The Fabrigia Institute

Nestled within the shadowed heart of Necropolis, the School of the Dark Arts stands as a testament to the city's unorthodox embrace of decay, rebirth, and the power of the Void. More than a mere institution, it is a sprawling network of buildings scattered throughout the city, seamlessly woven into its macabre tapestry. Once the sole domain of the Necromancers, the school now thrives under the joint stewardship of the Necromancers and the Dark Path, serving as a beacon of knowledge for those who seek mastery of the Dark. With its unmatched repository of magical lore, the school attracts students from all walks of life, united by their commitment to the cyclical nature of existence and the transformative energy of decay. Here, amidst the haunting beauty of moss-covered stone and the flickering glow of spectral light, future masters of the Dark Arts are forged, shaping the destiny of a city that thrives on the edge of the abyss.

Governance:

• Joint Leadership:
• The school is co-run by the Necromancers and the Dark Path, symbolizing a collaboration of their philosophies.
• Leadership alternates between prominent figures from both groups, fostering balance in curriculum and policy.
• Admissions and Diversity:
• Open to anyone capable of understanding and utilizing the Dark, regardless of their background.
• Students range from devout followers of the Dark Path to Necromancers honing their craft, and even independent mages drawn by the allure of Dark Lore.

Purpose / Function

Core Mission:

• To teach the mastery of the Dark as both a philosophy and a practical tool.
• To cultivate new generations of magical practitioners who understand the cycles of decay and rebirth, ensuring the survival and growth of Necropolis.

Architecture

Distributed Design

• The school is not a single campus but a network of buildings scattered across Necropolis.
• Each building serves a specific purpose—classrooms, laboratories, lecture halls, dormitories, and, of course, Dark Lore, the great library.
• The scattered layout ensures the school is deeply integrated into the city, making it a natural extension of Necropolis itself.

Style and Aesthetic

• The architecture is consistent with the city's dark and macabre ethos.
• Structures are built from dark stone, adorned with carvings depicting the cyclical nature of life and death.
• Luminescent mosses and magical flames light hallways and exteriors, casting a haunting yet serene glow.
• Some buildings have subterranean levels, echoing the Necromancers' roots in the undercity.

Key Locations

Defenses

Strategic Integration:

• Scattered throughout Necropolis, the school buildings are inherently difficult to isolate or destroy without engaging the entire city.
• This integration ensures the school is both a part of the city’s fabric and protected by its populace.

Inherent Strength:

• Many instructors and advanced students are formidable practitioners of the Dark Arts, serving as natural defenders.
• Necromantic constructs—animated skeletons, undead guardians, and other creations—patrol the grounds.

Wards and Barriers:

• Each building is heavily warded with magical protections, including alarms, barriers, and traps triggered by unauthorized entry.
• Some wards harness the decay and death in the surrounding environment, turning it against intruders.

Defensive Alliances:

• The school maintains strong ties with the Necromancers and the Dark Path, ensuring swift retaliation from their forces in the event of an attack.
• Practitioners across the city can be summoned to defend the school as part of the larger Necropolis defense network.

You step into the classroom, and the air immediately shifts—cool, damp, and faintly tinged with the earthy aroma of decay. The walls are lined with dark, moss-covered stone, their surface alive with glowing fungi that cast a ghostly, pulsating light. Shelves brimming with ancient tomes and vials of mysterious substances fill every corner, their contents labeled in an elegant, spidery script. The floor is made of polished obsidian, streaked with veins of silver that reflect the faint luminescence, creating the illusion of standing on a starry night sky. At the center of the room, a circular stone table dominates the space, its surface etched with intricate runes that seem to shift and writhe as you look closer.

Above, heavy iron chandeliers hang low, their candle-like flames flickering an unnatural green. The faint whispers of past lessons seem to linger in the air, a spectral hum that rises and falls like a distant tide. Around the edges of the room, shadowed alcoves house skeletal figures poised as if mid-motion—some wielding tools, others clutching scrolls—silent sentinels to the knowledge shared here. The instructor's lectern, carved from what appears to be petrified wood, stands at the far end, draped with black and deep crimson fabrics. A single wordless truth settles over you as you take it all in: this is a place where death is not feared but understood, its secrets unraveled for those daring enough to listen.

Type

School

Parent Location

Necropolis

Owning Organization

Necromancers

Contested By

• The Dark Path

Related Historical Events

• 28 SE
  The Fabrigia Institute

Student Life

Curriculum

• Necromancy: Mastery of decay, regeneration, and the manipulation of life and death.
• The Dark Path: Meditation, philosophy, and the practical use of the Dark as an expression of the Void.
• Combat Applications: Defense and offensive techniques using the Dark in magical duels and warfare.
• Alchemy and Herbology: The study of fungi, oozes, and decay to create potions and magical materials.

Training Grounds

• Some buildings include arenas for magical duels and simulations of real-world scenarios involving Dark Arts.

Cultural Integration

• The school’s spread across Necropolis fosters a deep connection between students and the city, with opportunities for mentorship and collaboration with the populace.

Graduation and Contribution

• Graduates are expected to contribute to Necropolis, either by teaching, defending the city, or advancing its magical and philosophical foundations.

Background: The Fabrigia Institute

• You may choose this background if your character is living within Necropolis at the start of the campaign. You may have been born here or you may have traveled from another camp. Either way, you are committed to the Dark.

You knew (potentially in secret) that you were gifted. You could see the world in ways others could not, sense energies hidden to the rest. You began studying the arcane in your spare time away from trials and monotonies of daily life. When you had finally learned your limit, you applied to Fabrigia. They quickly discovered your potential and gilded your life with a paid scholarship.

• Skill Proficiencies. Commune and Induce
• Languages. Two languages of your choice.
• Equipment. Select one—Somatic Surrogate, Vocal Proxy, or Sigil Projector (gadget or module).

Feature: Researcher

When you attempt to learn or recall a piece of lore, if you do not know that information, you often know where and from whom you can obtain it. Usually, this information comes from a library, scriptorium, university, or a sage or other learned person or creature. Your DM might rule that the knowledge you seek is secreted away in an almost inaccessible place, or that it simply cannot be found. Unearthing the deepest secrets of the multiverse can require an adventure or even a whole campaign.

Suggested Characteristics

Students of The Fabrigia Institute are defined by their extensive studies, and their characteristics reflect this life of study. Devoted to scholarly pursuits, such a student values knowledge highly — sometimes in its own right, sometimes as a means toward other ideals.

Contacts

The school is large and is important within the school. Most of the factions send their candidates here to receive their education. Because of this, it is easy to create contacts within any of the Necropolis factions. Roll twice on the Fabrigia Institute contacts table, once for an ally and once for a rival. Roll Twice on the Factions Contacts Table.