Basilisk

Basilisk - Fyria's Most Popular Travelling Musical Troupe

Basilisk, lead by frontman Siegried Erhard, is likely the most popular band in all of the continent. They are one of a kind and play a high-energy and fast-paced style of music not commonly heard before their arrival. Though several similar groups have cropped up since their rise in popularity, none have captured the same kind of energy and bombastic sound as Basilisk does.
The band currently consists of six members, each of which plays unique instruments imbued with magical energy that bolsters their notes, giving them their signature heavy sound. Siegfried is the only one who does not play an instrument, he instead sings and uses a magical item that also allows him to project his voice much louder than it would carry naturally. Though Siegfried will occasionally play an acoustic set on his guitar, to the delight and swoons of his fans.
The band has been touring nearly nonstop for the last seven years and has hit the zenith of their popularity. Packing out any space they are rumoured to be playing. Many fans have even begun following them from venue to venue, though the band does their best to shake off these fans as the mystery of their next stop is an important aspect of their allure. The band never announces where their next gig will be played, and always show up at the last moment to play their set in an attempt to retain that feeling of mystery of whether or not they will actually show or not. But despite these attempts rumours usually circulate a few hours before they arrive as they currently travel in a caravan of at least half a dozen garishly decorated wagons which marks their arrival fairly easily for any fan.

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Band Members

Siegfried Erhard - Lead Singer

Siegfried, originally from The Crown City of Elric in Aldelgis, is the band's frontman and lead singer. He is in his early thirties and has shoulder-length black hair which is often slicked back or tied up in a ponytail. He is the band's progenitor and left home in his early twenties in order to fill out what would eventually become the full band that is seen touring the continent today. He dresses in dark but tight-fitting clothing, accompanied by a bevy of metal studded accessories. Sometimes during shows, he will don a skull mask that Alani then alights with illusionary fire to the delight of fans in attendance.
Siegfried carries himself with an almost excessing amount of swagger and has garnered a reputation as a rebel. He often makes quite the scene whenever he plays his sets, stirring the crowd up in swirling swarms of colliding bodies. Siegfried especially likes to rile up the crowd using one of their more popular anti-establishment songs entitled RIOT, often flinging himself into the crowd during the song's crescendo. This bad boy image has made Siegfried a fan favourite of the band and is often the target for many eager fans' affections.
This attitude can be seen in the band's reputation as a whole, they play where they want wherever they want. It doesn't matter the circumstance or the laws of the country. If they want to play there, they will. And they do so often, technically whenever they play in places like Aldelgis they do so as illegal trespassers, as the majority of the band is not from Aldelgis and the Empire has strict laws on who they let in. It is a mystery as to how the band is able to so successfully sneak into places like Aldelgis, but they always managed to get in and out without much difficulty
He is also the younger brother of Reimar Erhard, a once well-respected Patriarch and high ranking official of the Aldelgian Ildyr Diocese. Siegfried holds no ill will against his brother but their relationship is often strained due to their opposing opinions and drastically different lifestyles. The two often go many years without seeing each other, each having gone on their own personal adventures. Since the formation of Basilisk Siegfried and Reimar have only seen each other a small handful of times. With Siegfried focusing on the band's continually touring, and Reimar focusing on a life of piety and helping those in need.

Atef Kur'da - Lead Guitar

Atef is a Near-Elf, a descendant of the full-blooded Elven people who perished thousands of years ago on The Ruined Plateau of Thysduin. He is originally from the country of Baizair, an arid country located on the north-eastern corner of the continent. Atef first met Siegfried after he had travelled to Sumner, a long journey from Baizair for certain, one he had made in search of a better life. Far away from the strict laws and expectations of his homeland.
Atef was meant to be one of The Adjarii - Wardens of the Prophets, an elite guard tasked with protecting royalty. But he shunned this life, abandoning his family, and leaving his homeland in search of a calling he could call his own. The band rarely enters Baizair due to this event, as Atef is considering a traitor there. And when they do enter to play, they often must play a shortened set and exit immediately as staying too long may become dangerous.
After a few years away from home, Atef would meet Siegried while in Sumner. The two would hit it off immediately, Atef was so inspired by Siegfried's passion he would decide to dedicate himself to his cause. And thus he would become the first member recruited to the band.
Atef mostly keeps to himself, even amongst his own bandmates, though he has formed a close bond with Siegfried. Atef often acts as the band's intermediary helping to de-escalate any issues that crop up during shows, or even when arguments need to be broken up between band members. Though the latter is relatively rare.

