The Spire
The Spire is the name given to a number of locations across The Continent of Greland, and the organisation which collectvely runs them all. The Spire is inextricably linked to the ruling classes of all the nations of Greland, for better or worse.
Education
The Spire is the best source of education available in Greland. For many, it is the only option available for education. Outside of The Spire, the vast majority of the population is illiterate. The ruling classes are generally an exception to this, especially when they have access to a resident Spire Advisor, who is often tasked with educating children - not just in literacy, but in whatever other skills might be needed to inherit their role as ruler. While it is technically possible for anyone to seek out a Spire education, since entrance to The Spire requires that the candidate be deemed suitable by a member before they arrive, most students arrive at The Spire either as Foundlings or as part of The Arrangement.The Arrangement
The service of a Spire Advisor is a prestigious boon, but it does not come without a cost. While any individual or organisation may technically gain the service of a Spire Advisor, in order to do so they must fulfill the terms of The Arrangement, that is to say they must provide a suitable candidate to be sent to The Spire as a form of payment for their Spire Advisor. The candidate must be approved by a representative from The Spire as showing a suitable level of intellect, and should be between the ages of Eight and Fifteen. The chosen candidate will be taken to The Spire by the same guards who escort the new Spire Advisor, and will usually be taken a Spire as far from their old life as possible. They will then train for many years - no less than a decade, but often as much as two or three, depending on how quickly they learn and what additional fields they choose to learn - and even upon the completion of their training, will be stationed far from their old lives.Foundlings
The other source of students for The Spire is Foundlings. These are young children, usually babies, who are given over to the care of The Spire. Some will be given to Spire Advisors, others left on the doorsteps of The Spires themselves. Foundlings are guaranteed a place within The Spire and some amount of education, though it is recognised that not all Foundlings will be suitable for a future as an Advisor, so many end up instead as servants or librarians in The Spires. Foundlings can be recognised by the angular Spire Script tattoos they bear, usually on the right side of their faces.Spire Advisors
Spire Advisors are a prominent feature of many courts across Greland, be they the Dukes, Duchesses, Lords and Ladies of The Kingdom of Somercrag, the Noble Families of The Kingdom of Rotheval, or even the independent cities of The Lamas Plains. They are also, more rarely, seen advising people in less prestigious positions, business owners, ship captains and so on. Spire Advisors' primary role in these placements is, as their title suggests, to advise the rulers they are attached to. They have an extensive knowledge of history, geography, the laws of the land, and even the politics of other courts. They also have access to the extensive libraries of The Spires, and the network of other Advisors across the continent, ensuring that whatever information is needed is likely to be available somewhere. A Spire Advisor's appointment is for life, and is generally to a location rather than a house, family or individual.The Raven Network
The Spire has a great number of ravens trained to carry messages. Each Spire Advisor has a number of ravens trained to return to either nearby locations or to the local Spire, and each Spire has ravens trained to return to each of the nearby Spire Advisors, so messages can be carried very quickly across this network to any location that has a Spire Advisor placed there. This is the primary method of communication throughout The Continent of Greland.Investigators
On rare occasions, The Spire has been known to dispatch small teams of investigators to look into new phenomena in Greland, most recently seen investigating the Black Cities found in The Foxworth Duchy and the strange events that occured at Riverfoot. These investigators are often very secretive, preferring to explore things away from the attentions of others. If pressed, they will explain that this is to eliminate the influence of outside variables on their observations, but outsiders rarely understand this.The Spires
There are a number of Spires across The Continent of Greland. They are all identical in construction - a single tall, narrow round tower with no visible features other than a single large doorway at the bottom, with five tiers of wide stone steps ascending to it. The towers are immeasurably tall, and all of them are crowned with an everpresent stormcloud lit from within by flashes of lightning in an ever shifting spectrum of colour.
Type
Educational, Society
Demonym
Spirefolk
Notable Members
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