View User's Journal

Rough Draft Profile

My Patron and Creator: Gatz TdaMax
From birth, I am: Lerato Harpwell
The Sands of Time fall no slower after: 36 Years
To the World, I am a: Human
Through dutiful study, I am affluent in: Soul Song, an empathy-based power that causes targets within hearing distance to "dance" to tune infused with magic. It's most effective against people, living creatures, and spiritual beings such as elementals or ghosts. Certain tunes can also be used as counter-spells, as magic is also of a spiritual nature. Soul Song can also be used to produce minor spell effects in the inanimate, but nothing extravagant. Since this form of magic requires the user perform music as a form of casting, it is not well suited for battle. It also allows him to listen to the natural "harmony" of the world and sense when it is being disturbed by "discord," or evil deeds and demonic forces. As such, he has a good awareness of his surroundings.
Training and a Lifetime of experience grant me: Having trained as a bard, Letato is an excellent singer and is proficient with a number of instruments. He can learn most songs by ear, and play them from memory alone. Similarly, he can imitate many sounds quite easily. A life of constant travel has given him an extensive store of general knowledge and lore, which can come in handy when dealing with the unfamiliar. Since he's used to addressing people from all walks of life, he tends to be quite eloquent and charming. Given the chance and a little luck, he can win a person over with words alone. Due to his rough lifestyle, he's developed some skill at pickpocketing and slight of hand, though he's no master thief. For related reasons, Lerato is also quite practiced at the art of dodging, hiding, and escaping his pursuers.
Even I cannot go to battle without my: "I greatly prefer to coming out of a battle over heading into one. Supposing conflict cannot be avoided, however, there's always my charm, my wonderful singing voice, and whatever instruments are close at hand. And as a fallback I have a nice, stout walking stick, which is quite suited for bashing in an unsuspecting head or two..."
Through devotion, I serve: Fretch, the Heavenly Bard
In the mirror, as in my lover’s eyes: And there I am
Through spirit, I am great, in body, I stand: 5' 10"
Lifting myself is not that difficult: 170 lbs.
Though the world may never understand: Quick wit and strong charisma are two of Lerato's best features. Cheerful, outgoing, passionate, carefree, and whismical, he can raise the spirits of people around him without any real effort. Some people tend to write him off as a bit of a flake because of his mannerisms, but those who look deeper understand that Lerato is more serious then he lets on most of the time. It is easiest to see this when he takes a quiet, thoughtful pause to truly think about things. Unlike many others, he can recognize the fine lines between things such as bravery and stupidity, prudence and cowardence, so he's much more level-headed than he appears. Because of this he tries to avoid pointless conflicts, but when it's time to make a stand, there are few who are as resolute as he.

A wealth of experience and knowledge: Lerato Harpwell was born to uncertain parents at an uncertain time. This was the polite way of saying his father had skipped town the morning after, and that his mother hadn't kept didn't keep him around long enough for birthdays to become an issue. After he was abandoned on the doorstep of a temple to Misae, he was adopted by a local scholar. His adopted mother earned some extra coin by acting as the town storyteller, so she wound up gifting her ward with an education and a fascination with the world at large. At the precocious age of eight, Lerato's guardian shoved a harp into his idle hands in an attempt to keep him from creating more mischief, and many would claim that he hasn't stopped making music since. The boy progressed quickly, and was sent off to a school for the arts at the age of fourteen, where he happily learned all that was offered to him.

After three years of musical tutoring, Lerato grew bored with learning scales by rote and resurecting the melodies of long dead composers. He ran away from school, and becoming a wanderering minstrel to support himself. During this time he further perfected his art, learning from from other minstrels, and listening to the sounds of "life" he found in nature, slums, taverns, castles, keeps, and supposedly in the wind itself. He journeyed far and experienced much during this time, though no one took notice of his actions until many years later.

When Lerato was twenty-six, a fierce conflict spun up between two neighboring lords near his childhood home. Hearing news of the impending war, the worried bard hurried home to see what he could do. To his horror, one army had already occupied the town and was defending it from within, while the other was preparing to lay seige to it. In fact, it was said the battle would begin in earnest the very next day. Shaken but determined, Lerato made his own preparations and laid in wait. The following dawn, both armies where surprised to see a (rather tipsy) minstrel had set himself up the middle of the battlefield, using a half empty wine cask as a stage. The two opposing forces shrugged it off as a mere inconvience, fired their opening volleys at each other, and made ready to begin a pitched battle that would've left the town in ruins.

Then Lerato started to sing, and upon hearing his music, both sides miraculously stopped in their tracks.

Accounts of what happened that day are varied. Some recall that the veteran soldiers broke into tears, haunted by visions of home and loved ones lost to carnage. Others say the very skies split open and cried, and indeed, there was a short bout of rain that day. What everyone agrees on is that Lerato remained where he was throughout the entire day, never faltering despite the wind, the rain, and the stray arrows. He only paused long enough to occassionally wet his parched throat from the barrel he stood on. The bard held his position until the sun went down, at which point he stopped playing, and both armies were forced to retreat for the night. The next day, the soldiers reassembled, only to see an exhausted looking Lerato rolling another wine cask across the field, obviously intent on giving a repeat performance. At this point, the commanding staff of both forces rode out and engaged the bard in a long talk. After everyone had said their piece, one of the captains strode forward and cracked open the barrel with his mace--then he handed out cups, so that they could all toast to the newly pledged truce between their lands.

It's unknown whether the god of music was attracted to Lerato by the amazing feat he pulled off, or whether Fretch was already acting through him at that time. Either way, that was the day the musician discovered his ability of Soul Song, much to his delight. After the legendary "Battle of the Bard" Lerato returned to his solitary adventures, searching the unknown corners of the world for new sights and sounds, using his abilities to stir the hearts of those left in his wake. A decade later he's returned home once more, poor in coin, rich in experience, and perhaps a little wiser for his extra years. It's difficult to say why he's returned at this time, but he would seem to have sensed some great change about to happen in the world. Whatever it is, Lerato Harpwell is there to face it head on... or at least run away and find someone else better to do the job for him.
Basking in my glory: As his singing and playing goes, he's easily one of the most talented bards of his generation, and he knows it. He tries to be humble about it, but he's the incourable sort, and it doesn't take much to swell his head. And because of his Soul Song, he doesn't have much to fear from mortal enemies--at least when he's prepared for them, and in good condition.
Even the Gods cannot deny: As far as combat ability goes, Lerato's is close to non-existent. This is not to say he can't fight at all, but he's survived this long by avoiding fights or talking his way out of them... And occassional, by virtue of "borrowing" the fastest horse in town. Some time ago, a friend asked Lerato what he would do if he ever found a situation from which escape was impossible. The bard simply answered "Why, I do believe that's what the gods invented prayer and the afterlife for." Another issue is that since his magic is dependent on music, being unable to sing, hear, or play an instrument properly serverely hampers his power.
True love is a blessing, yet granted for: His muse, whom he is enternally in pursuit of. In short, he's in love with music and the act of making it.
What left is there to tell: While he honors the god of music above all others, Lerato also makes a habit of leaving small offerings at the shrines Misae and all her kin. This is partly because he knows the money will go to good use, and partly because he figures a wandering minsteral can use all the friends he can get.

Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

More Information