Greetings all!

I tried my first all-instrument attack last night. I was battling blues in
the Southeast corner of West Commons and the Southwest corner of East
Commons. First I tried a giant spider in WC. It took me down to two
bubbles, but I won. And I got hand to hand up to 3! Woohoo! So I tried
another spider, which also took me down to two bubbles, and got hand to hand
up to 4. Then a ghoul showed up so I moved to EC and attacked an asp.
Well, an "asp" got whooped alright, but it wasn't the snake.

LOADING, PLEASE WAIT...

So I retrieve my corpse and try another asp. I show my wisdom by zoning
before I die, but display my lack of intelligence by not leaving myself
enough HPs to survive the poison. I loose consciousness the minute I hit
WC, never getting Hymn started.

DONG! You have lost a level! Welcome back to level 10, dummy!
LOADING, PLEASE WAIT...

So I retrieve my corpse and ditch the instruments in favor of my FS 1H
slasher and kite shield (don't I feel twinked <g>) and look for some more
spiders. I attack one and another joins in. I swear this is the first time
I've ever seen a giant spider assist another. I mean I know spiders are
like that, but I've just never seen it happen. I've also never noticed
spiders stunning me before. I just BARELY make the zone.

Back on the EC side I try my luck with another asp. Wicked close, this
battle. I loose consciousness twice, but survive. I search for another
snake but instead find a lesser mummy. So I head back to WC.

An asp is there waiting for me. I fair better with this one. It's still a
close call, but I don't loose consciousness.

DING! You have gained a level! Welcome back to level 11! Be more careful
this time, silly!

More careful? Me? Heh. It occurs to me that if I can get my H to H skill
(currently at 5) up to where my 1H slash skill is (57) that I might just be
able to kick some asp. WC is empty, so I zone back to EC and find another
serpent. The battle commences but is not looking promising. So I ditch the
lute mid-battle. Victory! Woohoo! I find another asp. I reequip my lute
and this time don't stop playing until about 2/3 of the way through the
battle. Victory! Woohoo! I find another asp. I reequip my lute and this
time stop playing the moment I switched to 3rd person view and discover I've
actually found a nest of asps. Run away! Woohoo! I equip my drum and get
my asp out of there.

Back in WC I spy a spider creeping along. I reequip my lute and this time
don't stop playing until...

LOADING, PLEASE WAIT...

Back in Freeport a guildmate accuses me of hanging out at the tavern
drinking. Why anyone would assume I'm at a tavern just because they keep
seeing me in Freeport is beyond me. But anyway, I run back to WC and
reequip my lute just long enough to bonk myself on the head with it, then I
put it away in favor of more conventional weaponry.

Another dead spider, another dead asp. Things are looking up. So I start
thinking about that hand to hand skill again, wondering how much damage I
*could* be doing. Well...

Little miss bard
did her shield discard
and picked up her lute to play
along came a spider
with poison insider her
saying "Minstrel, this isn't your day"

LOADING, PLEASE WAIT...

I retrieve my corpse and equip my drum. This time I don't stop playing
until I reach the tavern.

Peace
Evulia, bard of 11 missed notes, Tunare