Lady's College
The Lady's College of Daemarrel is considered to be the most prestigious college of magical learning outside of the Dragonborn MakiaViri Chaswhi of Rosebeach, and a place of learning for aspiring Bards interested in advancing their magical abilities. The College only enrolls women, while male students of magic are directed to enroll in the smaller school known as Arkhen's Invocatorium also located within Daemarrel, though the Invocatorium doesn't teach to Bards. All students are required to recognize and pay respects to the deity known as Mystra, however enrollment in the Church of Mystra is not required. Most Bards find themselves joining the Children of the Starry Quill after graduating from the College, while non-Bards typically strike out on their own to advance their magical ambitions without any organization affiliation.
History
Three individuals - High Mage Amaara Nharimlur and her sister Lynnàsha, along with Elué Dualen (later discovered to be Alustriel Emberhelm in disguise) - together decided that a place of Magical Learning for Young Women was needed, and the creation of such a place would pay respects to their Lady of Mysteries, Mystra. They saw their dream come true as the College was completed in 1713 and they began instructing Mages and Bards in service to Mystra. Throughout the years, many prominent figures in history have graduated from the Lady's College, and current graduates are often given positions of power in governments and organizations.
The Lady's College also played a prominent role in defending Daemarrel against the coup of Shaloss Ethenfrost during the siege of the Black Horde Orcs in 2128. The students fought alongside the Armsmen of Daemarrel under the direction of Elué and her sister Storm Emberhelm during the battle of Warren Hill.
College Life
The Lady's College has room for roughly 70 students, 8 Sages who each instruct a single field of magical study (such as evocation or conjuration), and the High Mage which manages the college and is responsible for the education and safety of the students. Classes are small, with an average of 1 instructor per 8-9 students. Students typically spend four years at the college, though some students can take less or more time depending on their talent, and additionally are required to live on the premises. Minimum age to enroll in the college is 12 years old (for any race), however this has been waived on a few occasions, and all races are able to enroll so long as they abide by the rules and can coexist with their peers.
Rules
The Lady's College has implemented certain rules and procedures that have been developed over the centuries that the school has been in existence. These rules are designed to help protect students from harm either from themselves or others, as well as guiding students with a code of ethics and protocol. Professional courtesy, respect, and pursuit of knowledge is highly encouraged, and those that disobey are reprimanded for minor offenses, or expelled for more serious incidents. While there are a number of rules outlined by the High Mage, there are three that have been in place since the founding of the college.
The most important rule students must obey is to heed any instruction given by a Sage or the High Mage without hesitation or question. Mere seconds can be all that lies between a student practicing new magic and pure destruction - not listening or obeying at a precise moment can be dangerous for a student, and sometimes fatal for the student and those around. Secondly, no harmful magics may be practiced in the dormitories, and only practiced in the presence of a Sage or the High Mage. And lastly, the privacy of other students, the Sages, and of the High Mage, along with the sanctity of Artifacts, Books, Scrolls, and religious items are to be respected at all times without question. To do otherwise could mean expulsion from the College.
College Oddities
College Servants
While the college is seen as a remarkable and prestigious landmark of Daemarrel, residents of the town consider the school itself to be odd -- even unnerving at times. The College instructs from all schools of magic, and while the School of Necromancy is outlawed in most Kingdoms, the College has been granted a waiver while it does so under the guidance and instruction of those devoted to Mystra. This, however, doesn't necessarily sit well with residents of the town. For example, some individuals donate their bodies to the college when they pass, and these donated corpses are used for Necromantic experimentation by the students, or used as College servants. These Undead Servants are typically dressed in festive clothing, and given masquerade-style masks to wear so as to not upset the delicate sensibilities of visitors or new applicants. The Servants are adorned with name tags that denote who they were in their previous life, and also indicates the manner in which they came into possession by the College. Students often find themselves picking a favorite servant, which they will adorn in their own special way using ribbons, brooches, scarves, jewelry, etc. The pockets of these Undead Servants are typically lined with notes of respect and thanks given by graduating students who once favored the particular servant, and who have since moved away. It is also not unusual to see a servant or two accompanying a group of students on a shopping errand within town. These forays have on occasion led to awkward -- and sometimes upsetting -- encounters with the locals. One such occurrence happened when the mask of a servant fell off during a shopping trip, and the servant was a deceased relative of the shop-owner. The College was happy to pay to relocate the distraught shopkeeper to a different town at their request.
Type
College / Academy
Parent Location
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
High Mage
The High Mage of the Lady's College is selected by the previous Head Mage, must be a graduate from the College themselves, and a devoted worshiper of Mystra. The Head Mage is someone who has responsibilities that involve the students and faculty at the Lady's College in particular. These include academic, financial, public relations, and duties that relate to student life. The current High Mage of the Lady's College is High Mage Fay Mytersaal.
The Menagerie
In addition to the collection of Undead Servants, the College also has a number of mystical creatures in a fantastic menagerie it maintains beneath the College's foundation. The College is known to be in the possession of an Aurumvorax cub, a Bag of Devouring, a Flail Snail, a Duckbunny, a Flumph, and more. While most creatures within the menagerie are quite harmless, they have been known to escape and cause havoc due to the magical abilities some possess. Once such example involved the Aurumvorax cub escaping, only to be found within the Earl's Keep feeding on his family's Treasury. The College was more than happy to reimburse the Earl for the lost income, and since then the cub has been under strict security.
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