Bandora: This bass-range instrument can reach low notes that other citterns cannot. It has a rich and mellow tone the girds up even the quietest of voices. As well as being ornamental, the bandora’s scalloped sides are said to enrich the timbre. (65 gp)

Cittern: These pear-shaped variations on the common yarting have four sets of paired strings that produce rich tones. (65 gp)

Dulcimer: In the frosty lands of Damara, these instruments have become a favorite for hearthside entertainment. All our craftsmen use solid spruce sounding boards and oak hammers. Full-size: 60 gp; Half-size: 45 gp.

Lute: Built by craftsmen in Avalon, these round-backed instruments have become a fixture in royal courts as far south as Delgado. Our lutes contain doubled strings for a fuller sound. The pegs allow for easy tuning, and the round back rests most comfortably against the stomach. Chitarrone: 50 gp; theorbo: 45 gp; mandora: 40 gp; common: 35 gp.

Mandolin: Another fine product from Avalon, these small, pear-shaped instruments produce a delicate, fluttering sound when strummed for accompaniment. They also make excellent solo instruments. 40 gp.

Psaltery: The music of this plucked dulcimer fills the houses of peasants and the castles of kings. Crafted by skilled bards in Davalance, our psalteries are excellent instruments for novices and masters. Triangular: 65 gp; Square: 60 gp.

Yarting: Whether traditionalist or college-trained and whether in the wilds of Avel'Nikash or the sprawling territory of Nexus City, yarting music is the bard’s staple diet. All our yartings feature sturdy spruce construction, a fretted fingerboard, coiled steel strings, and a leather case. All sizes: 40 gp.

Zither: With all the clarity and beauty of a common dulcimer and the flexibility of a yarting, the zither is fast becoming a fixture in the streets and courts of the land. Its lower strings are fretted to allow the left hand to stopper them, and the upper strings, tuned in fourths, can be plucked by the right thumb. The resulting music suits rigorous peasant dances as well as recitation of ancient lore. (65 gp)

Guitar: A Nexus City innovation in musical diversity, the guitar is a fretted instrument with six strings that is played with both hands by strumming or plucking the strings with either a guitar pick or the fingers/fingernails of one hand, while simultaneously fretting (pressing the strings against the frets) with the fingers of the other hand, resulting in a more laidback sound. (50 gp)

Harp: Our harps vary in size, shape, and material. We offer full-scale harps of wood (75 gp), half-scale harps of wood (50 gp) or silver (120 gp) and quarter-scale harps of wood (30 gp) or silver (75 gp). All produce excellent quality sound.

Lyre: These ancient squarish instruments are perhaps the most portable ones we offer. They provide excellent background sound to epics, as they have for ages. (40 gp)

Harpsichord: No manor house or castle would be complete without a harpsichord. This large and versatile instrument, when played by one or two keyboardists, produces a cheerful jangling that will fill any room. But, when notes come few and slow it creates a sober and pensive effect. All our harpsichords come from a master in Milochan, and all must be special ordered. Prices are highly individualized, according to materials required.

Violin: Part of the cultural heritage of Arcydea, violin music is particularly beloved by elves, and many of our craftsmen are elven. Even our lowest-price violins (65 gp) produce mellow tones and come with a leather case. Our masters-quality violins must be special ordered from a specific craftsman, and thus range in price and availability.

Rebec: This grandfather to the modern violin is the instrument of choice for the lively music of the peasant folk. We stock both two- and three-stringed rebecs, all of which are crafted by guild craftsmen. (55 gp)

Viol: These deeply resonant, 6-stringed cousins of the violin work well alone, or can flesh out a larger ensemble of instruments. With melancholy music they are matchless. Favored by dwarven players for their dark tones and mournful voices, our viols come from the same craftsmen who create our violins. (70 gp)

Bagpipes: Bagpipes are portable organs. By means of a bellows contraption within the bag, air is forced over what amount to a set of odd organ pipes. The constant flow of air from the bagpipes produces a loud drone that underlies the other tones. (95 gp)

Birdpipe: Cousin to the common longhorn, the birdpipe produces sound through many vertical tubes of varying height. The rich wood tones of the birdpipe are said by some to charm even ferocious animals. (20 gp)

