An hautbas (pronounced ō·bə) is an elven instrument, created by Lindsey in LY 793. It's a double reed woodwind instrument which, unlike most of The Land's instruments, was not created as an attempt to replicate Terran instruments which had been learned of from stories told by spirits. Rather, it was developed independently by Lindsey. However, after she created it, when she was trying to think of a name for her invention, she showed it to her father Francisco, as well as her master, Lossin. She asked for their help in coming up with a name, and Francisco (a sorcerer) asked a spirit friend of his if she had any ideas. After looking at the instrument as well as listening to Lindsey play it, the spirit said it struck her as a cross between two Terran instruments: It produced both the high-pitched range of the oboe and low-pitched range of the bassoon. The spirit also explained the origins of the names of both instruments, which came from a Terran language in which "haut" (pronounced "oh") meant "high" and "bas" (pronounced "ba") meant "low." (The word "oboe" came from that language's word "hautbois," meaning "high wood," which was transliterated through a second language and into a third, ultimately changing both spelling and pronunciation, slightly.) Because of all Lindsey learned from the spirit, she chose to call her own instrument a "hautbas," for "high-low."
The instrument was, of course, unknown outside of Woodstockade until the establishment of the Second Order in 904, and it is still rarely seen (or heard) in any human villages. However, when Demos Royal became The Land's first king, he established a Royal Orchestra, which includes four hautbasists.