Kael
3:53am, April 12, 2010
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[Delete] | Miskatonic University History –
Founded in 1803 in the small town of Arkham, Massachusetts Miskatonic University was named after the local valley and countryside by which it was built. Within a short distance to the Miskatonic River and various historical districts the aged and venerable has become a symbol of prestige as a school of higher learning in New England. Within its hallowed halls are over two hundred years of history stepped in mystery and secrets. From its early inception into community Miskatonic University had already begun to amass to itself a considerable library of unusual artifacts collected from the local tribes and scavenged from burial sites.
From those humble beginnings the University began to grow along with the city of Arkham as the milling industry started to grow along the river’s edge. Wealthy families from Kingport and Boston soon began to send their family members to Miskatonic University giving its close proximity to many of the family estates. As the funds began to flow into the school the positions of board directors were handed out to powerful contributors. Along with the flow of currency into the young halls of the University, donations of manuscripts and artifacts began to fill up the libraries and stock rooms of the school.
Around 1890 the University was well established as a powerful and influential school with one of the largest rare manuscript libraries in the world. Likewise the school began financing large expeditions to foreign lands across all uncharted areas of the map. They reached out to the deepest darkest Africa and into the dry deserts of Australia. The scoured the tombs of the Egyptian Pharaohs and documented the strange cities belonging to the Incans of South America. As each trip left and returned they brought with them various animals, documents, plant samples, artifacts and personal stories which further enriched the University.
With the onset of WWI the University became a heavily influential medical school as the need for trained medical personal became important. While the war raged over seas the school moved as best it could educating it’s students while suffering from financial cutbacks do the war efforts and lower enrollment. Fewer expeditions occurred and instead the school began to look to its local community for greater mysteries. Investigating some of the more curious events in the Miskatonic Valley the school soon developed for itself an encyclopedic knowledge of surrounding hills and dales including native sights of supposed power.
In 1930 the famous Pabodie Expedition occurred. A large team led by four professors set off for Antarctica to investigate the unexplored polar regions and collect data. During the course this trip several individuals were killed including two of the Expedition Professors. Logs and reports taken from one of the surviving professors, William Dyer, indicate the men were killed by some manner of creatures unknown of in the natural world as we know it. Though Miskatonic University was well known for it’s odd collection of Occult and Abnormal artifacts and books this was perhaps the most public affair in it’s history.
Following the fall out of the Pabodie Expedition the school suffered from scaling reports of satanic worship and several scandals linked to local deaths. Still with the arrival of WWII the school once again fell out of the news and returned to prosperity as a medical school.
During the course of the War a new threat arose, that of a world spanning Nazi funded organization known as the Karotechia. As the personal Occult force of Adolf Hitler the Karotechia appeared to be amassing for der fuehrer a massive archive of potentially threatening instruments of destruction. It was during this time that the U.S. government approached Miskatonic University to assist in unraveling the mystery of the Karotechia’s schemes given MUs considerable experience in the Occult field.
Several Professors and handpicked military officers were sent into the field with each other to assist the U.S. military in a series of sting hits against Karotechia agents. It was during this time that Miskatonic University helped assist in a secret shadow war against Hitler and his Karotechia minions coming across incredible and dangerous artifacts scattered across the planet. The forces utilized in this endeavor were originally labeled by the U.S. military as the P. Division it was quickly renamed Delta Green as their responsibilities expanded.
Unfortunately the partnership between the school and the U.S. military ended abruptly following the death of Hitler along with the disappearance of several senior staff members who were believed to have been “encouraged” to join a new secret military project. Without the considerable funding from the U.S. military the school seemed to begin a slow and painful decline along with the local economies. The factories left Arkham and so did whole families who could no longer survive without work. The once busy and bustling streets of Arkham turned into sour, bitter quiet passages in a dying town.
Somehow Miskatonic University, despite its good standings and proximity to several large cities shrank year after year. Classes that once numbered several thousand slowly withered to several hundred until in early 2002 when the school was officially forced to close its doors due to mounting financial troubles and aging facilities after 200 years of activity. Renting out its still impressive but largely forgotten Occult archives the school managed to float on the edge of bankruptcy as the Board of Directors attempting to decide what to do.
