How does it look?

Despite the name, voice is not used (or required, at least). A brief (5 seconds or so) Song is played on a stringed or woodwind instrument. The effects are much less dramatic than those of Lorecraft. A simple segment (5 seconds) is called an Aire. A strings of Aires is a Tune. There is an arcane symbolic language used to encode the Melodies and Keys of Spellsong, called the Glyphs Harmonic (M/H), but this is not necessary to be a spellsinger. When Bards play to entertain an audience, there is an effect similar to Ritual Magic wherein the observers donate most of the energy.

What can it do?

Spellsong is not useful in Battle, at least not in the down and dirty. It is best with nonobvious or subtle effects, less so at gross physical alterations. Spellsong is also very unpredictable - the same Song may have different effects in different environments.

How does it work?

Songs are created by combining Keys and Melodies. There are relatively few Keys, which are treated as skills and represent the verbs in spell descriptions (examples:  Key of Shaping, Key of Moving). There are MANY Melodies, which are advanatages. "Major" Melodies include the Melody of People (10pt advantage), the Melody of Light and the Melody of Plants. There are lesser Melodies that consist of parts of the great, such as the Melodies of Celenes (4 pts), Individual Celene Clans (2 pts), Faeries (6 pts), Little People (3 pts), Elves (8 pts), Each ElfTribe (3 pts), etc. If a Bard spends enough points on submelodies to equal the cost of the Major Melody, he gains it automatically.

A spellsong Aire is consists of playing a Melody in a selected Key, the exception being the Key of Shaping, which must require two Melodies and twice the time, though it is still counted as a single Aire. The effect is largely determined by situation and effort.

How much energy can be committed to a spellsong is dependent on the degree of Mastery acheived in that Key. For skill less than 11, 1 point max. 12-14, 2 points max. 15-17, 3 points max. 18-20, 4 points, ad infinitum.

The Keys:

Communication, Healing, Perception, Weakening, Strengthening, Moving, Protection, Warning, Creation, Control and Shaping (Transforming).

The Major Melodies:

Air (8), Fire (8), Water (8), Earth (8), Beasts (8), Monsters (13), People (10), the Body (10), Food (5), Light (5), Darkness (5), Mentalism (10), Sound (5), Death (10), Plants (8), Illusions (8) and Magic (8)

Aires versus Tunes

Tunes are much more complex, involving a string of Aires to create a much more specific effect. Only one skill roll is made for a Tune - the skill of the least mastered Key minus the total number of Aires (more than one) in the Tune. A Bard might make a Tune like Communication (12) in Beasts and Control (15) Mentalism and Warning (13) of Monsters to get a guard dragonette to faithful watch and guard him from monsters. GM says it will cost total 3 points (he can spend one per Key) and his roll must be 12 (lowest) - 2 (2 additional spells) for 10. He makes it, and the dragonette guards him throughout the night.

Cantrips

Cantrips are another way of narrowing down the effect of an Aire. In addition to a Melody in a Key, the Bard creates ON THE SPOT a two line poem. This requires another roll on the Spontaneous Poetry skill. A failed Poetry roll means the poem doesn't rhyme. The PC must think of the poem, but thanks to a successful roll, he get a minute to think about it. Even if the poem flops, the original Aire happens, but with results modified by the bad poem, often in a humerous way. An Example:  A Bard wants to make a light, but he wants it to be blue. He plays Melody of Light in the Key of Creation. He makes that roll them makes his poetry roll. The PC thinks and says:  The stars are lights too few, gimme a glow, and make it blue!". One who specializes in Cantrips is called a Cantrix, and are a favorite as court entertainers (especially since their failures are amusing). If the Cantrix uses an instrument that is played by mouth, he speaks the poem afterwards (but casting time is doubled).

The Works of the Masters

Long ago the Bardic College (which is a very loose organization usually based in Commons) set about recording all the great Songs and Ballads of the various Peoples and Nations. There are at least twenty such recognized books, each with many variations and quiet a few more unofficial books, not to mention the oral literature that has not yet been recorded. Some examples:  Songs of the Seasons (Naelathe), Call of the Forest Wilds (Fauns), Grig Sonatas as Recorded by Re'shion (Grig in Old Elven), and Collected Songs of the Thrushes (in Thrush and Elathe). Throughout these books, the Melodies of spellsongs are used, but not usually the Keys. The books, however, provide lyrics to go with the Aires and Tunes. They are often sang, hummed or just thought out silently as an aid to concentration. Recording a selection of oral literature previously unknown is a great acomplishment for a bard, who may thereafter take the title Bard-Sage.

What about the Instruments?

Having skill with an instrument is a prerequisite for learning any Key.  It can be a string or woodwind or a combination, but precussion instruments lack the range (unless very large and complex). Exotic instruments are known, and birds (alone) can sing Spellsongs, but these are exceptions. A Spellsinger's skills are instrument specific - a Melody can be hummed or tapped out on anything, but Keys require much more.

The Instrument must be made by a Master Craftsman. Instruments are VERY valuable and are often made of weirwood with High Metal inlay or strings. Most favored are the Lyre/Lute and the Panpipes, though Flutes and Guitars with or without bows are common. Spellsong instruments are much more complex than regular instruments, reflecting the need for extended range. They often seen to have an inordinate number of holes and strings.