Academic Institute of the Stepenlands

Fskȍsì ˈZrīkstō Kstō (FZK)

Don't let its dry title fool you, the lessons taught inside the grand, ancient halls of the Academic Institute of the Stepenlands in Western Brassia are the furthest thing from boring. Nicknamed the 'Fixers' School,' due to its percieved status as a training ground for the mysterious global intelligence group known as the Fixers, AIS' academic and research organisation, the latter known simply as 'the Institute,' maintains a powerful presence in international politics, while providing its students with a world-class education in everything from history and science to magic and martial arts.

History and Foundation

The Fallowin Necromancer and Duchess Lady Dedrie Stoane

According to university history and folklore, the university is said to have been founded by its patron saint, Alesine Sachestvaya in 1027 AGK; allegedy to train the people of the Witchlands to fight the army of ghouls awakened by the necromancer Lady Dedrie Stoane. Stoane used her ice-ghouls to frighten her neighbours on the Brassian pastureland that bordered her own holdings, in an attempt to gain control over more acreage. The early university, built on the foundations of what is now Yevins College, was therefore initially formed as a way to study magic in order to defeat it. Over the centuries, the curriculum has changed and developed; largely due to the patronage of its talented alumni who pay their alma mater back in any way they can, i.e through large monetary patronage or by returning to teach. Nowadays, the study of magic for magic's sake is welcomed, with Illustrial and Alchemical studies being common disciplines taken up by students. Necromancy is no longer as frowned on as it once was, but there remains still a vestige of wariness totwards it.

Structure and Organisation

The Chancellor

Lord Thuseus Mewkham

The current Chancellor of the Institute is the Fallowin Professor Thuseus Mewkham. Having taught at the institute for over twenty-five years, Mewkham was a foundational member of the University's current curriculum. Known for his kindly demeanour and frightening talent with knives, he has been thought by his contemporaries to be the greatest political and strategic talent on the continent.

Buildings and Notable Sites

Main Building

The Marsh

Nicknamed for its frequent tendency to flood, the Marsh is a large acreage of grounds that is used to play sports or host events either quadrennially, or when the weather is mild enough - whichever comes first. Fazeks are known for finding increasingly creative ways to manage the bitter cold of the Brassian Witchlands - they're certainly not going to let a little cold spoil the chance of a competition.

Colleges

Named after Saints in Brassian Orthodoxy, the Colleges at AIS are self-governing institutions that provide everything from accommodation to pastoral care and sports events for its students. There are thirteen colleges, each with different folk histories and characters.

Saint Ilyot the Clockmaker

The Reading Room at Illots

Illots College

Members of Illots College are known by the nickname 'Smudgers,' or 'Smudgies' due to their common appearance of being dishevelled or covered in Ink stains or oil. Usually students who are reading technical sciences, applied Illustry, alchemy or detonation sciences matriculate at Illots College. Known for having flighty 'sparrow-like' or explosive temperements, smudgers tend to fare well in team-sports due to their unpredictablity - if they can stay united, that is.

Dean

Professor Lidia Markevna

Colors

Red and White

Animal

Cuckoo

Saint Mib the King's Steward

The main Dining Hall at King's Steward College

King's Steward College

The oldest and most opulent of the college buildings, King's boasts a larger and more diverse cohort than other colleges. Seeking a wider net in the topics of history and the artistic sciences (including artistic Illustry), the admissions process for King's famously seeks out disadvantaged students from across the twin continents, and with the help of current students and alumni, tutors them in the skills that they might lack for the college entrance exam. It's common for King's professors to show up when a child has first shown potential of Illustrial prowess, and act as a mentor in their education until they matriculate, or pay to enroll them in pre-university education or training. King's students are as varied as they come, but they commonly seem to be fiercely passionate, open and loyal. They excel in both sport and academic events, and have topped the college leaderboard for multiple years in a row several times.

Dean

Professor Edu Na Lin

Colours

Purple & Gold

Animal

Marmoset

Saint Boros the Hammersmith

The laboratory at Hammersmith's College, known for never closing its doors or turning its lights. So long as the walls remain standing, there'll be a Hammersmith somewhere studying

Hammersmith's College

Known for their steady, dependable natures, Hammersmith's is a quiet college whose motto seems to be Work hard, then Work Harder. Notoriously the lights of Hammersmith's Laboratory stay on all night and all day, and unlike the self-catered colleges, Hammersmith's grand kitchen allows students a place to eat at strange times during the day and night, as their mealtimes tend to be. Nicknamed the Officer College, due to the tendency for its alumni to receive high ranking positions in national militaries, Hammersmith's, with its harsh initiation rituals and strict discipline is not the place to matriculate for the faint-hearted.

