College of War

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College of War
General information
Alt. names:War College
Type:Fortification
Location:Chendl, Furyondy
Demographics
Staff:Sir Reyvelis Lanistor,
Occupants:Students, instructors
Miscellaneous
Services:Military strategy education

The College of War or War College is a military training center in Chendl, noted for training some of the most advanced strategic minds of Furyondy's army, "providing most of the army’s highranking generals."[1]

Description

"On a green hill outside the Furyondan capital of Chendl sprawls a vast, white mansion surrounded by stables and fortifications. Most civilian passersby deem it the home of some wealthy lord, but a practiced military eye notes that many of the walls and catapults face each other, not any outward threat. Also, military officers across the world recognize the mansion as a hallowed training grounds: the Furyondan College of War."[1]

History

Warmasters "have served Furyondy’s military for generations, providing most of the army’s highranking generals."[1]

Members

Graduates of the College of War are called warmasters.[1]

Attendance at the college is by appointment only, not by application or promotion. "Receiving an assignment to train at the College of War is the best assignment a young officer can hope for, and those who excel in the harsh training there become a formidable presence on the battlefield."[1]

The vast majority of appointees to the War College are soldiers from standing armies, usually the Furyondan army, thus most are fighters. "The appointment process has a political aspect (as does everything else in Furyondy), so civilian 'heroes of the realm' sometimes find themselves training to become warmasters. Clerics and paladins of Heironeous and St. Cuthbert are common, but other classes are rare (every class at the College of War has at least a few wizards and rangers, however). Would-be warmasters are most often human, although every race is represented at the College of War."[1]

There are rare occassions when warmasters face each other on the battlefield, though they never put their loyalty to their fellows above that due to their nation or army.[1]

Resources

Alumni of the college frequently give aide or assitance to fellow graduates, associating them all in an "old soldier's network".[1]

Rumors and legends

In Living Greyhawk

In the RPGA Living Greyhawk Furyondy region (Michigan), the War College was used in regional adventures, most notably in A Common Defense—Round 2 (2002).

The War Colelge is a walled complex with a central courtyard. There are various features of the estate related to the support of the sudents and faculty, such as dining hall, kitchen, smithy, laundry, bunkhouse or barracks, servatns quarters, and a hall of worship for Heironeous. The college is a secure environment and is patrolled by members of the college militia.[2]

The courtyard is large enough to be used as a practice range for ballistae, or as a miniature battlefield for a mock siege, even including a river.[3]

Twenty students in varying stages of their training is a common amount of enrollment at the college.[4] As many are of noble heritage, they have squires or attendants with them.[4] It is customary at the college that all students' servants rest together under a large oak tree overlooking the courtyard where students train.[5]

Travel to the War College only takes about an hour from the streets of Chendl, and the hillside on which is sits overlooks the city.[4]

History

"The College of War was founded in 489 CY and has provided many of the highly skilled military commanders of Furyondy since. The top graduates of the college are known as Warmasters."[6]

"A Royal Decree by King Belvor IV in Planting 592 CY closed the College of War, but the college has since been reopened."[7] "A series of fatal “accidents” in the War College forced His Royal Majesty to close the College until its administrators could be cleared of wrongdoing in early 593 CY"[8] (the events of A Common Defense (RPGA, 2002) and Redemption (RPGA, 2003)).

Organization

Only some of the positions at the War College are known; they include the following:

  • Master of the College[9]—Sir Lanistor in 592 CY.
  • Master of Arms[10]—Glaristan in 592 CY.
  • Housemaster[11]

There is also always a religious leader at the college (who runs the shrine of Heironeous here), but no title is given for the position. In 592 CY, this is Spenthar, though he has only been in that position for a year.

Notable individuals

  • Sir Reyvelis Lanistor (CG hm Ftr8/Knt1/Warmaster4) — The master of the College of War (in 592 CY) is Sir Lanistor, a Knight of the Hart. Fiercely loyal, he is a militant man who drives his students with visions of conquest to drive back [their] old enemy. He was assigned to the college via royal appointment following the battles of Grabford in 588 CY.[12]
"He is the only surviving member of a proud and noble family dating back hundreds of years. His [three] brothers and [six] cousins were also in the military and were killed in the wars with Iuz."[10][12]
Lanistor has never married.[10]
"[He]... died in prison while awaiting trial and likely execution",[13] but was found to be innocent. He was murdered (through deception of Iuz), but later raised, and "lost his noble title and lands, although he retains his position at the War College and was appointed steward of his lands until such the time that a permanent heir can be appointed or located."[14]
  • Spenthar (LG male human Clr8 [Heironeous])[11]
  • Lord Jacen Fealson (LG male human Ftr6)—a student of noble birth.[11]
  • Lord Dedalen (male human Pal6)—from Crystalreach; student, paired with Lord Jacen Fealson for exercises.[11], dies in a ballista malfunction "accident" (see History, above). Rises as undead spectre, destroyed in 592 CY.[15]
  • Glaristan—Master at Arms of the college in 592 CY; agent of Iuz; tried to frame Lanistor by using "Lanistor's drive for vengenace as a way to close the college and weaken Furyondy."[12]

References

Notes

Citations

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h Sword and Fist (2001), p.37, Warmaster prestige class.
  2. ↑ A Common Defense (2002), RPGA , p.8-9, 12, 14.
  3. ↑ A Common Defense (2002), RPGA , p.13.
  4. ↑ a b c A Common Defense (2002), RPGA , p.8-9.
  5. ↑ A Common Defense (2002), RPGA , p.9.
  6. ↑ Furyondy Gazetteer (2002), RPGA, , p.7.
  7. ↑ Furyondy Gazetteer (2007), RPGA, , p.15.
  8. ↑ Furyondy Gazetteer (2007), RPGA, , p.7.
  9. ↑ A Common Defense (2002), RPGA , p.10, 11.
  10. ↑ a b c A Common Defense (2002), RPGA , p.11.
  11. ↑ a b c d A Common Defense (2002), RPGA , p.19.
  12. ↑ a b c A Common Defense (2002), RPGA , p.6.
  13. ↑ Redemption (2003), RPGA .
  14. ↑ Furyondy Gazetteer (2007), RPGA, , p.30.
  15. ↑ A Common Defense (2002), RPGA , p.14.

Bibliography

Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index

The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.

Topic Type Description Product Page/Card/Image

College of War (Chendl) Building College or School, Sword and Fist 37
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