Mabel - Bard of Hearts

Raised in the quaint but bustling Dryland town of Bordrel, Mabel was surrounded by the music of her parents’ tavern from a young age. Many troubadours and travelling musicians would find their way to her town, owing to its close proximity to the busy port border of Sudd Tohst, and the last stop for any travelling to the lawless but opulent badlands from Baldur. In the hours where she wasn’t helping her parents tend the tavern and livestock, Mabel was composing melodies in her head, writing lyrics upon old discarded planks of wood. Violas, flutes and lutes were all common sights on the tavern floor, but one instrument always held her heart above all: the harp.The tranquil melodies that would fill the building when a harpist would take the stage left her in a state that no other instrument could come close to. Hairs would stand upon her neck and arms just to hear the instrument played. It was a fateful evening that a harpist noticed the wide eyes of young Mabel, and asked the girl if she would wish to play. She sheepishly revealed her love of the instrument, and in return the musician bestowed their harp to her, telling her that they would find another. Fate had pulled the musician’s hand, and they admitted they were not sure why they did it, but that it felt right. Years later, Mabel had mastered the harp, paying from her own pocket for lessons and trips to Grimgate and Edimir where she could further hone her craft. Though in that time, she learnt that with the harp in her hands, and even other times, she held a certain way with people. Adoration easily came to her, plentifully so. It seemed she had a natural charm to her, where those she spoke to would become compelled by her words, willing to throw themselves in harm's way just to have a glimpse of her. In time she came to learn that it was Minera’s Breath, manifesting in her through a rare manner. She has kept such matters a secret in all her years, but has used her compelling nature to launch her career across Baldur, becoming one of the most well-renowned harpists and singers of the current day. Mabel is a household name across the kingdom, one that evokes an image of a sun-kissed girl from the south, who sings of love, loss and longing. Tales that endure, and touch any soul that hears them. Yet in her latest visit to Grimhelm, she now finds herself compelled instead. The man Aaron Drafthold did not yield to her nature, and so, consumed by his own mystique, she has found herself drawn to his quest. To simply investigate a castle for riches, seems like a straightfoward matter. She does not yet know what she will endure for such an endeavour.