Blade singer

[Lockonnow]

the shadowsinger for drow

[BigJ]

I have to correct you in that. The Queen was forced to pick up the Moonblade of Zoar Moonflower, where she was judged by the sword and the Seldarine(And the Sage who enchanted all the blades once in Myth Drannor.) for fit rulership. The bladesinger in the story didn't give the 'false queen' any way out for the choice. In the end the queen drew the blade herself and it vaporised her.

Quoting the full passage for dramatic effect:

Hidden: show

Her face set with wrath, Shanyrria swung down from her mount and went off in search of vengeance.

She slipped into the pavilion where the queen sat alone, weeping silent, helpless tears. Quietly she walked up to the grieving elf woman. With a quick, smooth movement, she drew her sword and thrust the tip against Lydi'aleera's throat.

"I name you, Lydi'aleera Amarillis, false queen of Evermeet, to be a coward, a liar, a (germbag), and the murderer of my father Adamar Alenuath—and of my half-brother Rhenalyrr."

The queen stared up at the fierce bladesinger like a mouse awaiting the claws of a striking owl. "I did not know—"

"You knew," Shanyrria said vehemently. "You knew that Rhenalyrr was not of Zaor's blood, yet you remained silent while he took the trial of the moonblade! Surely you knew that he would not survive."

"He was a fine, noble young elf," she persisted. "There was a chance that he might succeed. And if the moonblades are to be held as sole measure, Amarillis is as worthy of royalty as Moonflower!"

Shanyrria stared at the queen through narrowed eyes. "It is said that only those truly worthy of ruling can bear the sword of Zaor. Very well then. Come."

She put away her sword with a quick thrust and snatched a small knife from her belt. With one hand she grasped a handful of Lydi'aleera's hair and jerked her to her feet. She put one arm firmly around the queen's shoulder, and pressed the knife hard into the elf woman's ribs.

"I will support you in your grief, my queen," the bladesinger said with heavy irony, "and take you where you must go."

The elf woman struggled to pull away, but Shanyrria was strong and held her fast. "What are you going to do?" Lydi'aleera demanded.

"No more than what you did to my brother. You will draw the sword of Zaor and test your worthiness to rule Evermeet. You are Amarillis born, so your chances are as good as Rhenalyrr's!"

"I will not do it!" gasped Lydi'aleera.

"You will," Shanyrria asserted. "If you do not, I will proclaim before all of Evermeet what you have done. Zaor will put you away, and you and all your clan will be shamed. Or, if you prefer, I will kill you now, and then speak."

The queen stared at her, all hope draining from her eyes. "And if I draw, and succeed? Will you keep silent concerning all of this?"

"Whether you live or die is for the moonblade to decide. I will content myself with that. Either way, you will win: a kingdom or an honorable death. It is more than you deserve."

Since she had no recourse, the queen walked with Shanyrria toward the place where Zaor's sword lay, gleaming still with faint blue magic, upon the ceremonial pedestal. Before any could divine her intent, Lydi'aleera stepped forward and grasped the sword in her two hands and began to slide it from the scabbard.

A flash of terrible blue light lit the plain. When it faded, the elf woman was gone, but for a pile of pale, drifting ash.

No consulting with another authority, no judicial process followed, simply gave the queen a choice, die now in cold blood by the Bladesingers hand, or draw the blade and try your luck.

The Bladesinger wanted vengeance, and got it.

Its why in PnP the Bladesinger isn't 'Good Only' and in fact has no alignment restrictions. And since we have already broke away from lore/PnP . . .

BigJ

[Tantive]

The highest authority that judged the situation in the end was the Seldarine and the moonblade, and carried out the sentence. She was not fit to rule Evermeet.

They weren't that fickle on rules at the time considering the political situation. And because it also was a matter of honor. The dying father by suicide (a taboo for elves) by the families moonblade (double taboo), confessed to the bladesinger what the queen had him do before.

And that bladesinger in that story is a neutral good character.

Its why in PnP the Bladesinger isn't 'Good Only' and in fact has no alignment restrictions. And since we have already broke away from lore/PnP . . .

