The College of Lorehold
Demographics
Studies and Philosophy. Lorehold college is devoted to the study of history, broadly understood to include the various aspects of culture, behaviour, and social relationships that shape historical events. Its studies include various subdivisions of history (nilitary history, social history, cultural history), archaeology, anthropology, psychology, sociology, religion and economics. It overlaps with Prismari College in the field of art history, with some students splitting their studies between the two colleges. Lorehold mages use their magic to unearth ad share illunination.
Order and Chaos. Lorehold's two deans carry the titles Dean of Order and Dean of Chaos, as order versus chaos encapsulates the fundamental conflict at the heart of Lorehold philosophy. This conflict revolves around the forces that underlie and drive history. Is the course of time driving toward a well-ordered deal state or slowly devolving into chaos? Are deep patterns hidden in historical texts, or is time a series of coincidence and happenstance?
The perspective of order emphasises the structures that pull people together - law, religion, economics, education, social class, and so on - and how those structures drive historical events. Order focuses on systemic changes and the actions of people collectively.
The perspective of chaos, by contrast, emphasises individual actions, personal bonds of families and friends, and the disruptive force of lone, passionate people in history. Scholars of chaos gravitate towards reckless discovery and the spirit of adventure in their research of the past - the essence and emotion of history over precision or procedure.
History
Lorehold is the College of Archaeomancy - a term that describes the exploration of ancient things through magic. Its mages explore the past by poring over archaeological sites, calling forth magical energy from old tomes, and summoning the spirits of long-dead historical figures. Lorehold mages travel far and wide across Concordia and beyond, gathering relics of bygone ages and learning dead languages to unpack the secrets of history.
Points of interest
The Lorehold campus is situated north-west of the central campus in a demiplane of stark, vertical relief. Rugged mesas and steep hills rise from a wild plain and a great chasm holds the majority of campus structures. Several star arches encircle rocky peaks and outcroppings, testifying to the powerful magical energy in the vicinity.
Pillardrop. Part natural chasm, part archeological excavation, and part new construction, Pillardrop is a series of buildings excavated out of the cliffs on the Lorehold campus. Ruins and upgraded halls together are now used for research, classwork and housing. Precarious bridges link on neighbourhood of Pillardrop to another, often directly passing the enormous stone faces of old statues. Every Lorehold class has a story of some careless student making a misstep on one of these bridges or in some particularly crumbling section of the ruins, sometimes with disastrous consequences - and sometimes finding deliverance when a spirit statue appears from nowhere to catch the hapless student before they suffer serious harm.
Effigy Row. The heart of Lorehold campus surrounds a soaring bridge that crosses the chasm of Pillardrop. The bridge and surrounding pathways are lined with monuments depicting historic figures, including past professors and prominent mage-students, as well as war heroes and heads of state from the past.
Kollema Hall. Kollema Hall is a grand, multitiered gallery built into a large outcrop at the end of Effigy Row. Here, Lorehold mages gather for large lectures. At the center of the hall towers a magnificent statue of, a wise monastic who was one of the first Lorehold professors.
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