I've got an idea for a character that honed his abilities at the Passage Institute, and I'm trying to get an idea of what the environment was like for academics during the Last War. To that end, I'm wondering a few things:
1. Did the Five Nations require citizens to join the military and fight? And were some people of import exempted from this (such as skilled laborers and practitioners)? I'm guessing yes but I'm unfamiliar with how things were handled in our actual history so I'm not too sure how it might have gone in Eberron.
2. Were citizens from an enemy nation allowed to attend a rival nation's school? (As an example, suppose the character is from Cyre or Breland and wants to attend the Passage Institute in Aundair. Was that allowed during the War?)
3. Could it be the case that certain people were allowed to study magic with the intent that they would use their skills in the war effort? Would the nation pay the way for the student if this were the case? If not, would these people be looked down upon by their compatriots?
4. The Passage Institute appreciates learning through experience (read: adventuring), and wants you to turn a profit while doing so. Could they have hired out teams of students to assist (perhaps indirectly) in the war effort? Or is that too mercenary for a college?
As I said, I'm just trying to flesh out the setting of a young practitioner attending school at Passage during the Last War.
Any insight appreciated! Thanks for letting me pick your brains 
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I don't have time to double check, but if I recall correctly:
1. Karrnath is the only Nation that I recall used conscription. I can't remember any specific exemptions.
2. I remember some discussion about enrolment being down at Rekkenmark because of an inability to cross borders. Possibly Arcanix as well. I have always assumed that borders were pretty much closed to any nation that wasn't an ally at a given point in time.
3. In Aundair I would expect that the study of war magic to assist in the war effort would have been encouraged.
4. I have no particular insight here, I think it is wide open.
Hey, Khan! Great to see you again.
Prefacing this: I'm AFB and don't remember too much about the Passage Institute in particular, but here's what I can recall about your questions.
Khan_the_Destroyer wrote:
I forgot that the members of the Houses are probably not citizens of any nation - I bet during the War there was a brisk business in fake travel papers alleging membership in one House or another - sort of like intelligence agencies using Canadian passports pre 9/11.
I looked it up (PGE p. 102), and the Passage Institute focuses on the practical application of magic and on (paying) field work. It is also cheaper and had lower entry requriements than the Arcane Congress. The Institute sounds like a good place for reservists.
BTW, re: the second question, I saw a reference to Rekkenmark teaching war mages during the War (p. 100). I'm not clear on whether that was war mages for all factions; I would have thought it would be pretty tough to get past the border if you wanted to train in Karrnath in order to enter service in Thrane.
Thanks for the responses guys! And Tempest, wow, what's up? It's been a long time. Did you ever have to eat your hat? And if so, do you still have the video ;)?
I'm intrigued by the reservist idea, and I'm wondering who made up the bulk of the military forces? This character is poor and scraping by in the streets and I'm wondering how he would end up in the military. It sounds like being born in Aundair is the easiest and most likely origin for him. But could anyone simply volunteer? Or were you expected to bring your own gear and skills, something that would prevent a street urchin from joining?
The idea is that his dragonmark powers gets him into the Passage Institute, but I'm wondering if he'd join up in the military first, and then get sent there through some Aundairian scholarship for war mages, or if perhaps a recruiter sees him in passing and decides to sponsor him, or perhaps another angle.
Thanks again .
I note that historically in England (and perhaps elsewhere) some commissions as officers were purchased, but I think anyone could enlist.
The Other Wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purchase_of_commissions_in_the_British_army.
Khan_the_Destroyer wrote:
Good to hear Tempest. I'm glad for both your health and for your hat . I've all but forgotten the 3.5 system mechanics, though I suspect if I were to get back into it it'd all come flooding back. Theoretical Optimization requires that you're pretty familiar with the system. Is Min/Max over at BG?
I have to say, I love the idea of entering the military as a form of penal service. The character has an aberrant dragonmark, and the idea is that he has survived on the streets with a gang of rogues and guttersnipes. Being captured for a crime fits right in with his background.
