College of Fate

The Prismatic Spire, The Loom of the Arcane, The Light in the Stone

Location: The "Twilight-Foothills" of the Storm-Wall Mountains, border mountain range of the Duchy of Mithrilbeard to the Northern Sea. 

POV Year: 182. 

Founders: Archmage Mormyar Lightfate (High-Elf, Age 490) & Sariel Galaamne (Demigod, Age 162).

Overview

The College of Fate is the premier institution for arcane study in the northern continent. While the Star-Catch Tower has been restored, the campus extends deep into the mountain, a sprawling complex of dormitories, laboratories, and libraries carved by Dwarven contractors and illuminated by the genius of the High-Artificer Sariel.

The Pilgrim's Extension: The College is deeply integrated into the cultural fabric of Tayon. Sariel and Mormyar funded the construction of a paved, safe extension of the Pilgrim's Path that leads directly from the main highway to the School’s gates. This allows students and their own children to embark on their journeys of self-discovery with a formal connection to the wider world.

The College Spur: A History of Construction

Phase I: The Seekers' Trail (Year 122 - 130) When Mormyar first bought the ruin, there was no road—only the wild forest.

• The First Students: The very first apprentices who sought out the reclusive Wizard were true Pilgrims. They had to hack their way through the undergrowth of the Storm-Wall foothills.

• The Dirt Path: Over the first decade, as more students came, their foot traffic beat down the grass into a hard-packed dirt trail. It was basic, muddy in the "Weeping Summer," and treacherous in winter, but it marked the College as a place worth finding.

Phase II: The Cobblestone Extension (Year 130 - Present) As Sariel Galaamne began the massive expansion of the school into the mountain, she realized the "Dirt Path" was insufficient. The ambition of the College required logistics—wagons of food, carts of parchment, and crates of raw ore for the Artificers.

The Upgrade: Mormyar and Sariel didn't just hire workers; they treated the road construction as an act of High Magic and Engineering.

• The Materials: They paved the extension with interlocking, magically-hardened cobblestones that shed water (crucial for the rainy season) and resist frost-heave (crucial for winter).

• The Connection: This paved road connects the College gates directly to the Imperial Highway (the main artery of the Pilgrim's Path).

• The Impact:

  1. Trade: It transformed the school from a hidden retreat into a booming economic hub. Merchants can now reliably deliver heavy goods regardless of the weather.

  2. Safety: The road is patrolled by Abjuration Wards (Mormyar’s design) that deter casual predators, making the final leg of the journey safe for young prospective students.

Current Narrative Context (Year 182)

The Contrast of the Gate The Cobblestone Extension creates a stark physical boundary at the College Gates.

• Inside looking Out: When the Lightfate Children (and other students) stand at the gates, they see the safe, paved road leading to the world.

• The Drop-Off: However, once that paved extension hits the main wilderness or the older, less-maintained sections of the Pilgrim's Path, the reality of the world hits hard.

The Heirs of Fate (The Lightfate Children)

All children born to the couple are Aasimar, inheriting the celestial blood of their demigod mother. They have all attempted the Pilgrim's Path, a rite of passage for coming of age in Tayon, but the road has claimed them in different ways.

1. Uriven Lightfate (Male, Age 58)

• Role: Dean of Admissions / The Homemaker.

• The Journey: Born in 124. He left for his pilgrimage but didn't make it past the school's perimeter. On the path near the gates, he met Kaelynn, a Wood Elf ranger. They fell in love instantly.

• The Household: Uriven returned to the school with her.

  • The Wife: Kaelynn (Wood Elf).

  • The Concubine: Kaelynn’s sister, Maelys, also joined the household as Uriven's concubine—an arrangement proposed and managed by the sisters themselves.

  • The "Son": Uriven adopted Kaelynn’s youngest brother, Thalis.

  • The Age Quirk: Because Wood Elves live so long, Thalis (the "son") is chronologically older than Uriven (the father). Thalis is likely ~80, while Uriven is 58. The family dynamic is famously confusing to outsiders but works perfectly for them.

2. Keyra Lightfate (Female, Age 44)

• Role: The Recluse of the Valley.

• The Journey: Born in 138. She left on the Path at age 16. However, a violent "Iron Winter" storm struck early. She was forced to take shelter in the estate of an ancient Elven couple (Age ~600) just down the valley.

• The Outcome: The couple, wealthy and lonely, offered her shelter that turned into a permanent home. Keyra fell in love with the quiet, opulent safety of their household. She became a concubine to the couple, living a life of pampered domesticity. She rarely visits the school, despite being only a few miles away.

3. Inamys Lightfate (Female, Age 30)

• Role: Professor of Abjuration / The Eternal Student.

• The Journey: Born in 152. She left on the Path with high hopes, traveling south for a few weeks. However, the further she got from the "Light of Saraheniel" (the central tower), the more anxious she became. She followed her heart, which led her right back to the library.

• Current Status: She resides at the college, burying herself in research. She is the most magically gifted of the siblings but lacks the drive to leave the nest.

4. Sylbella Galaamne (Female, Age 16)

• Role: The Pilgrim / The Builder.

• The Journey: Born in 166. She is the only child who uses her mother’s surname. She idolizes Sariel’s history as an Artificer and builder.

• The Departure: Unlike her siblings, she did not wait for the traditional age of 16. At 13, driven by a fierce desire to "build something real," she packed her pack and walked away.

• The Hardship: She forced herself to stay on the road for 3 years, enduring the rain, the mud, and the danger, refusing to turn back like Inamys or settle like Keyra.

• Current Status (Year 182): She has just decided to return home. She is currently on the road, miles from the school, a hardened level 2 Artificer carrying a sketchbook full of designs, finally ready to see her mother again.