Clownbi

Clownbi waves off the soundtrack and steps up with his violin. He stands up straight and speaks loud and clear, fearless on a stage as always. "I was born as just another hatchling out of dozens in my clan," he starts. "And I wasn't the smartest or the bravest or the most interesting out of the group. If anything, I was the least brave and interesting. It was easy to get lost in the crowd. And then one day, one of the clan's traders came back with some instruments, and I saw the lightning violin." He pauses, plays a little tune on his violin. It's recognizably a beginner tune, the kind of tune half the bards here probably learned for their first or second song.

"I fell in love instantly," he says, lowering the violin, and his voice swells. "And the more I played, the more people looked at me. I learned to dress for attention, and how to turn a song into a performance. On a stage, I was a shining star." He plays a triumphant, tricky little riff, lowers the violin again. "But offstage, well. All that disappeared, and I was nervous, ordinary, ridiculous Clownbi again. So I came to the Bardle of the Bands, in the hopes I could make the violin my life, and never have to come off the stage."

He pauses, and looks a little sheepish. "Wasn't super excited to be in a random band, particularly with everyone telling us we were bound to lose, and I felt like a bumbling idiot for that whole first night. Every time I'm caught without my violin, I don't know what to do with myself. But then our first performance came around, and Delph drew my card, and something magical happened." He plays another little violin riff. "I'm not just me anymore, I'm the Moon! I'm part of Luck of the Draw! And I'm part of something. Every day I meet more and more incredible, brilliant bards who think I'm pretty neat even offstage."

He smiles dorkily out at the crowd, making eye contact with Lars. "And there's this one incredibly magnificent, beautiful dragon, and now, uh, after some interesting competitions, I'm his boyfriend, so that's been incredible." He blows Lars a giddy kiss, and plays a spontaneous little bouncy tune of delight on the violin.

He sobers rapidly though. "The past twenty-four hours have been some of the most terrifying of my life. And I'm hardly our wondrous seer Delphyne-" He throws a paw toward Delph, grandly. "But when I look at the future, I hear music. And meeting all of you - it's been like picking up my violin for the first time." He plays a longer stretch on the electric violin, and looks like he might actually tear up. "Thank you," he says, and bows, and walks off stage.