The Emerald Collegium is the foremost scholarly and magical institution in Mythea, dedicated to the preservation of knowledge, the pursuit of discovery, and the responsible study of magic. Independent of all kingdoms, churches, and noble houses, the Collegium exists to ensure that knowledge survives beyond the ambitions of rulers and the passage of time.
Its members include scholars, historians, wizards, artificers, sages, explorers, archaeologists, and researchers from every corner of the world. Though many seek power, the Collegium teaches that knowledge itself is humanity's greatest inheritance.
Throughout Mythea, the Emerald Collegium is regarded as one of the most respected organizations in existence. Its influence can be found in royal courts, libraries, magical academies, archaeological expeditions, and ancient ruins across the continent.
Their unofficial motto is often quoted by members:
"What is forgotten is lost. What is preserved may yet save the world."
The Emerald Collegium calls the Verdant Spire its home.
The two are inseparable.
The Verdant Spire is the physical structure; the Emerald Collegium is the organization that inhabits, governs, and maintains it.
To most people, however, the distinction hardly matters.
When someone speaks of studying at the Verdant Spire, they are usually referring to joining the Collegium itself.
For centuries the Spire has served as a neutral sanctuary where scholars and spellcasters from every nation may gather regardless of politics, race, religion, or social standing.
Within the Spire's walls, curiosity is valued above nationality.
Knowledge is valued above power.
Truth is valued above ideology.
The origins of the Emerald Collegium predate every modern kingdom.
According to surviving records, the organization began nearly a thousand years ago when a group of scholars, mages, and historians became concerned that knowledge from the Age of Ruin was being lost forever.
Wars had destroyed libraries.
Kingdoms had collapsed.
Ancient discoveries vanished with each generation.
To prevent further loss, these early scholars gathered within the Verdant Spire and swore an oath to preserve the wisdom of the past for future generations.
What began as a small archive gradually grew into the greatest center of learning in the world.
Over the centuries the Collegium survived wars, invasions, dynastic collapses, magical catastrophes, and religious upheavals.
Through it all, the Verdant Spire remained neutral.
Kings rose and fell.
The Collegium endured.
The Emerald Collegium pursues five primary goals:
Protect knowledge from destruction and loss.
Uncover forgotten truths, lost histories, and hidden mysteries.
Teach future generations of scholars and spellcasters.
Advance magical understanding and scientific knowledge.
Safeguard dangerous artifacts, forbidden magic, and ancient relics that could threaten the world if misused.
The governing body of the Collegium.
Comprised of respected scholars, archmages, historians, and researchers, the Council oversees major decisions affecting both the Collegium and the Verdant Spire.
No individual leader exists.
Authority is shared among the Council.
Field agents and explorers.
Seekers travel throughout Mythea investigating ruins, recovering artifacts, studying magical phenomena, and documenting discoveries.
Most adventurers encounter the Collegium through its Seekers.
Custodians of knowledge.
Archivists maintain the libraries, records, and historical collections housed within the Verdant Spire.
Many spend their entire lives preserving information.
Researchers devoted to the study of magic.
They investigate spells, magical creatures, enchanted artifacts, and arcane theory.
Elite guardians responsible for protecting the Collegium's most dangerous secrets.
They guard restricted archives, artifact vaults, and forbidden collections.
Many are powerful spellcasters in their own right.
The Collegium oversees the largest repository of knowledge in Mythea.
Its holdings include:
Ancient manuscripts
Lost Age records
Magical research
Historical archives
Cartographic records
Rare spellbooks
Cultural histories
Artifact collections
Many texts found nowhere else in the world survive only because of the Collegium.
Strongly positive.
The elves respect the Collegium's dedication to knowledge and preservation.
Generally friendly.
The kingdom frequently sponsors expeditions and research projects.
Mutually beneficial.
Trade and scholarship flow freely between Azharan and the Spire.
Close allies.
Many expeditions are jointly funded by both organizations.
The Consortium provides resources.
The Collegium provides expertise.
Respectful relationship.
The two organizations often exchange cultural, historical, and diplomatic information.
The Emerald Collegium serves as one of the greatest sources of quests and adventures in Mythea.
Common assignments include:
Artifact recovery
Lost Age exploration
Ruin expeditions
Historical investigations
Magical anomalies
Monster research
Spellcraft studies
Escort missions
Forbidden knowledge retrieval
Archaeological discoveries
Many of Mythea's greatest adventurers began their careers working for the Collegium.
Stories surrounding the Emerald Collegium claim:
The Verdant Spire predates recorded history.
Entire hidden floors exist within the tower.
A complete history of the Lost Age is hidden somewhere in the archives.
Several Council members are far older than they appear.
The deepest vault contains artifacts capable of changing the fate of the world.
The Collegium secretly knows the true cause of the Lost Age's fall.
Whether these tales are true remains unknown.
But if knowledge holds power, then nowhere in Mythea possesses more power than the Emerald Collegium.