BigJ

The decision for alignments was made to protect the integrity of the class in rp. If you're implying with .... to break away even further because of this protection, I would think you would have misunderstood the reasons.

The seriousness of the queens deceptions gave the bladesinger more cause to do as she did.

From the novel:

"Welcome back, my lord. Will you drink with me, to celebrate your return?" she purred.
 
Zaor shook his head. "I cannot stay. Have you not heard the news, or at least suspected that something might be amiss? The palace is in an uproar, and soldiers swarm the streets of the city. This is not a time for celebrations."
 
The smug expression on the queen's face faltered. "You are not leaving, surely!"
 
"At once. The northern shores are under threat of invasion—not from sahuagin this time, but from creatures from Below."
 
"No. It is impossible," Lydi'aleera said, her eyes huge with fear.
 
"I wish that were so," the king said in a grim tone. "But do not be concerned. You will be quite safe in the palace," he assured her, misunderstanding the true source of her concern. He bowed to the elf women and strode from the room.
 
Lydi'aleera whirled toward the mage. "This is your doing," she hissed. "You have always taken Zaor from me! And now you conspire against me, even if that means an alliance with the drow!" The queen drew back her arm as if to hurl the goblet at Amlaruil.
 
"Enough!" the mage said softly.
 
The chilling fury in that single word froze the queen in place. Amlaruil stepped forward, her eyes blazing in her pale face. "Do not dare to accuse me of crimes that you, and you alone in this room, have committed. Do you wish to speak treason? Then speak of a queen who would not lift her hand to save her husband, until she was assured of getting her will."
 
"I must give Zaor an heir," the elf woman repeated stubbornly.
 
"Perhaps you will, but not by my power, not now and never again," Amlaruil swore. "The magic of the fertility potion will not outlive this night; the magic of the love potion also diminishes with time. You might yet be able to lure Zaor to your bed, but you will not find your way into his heart! You have lost your chance, and I will not give you another." She turned away.
 
"I did not give you leave to go," the queen snapped.
 
The High Mage whirled back, her blue eyes dark with wrath. "I have more important concerns than your personal vanity and your need to resort to magic-aided seduction! Have you forgotten that the island over which you purport to reign is even now under threat of invasion? I am needed, even if you are not."
 
"You will fight at Zaor's side, I suppose?" scoffed Lydi'aleera.
 
Amlaruil's answering smile was cold. "Did you think the Tower magi spent all their time dancing beneath the stars? This will not be the first time I have used my magic in battle. And if the need arises, yes, I will take up a sword."
 
The High Mage disappeared in a sharp, angry crackle of magic.
 
After a moment's silence, Montagor came forward, shaking his head in bemused admiration. "Amlaruil in battle! Now that would be a sight worth seeing!"
 
Lydi'aleera's hand flashed out and cuffed her brother sharply on the side of the head. "Do your thinking with this, brother! You heard everything. Whatever am I to do now?"
 
Montagor considered her carefully. "You realize the importance of an Amarillis heir, do you not?"
 
"Yes, yes—of course! Would I go to such lengths to ensure one, otherwise?"
 
The elf nodded. "Then this is what you must do. You know Adamar Alenuath, of course. Have you ever noticed how closely he resembles Zaor?"
 
"No," she retorted. "He is nowhere near the king's stature, nor is anyone on this island."
 
"Perhaps 'closely' is overstating the case." he admitted. "But Adamar is a Moon elf warrior and strongly built, though not nearly of Zaor's height. He has the same odd coloring—the blue hair, the gold flecks in his blue eyes. If you were to seduce Adamar, the resulting offspring should be like enough to the Moonflowers to pass as the king's own."
 
Lydi'aleera gasped. "You cannot be serious!"
 
"Why not? Can you think of another way?"
 
"But even if I wished to do such a thing, Adamar would never agree to it!"
 
"Again, why not? You are very beautiful. He admires you—I know that to be so."
 
The elf woman shrugged impatiently. "And what of it? Adamar is loyal to the king. To lie with Zaor's wife would be an act of treason and personal betrayal. He would not do it, even if he desired me more than his next breath of air!"
 
