Egg Flute
Developed by Ari'sora
Type: Wind instrument
Details: The egg flute is a beautiful instrument that is as much a work of art as an instrument. It is typically made out of clay, but it can also be made out of wood, stone or metal, and the material it is made out of will affect the way it sounds. Egg flutes got their name because the first one made was, in fact, shaped like an egg. But it is a misleading name because they can also be teardrop shaped, pear shaped, or cone shaped. They also come in different sizes ranging from palm sized to being the size of a large vase. All egg flutes play beautiful, haunting sounds, but the larger they are, the deeper the notes they can play. Each egg flute comes with a stand that is made out of clay, stone, or marble. The one thing that all egg flutes have in common is that they are more narrow on the top than on the bottom.
Egg flutes have a single hole at the top where the musician blows into. Going down the front on either side are holes that are evenly spaced. There can be three to nine holes going down each side depending on the size of the egg flute. These holes allow the musician to play a variety of notes; the more holes an egg flute has on each side, the higher number of notes it can play, and the more complex sounds it can produce. Covering one or more holes along the sides while blowing into the top is how the instrument is played. When learning how to play an egg flute, typically one starts with a simple three holed egg flute and moves on to more complex ones as one's skill improves.
Egg flutes can be plain in appearance, or painted. They may have a matte look, or an irridescent sheen to them. Some have no decorations, and others have images that were painted, or etched by a master artist, or anything in between. Their stands can be simple and unadorned, or as elaborate as the creator wishes them to be.
Price: It varies greatly depending on the size and shape of the instrument, how many holes it has, and how intricately the instrument and its stand are decorated. The cheapest ones can be had for 1 WP, but the best of the best can be sold for as much as 75 WP if made by a well known craftmaster and decorated by a master artist.
Other Information: Egg flutes originated in Faldrass at the resort where a young slave dared much to make something they had dreamed up after they had finished the quota of vases they were supposed to make one trial. Their master heard them playing their newly created instrument for some kids she was supposed to be watching. Rather than getting mad at the slave for making the instrument in the first place, her master saw how much the children were enjoying the music and saw profit to be had. Over many arcs, the egg flute evolved from one simple instrument to the many sizes and shapes it comes in totrial.
The beautiful, haunting sound of the egg flute can be quite soothing to the soul when played well. For that reason, it is commonly found at the Spirit's Rest Oasis, either played as background music in the common areas, or played during some of the meditation classes. Although the instrument originated in Faldrass, it can now be found throughout Scalvoris.