Situated in the fertile hills in the center of a long extinct country lies the great city of Nova Nash. Its walls tower over its surroundings, casting a shadow far and wide. It is here in this city state that its occupants rejoice with the knowledge that they have survived the days of 'long night'. It was a complete decade of darkness that consumed the earth, and from that darkness most of mankind struggled to survive against the horrors that fed off their souls. The 'long night' ended nearly fifty years ago but many of its horrors remain. Cast off and unrelenting, these abominations are never more than a nightmare away. The city walls and its defenders a thin border between sanity and catastrophe.
To survive the people of Nova Nash have created a caste system, with the educated elite at the top of the food chain. Anyone can try to join their ranks, as long as they earn a degree at the Grand University. To join, one must simply apply and get accepted into one of the universities many Fraternities or Sororities. Once a brother, or sister, one's entire academic career is dependent on whether one can continue to remain in good standing with their new brotherhood along with the academy itself. To be expelled from these organizations is to face expulsion from the Grand University with no chance of re-applying.
The Fraternities are organized into Houses, each with their own quirks and inhibitions. The Sororities into Institutions and are no different. Just like society, the houses and institutions are ranked hierarchically as well. With each year given more importance and prestige, with the first years often little more than pawns.