Université Morgrave

Université Morgrave is an institution of higher learning in Sharn, Brelande. While not the most reputable university academically-speaking, it has made great gains in research of the continent of Xen'Drik, mostly by funding expeditions of Wayfinders and adventurers, who bring back artifacts and information to fill the university's museums and libraries.

The university was founded by Lord Lareth du Morgrave in 738 AR to be a “beacon of knowledge shining from the tallest towers of the city, illuminating the forgotten secrets of the past.”

The university lies in the Quartier Universitaire of Upper Menthis in Sharn.

Université Morgrave At the heart of Sham's Université Morgrave is a sharp dichotomy: On the one hand, it is known as a nexus for scholars wishing to study Xen'drik, thanks in large part to Sham's proximity to the secret continent. Its collections of artifacts and scholarly works about ancient Xen'drik and the Dhakaan Empire are unparalleled. In many ways, it lives up to the shining vision of its founder, Lord Lareth du Morgrave, to be “a beacon of knowledge shining from the tallest towers of the city.” On the other hand, the university's reputation is tainted by allegations of smuggling, treasure hunting, and profiteering. Many priceless relics recovered from Xen'drik or Dhakaani ruins have disappeared from the university vaults and found their way to the black market or into the hands of L'Aurum. It's an open secret that some scholars, professors, and even students at the university have ties to smugglers and thieves. All these allegations, too, have ties to the university's founding: Lord Morgrave himself is said to have made his fortune selling Dhakaani artifacts on the black market, and some have claimed that the true purpose of the university was to help him build his fortune through such questionable means. Allies. The academic world is relatively small, and people at any one university tend to have connections at others. You might parlay such relationships into assistance from academies and institutions, such as the following organizations: Vent-de-feu. The sphinx Vent-de-feu (described in the “Immortal Being” section) isn't officially affiliated with the university, but she lives there and spends much of her time in its libraries and museums. As a scholar of the Prophétie Draconique, Vent-de-feu often poses strangel questions and sends adventurers on obscure missions. Bibliothèque de Korranberg. The Bibliothèque de Korranberg boasts the greatest collection of learning in Khorvaire. Its prestige means that people associated with it often look down on their colleagues at Université Morgrave, but they still celebrate the two institutions' Commun purpose of pursuing knowledge. If Morgrave's own libraries are insufficient for the task at hand, your group can probably find help in Korranberg. Les Douzes. For many scholars of magical studies, the idea of pursuing their research under the auspices of Les Douzes is a cherished dream. Some faculty members at Morgrave have had the opportunity to do just that, and many others have nurtured connections to Les Douzes in an attempt to secure that honor. Those connections can give your group access to powerful magic and the other resources of Les Douzes. Fondation du Routard. Morgrave maintains extensive connections with the Fondation du Routard-an exclusive guild for adventurers, which funds expeditions to distant locales. Should your group needs a grant or resources from the Wayfinders, a letter of recommendation from someone at Morgrave carries some weight. Enemies. Université Morgrave has few true enemies but many rivals. Despite the friendly ties among academic institutions, Morgrave occupies the low end of the prestige scale among academic bodies, so its faculty tends to look for opportunities to steal glory from its academic peers. Beyond rivalries with allied organizations, Morgrave openly competes with the following group: University ofWynarn. Foremost among Morgrave's rivals is Aundadu s University of Wynarn, whose administrators have been known to refer to Morgrave as an “institute of learning, relic hunting, and grave robbing.” L'Université de Wynarn is ancient-the first university established in the Cinq Nations-and more prestigious than Morgrave. It sponsors many of the same kind of expeditions and can boast many great discoveries, yet, somehow, Morgrave is more famous, and that stings many among the university's staff.

Morgrave University is not the most reputable institution in Khorvaire. It lacks the resources of the Library of Korranberg or Wynarn University, and many claim that its archaeological activities are infested with smugglers and treasure hunters. While the university lacks the clout of its peers in Korranberg and Aundair, it is much more accessible to young adventurers who have yet to build a reputation.

