9.5.3.13 Songcalling

There is no weapon more powerful to a bard than their voice, this simple fact is embodied within the art of Songcalling. From the drunk fool to the shining diva, anybody is capable of singing, but only a bard is able to empower a song to transform the mundane into the mystical.

Yet it is no simple composition a bard will call upon; each storied song belongs to an illustrious collection known to the Theater of Shadows as The Eminent Ensemble. Most songs in the Ensemble share a common characteristic: they are memorable songs that have had a deep impact on many people. Indeed, most are ancient songs borne from legend and myth that have become widespread across the continent. Not every song that fits this description meets the criteria to join the Ensemble, and the phenomena remains beyond the understanding of the Theater even today.

It is only these songs of the Ensemble that a bard is capable of empowering. By using their soul as a catalyst, they cause a reverberation in their voice that entwines with a song's tune and heightens it to magical levels that can affect their audience. Through these songs, a proficient bard can even manipulate the emotions of an audience to their own end. Many of the Ensemble's songs are known by different names, and even lyrics, in several corners of the continent but all versions of a song share the same tune and overall theme. It is these two facts that remain most important for the song, for a strong tune will easily evoke the memory one has of their own version of a song.

Taking this concept to its highest level, a bard is able to imbue a portion of their own soul into an instrument, allowing them to sing one song while playing a second.