The Harrowfield Institute
Tier: IV, Strong Hold
Founded in 27 AB by the influential Harrowfield family, the Harrowfield Institute is the premier research academy in Awarth, known for advancing industrial sciences and arcane studies. Originally established to address rising spectral phenomena after the Big Boil, the Institute has become a cornerstone of innovation and education in Awarth. Its scholars are responsible for pioneering Gree-reactive technology, stabilizing arcane machinery, and developing protocols to manage spectral outbreaks.
The Institute's public-facing mission is to provide knowledge and practical solutions for the city’s industries and Holds. It offers education to the populace of Awarth, trains field operatives, and works closely with the Council of Anchors to maintain order in the face of supernatural threats. However, beneath its prestigious exterior, the Institute harbors hidden archives of forbidden knowledge and a quiet obsession with unraveling the mysteries of death and the Churn.
Though respected for its contributions, whispers of secretive experiments and dangerous ambitions persist. The Institute walks a delicate balance between progress and peril, safeguarding Awarth’s future while grappling with the cost of knowledge in a city where the boundary between life and death is ever shifting.
Turf
The Harrowfield Institute’s primary campus is located near Beacon's Heart, a bustling square in Anchorage Heights The campus (HQ) is an interconnected complex of lecture halls, research facilities, and administration buildings, marked by imposing architecture and fortified entrances. Though the Institute maintains a public-facing presence here, many of its more dangerous projects are conducted elsewhere, especially in The Gasheart and The Shales.
Notable Assets
- The Harrowfield Vault: A secured vault beneath the main campus that contains forbidden relics, spectral artifacts, and dangerous texts.
- The Gasheart: A fortified research facility in The Shales dedicated to gree-reactive vapors and spectral experiments.
- The Lanterns – An elite cadre of field researchers and retrieval specialists trained to navigate Awarth’s most hazardous zones and recover valuable relics.
Quirks
- Boundary Walkers: The Institute’s scholars operate on the thin boundary between life and death, viewing spirits as resources to be studied, controlled, or bound.
- Experimental Obsession: The Institute pushes the boundaries of acceptable inquiry, often at great risk. Many of its researchers prioritize discovery over safety, leading to frequent accidents and moral debates.
- Gree-Fueled Academia: The Institute’s work relies heavily on gree-based technology, particularly in its more experimental devices. This dependency makes them powerful allies of Awarth’s industrial elite but also targets for sabotage.
Allies
The Esoteric Archive, Greefolk
Enemies
Comments