From: Paul Looby
Subject: Re: Wizards guild/society/school
>However, like Wayne, I do see a place for non-magical universities in the other great cities of the Flanaess.
I'd agree with this - partiularly large cities, with plenty of trade and exchange of ideas etc..
>If, like Gary, you prefer to restrict universities to Greyhawk City, then I'll not argue it, but if you want to play with universities in the Flanaess, then of the thirty cities that Gary listed, I suggest that the
>following have an actual campused university:
I'd go for a less organised approach - campuses were a later innovation.
Nonetheless - the cities below would have univerities of the more scattered group of colleges style IMO. Somehow I see the campused uni as being a more modern - perhaps central Flanaeess innovation rather than Aerdi (I've always seen Rel Astra for instance as being a very staunchly traditional Oerid city.). It might indeed be in Mitrik or Chendl with western and religious (think abbeys and cloisters) influences where the campus is first established (?).
Here's a few ideas for the flavours of the colleges in some of these palces just off the top of my head...(plus some comments)
>Rel Astra
Stronghold of traditional oerid scholars - though attempts are being made by younger scholars to challenge the establishment - with limited success so far.
>Greyhawk City
Has a group of colleges rather than a campus I thought - could be wrong.
>Rel Mord
The main stronghold of the Sagacious (sp?) Society in Nyrond. Noteable colleges inculde the venerable Crecent College - which has extensive records and expertise in the field of history - esp Pre-Migration lore.
>Dyvers
Like GH if it has a wide mix of views, philosphies etcetc - particualrly western bakluni ideas - given its trade links to the west - which find a more tolerant ear here than further west in Veluna or Furyondy.
>Rauxes
Long in decline before the eventual fall of the city. Once a bastion of free thought and one of the greatest institutions in the Flanaess - it became a home for critics of Imperial policy during the reign of the Rax. Tolerated under Ivid I, the later Ivids carcked down hard on the overly vocal - having many executed or dsappaered - forcing many others to flee either west or to Rel Deven, Rel Astra or elsewhere. Im later times it was packed with Naelax loyalists - teaching the glories of the rule of the Ivids etc
>Zeif
>Ekbir
esoteric and exotic philosophies and sciences - probably very tempered by religious thought (one reason why the Velunese don't like it). Any comment on this, Wayne?
>Radigast City
A thriving university - patronsied by the Countess and the rich merhcants of the city. It has stuggled long and hard to emerge from the shadow of the Colleges of Rel Mord, which founded several of the Radigast Colleges as offshoots. Enriched not only by the exchange in ideas which travel readily along the trade routes, but by the influx of refugee scholars from Tenh, the Shield Lands and Nyrond and the rest of the shattered east. It is the source of a new philosophical movement - one which preaches that true wisdom and knowledge comes not from expertise in one narrow area but in appreciating the world in its entirity. Some scholars have taken this further and have promoted this as a philosophy for life - given the darkness
of the age and the uncertainty and brevity of life - one should not confine oneself to just one path - rather one should taste of the many different flavours which life has to offer - while one can. This ideal no doubt has been strongly influenced by the experiences of the refugees in the devestation of the Wars.
>Niole Dra
>Leukish
Gotta pull you up on this one - Nellix is the main seat of learning in the Duchy Urnst - with a loose affiliation of colleges. Leukish is probably too mercantile (fumbling in the greasy till and all that) to bother with too much esoteric scholarship (a bit like London and Oxford/Cambridge).
>Mitrik
Very religious - the possible original campus - based on cloisters in temples of Rao and generally more organised and hierarchical structure, again borrowed from the church. While devoted to the pursuit of knowlege - the attitudes of the scholars here is coloured by religious teachings and historical attitudes to the Bakluni - which has lead to a rejection of ideas colming through the Fals Gap from the west.
>Chendl
>These eleven cities (a dozen including Dyvers) might lack universities but instead have many sages. A few of them might have scholarly societies but not quite a guild of sages:
>Irongate
Probably very influenced by Dwur and noniz thought - therefore very practical and applied pursuits here. Little time for "airy fairy" philoshopical debates
>Eastfair
Some refugees from Rauxes
>Schwartzenbruin
>Lopolla
>Admundfort
up in smoke! Many would have fled to Radigast, Nellix, Dyvers and GH.
>Rookroost
Doubt it very much - its not stable enough I think.
>Gryrax
>Monmurg
Again - I don't think its exactly the place sages woudl find comfortable.
>Tringlee
>Verbobonc
>Jurnre
Centre of Suel learning - strong in Suel history and culture - though in a manner which incenses the Scarlet Brotherhood.
Just some thoughts
Paul
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