Fanfare Horn: These long and elegant brasswork horns produce a most strident and heroic tone. Their conic simplicity makes them perfect for banners of state. (35 gp)

Flute: Child of the recorder, the flute can achieve high and piercing tones of remarkable clarity. Though the range of this instrument is limited, due to its size, it is sure to be heard in any ensemble due to its birdlike voice. The shorthorn is an easy instrument to learn for those proficient on the recorder. (15 gp)

Glaur: This valved horn has a versatility that other trumpets cannot begin to match. Its curved shape makes its tone a brash, metallic roar that stirs the heart of anyone. By blowing continuously while operating the valves, swooping pitch changes occur, to great effect. Glaur are available in silver (120 gp), electrum (250 gp), and brass (75 gp).

Horn: Our horns are made of finest material (brass, bronze, horn, or shell) and include beeswax for tuning slides and oil for valves. In addition to the valveless trumpets traditional to the courts of kings, we offer other, more versatile horns as noted. Common trumpet: 40 gp.

Hunting Horn: These small, curved horns produce a loud clarion call that can carry as far as two miles. We offer hunting horns crafted of wood (20 gp), brass (35 gp), shell (35 gp), and even horn (30 gp).

Recorder: Recorders produce perhaps the purest, most lyric tones of any instruments. Their simple elegance, playability, and portability have made them rival the yarting in popularity. The treble variety (15 gp) creates very high and piercing tones, like those of birds chirping. The common recorder covers the mid to upper tones and comes in brass (15 gp), silver (35 gp), wood (10 gp), and bamboo (15 gp). Tenor recorders are available only by special order.

Sackbut: This odd brass horn produces a variety of low tones through use of a sliding mechanism. The sliding action can also produce a very vulgar slurring sound, made loud and blatty by the broad bell at the end. (45 gp)

Shawm: This double-reed instrument creates an exotically textured sound. When played poorly, the instrument buzzes like a large insect, but in the hands of a master, the shawm has the clear, melancholic voice of migrating geese. Either way, shawms should be played out of doors. (22 gp)

Chimes: The sound of chimes, whether the patter of small chimes or the somber ring of large chimes, always stirs the hearts of listeners. Our suppliers create chimes ranging from full racks (75 gp) to small, hand-held sets (5 gp). Chimes must therefore be special ordered.

Hand-Drum: All our hand-drums are constructed of solid (unspliced) ash, ironwood, or cherry, and include a shoulder strap. They work well to mark the rhythm of ensemble play, to alert trail mates of danger, or to accompany wild tales by the campfire. (20 gp)

Rattle: A favorite of children, gourd rattles have many uses in ensemble play as well. All our rattles come from exotic Calimshan, and bear beautiful tracery patterns painted by the skillful folk of that land. We stock small (5 gp), moderate (7 gp), and large (10 gp) rattles.

Tambourine: This jangling hoop helps to emphasize rhythms in ensemble play, and adds spice to campfire dances. Our tantans come from the long trade routes through Avel'Nikash, fashioned by the masters of the plains. (12 gp)

Wargong: These broad, heavy disks of copper produce a sudden, thunderous sound when struck heavily, and a sustained rumble when mallets roll upon the surface. Our wargongs have sounded from high courts to battlefields; chains of them send signals from outpost to outpost across hundreds of miles. Because our craftsmen for these instruments reside in Milochan, and because each wargong is an unique work of art, wargongs must be special ordered. Prices vary with availability.

Firecrackers and Smokesticks: These Nexus City fireworks will bring a bang to any performance. Firecrackers are made from black powder and paper, and explode with a jarring smack when set aflame. Smokesticks are chunks of finger-sized incense that belch smoke when thrown into a brazier. When tied together and thrown into flame, they create an effect similar to wizards' magic. Pack of 12 firecrackers, 1 gp; pack of 12 smokesticks, 1 gp.

Bladders: What child is happier than one with a full bladder? These pig bladders can be blown up to the size of a man’s head. (As anyone knows, bladders vary in size.) They can be attached to a stick or string, filled with water and thrown, released to sputter about the room, or even punctured to produce a loud pop. Children need no prompting to come up with devious uses. Bladders (5): 1 gp.

