Utrumm's Music Conservatory was a school of music in Silverymoon,[1][2][3][4][5] with a superb reputation in the North.[2] It was a member institution of the Conclave of Silverymoon.[4]
Location[]
The original site of this conservatory was in the Northbank of Silverymoon, near Hunter's Gate.[6][7][8][9] Around 1372 DR, it was moved to a new location in Southbank,[4] overlooking the river,[10] to be a part of the campus of the Conclave.[4]
Some later scholars placed Utrumm's original location at the site of the famous bard's college of Fochlucan before its move to Southbank,[11] but this was probably based on a cartographer's error.[note 1]
Structure[]
The building was large, though rather plain looking.[4]
Interior[]
Utrumm's Conservatory contained over 40 magically sound-shielded practice rooms, so that musicians and singers could practice without disturbing others. Every such practice chamber had observation balconies so that the Masters of Music or students could listen in if desired.[4]
On the ground floor, there were two Halls of Hearing, which were auditoriums for recitals. In addition, the building held a vast archive of written music and "song scrolls".[4]
Services[]
For one silver piece, anyone (student or otherwise) could rent one of the practice chambers for two hours at a time. Part of the agreement, however, was that students and faculty could listen in from the balconies. One could also purchase music lessons, but these had very stiff fees.[4]
A musician could use one of the recital halls for free performances, but they were forbidden to charge an admission fee for such events.[4]
History[]
The founder, Utrumm, had died by 1372 DR, but the faculty maintained the good reputation of the school.[4]
Sometime before 1372 DR, the conservatory owned the original piece of magical sheet music for the Song of Breaking, penned by a love-stricken young composer from Silverymoon. It was believed that anyone who heard the composition suffered the same grim fate as the composer himself. Eventually, the music left the Conservatory and ended up in a private collection in Daggerford.[12]
In 1374 DR, Nahaunglaroth and Roraurim, leaders of the Blood of Morueme, sent a half-blue dragon hobgoblin bardess named Lothouryte to Silverymoon as an ambassador to the Silver Marches. Lothouryte wanted to join the faculty at the Conservatory to teach courses on dragonsong.[13]
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.
Appearances[]
- Video Games
- Referenced only
- Neverwinter Nights: Darkness over Daggerford
References[]
- ↑ Jennell Jaquays (1988). The Savage Frontier. (TSR, Inc), p. 32. ISBN 0-88038-593-6.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ed Greenwood (1993). Volo's Guide to the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 174. ISBN 1-5607-6678-6.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 63. 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.
- ↑ Map of the Trackless Sea, Beorunna's Well, Silverymoon, and Icewind Dale included in Jennell Jaquays (1988). The Savage Frontier. (TSR, Inc). ISBN 0-88038-593-6.
- ↑ Karen Wynn Fonstad (August 1990). The Forgotten Realms Atlas. (TSR, Inc), p. 81. ISBN 978-0880388573.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (1993). Volo's Guide to the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 171. ISBN 1-5607-6678-6.
- ↑ Map of Interior, Silverymoon, Longsaddle, and Yartar included in slade, et al. (April 1996). The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier. Edited by James Butler. (TSR, Inc.). ISBN 0-7869-0391-0.
- ↑ Map included in Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Ossian Studios (June 2018). Neverwinter Nights: Darkness over Daggerford. Beamdog.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd, Eytan Bernstein (August 2006). Dragons of Faerûn. Edited by Beth Griese, Cindi Rice, Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 90. ISBN 0-7869-3923-0.