Dirâsat-an-Nûr

The Dirâsat-an-Nûr ("Examination of the Light") is an imperial school located within the vicinity of the Bâb-an-Nûr in the Outer Bailey of Raynor's Keep. Its primary purposes is to train Imperial Pages for service, as well as provide educational services to the Imperial Family.

Its staff and operations are overseen by the Dean of the Dirâsat-an-Nûr, Matti Pshevunin.

Education of Imperial Pages

Recruitment into the Imperial Page program is conducted by the Master of Pages, one of the senior positions within the Imperial Household. Those recruited will remain under the administrative and disciplinary authority of the Master of Pages for the duration of their service. Recruitment is conducted at the Imperial Gymnasia, a network of regional schools established and run under each Lord Lieutenant for the education of minor Loyal Subjects to the Kaiser. Attendance in the Imperial Gymnasia begins at the age of 7 years. From 7 to 11, students who show particular aptitude and quality are flagged for consideration.

At the end of their 11th year at the Imperial Gymnasia, prospects are selected by the Master of Pages and relocated to the Dirâsat-an-Nûr in Raynor's Keep. The first year is spent as a Candidate, residing and receiving education in the Outer Dormitory.

At the end of that first year, Candidates are subjected to a second selection. Those who meet or exceed expectations are inducted as Novice Pages and assigned a billet in the Lower Dormitory. From this point onward, the pages begin to serve rotations as junior servants within the Imperial Court. Those who fail the second selection are returned to their Imperial Gymnasium of origin.

A third selection takes place after three years in the Lower School, at around the age of 15 years. This selection process is conducted by the leaders of each hall of the Upper Dormitory, who subject the prospects to a broad range of examinations, covering the range of skills taught thusfar. At the end of the selection period, the different Upper Dormitory halls recruit as many as necessary to fill their vacant billets. Those inducted as Qualified Pages are selected in accordance with demonstrable excellence in skills, in order to ensure that the hall decreases in their quality of service. Service in the Imperial Court at this stage is organized by detachments from each hall and are graded by the Master of Pages according to their performance, resulting in stiff competition.

Those who fail any of these selections are returned to their Imperial Gymnasium of origin in order to complete their education there.

At the end of five years as a Qualified Page, one is subjected to a final round of examination. This is done according to proficiency level rather than the number of vacancies to fill. Those who complete this round are elevated to the status of Adept Pages. Adept Pages continue to live in their hall within the Upper Dormitory, acting as leaders for that hall, until they are recruited for service elsewhere in the Imperial Household.