College of Whispers

The College of Whispers was a bardic college whose members mastered the disciplines of subterfuge and espionage. These bards spent their days uncovering closely-held secrets and manipulating others, often for profound personal gain.

Activities
Members of the College of Whispers rarely if ever revealed their true identities, often claiming membership to other bardic colleges. Their anonymity was considered one of their most effective weapons, one that allowed closer access to centers of political intrigue and power. They applied their skills judiciously, understanding that subtlety and restraint helped foster a sense of trust within the the minds of their tragers.

Culture
The College of Whispers did not typically attract those with a strong sense of morality. Fortunately, that was not at all a concern for its members.

Abilities
Novices to the College of Whispers learned to strike at their foes' psyche whenever they landed struck with their weapons. Similarly, their mere words could cut into a person's mind and instill deep feelings of dread within.

As they garnered more experience infiltrating places of power, College of Whispers bards learned how to adopt the personas of the dead. After witnessing someone's death, these bards could magically adopt the dead person's shadow as a disguise. They took on the appearance and mannerisms of the deceased, and even acquired some trivial knowledge about their life and personality.

The most experienced College of Whispers bards could utter seemingly mundane phrases that granted control over the minds of others. The target that heard these words became wholly convinced the bard was aware of their deepest, darkest secret. They felt compelled to treat the bard like a dear old friend and would even obey their commands.

Relationships
Members of the College of Whispers were often detested by bards of other colleges, who viewed them as opportunistic leeches that preyed upon unwitting innocents.