The Great University

"You are all here not because of money, or influence, or race, but because you have a talent. A rare one, one to be nurtured and used in service of others. You are magical. With hard work and instruction, let us show you who - and what - you might become!"

Customary speech from the Headmaster to first-year students at the University

The Great University, strictly speaking, refers to the prestigious magical university in Candlekeep by that name. However, it is most often used in reference to the greater city that has sprung up around said university. Lying along the River Coromir, the city is a trade hub specialising in magical goods, legal and otherwise.
History
The Great University was founded in 1568 ANG by a group of magic-users, many of them veterans of the First Arcane War who believed that greater education was the key to preventing future magical violence on such a scale. Their names are engraved in every hall in the University, alongside every dean's since.
For defensive purposes, the University was surrounded by walls and guard towers, except where the River Coromir ran through it. This, too, had a purpose; it provided water for the students and teachers of the University, making it both independent of greater Everflame and better able to withstand a siege.
The University quickly gained popularity among spellcasters both experienced and otherwise, offering education in all disciplines of spellcasting at all levels of expertise. Today, it boasts over 50 teachers, including wizards of all schools, clerics of all deities, warlocks of various patrons, a pair of artificers, and an elven Bladesinger. All but two of Everflame's Archmages have been educated at least partially in the Great University.
Naturally, the influx of rich young students created a market for commodities almost immediately, and various shops were built around the University, along with residential areas for their workers to stay in. The Artificer's Society of the University were the first to set up an export agency, selling infused magic items to Everflame City and elsewhere via the River Coromir. This was initially frowned upon by the teaching staff, but would later be recognised and regulated by the University itself. Artificers today can sometimes pay for their tutelage entirely via this method. Other, permanent, magic items are also now sold by some.
Magewrighting, while technically illegal under Everflame law, was almost impossible to prevent once the city was fully formed. Any student caught magewrighting may be subject to suspension, expulsion, stiff fines, or prison time (though the latter is rare). However, the University cannot keep tabs on what happens outside its walls, and the local City Watch is somewhat understaffed, relying on the University's own security forces to deal with magical crime.
During the Second Arcane War, the city was taken and the University placed under siege by Litherian forces. Unable to scramble reinforcements quickly enough, the most experienced spellcasters in the University formed what is now Force Arcana in order to repel the Litherian invaders. Destroying the magical jamming ritual that was preventing reinforcements from teleporting in, they prevented the invaders from acquiring the powerful artefacts contained within the University and were hailed as heroes.
At some time after this, the Ruby was placed in the Great University secretly on Eve Brieland's orders. Its location is known only to a select few, and it is guarded by a mysterious figure known as The Keeper.
Economy
The Great University's inhabitants consist almost exclusively of students, teachers, businesspeople, and guards. While it has a City Watch, the University is not technically classed as a city, and as such has no formal local government. This, combined with the understaffing of the City Watch and the large number of young spellcasters in the city, has made it a hub for the magical black market. While the University does produce legal magical goods - it is the world's largest exporter of them - a large portion of the city's economy does rely on the illegal ones. Hulon d'Grezze, Tae Dendei's biggest crime syndicate, has a hand in the trade, as do the Ra'keth Brotherhood and La Mafiosi.
Magewrighting, while illegal in Everflame, is also a common trade in the Great University. While low-level spells can be found cheaply, however, higher-level ones are still hard to find, since those students most likely to try magewrighting are also the least experienced.
The city imports mostly food and luxury goods from the Southern Elves, Litheria, Bentrelhold, and Everflame, either via Everflame City over land or via Bedsmouth and Greatwave over sea.
Population

The Great University is home to approximately 50,000 residents, including long-term students. The mix of species is largely human, though due to the University and its students, it has a higher proportion of nonhuman residents than most cities in Everflame.

Type

City