This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.
At a Glance
Fochlucan
The Fochlucan college is in Silverymoon.
Mac-Fuirmidh
The Mac-Fuirmidh college on Alaron fell in 1137 DR, and has not been rebuilt.
Doss
The Doss college has been absorbed by Twilight Hall, in Berdusk.
Canaith
The Canaith college south of Zazesspur was burned in 1347 DR, and has not been rebuilt.
Cli
Depending on which source you put stock in, the Cli college was located in Baldur’s Gate or Neverwinter. In either case, it has fallen and has not been rebuilt.
Anstruth
The Anstruth college was once in Sundabar. Only one building remains and it’s currently used as a warehouse for musical instruments.
Ollamh
The Ollamh college in Waterdeep fell in 1150 DR, but has been recently rebuilt by Danilo Thann and The Council of Musicians, Instrument-Makers, and Choristers.
The Xaeyruudh Campaign
I gather from the above material that the official understanding of the bardic colleges is that there’s a single campus in a particular place, and if you want to attend that college that’s where you have to go.
I have a somewhat bigger vision of the colleges, which I’ll be implementing (at least in the South) over the course of the campaign. Here’s a basic outline of what’s in the works.
Music is a Journey, Not a Destination
Most professional musical careers begin with an acceptance letter from Fochlucan. The successful student is exposed to the rudiments of various forms of expression including song, poetry, sculpture, painting, and music for several popular instruments. This battery of “art appreciation” classes weeds out those who think being a bard is a great way to avoid real work. After two years of sitting through long lectures and regurgitating the material in long essays, most students either graduate from Fochlucan or vanish and never again consider a career in art.
Acceptance to Mac-Fuirmidh is jumping from the pot into the fire, in some ways. This college is focused on physical art. The successful student will spend two years acquiring an eye for fine distinctions in color, mastering fluid brush strokes, and developing an appreciation for sculpture particularly using materials which are very hard to carve or very prone to crumbling. Woe betide the student who submits a clay sculpture! First-level bards are rare in Mac-Fuirmidh; admission requires level 2.
Next, for the serious bard, is Doss. Here, the student will become an expert on sound. All forms of music will be discussed, including some obscure instruments. Those who demonstrate an exceptional appreciation for nuances of sound will be allowed/encouraged to mimic famous works, but the acclaim of fellow students for their successful approximations is their only reward; their grades are based solely on their understanding of music. Admission to Doss requires 4 levels of the bard class.
Beginning with Canaith, the colleges become increasingly selective. Only the best of the Doss graduates will be invited to continue mastering music, now not simply imitating the masters but stepping into the shoes of a bard and writing their own works. It’s also at this stage of the bard’s education that travel (read: adventuring) is strongly encouraged. Canaith very rarely accepts bards below level 7.
Acceptance to Cli is regarded as a rite of passage; students begin to feel like they’ve “arrived” as they begin to receive some name-recognition in the lands they travel through. It’s also the point at which the bard’s education reaches its final stage: performance. Of course, bards may have performed before this point, but they were getting ahead of themselves so to speak. “Coursework” at the Cli level focuses on performance techniques and everything associated with being on stage in front of a bunch of people. Performances usually include elements of music, but focus on acting and oratory. Some students find their desire to ride from town to town and have lads or lasses hanging on their every quatrain frustrated by their instructors’ apparent compulsive need to make thespians out of everyone. Others –the more successful students– recognize the value and willingly throw their all into the juggling, unicycle riding, mimicry, and vocal/physical impressions that are demanded of them. Bards must reach level 11 before Cli will consider admitting them.
In the context of all the bards who begin at Fochlucan, it seems like only a very small number are eventually accepted to Anstruth. It’s here that bards finally begin performing/exhibiting their own works of art in front of large audiences. Where Cli seemed to focus on nonmusical aspects of performance –really, it was just attempting to give equal time to each mode of expression– Anstruth encourages bards to bring their best, whatever that is, to as many people as possible. Exceptional students at this level have occasionally been added to the curriculum of Fochlucan and Mac-Fuirmidh, something which never happens at the lower colleges. Anstruth rarely extends invitations to bards before level 16.
The seventh and final college is Ollamh. Here, bards continue to expand their repertoire and their reputations. There’s more prestige in being a member of Ollamh, due to the difficulty of meeting the admission standards, but the only practical distinction from Anstruth is that one generally has to be a member of Ollamh before one can become a member of Magna Alumnae or a headmaster of a campus of any college. Only the most successful (level 21+) bards are invited to Ollamh.
There is one additional distinction, though it’s not a college. The members of Magna Alumnae determine the curriculum of each college and also decide where new campuses will be located. Magna Alumnae will review applications for admission from any member of the Ollamh college, but there are a limited number of “seats” and membership is lifelong. When a seat becomes available, the existing members vote on a replacement. Members are often busy settling disputes or what-have-you at the various colleges, so communication is generally achieved through magic; the only time Magna Alumnae assembles in its entirety is to greet the newest member of their group and celebrate the life’s work of his/her predecessor.
Locations
It is highly unlikely that more than one campus of any college will be found in any nation, and certainly no more than one will be present within a given city.
Most well-established nations can be assumed to have Fochlucan chambers. Mac-Fuirmidh galleries are also common. Doss conservatories can be found in several nations of the Old Empires, and are scattered more widely elsewhere. Canaith libraries and Cli theatres are rare, and there’s only one Anstruth auditorium and one Ollamh forum in the Old Empires.
The following locations are tentative, and in some cases the campuses have not been built yet. Unthalass, for example, will not be prepared to begin construction until a later date in the campaign.
Sources
Passing Mention
Other Resources
Disclaimer
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