The Unsung Sonata

Alhaena Ta'Rkais

July 26, 1999

[Starshadow's Room]
Candles too numerous to count line the walls, filling the air with their heady and almost seductive scent.  A black wrought-iron four poster bed dominates the room, dark green silk tapestries hanging from the sides.  A fire burns quietly in the fireplace, and hung over the mantle is a portrait of Noi'sho'rah.  The floor is made of pure black obsidian, inset with a circle of copper.  Strange runes surround the circle, compelling to both the eye and the mind.  You also see an onyx door.
Also in the room: Lord Chains, Braenna who is seated, Apprentice Koaru who is seated, Tsera who is seated, Icicycle, Taz who is seated, Lady Starshadow who is seated
Obvious exits: none.

You see Lady Starshadow Kinslayer the Dark Elf Soulslayer.
She appears to be in her 70's, has long, braided white hair, dark eyes, and black skin.
She is in good shape.
She is holding a glass of Dhe'nari blood wine in her right hand.
She is wearing some fitted elven casting leathers, a jet black glaes spider charm, some deathstone earrings, a flawless soulstone clasp, a shimmering shift made from a deadman's shroud and carefully painted with hellish flames so real that they actually seem to devour the trapped souls among them, a veniom bound lion skin sheath, a glass amulet, a lightning scorched veniom shield, a wild black rose, a deeply hooded dark leather cloak with an onyx Mularos clasp, a rotting halfling head necklace, a deathly black totem bag shot through with veniom strands, a delicate silver circlet, some polished black leather boots, a mesmerizing black amulet, a wild black rose, a gold ring, a silver tooled wrist sheath, and a heart-shaped deathstone necklace.

Starshadow says, "not all of my stories are about the Dhe'nar. Some of them are about principles which are important to the Dhe'nar."

Starshadow says, "and quite a few of my stories were taught to me by the Dhe'narian Loresinger Or'son"

Starshadow says, "so I try and give much of the credit to him"

Starshadow recites:

    "'The Unsung Sonata"

Starshadow smiles and tosses another handful of herbs onto the fire, the smoke welling up thick and hazy and obscuring shapes and forms as her voice begins to weave the words of her story.

Starshadow recites:

    "'Once there was a country where the elders decided for everyone what path would best please them. All children were tested at birth and their fates outlined according to whatever skills, talents and interests they possessed."

Starshadow recites:

    "'Things worked well in this country, as everyone had a job they enjoyed, and to keep track of it was a group called the "Watchers.""

Starshadow recites:

    "'A child was born in the country, a small boy named Christopher, and when he was tested he showed the rare talent to be a Maker.  Makers were among the most highly revered of all in the lands, for from them came the music and songs that kept smiles on the faces of the common folk."

(Starshadow leans forward, the wine swirling deep crimson in her glass as her voice flows like thick honey amongst the scents of the room.)

Starshadow recites:

    "'Christopher was taken from his family to a remote cabin in the midst of a pristine forest. There he was raised with every musical instrument a child could imagine. Drums and pipes, stringed instruments of all kinds, and as he grew he began to create."

Starshadow recites:

    "'At first his music was childish and immature. He would bang on the drums for hours at a time, create shrill shrieks on the pipes, play the stringed instruments rough and untrained."

The fire dances high for a moment, casting rays of light that dart eagerly into the shadows of the room.  An intoxicating smell of aged wood and rich herbs fills the air, heightening your senses and transporting you to realms of dark sensuality.  Tendrils of smoke waft through the air before the fire once more calms itself and resumes its quiet commentary on the frailty of wood.

Starshadow recites:

    "'But as he grew, so did his talent. Soon Christopher could mimic the sound of rain on the roof of the cottage. He could play the wind whistling throught the falling leaves in Autumn. The soft burbling sounds of the stream as it rushed headlong to it's merging flew lush and sweet from his fingers."

Starshadow recites:

    "'And always the Watchers kept sight of him and he was never allowed to hear another note of music except that which he created. He was kept from contact with people for fear they would contaminate the purity of his music."

Starshadow smiles and leans back, her eyes gleaming in the dim light of the fire.

Starshadow recites:

    "'When Christopher was 13, he was given another instrument. This one was mechanical, and could create the sounds of all types of instruments and anything he could dream of. Once again his music started out rough and amatuerish, and again it grew in time."

Starshadow recites:

    "'As Christopher played, he would see people standing at the edge of the clearing, just listening to his music, but whenever he stopped they left quickly and he was forbidden to speak to them."

