(The following writings are part of the USC (University of Sog City)
holdings on Business Studies and the Performing Arts. They apparently date
from the founding of the new school in 1625 S.T. immediately following the
completion of the 7th Ecclesiastical Council. They are thought to have
been written by Pelinorius Staarki, then Vice Chancellor of the University.
That this same Pelinorius is also cited as the founder of the Ship and City
cult, the New College of Popular Astrology, the New University of the
Common Trades, and the College of Far Eastern Studies, either indicates
that this was a man of extraordinary vision or that popular mythology has
erased the truth.)
At first I was greatly disturbed by the decision of our Brithini Masters to convene the 7th Ecclesiastical Council, particularly since they insisted onn holding the council upon University grounds! However, I was not one to argue with their decision and they seemed to favor this form of entertainment.
Of course, the expense of hosting such a contingent of diverse and antagonistic churchmen and knights (yes, knights!) would surely put a severe strain upon the University's resources for years to come. Additional guards would have to be hired, food and servants would have to be found, and the Council would have to be monitored for inappropriate behavior. The costs could be astronomical.
Gradually, it dawned upon me that there was also an extraordinary opportunity here for this Council to benefit the University. Surely, this was the reason the Brithini Masters had decided to hold such an affair, if only I could seize the opportunity when it was presented. So I developed not only a short-term plan to provide the usual University tours, but I conceived a long-term plan to develop the School of Business Studies and Performing Arts.
Why I had not thought to do so before, I am not sure. Certainly the space was available on campus in the form of the old and ruined School of Performing Arts. The long-term association of that building with certain unsavory and banned performances undoubtedly was the main reason no one could see its potential use. All that was needed to put a new face on the building was money. And as I thought about money for the Council and for the building, it came to me that we had no school or college devoted to the study of money, its use in the mundane world of trade, or its use in the esoteric world of ritual. Then the realization came (while conducting discussions at the docks no less!) that trade and ritual were both mere aspects of performance. A School of Business Studies and Performing Arts made perfect sense and the new design would certainly clear up all lingering fears related to a school solely based on "art for art's sake".
I realized that there were five keys to the success of this endeavor. First, the University had to maintain a solid reputation throughout the Council so as to encourage all notables to send their children or relatives to USC. Second, an initial outlay of money was needed to overhaul the old ruins. Third, a steady stream of money was needed to keep the School
lively and vigorous (unlike our School of Necromancy, so mired in out of date practices!). Fourth, the School required a prominent name to immediately lend credibility to our efforts. Finally, the School required a professor of vision who could easily see new opportunities for growth.
With the arrival of the multitude of delegates to the University, my tasks began in earnest. Unfortunately, most church delegates were too busy discussing arcane and obscure points of Comparative Theology (though my colleagues in that faculty had a field day and claim that they have enough material to last a good century!). The knights were no better, being concerned with a trivial war in the east or with the tournaments (though the latter proved to be a good moneymaker and certainly defrayed the costs of University upkeep).
The one exception I found early on was the Lunar Ambassador who was looking to establish a new line of trade with Sog City. What luck! I thought. Surely the hand of the Invisible God himself had brought this to be. With appropriate formality, the Ambassador and I were able to forge a formal and binding agreement that would require all trade goods coming from or going to the Lunar Empire to pass through the new School of Business Studies and Performing Arts for review by the faculty and students. These goods would then be released as part of particular doctoral studies with express approval of the Vice Chancellor, the Mayor, and a representative of the Watchdog Council. That the Mayor, Judge Grudd, responded so favorably to the treaty proved my instinct in this matter.
So, with a steady stream of money and goods assured to support the School, I went looking for a patron. Though several individuals offered promises, I could not find an actual donor. Though I began to think my efforts would go for nought, a particular incident proved to be the keystone for my success. With the help of the Watchdog Council, one Igora Cleanhands, a promising student within the Faculty of Healing Arts, had undertaken a new study involving the use of a homunculus. Early attempts proved somewhat faulty however and several complaints were made to myself, including one from the University Chaplain. It appeared that the homunculus had acted in a manner similar to Tapping and that such had occurred on University grounds at the request of Gaiseron the Mystic. I was shocked, of course, and expressed my outrage to Gaiseron himself. He was clearly affected by my discourse and promptly turned over 200 crowns to allow the University to clear its name. Naturally, the First Chair of the new School was named in Gaiseron's honor.
An unfortunate incident regarding Bishop Fidele and another bishop, the first female bishop that I could recall within the Rokari church, gave me further opportunities to advance the new School. In their somewhat agitated state (the woman proved to be pregnant), they readily saw the benefit to be derived from having a school devoted to Business Studies and the Performing Arts. Their donation of 100 crowns to my efforts was most pleasing and allowed me to immediately fund more faculty positions.
Having accomplished the foundation of the School, I only had two more tasks at hand. The first, ensuring the solid reputation of the University, proved the more difficult for my colleagues were busy getting themselves into trouble. The most notable incident occurred after the prophet Notslor
spontaneously combusted. The relics were seized by Gorian Stridyeard, esteemed Professor of Necromancy. Unfortunately, he placed them in his own College tower and refused to make them available for general viewing (which surely would have proved more profitable). Of course, certain bishops decided that they wanted the relics for themselves. I finally had to intervene and enter the tower of the Necromancers myself (no sense in having churchmen wandering all over the University raising a hue and cry). I brought the relics out and delivered them to the 7th Council so that they could decide themselves how to deal with Notslor's remains. That they chose to carry them off to battle, I found a relief--they were certainly nothing but trouble to have on hand (keeping people from overfeeding the titanothere was difficult enough).
Finally, I had to find a Professor who could truly lead the School of
Business Studies and Performing Arts. And I did! A person of definite
vision and insight--none other than Igora Cleanhands. Her further efforts
at refining the use of the homunculus and in creating the first live undead
performance piece (with the aid of the College of Necromancy) showed me
that she was indeed the person for the office. Though I had to obtain some
extremely rare oysters for a colleague (which proved surprisingly easy--
merely requiring me to allow the Dragonship to dock) and ensure that
another colleague understood the arrangements I had made with her lover
(the Lunar Ambassador no less!), I was able to obtain the necessary
approvals and majority needed to raise Igora to the Gaiseron Chair in
Business Studies and Performing Arts.
Altogether, the 7th Ecclesiastical Conference could not have been more beneficial to the University. With a new School underway and cheap land available for expansion (many of the nearby buildings had unfortunately washed away when the Dragonship docked), I knew the future held great promise. Clearly, the University of Sog City was poised for bigger and better things.
End of Glorantha Digest V1 #115
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