Dabble - Co-drummer

Dabble is a gnome originally from one of the surrounding farming villages near Bellbrook in the Gnomish Lands. His people are bright, light-hearted, and cheerful. Dabble is not. Dabble is angsty, aggressive, and barely has a kind word to say about anyone, including himself. He has decided to represent his angst by cultivating a dark and brooding appearance, he attains this look by growing out his dyed black bangs in order to cover his blue eyes, taken to wear dark makeup, and wears loose often black clothing adorned with metal chains and jewellery. While he usually comes across as calm and morose, he hides a substantial anger issue behind those bangs and typically takes out his aggression during sets playing the drums with his partner Crash Boom.
Dabble joined the band a few months after Atef, when the duo stumbled upon the angsty gnome taking out his pent up aggression on two poor gnomes who greeted him with a hello that Dabble thought came across a bit sarcastic. Dabble interpreted this greeting as fighting words and proceeded to wallop the hapless gnomes. The duo of Sigfried and Atef seeing the situation unfold were amused by the spritely gnome and decided to invite him for a drink at a nearby bar. After a lengthy day, and night, of drinking the trio were fully convinced that the right place for Dabble was with them. And as Dabble's only goal in life was to escape the cheery hellhole that was Bellbrook, he and his blackened heart were more than pleased to join up.

Alani Kepelo - "Keyboards" - Pyro

Alani is an Avanii Warbler from the Island Frontier of the Vilanto Sea and has yellow and grey feathers. She is soft-spoken typically but has a fiery attitude if her patience is pushed too far. Before she joined the band she was and still is, a well-accomplished mage. Alani spent a number of years sailing upon her own ship conducting 'research' upon the crashing waves of the Vilanto Sea. An often dangerous profession if one does not know how to navigate the shifting waters of the southern sea, which is frequented by roaming pirates and vagabonds.
After Siegried and company helped her out of a messy situation, she had been captured by a rival gang of pirates...ahem...researchers...and was in dire need of a rescue. Siegfried, Atef, and Dabble managed to sneak into the gang's hideout and sneak her way. And just to be safe Dabble may have poisoned their water supply to slow down any possible attempt at tracking them down. After this event, Alani decided it was high time for a change in lifestyle and asked if she could join the growing band. The trio would be glad to have her.
Now, Alani uses her magical prowess and skills to help give the band's show some flare. She expertly weaves illusionary spells to create ghostly wisps of energy, or low energy fire spells to create spectacular pyrotechnic displays. She has also taken to playing a strange device that resembles a small piano but can create a much wider variety of sounds. It is apparently called a Keyboard.

Gujek - Bassist

Gujek is a Half-Orc from Bastion, his upbringing in his homeland was anything but comfortable. Many of the orc tribes in Bastion are far more aggressive and violent in behaviour than other tribes on the continent. Unfortunately, these Bastion tribes are much more like the stereotypes that many orcs deal with. Worse yet, half-orcs are viewed as inferior to the full-blooded breeds of orcs, and despite the half-orc population being denser in this area of the world many are killed young by their full-blooded brethren.
As for Gujek, the band stumbled upon him starving in a cage, abandoned by an orc tribe that had kidnapped and beaten him nearly to death. The band freed him and took him in, helping him to recover and gather his strength. When Gujek awoke a few days later he told the band how his family was still in captivity. Without another word, the group would seek out Gujek's captive family and free them from the orc tribe. After the rescue, with the captives now safe, the band prepared to move on but before they could Gujek would ask to join the group so that he could seek a better purpose away from the violence. The band happily took him.
Gujek was the only band member with no prior musical experience before joining, though he picked up the Bass quickly under the tutelage of Atef. Gujek is very quiet and reserved in part due to his lack of confidence in verbal speech. Because of this, the band has adopted a form of sign language similar to Thieves Sign in order to better communicate with him and to make Gujek more comfortable. This has also had the added benefit of being able to slyly communicate with each other on stage without needing to verbalize.

Crash Boom - Co-drummer

Crash Boom, was adopted by the group during a tour of Heldrin. They found the Coblyn, banging on some trash can lids in a sleazy alleyway in the slums of Sumner. He was trying to imitate Dabble's performance after hearing the band's recent set they had played the night before. Impressed by the Coblyn's thrashing, Siegfried would ask the Coblyn if wanted to join them for a meal. During the meal, the band asked the Coblyn his name, in which he replied that he hadn't gotten one yet and hadn't yet found his purpose. Coblyns often take their names from important moments in their life, often associated with whatever calling they end up falling into. The Coblyn has been searching for this calling for ages and had yet to find it to his dismay.
Siegfried laughed at this notion and called it ridiculous, saying that judging from his raucous performance on crashing away on those trash can lids it was pretty obvious what he was meant to do. And right then and there Siegfried asked the Coblyn to join his band as their secondary drummer. Dabble was initially miffed at this idea thinking he was good well enough alone. But over time Dabble and Crash Boom would form a close bond and develop a unique co-drumming style. But the Coblyn was still without a name, and that would not do. So, as is common amongst his brethren the Cobyln would take from influence from an important moment in his life. The first compliment he had ever received, and the revelation of his true calling as a raucous smasher of the drums. He would henceforth be christened as Crash Boom, an appropriate name for such a mild-mannered yet energetic little musician.

