The Romancer

With the strumming of strings, songs fill the air.

And the melodious call of a man rings over the hills. 

His call beckons any who listen be they of young, old, man or woman or of any race in between.

This man hides many secrets and carries broken hearts and dreams on his back.

But he sings the pain away, looking only for one to claim him.

When you see his instruments and hear the sound of his voice, beware; for The Romancer has come.

Armed with a guitar, a violin and any manner of stringed instrument, he is known for his ethereal melodies and mysterious songs which are never named and seem to be sung only in the moment and never given thought. His true name is not known to the world and it is instead thought that he is the spirit of a mysterious lover from a time long gone from history, or that he is a being of alien origin from another world entirely, placed on Tarris Six to sway all who come into his path, or to sign their names into an unknown pact with his kind who are never seen beyond the world. Disputes have even risen that he is the devil incarnate come to the mortal world to take the souls of those he sings to before leading them in an eternal sing-song parade across the world for all of eternity.

Whichever of these beliefs is true, it is best to avoid him at all costs.

He comes dressed in red clothes, namely those familiar of a bard of medieval times, and can also be seen wearing a long cloak or cape of shining gold silk or other material. He stands at six feet tall and is recognizable for his siren-esque voice which he uses to entice or to woo his listeners no matter to which race or sex they belong, as seemingly all who hear his music are enraptured by the sound that they hear.

Strangely enough, he only speaks when he sings and cannot be spoken to by means of a normal conversation. When not singing he simply strums his strings, and when interrupted he only tends to play louder. This is also thought to be the main reason behind the assumption that he is not of any familiar race at all but is in fact alien or otherwise, having only learned to communicate through song and music and not by means of normal speech patterns known to humans and other races. The only breakaway in this assumption is that he is known to sing in Reethese, but not Common, and despite much of the Tarris Six population not knowing Reethese, they are still hypnotized by the sound of his voice when hearing him sing through ballad or simple song. 

On a single night of the year, namely the Summer Solstice - the longest night of the year - he comes for a different purpose. In legend, he arrives on Tarris Six - and rumors claim he was even seen as far away as Tarris Seven on supposedly the very same night - and begins to sing a song which enraptures only the children of the world. He walks the streets of cities and towns and sings in a parental tone of voice, calling to them to bring them along on his nightly stroll. The children, taken by the loving sound and the call of the void, follow The Romancer through the streets and to his final destination, usually a secluded grove or an underground grotto which is often hidden or hard to reach. By the morning, most if not all of the children are dead or comatose, and it is further believed that if The Romancer is indeed the living devil, that he takes the children for their souls in order to prolong his life on the surface. Those who have survived speak of a different being.

One wrapped in blood-soaked clothes and bearing teeth as sharp as razors, with bloodshot or red eyes and a scythe or a sword - even a large spiked club or a battle axe - carried with him while his bleeding fingers seem to play only with the air. The energy that they have felt is much more hellish than outsiders believe, and many attempts to summon The Romancer or to strike or slay him have failed. 

His first appearance on Tarris Six was during the Pantheonic Age, to the young daughter of a church leader in an attempt to sway her to be his bride. Unfortunately, the daughter's father and mother learned of the suitor and disapproved, going so far as to bless their home and their child with protective prayers and spells. Angered by the act, The Romancer vowed to have the woman as his own, and throughout history it is said that this very woman or her descendants are the object of his endless songs and his ethereal call.

When he will cease to search for her no-one knows, and how he has continued to exist in the world ever since will never be revealed by the ancient being, as he speaks only through song.

Remember, when you hear the voice of The Romancer, it is best to remove yourself and to find any way necessary to keep from hearing his call, as you may never be heard from or seen again should you join his eternal following.