Bardic Colleges
Sept 5, 2006 19:28:19 GMT -5
Post by Darastrix on Sept 5, 2006 19:28:19 GMT -5
The Bard Guild and School are collectively known as the Bardic College. Though the two are connected, it is quite possible to be associated with one and not the other.
Guild
The guild faction of the Bardic College has a roughly defined hierarchy, which goes thusly:
Maestra/Maestro (Overseer of the guild. Has final say in decisions regarding scheduling, membership, fees, etc.)
Guild Council (These are guild members who act collectively as a kind of advisory board to the Maestro. They are selected based on talent and leadership ability. Though the council is generally made of senior members, the Maestro may add a full member to the council if the majority of current council members agree with the decision.)
Senior Guildmembers (Ranked by seniority. To be a senior guildmember, one must have been in the guild for ten consecutive years minimum, not counting years spent as a student in the affiliated school.)
Full Members (Generally all equal, though seniority still rules.)
A bard must be at least 18 to apply for membership to the guild. To become a guildmember, a bard must pass a series of performance juries, which the Guild Council and Maestro judge. The first jury is a performance for the Maestro and council. The second is a performance for the entire guild. The third is a public performance at a venue of the Maestro's choosing (may be a tavern, an inn, a ballroom, a noble's house, etc.)
For singers/musicians: The first jury involves scales randomly selected by the Maestro, a musical piece selected by the Maestro and prepared ahead of time, and sight reading (playing a piece never seen/practiced before).
The second jury involves two pieces, practiced ahead of time. One is selected by the Maestro, the other by the performer (though it must be approved beforehand).
The third jury involves several pieces, no less than three, selected by the performer, and approved by the Maestro. It's basically a mini-concert.
For bards of other talents (dance, oratory, acrobatics, etc), the procedure is much the same.
Fees/Money
There is a fee of 100 copper per year. This may be paid at a rate of 25 copper per season, or all at once. In addition, a 5% fee is taken from the bard's earnings per performance. Senior members must pay 85 per year, and Council members pay 75. Both Senior and Council members have a 3% fee taken from their earnings. A guild member who also serves as a teacher/instructor for the affiliated bard school does not have to pay a percentage fee at all.
Failure to make payments will result in suspension of all privileges until the debt is cleared.
20% of all guild earnings go to the bard school. The other 80% pays for the guildhall's upkeep, employee wages, the Maestro's salary, etc.
What are Some Perks of Membership?
Guild bards have a more steady income and guaranteed work than a street performer or traveling bard. Those bards depend on the number of people in the area on a given day, the weather, whether their audience will even have a taste for what they're offering, and how much change is in the audience's pockets. Venues that have ongoing contracts with the guild hire their bards exclusively, often weeks in advance. These venues pay more for a performance than they would hiring a bard off of the street, but the quality of the performance is assured and a guild bard that's made a name for himself will draw in more paying customers to that location, so it's a beneficial relationship between the guild and venue.
The manner of scheduling prevents too many bards from showing up at the same area and neglecting others, as well as making sure the right kind of performer is sent. Jobs are posted, and bards note which jobs they wish to take. The postings are shown to the senior members first and the remainder goes to the rest. The Maestro makes up the coming month's schedules in the second week of each month, making sure that there are no conflicts in the timing and distribution of the members.
The people and places that hire guild bards pay the guild directly, and the money is paid out every two weeks, fees already deducted (same concept as one's employer giving one's paycheck with taxes taken out). This cuts down on their bards being targeted by muggers and pickpockets after performances, since the bard doesn't get paid on the spot. Many guildmembers (those who opt to perform full-time, especially) simply keep their money with the guild and have their "account" billed, rather than leaving the guildhall with a full purse.
What if a bard wants to join, but can't afford the member fees?
A well-to-do guildmember would possibly sponsor a promising talent, take care of their fees and such, on the condition of being paid back, possibly with interest, when the newbie makes good. That would be up to the individual guild bard, not processed through the guild, and it would be in the best interests of both parties for a contract to be drawn up and signed for such an agreement.
The sponsor has a vested interest in the new bard because they scouted him, and if he does well, it can boost the sponsor's reputation and possibly gain them a council position later. If he does poorly, it can reflect badly on the sponsor and hinder their own guild progress, so sponsorship isn't to be taken lightly.