A crafty smile twisted Montagor's lips. "Then it is time to test the potency of Amlaruil's spell. I will arrange for Adamar to come to the palace on some pretense. Give him the potion in a glass of wine, and he will not resist your offered charms."
 
Lydi'aleera wrung her hands. "But he will confess, after!"
 
"And besmirch his honor and that of his clan? To publicly dishonor his queen?" Montagor smirked. "I think not."
 
The elf's face grew deadly serious. "But do not concern yourself overmuch, my sister. Adamar thinks me his friend and consults me on all matters. Oft-times I know his mind before he is entirely certain of it himself. If he is driven to confess, he will start by unburdening himself to me. If necessary, I will challenge him to battle over my sister's honor. And do not doubt that I will win."
 
She laughed without humor. "I have seen you fight, brother. You are not Adamar's equal."
 
"The duel will be a pretense," Montagor said softly, though his burning eyes acknowledged that her words had struck home. "Adamar is a noble fool—he will think he deserves to die. He will think his defeat the only rightful end, and will have more to do with bringing it about than I could think to accomplish. In fact, he may simply do the deed himself and save me the trouble of lifting a sword."
 
"But either way, Adamar will be dead."
 
"And Zaor will have an heir by his lawful queen."
 
Lydi'aleera was silent for a long moment, gazing out the open window over the city with eyes blinded to the turmoil of battle preparations below. "Very well. Send for Adamar, then," she said, the words coming out in a rush. She whirled to face her brother, hatred naked in her eyes. "But may Lloth claim you as her own," she said in a venomous whisper.
 
The curse, perhaps the most deadly and offensive words that could pass between two of the People, merely brought a smile to Montagor's lips.
 
"Be that as it may, dear sister. But bear in mind that the Abyss is a very large place. Be very careful whom you consign to damnation, lest you be judged by the same measure."
 
He turned and swaggered out of the chamber. At the door he paused, as if some new thought had come to him. Glancing over his shoulder, he said, "I have not seen Amlaruil for many years. She is wondrous fair, is she not? It is little wonder the king is so obsessed with her."
 
"Get out," Lydi'aleera gritted from between clenched teeth. She snatched up a gem-encrusted vase and brandished it.
 
But Montagor was not quite finished. "A word of advice, my sister. Save a few drops of that potion for Zaor's return. You'll need to bed him to complete this farce. And without Amlaruil's magic—even that which comes in a vial—you haven't a chance."
 
The queen hurled the vase at her brother. It missed him with room to spare and shattered against the wall. The tinkle of falling crystal mingled with the sound of Montagor's mocking, and triumphant laughter. He would have what he wanted at last, and why should he care that she had to pay the price for it?
 
Despite her anger, Lydi'aleera understood her brother's mind. He had worked long and hard for this, and would get what he desired: an Amarillis heir to the throne of Evermeet. Lydi'aleera would also have her due: a child of her own, the regard of her lawful husband, the esteem of Evermeet. What was a small, needed deception compared to such gain?

[Aspect of Sorrow]

If you can't commit to the rp, make another build in NWN2DB

That could be said about the majority of the classes.

Honestly, I think it will be up to the elven community to police the bladesingers, which kinda stinks.

Ban them from Doron? There's not really anything that can be done about it.

[chad878262]

Can't they just go to EDE?

Frankly there is nothing to stop someone building a blade singer and rp'ing then like any other gish. You can say the players will "police" it, but that's a thin line to walk between IC opposition and OOC harassment. If there isn't a rule saying they have to follow doron amar rp, then you can't force a player to do so. They can easily rp a BS from Evereska or elsewhere, just visiting the coast and with no direct connection or responsibility to any power structure on the server.

[kellendril]

If you can't commit to the rp, make another build in NWN2DB

That could be said about the majority of the classes.

Honestly, I think it will be up to the elven community to police the bladesingers, which kinda stinks.

Ban them from Doron? There's not really anything that can be done about it.

I should think/hope that a lore breaking Bladesinger who got the attention of the focal guilds of that race would earn a response from the DMs of some sort. Same goes for Paladins, really.

[kellendril]

Can't they just go to EDE?

