Halambar Lutes & Harps

Halambar Lutes & Harps

Halambar Lutes & Harps is a musical instrument shop in Waterdeep. It was owned and run by Kriios Halambar, who was also guildmaster of The Council of Musicians, Instrument-Makers, & Choristers from ~1301 DR until his death. It is sometimes referred to as Halambar Lutes & Harps.

Location

The shop can be found in the Castle Ward. It stands on the east side of the Street of the Sword, some way up from Waterdeep Way. 

Services

As its name suggests, Halambar Lutes & Harps sells stringed instruments of all kinds from around Faerûn, including Amnian lyres and the Mintarn twostring, but mainly lutes and harps. They are pricey: regular instruments - typically small and plain and made by Halambar's apprentices or bought secondhand -cost a few hundred gold pieces, while Halambar's own don't cost less than 1000 gp. 
Halambar's lutes produce a distinctive mellow sound. How they do this is his trade secret. In fact, in the cellars, he would secretly soak the wood in harbor water. The store also sells enchanted jewel cases and snuff boxes that, when opened, play a single short tune. These typically cost 600 gp, making them gifts for the wealthy only. Bards and musically inclined adventurers can also register at Halambar's Lute Shop.

History

Halambar Lutes & Harps was established some time before 1357 DR, and has been well known through the 1360s DR. Although Kriios Halambar finally died in the early 1370s DR, the store is still in operation.

Reputation

The shop is recognized all along the Sword Coast for the distinctive sound of its lutes, and Volothamp Geddarm noted in his guides that it was worth visiting even for the non–musically talented. In particular, the Harp that Sings by Itself is a famed magical instrument in its own right.

Rumors & Legends

Standing upon a velvet-draped plinth, high out of reach, is the legendary Harp that Sings by Itself. It gently plays various old songs of the North, but its full magical powers have been forgotten. It is not for sale and is protected against theft - the covered plinth is actually a stone golem guardian put there by the mage Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun. In the 1360s DR, the bard Danilo Thann often visited Halambar's Lute Shop and worked with Halambar. A popular local story is that Halambar Lutes & Harps now stands where Olamn, the original bardic college of Waterdeep, stood centuries before. (This however, is false. It is the House of Song, the musicians' guildhall, that stands on the old Olamn site.)

Type

Shop, Generic