EXAMPLE: Lana is a talented young harpist. She can pass the membership trials, but can't pay the 100 copper yearly fee. Michael, a guild harpist, sees that she has talent and feels she'd be wasted as a street or tavern performer. He offers to pay her membership fees quarterly (25 coin/season) with the conditions that she continue harp study under him so that he can be sure his investment is sound (possibly a set practice schedule and fixed number of hours a week and require that she accompany him on some of his own performances) and that he be paid back with 10% interest after a set amount of time. Lana agrees and becomes a guild bard and Michael's protege. When she starts getting job offers on her own, and making her own money for performances, she pays Michael back what he spent on her plus the 10%.
Besides the extra bit of money, Michael has ingratiated himself with the guild by bringing in new talent and bolstering the guild's reputation and income. Had Lana done poorly, Michael may have withdrawn sponsorship himself and possibly asked back what he'd spent on her thus far (which is why setting down such agreements in writing is VERY important, otherwise he wouldn't have a financial leg to stand on). And depending how badly Lana did in the guild and how long Michael allowed it to continue, his own reputation could be damaged. A guildmember who brings in poor performers is not an asset to the guild and may no longer be allowed to scout or sponsor anyone for the guild in milder cases, or even lose their own membership in more extreme cases.
A wealthy philanthropist/patron of the arts might also sponsor a young talent in the guild or school, giving a 'scholarship' of sorts of whatever amount and time schedule the patron chooses. A guildmember who joins in this manner is subject to both the rules of the guild and the whims of their patron, so it is wise for a bard in such a position to read the fine print, so to speak, and be sure that they really want the sponsorship of this person.
Guild Bard and Wanderers
The concept of the traveling performer is a popular and romanticised idea, but what does that mean when put into practice?
Generally, ambitious guild bards with the desire to rise in the ranks stay close to home, and if they want to take up the mantle of the traveling troubadour, they do so before becoming full members. This is for two main reasons:
Reason 1. 100 copper/year. If a bard is paying for membership benefits, it only makes sense that he stay where he can USE them. Otherwise it's the equivalent of paying for a gym membership that you never use.
EXAMPLE: Jon is a Talen'sul guild bard. He's paid 100 copper to the guild for his yearly fee. He decides to wander around Naruta for a while, Khelek, Rondiun, Sensatia, Ilyamen, Reave, Maelstrom, then back home. In Talen'sul, he's can get jobs rather easily and there are places that hire ONLY guild bards if he lacks in specific events/engagements to perform at.
In Khelek, Rondiun, Sensatia, Reave, and Maelstrom, he has no such guarantee. In those lands, he might get lucky and find someplace to hire him for a few nights, but he just as likely will find nothing. It's the luck of the draw. When he does find work, though he won't get a percentage taken out of what he earns, he loses an equivalent amount or more in traveling, lodging, and food expenses. Not to mention the danger inherit in traveling across the lands, and the danger of getting mugged after a performance (remember, the guild is paid first, then they pay the bards. The bards don't leave shows with their purses full for pickpockets).
In Ilyamen, he'll have more luck since the Talen'sul and Ilyamen guilds are loosely affiliated and recognise each other's bards, but his choice of performances is still limited, as the local bards will still get first pick.
So, though he's a full guild member, he'll still earn less copper in that year than if he stayed in Talen'sul because he reaps none of the benefits in other lands. And he's still out the original 100.
Reason 2. Guild advancement. Seniority rules, and though bards struck with the wanderlust are welcome to leave the guild and not waste copper on a membership they're not using, it hurts their chances to rise in the ranks should they want to.
Senior members must have been full members for 10 CONSECUTIVE years. If they leave to roam for a few years in the middle of that, they have to start over if they wish to achieve senior member status. This is partly due to the fact that the more senior members are looked to for leadership and advice within the guild. Guild councils are typically made of senior members. If a bard has been gone for an extended amount of time, chances are he's not as well-informed on the guild's current situation as someone who's been there consistently.
All in all, it's generally in a bard's best interest to be guild bard OR a wandering bard, not both. And it's in the guild's best interests as well. What guild needs absentee members?
Note: A guild bard CAN still do random street performances and the like, however, if a non-guild bard is noticed in the area, it is considered VERY bad form to take an audience from that bard. Non-guild members have to eat, too. Also, a guild bard may not accept coin for such performances, though taking "tips" at performances he was hired to do is perfectly fine, and the tips are not subject to the guild's percentage fees.
