Schools in Belgar-earth?

[lawtalkingguy]

Greetings everyone,

I was recently inspired to try some "just for fun" fan writing. (By day, I write documents for the government. The plots are terribly dry, and in the end, the State always wins no matter how much of our money it spends.)

After two dozen short stories and a few novellas, all in various stages of edit and solicitation, I finally had an idea in somebody ELSE'S universe that I thought was worth trying out, just for the pure enjoyment of writing it and sharing it. It's actually very rare for me, as a writer, to have an idea in someone else's realm... it must be a result of the incredible familiarity and comfort level Eddings' stories lend to his settings. He develops them very well. Usually an existing setting turns the ol' creativity endorphines right off, but not this time.

Anyway, for this story, I am postulating that there is a massive emergence of "civilization" in the years "After Eriond" in Belgar-earth. The characters we know so well are not the focus of the new story; instead, I cast a broader net in a somewhat new direction. One of my central theses is that education and infrastructure absolutely take off, since the repetitions are "un-frozen" now. In order to have a setting with developed (and newly-developing) academies, colleges, and universities, I must first figure out what stalwart, storied institutions already exist and have survived all the millennia of the Necessity Wars! (Or didn't survive, in the case of whatever might have been in Mar Amon or Vo Wacune, etc)

So far I have found:

1. University of Melcene (obviously)
2. Imperial War College at Tol Honeth (from BtS)
3. Drasnian Intelligence Service Academy (Kotu? Boktor? both?)
4. College of Practical Medicine at Sulturn (from PtS)
5. Dagashi Academy at Araga, Cthol Murgos (from KotM)
6. Women's Academy of Arendia at Lake Erat (from PtS, ostensibly defunct for the time being)
7. Alorn Naval Academy (can't remember which Cherek city it was in, but it seems they mentioned it in either PoP or GotW)
8. Mallorean War Academy (memory is foggy, must read Malloreon again, very sketchy on this one and afraid I might be conflating it with #2.)

I also need to know locations, locations, locations. Not every location is going to have a school, but every school needs a location! In addition to the very detailed list in Wikipedia, I have noticed Annath (PtS), Reldegen (QoS), and a lot more of Mallorea proper (DLoK, etc). Remember, things will change. I expect #4 above to develop into Sendaria State University, for example. There's more to it than that, but I'd rather not give away the company just yet.

So I guess I'm hoping someone out there will notice an existing school or location that is as-yet unreferenced from the series. Anyone? Anyone?

Bueller?

Thanks in advance, folks.

 

[devilsgrin]

there is also the University of Tol Honeth...attached to which is the Imperial Library.

Drasnian Intelligence Service Academy is based (ostensibly at least) in Boktor.

the Women's Academy? i'm sure your referring to the "finishing school" Polgara created for the wacite ladies she "moulded" during her time in Arendia? if so it was in her town house at Vo Wacune, not at her manor house at Lake Erat.

If i recall correctly, the Alorn Naval Academy is in Eldrigshaven although it could also have been in Jarviksholm... positive it was not in Val Alorn.

 

[The Ace]

Yes, but the University of Tol Honeth only educates the Crown Prince (and, I'd assume his brothers and sisters).


I'd assume some central college for the grolims as well but they're so close-mouthed we'll probably never know, although Mal Yaska would make sense.

If there were a Mallorean War Academy, the logical place would be Mal Zeth.

 

[lawtalkingguy]

Thanks for the input so far. This is definitely helping. Anyone else reading, feel free to jump in.

Do you suppose the University at Tol Honeth (in the "modern day") is the same institution as the Imperial War College at Tol Honeth in BtS at the time of the Battle of Vo Mimbre? If they are two separate schools, I want to make sure to refer to them as such, because it might give rise to the "oldest rivalry." Are we sure the UTH is only for the royal family? That does sound vaguely familiar. I just started another run through Bel-Mal so I'll keep my eyes open for that.

Alorn Naval Academy in Eldrigshaven "sounds" correct. I will watch for that too. Given that Eld. is the closest city to the Cherek Bore, it would make sense to train sailors there. Something is in Jarviksholm but darned if I can remember what. Other than traitors and insurgents.

Thanks for the correction on the Womens' Academy. Since at the beginning of Bel, nobody in Sendaria remembers the Duchess of Erat and Vo Wacune is a smoking crater, it might be safe to tag that one as defunct, but if it starts again it would (I imagine) assume its institutional "history" for prestige purposes.

