I'm looking into forming a "Bard's Guild" to promote the arts of Singing, Playing Instruments, Acting, Comedy, Storytelling and the related activities. The Guild would be a loose organization of the artists, and be responsible for entertainment during feasts, recording the stories of battles, keeping the Heraldry of Knights, and honoring the various anniversaries and events of Belegarth, its realms, and its inhabitants.

The guild will promote role playing and the furthering of non-combat social activities, but WILL NOT take away from the combat and physical aspects of the sport. The Guild will be an option, not a requirement, and stories, songs and activities will seek to enhance social gatherings, but not force them upon those that wish not to partake. We will not write a song about you or tell a story of your battles or history without your permission.

I wish not to form a subset and a rift in Belegarth where there are 'stick jocks' and 'roleplayers', but to enhance both parties through entertainment and the arts.

The Guild will be organized as follows:

Any realm may have a Bard in their midst. These Bards take on the responsibility of cataloging the major events of their realm. They may then make these events into stories, songs, plays or the like, to be performed at major events. Participation by the Belegrim population as a whole is completely optional, however, we will seek to tell the great stories from among our people.

At a national level, Volunteers will be needed to organize events and get the word to the Belegrim of the events, as well as gather the stories from among them and collaborate on the arts, to make beauty. The guild will seek to promote the other arts and sciences (garb making, armor smithing, weapon smithing) and keep record of the major events within those arts.

Comments, Suggestions, and Assistance is welcome.

This would obviously have a place in Belegarth, however I can't tell if the Guild Program is even still functioning. Anyone with a definite answer able to chime in?

If it is, I would probably be interested in this one. Roleplaying isn't high on my list, but I do enjoy playing the musica.

I know the bardic games seem to be making a come back, you might wanna ask people who participate in that.

The guilds are as active as you make them. This organization is run from the bottom up and no one at the top can tell you that your group doesn't exist if you make it.

I very much like this idea, being a bard (however shy) myself.

I'm wondering how many musicians and authors we have among us that would be willing to take on projects such as cataloging people's backstories of their characters into writing and song as well as their adventures and things.

Shouldn't be too difficult. A lot of people do that kind of writing, and a friend from my shire has written several songs of our members and battles in general.

I've been hoping for something like to this come up. Organizing musicians, artists poets and stuff is at this level will be tough.

This is the kind of thing that's easy to say that you'll do on the boards, but people rarely actually put the time in. When the other foot drops and your at an event where you'd have the most people to talk to, most people will opt to have fun 99/100.

The more I talk to people and hear from them about what they do at events, it becomes more apparent to me that this would be better served as an underground movement. If I just start writing songs and singing them around campfires and at feasts, then over time, others will take notice and improve the arts in their respective realms.

I'm not really sure what classifying it as "underground" would mean in comparison to the rest of our sport, but I don't think its necessary. I think as a guild it would be a good idea to have ranks like the other guilds purely based on time committed and benchmarks in terms of different types of performances, making instruments, writing songs, etc. Do not try to mandate songs about specific topics or that members need to stick to one branch of music performance art. I'll type up a list of sorts as en example in a bit. I don't think it would be too hard to facilitate and keep track of.

We either have to keep all the performance arts together, or seperate them out according to music, drama, and the like.

You could do all that within in the guild. Have one guild. And, when you find the need, add separate branches, i.e. music, art, storytelling, etc. And it could all be inside the bard's guild. Or would it become too much? Alternate suggestions are open for discussion.

What I'd like to see is entertainment. Usually there's one big feast at most of the 4 day events. To have some singing, dancing, or a play would really enhance how awesome that feast is, in addition to the wonderful food that is cooked. Now, if that is some version of entertainment from each part of the guild per event, or different guilds at different events that is up to the groups themselves.

There is also things the guild can do to liven up individual camps with song, dance, and entertainment. Last year at Rag, I hear Black Company had a bagpiper, which was pretty epic, so mixing things like that into units, having drums for marching, songs of battle, storytelling and things helps enhance the culture that we share as Belegrim.

i would be interested in doing this kind of thing eventually (when I feel more settled into Belegarth culture, like maybe next year).. i like performing & writing music, but i really hate writing lyrics so i dunno if i'd make a great bard, but I'll keep my eye on this guild anyway.

I think that you're precisely what this guild is looking for. To pool our talents, training, and resources together to help enrich the culture we have and give entertainment that benefits all of us.

I fully support this movement. I also could use more things to write about. If struck by a muse, I'll write. If asked to write a specific thing, I'll write a specific thing. I like it when there is more to do at events than to watch people drink and watch the fire.

