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==Tregleam, The Hanging University== Four large, hollowed stalactites conjoined by bridges and reinforced by both magical and technological means make up this college and the town--of sorts--surrounding it. The first--and largest--stalactite contains most of the school's classrooms. It is some thirty-five stories tall, though the bottom-most floors are scarcely larger than a single room and are largely reserved for personal offices of the professors. Locals generally call it "the School". The second-largest stalactite is set aside as dormitories. Due to constraints of space, the professors, administration, and even some non-University-associated citydwellers live here. This stalactite, like the first, is immense, measuring just slightly smaller than its sister at thirty-two stories. Locals refer to this stalactite as "the Dorms". The third stalactite, located most centrally to the grouping, is set aside for a surprisingly ample market, a hearty cafeteria, several theatres, a small business sector, and even a timid industrial sector. This stalactite clocks in at twenty-four stories. Residents call this stalactite "the Markets". The fourth, and final, stalactite is unique in that it is only attached to the university stalactite. At sixteen stories, it has limited space inside. As such it is reserved for both college and city administration. Locals call this stalactite "Admin". ===The Departments=== The university is one of the best in the world; it has several prominent and powerful sports teams and a very well-off magical department. Perhaps weakest is the college's science department, but even here it is a strong school. There are five major departments: Liberal Arts, Mathematics, Sciences, Arcane Studies, and Theological Studies. The university's Liberal Arts department puts on two plays per semester: one dramatic and one musical. These are generally well-attended and act as a large source of income for the department. Three to five smaller productions (dance shows, combat and magic demonstrations, stand-up and improvisational comedy, talent shows, and more) run frequently, generally one to two each week, Some of the better artisans have their creations showcased in the Markets in private galleries. Paints and sculpture, perhaps due to spatial constraints, are not as popular as prose, musical composition, poetry, play-writing, and pencil and charcoal drawing. The university's newspaper serves as the whole town's news source. The Mathematics department is one of the largest and most advanced in the world. The school has a large postgraduate research division that is currently hammering out the theory and use of advanced geometry and statistics. Strangely, there is a large crossover of students (and even some faculty) between the Mathematics and Arcane Studies departments. The university's Science department has three major foci. The first is geology: the schools is in a unique and interesting position to study the earth and its makings. There is also a strong focus on botany and (interestingly) astrology, which is performed through an annex on the surface outside. There is also a strong alchemy program, comingling Arcane Studies students with General Sciences students. The Arcane Studies department is the primary focus of the school and is arguably one-third of the school's entire curriculum. Two-thirds of the students are spellcasters of some for, the rest have at least had introductory classes to magic required by the university. The school's curriculum also has a strong focus on elemental magics, partially due to the department chair's magical preferences. The school also has a small Theological Studies department, which trains priests and holy knights in the proper rites and practices of their faiths. At any give time, nearly a quarter of the Theological Studies department is in the field on missionary work. Another quarter actively teaches in the other departments of the university. As such, Theological Studies is mostly a postgraduate program. ===Races in Tregleam=== Humans make up about 40% of the school's population, most of which are in the Mathematics, Sciences, and Liberal Arts departments. Dwarves make up about 15% of the school's population, a significant number for as mixed a school as this. Most are in the Science (particularly geology) and Mathematics departments, with a scant few in the other departments. Gnomes make up about 10% of the school's population, largely found in the Liberal Arts and Sciences departments--particularly in music, botany, and alchemy. Elves make up about 10% of the school's population. They are spread rather evenly throughout the departments, with a slightly larger fragment in Liberal Arts and Arcane Studies. The staff of the school actually has a large number of elven professors as well--likely due to their increased lifespans. Fully a quarter of the school is made up of the 'lesser' races: halflings, dromites, half-giants, gnolls, and even the occasional goblin are in attendance. More exotic races can be found at the school as well, ranging from planetouched to inesctoids to extraplanar beings. ===The Astrology Annex=== This annex, residing on the surface above the cavern, is connected to a laboratory in the Science department by a permanent ''teleportation circle''. It houses both a large telescope and a specially designed auditorium built around a spherical astrological projector. Unlike most other schools, this school draws no difference between astrology and astronomy: both programs are melded into one within the school's eyes. As such, the annex also houses the occasional class on specialized divination. The annex is the only building outside the stalactites other than the Psionics Annex, and is the only building outside the cavern which houses the stalactites. Thus, outside visitors often enter through the Annex, and outgoing field trips usually depart trhough it. Because of this, the annex also houses a small museum portraying the history of the university, as well as a small shop and a statue of the university's founder. It is also remarkably well-maintained. ===The Psionics Annex=== Added nearly fifty years after the University's founding, this series of crystalline chambers rests on the floor below the stalactites. It is a small program, mostly full of electives, but the university does offer a few degrees. Like the Astrology Annex, it is connected to the main campus via a permanent ''teleportation circle''. Students in advanced geology courses often go on field trips through this Annex, but it does not have the same traffic as the surface-side Astrology Annex. Still, due to this relationship, most geology students usually end up taking one or two psionics classes. ===Liberal Arts=== Professors of the hard sciences and hard magics often refer to this as the catch-all department: while this may be in part true, it is still a popular choice among students. ====Literature==== The Literature program that university is largely focused on creating it rather than comprehending it. Some surmise it is due to teh fact that the program head is an accomplished author, but