RPG Codex - The College of Archaeology

Introduction
      The College of Archaeology heads new world exploration into old world accomplishments.  They study history, art, architecture, and most importantly, science.  Also known as the College of the Blackspire or simply The College, the College of Archaeology's home base resides in the far western city of the same name.  The city took its name from the mysterious black spire, strangely intact after centuries of neglect, located in the heart of an abandoned urban metropolis.  The current city of Blackspire is one of the five largest human settlements in the new world, thanks in no small part to the College of Archaeology's presence.  Through diligent work and cooperation, the College of Archaeology and Blackspire have put the old world back on the map.
      The College of Archaeology was first established 337 years ago once the city ruins were made safe enough for human habitation.  Wandering tribes presumed to be descendants of the locals prevented any efforts at exploration for several decades before this.  The spire's size and visibility even from far outside the old city limits eventually drew a large enough effort to subdue the wandering peoples and set up a proper settlement at its base.  Once the college was successfully established, they resumed the process of keeping history and organizing the calendar.  It is for this reason that all dates preceding the establishment of the college are noted as OWY (Old World Year) and all dates afterward are noted as NWY (New World Year).  This makes the current date 337 NWY.
      The College of Archaeology is currently funded by private investors interested in banking on old world technology.  For this reason, scientific discovery has taken first priority in all interests of the College.  The wealthy "corporal" class merchants of Blackspire spearhead most new excavations and studies.  Despite all of their wealth and efforts, however, not one has yet to successfully study the spire itself.  The spire remains the great curiosity of the old world always spurring the College forward to greater achievement in seeking the unknown.

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Divisions
      The College of Archaeology is divided into three sub-groups: Science, Discovery, and Preservation.  Each division services a specified niche within College functions.  While science does receive the largest amount of funding from private investors, donors from other major cities have contributed substantially to discovery in the hopes of having old world relics named after them.  Preservation is a College favorite in some circles; sadly, they are not well-funded circles.

Science

      The sub-college of science, known as the Archaeological College of Science, or ACS for short, focuses on studying, repairing and recreating old world technology.  It is is this sub-college that brought the old world miracle of NOVA back to humanity. [see Codex - NOVA for more information]  The ACS is responsible for the primary operating budget of the College of Archaeology on a whole.  Newly trademarked old world technology, such as the sunstone that provides light by burning mana in the atmosphere, internal temperature regulation systems, and the sonic railways have brought remarkable wealth to savvy investors.  The ACS maintains operable bases in every major city and in several remote outposts deemed of scientific interest.

Discovery

      The sub-college of discovery, known as the Archaeological College of Discovery, or ACD for short, focuses on exploring, charting, and deciphering old world ruins and history.  It is this college that first formed the core of the College of Archaeology and pressed for the exploration of Blackspire.  Excavations into sites of old world activity have yielded hundreds of clues to the past and revealed a staggeringly complex infrastructure in the old cities.  It would take a dozen lifetimes to explore even one old world ruin to its fullest.  The extreme cost of long expeditions coupled with the danger of monsters in the depths and no perceivable monetary reward have driven the ACD's activities to a near stand-still.  The ACD maintains operable bases in all major cities and in one small town, though the last operation sent out from that base ended in abysmal failure when none of the collegiates returned.

Preservation

      The sub-college of preservation, known as the Archaeological College of Preservation, or ACP for short, focuses on restoring, protecting, and honoring old world ruins.  The ACP has successfully established honorary preserves in several key locations.  They cannot, however, maintain these preserves and bandits have often found their guarded status to be of particular use when hiding from local law enforcement.  Other areas that the sub-college of preservation would like to control are either occupied by legal commercial interests that cannot be convinced to leave or illegal bandit camps unwilling to relinquish their hideaways to the public.  This sub-college has been left to flounder for several decades, unable to provide order in historical sites since vigilantes began stirring up the countryside.  The ACP maintains operable bases in Blackspire and Holocine, one of the five major cities in the new world resting on the far eastern border of "safe" territory.