Yambu

This spell requires a flute, pipe, or other wind instrument to cast, and the caster must play the instrument continuously for the duration of the spell. Darkness is generated in a roughly spherical space centered on the caster, and moves with them. The darkness is absolute to all but the caster, and cannot be penetrated by normal darkvision. To those using Sight from Darkness, the area affected appears misty rather than truly dark, but is still largely opaque. Outside the affected zone is a fluctuating nimbus of dimness that mildly disorients and confuses those who see or enter it, preventing the center (and the caster) from being pinpointed and targeted with ranged attacks. A variant of this spell, played in Faerie, will cast the land around it into what seems to be a starless, moonless night for as far as the song can be heard.

A Perform check for an appropriate instrument must be made in order to work this magic properly; the base difficulty is d6 for both the spell and the music. Alternately, the caster may depend entirely on the power of their music, rolling only a Perform check at a base difficulty of d12. In either case, the base cost is one strain about every minute (minimum one strain). The normal range is about four arm’s lengths (meters); this can be increased one step by either increasing the difficulty by one step or taking an extra point of strain at the time the range is increased (which doesn’t have to be at the start of casting/playing). If an enchanted flute is used, the range is doubled and the darkness lingers after the song ends, immobile, for half the time the caster spent playing.

– The inspiration for this comes from a (by now) old anime series called Vampire Princess Miyu; the protagonist regularly opens hostilities against monsters by playing her flute at them. The name “Yambu” is a very simple corruption of 闇笛 (yamibue), “flute of darkness.” This Sword & Sworcery tune is unrelated, but also very nice.

I lifted the image from here using Google image search; I don’t know where they got it.