"The Canticle of Carbuncle."   Once held in the back of a jewelry store   Hidden from view and locked up in a chest   Now in a ring forged of silver and more   On the hand of a princess most regally dressed   Soon dropped in palm of a man very poor   His ragged life soon to be heavenly blessed   There is tell of a ruby that is   Finding its way to one starting to seek   Hearing those words the voice within does speak   "Carbuncle," it is called   The jewel in which passion flows and grows   Once flowing through the canals that did line   The edges of cities way far out in the West   Now buried beneath barnacles and brine   Under bluest of waves as they foam and they crest   Soon covered by remnants of trees, oak and pine   Reduced to a hollow that mere rot can infest   There is tell of a ruby that   Travels over seas and shores of every kind   Searching for its master, the one that it must find   "Carbuncle," it is called   The stone that has ever shone with the sheen of the sunset   Once hearing tunes of hunger as sung   By chicks snug away in their nest   Now poised before eyes of a goblin so young   He by its fine beauty so duly impressed   Soon round the neck of a maid 'twill be strung   At the end of a shining gold chain shall it rest   There is tell of a ruby that is   Craved by both man and beast, always adored   Testing the master by whom freedom's restored   "Carbuncle," it is called   The gem that time imbues with the hues of the rainbow "The Canticle of Carbuncle" has been passed down from one generation of Tarutaru to the next since before recorded history. "Carbuncle" is the name of the ruby in the poem. It is also the name of an avatar close to the heart of every summoner and well known to most adventurers. Is there a relationship between the avatar and the poem? It might be possible, with the aid of a summoner, to answer these questions by speaking with Carbuncle directly. I made just such a request of a local summoner. Alas, the summoner refused, saying "Summoning Carbuncle involves far more effort and danger than you seem to think. It is a very interesting question, but it is not worth the risk." However, several days later, I received a message from the summoner saying that he would help me. When I next met the summoner, he greeted me by saying, "I finally got them," and showing off the mittens he was wearing. The were, at first glance, unremarkable. The summoner informed me that they were in fact valuable items that eased the strain of summoning. Having said that, he began to chant. A small blue beast bathed in shimmering light appeared out of nowhere and alit on the ground before us. It was Carbuncle. I immediately began to ask him questions. "I have heard the poem of which you speak. As in the poem, I waited within the jewel for many seasons, hoping someone would hear my voice," Carbuncle said through the summoner. So far, Carbuncle's tale had no major surprises. So how did his story become a Tarutaru poem? "This I do not know. It is possible that my greatest wish somehow found its way to the heart of a very aware person who then crafted it into a poem." This makes sense. It's not hard to imagine that a race as magically-gifted as the Tarutaru would produce someone who could hear Carbuncle's quiet voice. Perhaps the poem came in a dream. But what kind of life has Carbuncle had up until now? "The poem is an accurate description of the course of my life. I've passed from person to person and seen what fortune held for each of them. I've seen some spend their days in bliss, while others found everything but happiness and still others allowed their hearts to be twisted by evil... There was little that I could do myself, but in every case, my very presence changed the courses of their lives. I even saw their final breaths." As the summoner relayed these words, his face began to show an expression of loneliness. He seemed to be receiving more than just words from the creature. Before vanishing, Carbuncle let out a loud cry. The summoner had to fight back tears when he heard this, leaving me only to guess at it's meaning. I'm quite sure Carbuncle said "I'm extremely happy right now." Carbuncle has led a long and eventful life, but he seems to have found his true master at last. Perhaps it would be appropriate to add another verse to the "Canticle of Carbuncle": Standing firm in the face of time's every disaster And shining so bright in the heart of its master. Zenngg