The Calming Breeze

The Calming Breeze is a bardic order that works to both entertain and reinforce the morale of the Camberle Army and citizens.  The name originated during the Battle of Safe Haven 179 years ago when the army had to retreat into Safe Haven proper during the 1st Essaux Invasion.

At the time, the army was structured that the nobility were placed in higher ranks more as tokens of appreciation or social rank "gifts" rather than based on competence.

The Camberle Army was not horribly outnumbered but very poorly managed and their supplies were dwindling.  General Ohmsthad, a blustery but not very competent noble leader (he was son-in-law of the king) had outlasted his tactical competence and after several stinging failures he lost hope and was openly talking surrender.

To the horror (and partial relief of the war council), Colonel Kelamke, a life time military woman, whom had just lost her family during the last raid, beheaded the sniveling Ohmsthad.  The most shocking part was just how efficiently and coolly she sliced off his head wiped the blood off on his cloak and sheathed the blade before casually returning to the war maps.

In the confusion, the war council which was precariously balanced between the nobles (who thought they could ransom themselves out of the situation) vs. the career military was about to turn on Kelamke when the Elven Bard Feranroth began a mournful rendition of the Camberle national anthem that rose and ended with a strong steadfast note.

This was a very subtle charm cast by Feranroth that gave enough time for Colonel Kelamke to wrest control with her statement, "I did only what Camberle needed.  In your hearts, you know this.  I will fall on my own sword IF the nobles so command AFTER we save this town."

She quickly took leadership, leveraged the remaining troops.

With the help of any bards, entertainers and artists she could find and quickly stripped down and painted as many troops and people that they could with gaudy mawkish makeup colors of what ever she could find in the cosmetic shops or paints.  The shapes were as disturbing as possible (combination of highly sexual, violent or demonic themes) and while they were being painted the entertainers sung an insane combination of gibberish, comedy and patriotism that began to whip them into a patriotic fervor.  She had them slip into the filthy cold river and swim under the piers to flank the opposing army.

Then to complete her desperate gambit, she put the remains of General Ohmsthad into a catapult and flung them at the overconfident Essaux generals while having Feranroth use his talents to scream out, "We took a vote on whether or not we will allow prisoners...  This was the ONLY one who wanted to keep ANY of you alive.  We disagreed." just as Ohmsthads head and body landed.  The Essaux were horrified and flabbergasted because they knew Ohmsthad's and were counting on his incompetence as their leverage to to win.

During the confusion, the painted troops slipped out of the water and began fighting.  The entertainers who weren't good at fighting began screaming and laughing, doing the most insane and vile things with anything or anyone that fell.  Performing slight of hand with the body parts, pretending they were loosing arms and picking them back up or gnawing on flesh or attacking the walls releasing horrific insanely dark children's rhymes and gibberish.  Coupled with the painting and costumery, (and augmented with some bardic talent), the confusion gave enough time for the troops to make significant damage to the Essaux lines now that they were focused.  

The sheer insanity of the defense destroyed Essaux's morale and they fled.

Colonel Kelamke had won the day.

But Kalamke didn't live long afterwards.  She had struck down a noble and, even with her win, there was no escape.  With her family dead, she resigned herself to her fate.  Feranroth played at her funeral  at Kalamke's request.  Traditionally the hands are bound behind their backs to prevent the victim from jerking during the beheading causing an unclean cut and much agony.  But Kalamke motioned the executioner's assistant away with a tired smile and a pat on the executioner's shoulder and she addressed him through his hood, "I trust that your aim will be true Klavan".

She hugged Feranroth and smiled weakly, "Such a beautify day to go back to my family."  She then knelt down and rested her head on the ax post her smile getting more relaxed looking at Feranroth, "I am glad you are here. You are like a calming breeze".  Feranroth's voice tapered off and the executioner completed his task with a loud thud.  Klavan's aim was perfect.

The Calming Breeze name stuck for the entertainers of the army as a dual reminder of what you can accomplish when you need to as well as what you have to do no matter what the personal cost.

Although she could not be offered a hero's funeral, she was still provided a simple, honorable ceremony attended by her closest friends in her unit but the common folk were kept from attending by the nobles.  They had balanced sullying her name a bit (lowering her part of the victory) and boosting the efforts of Ohmsthad by covering up the cowardice and catapulting but it was subtle enough that it wasn't obvious they were salvaging their own skins.  Those in her unit that couldn't keep quiet died in subsequent battles under less than ideal circumstances.

The nobles had deflected most of the accolade and story of the victory to Feranroth for calming the war party, stirring up patriotism in the army and scarring the enemy generals.  Feranroth, for his part, was under duress to accept the "official" story as his family was discretely threatened.

This betrayal broke his spirit.  His last song was at the execution and he just couldn't bring himself to sing anymore.  He just sat in silence, barely faking a smile as the nobles paraded him around at events trying to milk off of his fame.  He was locked in the tragedy of keeping the secret.  He passed soon after.  Those in the know believe that he either couldn't bear the burden or that enough time for the nobles had passed and his usefulness no longer outweighed the secret so he was probably poisoned by the Deathbringers to make it look like it was the stress eventually succumbing to old wounds from the battle.

The Port of Safe Haven celebrates the victory every spring with a week long party of drinking and debauchery where people sing frenetic songs and carnival masked and scantily clad.  Bards enjoy this time because they get high priority billings as Nobles try to outdo each other in their extravagant parties but often "slum" it up to mix with the commoners.  Everyone coats themselves in makeup and paint (commoners use lesser supplies and gaudiness) and everyone works themselves into a frenzy.

It is a strange simmering boil where fights break out that settle the previous year's disputes with fist fights (no weapons are permitted) and there are rarely any fatalities.  Nobles typically hide from any reporting of their scuffles but if serious injuries to nobles occur from commoners, there is usually hell to pay.

The original truth of the battle is hinted in the Bardic instruction of the order but it is woven in so quietly and sworn to never be shared to the uninitiated.

The bards and more mundane entertainers in this order have a basic morality code enforced that frowns on theft and questionable charming involving romantic or political targets.

Exceptionally gifted students or bards of high distinction are sometimes requested to attend the Conservatory of the Mystic Arts for more advanced training but most refine their craft by local bookings and venues as well as adventuring.