Overview
The venerable Orvud College stands atop the high cliffs of Zyan Island, looking down upon the turbulent Kre Dùlnar. One of the oldest schools within the City of Oð, the college hosts the best, brightest, and richest students that the Iron Coast has to offer. Building of the college was started in 972 HK by Orvud I. The school’s original name, the College of Oð, did not survive the second year of construction. Upon the death of the King, the college was renamed in honor of its benefactor.
Behind its blackened walls, the college is divided into the traditional nine halls of the Anū Gyð tradition. Although each of the halls is run as a separate body, the whole is administered by a Chamber of Rule that consists of three elder scholars and a Roðàryn representative from Kyrm Oryroð. The Temple holds a traditional non-voting seat within the Chamber of Rule despite the school’s secular nature.
Physically, the college is a collection of stone buildings ringed with brier-covered colonnades. Covered passageways connect these structures and shelter students from the black rain. The buildings themselves are arranged around three courtyards that are in turn constructed around large wells. The wells open deep into the island’s interior, ending within the “sea caves” that riddle the island’s base. The purpose of the wells is unclear. Some have suggested that the wells predate the college, and must have had a purpose at an earlier time. Others suggest that they are symbolic of…
People
Faculty
- Elder Blyd. The eldest member of the faculty, High Elder Blyd has served at the college since 597 DR. A professor of Kirùid (i.e., Literature), Blyd is well-versed in classic works of the Late Dekàli and Post-Dekàli periods. Elder Blyd walks the courtyards and colonnades of the college each day with his nose buried in a book as he walks. In addition to his duties at the college, he serves as an adviser to the Iron Library. In exchange for his assistance, the Temple has granted him unlimited access to the endless stacks.
- Elder Dātàn te Màradis. Elder Dātan has served at the college since 620 DR. An Oðyn native, Elder Dātan was raised a short distance from the college, near Narwal Station in the Kyard. A Hirdun (i.e., Law) scholar, she is often summoned by magistrates of the City to give her professional opinion on details of law. Unlike the other Elders, Elder Dātan still teaches regularly and is a notoriously difficult and challenging instructor. Her classes not only require familiarity with a large amount of materials, but the ability to present and debate what one has learned. Litigants with diplomas signed by Elder Dātan are the most sought after in all the Iron Coast.
- Elder Teðrus of Haldòrax. Elder Teðrus has served at the college since 618 DR, arriving from the Barony of Ensòret where he served as an adviser and tutor for the Lord’s family. While Elder Teðrus is well-versed in many disciplines, his concentration lies in Silùruin (i.e., Knowledge, Science). Elder Teðrus commands the top floor of one of the largest buildings at the college, which he uses as a sprawling laboratory. Each year, the Elder hand picks a half-dozen promising students to assist with his alchemical research. It is not uncommon to see smoke billowing from the windows of the lab.