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+--- Thread: Arcane Universities, Colleges, Schools? (/showthread.php?tid=8206)
Arcane Universities, Colleges, Schools? - Banquo Viaquo - 09-07-2014
It's apparently a given that literacy is not exactly the most common thing in Eorzea, but clearly there's at least provision for the learned - judging by the Arcanists, and the apparent steady flow of new students of magic. What I'd like to know is this; are there any known institutes of arcane/divine theory and education? A character's background hinges on having once been a professor, but information seems scarce on where this could have taken place.
RE: Arcane Universities, Colleges, Schools? - Aduu Avagnar - 09-07-2014
I play a character who has been a private tutor as well as a guest lecturer at the three guilds of magic talking about the different arts and their different applications.
I imagine private tutoring would be the most common type of education available outside of them, although an old fc of mine was going to be based around an academy of sorts, though that was never realised.
RE: Arcane Universities, Colleges, Schools? - Sounsyy - 09-07-2014
The two biggest "schools" so to speak, of where arcanimia and magical theory are taught in Eorzea would be Melvaan's Gate in Limsa Lominsa or the Arrzaneth Ossuary in Ul'dah.
Melvaan's Gate was established circa the year 1562~1567 6AE (10~15 years ago) after Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn took the Admiralcy. It's primary purpose is a customs agency of sorts. International goods from all over Hydaelyn pass through Melvaan's Gate. However, the Guild also is intently vested in magical practice and theory and is the seat of education in Limsa.
Arrzaneth Ossuary has been around since Ul'dah's founding. It's one of two houses of religion and learning in Ul'dah. The Milvaneth Sacrarium being the other. It houses the Thaumaturges, a sect of magical practice that traces its roots back to the dawning of the 5th Astral Era. The full scope of their study and education revolves around magical theory, death, life, religion, politics, and law. (See: The Big Paycheck )
The other place I want to reference is the abandoned city-state of Sharlayan. Sharlayans value knowledge above all else and they once housed an Order called The Circle of Knowing, an organization which later combined with Minfillia's "Path of the Twelve" to form what's known in ARR as "The Scions of the Seventh Dawn" a reference to a 1.0 quote by Archon Louisoux, the leader of The Circle of Knowing. Beyond the Circle of Knowing, Sharlayan has been home to all of the great scholars and theologians of the 6th Astral Era - from Lewphon to Roddard Ironheart.
Anyways, the city-state was thought abandoned shortly after the Garlean Empire invaded Ala Mhigo in 1557 and left the military-less city-state vulnerable to invasion. However, in ARR the Scions of the Seventh Dawn often make reference to a group of people called the Students of Baldesion. While we have very little information about who the Students are or what fate has befallen them in the current ARR storyline, we can infer that they are/were in fact students of a school that carried on Sharlayan's tradition of Greater Learning.
There's also the Sons of Saint Coinach, a group of archaeologists hailing from Sharlayan. They also have close ties with the Students of Baldesion and the Circle of Knowing. While not strictly invested in magical theory, the Sons of St. Coinach are big into Allagan culture and research. Allagans being most noteworthy for their incredible magical and technological advances. (ie. Summoning/controlling Primal Gods, airships, biological/chemical weapons, human cloning, space travel(?), creation of a self-sustaining power source, etc... the list goes on with every Patch.)
TL;DR: If your character doesn't have a keen interest in specializing in the study of Arcanimia, Nald'thal, Ul'dahn law, or the history of the Magi, maybe try fleshing out your character as a more worldly scholar hailing from the School of Baldesion in Sharlayan? The mystery behind the School's fate makes a nice cover story for why your character is now in Eorzea. If you wanted your character to be in Eorzea pre-Calamity, you could also say you arrived in 1557 when Sharlayan was abandoned. Depends on how old you want your character to be I guess.
Anyways, hope this helps! ^^