Octavian Institute

The Octavian Institute is one of the most prestigious schools in the world, holding some of the highest educational standards. It holds no magical teaching, though the prestige from the school gives graduates free access to any magic college of their choosing. While mainly nobles and the rich attend this school, scholarships are offered to the people who cannot afford it.

## History

### Founding

The Octavian Institute was founded in **259PR** under Octavian Nirva. He originally wanted to distance himself from his royal ties, wishing to do so by making a proper name for himself. Originally the school started out with just the Octavian Hall, originally called University Hall. In modern times, it would just be called a low-level school.

### Kingdom of Nirva

After its creation in **259PR**, Octavian began building a fortune through different business ventures. The funds from said business ventures were all used to fund the Institute, hoping to have some of the best education available in the region. By the time of Octavian’s death in **296PR**, the school had expanded with a Science Department, Engineering Department and History, while purchasing most of the land around it.

During the Kingdom, it began to slowly grow, not having the strong financial backing of Octavian anymore. In his honor, the school was named after him, along with the hall.

### Nirvan Republic

When the Kingdom of Nirva became a Republic in **433PR** and now ruled by the Senate, the Octavian Institute got attention once more. Realising they needed a quality place for academic learning, the Senate began funding the school, helping repair many of the buildings and creating new departments with government grants. These changes in **433PR** created the Arts department, Theology department and both libraries.

Before the end of the 4th century, more grants from noble families helped the Octavian Institute grow, giving them access to residential buildings and the creation of the Health and Law department, along with the building of the Gym and Stadium.

Further expansions happened in **509PR** with the end of the Early Republic and conquering of Lamion. With access to the wealth of knowledge from the Elves, and new funding, the Octavian Institute used its stored assets to add a few more departments such as Agriculture, Language/International Studies, Philosophy, and a second Science building.

With the fall of Ilaka in **665PR**, many of the Octavian Scholars managed to collect artifacts from the ruins, increasing the school's prestige. This allowed them to get more students, grants and income, letting them add the rest of what is seen today: the three residential buildings, the Business department, the General department, a building for staff and the Military and Politics department. Ironically, the fall of such a historic nation allowed for the school to succeed to the point it is today.

## Buildings and Sites

The Octavian Institute is all within a single location in the capital of the Nirvan Republic, Nirva. Being so old, they managed to get a large amount of room for themselves to expand outwards and have different buildings for different specialities.

### Departments

There are many different departments of the Octavian Institute.

#### Agriculture

The Agriculture department deals with all learning related to agriculture, having their own greenhouse and laboratory within the building. A lot of the research deals with the plants and their reaction to the different climates and the makeup of the soil.

#### Arts

The Arts department is more open, similar to General, though focuses more on the artistic nature. This includes visual arts and different literature, having a theatre close by for anyone joining the acting side. While the building is small in width, it has many floors both up and underground.

#### Business

The Business department deals with all things business, understanding marketing, management, accounting and some of the laws surrounding. While a bit of a boring subject to learn, they have some of the richest and most successful people in Nirva teaching there.

#### Engineering

The Engineering department is one of the more successful parts of the Octavian Institute. Making a large amount of money by helping market and sell the inventions of their students. In order to help the students they even have a similar style to Sunwarm, having their own network to market and sell goods.

#### General

When people want to come for a higher quality general education, this is the building it is done for. Simply put, it is a glorified and more expensive normal school, though does allow the students that graduate to enter the institute with a better chance to succeed.

#### Health

The Health department is where doctors and physicians go to learn. Out of this department have come some of the finest doctors known to the age, revolutionising medical practice even without the use of magic.

#### History

The History department focuses on the study of history, also containing a section for the Octavian Museum. A lot of the scholars from region have made their start here, reading up on the works of the people before them.

#### Language/International Studies

The Language and International Studies department looks closely at how the other nations function both politically, militarily and culturally, while gathering an understanding of the different languages that Arlec offers.

#### Law

The Law department deals with moth aspiring lawyers, judges and government. They deal with everything in the law, having their own library and often visiting the forums to see the debates happen live. Many politicians send their children here in order to get an advantage in the political game, especially reformers.

#### Military/Politics

The Military and Politics department deals with two widely different sections. The military section looks at understanding tactics used from history and dealing with managing and the logistics of an army, this is solely reserved to Nirvans for obvious reasons. The politics side deals with a lot of understanding on bringing legislation forward and how to convince their peers.

#### Philosophy

The Philosophy department is known for their rigorous debates, questioning everything including existence itself. While it does have its own building, teachers and classes, it is usually not their main focus and degree, rather just adding to it.

#### Science

The study of science is huge in the Octavian Institute, covering all the bases. It is heavily funded by the school, hoping to turn out quality results for future investors. Similar to engineering, they have their own network with inventions, funding students to help them discover and research new possibilities. A famous invention from here was the chemistry sub-department inventing Nirvan concrete.

#### Theology

The Theology department studies all religions, both current and past. The leaders from this department are the ones who decide if a religion is classed as official or not, and determine if it could be dangerous in the future. Their research goes as far as the Second Era.

### Leisure

#### Debate Hall

The debate hall is part of the Philosophy building, allowing students from there and elsewhere in the school to come and either debate or witness. A dedicated group of moderators watch over each debate in order to keep it calm, as it has known to be rowdy in the past.

#### Gym/Stadium

The Gym/Stadium is where individuals can work on their personal fitness, along with giving a venue for team and individual sports to be played in front of an audience. This building is one of their more popular.