For 5 years the school hovered in limbo until the grounds were purchased by an unknown overseas business mogul. Coupled with aggressive advertising, massive private donations and a school wide overhaul the Miskatonic University was reborn. In 2008 the school doors reopened and for the first time in almost six years classes were held in the classrooms of Miskatonic University.
These days the school is most well known for its Medical College however by and large the University is still quietly known as an Occult college as locals remember the golden years of exploration and quests into the unknown. From time to time a student or faculty member finds an odd document or strange preserved sample of some distant creature in a jar tucked away somewhere out of sight. These events are usually enlightening and educational as it offers the new staff and students the chance to see into Miskatonic University unique and fabled history.
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The Grounds
Miskatonic University is a mix of the original 1803 buildings and newer structures that have been integrated into the school as it expanded. Likewise the old Univesity sits over a series of deep reaching catacombs and tunnels that reach out well beyond the borders of Arkham leading those few who know about them to wonder if this was one of the reasons the school was built on its location. The mixture of architecture gives the old University a timeless if somewhat confusing appearance as a very traditional stone pillared Victorian style structure might be standing up next to a 1950ies retro style artistically sharp building.
The campus itself is comprised of 5 department buildings which themselves are made up of between one and three different buildings depending on how popular and how necessary each facility is. The “Old Buildings” which are the original structures built for the school make up the heart of the campus which has branched out into a full city block of newer buildings, labs, a church and even a medical care facility.
“The Old Buildings”:
The Administrative Building – Here is the central hub for new students or faculty. Class sign up, counselors, director meetings and financial programs are all based in this well kept facility.
The Orne Library – Perhaps the most well known building in the town of Arkham and perhaps the most fabled landmark in Miskatonic University the Orne Library is a three story tall Edwardian style building with large imposing windows and cruel faced gargoyles parked along the roof. Here books from all ages are available to all students and alumni branching from every subject you can think of. However it’s most famous collection, the Rare Books and Manuscripts Collection, is it’s true worth. While many attempt to see these impressive archives it can only be viewed while in the presence of the Chief Librarian and only by appointment.
The Arkham Church of St. Peter – The old stone Church has been a land mark and place of worship in Arkham since as far back as anyone can remember or any records can show. Near the center of the campus the old church was one of the few buildings that did not fall into disrepair during the financial crisis the school suffered between in early 2000. Though traditionally a Lutheran Protestant Church it has adapted to fit the Christian worshiping students and town folk with a Protestant service early and a Catholic service afterward. Several of the Theology department members actively participate in these services.
Pabodie Vaults – Named after the famous Pabodie expedition which garnered considerable press for the school, both positive and negative, this simplistic stone museum houses a wide variety of strange artifacts and preserved organic samples collected over the years. Stuffed alligators mingle with unique African cloths and statues in some areas while others are filled with jars filled with preserved lizards, squirrels and other disarmingly strange grotesqueries. However for everything that is on display there is a whole basement full of undocumented, unclassified or unidentified artifacts and samples which never see the light of day. This facility is one of the most secure in the school and often times students are enlisted to help deal with the massive amount of undocumented materials housed here. Many regret ever taking up the task.
West Campus (The Living Areas) :
The Harney Dormitories – Named after the late Dean Philip Harney (Dean from 1942 – 1954), these dormitories are for first and second year students. Built in the 1970ies they stand out as an experiment in design which, while interesting, have proven something of a pain to maintain. Symmetry has been completely thrown out the window as this bizarre and seemingly random square blocked structure which was designed by a Miskatonic Alumni, Joseph Bradley Jr. While the exterior looks impressive with its Plexiglas tunnels and massive windows the interior is an example in bad engineering in the name of appearances. Often times the rooms are cold, piping needs frequent maintenance, there are leaks on certain parts of the roof and there is no easy way up to the top floor dorms where the newest students are often placed. The dorms are broken up into male and female housing, there are no co-ed dorms.
Downey Row – Downey Row looks more like a quaint neighborhood then a college campus with stately houses on either side of the street. Each house represents sub-divided houses for junior and senior students or those moving on to their doctorates. Several of these houses belong to fraternity and sorority groups, a hallmark of the College Experience. Professors and other Faulty members live in the largest and most stately houses in this area.
Edited 5:55am, April 13, 2010 by Kael, author. |