Starshadow recites:

    "'One day, when Christopher was walking in the woods, a stranger burst out of the undergrowth and shoved something into his hand."

Chains bows.

Lord Chains went through an onyx door.

Starshadow recites:

    "'Christopher was frightened, for he knew this was forbidden and he tried to shove it back but the stranger insisted "You must hear this, it is Bach. You must know what it is that you have, what talent you have...""

The flames of the fire dim slightly, making the circle of runes seem to writhe and twist.  As the fire flares once more the runes almost appear to have changed, and with a blink you realize you have been staring at them far longer than you surmised.

Starshadow recites:

    "'The stranger dashed away and Christopher quickly returned to his cabin, hiding the device so that the watchers would not find it. For weeks it dwelled on his mind, the curiosity, the questions growing until finally he could bear it no longer and he listened to the somber fugues of Bach and knew he had to capture this for himself."

A sharp knocking sound emanates from an onyx door.

Starshadow recites:

    "'At the same time, he knew if he added this to his music, they would know.."

Starshadow yells, "come in"

(Starshadow returns to the story.)

Starshadow recites:

    "'So for the next week, whenever he played he was so careful, so very very careful to keep the somber notes he had heard out of his music."

Lord Celtic came through an onyx door.

Starshadow asks, "Sho'nah can you go fetch Chains at the door?"

Starshadow says, "he is locked out"

Starshadow grumbles.

Celtic asks, "Fetch?"

Starshadow asks, "drag him back by his hair?"

Celtic says, "I can get him."

Lord Celtic went through an onyx door.

Starshadow says, "forgive the interruption"

Starshadow recites:

    "'one morning as Christopher was getting ready to start his day, a Watcher came up the steps. Leaning heavily on his cane, he looked at Christopher with sightless eyes and shook his head sadly."

Starshadow recites:

    ""Where is it Christopher?"

Lord Celtic's group came through an onyx door.

Starshadow recites:

    "'Christopher stammered and replied "Where is what??"  The watcher just shook his head again and replied sadly. 'We know you have heard fugues, we know you have listened to music other than your own. For the last week the fugues which were always a part of your music have been gone. Where is it?""

Starshadow recites:

    "'Christopher sadly retrieved the device and handed it to the Watcher. The Watcher put it in a pocket and said "Follow me." He led Christopher from the cabin in the woods to a retraining center, for Christopher now would never be a Maker. His music had been tainted. He was trained to be a delivery man, delivery wagons of baked goods to local inns and taverns."

The flames of the fire dim slightly, making the circle of runes seem to writhe and twist.  As the fire flares once more the runes almost appear to have changed, and with a blink you realize you have been staring at them far longer than you surmised.

Starshadow recites:

    "'Christopher became a quiet man, doing his job and nothing more. Each night he made his rounds, delivering fresh goods for the next morning. One of his stops was an inn run by Josef. Josef loved being an innkeeper"

Starshadow recites:

    "'Josef loved the laughter of his patrons, the bustle of keeping things stocked and it saddened him to see Chris come in each night, deliver the baked goods, gaze for a long moment at the harpsichord by the door and leave."

Starshadow recites:

    "'One night Josef said 'Play it if you want Chris, no one here has any taste in music anyway"

Starshadow recites:

    "'Chris left quickly, flustered and shaken at the offer, but the next night he was back, and this time he crossed to the harpsichord and slowly ran his fingers across the keys. It was badly out of tune and cried out to be tended to, and so Chris tuned it that night"

Starshadow recites:

    "'For the next few nights he did not touch it, just returned to gazing at it before leaving, but it was not long before he found himself sitting at the bench, his fingers, rough from disuse on the keyboards, and he began to play"

Starshadow recites:

    "'silence descended on the room like night on unsuspecting day as the harpsichord wailed in grief and sorrow beneath Chris's fingers. As he played, Josef remembered a girl he had loved once, but her path had not been planned to join with his and she had been taken away, and he drank a little deeper."

Starshadow recites:

    "'the next night Christopher was back, right before closing, and once again he sat at the harpsichord and played, and once again memories burst like bubbles from the darkest corners of memory to hang timelessly before the saddened eyes of the patrons."

Starshadow recites:

    "'Night after night this continued, until one night, as Chris played, a Watcher entered the room. He crossed the distance to the harpsichord and before anyone could react, he swung his weapon down, severing Christophers hands at the wrists."

Starshadow recites:

    "'Josef turned away, unable to watch, for he had been the one to call the watchers. His inn had become a somber place and he was no longer comfortable with the feelings Chris' music inspired."

