The Lachrymatory Conclave

The Conclave is a spiritual gathering that remains deep within the Seanachaisian mainland of some of the most talented artists and musicians of all time, led by the enigmatic Líadan Zavala. From within their preserved conservatory in that sunless, blighted realm, they weep for the lost ability they once knew to create and inspire the hearts and minds of the world with their awe inspiring abilities. Under the guidance and direction of the former headmistress, the spirits there watch and wait for artists of substantial talent to come about, exemplifying the same skill they once had so they might send out through trembling whispers, an offer of great power so that they might create and flow through the artist they have chosen, and once again experience the reverie of creation and expression of talent. This pact is as finite as the artist they have chosen however, and once that life has ended, the pact will be called in, drawing the artist;s spirit back to Dóchas Caillte to join the spirits there in their eternal night, so that they may join their melancholic seranade of whispers, seeking out the next talented creator.

Structure

While the Headmistress, Líadan Zavala still maintains control within the Conclave, the entire conglomerate of spirits functions as a whole. Within the walls of the old conservatory, were an individual able to survive long enough to see it, they may not see a single spirit roaming the silent halls and corridors, but this is a deceptive matter. Just out of sight, the ghosts of the conclave remain in a state of constant creative reverie, going through the motions of painting, sculpting, weaving, carving, and the like, but sadly, due to their nature they remain unable to physically affect the world around them, leading to a constant weeping and wailing of the spirits there, tormented by their inability to pursue their passions and cursed with an eternal limbo of existence where they remain painfully aware of their limitations.

Culture

For the most part, the spirits that remain keep the cultural ways they had in life leading to a myriad of styles and mannerisms of the shades that keep the Conclave as their home.

History

Once considered the most sought after educational facility for art and music in all the world, the conservatory known as Dóchas Caillte was one of the pinnacles of artistic achievement with nearly all of its students going on to make vast cultural and creative impact upon the communities they shared their gifts with. Only the most talented and prodigious were allowed through its gates, and what went on within remained a mystery, as the Seanachaisian faculty kept their methods and processes secret. The line of graduates stretched on for several generations, offering tutelage and guidance where it could to those the headmistress, Líadan Zavala found worthy. This prestigious list of alumni included Seanachaisian royalty, Elven artisans, human troubadours, and even a few dwarven craftsmen, Líadan having little time for prejudice when it came to the fulfillment of an individual's true potential, and in every case those that trained at the conservatory and reentered the world, did so a changed individual for the better, resuming their lives with vigor and a creative spark that drove them to create many wonders and marvels. The Conservatory, having been located on the Seanachaisian mainland, was believed to have been destroyed utterly at the moment of impact, and all those within lost. This is only partly true. The structure itself endured, thanks largely in part to the quick action of Líadan and the other instructors using their considerable abilities in a vain attempt to save their students and themselves from the incoming doom. None of them, unfortunately, had any way of knowing how terrible that night would be. While they were able to save the building, the impact of the Void and the ensuing tidal wave of raw, negative power that it brought consumed all of them mere moments later. Due to the power they had exerted and the strange nature of the Void itself, the mingling of those energies preserved the spirits of the denizens of the Conservatory in a unique way that allowed them to persist not only in a spectral sense, but something more, something powerful and unique. From their ruined conservatory, nestled deep within the swirling darkness of the Void that now covers the Island of Seanachai, they continue to seek out those they deem worthy of their gift, offering their pact with melancholic whispers across great distances and in return, another student to join the Conservatory and further empower the conclave of Spirits at its core.