#ace bard

[pluto-glow]

surprisingly hot take i think? i fucking hate the “horny bard” stereotype

hi i’m an asexual bard who plays asexual bards, yes we exist

you have no idea how many times i’ve had people try to force the horny bard stereotype on me when i am very open about being ace. i’ve even had people tell me before that bards can’t be asexual which is so??? huh??? anyone can be ace, does not matter their class, race, background, personality, whatever i do not care, anyone can be ace

please for the love of all that is ttrpgs please ask people before applying stereotypes like that to people’s characters

sincerely an ace who has had a dm put sex into my character’s backstory without asking me when i am ace

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

Shadowheart: We have to go!

Astarion: Afraid I can’t. Tav is sleeping on top of me.

Shadowheart: Then push them off.

Astarion: *offended* Excuse me?

[theartsyhognose]

Happy ace week!!

[pj-was-here]

IM SAVING THIS

The bard had a lot of success, despite being asexual. They were just very... pursuACEive.

[u3pxx]

☀️💖 he's a weak, weak man.

[gingersnaptaff]

(Okay, so I know I said I was gonna do marriage laws and queenship stuff in regards to welsh laws - and I will! - but here is a nice, quick round-up about BARDS

*SHREDS ON A HARP*

Okay, so this is inspired by @gawrkin 's recent posts on bards because the laws surrounding them are SUPER FUN. And Wales LOVES LOVES LOVES their bards. (Myself included.)

Right, so, without further ado, ONWARDS.

*shreds harp aggressively again*

So the 'spurious triads' the author is referring to are presumably to do with IOLO MORGANNWG *ominous thunderclap*.

I shan't go too much into him as suffice to say, we gotta keep this shit SHORT, but he was a massive forger from Glamorgan (that's what Morgannwg means. It's his bardic name. Iolo is Edward.) who made up a bunch of triads and Celtic / medieval manuscripts including some of the Welsh Triads. Also, he is the reason why the Eisteddfod has the Gorsedd of bards.

So a mixed bag, y'know.

ANYWAY. They're very high-rank on account of being the literally Yellow Pages of Celtic and medieval Welsh societies. If you had a question that needed answering you'd ask a bard. They were like Google. They would know a man's lineage (and Welsh lineages are confusing. There were men named Dafydd ap Dafydd ap Dafydd ap Dafydd. No, I'm not joking.) battles, monarchs, myths, songs, stories. Anything.

And they had to SING. And play an instrument. Namely either a harp or a crwth.

This baby is crwth! It's a little like a violin but much darker in tone. They were extinct for a while but they've undergone a revival and they are FUN!

Also, the court bard had to SING to the queen about Camlann 'in a low voice.' I've heard various reasons suggested as to why and one of them is to remind her that Gwenhwyfar's infidelity was the main reason for King Arthur's downfall, but I think it's probably because of The Slap. Idk though. I'm just guessing, buddies.

Still, it's cool that the queen got a special sing-song.

Also, the bard being 'invested with a chess board' suggests to me that the game of Gwyddbwyll that Arthur and Owain play in the Mabinogion signals that they're bards. Gwyddbwyll being the type of chess the bards would've been familiar with. Plus, we know Arthur is somewhat of an amateur bard (Culhwch and Olwen being the prime example where he sings his terrible englyn about Cai to his face. Arthur, ur a fuckin BASTARD.) so it's in keeping with his character.

Also, I think it's adorable that the harp 'always descended to the youngest son.'

If you want a story that deals with bards and their privileged position in Welsh society and also wants ur heart RIPPED OUT may I suggest 'The Assembly of the Severed Head' by Hugh Lupton. It deals with a bard in a monastery after he's almost perished in a raid and the monks writing out the Mabinogion so they can give it to Llywelyn Fawr. It deals with war, love, loss, and also stonking good historical context. Also lots of poetry!!!!

Final fact: bards in Wales weren't wiped out by Edward the First. That's a fuckin myth. Don't come round here with ur fuckin myths. Old Longshanks has done enough already. May he eat shit.

(Also, Taliesin gets all the good rep but what about my boy Aneirin?)

Okay, BYEEEEE!!!!

P.S.: have an Eisteddfod chair!

[grapetriip]

anyone up for bg3 aftg au w dark urge neil

[arofili]

@aspecardaweek day seven | freeform | aroace gil-galad

Gil-galad was an Elven-king Of him the harpers sadly sing The last whose realm was fair and free Between the Mountains and the Sea.

—The Fall of Gil-galad, tr. Bilbo Baggins

picrew | for @jaz-the-bard

[rielzero]

Sometimes I make low effort scribbles like this when I'm bored.

[meep--tm]

new AU im cooking up called Oops! All Spellcasters

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

Karlach: What's it like being married to Astarion? Ace!Tav: He got wine drunk last night and tried to burn our marriage certificate. Ace!Tav: He said, "good luck returning me without the receipt!".

[protagonistpolling]

The winner will move onto the four-way finale!

[chaosroid]

Love it when games give bards their "disney princess" moments. Not even being sarcastic here, like they're genuinely always so cool to come across. I will never get tired of this trope.

The Wolven Storm from the Witcher 3, Leliana's song from DA Origins, Canaid Lia Fáil from AC Valhalla, Lohse's song from Divinity 2, the Weeping Dawn from BG3...I always end up just sitting there with big 'ol hearteyes like 'pls let me lay my head on your lap and listen to you sing all day uwu'

[pcktknife]

fucking up the performance check for dancing with wyll should end in you crawling off to die in solitude

[blujayonthewing]

SUPREMELY frustrating that we found something actually really cool and intriguing and plot relevant in tonight's session but I'm still so constantly preoccupied with whether the DM is going to 100% kill us with sheer poor game design that I barely have enough brainspace left over to even enjoy it

[sparkliest-bard-bracket]

✨Round 2: Match 27✨

The Amazing Devil Propaganda:

VOTE THE AMAZING DEVIL !!!! BOTH MEMBERS OF THE BAND ARE FUCKING AMAZING THEIR MUSIC MAKES ME FEEL SHRIMP EMOTIONS AND I SHOULDNT EVEN HAVE TO DO PROPAGANDA JUST GO LISTEN TO TWO OF THEIR SONGS !!!!!!!! WOMEN HOWLING AND MEN GROWLING WHAT MORE NEEDS TO BE SAID

More propaganda!

Klavier Gavin Propaganda:

He is a rockstar and he is so gender and silly and a diva