Curse of the Eldritch Play
The "curse of the Eldritch Play," as the tale is known amongst performers, is the rumored bad luck surrounding the Opera "Lair of the Beholder" by Katerina Woyznic.
Historical Basis
At the Y1060 premiere of "Lair of the Beholder," one of the worst storms in Cantonova history hit the Cantonova Opera House where the premiere was being held. Casualties were relatively low, but included the composer and all four of the lead singers.
Since then, the opera's name is never uttered inside a rehearsal hall or performance venue; it is instead referred to as "the Eldritch Play." Several infamous performances, from the Y1066 Arborcítta premiere that was canceled due to three of the four lead performers contracting Quoluvë to the Y1105 Val-Nurem performance ransacked by protestors seeking to dethrone the king, have been similarly interrupted, leading to the opera's reputation as being cursed.
In the Battle of the Opera House, the great Bard Tosca discovered the ghosts of the composer and three of the four singers who died in the premiere, still haunting the opera house and waiting for the opera to finish. The ghosts, recognizing her stellar technique, believed her to be Pauline Calbus, finally returned to finish the opera. Tosca performed the third act of the opera with the ghosts, finally finishing their unfinished business and allowing their souls to rest. Some speculate that the curse has been lifted now that each Soul lost in the premiere is free; rumors among the arts community imply that the opera is being programmed in more houses than usual because of this, though none are quite certain if the "curse" has actually been lifted.
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