Explorers and the League

will bring rebirth in the wake of ruin . Therefore, they seek to hasten, rather than prevent, cataclysms. Success with such an effort would doubtless cause a schism within the remaining membership.

Distinctions : The motto of the Watchers for the Coming Sunset is "It Shall Not Unravel ." Watchers tend to be secretive, so they use code phrases, sign language, and secret handshakes to identify each other.

Admission : Candidates for membership must present themselves before the High Council at the mountain citadel for testing. Finding the place is difficult enough, but getting there is also a challenge because the surrounding wilderness is full of monsters and other dangers . Those who attain the citadel must pass an oral examination in arcana, history, the planes, or religion . A successful Knowledge check (DC 20) in the appropriate area earns admission .

Membership Benefits : All Watchers are expected to take an active part in defending their region and world from coming apocalypses . This common cause creates an unusual camaraderie among the collegians, so even the newest member can expect assistance above and beyond the call of duty from another Watcher .

Members also have access to the ultimate collection of apocalyptic lore . Acquisition of new lore earns promotion within the ranks as well as handsome remuneration .

Dues : Each Watcher pays dues of 1,000 gp per year.

Relations : The Watchers for the Coming Sunset have cordial, if somewhat distant, relations with most other bardic colleges . They can call on a number of powerful clerics, wizards, and political leaders if the situation is urgent-and given their line of work, it usually is .

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 statusconscious, 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, 3S for muse, 40 for maestro, or 4S 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 light blue 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 performancesagain 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."

League of Boot and Trail

Members of this college regard every road as a classroom and every inn as a laboratory. Devoted to travel for its own sake, they accumulate little lore but see much of the world-and worlds beyond as well.