Harvad University
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Harvad University, shortened to Harvad, is an alliance of Harvad University faculty members and interns. The eRepublic branch of Harvad was formed on the 15th of September 2009 when Harvad Alumni Poe[1] and several other players from a local Community College came to Harvad to request their assistance. With numbers originally in the thousands, Harvad runs covert branches in at least fifteen different countries, with on-off alliances to several countries in PHOENIX, EDEN and the Broliance- while officially reamining neutral.
The modern history of Harvad University is one shrouded in controversy, as their involvement to better the countries of Venezuela and South Africa led to both being temporarily erased from the map in order to restructure their economic system and ensure a path to prosperity through a top-down application of macroeconomics.
Contents
History of Harvad
Prologue
Long has it been known among the upper castes of society that the University of Harvard was not founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Though more than 200 years of disinformation have washed away the truth from the history books of tots around the globe, the truth still remains accessible to a privileged few. The fictional history of Harvard U claims that self proclaimed 'The University of Harvard' was founded in 1636 by John Harvard. This, however, is categorically untrue; the result of a 300 year propaganda campaign started in the late 1500s, all by order of the Knights Templar.
The Beginning
In 1763, a university widely known as the crowning achievement of mankind was besieged by a private organization calling themselves Christ’s Army, who were in truth the Knights Templar. This school of thought was known as Harvad University.
A bastion of knowledge and understanding, Harvad University had been known for more than 400 years as the holy grail of education, in recent times producing such great minds as Bob Saget, William Taft, and MLKJ (past alumni include Gaius Octavius Thurinus, Thomas Paine and even יהודה איש־קריות, to name a few). Legend holds that the teachers of Harvad were blessed by water from the Holy Chalice, and only thus was their endless wealth of knowledge possible. Within these hallowed halls all men and women were considered equals and friends, be they African, Asian, Latin or Jew. Harvad University provided individuals respite from the harsh climate of pre-civilized society. Revered and accessible to all, the ages under which the University of Harvad shined were truly the most glorious of mankind’s existence. Unfortunately this age of prosperity could not last.
Harvad Besieged
It was in 1759 the Knights Templar first began their plot to conquer this bastion of information for their own despicable uses. After their continual defeat in the Middle East, the Templar’s were desperately seeking to obtain a secret weapon with which to finally eliminate their enemy. They believed that by controlling the first and most influential of all educational institutions they would be able to use it as their breeding ground for future generations of Templar.
On October 21st, 1759, the Knight Templar hired a group of criminals to pose as traveling gypsies seeking shelter from the cold night (that night being the coldest recorded of the entire century). Several hours after being admitted into the visitor’s dormitory, the band of thieves and murderers left a signal for their allies. This was their moment.
With due haste the thugs lit fire to the Visitors Dorm, closing the windows so the smoke would remain inside and releasing into the flames a poisonous root from depths of the African jungles, Radix pedis diaboli; a powerful hallucinogen that can kill at high dosages within moments. Breaking free from this room they slaughtered teacher and student alike, making their way down to the lower levels of the lavish castle outside the walls of Harvad's grounds. Throwing down hastily produced ropes and ladders, the brigands and their Templar allies alike tore through the Dormitory building, killing all who lay in their way. Teachers were rounded up in the courtyards and decapitated and emolliated and students were raped, tortured and killed on sight However, this was not the end of Harvad Universities’ bright future.
The university had devised an elaborate escape and warning system and during the massacre word was quickly relayed to the teaching hall and open cathedral that Harvad was under attack. Time being of the utmost urgency, the head scholars moved the Universities most prized possessions and ushered as many students and teachers as could be managed outside the grounds and through underground tunnels. When the Templar made their way to the Teaching facilities most of the valuables had been removed, though they did manage to take the Holy Chalice (which would be reclaimed by Harvad in 1809). Finding that there had been evacuations beforehand, the Templar laid chase to the escapees via the tunnel system and the roads. A handful of those who had escaped the massacre were captured and brought back to be killed. However among those who made off safely was Harvad's future savior, Eugina Sanford.
Harvad in Exile
Eugina Sanford was known in many circles as one of the brightest of her time. The daughter of moorland farmers, Eugina enrolled in Harvad and began the rigorous 5 year testing regimen at the ripe age of 16, before finally being admitted and given a dormitory wing. At Harvad, Eugina was well liked by her peers, and adored by her teachers, who saw in her a brilliance they had not seen for as long a time as they had been at the prestigious university. She quickly rose to the top of every participant learning group and had a reputation for having a quick mind and tongue to match.
After Harvad was besieged, Eugina was among those ushered off the grounds. Costumed as a homeless harlot traveling the streets, she narrowly evaded capture by her pursuers though the group she was with was not so lucky. Of the 70 odd she left the castle grounds with, only 4 would remain.
Only 3 dozen or so would make it out of the massacre alive. With Eugina were two of her teachers, (one a man of around 40 known as Tietra Gekernig, and the other a wizened older man known only as Poe) and her dearest friend, a disfigured dwarf named Jimmy DuBois, affectionately called “Little Jimmy”. Going by foot through the dense marshland several miles down the main road from the forests surrounding Harvad, the group of four made their way to a hidden cache of rations buried beneath the remains of a crocodile nesting ground which had been made to look still occupied. Here they lay in wait for the next 7 months, waiting for a time when they could resurface.
Harvad had known (or at least had the growing suspicion) that this turn of events was likely to pass. In preparation for this they had devised a transit system to move the remaining alumni out of Eurasia by ship to a small island of the coast of South Africa. Once there they would begin to rebuild the university to its former glory if possible and if not reform under a new moniker and reestablish the name Harvad to be synonymous with equality and the pursuit of absolute knowledge.
