Tamney

A sad-looking young minstrel. He is found near Northwarden in a grove of trees, playing The Shores of Carse with his lute.

Background
The minstrel claims he knows the whole Tears of Valerinsis by heart, the love song from Aelia and Tryphus, most of the Rise of the Kingdom cycle, and The Old Man's Wind.

While drinking ale with a friend, he was told about a small village with good wine and ladies.

Once sobered, he went there, but the things were the contrary from what he heard; he was laid upon by a large lady, the daughter of a Baronet. He tried to extricate himself, but her father, who couldn't afford that year's fealty to Baron Gabot, settled that the minstrel should compensate for the debt; thus instead of being beheaded, the minstrel was exiled to Northwarden, to entertain the Baron, who is fond of music.

There, he was fed up playing The Old Man's Wind (a song about eating beans) over and over again for the Baron's men.

Into a Dark Night
He saw the party coming and thought they came form the Castle to call him. He tells them his story. He asks from them a Light Bowstring, which, with a special resin, would make a replacement for his lute's strings.

If the party brings a bowstring, he plays for them the Northwarden Pigs, a song he composed to commemorate the theft of pigs during the past few weeks: In the North the moredhel Are vicious to a man Get too close they'll run you through Any way they can! But know at night the Kingdom's safe With 'Warden at the pass, But count your piggies by the dawn The soldiers lose 'em fast. They squeal with joy and oink delight These piggies of the realm But count 'em up head and all The soldiers lose 'em fast. It increases the party's Barding ability.