the more likely reason is simply that the university does not have a very large library. The program includes poetry, prose, play-writing, and even associates with the music program for songwriting. ====Linguistics==== A great number of languages--living and dead--are taught at the university, some of which are difficult to find at other schools. The university has a large Terran program, for instance, but also includes languages like Goblin, Old Draconic, Abyssal, and even an advanced program on Truespeech and Dark Tongue. ====Performance Arts==== The university houses a stellar Performance program, with a strong focus on theatre. Dance, music, and related classes are also present, but they are not given the attention theatre is. Still, the program puts on a number of shows (theatrical or otherwise) consistently over the course of the year. ====History==== With having so many cultural histories to choose from, the History program within the university is somewhat lacking. It does have an umber of courses centered around both dwarven and gnomish history, but a number of races and cultures are given very few classes or are outright ignored. ====Studio Arts==== The Studio Arts program at the university is different than most others, crossing over frequently with the alchemy program and with the golemcraft program. Due to this, the classes here often have a more arcane focus and even infrequently center around the crafting of art with only magics for supplies. ===Arcane Studies=== The Arcane Studies department is the main focus of the school: its classes comprise nearly a third of the school's entire curriculum. ====Traditional Magic==== The school calls wizardly spellcasting "traditional magic" and there is a strong focus within the university on this particular kind of magic. There is also a strong focus on elemental magics, some say at the expense of illusionary magics. ====Cartomancy==== Originally a subset of the Divinations program, this program saw enough support and popularity to warrant its own set of courses. Now it trains cartomancers and even has its own associated major. ====Astronomy and Zodiamancy==== This program, centered around divination from the stars and zodiac, is unique in that all of its classes are held in the Astrology Annex. It was once a popular class, but it is quicly becoming one of the least-attended programs in the school. ====Numerology and Truespeech==== Coupled due to small class sizes and similar subject material, this program actually does not offer basic courses, instead choosing to totally be a postgraduate program. Still, it attracts prospective students in healthy numbers, many of whom reinforce the schools Mathematics and Linguistics programs. ====Alchemy==== The Alchemy program is a popular one, particularly among geology and liberal arts sudents. A strong program, it is only second to Traditional Magic in terms of scope. A postgraduate program also graces this section, which brings in many transfer students from outside. ====Golemcraft==== Golemcraft is an intramural program with the Liberal Arts department, at least in this school. As such, a lot of creations from this department are much more aesthetically pleasing than creations from nearly anywhere else. Critics state that this interferes with their function, so those looking to purchase golems sometimes shy away from Tregleam University alumni. ===Mathematics=== Despite Arcane Studies' prominent place within the school, Mathematics has a strong following and maintains a powerful curriculum. ====Numerology==== A strong program, likely due to its relations to the Arcane Studies departemnt. This program draws a number of researchers and practitioners into the broader field of Mathematics, particularly for those students who want to take some of the more advanced classes. ====Statistics==== The Mathematics department also maintains a large postgraduate program that is currently deciphering advanced geometry and statistics. The university is actually a leader in this field, with very few actual competitors. ====Geometry and Trigonometry==== Compiled into one program, this course is a major thoroughfare for many Numerology students, particularly for those interested in applying their magics in three-dimensional space most effectively. ===Science=== The Sciences are supported largely by the dwarven and gnomish faculty, which is to be expected. The classes within this department, though, are often weak, stemming largely from underfunding and the school's heavy focus on Arcane Studies. ====Geology==== An exception to the school's traditionally weak science programs, this program is able to make do largely due to the wealth of information readily available: the school could not be more ideal for geological studies unless it were on the Elemental Plane of Earth! ====Botany==== Being underground doesn't prevent the school from having a decent botany program, albeit a strange one. Unlike many botany programs, this one focuses largely on sub-terrestrial plant life, fungi, and animate and sentient plants. ====Astrology/Astronomy==== Being underground doesn't prevent stargazing either. This program sees a lot of cross-discipline students from Arcane Studies, most of which are aspiring diviners and clairvoyants. ====Alchemy==== An intramural program with Arcane Studies, the Alchemy program is actually a large draw for incoming first-year and postgraduate students. This is also a large program that shares a lot of its students with Geology and Golemcraft. ===Theological Studies=== The school's smallest program, most of this department is made up of professors from other disciplines. It is largely a postgraduate program, partially due to the fact that those who wish to study theology usually take more formal training within a seminary. ===Sports and Extracurriculars=== The university has a number of sports teams, some of which are incredible players in the interschool leagues. The university also has some well-known inter-disciplinary teams as well. ====Archery==== The school, despite space restrictions, maintains a reasonably-sized (though not very powerful) archery team. The team maintains a small practice field outside the Astrology Annex. ====Fencing==== The Liberal Arts department (particularly, the Performance Arts program) funds a top-class fencing team. Many of the people on the team also take part in many of the theatrical productions put on each semester. ====Mageduels==== The Arcane Studies department funds a large mageduel team, one of the finest in the league. Several Arcane Studies students obtain full scholarships from this team each year. ====Debate==== The debate team shares many people between its ranks and the students of Linguistics and Truespeech. Those who find the power of the word intriguing also tend to find the power of argument and discourse attractive. ====Track and Field==== Not having a very large area to practice, the track and field team is not a very prominent group. Unlike most sports that require a field, though, the track and field team is able to make do with makeshift versions outside the grounds.
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