Starshadow recites:

    "'the Watcher turned to those in the inn and said 'This one was once almost a Maker, but he denied his gift and was warned not to try and use it again. This time we take away the power for him to do so."

Starshadow recites:

    "'Chris was taken from the inn, and once again he was sent to the retraining camps. Handless, quiet, he was soon assigned another path, one that would keep him from places where he might run into musical instruments."

Starshadow recites:

    "'Wearing only a rough spun uniform with CH on the collar, he was sent to work on a road gang."

Starshadow recites:

    "'The men on the gang jokingly began to call him Sugar, and since he never spoke, never said a word, it was soon his name on the chain"

Starshadow recites:

    "'Workers on a road gang are a strange lot. They work hard and they loved it. The feel of sweat on their skin and the heat of the sun baking on their heads called out to them in ways some of us may never understand."

Starshadow recites:

    "'As they worked, they sang. Songs with simple cadances to make the work go faster, with tempos to make the work seem lighter."

Starshadow recites:

    "'Sugar never sang, never spoke, and before long the men began pushing him to sing with them."

Starshadow recites:

    "'After weeks of being pressured to sing, one day Sugar did, and his voice was as deep and mellow as whiskey flowing over ice cubes. As rough and untamed as water churning over rapids, and the men fell silent in astonishment."

Starshadow smiles and throws another handful of herbs onto the fire.

Starshadow recites:

    "'At first he sang just the songs of the road gang, but before long he was creating new songs. Songs about loves that had walked away and left you aching with every breath for the dreams you lost. Songs of work that broke your back and left you aching and crippled with nothing to show for it but the scars."

Starshadow recites:

    "'His songs were not beautiful, they were not romantic, but they were real and they called to the part of every being who needs to know that there is a thing worse than the fate they call life, and soon the men on the road gang began singing the songs as well"

Starshadow recites:

    "'Time passed, and new men came onto the road gang, and men left it, and when they did the songs went with them, passing further and further into the land with each month that passed. It was not long before the Watcher showed up again, his eyes sad, and made his way on his cane to where Sugar stood. He raised his hands to Sugar's throat, and when Sugar tried to speak, no words came out."

Starshadow recites:

    "'Hey, shouted one of the men on the road gang. "Why did you do that. Sugar never did you any harm!""

Starshadow recites:

    "'The Watcher shook his head and asked "When you sing his songs, are you happy?"

Starshadow recites:

    "'The man could not answer yes, for Sugar's songs were not the kind that made you tap your toes, they were songs that reached inside you and tore at your soul with razor sharp claws."

Starshadow recites:

    "'The Watcher answered the unspoken reply with "Sugar was meant to be a Maker, but he denied his music, and now his music is denied him. He has been warned twice, and once again, we take from him the power to do harm to any with his music.""

Starshadow recites:

    "'The Watcher led Sugar from the road crew, and when Chris motioned for paper, he was given it"

Starshadow recites:

    "'Chris wrote on the paper "What now?""

Starshadow recites:

    "'To which the Watcher laughed humorlessly and replied, "We have a special place for people like you Christopher. A special job indeed. Where do you think the Watchers come from?""

Starshadow recites:

    "'Years later, as Christopher, a well respected Watcher known for keeping to the rules no matter how hard the sacrifice grew near the end of his life, he was sitting in an inn and heard a group of youngsters playing and singing softly to themselves."

Starshadow recites:

    "'He pulled out his pad of paper and wrote on it "What are you singing?"

Starshadow recites:

    "'The kids replied, "It's a Sugar song, man, just a Sugar song. "

Starshadow recites:

    "'To which Chris wrote back 'Why do you sing songs like that?"

Starshadow recites:

    "'And the kids replied 'His songs are not beautiful, but they are true. Sugar knew, he just knew what it's all about...."

Starshadow smiles and lets her words fade to a close.

Starshadow says, "if you wish to learn more, my classes are each moonday"

Starshadow asks, "ready then?"

Starshadow stands up.

Starshadow gestures and utters a phrase of magic.

Starshadow gestures.

Your surroundings blur for a moment . . .

Return this book to the shelves.

If you wish to contact either JDW Designs or Lady Darcena please e-mail LadyDarcena@aol.com.

Simutronics® is a registered trademark and service mark of Simutronics Corporation. all rights reserved. The GemStone ® III game is copyright © 1987-2000 Simutronics Corp. All rights reserved.  GemStone ® is a registered trademark of Simutronics Corp. All rights reserved.