Dean

Commander Lelai Rux

Colours

Blue & White

Animal

Spark-Tailed Lemur

Saint Cadugan the Builder

The studio at Cadugan's College

St Cadugan's College

A popular college, that takes charge on many of the social events of the calendar, Cadugan's is one of the more beautiful college buildings, kept even more so by frequent use of Illustry - against college rules as it might be. Its lawns are kept green and verdant and its fountains unfrozen, despite the bitter chill of the Brassian Stepenlands, which never seems to reach into the warmth of St Cadugan's quite like it does the others; no-one, not even the faculty can refuse a 'Charlie', as the students at St Cadugan's are known. Often enrolling in the School of Etiquette, there is said to be a 'Charlie' in every nation's embassy due to the students' natural charm and diplomacy that is cultivated at infamous St Cadugan's parties.

Dean

Professor Evar Larssin

Colours

Green & White

Animal

Pine Bear

Saint Ozak the Seamster

Initiation ceremony of the Belt and Loom Society, which like most university society initiations, involves drinking a lot of alcohol.

St Ozak's College

Enrolled at a smaller college with a reputation for perfectionism, St Ozak's students have a reputation of being highly insular and for rarely venturing outside of the low cottage-like halls of the ancient College building. The Belt and Loom Society is the only university society which restricts the potential membership entry pool to one college; a condition written into its charter by its founders, who were in the first cohort that graduated from St Ozak's. Known for being highly secretive, aloof and good academics, it is often wondered how they juggle the rigourous subjects of the physical and martial sciences they tend to study, with the late nights of listening to odd, loud music that other students have often reported hearing walking past St Ozak's at night. It is rare that you stay in contact with an alumnus of St Ozak's, as they have the strange tendency to disappear from society a few months after the completion of their studies.

Dean

Lord Jiriy Honausen

Colours

Yellow & Red

Animal

Arrowhawk

Saint Malbach the Prioress

Malbach's Tower at the Priory, visited by cold students of St Malbach's College.

St Malbach's College

It's hard to beat students of the Priory in exams when they seem to already know the answers. It's a good thing most of St Malbach students, nicknamed 'Little Priests,' enrol in the same subjects; either reading prophecy, divination and statistics at the School of Foresight, or History, Philosophy and Theology at the School of the Soul. There have been Little Priests who choose to study other subjects over the years, but even so, most seem to have the same temperament - either on enrollment, or gaining it after a few months of living at the Priory. Scatterbrained and eccentric, with a way of talking in circles, Little Priests tend to be hard to get used to, but once you get over their tendency to debate moral quandaries over breakfast, they make fiercely good friends.

Dean

Marqueuse Dasha Kevonia

Colours

Black & Indigo

Animal

Crow

Saint Yevin the Sailor

With many of their students reading at the School of Navigation, Yevins College usually wins the annual inter-college boating race, unsurprisingly.

Yevins College

Yevins College strikes the boundary of oldest and youngest at the AIS, due to the fact its college building is the oldest on campus, and was once the main building of the original university, but the school its students tend to enrol in, the School of Navigation, is barely 150 years old.

Dean

Cdt. Sabine Kalkenny

Colours

Silver & Dark Grey

Animal

Whale Shark

Saint Gumodin the Farmer

Gumodin students at a lecture, which they're known for often disrupting

St Gumodin's College

With a fervent interest in the physical, alchemical and natural sciences, students of St Gumodin's are notorious for trying to categorise the uncategorisable, and know the unknowable. A small but raucous college, St Gumodin's is perhaps the least diverse, with most students enrolling at the small and relatively modern college doing so as legacies of past alumni. This fact, alongside its brash tendencies and competitism makes it as a rule, widely disliked.

Dean

Professor Odo Wemontwic

Colours

Yellow and Black

Animal

Wolf

Saint Hirosz the Hunter

Huntsman students in the courtyard of Hirosz College seconds before receiving well-needed training in weapon-safety.

Hirosz College

Don't get into a knife fight with a Huntsman. Or a sword fight. Or a pistol fight. Or any fight at all really, because you'll lose. Known for starting duels at the drop of a hat, or a glove, or pretty much any sudden movement, students living at the pretty, ivy-covered Hirosz College building put their perfect marksmanship to good use as elite soldiers or guards on graduation.

Dean

Professor Yeba

Colours

Brown & Black

Animal

Horse

Saint Kindik Kul the Politician

Students of Kindik College lounging in one of their rooms during a brief bit of free time from their studies.

Kindik College

Dean

Professor Davesh Molichi

Colours

Red & Blue

Animal

Goat

Saint Beyuchch the Good Merchant

Good Merchants students enjoying some of their many, many, gambling games

Good Merchant College

Dean

Professor Petrus Miklaus Salisby

Colours

Gold & Lightblue

Animal

Brassian Sighthound

Saint Ferenc the Court Philosopher

It's a good thing Courts College has its own kitchen, else the hearty appetites their long and frequent debates cook up would surely be too large for the main dining hall

Courts' College

Dean

Professor Uka Tetubiyib

Colours

Black & White

Animal

Cat

Saint Jovon the Martyr

Students from Jovon's College play the highly dangerous sport known as 'Blindfolded-5-a-side-Psychic-Mind-Tennis-on-Ice-Skates,' or by its Brassian name: 'Gü.' A sport supposedly supposed to help in strengthening one's foresight and intuition, it's surprisingly popular, despite the accidents.

