The Collegium
A single ancient house of learning has grown across the intervening centuries since its foundation in the Age of Kings to occupy much of the mountainous island on which it lies. The Collegium is the preeminent university in the entire Empire. Since its establishment in 1227 AK by Clutchmother Sathraezo Udravia, The Collegium has dedicated itself to the growth and preservation of knowledge regardless of origin. When the Udravia Clutch fell in 1650 AK, the Collegium found itself in a precarious position--hemmed in on all sides by water, with very little in the way of self-sufficiency, the institution of learning clung to relevance for nearly 100 years before being largely abandoned in 1729. Tentative recovery efforts made by the Oukonyth Clutch (the most successful of the feuding factions which survived the fall of its parent-kingdom) in the late 1800s were disrupted by the wars of conquest waged by Konaphar Chathya and her children, and The Collegium remained mostly empty until 176 IA, when Alifalon Chathya sent a contingent of priests of Meean to recover some of the artifacts and tomes still housed on the island.
The expedition found a great wealth of information, magically sealed to protect it from the ravages of time and weather. Much of it could not be accessed immediately, as the understanding of how to safely release the seals had been lost. So it was that the expedition--initially intended to be a probe lasting just under a month--became a permanent station for some of those priests. The Collegium was reconsecrated in 237 IA by Ghimyean Sokanon Chathya, and opened to new applicants in 250.
Its close connection to the Imperial Capital at New Solaria has allowed it to flourish over the following centuries. When a settlement forms a close relationship with another, we often call them "sister cities." This appellation was never more accurate than in the case of New Solaria and The Collegium. The two cities have occasionally quarreled, but when push came to shove, they supported each other. The Collegium, with its enormous reserves of knowledge and magic, as well as its complex network of contacts with learned people across the globe, lent great authority to the fledgling Empire. In turn, New Solaria used its military and agricultural resources to support the Collegium and to protect it from incursions by various hostile entities.
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