In the past, most nobles were educated in the colleges of Zilargo or Aundair. When Lord Lareth ir’Morgrave established his university in the city of Sharn two hundred sixty years ago, he claimed it would be “a beacon of knowledge shining from the tallest towers of the city, illuminating the forgotten secrets of the past.” While many city elders applauded Morgrave’s work, he had his enemies. Morgrave was said to have made his fortune selling Dhakaani artifacts on the black market, and some claimed that the true purpose of the university was to assist him in his treasure hunting. Suspicions aside, Sharn’s proximity to Xen’drik has made Morgrave University a nexus for scholars wishing to study the secret continent.

The Master of Morgrave University is the oldest heir of the Morgrave line. Currently the university head is Larrian ir’Morgrave, a scholar who has spent decades studying the civilizations of ancient Xen’drik.

Morgrave University struggles to establish its academic reputation, and the sages and scholars on the faculty always watch for an opportunity to prove themselves. That said, Morgrave’s reputation for corruption is well Sharn, the City of Towers, is the home of Morgrave University deserved. Many priceless relics recovered from Xen’drik or Dhakaani ruins have been “stolen” from the university vaults, only to find their way to the black market or into the hands of the Aurum. Master Larrian has vowed to put an end to these acts of smuggling and profiteering, but so far he has done little to back up his promises.

Some people at the university do have ties to smugglers and thieves, but many of the Morgrave scholars truly believe in their work. A few of them have connections with the Library of Korranberg, the Fondation du Routard, and the Twelve. Obviously these ties are not strong enough to get the one of them a post at a more prestigious institution, but an adventurer might be able to get a letter of introduction from one of the Morgrave sages.

Morgrave University owns most of the buildings in Upper Menthis Plateau, even ones not used for University purposes. The University itself fills Dalannan Tower, which is crowned by the enormous dome of Lareth Hall. Five slender spires ring Dalannan Tower, representing and named after the Five Nations, and they house most of Morgrave’s students. The university library is located just below Lareth Hall, and the Commons—atop Breland Spire—is a popular gathering spot for students and faculty alike.
The Bridge: The long, arcing, covered bridge that connects Breland Spire (and the Commons) to Dalannan Tower serves as a center of student life at Morgrave. Shops line one side of the bridge, including bookstores, paper makers, clothing and equipment vendors catering to students, and related businesses. Notices, such as announcements of campus events, job opportunities, items for sale, rooms for rent, and the like, cover the opposite wall of the bridge.
The Commons: Pleasantly situated atop Breland Spire, the Commons is a large open-air plaza with a commanding view of the neighboring towers and lower reaches of the city. Every morning, vendors wheel their carts up to the Commons and offer a mouth-watering variety of food from a dozen different cuisines, from Karrnathi sausage to Talentan kebabs. The offerings are hardly haute cuisine, but they are authentic and generally delicious.
Dezina Museum of Antiquities: Home to the finest collection of artifacts from Xen’drik in Khorvaire, Morgrave University’s Dezina Museum fills many of the mid-levels of Dalannan Tower. Its collection would be even more impressive were it not for the strong tendency the University has to sell valuable artifacts rather than put them on display, not to mention the steady stream of items routinely stolen from the museum. More interesting (at least to some) than the museum’s displayed collection are its vaults, vast rooms below the publicly accessible areas of the museum that contain unopened crates of treasures waiting to be cataloged, shelves of artifacts deemed uninteresting, and a few secret rooms holding items too important or dangerous to put on public display.
Great Hall of Aureon: The grand temple to the god of knowledge at Morgrave University, the Great Hall of Aureon is an architectural marvel as well as a sacred site often visited by pilgrims. Scholars, scientists and artificers, and any others who seek knowledge have made a practice of spending the night in the Great Hall. They believe that inspiration will visit them while they sleep on the marble floor of the majestic temple. Some of Breland’s greatest minds through the ages have claimed that their greatest breakthroughs came after a night in the temple. Merrix d’Bombardier (the grandfather of the current head of House Bombardier in Sharn) attributed the invention of living constructs (the first warforged) to stay in the Great Hall of Aureon.
The Great Hall also provides a place to find experts in all fields. The temple staff represents the broad spectrum of scientific study, and if they do not know the answer to a question they can almost certainly find someone who does. The ordained clergy of the Great Hall include experts, wizards, loremasters, and bards, as well as clerics, and position in the hierarchy of the temple has nothing to do with character class or field of expertise.
Hadrill Gardens: Aundair Spire is crowned by the magnificent Hadrill Gardens, an extraordinary display of exotic plants, flowers, and even plant creatures from around the world. Access to the more dangerous plants is restricted to students in the botany department who have permission from a faculty member. There are nine greenhouses (including one devoted to orchids from Xen’drik and Q’barra) and a large open-air garden that is a popular site for romantic walks and meditation among both students and staff.
Lareth Hall: Named after the founder of Morgrave University, Lareth Hall holds the University’s administrative and faculty offices. This large domed structure at the center of the campus, situated at the top of Dalannan Tower, contains the office of president Larrian ir’Morgrave (N male human aristocrat 2/expert 5), along with the bursar’s and registrar’s offices, and—in a large chamber at the top of the dome—the abode of Flamewind, a gynosphinx.
Morgrave University Library: Centrally located on the University campus near the top of Dalannan Tower (just below the dome of Lareth Hall), the Morgrave University Library has the most extensive collection of books in all of Breland. It pales in comparison to the great library at Korranberg, but a significant number of Zilargo expatriates live in Den’iyas and work to make the Morgrave Library the best resource it can be.
History is clearly a specialty of the University, and those using the Morgrave Library for research into the history of Sharn or Xen’drik gain a +6 circumstance bonus on their Knowledge (history) checks. The Library offers a +4 circumstance bonus on Knowledge (history) checks related to other areas and on Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (dungeoneering), and Knowledge (geography) checks.
For all other Knowledge checks, the Library provides a +2 circumstance bonus.
Those without formal ties to Morgrave University must pay a fee of 1 gp per day to conduct research at the Library. Students, alumni, and those working for Morgrave can use the Library for free.
Shava House: Shava House, a small academic community on the campus of Morgrave University, was originally a housing unit for professors with no families. It has developed into more of an intentional community: the residents share meals heavily laden with academic discourse, and generally share an interest in the history of Xen’drik. An unassuming member of this commune is Dala Arand —a friendly scholar active in planning expeditions to Xen’drik, while also secretly serving as a spy for the Order of the Emerald Claw.
Valdain Museum of Natural History: Underfunded and unappreciated at a university so focused on ancient ruins and relics, the Valdain Museum is nevertheless a fascinating collection of carefully stuffed and mounted animals from across Khorvaire and beyond. The exhibits go far beyond mundane animals to include a wide variety of magical beasts, from blink dogs and displacer beasts to a great bulette, and an enormous dragon skeleton hangs from the ceiling above the museum entrance. The Valdain Museum is located near the top of Karrnath Spire.

