School of Mines

First School of Isekai

Hallowed halls of ornate stone echo with the sound of quills on parchment, the constant scratching interrupting the otherwise silent cavern-like hall. The sound of writing continues through the hall until the sun begins to sink below the horizon, lighting the stone walls like a forge, glowing embers cast onto the floor. Scratching is replaced with shuffling, chairs pushed across the marble of the floor. One test of the journey to becoming a Master Dwarf is complete, but many more await those that have entered the School of Mines.
Crommel gifted his children, the Dwarves, his love of the forge. The hardy, stubborn Dwarves took that love and dug under the mountains, making their homes beneath the Great Furnaces. With their mining came masters of the craft, those that were to go on and teach the next generation of Miners and craftsmen. Long before the Elves or even the Humans opened their magic academies, the Dwarves opened the School of Mines.
This school opened with the goal of teaching the new age of craftsmen the various trades that were necessary in the Dwarven Kingdom. Here, one could be certified as a Master Dwarf, a high honor only awarded to those that had proven their abilities in their craft. The Dwarves believed in education for all of their people, making them forward thinkers in the field of education far beyond the others of the Elder Races.

Structure

The School of Mines is a large trade academy that is housed in the capital of the Dwarven Kingdom, Sapphire City. Once a school dedicated strictly to mining, the school offers programs in various trades that allow the individual to become certified as a Master Dwarf in one or more trades. A Dwarf must pass a series of certification exams, including oral, written, and practical exams, but they can be awarded the title of Master Dwarf by the school's Council.
No student that is considered a Dwarf will be turned away, including those of other races that have gained the title of Dwarf. The leaders of the Dwarven Kingdom have always seen this type of education as a blessing from Crommel, something that no Dwarf should ever have to live without. Only by the decree of the King can someone be removed from the school, but the Council must first present well-thought reasonings behind someone's removal.

The Council

The Council of the School of Mines can only be appointed by the Dwarven King, currently Maximus Thunderbeard III. This Council serves as the governing board for the school, making decisions about program offerings, certification exams, and anything else about the school and its students. The Council can only propose to remove a student, but their decision can be easily overturned.

The Instructors

To become an instructor at the School of Mines, it is required that one is considered a Master Dwarf in the trade that they wish to teach as well as have nearly one century of experience in that trade. Age is not a factor in selecting instructors, but oftentimes, instructors are elders in the kingdom that may not be able to handle the back-breaking labor of many of the trades.

Programs

The total number of programs offered by the School of Mines is unknown as the school's offerings tend to expand rather quickly. Originally, the school was strictly dedicated to mining, a specialty of the Dwarves, but soon became something that taught any trade that would benefit the Dwarven Kingdom. It is said that some classes are made specifically so that a Master Dwarf can travel to other kingdoms and empires and teach the trade if the ruler of that area allows it.

Master Dwarf Certification

One of the main goals of the school is to certify people as Master Dwarves. This is a time-consuming process and not one to be taken lightly. In the earliest days of the school, the certification only required a simple practical exam, but in the years since the Eldritch War, this has changed drastically.
Those that wish to become a Master Dwarf must work harder than ever, often completing a variety of oral, written, and practical exams over the course of many years. Under the reign of King Maximus Thunderbeard III, the Master Dwarf certification has become far more important, and something that is limited to only Dwarves, unlike some of the classes that the school offers.

Classes

What classes one might take on their journey to become a Master Dwarf is dependent upon what trade one wants to be certified in. Even the simplest of trades may require dozens of classes as well as nearly a decade to gain the certification.
Classes are offered for all levels of experience, including classes for children that are offered alongside tutoring for reading and writing or regular schooling. Because of the necessity to offer classes for all Dwarves, it is also not uncommon to see a variety of small outreach schools appear throughout the Great Furnaces if enough interest is expressed about a specific trade.

Example Programs

Mining

Mining is by far the most offered program, covering the history of mining from the beginning of Dwarven history through the current day as well as the mining techniques that have been perfected by generations of master Miners.

Smithing

Smithing encompasses a wide range of topics, including weapon-making, armor-making, and the creation of anything out of metal. This program includes an in-depth education of the various metals in the world as well as how to properly work them.

Metallurgy

Only the Dwarves are proficient in making alloys from the special metals of the world. This program focuses on the creation of alloys and the science, and sometimes alchemy, that goes into creating strong and useful alloys.

Practical Experience

The School of Mines believes heavily in the thought that practical experience is far more helpful than just learning from a book, but all learning is important. Much of the practical experience one can gain through the school involves various trips to sites that are run by the Dwarven Preservation Corps. The historical society of the Dwarven Kingdom specializes in preserving historical mines, but they have a variety of sites, historical and modern, that can be used for teaching. This allows students to experience their trade first-hand, often in the environments that their ancestors worked in.

History

Long before the others of the Elder Races invested in organized education, the Dwarves created the first of its kind in the School of Mines. This school predates other academies by hundreds of years, making the Dwarves the first to believe that universal education for their people was an important part of a solid society.
For thousands of years, the school focused primarily on mining, creating the Master Dwarf certification, and naming those that had learned the intricacies of the trade the title of master. As mining expanded under the Great Furnaces, smithing and Metallurgy were added as prominent programs of the school, allowing students to branch out and learn the science and alchemy behind mixing alloys or the craftsmanship to make fine weapons and armor.
This school was once strictly for Dwarves, but King Maximus Thunderbeard III allowed others in, ones that he had given the title of Dwarf, even though they were of another race. This allowance would eventually lead to the expansion of programs that traveled throughout Vóreios, teaching the various races different trades that the Dwarves had perfected over the millennia.
In more recent years, the programs of the School of Mines have expanded far beyond those of just mining, smithing, and Metallurgy. Other trades, such as carpentry, brewing, gem shaping, and others, have become an important part of diversifying the school's offerings and creating a program for every Dwarf. As programs have expanded, so too have the age groups that are represented in the student body, as children and elders have come to learn and teach at the School of Mines.

By the Hammer, Through the Forge

Founding Date

190,500 IM

Type

Educational, School/Academy

Leader

Grynir Ashmantle

Leader Title

Master Dwarf

Parent Organization

Dwarven Kingdom

Location

Sapphire City

Related Ranks & Titles

• Master Dwarf

Related Ethnicities

• Dwarven Culture

Headmaster

Grynir Ashmantle by Portrait via Portrait Workshop, created by RiverFang

Grynir Ashmantle serves as the current Headmaster of the School of Mines. While he has only been in the position for less than a decade, he was chosen by King Maximus Thunderbeard III due to being a Master Dwarf in six different trades, including mining, gem shaping, carpentry, Metallurgy, smithing, and brewing.

Dwarvern Preservation Corps

DPC Emblem by Crest via Emblem Creator, created by RiverFang

During the years after the Eldritch War, the Dwarven Preservation Corps has become an important part of the Master Dwarf certification process. The Corps offers a variety of educational programming that includes visits to preserved historical mines and other trade sites that offers those at the School of Mines hands-on experience in a safe and educational environment.