The Bickerstaff Institute

The Bickerstaff Institute is a recent arrival to the Underdark, having only made their home in the Tarantula nation in 1116.

A mainly human group, the Institute dedicates itself to the application of medical knowledge in providing aid to all those who need it, without discrimination. In recent times, however, the knowledge of the Institute has grown to include the medical treatment of those labelled “Unliving” by the majority of Edreja, and has almost become the sole focus of the Institute.

To promote the goals of learning and self awareness, the Institute, with generous help from the Tarantulan hierarchy, encourages all of its human members to take part in the ritual of Awakening to fully explore the potential of all its staff and students. 

 

Heraldry

The Bickerstaff Institute can be recognised by the Institute emblem a Caduceus symbol atop a working machine cog. This emblem was chosen to represent the Institute’s main purpose, that of delivering schooling and practice in the medical arts, with the cog representing the progress and hard work by all members of the Institute.

Members of the Institute will choose to wear the emblem in a variety of ways, but the most popular is the small badge applied to an outer garment of clothing.

More senior members of staff may also choose to wear the emblem of their Faculty alongside the Institute emblem, either of the Executive, Apothecary or Spellworking schools.

The motto of the Institute first began as “From Darkness, Knowledge”. Reflecting the desire for learning that the founding members had. However, on taking up residence in the Underdark, a subtle change to the motto was made by Prof. Edwin Bickerstaff (3^rd Principle of the Institute) to “In Darkness, Knowledge” to reflect the new residence and work that the Institute was conducting.

 

In order to conduct proper relations with the Tarantulas and abide by the culture of the Matriarchy, the Institute has established an honourary position that will be held by a high ranking female in the Institute. She will be the main point of contact within the Institute for any Matron Mother or the Valsharess if they require anything from the Bickerstaff Institute. 

 

Residence

On fleeing from the surface lands, Edwin Bickerstaff thought it sensible to seek refuge in a land sympathetic to the new direction that the Institute was taking in regards to Unliving.

 

On arriving in the Underdark, the Institute was regarded warily but on the promise of the rendering of all possible services to the peoples and Unliving of the Tarantulan nation, a small area of The Academies was reserved for the Institute to carry on its teaching and research. 

 

Leadership

The Bickerstaff Institute is led and directed by the Principal who oversees the running and direction of the research of the three schools, as well as the overall medical practice and staff.

Each school is then assigned a Dean to orchestrate the administration and general day to day business of their respective school.

The short list below details the current incumbents of the Faculty of the Bickerstaff Institute;

 

• Principal – Prof. Edwin Bickerstaff
• Dean Of the Executive School – Empty
• Dean of the School of Apothecary – Cornelia Roman
• Dean of the School of Spellworking – Empty 

 

Recent History

The Bickerstaff Institute was founded in Lantia many decades ago by Dr Argus Bickerstaff (Great Great Grandfather to the current Principle, Edwin) with the sole purpose of bringing healing magic and physical medical treatment to outlying towns and villages where there was little help from the Government. Alongside this, in order to promote understanding and provide more assistance, training of the local populus in the healing arts also began.

 

In 1115, a large mass of Unliving was bought forth onto the Islands of Lantia. Large groups began randomly attacking smaller villages and outlying settlements on the islands, slaughtering civilians and corrupting the patterns of a few survivors. One of these groups encroached onto the town that the Institute had attached itself to. During a pitched battle the Institutes militia fought off a small raiding party, but the Dean of the Executive School, Juliana Bickerstaff, wife of the Principle, was taken and her pattern corrupted.

 

A rescue party managed to retrieve Juliana but the local villagers saw her as an abomination and demanded she be handed over. The Institute refused, and work began to attempt to reverse the corruption that had taken place.

 

One night, the Institute was assaulted by a mob of local villagers who had decided the Institute was to blame for the Unliving attacks, further proven by the fact they were now harbouring one of them inside. Juliana Bickerstaff was taken by the townspeople and killed in the town square, with the rest of the Institute set ablaze, and the promise of the Lantian Army arriving to purge the remainder of the criminals within.

 

It took several hours for the staff to disperse the entire Institute and allow for the safe escape of all the students, who fled to parts unknown throughout Edreja. The staff then managed to flee just before the arrival of the soldiers, with a promise to regroup in another nations land to continue the work of the Institute.

 

To this day, nearly all the students and staff members, including the Dean of the School of Spellworking, Beregost Longbeard and the Institutes Groundskeeper Brom, remain missing.

 

Much of the research that had been so carefully worked on for decades was lost, and the work had to be restarted from scratch.