Papers can be obtained for a discreet fee from unscrupulous characters. Private lessons are available for those with the gold.
Old Servant of university; Zeisman, will talk at length about anything he knows. A doddering 90 year old man, with a perpetual dustcloud following him as the result of a half remembered cleaning spell.
Knowledge (Local) DC 25: There is a Secret doorway behind the loose paneling in the office of the Third High Chair of Arcane Studies. Leads into Sharn's most elegant Brothel.

Robbinn, a thin drooping man with a long egg-yellow mustache, thin nervous fingers.
Mattelouchous; stout and stuck up.
Canthus Melodiamat; The Languages Master. Black greasy hair, seems to have a permanent grimace sketched onto his face.
High Reeve Oramandus Dechamps; Bald with a beard of reds, browns, golds and grays.

The faculty of Morgrave University follow a loose hierchy, with each increasing promotion bringing greater priviliges, status, freedom and of course salary and recognition.

Morgrave degrees require that you take a Major and a Minor is two different areas. For example you can Major in Practical Arcane Magic and Minor in Khorvairen History, or you can Major in Korvairen History with a minor in Artifice. Minor degrees are not as in-depth as a major, usually giving the student a working knowledge of the subject, enough to get by, but not enough to practice, teach or be considered an expert in the subject. A major is generally 3 years of dedicated study, and a minor is an additional year.
Students can take more than one major or minor and are able to take as many electives as they think they can handle. You can take more than one major or minor studying both concurrently, but most cannot handle the extra courseload of a double major. Exceptional students can potentially accomplish a double major with several minors in just four or five years.

Some majors require that you have several electives either before taking them or in addendum to them in order to be accredited. The student's educational advisor will assist them in that matter.