Guild
The guild faction of the Bardic College has a roughly defined hierarchy, which goes thusly:
Maestra/Maestro (Overseer of the guild. Has final say in decisions regarding scheduling, membership, fees, etc.)
Guild Council (These are guild members who act collectively as a kind of advisory board to the Maestro. They are selected based on talent and leadership ability. Though the council is generally made of senior members, the Maestro may add a full member to the council if the majority of current council members agree with the decision.)
Senior Guildmembers (Ranked by seniority. To be a senior guildmember, one must have been in the guild for ten consecutive years minimum, not counting years spent as a student in the affiliated school.)
Full Members (Generally all equal, though seniority still rules.)
A bard must be at least 18 to apply for membership to the guild. To become a guildmember, a bard must pass a series of performance juries, which the Guild Council and Maestro judge. The first jury is a performance for the Maestro and council. The second is a performance for the entire guild. The third is a public performance at a venue of the Maestro's choosing (may be a tavern, an inn, a ballroom, a noble's house, etc.)
For singers/musicians: The first jury involves scales randomly selected by the Maestro, a musical piece selected by the Maestro and prepared ahead of time, and sight reading (playing a piece never seen/practiced before).
The second jury involves two pieces, practiced ahead of time. One is selected by the Maestro, the other by the performer (though it must be approved beforehand).
The third jury involves several pieces, no less than three, selected by the performer, and approved by the Maestro. It's basically a mini-concert.
For bards of other talents (dance, oratory, acrobatics, etc), the procedure is much the same.
Fees/Money
There is a fee of 100 copper per year. This may be paid at a rate of 25 copper per season, or all at once. In addition, a 5% fee is taken from the bard's earnings per performance. Senior members must pay 85 per year, and Council members pay 75. Both Senior and Council members have a 3% fee taken from their earnings. A guild member who also serves as a teacher/instructor for the affiliated bard school does not have to pay a percentage fee at all.
Failure to make payments will result in suspension of all privileges until the debt is cleared.
20% of all guild earnings go to the bard school. The other 80% pays for the guildhall's upkeep, employee wages, the Maestro's salary, etc.
What are Some Perks of Membership?
Guild bards have a more steady income and guaranteed work than a street performer or traveling bard. Those bards depend on the number of people in the area on a given day, the weather, whether their audience will even have a taste for what they're offering, and how much change is in the audience's pockets. Venues that have ongoing contracts with the guild hire their bards exclusively, often weeks in advance. These venues pay more for a performance than they would hiring a bard off of the street, but the quality of the performance is assured and a guild bard that's made a name for himself will draw in more paying customers to that location, so it's a beneficial relationship between the guild and venue.
The manner of scheduling prevents too many bards from showing up at the same area and neglecting others, as well as making sure the right kind of performer is sent. Jobs are posted, and bards note which jobs they wish to take. The postings are shown to the senior members first and the remainder goes to the rest. The Maestro makes up the coming month's schedules in the second week of each month, making sure that there are no conflicts in the timing and distribution of the members.
The people and places that hire guild bards pay the guild directly, and the money is paid out every two weeks, fees already deducted (same concept as one's employer giving one's paycheck with taxes taken out). This cuts down on their bards being targeted by muggers and pickpockets after performances, since the bard doesn't get paid on the spot. Many guildmembers (those who opt to perform full-time, especially) simply keep their money with the guild and have their "account" billed, rather than leaving the guildhall with a full purse.
What if a bard wants to join, but can't afford the member fees?
A well-to-do guildmember would possibly sponsor a promising talent, take care of their fees and such, on the condition of being paid back, possibly with interest, when the newbie makes good. That would be up to the individual guild bard, not processed through the guild, and it would be in the best interests of both parties for a contract to be drawn up and signed for such an agreement.
The sponsor has a vested interest in the new bard because they scouted him, and if he does well, it can boost the sponsor's reputation and possibly gain them a council position later. If he does poorly, it can reflect badly on the sponsor and hinder their own guild progress, so sponsorship isn't to be taken lightly.