I am in support of this too. I can document, keep organized, and I love storytelling. But I'm bad with music. So I won't be any help there. Storytelling FTW!

Next to the Cook's Guild this is about the best idea fora guild I have ever seen! Bel events could use a hell of a lot more music and entertainment if you ask me. It really seems to be the one thing thats missing. I would love to be walking around listening to some bard play songs about the feats of knights and units and that sort of thing. Especially since its about real people. This whole idea could really inspire young fighters to get better. Not that we aren't already thoroughly motivated =P

I'm relatively new to Belegarth, but I've been in Dagorhir for about a year now, and I am HUGE into the characterization aspect of the games. The Dagorhir unit that I started here in the Adirondacks has fairly strict requirements for characterization, back story, etc, and our unit in itself has a rich history and its own nobility and allies/enemies. My cousin Kalis (in-character cousin) and I have been working on entire family trees, coats of arms, historical scrolls and tomes that catalogue our members' histories, lineage and expoits. We have even gone so far as to work on hand-crafting the "Treasures of the Tuatha" (our "family" are the last surviving Tuatha de Danaan) for the four highest-ranking members of our family, as well as symbols of rank and station for both Royal Family and Unit Members alike.

Basically what I'm saying, is I love stuff like this, and I would love to help you organize the Bard's Guild, write the epic tales of peoples' heroic deeds, encourage characterization and roleplaying, and anything else that I can help with.

How much of the structure and history/backstory of the guild have you worked out yet? Is there a heirarchy (Novice, Apprentice, Journeyman, Master, Grandmaster, etc.)? Are there specific initiation and promotion ceremonies or rituals (ALWAYS fun)?

Oh, man this seems like fun. Sorry if my post seems a little verbose, but when I get interested in something, I usually go all out.

Oh as for my Bardic "qualifications":

I play guitar, recorder, Irish tin-flute, bodhran (gaelic drum), and I sing Irish folk music.
I do poetic, fiction and scholastic writing (bachelor's in English)
I do video-production (bachelor's in Film) - this could be likened to a mystic scribe, I suppose.
I do lots of visual arts.
I also fancy myself something of a theology scholar, which -I suppose- considering the mythological/fantasy aspect of Belegarth, would fit well.

I haven't set down any structures, but I figured I'd gauge interest to see what kind of artists we had and if they'd be into organizing. Far as I know, there's a Bardic at many of the larger events, and the Bardic Guild would help assist and organize these events, and recognize particularly skilled artists in their field.

I did something similar to this in Dagorhir, though it wasn't as activity-oriented as your idea is. Mine was more of a pan-realm unit of minstrels and artists. Here's the link to the website, maybe it will give you a few ideas: http://www.orderofcacophony.webs.com

Just checking to see if there is any new info on the Bard's Guild? If you want any help in setting this up, just let me know. I will be glad to assist.

Its pretty much whatever. I just thought it would be a nice thing to organize and enhance the night life, but I'm not really into running something like this. If someone wants to pick up the ball and do something with it, be my guest.

Azgarehta, are you going to be at Yestare this weekend? If so, maybe we could talk further about getting a guild going. Or at least jam and have a beer.

I don't even know where Yestere is, and I'm all tuckered out from Gates of Summer. I am going to Rag though, so if you're up for the loooooong drive, I'll find you and we'll have a chat.

I am very much hoping to make it to Ragnarok this year, if only for a few days. I need to get in touch with one of the groups that are either passing through Utah on their way, or maybe hitch along with some of the guys from Colorado, but either way, I'm going to try and make it.

Anyway, if I do wind up going, I will find you and we can have a chat.

I'd have to call this a great idea. We put on a circus show at winters knight a couple years ago and as far as I can tell every one had a blast. The only concern I can think of is an over emphasis on stories and music and a disregard for the other bardic arts. I'm a performer in the Flying Circus, a clown. I tumble, juggle, tell jokes and resort to general bafoonery even in the middle of fights. I would love to get involved with a bards guild but I have to insist it recognizes all the aspects of bards not just the musical ones

As a Bard's guild, I can imagine that everything involved under the performing arts would be included, meaning everything from singing to performance arts.

Oh yeah! I think I'd like to learn how to juggle and do bafoonery.

Love the idea!

I am a magician (close up) and a musician (bass, drum).

I'm a skilled liar (story teller) and have an obnoxiously loud voice when I strive to use it. Worst comes to worst, I'll be a pitch man.

its easy when you drop one of them just pretend you did it on purpose.