Minstrel

Minstrels were a variety of traveling entertainer in the Realms.

Etymology
The term "minstrel" was often used interchangeably with "bard", as the average person couldn't differentiate them, though there were distinctions between the two. The term also carried a more negative connotation among average folk compared to "bard", being used to refer to performers that they felt were of a mediocre or worse quality.

Description
The minstrel profession involved singing ballads, playing a wide variety of instruments, and putting on mummery shows. Telling stories that were fabrications or recounts. And because of their traveling nature, they often carried gossip and news between population centers. The relaying of news or messages was one of the many means by which minstrels earned coin.

The ballads minstrels sang were usually of great events, such as the battle that ruined the Falling Tower, of far off lands, such as Rashemen and its Wychlaran or Thay and its Red Wizards, of wild tales of the lives of princes and princesses, of great adventurers, of criticism towards the nobility, of regional folklore or legends, of local rumors, and love songs.

In addition to ballads, minstrels would dramatically recite poems, memorize crucial scenes from old plays, and sometimes modified popular songs with their own verses, such as The Ballad of the Dream Weaver or The Knights of Dragon Down.

Minstrels were typically socially active individuals. They sometimes traveled in troupes. Besides other minstrels, these troupes could consist of bards, dancers, and spelldancers.

Distinction From Bards
Minstrels lacked the thorough, formal training and mastery of arcane magic that bards had. They also often lacked a bard's grand skills in memorization, forcing them to rely upon books or other methods to aid them in recalling stories.

Unlike average folk, guilds and positions or jobs that were court or noble-sponsored took the distinction between "bard" and "minstrel" quite seriously.

Culture
Minstrels could be found throughout Toril. In Faerûn they were most commonly found in Cormyr, in the Border Kingdoms, in Dlusk, in Selgaunt, in Sembia, in Zhentil Keep, in northwest Faerun, in the Vast, and across the Sword Coast in cities such as Baldur's Gate, Berdusk, Beregost, and Waterdeep. Especially during the festival of Masks, in various establishments during Shieldmeet, and in the city's Jesters' Court. Beyond the city itself, Waterdhavian minstrels could be found in Caer Callidyrr.

Further afield, minstrels could be found in the lands of Kara-Tur, such as in Shou Lung and Wa. Notably, the government of the Wanese city of Tifuido kept minstrels on a salary and had them play in the streets. In Chult, many a tabaxi lived as minstrels, traveling from settlement to settlement by themselves or in a troupe and garbed in bright clothes adorned with feathers and shells. Minstrels could be found across Zakhara, often at its bazaars selling their services for 3 to 5 gold pieces. And they could even be found in the Underdark, with deep gnomes being one of the races that commonly took up the profession. In the Elemental Plane of Air, there were djinn who lived as minstrels to entertain the noble djinni.

A unique variety of minstrel, the elven minstrel, were common throughout the island of Evermeet and could be found traveling the byways of Faerûn. These were most often silver elves, though sometimes gold elves took up the profession, and minstrels of both races had very different styles of song.

Festhalls, Inns, and restauraunts were seen to hire minstrels to play background music. Such as the Pride of the North, Everwyn House the Pleasing Platter, the Moonlight Touch, the Wizard's Pit, the Jovial Juggler, and The Way Inn. As well as at clubs, such as the Osculatory, the Masked Mermaid, and The Three Towers.

In terms of religion, minstrels in Faerûn were drawn most often to the Church of Milil, whose Tuneservants protected and rescued minstrels across the land and whose musical deity Milil sometimes appeared in the form of an old minstrel. Beyond the Church of Milil, the clergy of the Church of Oghma often assisted, sponsored, and taught minstrels. And the clergy of the Church of Eilistraee were expected to pay any minstrel they met for an evensong or two.

Equipment
Many minstrels used tale sashes to help them in the memorization of stories and to provide audiences a visual of whatever they were telling.

The variety of instruments they played often included bells, harps, kazoos, lutes, and simply the stamping of their feet. In elven minstrelry, the harp and various flute-like horns were most prevalent.

History
Minstrelry as a profession existed on Toril as far back as the days of Netheril, where the services of some could be purchased on the Karsus Enclave. Long after Netheril's fall, elves of the Kingdom of Cormanthyr developed their own minstrels, the elven minstrel.

Minstrels, along with caravan merchants and peddlers, were among the primary carriers of news and salacious rumors prior to the introduction of broadsheets. Though following the rise of broadsheets, minstrels were still valued in the 14 century DR by many as a source of news.

Notable Minstrels

 * Aldegund Ruthlorn
 * Darbrukk Syndylver, a minstrel from Cormyr.
 * Glindlar, a minstrel from Westgate.
 * Ilmer Yuskalorn, a minstrel who was famous around the Inner Sea.
 * Jaladha Tshamryl
 * Lieshann
 * Llewellyn the Loquacious
 * Mamblat
 * Nymbrar Shatterslee
 * Roland the Minstrel
 * Sastram Vaerintel, a minstrel in Waterdeep.
 * Shalar Simgulphin, a fighter in Waterdeep
 * Shanna Northgate, a thief from Wheloon
 * Shrylla Manthar
 * Sshansalue Wonderharp
 * Thalaeva Rynthar
 * Tan Nong
 * Waevor Talaphin, a half-elven minstrel and cartographer.
 * Windharrow

Trivia

 * The avatar of Vergadain occasionally took the form of a traveling minstrel.
 * Olothontor was known as "the Minstrel Wyrm" and one of his life goals was to hear from the finest minstrels throughout the world.
 * A friendly minstrel was one of the forms that the shapechangers known as uthraki were often likely to take.