A Rumor of Pipes
Posted on Mon Aug 4th, 2025 @ 8:38pm by Master Craftman Mari
Mission:
3531 AL
Location: Gather Square, Kymos Hold
Timeline: M2 D28
“The terror of performing never goes away, but instead, one becomes very, very comfortable being terrified.” -Eric Whitacre, Composer
Mari sat by herself, chewing her lower lip to shreds. It didn’t matter how many performances she had done in her life; she would always be excruciatingly nervous every time. But she knew that as soon as she took the stage, as soon as she put that blow pipe on her lips and unstopped the drones, it would all melt away and it would just be her and the music.
Perhaps her on-stage persona was a way to deal with the nerves. Perhaps all that nervous energy channeled into the exuberant showboater she became on stage. With nowhere else to go, the nerves served to turn her into a completely different person. They pushed and needled until everything about her very countenance changed and she became The Piper instead of just Master Mari. She had considered this angle many times in the past, but had never really come to any real conclusion. Today was no exception.
The Harpers on the stage had finished and were filing past her. The drummers she had requested stood nearby, ready to take the stage. Once the last group had vacated, the drummers took their places.
Mari chewed her lip more furiously, standing and positioning her pipes under her arm. She licked her lips and placed the blowpipe in her mouth.
The drummers started.
“Ladies and gentlemen!” boomed a voice from the stage. “I heard a rumor!”
A few people in the crowd cheered- transplants from the north familiar with her usual intro.
The drums continued.
“I heard a rumor,” continued the announcer, “of.. pipes?”
Another cheer rose from the crowd, louder than before.
Here Mari unstopped the drones and began squeezing, allowing them to sound.
“I heard a rumor that Master Mari has brought her pipes”!
With that, Mari began playing a quick and lively tune that was both rousing and danceable. It was her own composition, one she referred to as Dance of the Frost Whereies. She didn’t take to the stage right away, however, preferring instead to rouse the crowd from in front of the stage, dancing and playing as she went. She winked at children, bowed to the adults, and flashed a charming and mischievous smile to all. Once she had several people dancing, she finally made her way to the stage where she signaled a tempo change to the drummers, who, following her lead, also played to the crowd.
Her attitude was infectious. The gathered crowd grew as those passing by were drawn in and soon, many had begun dancing and attempting to fit complicated steps from other dances into her tune. A tune which increased in tempo several times before she finished in a flourish, signalling the drummers to stop at the same time.
And they loved it. As she knew they would.
She smiled at them once more and gave a sort of flourished bow. “Thank you!” she called to them. “For those of you who are not familiar with me, I am Master Mari. I am originally from Fort Hold, specifically the Harper Hall in the north and surprisingly, my master is not in piping!”
They played along with astonished exclamations.
“I know, it’s hard to believe isn’t it?” she said. “But no, my mastery is in instrument making and repair. However, you will be much relieved to know that I play frequently. So you will all likely have many opportunities to enjoy my dulcet tones.” And she squeezed the pieces unevenly, causing a loud squawking sound that tapered flat towards the end.
The crowd laughed as she mock-glared at her pipes. “They like to make a fool of me,” she told the crowd apologetically and they laughed again. “Anyway! Enough chatter. Who wants to hear more piping?”
A cheer from the crowd and she signaled the drummers to start with her this time, another of her own compositions, this one she called Tooth and Claw because her brother’s dragon had been exceptionally fond of it.
On and on she played, stopping occasionally to address the crowd, which grew the longer she played. At one point, she spotted Cohan standing off to the side, listening with a slight grin on his face and she winked in lieu of waving- which was, obviously, very difficult with pipes in one’s hands. He responded with a slightly bigger grin and a nod of respect.
All too soon- for Mari and for the crowd- it was time for her to heed the platform to the next group of Harpers. “Do not mourn that our time is over!” she told the crowd, who seemed genuinely disappointed to see her go. “Instead, celebrate because it happened! And also because I will be back this evening!”
A small cheer rose from the crowd at that and with a final wave, she exited the platform.
“How are we supposed to follow that?” joked a grinning fiddler who was waiting with several others to take their place.
Mari grinned at her appreciatively, recognizing a compliment when she heard one. She would stick around to support them, of course, as Harpers were wont to do. She was sure that they would do just fine, though. Everyone always did.
