Bards

All bards are artists of some description, but they are also so much more. A bard represents the very essence of creation - be it through song, painting, dance, poetry, calligraphy, sculpture, or some other discipline. Much like artificers, bards work hard to master their craft, honing it to truly realize the full potential of the interplay between hand and tool.

Many bards live on the road, travelling from settlement to settlement, gathering stories and bringing tidings to far-away places.

Subclasses

All bards express themselves through a creative outlet, but exactly what this is varies from bard to bard. Some bards learn their craft in a school, others are born with natural talent which they develop on their own.

College of Lore

Bards who are focused on lore loves to tell stories, and to collect them. Cassietta College and the School of Rhetoric and Oratory are both considered top places to learn this art.

College of Valor

Some bards chose to incorporate martial arts in their performance, often combined with great panache. These bards can be fierce fencers, or they use their magic to support their allies on the battlefield, or serve as heralds at gladiatorial arenas, performing odes to the champions and dirges over the fallen.

College of Glamour

The fey magic of a Glamour bard lets them weave illusions and influence minds with their performance. It is primarily an elven and sylvanite art form, which originated in the Feywild.

College of Dance

While most bards use an innately aural artform, some bards can weave their magic simply through moving their body. This is most popular among halflings, whose celebrations almost always involve a dance performance.

Ideals

• Artistry: Furthering my craft is the most important thing. (Any)
• Beauty: I search for beauty in order to admire it in person. (Good)
• Gluttony: I desire mortal pleasures above all else. (Evil)
• Perfectionism: If it isn't just how I want it, I will start over. (Neutral)
• Creativity: My mind is always fleeting to different places, and different solutions. (Chaotic)
• Tradition: I am a guardian of the culture of my people. (Lawful)

Backstory Questions

• What type of art do you make? How did you learn it?
• Does your art influence your magic, in appearance, spell selection, or otherwise?

Bards of the Past

Christopher Buckliss

(human, CG, 1281-1340): Playwright who founded the Buckliss Theater in Covenant. His most famous plays are The Shipwright's Daughter and An Equinox Dream. Allegedly, his ghost still haunts the theater, longing to finish the play he was writing when he died.

Talia Graceborne

(human, LN, 1336-1408): Well-respected Speaker of the Council of Estia who served for three terms, from 1390 to 1405. Held the Barony of Goldshore, but she was the last of her house, which died along with her. In her will, she bequeathed the barony to its people, sowing the seeds of democratic elections across the islands.