The College of Fochlucan (pronounced: /ˈfoʊxluːkɑːn/ FOKH-loo-kan[2] 
listen)—also spelled Foclucan,[3][4] Focluchan,[5] and Fochluchan[6]—was a traditional bardic college in Silverymoon.[1]
Organization
The reestablished college sought to restore the ancient Fochlucan bardic traditions. Most of the bards attending it studied the College of Lore and practiced its methods.[1]
Base of Operations
The main site of the college lay on the northeastern edge of Silverymoon.[1][note 1]
Relationships
The college was allied with the Harpers, but its master bards were always careful to keep their own mission separate from them.[1]
History
The College of Fochlucan was one of the seven elder bardic colleges, dating back to the legendary bard Falataer, who established it as the first level of his bardic college.[7] The Fochlucan bandore, one of the Instruments of the Bards, was named after this college.[8] It had been created by Falataer to test and reward his students who achieved mastery of the Fochlucan level of skill.[7]
Following this tradition, bards studying to obtain the rank of master bard attended all seven colleges, and Fochlucan was traditionally the first.[1]
After the original college had closed its doors, it was later reopened as Utrumm's Music Conservatory, which was subsequently moved to Southbank. The unoccupied site was then reopened as the House of the Harp by master bard Forell Luekuan, who already envisioned reviving the original college's traditions and teachings.[1] It soon became a member institution of the Conclave of Silverymoon.[5]
After many years, with the support of the city of Silverymoon and the Harpers, the House of the Harp had recruited enough members with sufficient amassed knowledge to revive the original college and adopt the Fochlucan name again.[1]
Appendix
Notes
- ↑ There is an inconsistency in the lore regarding the locations of the College of Fochlucan.
The location is first provided on p. 51 of "Cities & Civilizations" from The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier boxed set. There, the original location is "directly south of the Lady's College," in Southbank. In the same paragraph, the text notes that the building remained abandoned "for over a century" since it had been damaged during an orc horde in 1235 DR and later by a fire. In 1369 or 1370 DR, Lady Alustriel, encouraged by Myrthos Shyllantham, requested that the building be renovated to become part of the new Conclave of Silverymoon.
In the 3rd-edition Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, it is confirmed on p. 173 that the bard college has indeed reopened by 1372 DR. Next, Silver Marches clarifies that while the bard college (here misspelled "Focluchan") has reopened, it is not currently using its traditional name, instead being called the House of the Harp. While the text confirms on p. 62 that this House of the Harp is located in the same building that "stood empty for over a century," the map included with the sourcebook strangely places the House of the Harp far to the north in Northbank east of Hunter's Gate!
While maps are usually not considered as canonical as the text of sourcebooks, p. 123 of the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide seems to have followed the map from Silver Marches and not the text, placing the original building "on the northeastern edge of Silverymoon". However, it then goes on to claim that Utrumm's Music Conservatory (here misspelled "Ultrumm") originally occupied the same building until it moved to Southbank. This statement conflicts all of the previous lore. First, the original Northbank location of Utrumm's is shown on four early maps as a few buildings southeast of where the Silver Marches map places the House of the Harp. Second, at least three earlier sources all agree that the House of the Harp was empty for over a century before it was renovated and reopened under the new name.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 123. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
- ↑ Frank Mentzer (January 1985). “Ay pronunseeAYshun gyd”. In Kim Mohan ed. Dragon #93 (TSR, Inc.), p. 26.
- ↑ Template:Cite book/The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier/Cities and Civilization
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 173. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 62. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 147. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Sean K. Reynolds, Duane Maxwell, Angel McCoy (August 2001). Magic of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 160–161. ISBN 0-7869-1964-7.
- ↑ Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins, James Wyatt (2014). Dungeon Master's Guide 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 176. ISBN 978-0786965622.