Bard who's about to upend the whole magical world with their inventions, "amplifiers", "microphones", and "loudspeakers".
Previously in Bardic Quarterly, Winter Imperial Year 235
Bardic Quarterly: So Toadmother is known for your unique, very powerful sound – what’s behind it?
Roserot Snowblut: Wh- oh, yeah. So, uh, it was something Briarthorn developed when she was still in bard school, I guess? It’s called, uh, “amplification”. And it makes us louder.
BQ: That’s an understatement. How does it work?
RR: Oh. Right. Uh. So… you know how when you blow in a horn, the sound comes out bigger? It’s like that. Except different. We use, uh… aetheric amplification. It’s a circuit of sigils laid out in like, gold thread, copper and quartz… the sigils capture the sound from the instruments and our voices, and- (She pauses, to spit a slug out – it falls to the floor with a wet slap.) -and they increase it, till it comes out of the loudspeaker over there. A couple people have made things like that before, but ours are special, cause, uh…
BQ: …Yes?
RS: Is this going to be… like… printed? Who reads this?
BQ: Mostly just other bards.
RS: Okay… uh. (She checks if anyone else is in the room and leans in and “whispers” loudly) It also increases the effects of our spells, so even though we’re not nearly as trained as Briar we can still cast way way fucking harder than most bards… and also it amplifies our… You know. The curse.
BQ: Why would you want to do that?
(At this point Briarthorn Blacktongue enters the interviewing room and interrupts, coughing out flies as she shouts) Because FUCK you, man! This is trade secret shit dude, fuck off! Roserot, I'm sorry, you can’t spread that around, especially not to- I said get the fuck out of here, asshole!
Toadmother declined to continue the interview at a later date – the exact wording invited me to perform sexual acts with farm animals. I did see one of their performances, however, a set of original compositions performed for the Greater Ash Lake Coven and Associated Lesser Covens of the Eastern Realm. The power of their amplified voices is tremendous – even from well over a hundred yards, their magically amplified instruments are both loud and incredibly clear. And the illusions and the conjurations they performed as part of the act were of a magnitude that would usually require a whole choir acting in concert. The assembled witches, warlocks, and other pactbearers went wild for it, not seeming to realize the display of sheer power they were witnessing – not a shock, considering how readily other spellcasters will write off bards.
This reporter will be watching Toadmother extremely closely as they prepare to go on their tour of the realms this year – this troupe could move mountains with their music. Whatever stories come out of this tour, they’re certain to be huge. Check in this summer for new updates from Bardic Quarterly!