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Origins of the Basilisk

The origins of the band are often talked about, and many details are common knowledge, including how many of the band members joined up. And while there are legends surrounding how the band was named, the origins of the inception of the band are lesser known as Siegfried does not often bring up his childhood. The reality is that Siegried had dreamed of forming a troupe of musical performers since he was a child sharing a room with his brother Reimar. Siegfried daydreamed constantly about his aspirations spending hours drawing various band outfits, logos, and even depictions of his dream band playing to large crowds. He would even sing original songs he came up with on the spot to the annoyance of his brother. And while this isn't common knowledge Siegfried spent countless hours jotting down hundreds of potential band names, before finally settling on Basilisk. Mainly because he thought it was the coolest sounding. And though he cares not to admit to these boring origins it is in fact the truth.
Eventually, Siegfried grew tired of his boring life in Elric. He was in his early twenties, working odd jobs here and there, a forgotten afterthought left behind in his already successful brothers' footprints. His dreams of starting a band floundering in his home town, where no one had any interest in joining up or even listening to his currently solo act. Reimar had already gone on to become one of the most successful and well-respected Patriarchs in all of Aldelgis at this time. Many were already shoehorning him in as a potential future Arch Bishop. Siegfried had never disliked his brother but his wild success did weigh on him heavily, and he felt like his family was being let down by his lack of relative success. And worse yet, Siegfried knew he wasn't living up to his own potential. So, one day, he decided that he had had enough of waiting around, so he bid his family a quick farewell, gathered his belongings and left in search of his band.
Siegfried began his work in Aldelgis in the smaller cities outside of the Wulfetier Circlet, playing inns and taverns as a solo act earning only enough money to get by. Eventually, when he had earned enough coin he left Aldelgis altogether and travelled south to Heldrin. In Sumner, he would meet his first bandmate, Atef Kur'da, a fellow traveller and musician from the far off land of Bazair. The two would get along instantly and would begin to travel as a duo. Siegfried singing to Atef's acoustic backings.
From here the duo's path becomes a little foggy, and not much is known about their adventures over the next few years or so. Other than a few details regarding how they picked up each member of the group. But even those are scarce. When the band finally emerged back on the western coast, they were a full troupe of six members, decked out in garish clothing, wielding mystical instruments of sonic power. Their first show as a full troupe was in a tavern in Roseport and they nearly blew the walls down with how intense their energy was that night. Folks have talked about that legendary show for years, those that were there say they had never seen a group play with such passion and intensity. And then, the rest is history as they saw, the band would go on their never-ending tour and become one of the most talks about groups in history. Their chaotic and energy-filled shows quickly making them one of the most popular acts in the entire world.

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Legend of The Basilisk

The origin of the band's name is widely discussed amongst fans, and many theories have been spun throughout the years. One of the most popular, however, is the legend of how Siegfried Erhard, lead singer of the band, found himself face to face with the real-life version of his future troupe's name. It has been a story told by the man himself, though none can confirm if it is true or if it's just a piece of fabricated storytelling told to bring more of an air of mystery to the band.
The legend goes that when he was still a young boy, Siegfried was wandering in the foothills of his native Aldelgis. He often went on walks alone, pensively pondering on all sorts of things, or this is what his fans like to think he would've done. Lost in thought Siegfried would find himself at the mouth of a cave, he could hear running water coming from within, curious he decided to investigate the sound.
Inside he found a beautiful waterfall, it crashed down in torrents into a large crystal clear pool, all of which were illuminated by glowing blue crystals. Amazed Siegfried sat at the pond's edge, he began to hum to himself as he watched the waterfall. Then he heard an odd humming, coming from somewhere nearby, it matched his own in a strange sort of mimicry. Before he could find the source, it found him.

