Rhapsody (The Symphony of Ages)

Rhapsody is one of the main characters in Elizabeth Haydon's the Symphony of Ages.

Early life

Rhapsody was born as Amelia Rhapsody Turner, nicknamed Emily, in the farming village of Merryfield on the island of Serendair. She was born to a human farmer and his Liringlas wife. She was the sixth child in her family, and she had 5 older brothers. Growing up as the only daughter caused Rhapsody to be very independent and strong-willed.

On the eve of her 14th birthday, she met a boy known as Sam. Sam was actually Gwydion of Manosse, and was originally from nearly 1,400 years in the future, and was brought to Serendair by Meridion in order to alter history. Sam and Emily quickly fell in love, but Sam vanished and was brought back to his own time. Shortly afterwards, armed soldiers entered Merryfield, looking for a strange outlander. Emily, fearing for Sam's life, fled Merryfield to warn him, but lost the guards in the city of Easton.

Escape from the Lost Island

During her time as a prostitute one client in particular, called Michael, became obsessed with Rhapsody. He grew as a power in the area in which she lived. Rhapsody was completing her studies when a minion of said monster tried to fetch her back to him. In eluding Michael's men she met 'The Brother' and Grunthor, adopting them to convince the town guard they were her brothers and in doing so accidentally renamed 'The Brother' as Achmed the Snake. In renaming Achmed, she inadvertently released him from the slavery he had been suffering under the power of the F'dor, a demonic entity bent on destroying the world. In order to ensure that no harm would come of his renaming Achmed took Rhapsody with him to Sagia and into the tree, leading her along the axis mundi away from the destruction of Serendair. Rhapsody remained convinced that he did this to save her from Michael not seeing his true intentions.

New World Life

When Rhapsody, Achmed, and Grunthor emerge from the root, they have no idea where they are. Rhapsody, as the only one of the fellowship who could blend in among humanity, approached the Filid Tanist - Khaddyr - who took her to Llauron the Invoker, the leader of the Filid order. Llauron, immediately calculating that Rhapsody's breath-taking beauty could be used to his advantage, took her in while Rhapsody waited for the moment when she could reconnect with Achmed and Grunthor.

Rhapsody then learns that the Island she called home, Serendair, was actually destroyed in a cataclysm some 1500 years before, and was buried beneath the sea. Llauron begins to suspect that Rhapsody is not of his time, but still teaches her much of the lore of this new land. She learns as much as she can, suspecting that Achmed will find it useful. While there, she learns of a land once called Canrif, now called Ylorc, the present home of a race of humanoids called the Bolg, or Firbolg. When Achmed and Grunthor return to her, she tells them of this place and its location; the Three then decide to journey there, and see if Canrif could become habitable.