Front Quad and the Porters Lodge

The front quad is a large open space surrounded on all sides by the University's tall buildings. A number of passageways lead off from the main quad deeper into the University and despite the variable nature of University geography the Quad is usually a good place to start when finding your way around. In the centre of the Quad is a perfect square of grass that is kept ever green while surrounding it is a wide paved path. The path is well used and everyone knows better than to step on the grass. In the centre of the Quad is a statue dedicated to the spirit of magic. Its form changes subtly with the months passing so that over the course of a year each University House has its own beast and talents portrayed.

The Quad is also the location of the main gate in and out of the University, a big oaken affair with Wrought Iron banding to complement the selection of magical seals upon it carved into the wood itself. The main gate is set within one of the buildings with rooms either side and above it. It hardly ever opens and more often, easy access is through the smaller access door cut into the larger structure. The rooms above the gatehouse offer a striking view of the world outside and despite the noise of being so close to the entrance they are very popular as offices amongst the staff.

Also located in the Quad, next to the gate, is the Porters Lodge (wherein lodge the porters) and the student pigeon holes (often complete with pigeons). The Porters oversee who goes in and out of the University and know an awful lot about the running of the University if you can persuade them to talk. They're also the ones you go to if you've got a problem that needs sorting - if they can't help then they know the person who can. The Porters consist of a group of gargoyles, a variation of the Trolls, made out of granite who sit on a ledge that overlooks the gate but is within the shelter of the gatehouse. The pigeon holes contain post and other deliveries for the students - each one large enough to contain an actual pigeon if required. How the post arrives isn't quite clear as there is no regular postal delivery since the last incident involving the postman, an errant experiment from the Hyperthaumic Archanophysics department and a Möbius strip… but none the less the post does get through!