Toltharien

Toltharien (Elven, lit. “Place of Tolthar”) is the ruin of a mage's college that was founded approximately thirty years before the beginning of the Age of Kings. Situated just off the main road between Woodsong and Shadygrove, nestled among the pines of the great forest, the ruins have recently undergone an inexplicable reconstruction.

History
The college was founded by Archwizard Stephan Tolthar, a former member of the Magisterium. Rumoured to have been involved in a dispute within the Magisterium council, Tolthar abandoned his position and established Toltharien as a separate organisation of magical learning and experimentation.

At the time, many within the Magisterium considered Toltharien to be an unwelcome rival of some significant prowess. The college attracted academics and magical practitioners from across Emberglow and remained in operation for over 200 years, at which point a magical accident of some kind is believed to have levelled the tower and ended the college permanently.

Toltharien was known to have connections with several other organisations within Emberglow, including the legendary Guild of Heroes. While the Magisterium did offer to help support Toltharien with funding at one time in the college's relatively short life, this offer was refused; Officially the college wanted to remain entirely independent of the Magisterium, though some believe it had special access to some unknown resource that made external funding unnecessary.

Toltharien was lead by a council of 12. At the head of this council was the position of President of Toltharien, a position that was towards the latter years of the college's existence renamed to Archmage.

Events of SR571
(For more information, see Chapter Twelve)

Ser Loras Justinian and his party visited the ruins of Toltharien in the summer of SR571. With the permission of Baron Ludvig of The Shady Grove, Ser Loras investigated the hidden aspects of Toltharien. The group's exploits resulted in the re-emergence of Toltharien's main tower; the long-term consequences of this are currently unclear.