The Most Noble Society of Bardic and Performing Artisans
Instrument, voice, acting, poetry, storytelling, juggling, acrobatic performance, etc
This guild covers all bardic and performing arts including instrument, voice, acting, poetry, storytelling, and less “traditional” forms such as juggling, acrobatic performance.
Structure
Guildmaster
Zeff - female Air Genasi. Guildmaster Zeff has been the bardic guild’s guildmaster for the last five years and maintains an excellent reputation amongst the nobles and populace of Eisen and Novandria. Fair to a fault, Zeff is also a stickler for guild rules and regulations and is rabid about ensuring their guild members remain protected even when their performances sometimes undermine the status quo. Zeff is a storyteller by bardic trade and a member of the college of eloquence.
Guild Representative
Theodore Crispin - Human male. Crispin serves as the guild representative. Swaggering, boastful - but ultimately rather an emotional cream puff - Crispin is nevertheless staunch about protecting the bardic guilds interest at council. Crispin is a member of the bardic college of swords and an excellent - if over the top - swordsman.
Guild Administrator
Rendelin Frostflock - ama’il owlin. Rendelin, or Ren, is an Owlin bard specializing in vocal performance. They also don’t let much get by them and as the guild administrator they keep all of the mundane running bits of the guild in order and ticking along - no easy task when surrounded by so many artists.
Guild Structure and Ranks
Apprentice: Apprentices in the Bardic guild are expected to perform regularly either in hired or in street performance. They are encouraged to explore a wide variety of styles and, if they have magical bardic inclination, spell types. Apprentices in the bardic guild have their busking licenses paid for as part of guild membership. Apprentices may select a bardic college to follow if they are inclined but it is not required. Journeyer: to test for Journeyer, apprentices must pass a written exam specialized in the performance area of their choice and general Eisen lore as well as the requirements set by the Eisen Guild Charter. Aspiring Journeyers may select more than one performance area if they wish to test in but they are not given separate “ranks” for these areas. When becoming a journeyer, apprentices must select a bardic college to belong to if they are magically inclined as bards. Journeyers are expected to continue performing but are generally “booked” into locations such as inns or for patrons rather than street performances; this is not a hard and fast rule but a trend. Master: to test for a master, the journeyer must present at least three original works in their area of specialty in addition to the typical testing process defined by the Eisen Guild Charter. Journeyers may again select more than one specialty but do not receive separate ranks for each. Masters are the elite of performers for the bardic guild and many journeyers never become masters. Not only do these performers entertain, they create. Masters are also allowed to take apprentices, become instructors in a bardic college, and generally serve at a permanent posting should they desire. Mastery Exam: Each applicant must present three original pieces or performances in their chosen area in addition to the guidelines established in the Eisen guild charterCulture
When it comes to guild culture, the bardic guild is internally fairly casual at both the journeyer and apprentice level. Masters are relatively split between those who feel creativity and collaboration breeds more art and better art… and those who feel their position and rank entitles them to special treatment. Still, outright abuse or belittlement is not tolerated at all and the guildmaster ensures that all members of the guild receive basic rights and the care due their rank.
One of the odd bardic quirks at least amongst the apprentices and street performing Journeyers is the taking of bird names as performing monikers. While this originally started to give some separation to performers later in their careers who may not want the stigma of street performance as the Master Bard of a noble house, these names have become sources of pride to most of the bards that claim them.
Patron God: Sephira
Guild Symbols
Apprentices may wear a copper pin depicting the harp that is the symbol of the bardic guild. Journeyers may wear a silver pin depicting the harp of the bardic guild AND may wear a number of braids denoting their specialty. Each specialty has a different colored braid, usually worn on sleeves or as trim. The braids are distinctively woven for the guild and easily recognizable to anyone in Eisen.- Purple - Instrument
- Yellow - Voice
- White - Storyteller
- Red - Poetry
- Blue - Combat/Swords/Acrobatics
- Green - Historic Tales
- Black - Theater/Acting
- Aqua/Turquoise - Dance
- Multicolored - Performance Arts (juggling, magician, etc)
Teachers at the College
Master Marina Cintros - Half-orc - Literature and reading teacher - with an eternal case of resting grumpy face, no one messes with Master Cintros. Fortunately, despite her outward appearance, Master Cintros is a gentle teacher of the written word. She is responsible for classes on remedial reading for bardic college students and paying pupils, as well as several of the advanced tales classes that study deeper legends and myths. Master Lyndarian Fox - Ama'il Human - With dark curly hair and a mischievous smile, Master Fox is responsible for teaching social graces, etiquette, and social politics at the college. Once the child of a laundry woman, they have mastered the art of blending into society at every level and if anyone remembers their common birth, no one mentions it. Also a member of the college of whispers, Lyndarian never states their bardic college of choice, preferring to leave that to the imagination. They similarly went by Vixen as their performing name, eschewing the bird tradition. Strangely, no one argued. Master Roget Lyder - Human male - eternally spewing random historical facts to whomever will listen, Master Lyder is a master of the college of lore and a master of the historian's guild as well. He has taken it upon himself to ensure that the bardic students are aware of Eisen history in all its forms. While his lectures are often considered dry, he is a fair and honest teacher. No one ever passes his exams - but everyone manages to pass the class. A rare few students have determined that he grades them on their effort and willingness to learn and apply their studies rather than memorized dates. Master Jaconda Freegie - Centaur female- Originally from Avalon, Jaconda came to Novdandria over a decade ago and earned her bardic mastery. She is adept at teaching all forms of bardic magic and is, as such, responsible for the basic and intermediary classes that do not fall to an apprentice's assigned master. Master Kenneth Anders A half-giant of rather prestigious height and a baritone that is famed throughout Novandria and Eisen. Anders only takes on the most promising vocal students at the behest of other masters.Guild House Description
The bardic guild house is located on guild house row, an upstanding and neatly appointed brownstone style building. The front is decorated with colorful pennons for each of the areas the guild supports, making it one of the more festive looking buildings on the row. There is -always- noise coming from the guild hall as performers stop in, practice, meet, and generally get along with the business of their guild.Public Agenda
The bardic guild has several responsibilities in the nation and city.
Booking performers and entertainers
The guild is the first stop for booking performances and performance-related entertainment in the city. While it is possible to arrange entertainers for inns and gatherings and courts outside the guild, most people don’t as the guild has extensive resources and makes these sorts of appointments regularly and easily. Only the poorest inns - or those in surprise straits where they need entertainers quickly - don’t use the guild for booking performances.Busking licenses
Given the crowded streets of Novandria, street performers and busking are regulated in order to keep noise pollution down. Guild apprentices are automatically granted busking rights but non-guild performers must pay 5 silver a week for this privilege. The guild will “waive” a first week's fee but only on a limited basis to allow performers to start playing.Historical Performances and teaching
While this falls to the Historian’s guild proper, the bardic guild often works with them to arrange performances of historical events, important stories, or other lore that needs to be taught to the populace either in education or for celebrations.Encouraging the arts and performing arts
The bardic guild often hosts revels, parties, and small events throughout the year to encourage the performing arts in the city. The guild also offers more informal classes for hobbyists of all classes so people can learn various skills.Assets
Due to a large number of wealthy patrons, the bardic guild is very well funded and is able to keep its masters in comfort and its journeyers easily in the middle class. Apprentices under masters are kept in simple but comfortable lodgings and serviceable instruments are provided.
Type
Guild, Professional
Alternative Names
Bard's Guild, Performer's Guild
Demonym
Bard, Performer
Location
Sephira Guild Symbol
Harp