The University Precinct
As the home of prestigious universities, ancient libraries, and hidden laboratories, Precinct Five is the hub of
information and learning in the Tenth District. People
of all ages flock to this precinct to spend time learning,
whether by poring over texts and scrolls or finding a
mentor who will guide a student. It's also the place to
find information brokers, who sell specialized or secret
knowledge available nowhere else. Multilevel buildings
set next to each other with little regard for planning
give way to an occasional square or open campus where
socially minded residents congregate during daytime
hours. At night, many continue their studies while others
tinker with their latest creations or intellectual endeavors.
Taverns and pubs tend to be more urbane than
in other parts of the district and often feature poetry
readings, storytelling, and musical performances.
People who live in Precinct Five have a zeal for learning
and tend to be inquisitive. Getting into a heated
debate or touting a recent success to your neighbors is
part of showing your worth. Good neighbors keep their
projects and research hidden until a result can be displayed;
it is considered uncouth to allow others to view a
work in progress.
Affiliated Guilds
Zonot Seven, home of
The Simic Combine's guildhall,
is locate d on the western edge of the precinct.
The Izzet League maintains a network of laboratories
and workshops close to
Nivix Guildhall (in
Precinct Four).
The House Dimir agents are seen and unseen all around
the district, and they secretly run the
Ismeri Library.
Some members of the Azorius Senate who prefer to
study disciplines aside from the law make their homes
here as well.
Neighborhood & Landmarks
Zonot Seven: The Simic Combine's watery habitat is made up of huge sinkholes filled with the overflow from a subterranean ocean. Zonot Seven is the only zonot within Ravnica City proper, and it contains Zameck, the Simic guildhall. ln contrast to the rest of the precinct, the zonot is a bustling place, with activity at all hours. A huge chamber just below the street surface serves as a gathering place for all the Simic speakers, as well as a place where visitors can meet with Prime Speaker Zegana or other Simic emissaries. A Simic researcher might invite a land-dwelling colleague to visit the habitat, but such an occurrence isn't common. Canals lead from here farther into the precinct and to
Precinct Six.
The Blistercoils: A series of gigantic waterwheels, built and operated by
The Izzet League, turns just outside
Zonot Seven in the north end of the precinct. The system generates magical energy to power public works, Simic laboratories, and, of course, lzzet workshops. Few outside the lzzet realize that the amount of energy generated in the Blistercoils far exceeds what is actually used. with the excess stored in underground batteries that could explode if they became overloaded. Blistercoils is also the name of the neighborhood near the waterwheels, which largely consists of workshops and private laboratories.
Hightower: The western end of the precinct is packed with educational institutions of all sorts, from grand universities that cover a broad span of disciplines to specialized schools that instruct students in subjects ranging from theoretical metaphysics to fine arts. The neighborhood takes its name from the fact that most of these schools boast at least one tall spire among their structures. Students and staff live both on and off the various campuses, and several cozy pubs and small lecture halls are
busy from afternoons through late in the night.
Prism University: A crystal-paned center of learning that concentrates on magical theory and application , Prism University draws potential wizards and other would-be mages who want to learn about all forms of magic, in contrast to the specialized
and practical applications of magic espoused by the guilds. Even though the school maintains a formal state of neutrality, it's an open secret that many guilds have infiltrated the university and planted agents to woo prospective members. Partly as a result of this influence, many graduates of the university do go on to join a guild , finding a way to apply their broad experience to support the narrower focus of the guild.
Ismeri Library: One of the greatest libraries on all Ravnica, the Ismeri Library is open to all citizens at all hours. Hundreds of thousands of books covering every conceivable subject are found here. The place is also one of the centers of Dimir communication. Secret messages are hidden within its books by a variety of methods both magical and mundane. Dimir agents might have to gather message fragments hidden within several different
documents, for example, to find their next assignments or targets . Intricate codes and magical wards protect other secrets.
Goods & Services
Specialty items that are commonly used by scribes,
researchers, and inventors can be found in many small
shops in the precinct, usually run by a tinker or academic. Precinct Five also has the best apothecaries, alchemists, and magic-mongers in the Tenth District. On
the other hand, mundane adventuring gear, weapons,
and armor are harder to find. Information is an especially valuable commodity in Precinct Five. In addition to holding booksellers, the precinct is home to a variety of people who make a living (or at least a sizable side income) selling information, including private investigators, rumormongers, and spies. Meals and lodging of modest to wealthy quality are available here. Older and more experienced people high-
ranking Simic researchers or established scholars-
tend to maintain lifestyles toward the more expensive
end of that scale.
The poor are pitied and the most affluent are envied in this Precinct.
Law & Crime
Much of the crime in Precinct Five is of a sort that is hard to detect: blackmail. espionage, identity theft (of the literal kind, perpetrated by shapechangers), and the like . Most of the precinct's residents spend their time absorbed in study, unaware that such activities might be happening under their noses. Only rarely does violence break out, and Azorius arresters try hard to keep the incident quiet and maintain public calm.
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