#### Parks

There are 4 parks in the Institute that can help with the leisure and enjoyment of both staff and students. Each of the parks are named after a famous general in battle, with their family being honored by the Nirvan school. The biggest of the parks, Agrippa, has a pond and small stream running through it, allowing people to sit and meditate or work out in nature. The central park, Labienus, contains a fountain and many different trees from different cultures, while the other two just remain normal as to not overwhelm the students.

#### Theatre

The theatre is used for the actors and musicians from the Arts department to show off their stuff. It also helps for the school to increase the happiness of their staff and students by hiring a professional team to put on a higher quality show.

### Residential

There are 4 residential buildings for students on the campus, as many Nirvans from the city simply remain at their own house if it is close by. The buildings can hold around 5,000 students each, with staff having their own facility to stay in, though many have residence within the city. The residential buildings are each named after major sponsors of the school.

They are called: Arcadiun, Julius, Marius, and Trogus. Julius is the building for the richer students.

## Organisation

### Governance

The Institute/University is run by a council of well-respected people, usually old teachers and students from the school. The formal head is the Chancellor, with the Vice-Chancellor underneath them. The other council members have their own specific responsibilities such as education, research, planning and resources, development and external affairs and personnel. This council deals with the smaller issues, though more important topics such as a major reform can include just the department heads or all of the academic staff.

### Finances

The Octavian Institute is both private and public, being self-governing and making their own income while still accepting funds from the Senate. Key sources of their income comes from research grants (which can include selling and patents of inventions or ideas) and academic fees.

The school also accepts donations from richer members, naming wings of buildings after them, this is how the residential areas were named.

## Academic Profile

### Admission

The Octavian Institute usually takes their students from different schools in the region that have a trusted degree of educational standards. If the student was the highest in their level, then they are usually accepted immediately, with the Octavians administration pry to see if their reputation holds up and they have not cheated or bought their way to the top. Other students in the level must take the admission exam to see if they are accepted, their reputation also taken into account.

Students coming from outside the main schools that have been accepted by the Octavian Institute must take the admission test, or otherwise prove that they are of the academic level needed to access the school.

### Teaching and Degrees

Undergraduate teaching is focused on tutorials and seminars. Seminars are where the students learn from a lecture while a tutorial is about putting it in practice. The average time at school for a student is 8 hours a day, with an hour dedicated to lunch. The classes end 10 minutes earlier in order to give the students a chance to get to their next classroom, though they are usually focused in the same spot unless they are taking a less-focused degree.

Most degrees are undertaken for 3-4 years, some reaching 6. Students are given 3 breaks during the year, in Deamber and Janu, Mak and Septim. Their yearly or final exams are taken in Novollo with the graduation ceremony at the end.

### Scholarships

If a student is able to pass the admission test but unable to afford the schools fees, they are able to receive financial help. These come either from the Senate, which has made efforts to increase the education level of their poorer individuals, or the school. Around 20 students per year are given a scholarship that either fully pays for their tuition and expenses or pays a large portion. The amount is dependent on how much the individual and their family already has, to ensure that the school is not taken advantage of.

### Libraries

The Octavian Institute contains two major libraries, and many other individual ones that are department focussed. The libraries are maintained by the school, and have security watching over them. By the allowance of the Senate, the Octavian Institute is able to request a free copy of every book published in the Republic, having their own team of copiers for such an action.

Students are able to access the library at any time, including alumni. While books have been stolen before, since the administration reforms, the books have always been recorded and found, with many thieves going to jail for extended times due to the school's influence. Help from the Caesar College has ensured the libraries are magically protected, with a large basement underneath

### Museums

The Octavian Institute contains a number of museums in each department, and a major one included in the History building. The main one contains a number of artifacts and paintings acquired by the school, including some from their own alumni. When Ilaka fell, the Institute made sure to quickly search the remains and find what they could to bring it to the school.

### Publishing

The Octavian Institute has its own publishing division, while the building is not on campus, it allows authors of any type to gain easy publishing access through the school. The quality of work does not need to be the high academic quality one would expect, even allowing children's books and memoirs to be published through them.

### Rankings and Reputation

The Octavian Institute is regularly ranked within the top 5 universities in the world, and is currently ranked the first according to the Arlec Higher Education Rankings (AHER), and 2nd by the Tarkan World Rankings.

It is ranked first for History and International Studies, while still holding high rankings for everything else.

## Student Life

### Traditions

To show they are a student in Nirva, the uniform of the institute (required to be worn during examinations, meetings and formal events) is a toga with a black sash, teachers and academic staff wearing it with a blue sash. Only when in casual clothes can a Nirvan wear their normal sash, or an international student wear their normal clothes. In the colder months, this changes from a white toga with a black or blue sash to a black toga with a white or blue sash.

Balls are a very popular major event in the Octavian Institute. They can have all different themes but annually the school itself hosts the Octavian Ball, which requires students to wear their formal attire but all food and comfort are paid for. It gives the students the chance to enjoy themselves before they go back home during the 2 month break.

### Clubs and Societies

Sport is popular at the school, with many departments or residential areas forming their own teams. At a higher level, there is a university wide group, such as the Octavian Handball team. Most of these games are held at the stadium for the entertainment of other students but they can be held elsewhere in Nirva, or internationally if achieved.

Clubs are also popular, allowing people to join a club based on their faith, political party, country, culture or hobby. All of which are monitored by the school to ensure there is no abuse but otherwise are self-governing.

## Notable Alumni

### General

Gaius Calenus - Son of Arruns Calenus and leader of the Calenus Faction. Became Consul in **451PR** and **467PR**.

### Law

Aktis Carto - Became Emperor of the Carto Empire in **542PR**.

### Multiple Bachelors

Zakaria Fidalgo - Became King of Gonarundu in **518PR**, known as one of the 'Good Kings'.

Altes Carto - Became Emperor of the Carto Empire in **533PR**.