The Guild of Blade and Bells, or more simply known as The Bells are a secret fencing and dueslist's society founded around two hundred years ago by House Salceck in Waterdeep. Created to help distinguish masters of fencing, as well as organize a method on recognizing new masters, the Bells has spread to numerous cities in the sword coast and the North, primarily Luskan, Neverwinter, and Baldur's gate. The Bells maintains a headquarters in Waterdeep, underneath a tavern called the Fencer's Foil in the Castle Ward on the Street of Bells. The other known location of the Bells is House Salceck's modest manor in Waterdeep.
The Bells organize themselves by assigning bells of differing metal to its members, each indicating a different level of mastery of fencing. Tin bells are granted to apprentices taken on by masters of the organization.
Silver Bells are granted to those who have proven themselves as master fencers, the equivalent of a blademaster or archmage in other societies. To earn a Silver Bell, the Bells organize a tournament overseen by seven Silver-Belled members of the society. Participants who have proven themselves and earned the approval of all seven masters have earned themselves their bell. The only other method of earning a silver bell is by challenging another Silver Bell master and defeating or killing them.
The last known bell is the Gold Bell, granted only to those that have achieved a deed of worldly renown through the prowess of their fencing. There are only a handful of Gold Bells in Toril, less than two dozen. The one known Gold Bell is Jovak Salceck of Waterdeep.
Lastly there is a rumor of an Iron Bell, a single one, though it is not known who holds it, or what deed or achievement warranted the granting of an Iron Bell.
