Opal Magpie Bardic College

The College

Opal Magpie was a fabulous bard of great renown some two hundred years ago.
Her performances were things of legend;even to this day, few have ever risen to her heights of grandeur.
She, however, was human and so she grew older. Traveling became a strain rather than a joy.
Using her fame, she held a grand party at her townhouse and declared it a new college where she would teach others to be true bards.

From that day on, she listened to hopefuls perform in Blossom Yard, the name for her outdoor stage, before picking her students who then had to pay for the privilege to be trained by her.

Her chosen students were satisfied and each became successful in their own right. From them, she then chose masters to teach even more. This has become the college's tradition.

This teaching of excellence passed down from Opal Magpie is something every master embraces.

Great as she was, Opal eventually reached the end of her days, but not before she established a faculty of renowned bards as dedicated to teaching as she was. Only those who could be stern and firm in their classes were considered. From those, she chose two heirs, one to be the First Headmaster and one to be the Second.
Now, the college passes from one pair to the next. Currently, Phaerille was chosen to be the First instead of Vinsen but she insisted on taking the Second.

The Masters

Vinsen Greyvale

Vinsen believes the precise measuring and following of formulas in alchemy sharpens the mind into focusing on a clear path, something bards with their creative minds can have difficulty with.
This can be a difficult thing to learn and mishaps in his Alchemy class can happen, often in spectacular, and messy, ways.

by Dazzlinkat

Vinsen has fully embraced the role of Headmaster since Phaerille refused it.

He will not take in any students who have not proven themselves in a try-out performance, no matter how much coinage is offered.
He intends for the college to produce the best bards and that cannot happen if he allows students to buy the privilege of graduation. Instead, students pay for the privilege to learn to be the best from the best.
"Stern and firm." Opal Magpie quoted this to every one of her chosen masters and even wrote it in her school logs. Vinsen does the same and he insists all his masters wear their "stern and firm" facades when teaching or dealing with students. He has even taken it a step

Headmaster and Alchemy Master
Human

by Dazzlinkat

further by insisting the hired help present a facade as well. Politically shrewd, Vinsen masterfully steers clear of taking sides on any issue.
He firmly adheres to, and insists all in Opal do as well, that a bard's role is to entertain and record history rather than make it.

Phaerille Kovakel

Phaerille believes that knowing history will guide the future and a bard should properly record its truths. This is so important to her, that she intends to teach at Opal for life. As an elf, that is really saying something.
She has taught for many decades at Opal and is currently on her third term as the Second Headmaster. She understands the reasons she keeps being chosen as one of the Head Pair and never refuses for the sake of the college, but Second is as high a ranking as she will tolerate.
Personally, she would rather burn all her lutes than take up ANY authoritative duties and often pawns them off on her assistant Chet-Ra-Nal.
But, if she must, she will put the college before her feelings and carry out any and all duties she has to.
Phaerille loves teaching. Watching a student experience the wonder of creating their first complete musical piece fills her soul

History and Strings Master
Elf (Bardigan)

by Dazzlinkat

with joy. She hides this behind her rather mellow "stern and firm" facade.

Kalyani Waterbrook

Kalyani is a sweet-souled person known to delight and awe at every performance with voice and rhythms blending into mesmerizing perfection.
Unlike Vinsen, Kalyani has opinions on every issue. However, she believes in keeping them to herself so as not to be seen favoring one side which might ruin her fortunes.
Nobles and the wealthy pay handsomely for her to perform at their balls, parties, and fanciful ceremonies.
Even the elves have been known to invite her to perform at their diplomatic residences when they host grand gatherings.
Kalyani is a master of etiquette, able to weave through the intricacies of every culture she ever visited.
With etiquette being such an integral part of her success, she is determined that no Opal student will ever shame her by faltering at

Etiquette and Rhythm Master
Human

by Dazzlinkat

etiquette.
Her "stern and firm" facade is so severe she looks angry and ready to unleash fury on any student who dares not learn from her. She has the fastest rate of learning as students really buckle down to survive her teachings.

Arnulf Finnagund

Arnulf's flute playing has accompanied Kalyani during several of her grand performances, earning him a good bit of fortune and glory to add to his renown.
All about the business of being a bard, he has built his bardic earnings into something grand.
He started life poor, struggling for every scrap of food that came his way.
He learned how to pinch every coin he got until it begged for mercy, a plea he ignored.
No Opal bard will ever be destitute once he is done teaching them the power of coin pinching.
Vinsen has since set Arnulf In charge of the college coffers, something the chirkin considers an honor.
Even though he pinches coins, he is not afraid to spend them as he is a true bard and well aware of the power of the appearance of luxury to bring in more coins.
Arnulf's "stern and firm" facade has a rather cold and calculating air to it.

Venture and Winds Master
Chirkin

by Dazzlinkat

If he looks at a student and then writes in one of his ledgers, eyes widen and nervous swallows are taken.

