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The Well of Wisdom (The Great School of Magic)

by Marc Saindon

The Well of Wisdom ("Kisima cha hekima" if you use swahili in-character) would serve as both the imperial archive and the Empire of Tangor's main magic school. As mentioned in a previous post, Tangor would have its own arcane magical language, although a Feat could be purchased to gain access to the Alphatian form of magic. It is named for the dry, vast cavernous network below the buildings that host countless tomes and scrolls (formerly a salt mine, which got tapped out).

The Well of Wisdom is organized along the lines of your typical D&D schools of magic (Conjuration, Necromancy, Divination, etc.) to which buildings or sets of buildings are dedicated. Wizards ("Sahibs") train here, as well as Artificers (who focus on Glyph magic that they carve or weave in designs) and Bards ("Griots"). The learning center has great academic freedom, although Clerics still call most of the shots in the Empire.

A possibility is to have several off-campus buildings for various schools of magic, such as an elephant graveyard serving as a sanctuary for Necromancers to commune with the memories of the past (and gain access to the Shadowfell), a stormy island continually hit by ocean waves that help Conjurers enhance their spell power, or a clear pond deep in the forest where meditation is facilitated and the School of Divination finds training hear easier. Each of these magical sites can serve as source for intrigue, although competition can also involve the control of the Well of Wisdom itself.


(Image from: https://folukeafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/university-of-timbuktu.png?fit=1300%2C872&ssl=1)