Within the timeline, this occurs some time around when the Daughters of Sora Kell make their move on Breland, so perhaps Aundair renews its offensive against Breland to take advantage of the Daughters' maneuver, and needs a large surge of warriors to pull it off, resulting in unorthodox or little used recruitment options. (I can't believe that was all one sentence...)
I do intend on the character coming into contact with Tarkanan. At the moment, I'm thinking he becomes a POW in Breland, and is found by Thora Tavin as she begins to round up a team for some new secret initiative.
Khan_the_Destroyer wrote:
So my current train of thought is this...
He gets caught doing something illegal, and the sentence is military service. After a short time actually fighting, someone recognizes his "magical" talent (his aberrant mark in actuality), and it is suggested that he might be put to better use as a trained arcanist. He is offered an education at the Passage Institute and a reduction in sentence provided that he graduates and serves as a military arcanist for some specified amount of time after his reduced sentence is completed (perhaps his sentence is reduced to time served at the Passage Institute, but he owes them a certain amount of years in military service afterward). And perhaps this is where the geas comes into play, to ensure he doesn't try to escape the terms of the agreement.
So he graduates and fights for Aundair. Ok, now to nobility and House Tarkanan...
At Passage, you graduate by earning the institution 1000gp. As a PC adventurer, it can be assumed that he earns much more than this (for himself) during his time there. So... is it possible that upon graduating and entering the military, he could buy an officer's commission (like Beoric mentioned)?
Five Nations also says this about the crown and Aundair: Elite agents are made lords of Aundair in a private ceremony with Queen Aurala. A noble can use the 'ir' prefix before his or her surname, and lordship often comes with title to a small piece of land in rural Aundair. (Because the Last War decimated entire noble families, the crown is acting steward for hundreds of unclaimed noble estates.)
This is referring to elite agents of the Royal Eyes, but supposing he becomes an elite Knight Arcane, could he be honored with a nobility and estate? Or could he purchase an estate after proving himself during the war?
And even further (sorry, there's a lot to this background lol), I'm trying to figure out how to get him involved with Thora before House Tarkanan was established (meaning, while they were still a spec-ops force working for the Brelish crown). I'm thinking Thora Tavin approaches him to recruit him, and he is intrigued by belonging to a group of people like him (his mark is a secret he has kept thus far). He considers accepting, but has developed a sense of loyalty to Aundair because he has risen far from his life as a street orphan there.
Might it be possible that the Royal Eyes are aware of Thora's proposition, and, because Breland is not hostile toward Aundair, are not immediately opposed to it? And instead, he is allowed to join this secret team, but must report back to the Royal Eyes after each mission with the group?
EDIT: Does anyone mind if I simply use this to ask seemingly random questions?
1. Can a person Plane Shift to Dal Quor? The plane is Remote, so the answer could be yes (with the caveat that it is more difficult). But the entry for Dal Quor says that the only way to reach the plane is through dreaming. So is that an exception to the rule that you can normally Plane Shift to a remote plane?
2. Khyber shards impact binding magic, and Siberys shards impact dragonmark abilities. But aberrant marks seem to be linked to Khyber. Would an aberrant-marked character utilize khyber shards in focus-type items to augment his dragonmark abilities, or would he use traditional Siberys shards?
Thanks for your thoughts! I love talking Eberron :D.
1.) The reason that Dal Quor is remote is because of the reality-shattering magics of the Giants. So, yeah, I think Dal Quor (and maybe Xoriat?) is/are the exceptions to plane shift. I mean, normally, it would work, 'cause they're just far away. However, with Dal Quor and Xoriat, there is something actively preventing you from going there.
2.) This sounds like a flavor issue to me. I think it depends how you want to play up the Aberrent marks. Abominations or natural mutations? The former? Khyber shards. The latter? Syberis.
1.) The reason that Dal Quor is remote is because of the reality-shattering magics of the Giants. So, yeah, I think Dal Quor (and maybe Xoriat?) is/are the exceptions to plane shift. I mean, normally, it would work, 'cause they're just far away. However, with Dal Quor and Xoriat, there is something actively preventing you from going there.
2.) This sounds like a flavor issue to me. I think it depends how you want to play up the Aberrent marks. Abominations or natural mutations? The former? Khyber shards. The latter? Syberis.