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Frostfell

Northspire, Citadel of the Arcane

Northspire was once a dwarven fortress designed as a a place to train giant eagles for the dwarven army. This plan was abandoned and the fortress was repurposed by the humans to originally be a library to keep historical documents safe but was eventually turned into the wizard college that it is today.

The structure itself lies within the side of the mountain with its name coming from the 200' tower rising into the sky. The entrance is incredibly difficult to access, requiring a climb up steep and treacherous stairs up 1000 feet. Students, and those with official business just use the teleport platform located within the northspire admissions office located in Frostfell Capital.

Northspire's teachings primarily focus on the Evocation and Polymorph schools, while mundane studies tend to focus on culture, history, Engineering, and geography and of course, the religion of Hypnatia.

Role of Northspire in the Frostfell

The Wizards of Northspire provide many services all across the Frostfell. Being a wizard comes with a great amount of respect from the church, the government, and even the common folk.

Inquisition

The use of psionics are still banned within the frostfell due to it's relationship with Phoebetor during the civil war. Wizards are responsible for working with the church to root out and arrest those who practice this evil form of "magic". Wizards train to identify, combat, and remove psionics

Military

The Hypnatian army, the Frostfell National Army, The HDF, and even the Pelorian army often request wizards for support roles. It is ultimately up to the headmaster whether or not these requests are approved, and the limits of what the wizard can do.

Transport

The greatest achievement of Northspire within the last century, perhaps ever, is the creation of one of the Frostfell's two air ships. This behemoth of a vessel, named Mistral Darling, measures an overall length of 150' and a beam of 40'.

The vessels primary function is transport of exports and imports to and from neighboring nations.

more on this ship below

Admission

Acceptance to Northspire is open to any Frostfell citizen who can pass the initial entrance exam. There are many more tests and exams before beginning their first year at the school to weed out those who do not possess the intellect for wizardry.

Gender and Wizardry

A long held tradition, and belief, is that women have a stronger affinity towards arcane magic. This has led to a law passed centuries ago that requires all Frostfell women to be given the initial entrance exam immediately upon reaching adulthood. Those who pass the exam are heavily pressured by the government to enroll in the school, paid for by the government. This has had a side effect within Frostfell culture of parents focusing more on their daughters education over their sons.

Men are not prohibited from joining Northspire but society has viewed wizardry as a woman's profession so many men end up joining the military, the clergy, entering into politics, or becoming laborers. Life for a male student can be awkward as the ratio of female students to male students is 8:1. Some of the female students will even treat their male classmates as inferior although this behavior is quickly punished by the headmaster, who is in fact a man.

Acceptance of outsiders

While any frostfell citizen of any race is able to take the entrance exam, those born in other countries wishing to enroll at Northspire must provide multiple letters of recommendation from scholars or wizards of some repute, pay a rather large entrance fee, and pass the initial exam. Northspire only receives a few foreign students each year, but those that make it in are treated no different than a Frostfell native.

Rules of Acceptance

Upon acceptance to Northspire, students must sign a contract stating they will follow all the laws and customs of northspire or face expulsion and other punishments such as fines, forced labor, or imprisonment. some of these laws are as follows

Obey all orders of instructors and staff of Northspire

Forsake all religions and convert to the faith of Hypnatia. (as written in the founding document of the Frostfell, Elves are exempt from this)

Remain chaste and unmarried during their student years

The First Year

New students, called Flurries, are issued white robes that they are required to keep clean and maintained at all times. Flurries all share one large bedroom that is more like a military barracks than a school bedroom. to teach communal responsibility, they are expected the keep their room clean, neat, and orderly at all times.

The initiation year is run more like a military boot camp than an academic institution. Students can expect strict schedules, long hours of study, and tyrannical instructors. First year students have a drop out rate of around 40%

Studies include biased teachings of Hypnatian religion and history, and Frostfell History and culture. They are also taught Arcane theory, and some kind of performing or creative art. Flurries will never cast a single spell during their first year.

Life at Northspire

After the first year students find a more relaxed lifestyle. They are moved into their own bedrooms that are shared with one other student and are given more privacy and respect by instructors. Their white robes are traded in for light blue robes which they wear until they graduate.

Schedule consists of a 6am wake up time followed by 1 hour of prayer at the Hypnatian temple at 7am, breakfast at 8, with classes starting at 9 and going until 7pm with multiple breaks for rest and meals during this time. 7-10pm is for study, personal time, and practice of the arts. 10pm is the strict curfew for all students. For the First 3 weeks of each month students follow this schedule for 6 days a week with the 7th day as a rest day. The 4th week is given as a week off from classes, but students are still expected to study, and practice their arts and crafts.

Graduation

As part of the graduation ceremony, the wizards are granted the signature dark blue robes of the northspire wizards and a staff made from birch wood with a crystal affixed to one end as a symbol of their status.

Many of the wizards will continue to work for Northspire as scribes while others may find themselves working for the government. Some may submit to government matchmakers for marriage, or join the military or church. No matter what they end up doing, they will still be bound by oath to answer the call of Northspire should they ever be needed.

A few select wizards may end up taking advanced classes with a more focused role on serving Northspire and the government.

Advanced Classes

Sisterhood of the Voice

A small class only available to government approved frostfell citizens, seeing only a handful of students each year, learn the art of negotiation, deception, politics, and some foreign affairs and more focus on Glamour magic instead of evocation and polymorph. The class lasts 2 years and graduates can expect to find themselves working for the government as diplomats.

Mistral Darling, Pride of Northspire

The massive airship, originally named airship two, until a private investor demanded a more interesting name, is Northspire's most valuable asset. During the Frostfell-Vir Zind war of 665, Mistral Darling sustained heavy damage on its return from trade and spent the remainder of the war docked at Northspire for repairs. Mistral Darling is slow relative to the dwarven guild of archeology's airship, only capable of reaching a speed of 60 mph.

Construction

The hull of Mistral Darling is primarily composed of steel with iron and wood components. The construction took 18 years to complete, with another 3 for the magic needed for flight. The cost of this ship was enormous, with the Frostfell government and church of Hypnatia paying more than 50% of the cost. The rest of the cost was covered by Northspire and private investors.

Defenses

The ship has no magical defenses instead relying on it's thick steel hull to protect it from damage.

Offense

Mistral Darling was not intended to see combat but after a few incidents during trade, a couple dozen mounted bazookas were installed on the main deck

Northspire Wizards as Player Characters

The feat Frostfell Ice Mage should be taken at first level. Evocation with a specialty in cold magic is taught to all wizards

The character should have skill ranks spent in sociology, Geo, Engineering, Arcana, and Admin and should have atleast one perform or craft skill trick and the Psionic Familiarity trick

Evocation or Polymorph should be chosen for specialization

Detect Psionics should be chosen for one of the wizards 1st circle spells

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