and guzzle it down /
There's enough alcohol for us all to drown!~"
"Pip, Pip, had a heart o' gold, /
'Til a knife wound kept him from get-ting old. /
So raise your mugs and take a sip, /
Remember good 'ol Pip!~"
"Pip, Pip, had a soul o' steel, /
Very few could match his drink-ing zeal. /
So raise your mugs and take a sip, /
Remember good 'ol Pip!~"
Constant, unending speeches from he
Who I’ve never heard of, neither will thee
-
So high on his high horse from where he yells
All his martial talent from a girl casting spells
-
Absolutely no substance—a leech of our time
Was shocking his blood did not ooze out as slime
-
No noble heroics, no valiant deeds
Just a boisterous elf with attention needs
-
A so-called man of honour—the honour of thieves
Speaking of fair fights with tricks up his sleeves
-
His name was just Ardghal, but he’d prefer to infer
That something about him was worthy of “ser”
-
Speaking of duels one-on-one, man to man
Then insisting a sorceress into the stands
-
Boasting of codes and of valiant creeds
Just a boisterous elf with attention needs
-
He talked highly of hope, yet he inspires naught
Tried to brush off his cheating when he was caught
-
There is no great honour in this “knight” I fear
The only thing great was the size of his ear
-
Were I to describe that dumb look on his face
Faced when his honour was ground into paste
-
Boasting of codes and of valiant creeds
All I saw was a liar that lies as he bleeds
I bid thee beware, for ‘tis shall only lead to eternal rest.
As for disgracing thee, I have no need,
-
For thy honor’s worth is nary half a crown indeed.
Proclaim I have, of thy’s title best match,
-
Lament, ‘Garland the Rotten’, for that is the name thou’lt snatch.
And this song I close, with but one reprieve,
That thou read’st mine verses, and verily grieve!
Music of the Southern Reach
Credits, Acknowledgements and Thanks
@Reedie - Moonlight Mists, Old Sky, Unnamed Song
@Hyssope - Our Calm Path, Tale of the Green Autumn
@Vigilance - The Forbidden Maiden, Remember Pip
@adamunavailable - Beloved, My Beloved, Oh, Foolish Shazad, The Songbird's Tragedy
@AzNihil - Battles' Lament, Flows from Water, Water of Life, Sun's Dusk, Poet's Brush
@Dee - Knightwit
@Ottorintsu - Wilted Garland
@Olomet - The Three Old Seamen
@TagTeamChampion - A Market Day, The Knight Questor, The Lass of Rulan, The Tushy of the Duchy, Gregort Major, Toil of the Heart, Heckler's Lament