Timappu Abren

Timappu is the newest master at Opal.
She is a bubbly and spirited singer who struggles to sit still. Her singing has brought even the most savage-hearted to tears, a fact proven when the ship that returned her to Miribex was attacked and the singing of her spells brought every attacking pirate sobbing to their knees.
Timappu returned to Opal after a mere five years after realizing just how few bards out there were capable with magic.
This realization was so appalling to her that, when word that the previous spells master retired reached her, she rushed back to Opal and demanded to be allowed to teach.
Vinsen, impressed with her determined dedication, agreed though only on the condition that she learn a "stern and firm" facade.
It was a struggle for her to learn to contain her bubbly spirit but, with Vinsen himself teaching her,

Spells and Voice Master
Gnome (Nezik)

by Dazzlinkat

she has managed to come up with one.
Timappu's "stern and firm" facade is very... intense, often looking like she is about to explode.
Students speak to her with quiet and respectful tones terrified she will erupt with magic.

Notable Students

Chet-Ra-Nal

Strings Master's Assistant
Gheni (Engi)

by Dazzlinkat

Chet-Ra-Nal is a stupendous lute player whose fingers fly along the strings of his lute.
He can match Master Phaerille and, once in a while, outplay her.
He dislikes the sound of his singing voice.
Despite his best efforts to learn, whenever he sings it comes out as a yowl.
Because of this, he works very hard to keep his mouth shut whenever he plays.
Chet has already graduated from Opal, leaving for a single performance now and again.
His studies now focus on becoming a master so he can teach others while traveling with the caravans of his people.

Kipess of Thrundank

Kipess came to Opal with a sack of pocket jingles, a nissling term for coins, and a bone whistle, a nissling flute made from a leg bone. What or whose leg bone it was is often debatable.

Click Here For His College Tale

He is now the first-ever known nissling bard

Student
Bone Whistle Bard

by Dazzlinkat

and is the pride of Hidey-Hidey.

The Help

AQUINA WORMEDA
HOUSEKEEPER
Thalasean

by Dazzlinkat

"Call me Bubbles again and I'll instruct you in the performative art of WATERBOARDING!"
Once a well-received bard, she has since retired and now commands the housekeeping staff. She is still an amazing singer and she is well aware of how her voice can enchant people.

REIRDOUL SABREHEIM
CAPTAIN-AT-ARMS
Dwarf (Vaulker)

by Dazzlinkat

"Anyone I catch smoochin' on campus will be expelled with my boot to their buttocks!"

Reirdoul gave up his days as a traveling skald when he took an arrow to the knee. He leads Opal's aegis, a private guard unit that protects the students and the reputation of the college.

KALPIUS
CHEF and GROUNDSKEEPER
Brahmaur

by Dazzlinkat

"Toss my fine food and I'll be tossing you over the hedges and feeding you lawn for a week!"
Kalpius gave up his life as a throat singer once he realized his love of cooking was greater than his love of music. Despite being a strict vegetarian, he enjoys the challenge of cooking meats as well.

Opal Entrance

by Tama66

Located in Miribex City, the capital of the Kingdom of Miribex, this beautiful bluestone townhouse that serves as a tiny college teaches up to ten students at a time. At its fullest, and counting the hired help, it houses about twenty-four people.

Opal's Bardic Tales

VINSEN'S TALE

On the Equinox Feast Days, Vinsen relaxes around the students and shares how one time he was determined to follow the steps of Mistrel, a legendary bard that, even to this day, none can describe.

~~~~Adventure Forthcoming~~~~
"A Mysterious Stranger"

PHAERILLE'S TALE

For those who show a true appreciation for lutes, she will tell of the wild theft of the Glynnii Lute, a golden wonder with silver strings that never tarnish or warp even in the foulest of weather.

~~~~Adventure Forthcoming~~~~
"The Looted Lute"

KALYANI'S TALE

At every solstice, Kalyani warns her students to not fall for flattery like poor Saanvi who was flattered into believing she was as great at magic as she was at music. She joined a quest and was never heard from again!

~~~~Adventure Forthcoming~~~~
"Dead Beat"

ARNULF'S TALE

On dark and stormy nights, Arnulf can be persuaded to tell the tale of how his once great bosom buddy Halfred nearly framed him as the one who gave the Darkbone Flute back to a consortium of necromancers.

~~~~Adventure Forthcoming~~~~
"Dance For The Dead"

TIMAPPU'S TALE

On stormy nights, Timappu's bubbly, vibrant nature flattens and her intensity fades. It takes little prodding to get her to tell how her beloved Gemtuc has fallen in with a bunch of bandits he cannot escape from.

~~~~Adventure Forthcoming~~~~
"Broken Vow"

AQUINA'S TALE

Those who befriend Aquina can learn how she was stabbed in the back with a poisonous barb and left for dead while her "friends" made off with her fortune. She bitterly shares that those fools did not get it all.

~~~~Adventure Forthcoming~~~~
"Stabbed In The Dark"

REIRDOUL'S TALE

Anyone daring enough to have a chat with Reirdoul, and are willing to buy him an ale or five, will hear the tale of how the ghost of Borheal led him to the place where he took that fateful arrow to the knee.

~~~~Adventure Forthcoming~~~~
"Ghost Of A Chance"

KALPIUS'S TALE

Gifting Kalpius rare spices will get him to repay them with a strange golden coin he swears hides some mystical treasure if only someone could figure out how to use it, something he no longer has time for.

~~~~Adventure Forthcoming~~~~
"Token"