Hadebrandian University

The Hadebrandian University was founded by the Legendary Hero Hadebrand in 68 AGU. It was built the Manconian Empire capital, Manconia. Construction of the University started in 55 AGU after getting permission from the Emperor and Mancos himself. Hadebrand set up a council of 9 to help him over see the running of the University but he retained ultimate control over the school

The University is the oldest school that still exists in Shattered Kingdoms. It opened with a primary focus on teaching the arcane arts and retaining as much information from before The Great Upheaval but the school quickly expanded what it offered.

It's first large expansion started in 76 AGU when they went beyond magic and decided to offer a civics programs. It became one of the first civic programs offered in any school. One thing that made it unique was the emphasis on integrating magic into the program and how it could affect engineering and the bureaucracy.

The next last large expansion was in 113 AGU and incorporated nature. A large park was created as a place to experiment with nature magic. It was an unexpected expansion by the council but as the head of the university Hadebrand insisted that all magics should be represented at their University.

Over the next several centuries while Hadebrand oversaw the development of the university, it continue to expand what it offered. They continued to expand the Universities housing along with buildings for teaching and experimenting. By the time Hadebrand left the University for the first time in 485 AGU its path was cemented. It would offer any learning it could but with an emphasis on magic. Arcane magic was still it's largest focus.

Hadebrand came back to the University every few centuries to deposit the knowledge he gained through his studies and explorations and each time he stayed for a time to over see the development of the school. When he returned to the University in in 981 AGU he over saw the construction of the last of the land given to them by the Emperor back in 55 AGU. It was the last major expansion project. Integrating knowledge of the gods and religions from an academic perspective.

The council, used to controlling the programs of the University, protested the expansion. They thought that teaching any religious studies would compromise the University. While they taught divine magic, they had always avoided teaching of the gods themselves. They viewed this as an alteration of the defining principles of the University. However Hadebrand didn't agree. They talked about it for weeks behind closed doors but in the end they relented and he had his way.

Hadebrand set up the program himself. It is unknown if he consulted any of the churches when creating the program but he kept it agnostic. He made a point not to teach any one religion above another and focused on the teaching of their theologies from an academic principle. At the higher levels he imparted a vast amount of knowledge of the gods, much more than had been known before. People theorized that he taught from personal experience but if that was true no one has ever found out, it remains a rumor. The various types of magic of the gods was taught, from an academic and practical stand point. The understanding of the gods in the Shattered Kingdoms was greatly increased with this program.

Hadebrand stayed around for the longest time he had since he founded the the University. While he was there he taught various topics, many of the traditional arcane classes that he always taught but he spent an inordinate amount of time teaching about the gods and the various religions. He made sure it was important that the council take the program seriously. He never publicly explained why, maybe we'll never know, but he made it sound like it was important for the future of Shattered Kingdoms.

After Hadebrand left, he returned less frequently. When he returned he still imparted new knowledge. He stayed around to make sure the University was still on track. The second to last time he returned to the University, in 2000 AGU, he set up a new area of study which very few people understood, that of the multitude of planes of existence in the multi-verse.

The knowledge of the planes is a closely guarded secret of the University and is taught very infrequently. The guidelines to admission to the program are not published and you can't apply, The only way one can participate in the program is if they are invited. However it is known that a knowledge of the gods is an impart aspect of the admission admission. It's said that the information is so dangerous that if it got into the wrong hands, there could be untold devastation to the lands of Shattered Kingdoms.

The last time Hadebrand returned to the University was 2361 AGU. He spent time making sure all of the University was adhering to his founding principles. He stayed for 121 years before once again leaving the University in the hands of the council.

This has been the longest time Hadebrand has stayed away from the University but the school continues to teach along his principles. It is still the most sought out school in all of the Shattered Kingdoms. It houses the largest library of knowledge in all of the realm. Their policy also makes it one of the most open libraries.

They keep the admission requirements into the school low, at least for the entry level classes. Because of this the wait times for the various schools can be years, depending on what your focus is. Despite the wait times the University is has the most students in the world, averaging around 500,000. Depending on the program and the race, some students can spend most of their lives studying if they so choose.