Frankly there is nothing to stop someone building a blade singer and rp'ing then like any other gish. You can say the players will "police" it, but that's a thin line to walk between IC opposition and OOC harassment. If there isn't a rule saying they have to follow doron amar rp, then you can't force a player to do so. They can easily rp a BS from Evereska or elsewhere, just visiting the coast and with no direct connection or responsibility to any power structure on the server.

Never said they have to be from Doron or EDE, but they really SHOULD be taking the lore into consideration. If they are following the lore and RPing as they should, who would have issue?

[chad878262]

Good point, and I don't think there will be any issue. I know some paladin players who have been forced to fall and/or rcr by the dm team so I would imagine they would take such things seriously if there is a lie breaking issue with the rp.

[kellendril]

Good point, and I don't think there will be any issue. I know some paladin players who have been forced to fall and/or rcr by the dm team so I would imagine they would take such things seriously if there is a lie breaking issue with the rp.

That's my hope, really, that it will be something the team will be willing to police if flagged by the community.

[WhatsInTheBox]

uh... From what I saw in that passage the bladesinger threatened her with imprisonment and shame or drawing the moonblade... not death or drawing the moonblade...

[dedude]

I would expect the bladesinger experts on this forum to write up a good description for the class on the wiki. Not everyone here are lore experts, so we need some guidelines to start from at least. And maybe less focus on policing, more focus on mentoring?

[Vogar Eol]

I'm also a little mildly concerned about a surge of bladesingers.

I'd be more than happy to pay good gold for the safe passage of any elf to Evermeet... or at least far enough out to sea that they can't swim back to shore while tied to a large rock.

Each to their own I guess.

[Skalden]

Tried to find anything usefull about bladesingers on the net but i failed mostly, anyone have any good links for reading as i am not familiar with any lore etc etc for this class what ive found doesnt make me wiser im afraid due to the readings here

[Tantive]

The Compilation below, courtesy from Ravial in our DA forums lore thread. You can see what sourcebooks to draw from below. ((From Races of Faerun 3.5, Complete Book of Elves AD&D 2e, Elves of Evermeet 2e, Cormanthyr: Empire of Elves AD&D and a bit of edited copy/paste from FR wikia)). There exist additional sources to draw from like also the Complete Warrior. Complete book of elves has the most cultural aspects tied to the craft. But in all the books, bladesinger is considered the prestige class for Sunelf, Avariel and the Moonelf.

The novel Evermeet: Island of elves occasionally settles on a bladesinger character but it delves deep in the culture of elves on Evermeet, the moonblades and also the legends of the Seldarine. A highly recommended read especially if your elf comes from Evermeet.

There also exists a novel named Bladesinger, which is part of The Fighter series. I've yet to fully read that one myself.

~Bladesingers~

An elite group of elven fighter/mages, the bladesingers are dedicated to the defense of the elven nation, and many of them journey back to Faerûn to help defend those elves who stayed behind or have yet to join the Retreat. Of the roving elves, there are few as deadly as the Bladesinger. They are masters of their weapons and have spent their lives in the study of their chosen weapons. They have also learned to cast spells while engaged in combat, and thus they double their might. Bladesingers are terrifying weapons experts and spellcasters. On Evermeet they are organized into small warrior lodges, each specializing in a different weapon. They are even more dedicated to the ancient ways and styles of dress than other elves. They often tattoo themselves with old runes and symbols and their armor and weapons are all of great antiquity and beautiful craftsmanship.

Bladesingers blended art, swordplay, and arcane magic into a harmonious whole. In battle, a bladesinger’s lithe movements and subtle tactics seem beautiful, belying their deadly martial efficiency. Bladesingers have a treasured place in elf society, balancing the joys of art and magic with the skill of masterful fighting, and so bladesingers are well-respected by other elves. They usually serve as itinerant guardians and champions of the elf community at large rather than tying themselves to one particular settlement. Multiclass fighter/wizards can become bladesingers most easily, though any elf who can wield a martial weapon and cast arcane spells can become a bladesinger. Bladesinging ranger/wizards, rogue/ wizards, and bladesinger bards are not unknown.

