The Madrasa of Maiden Wisdom

Founded by the Crow-Headed Queen and renamed for the mother of Mythrys, the Madrasa of Maiden Wisdom is a public institution of learning. There are a dozen or so colleges inside the City, but the Madrasa of Maiden Wisdom is the largest and most esteemed. It is unique in that it offers free education to anybody, boy or girl, human or non-human. Secondary education is administered by the “Lower Houses,” and covers literacy, arithmetic, grammar, music, and ethics. The “Upper Houses” administer advanced education in natural philosophy, law, politics, history, tactics, and logic.

Sensations:

The Madrasa is laid out like a little fortress—it’s ringed with white sandstone walls demarcating the boundaries of the campus. Inside, a surprising burst of green: a dell rich with trees surrounding a reflecting pool. Spirited youths chase each other across the dell, followed by a shouting janitor. Stone buildings are lit with mosaics depicting natural phenomena. From an open window, you hear the voice of a scholar intoning her lesson.

Rumor:

There is a third school inside the Madrasa called the “Superior House.” The teachers in this college are not flesh and blood, but devils, daemons, angels, and genii from the far realms. Students who study under these spiritual masters learn heretical metaphysics. It is said that the ghost of the Crow-Headed Queen herself teaches certain subjects.

Special City Action:

• Study language: For 200g, you may study the grammar of one of the City’s main languages at the Madrasa of Maiden Wisdom. The main languages are described on page 29. Add one language to the list of languages that you know.