Keldoc Mirrorwind

Keldoc Mirrorwind is a half-elven minstrel played with aplomb by Bwh during the original Mages' Regal campaign. He has since taken up residence in Silverymoon and has been used as a narrative device to disseminate important information through the Forgotten Realms.

Description
Keldoc is a blond-haired, green-eyed half-elf with a bit of well-manicured facial scruff and a general smirk of amusement. His eyes, the color of emeralds, are always twinkling with mirth. Keldoc, like most of his race, is lean and fairly pale; he keeps his facial hair as a defiant reminder of his dual heritage.

While his clothing tastes don't lean toward the garish, Keldoc still wears obviously costly silks with stylish patterns, in addition to expensive magical jewelry. When out on missions, his appearance is a lot more subdued and camoflauged, but he's never to be seen without his trademark fedora and magical blue glasses.

Personality
Informed by his time with Vohr Kethon, Keldoc is brashly heroic and stoicly debonair, with a flair for the theatrical and a brilliant gift for sophistry. Often the straight-man to Vohr's more blatant tactics, Keldoc utilizes extreme gall in pulling off absolutely ridiculous stunts. While exceptionally overconfident, Keldoc does not engage any situation without having at least two means of escape at the ready.

Silverymoon
Keldoc was born in 1344. He was raised by two loving half-elf parents in Silverymoon, the great democratic experiment of Faerun. Apprenticed to a mandolin-maker at an early age, the boy discovered a knack for instruments and a keen ear. His parents encouraged his playing, and he was soon a local name inside well-to-do circles in Silverymoon.

He attended the recently renovated House of the Harp, graduating with the highest marks in the institution's recorded history ... but this wasn't enough for the minstrel. With a mandolin in hand and a lust for adventure, he made his way to Waterdeep.

Wandering Guardians
It was in a major marketplace in Waterdeep, during a festival thrown by the Temple of his goddess Tymora, that he met the Wandering Guardians. The group fell together almost by accident when an artifact was stolen -- a trip through a portal later, and the group found themselves heroically crossing the Western Heartlands.

Keldoc soon settled into a niche within the mighty troupe. He worked most commonly (and most effectively) with Vohr Kethon, a notorious rogue; their combined efforts let the Guardians accomplish tasks which normally would not have been possible around the stern and taciturn Nassim Molrin. While only passing-fair at hand-to-hand combat (save for aristocratic dueling), the bard found other ways to assist -- up to and including the impersonation of an Orc Warlord.

Through a series of events almost too incredible to be believed, the troupe gained and lost a castle, aided a gnomish machinist, assisted Nassim in his quest for the Sword of the Triad, then finally defeated the Mage's Regal and Shoovekapek, their leader. Keldoc delivered the fatal blow with a mighty poisoned dagger ... and then ripped Shoovekapek's head off in front of an army of the goblin-mage's followers.

The Harpers and the Call of Tymora
In the time succeeding his Guardian success, the bard returned to Silverymoon. Keldoc had met representatives of the Harpers while with the Wandering Guardians, during one of the frequent Orcish Invasions; after the Wandering Guardians fell apart, the bard went to work for them. He often coordinated between several of the Harper splinter-sects in the course of his work, making a long line of connections in the process. The bard claimed he joined simply for the travel opportunities -- but, in fact, he was answering the call of good ... in a far different way from Nassim. He also purchased a tavern, The Silver Shadow Inn, where he performs quite frequently for the benefit of the Silverymoon populace.

In 1373, some time before the incident at the Citadel of the Raven, Keldoc was designated a High Harper and negotiated the Harpstar Accords. This united the factions (Harpers, Moonstars, &c.) under an oligarchical council. The groups interact only sparingly, but all could see the wisdom of joining forces to work for balance in the Realms ... though old enmities still simmered.

Keldoc has always believed himself to be blessed by Tymora; while he certainly wouldn't tout his own horn as a Chosen of one particular deity or another, people whisper than this Fortunate Bard may be the luckiest person in Faerun. Keldoc encourages the chatter indirectly by winning games of chance against supreme odds ... or defeating foes he might not otherwise overcome. One woman, Loralei by name, directly references Keldoc as being the Right Hand of Tymora and the person who came to her in her hour of need, while sitting amidst the ruins of the Citadel of the Raven ... but as Loralei is certifiably crazy, such statements should not be taken at face value.

Consort of the Silver Marches
Keldoc's subsequent ambassadorial and negotiation duties have left an indelible impression upon the Silver Marches; when not engaged with the Harpers, he has been more than willing to lend assistance to the Lady Alustriel, with whom he has been rumored to have an on-again, off-again relationship. (Keldoc himself never mentions the topic, although rumor travels fast, even in Silverymoon.)

During the rise and fall of Mordeth, Keldoc was caught by surprise and imprisoned in one of the Elemental Prisons. (Rumor has it that Vohr was the original target, but the rogue could not be found.) His prison was complex in its design, as the Red Wizards knew full well that his friends and acquaintances were mighty indeed. He was set free through an odd set of circumstances, though portions of the Jade Lion Mercenary Group were believed to be involved.