Balancing Ladder: Among the simplest and most enchanting of tumbling accoutrements is the balancing ladder. By holding the top of the rails and leaning back, a dexterous bard can walk up the ladder, balancing the weight of it by drawing the ladder toward the chest. Then stepping over the top rung, the bard can descend down the other side. We offer the ladder in the beginner 5-foot height (5 sp), as well as the master 8-foot (7 gp), and the mage 10-foot (8 gp) ladders. [Requires Acrobatics proficiency and one day's practice; regular falling damage applies.]

Jester Clothing: A fool is known by his clothing, if by nothing else. Our jester clothing is one-size fits all: small jesters swim comically in the clothes, while massive fellows strain the seams—jester clothes are better when they don’t fit! This outfit comes with a floppy three-cornered hat with bells on each tip (3 gp), a star-shaped collar also with bells (1 gp), a poufy shirt of satin (10 gp), white gloves (7 sp), bunchy pantaloons (8 gp), bright stockings (8 sp), and buffoonish shoes (12 gp). Each piece comes in red, yellow, green, blue, black, or white. Best used with makeup. Set: 25 gp.

Jugglables: Who can resist a juggling bard? We offer a wide variety of jugglables, each in sets of 3: balls of leather (5 sp), bean-bags (7 cp), clubs (1 gp), juggling knives (7 cp), plates of wood (4 sp), and stars of brass (2 gp). Our juggling knives have dull edges so that they will not slice off a novice finger. [Due to optimal size and weight, use of these provides a +1 to Perform proficiency when used.]

Mask: Our masks produce a change of character and are fitted with conic mouthpieces to actually increase the actor’s loudness. We offer traditional comedy and tragedy masks in finely carved and painted spruce (5 gp each) as well as a black pantomime mask (1 gp). In addition we sell the following at 8 gp each: bear, cat, death, disease, dog, fate, ghost, hawk, king, melancholy, orc, merchant, mouse, noble, peasant, queen, rage, slave, snake, and trickster. Special orders require 6 months for completion. [Suitable masks add +1 to Disguise proficiency, but only at 20 feet or more.]

Performer's Makeup: An aged sage once said, “Actors without makeup seem only walking spoons upon the stage.” Our makeup kit includes coal dust and tar for blackening features and adding dramatic lines; cochineal powder for reddening lips and cheeks; flour for lightening features; oil to add gloss; goat-hair mustaches and beards; blonde, brown, black, and gray wigs; resin for hair application; skin putty to lengthen noses or add circles beneath eyes; and a slippery liquid useful for washing off all substances. (30 gp) [Kit provides a +2 to Disguise proficiency when used.]

Prestidigitation: Bards need not know magic to amaze a crowd, for sleight of hand can transform confusion into magic. We offer all manner of devices for deluding an audience: marked cards (3 gp), card strung together (4 gp), hollow-topped hats (3 gp), pocketed scarves (1 gp), foldable canes (4 gp), flowering rods (4 gp), and retractable knives (3 gp). [Each requires 1 day practice and a Dex check.]

Puppets/Marionettes: A set of puppets or marionettes can transform a single bard into an entire theatrical troupe or transform an existing troupe into an army. We offer both puppets and marionettes in the following character types: bard, crone, cutpurse, farmer, herdsman, king, maiden, mage, merchant, mother, nobleman, orc, peasant, priest, prince, princess, queen, skeleton, slave, and soldier (7 gp each). We also offer a magnificent dragon puppet made of silk and requiring three hands to operate (15 gp).

Speaking Horn: Even for a popular bard, an appreciative audience can grow only so large due to the limits of the human voice. However, with this polished cone, a bard can send his or her voice far and clear. Available in rigid birchwood (3 gp) for urban bards, and leather (5 gp) with removable iron hoops for easy folding and storing. [Lets speaker be heard in a 60 degree cone in length 10 yards times the speaker’s Con.]

Tightrope: All humans dream of flying, and perhaps those who walk the tightrope come as near to it as anyone. Our tightrope (6 gp) is a banded steel cable that comes with a thick ring. By tying one end of the cable to a tree or building and attaching the ring near the other end of the cable, the remaining line can be wrapped around another tree and cinched tightly. Thus, our tightrope can be quickly set up in most any location. [requires Tightrope Kit proficiency; regular falling damage applies.]