Jovon's College

Dean

Professor Fergean An'Harra

Colours

Black & Red

Animal

Fox

Schools, faculties and departments

There are nine schools at the Institute, each comprising a broad array of faculties and departments grouped by educational topic. Each school is governed by a Council, formed of the Masters of each department.

Masters of Faculty

Master of Bodies

Head of the School of Physical, Medical and Martial Sciences

Professor Klaes Tannen-Huill

Master of Minds

Head of the School of Alchemical, Illustrial and Natural Sciences

Lady Mirim U'Reighley

Master of Hearts

Head of the School of Artistic, Musical and Architectural Sciences

Professor Castus Aeriticum

Master of Souls

Head of the School of Historical, Theological, and Philosophical Sciences

Professor Ufid Tedethgarran

Master of Etiquette

Head of the School of Political, Cultural, Linguistic and Diplomatic Sciences

Professor Inas Zavkoun

Master of Application

Head of the School of Applied Sciences, Engineering, Technology and Law

Professor Yurena Lubnoylna

Master of Trade

Head of the School of Financial, Economic and Market Sciences

Professor Oskara Karwald

Master of Foresight

Head of the School of Prophecy, Divination, and Applied Statistics

Professor Pomati Petlwch Tset-Agser

Master of Navigation

Head of the school of Strategy, Operation and Piloting Sciences

Lux-Komondante Owaine Duryn

Admissions

Due to its prestige, admission to AIS is a very difficult task indeed. While the children of Kings, Empresses and Accountants may find the process easier, with a letter of remark from an alumni of the university sure to give an application a second glance, for the most part, the admissions process is just as rigorous to all that take it.
Prospective students must pass a series of strict entrance exams and interviews, as well as distinguishing themselves at martial combat. All students must also meet the following requirements as detailed in their charter:

Requirements

• The student must be fluent (speaking, writing, reading) in a minimum of three languages, or two, with one being ancient or extant.
• The student must have at least one (1) 'weak-point,' negative point or potential flaw about their character that may be exploited. * Note - this will be tested.
• The student must have an aptitude for the magical sciences.
• The student must not have more than three (3) Great Prophecies written about her/him/them.
• The student must not already be enrolled in another academic institution.
• The student must meet the minimum requirements in the subject they are to study, certified by Entrance Exam.

Research

The Institute

While its academic branch is often known as the 'Fixers' School', or by its acronym, AIS (FZK), its scientific research and intelligence division is known by faculty and students alike, simply by the moniker 'the Institute'. From reports of Human experimentation, to whispers of magical assassins and generals who spent short stays at the institute in the days before they toppled governments, the Institute has long been a hotbed of controversy. Still, it remains prestigious in its publishing and applied research exports. It also provides several paid grants to fifth year students at the university to study in depth their chosen field, which is more than some of its competitors can say.

The Ankzuidden Affair

Lord Hamel Ankzuidden was minor Unt-Jorgaardian nobility, the third son of a duke, and a student at the AIS in the late 14th century. A talented biologist and gifted martial student, he quickly rose through the ranks at the university. In his final year, he was assigned to the research laboratory at the Institute, under the infamous Professor Lazar Lizlumiy. During Lizumiy's time at the Institute, he implemented several trials and experimental projects that involved manipulation of the natural and bodily sciences to various extents. In an unfortunate result of one of these experiments, Ankzuidden, and one of Lizlumiy's research fellows were killed. The news caused continental uproar, leading investigations into the university and its dealings. As a result of this, a clause was written in the University's charter, and carved into the floor of the Old Kettewyn's Laboratory, where the accident occurred, that states:

I shall not endeavour to change that which the Gods cannot change. No Mind, Soul nor Healthy Body shall be Fixed by mine own Hands. I shall leave that sleeping Beast, Science, be; lest She rouse and change Us in turn.

Graduation tradition and ceremony

Libraries and museums

Publishing and assessments

Awards

Reputation and rankings

Student life

Formal balls

Societies

Sports

Student newspapers and radio

Student Union

Politics

Notable alumni and academics

In literature and popular culture

Wisdom is patient in manner and resolute in execution

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Founding Date

1027 AGK

Type

Educational, University

Alternative Names

The Institute, the Fixers' School

Demonym

Fazeks, based on the Brassian acronym.

Founders

• Saint Alesine Sachestvaya

Location

Witchlands

Notable Members

• Saint Alesine Sachestvaya

A gilt icon of Saint Alesine the Teacher, the patron saint and founder of the Fixers' School in Brassia.