There is most definitely going to be a Mallorean military academy in my story, but I am searching to find out if it already exists first so I can attribute it properly. All that history about the Mallorean-Melcene exchange program seems to mention something along those lines.

Thanks and keep it coming!
-Mike

 

[devilsgrin]

it is mentioned that the reason for the existence of the University of Tol Honeth is solely for the education of the Crown Prince, however, considering Tolnedran practicality (the blood-mix from whence the Sendarian predisposition for that virtue comes), there is no possible way that others aren't being educated there as well. And if not "being educated" they are certainly learning and thinking, and coming up with all sorts of theories...

The War College is unlikely the same insitution just 500 years on. As since once and officer's commission is purchased, the officer would need to be educated somewhere... and as much as we might dislike Tolnedran military arrogance, we can't deny that they are the finest professional military in Belgar-Earth even moreso than the Mallorean's - the western cultures in Eddings' worlds always seemed more creative and adaptive to change (i always thought of it as Seption... i made it up... The World of Seven Gods - yes i know about UL and Eriond, but i envision the Tolnedran's or Alorns coming up with a word rather like it)

Possibly lots of shipyards in Jarviksholm.... "Cherek Warship Production Facility"

It would seem that all the Grolim Temples are in effect Grolim Academies.... it seemed to me that Zandramas was trained at the temple in Darshiva where Necessity of Dark made her Child of Dark... And remember, no Western Grolim would have EVER been trained in Urvon's city. Ctuchik would have never allowed that.

 

[The Ace]

That's a point, DG.

Basic grolim training could certainly be done in the temples (perhaps leading to Belgarath's aside that grolim sorcery isn't all that profound) but given Ctuchik and Urvon's intense rivalry and desire for power, it wouldn't surprise me if both founded small projects at Rak Cthol and Mal Yaska respectively, which would probably grow in time.

The Imperial Military College ( sons of the nobility or talented commoners) and the University of Tol Honeth would indeed be separate institutions and although founded for the education of the Imperial Family, I'm sure that Nedra would have a word with the emperor if some noble wanted his son to be educated at the latter and the price was right. As Silk said, "Everything's for sale in Tol Honeth."

Murgos would probably gain most of their education either in temples or local schools (boys only due to their military society).

 

[ghost8772]

hmmmmm.......
What about
The center for higher learning - Kell (SoK)

 

[lawtalkingguy]

hmmmmm.......
What about
The center for higher learning - Kell (SoK)

Well, that's a fun idea, and a good speculation on what schools could exist in the After Eriond era. But there's no question that it doesn't exist yet. Kell has no formal industry at all and a hive mind to boot.

I am in QoS now and they just mentioned Imperial War College in Tolnedra again, so that one is really REALLY confirmed. I expect to hear about the University of Tol Honeth in about a hundred pages or so, after they pass through Dravor's land.

PoP did not mention the Alorn Navy base, so I'm going to look for it again in CoW, EEG, and GotW.

 

[devilsgrin]

pretty sure its something mentioned around either Barak or Greldik (the naval academy) and iirc its in GotW... it features to biggest spotlight on Cherek aside from PoP...

 

[lawtalkingguy]

I found a new one: the Imperial Mallorean Geographical Society (from Enchanter's End Game, final segment, map.) While technically not a named university, it's certainly an academic organization that exists, so at least one Mallorean school will have to account for its prior existence.

Onward to Guardians of the West! And I realized I have no copy of Rivan Codex so it's off to the store sometime soon.

 

[lawtalkingguy]

Drasnian Intelligence Service Academy is based (ostensibly at least) in Boktor.

We have a confirm on this one too.

In GotW, when Errand, Kheva, and Silk go to visit Drasnian Intel HQ, Kheva comments that "the Academy is in a bigger building on the other side of town." Silk replies that "This isn't the Academy. This is where the real work gets done." They were in Boktor at the time. DI could be said to be "everywhere," but their school is at least physically located in Boktor.

 

[The Ace]

The Imperial Mallorean Geographical society is, iirc, part of the University of Melcene. Certainly, most of its members'd draw their wages there.

 

[white_wanderer]

I can just imagine that sometime in the future of the Belgariad world, there will be pupils attending Belgarath High, or Beldin University.

Just tickled me.

 

[kirgi08]

:rofl:............