Most bladesingers work alone, sufficient unto themselves, but in larger communities they sometimes have the opportunity to fight together in the same combat. Bladesingers are normally trained singly by another bladesinger, and the concept of anything as formalized as a bladesinger school is an absurd notion to them.

Not only must they attempt to advance the cause of elvendom somehow at all times, they must also lend aid to any elf in need. Unless the elf is proven to be an enemy of the elven way of life, the Bladesinger must sacrifice life and limb to save that elf's life.
Of course, the Bladesinger is free to determine whether there is, in fact, an elf in danger. Too many times other races have tried to eliminate the Bladesinger menace through illusion and trickery. The Bladesingers have grown wary and have, unfortunately, allowed fellow elves to perish while trying to determine the truth of the threat. Thus, most Bladesingers carry at least one detect magic spell in order to avoid possible errors.
Bladesingers are so devoted to their chosen weapon that they can never learn another one.

On Evermeet and in other homelands of the Tel'Quessir, such as Evereska, there exists an order of knights dedicated to Corellon Larethian; the Weavers of Bladesong, of which the membership is comprised exclusively of dedicated Bladesingers or those who have learned the basics of the bladesong style as a supplementary skill-set to their own style.

In their travels they are treated with the utmost respect and admiration by the elves they meet, being treated as heroes in the communities they enter, much as a human Paladin would be in a human village. They are the champions of the Tel'Quessir, the Knights of The People and defenders of the elven way of life, practicing an ancient and honored elven art and giving their lives if necessary to defend elven society, and they are accorded status of heroes and the respect such due such a station whenever they are encountered

In ages before fall of Myth Drannor, bladesingers served in the both as armathors (Coronal Guards), the magical knights of Myth Drannor, and they were part of a special unit within the Ahk'Velahrn (Myth Drannor's standing army) known as the Protectors, which acted as both an elite unit within the army and as a special bodyguard unit to the nobility. They specialized in their realm's defense against magical monsters such as demons and dragons. In the ancient texts it is mentioned they invented spells such as creating an immense freezing space thus limiting their enemies' movement (often used against dragon's wings.)

~Bladesong~

The bladesong itself is an extremely demanding martial art, the epitome of Tel'Quessir mastery of the sword, almost never taught to those not of Tel'Quessir blood. The bladesong is a primarily defensive style of combat, with devastating strikes considered less important than a superior guard position. From this superior defensive posture, magical attacks and spells may be used without fear of successful counter-attack, when performed by a Tel'Quessir fully proficient in the style. In addition to the violent purpose inherent to all martial arts, the bladesong is uniquely Tel'Quessir in the fact that the aesthetic components of the style are as important as its martial efficacy, with its dance-like movements and the haunting whistling sounds produced by the sword blade cutting through the air being the source of the name bladesong.

These dedicated elf warriors take their craft seriously enough to have created a uniquely elven fighting style. Unlike the martial arts of other races, the elven fighting style, also known as the bladesong, emphasizes beauty and economy of movement over sheer destructive power. However, the elven bladesong is deceptively dangerous, for all its seeming gentleness and apparent grace.

Bladesong is so named for several reasons. The first and most obvious is because of the whistling of the blade as it slices through the air when this style of fighting is used. The second, according to some, is for the haunting, wordless tune many of its practitioners are said to sing as they fight. Other sources indicate that Bladesingers practice an ancient elven variant of the art of Spellsong which they have adapted to suit their uniquely elven arcane-martial style.

Those who practice the bladesong appear as if they are dancing when they fight. Their movements seem misleadingly slow and elegant, deflecting opponents' blades while lazily drifting back to score hits themselves. The technique requires, above all, misdirection and subtlety. The bladesingers do not believe in smashing blows or strong and crushing offense, but rather in guiding their opponents to anticipate a different attack entirely, thus overbalancing the foe and making him seem clumsy.

((From Races of Faerun 3.5, Complete Book of Elves AD&D 2e, Elves of Evermeet 2e, Cormanthyr: Empire of Elves AD&D and a bit of edited copy/paste from FR wikia))

[Flasmix]

This is my favourite Blade Singer fight in movies.