In 1377 DR, Keldoc personally spearheaded the investigation to locate the unknown anarchists spreading disorder throughout the city; the ultimate revelation that it was the Cult of the Dragon struck a personal chord with the bard ... and the subsequent slaying of Lord Hornblade and the damage to the palace struck him as a personal failure. Several songs were written about the incident; they are, to date, only played in the Silver Marches. Keldoc has also sold off a lot of his accumulated wealth in order to fund repairs throughout the city out of his own pocket.

In 1378 DR, Keldoc traveled frequently. He was spotted first in the city of Starmantle, where he handled the music for the Coliseum's Melee Battle; he would then travel to the Blood Marshes, where he would speak on behalf of his fallen comrade, Nassim Molrin. During the Greengrass Festival, The Silver Shadow Inn was destroyed, pinning Keldoc underneath the rubble. He was soon recovered, though -- and realizing the danger he posed to the city while Oryn's rage went unchecked, he disappeared from sight until after the battle of Sundabar. His precise whereabouts were never discovered.

Present Day
Keldoc Mirrorwind divides his time between the House of the Harp in Silverymoon (where he serves as an adjunct professor), the Harpers (for whom he still runs missions) and Waterdeep (where he occasionally guest-lectures and performs). He travels quite frequently, though, appearing throughout the corners of Faerun ... generally where least expected.

The End: 1470 DR
Keldoc lived a staggering 126 years and shepherded both Silverymoon and the Harpers into a new age. He worked tirelessly to advance the cause of the Harpers throughout Faerun, using his magic and his songs to spread the word that hope was still alive and well in the Realms. He continually dodged the attacks of Oryn Silverrain, and -- out of spite -- told bawdy (sometimes disgusting) stories about his former companion during late evenings in dockside taverns. (In some parts of the world, "an Oryn" has connotations which would not please the elf.)

In the course of the Spellplague, Keldoc composed what was arguably his greatest song and used it to bring peace and hope to the people of Silverymoon; he played it for a period of 48 hours without rest. Rumor has it that he slept for two days in the time that followed. The Spellplague also noticeably strained his ties with the Lady Alustriel. While they remained good friends until her passing, the title of "Consort" was quickly dropped.

In 1405 DR, he thwarted a plot by mercenary Neo-Zhentarim to usurp the power of the Lelu'a family. It was at this time that he discontinued his association with the fledgling Harper group which sought to replace the organization he had once led to glory. It is noted by some historians that Keldoc was not buried with his Harper Pin. In either case, Keldoc helped guide the new family through its fledgling years and supported it until it could hold its own amongst the politicians of the Marches.

He finally retired to a small cottage. In the end, he had buried his parents, his friends, the whole of the Harpers and his long-time companion, Lady Alustriel. In his advanced age, he spent more time in consultation with Alustriel's son, Methrammar (himself an older gentleman at this point). The rumor mill always speculated about Methrammar's parentage, but neither Keldoc nor he ever commented ... and no one would dare press the point with one of the Seven Sisters.

Keldoc, his body garbed in his state robes (and his mandolin and harp conspicuously absent), was burned in a mighty funeral pyre right on the river; the Knights in Silver stood by in salute. Musical students from both Waterdeep and Silverymoon provided the fanfare. His ashes were left in the river, as he had cited a concern about being reanimated by evil forces. Instead, he was memorialized by a small continual flame in a section of the monument dedicated to 1378 DR's Crimson Celebration.

Keldoc as an NPC
As someone well-placed and well-loved in Silverymoon society, it is more than likely than NPC's will encounter him at some juncture ... especially at high-level social functions. Keldoc is charming, though a bit stand-offish with people he doesn't know. More often than not, he keeps his own hours and abides by his own schedule, so he may appear in random places -- often where evil wouldn't expect him to be.

While he's apt to recite the usual tales, anecdotes and witticisms concerning his time amongst the Wandering Guardians, his lips are more tightly sealed when the questions become more probing. He won't discuss the whereabouts of the other Guardians. Following the events of the Crimson Celebration, though, he will more than willingly give his opinions on Oryn Silverrain.

Contacts
Keldoc Mirrorwind belongs to a large number of social circles and, as a premiere performer in the Northwest of Faerun, has a large number of fans. As a result, he can draw large crowds fairly quickly; he can also put himself in the courts of highest powers, ranging from Alustriel to Khelben Arunsun of the Moonstars to the Captains of the Silver Guard. Generally speaking, if investigating problems inside of Silverymoon, Keldoc will request 3-8 Harpers or Silver Guards to accompany him ... mostly so he has an audience. Conversely, Keldoc is perfectly at home in wretched hives of scum and villainy, and he has more than a passing familiarity with the underbelly of Silverymoon ... while he isn't apt to ask them for help, he could blend into such scenery without batting an eyelash.

Songs
Keldoc has gone out of his way to learn any and every song he can, up to and including Temple Hymns and chants. Besides his own body of work (which is extensive, and is copied and repeated up and down the Sword Coast), he can also play the hymns of every major deity of good or neutral alignment. He generally travels to Waterdeep once a month to try out new songs, as well as scout for upcoming talent for The House of the Harp.

Original Material
 * The Charge of the Five
 * Endless Fields
 * The Battle of the Silver Walls
 * The Way To Fool An Orcish Prince
 * Flinging Daggers
 * Drawing of the Sword
 * Shadow Stomp
 * The Shepherdess and the Knight-Errant
 * A Thousand Leagues Below
 * Sweet Silver Lady
 * The Magic Died