LGDND - Ineffable Chord
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Conservatory of the Ineffable Chord
Some bards are exceptional performers; others are great composers. Members of this college are both. Students of music everywhere dream of studying at the Conservatory of the Ineffable Chord, for it is said that its teachers write songs too moving to sing and play notes too sweet to hear. Area of Study: Music composition and performance are the twin passions of this college's members, and its ranks include masters of every conceivable instrument and musical style. Recently, the college has also begun to accept members who specialize in the recitation of epic poems, although many of the musicians don't consider such performers "real" members.
Organization
The Conservatory of the Ineffable Chord awards five ranks of expertise: troubadour, minstrel, muse, maestro, and virtuoso. New members enter at the troubadour level. They quickly discover, however, that Conservatory members are very status-conscious, and most consider troubadours little better than street rabble. Moving up to the next rank is as simple as passing an audition before higher-ranking conservatory members. A successful Perform check at the appropriate level (DC 30 for minstrel, 35 for muse, 40 for maestro, or 45 for virtuoso) earns a promotion to that rank. Members may not skip ranks, though there is no minimum amount of time they must spend at any level before auditioning for the next. Members of the college can audition once per year in each city where the Conservatory maintains a campus, so failure on any one of the above skill checks usually means more practice and a long journey. Conservatory members who've retired from active composition and performance serve as instructional staff for the college's campuses in return for sizable stipends. Most of these teachers live on campus.
Activities
Every troubadour must study both composition and performance. A bard who is accomplished at the lute but unable to pen his own songs is quickly shown the door, as is a songwriting prodigy who can't sing like an angel. Most members eventually discover that composition studies improve their playing and singing, and the hours they spend practicing for performances sometimes inspire new songs.
Distinctions
The Conservatory's motto is "In harmony with the primal rhythm." Members wear amber robes trimmed with a second color that reflects rank: white for troubadours, gray for minstrels, dark blue for muses, silver for maestros, and gold for virtuosos.
Admission
Anyone who pays the 100-gp testing fee can audition for entrance. A successful Perform check (DC 25) earns entrance to the Conservatory at troubadour level. Those who fail the audition can try again after one year.
Membership Benefits
Members can lodge free of charge at any Conservatory campus for as long as they wish. Most use this privilege to save the price of a room at the inn while they study or collaborate with other musicians. In addition, nearly every campus has a concert hall that members can reserve for their own performances-again at no charge. Maestros and virtuosos have access to the conservatory's collection of magic instruments, famous odes and ballads, and bits of musical lore. Rumor has it that they also have access to "eldritch songs"�compositions of surpassing power and magic.
Dues
Each member who holds a concert within a city that has a Conservatory campus must donate 10% of the proceeds to the college.
Relations
The Conservatory of the Ineffable Chord maintains good relations with all the other bardic colleges. The public at large admires Conservatory members because of their performance skills, though some traveling bards regard them as unbelievably "snooty."
Amber & Blood
Much of the city's true bardic power lies in the college's alumni, who have formed the Amber & Blood Society. Named for the Conservatory's colors, the exclusive society is made up almost entirely of graduates of the Ineffable Chord and counts nearly 130 individuals among its ranks. A handful of these are non-graduates given honorary degrees by the college specifically so that they could be inducted into the Society. Many of the city's sages have intimated that the Society's secretive club house on the College's campus is home to ancient lore handed down through countless generations and finally set down in ink by the Society. Also rumored to be locked away are musical instruments capable of producing powerful magical effects, as well as other, more sinister relics recovered by the Society and locked away for safety.