EXAMPLE: Lana is a talented young harpist. She can pass the membership trials, but can't pay the 100 copper yearly fee. Michael, a guild harpist, sees that she has talent and feels she'd be wasted as a street or tavern performer. He offers to pay her membership fees quarterly (25 coin/season) with the conditions that she continue harp study under him so that he can be sure his investment is sound (possibly a set practice schedule and fixed number of hours a week and require that she accompany him on some of his own performances) and that he be paid back with 10% interest after a set amount of time. Lana agrees and becomes a guild bard and Michael's protege. When she starts getting job offers on her own, and making her own money for performances, she pays Michael back what he spent on her plus the 10%.
Besides the extra bit of money, Michael has ingratiated himself with the guild by bringing in new talent and bolstering the guild's reputation and income. Had Lana done poorly, Michael may have withdrawn sponsorship himself and possibly asked back what he'd spent on her thus far (which is why setting down such agreements in writing is VERY important, otherwise he wouldn't have a financial leg to stand on). And depending how badly Lana did in the guild and how long Michael allowed it to continue, his own reputation could be damaged. A guildmember who brings in poor performers is not an asset to the guild and may no longer be allowed to scout or sponsor anyone for the guild in milder cases, or even lose their own membership in more extreme cases.
A wealthy philanthropist/patron of the arts might also sponsor a young talent in the guild or school, giving a 'scholarship' of sorts of whatever amount and time schedule the patron chooses. A guildmember who joins in this manner is subject to both the rules of the guild and the whims of their patron, so it is wise for a bard in such a position to read the fine print, so to speak, and be sure that they really want the sponsorship of this person.
Guild Bard and Wanderers
The concept of the traveling performer is a popular and romanticised idea, but what does that mean when put into practice?
Generally, ambitious guild bards with the desire to rise in the ranks stay close to home, and if they want to take up the mantle of the traveling troubadour, they do so before becoming full members. This is for two main reasons:
Reason 1. 100 copper/year. If a bard is paying for membership benefits, it only makes sense that he stay where he can USE them. Otherwise it's the equivalent of paying for a gym membership that you never use.
EXAMPLE: Jon is a Talen'sul guild bard. He's paid 100 copper to the guild for his yearly fee. He decides to wander around Naruta for a while, Khelek, Rondiun, Sensatia, Ilyamen, Reave, Maelstrom, then back home. In Talen'sul, he's can get jobs rather easily and there are places that hire ONLY guild bards if he lacks in specific events/engagements to perform at.
In Khelek, Rondiun, Sensatia, Reave, and Maelstrom, he has no such guarantee. In those lands, he might get lucky and find someplace to hire him for a few nights, but he just as likely will find nothing. It's the luck of the draw. When he does find work, though he won't get a percentage taken out of what he earns, he loses an equivalent amount or more in traveling, lodging, and food expenses. Not to mention the danger inherit in traveling across the lands, and the danger of getting mugged after a performance (remember, the guild is paid first, then they pay the bards. The bards don't leave shows with their purses full for pickpockets).
In Ilyamen, he'll have more luck since the Talen'sul and Ilyamen guilds are loosely affiliated and recognise each other's bards, but his choice of performances is still limited, as the local bards will still get first pick.
So, though he's a full guild member, he'll still earn less copper in that year than if he stayed in Talen'sul because he reaps none of the benefits in other lands. And he's still out the original 100.
Reason 2. Guild advancement. Seniority rules, and though bards struck with the wanderlust are welcome to leave the guild and not waste copper on a membership they're not using, it hurts their chances to rise in the ranks should they want to.
Senior members must have been full members for 10 CONSECUTIVE years. If they leave to roam for a few years in the middle of that, they have to start over if they wish to achieve senior member status. This is partly due to the fact that the more senior members are looked to for leadership and advice within the guild. Guild councils are typically made of senior members. If a bard has been gone for an extended amount of time, chances are he's not as well-informed on the guild's current situation as someone who's been there consistently.
All in all, it's generally in a bard's best interest to be guild bard OR a wandering bard, not both. And it's in the guild's best interests as well. What guild needs absentee members?
Note: A guild bard CAN still do random street performances and the like, however, if a non-guild bard is noticed in the area, it is considered VERY bad form to take an audience from that bard. Non-guild members have to eat, too. Also, a guild bard may not accept coin for such performances, though taking "tips" at performances he was hired to do is perfectly fine, and the tips are not subject to the guild's percentage fees.