Mythic Battles Pantheon: The Basilisk and Teumessian Fox by Guillem H. Pongiluppi

Sitting mere feet away, in between himself and the exit no less, was a snake-like creature, it had no limbs to speak of, and tough leathery-looking grey and blue skin. Siegfried had heard stories of this creature from his parents, it was Basilisk. He knew that this one was fully grown, an infant even, the adult ones were monstrous beasts with multiply limbs, jagged spines, and a gaze that could turn you to stone. Though this child could still easily be his doom.
Siegfried stopped humming the moment they meet each other's gaze. The Basilisk suddenly seemed agitated and began creeping towards him, Siegfried began to move but remembered that sudden movement could entice the beast to lunge. Instead, Siegfried had an idea, he again began to hum the tune he had before. Instantly the Basilisk stopped, seemingly entranced by the boy's tune. It swayed back in force rhythmically. Siegfried slowly stood, as he did so he began to sing and approach the Basilisk cautiously.
The Basilisk was fully entranced by the time Siegfried reached it, it coiled itself into a tight pile and lay on the floor blissful and calm. Siegfried would slowly pass by the beast and make his way towards the entrance, singing all the while. The Basilisk merely watched him go, content to listen as he went.
This event, according to Siegfried, had a huge effect on his life and would convince him that his art lay in music. And of course, later on in life, he would borrow the name of this formidable beast for his soon to be famous band.

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The Band's Instruments

Nobody knows where the band acquired their sonically empowered instruments, as they are completely unique from anything else found on the continent. Many of these instruments are similar in form to others found across the continent but the ones in the band's possession are stranger in form and in operation than any instrument similar to there's. These instruments seem to bound to each member of the band, in fact, one of their most popular party tricks that occurs at the beginning of each set is the summoning of their instruments. In a blast of magical smoke and flame, the band members each summon, seemingly from thin air each of their instruments, having them suddenly appear in front of each of them in a bright and flamboyant display.

Metal Guitars Mix by Andrey Lytvyn

As mentioned prior, each of these instruments is embued with a magical property that allows them to boom and fill any space with their sound. From the smallest of inns to the largest of coliseums, these instruments are always able to generate enough sound so that no matter who is in the front of the crowd, or who is stuck in the rafters, everybody can hear their music with ease.
It is a mystery as to where the band received these instruments, some like to believe that the legendary Basilisk that the band is supposedly named after gave Siegfried and co. them as a gift. Others believe the band made a deal with a demon in order to gain their instruments, their masterful skills, and even their popularity. Though most of these are just drunken stories told at after-parties by fans post-show.

Type

Entertainment, Music band

<div align="center"><strong><u>Real World Comparison</u></strong></div><br><small data-editor-smalltext="1">Basilisk sounds like a fantasy version of Rammstein or OOMPH!, though they have expanded into more esoteric sounding music, similar in sound to Igorrr.</small><span class="tag" contenteditable="false" data-wa-custom-br="1" style="margin-bottom:0px;">
</span><span></span><br><div data-wa-spotify="1" data-wa-spotify-id="track/5tyddXAxVk8U39sq4zUFCQ?si=lSz_R-ouRTm2tV8g8rb8Uw" data-wa-spotify-type="https" contenteditable="false"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/5tyddXAxVk8U39sq4zUFCQ?si=lSz_R-ouRTm2tV8g8rb8Uw" width="650" height="380" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true"></iframe></div><br><div data-wa-spotify="1" data-wa-spotify-id="track/2Y4diJY7G623aDm3eHfqJA?si=d_pmDBZdR8uOJBJlvF5k9w" data-wa-spotify-type="https" contenteditable="false"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/2Y4diJY7G623aDm3eHfqJA?si=d_pmDBZdR8uOJBJlvF5k9w" width="650" height="380" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true"></iframe></div><br><div data-wa-spotify="1" data-wa-spotify-id="track/4w3R0GZ2rScJMKlgPJzHRq?si=KiH4hNkuRLyAnjW3u2fGuA" data-wa-spotify-type="https" contenteditable="false"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/4w3R0GZ2rScJMKlgPJzHRq?si=KiH4hNkuRLyAnjW3u2fGuA" width="650" height="380" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true"></iframe></div>

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Logo and Merchandise

The band's logo is that of a snake like creature, commonly identified as a basilisk, coiled around a flame. The logo is emblazoned all over the band members and their equipment. Basilisk sells all sorts of merchandise to their adoring fans including shirts, hats, mugs, etc. While fans do not bring this up, Reimar has pointed out that a basilisk is not technically a snake, so the design of the band's logo is inaccurate. Nobody seems to care about his concerns.

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Basilisk by James Churchill

A depiction of the band's Basilisk logo

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Adventurers on the Side

A lesser advertised fact about Basilisk is that they are also a group of adventurers, with all of the members being fairly well experienced at this point. The band has done all sorts of things, discovered lost treasures, fought dangerous beasts, and helped in resolving various hairy situations.

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