The Revival
It look 9 years for the entire group of remaining HU students and faculty to make their way to the unnamed island that would be their base of operations. Some who suspected Templar to be tracking them altered their appearances and lived normal lives under assumed names, working in servitude of lords and dukes or living in squalor. Eugina left with Little Jimmy and Poe to Monaco, with Tietra going to Israel. Once in Monaco, Eugina found that the Templar’s had guessed or been informed of part of their escape plan when she found that one of the leading Templar caste, Ishmael Isobar, was staying in the country on Vatican business. Deciding it would be best that they lay low for a few years, the group posed as sheep herders living with their old drunken grand-uncle, living in relative peace for around 5 years, during which time Jimmy and Eugina wed. After many years wait, they finally had a chance to make their way to the meeting ground when Head Templar Ishmael was killed by one of the order of Assassins.
Once the entire remaining ranks were assembled, the group examined the situation. The Templar had replaced the entire faculty and student body of Harvad with look-alikes and templar agents, as well as officially changing the name to ‘Harvard.’ The Templar had for hundreds of years before been spreading disinformation and propaganda materials to those too ignorant or too important to bother knowing or learning the truth. Now that Harvad was under their control, they made it so that all the lies became fact, essentially rewriting the entire history of the school. Alas, the world was all to willing to believe them.
Wrought with dissenting opinions and overall lack of guidance, to many in the remaining group it seemed Harvad may finally have to lay down its coat and cowl. Eugina, however, had other plans. She proposed retaliation in an unprecedented manner: The remaining group would split into two, one continuing the higher goal of pursuit of knowledge, teaching, kindness and equality, while the other would form into a rogue task force of sorts, training not only their minds but their bodies so as to be able to thwart their adversaries on all fields. This was outrageous to most; Harvad had been pacifist for over 450 years, most of the time since its conception. To propose a physical war against the Templar seemed like a change that would compromise their order. It was Little Jimmy who was able to make the dissenters see that it would be a necessary change if they wanted to save the world from the Tyranny of the Templar. An eloquent speaker, he explained bit by bit the elaborate plan he and his wife had devised during their stay in the Western Europe. So it was that Harvad became two factions, one of thought and one of action.
So it was that Eugina became the leader of a group known only to their enemies as the Insurgency of Harvad. Taking less than half of their numbers to Asia and the Middle East, they trained tirelessly to reach their utmost physical peak in preparation for their ultimate goal: the reformation of Harvad University. Though their training would never end, the Insurgency of Harvad would perform many acts of rebellion against the draconian lordship of the Templars, sometimes successful and sometimes not. Fearing waning numbers they began a recruitment campaign that would continue up until this very day.
Revenge
On April 17th, 1809, a group of 4 cloaked figures infiltrated Templar Headquarters within the old Harvad castle. Quickly laying waste to the guards within, they made their way to the Tower Cathedral within the main building, whereupon they lay eyes on their goal: The Holy Chalice, the source of Harvad’s knowledge. Removing their cloaks and brandishing armor and traditional cowls bearing Harvad’s coat of arms, the small group, led by Eugina herself, took the chalice from the fountain it lay perched upon. Forgoing stealth, the small task force proceeded to leave through the front gates and courtyard, slaying any who sought to belay them while having mercy on those who surrendered or were incapable of defense. Besides a trail of bodies, the only thing the task force left behind was a scroll of gold encrusted papyrus bearing the words ‘Tu iratus’ beneath the Harvad coat of arms.
Epilogue
Since that memorable day the Insurgency of Harvad has foiled numerous Templar attempts at domination, though in the end the battle would continue on far longer than they had hoped. The Templar’s hold over the people remained unfortunately strong, even without the Chalice. Their ‘Harvard University’ was moved to the growing nation of America, where Templar interests had been challenged by a break-off group of the Insurgency. The University of Harvad has since its reformation been more cautious in whom it allows into its ranks, allowing primarily only those capable of a higher-thinking, while they still have methods by which to bring the oppressed lower castes of society. Little Jimmy, as he was once called, became known under a new moniker by his students and the student’s centuries after him: Old Father Harvad. Eugina became the figure head of both the Insurgency and Harvad U itself, being called by some the Mother of modern thought. Her influence reached wide during her tenure in the Insurgency, and in her later years she re-enrolled in Harvad and graduated among the top students of her participant learning groups. After this she retired with her husband to a small island known as Australia, where they lived raising kippers and mud farming, up until their deaths. Though Eugina and Jimmy are only a memory now their descendant continues their revolutionary work. Prof. David Peel is currently serving Harvad University as Professor of Macroeconomics, and is well known in both the academic sector and Harvad faculty as one of the brightest minds alive today.
While Harvad University remains in the shadows by necessity, the Insurgency of Harvad continues to appear in modern times, thwarting Templar efforts wherever they can, forgiving but never forgetting. They bide their time until one day, the University of Harvad can once again resurface and bring upon the world a new of egalitarianism, knowledge and greatness.
=A Resurrection of Harvad University
On the 13th January, 2011, former Harvad University member, Maddog Jones, compromised a South African congressman, Joseph Rich's account and attempted to impeach the country president, Krimpiekat. Although it was quickly realized that Jones was responsible, not Rich, and the impeachment failed, Harvad University published two articles announcing their resurrection. Whether they are a genuine threat or not to South African national security or not, it is unknown.
