Post by Ryan - Loki on Jan 26, 2009 12:55:40 GMT
Arcane Academy
- 1) The Arcane Academy
- 2) Access to the Academy
- 3) Magician Classes
3.1) Alleviators
3.2) Alchemists
3.3) Knights
3.4) Elementists
3.5) Summoners - 4) Academy Services
4.1) Incantographical Dormitories
4.2) Battle Dome
4.3) Numinous Archives
4.4) Chrononasium
4.5) The Hermetics Laboratory
4.6) The Alchemical Garden
4.7) The Observatory
1) The Arcane Academy
The Arcane Academy, located in (don’t know the new name for Parmecia), is the seat of power for all magicians upon Noria, and houses the elder council, the governing body for the magicians order. Being the only legal school for magicians and mages on the planet, the arcane academy houses several hundred students at any one given time, all a wide variety of race and gender. Though located on the continent of (name) it’s not to be mistaken that the Arcane Academy is anything less than a country within itself, in size, stature and legal terms as well.
2) Access to the Academy
It is widely said that a person does not find magic, but magic finds them. Magicians can be found all across Noria, having branched out to different places after graduating from the academy, and as such are always on the look out for potential young magicians. Though because a child with magic potential is found doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll become a magician, they must first study and then eventually graduate within the arcane academy, for practising magic without doing so is against the law and punishable by imprisonment, and even on severe cases, by death.
In some cases babies are tested at birth for magic potential, though only ones with abnormally high powers are noticeable at such a young age – those that are noticed however are taken from their parents and brought up from birth at the academy, for the safety reasons. Though usually those with magical potential are found in the early years of their childhood, roughly between the ages of five and nine.
Within the academy there are several different ranking levels of the magic order. When a child is born, or found later in his/her life, who has the ability to harness the ancient and mystical forces of magic they are known, within the magic world, as potentials , and are known as such until the time that they enrol within the Arcane University and take on the title of an Apprentice Student. Apprentice students wear grey robes.
After passing the several written and practical tests of their first year they then become novice Students, following the tests of their second year they become known as advanced Students, and with the successful passing of their final third year they graduate and become fully fledged Magicians/Mages, known as “Lords”. It is at this stage, after they have graduated from the academy, that the young magician finally decides what discipline they wish to study from now on; Alleviator skills, Alchemy, Knights, or Elementists.
However, this is not the highest rank a magic wielder can reach within the Magic Order. Although the student period within the university only last three years, where a young aspirating magician/mage learns everything they need to know to survive as a magician, many stay on within the university to become something much more advanced. Those with a true thirst for knowledge throw themselves deeper into their chosen discipline, to better themselves and the world around them. At this stage a handful of magicians become teachers at the academy.
After reaching this greatly honoured rank there are few positions that are higher. There is a head of each discipline who runs it, all of whom serve as a council, as well as an academy administrator and his assistant, but it as the High Lord who runs the academy as headmaster.
3) Magician Classes
Within the magic order there are four different disciplines that a magician can choose to become once her or she has graduated from the academy, each completely different and holding their own advantages and disadvantages. Though all magicians within the academy are taught the basics of each discipline no magician has ever been able to take on two different disciplines, as it is said that it would take far more than a single lifetime to ever truly unlock all the mystical secrets that each holds.
3.1) Alleviating – Alleviators wear pale blue robes and are more commonly known across Noria as “Healers”. They dedicate themselves to a life of selfishness, helping those in need. Alleviating is said to be the most complex of the four disciples, as it takes a vast knowledge of biology to tap into this power. Healing is a gradual process, and can only take place by skin-to-skin contact by feeding magical energy into the person’s body and manipulating it to speed up the healing process. The utmost care and precision is needed, as, in serious cases, the slightest mistake can result in death. Alleviators are trained in healing cuts, wounds, diseases, poisons and even broken bones.
3.2) Alchemy – Alchemists wear azure blue robes, a wise colour. The discipline of alchemy is the art of seeking truths, whether new or lost, using the magic within science. Seen as the most intellectual discipline, alchemy has a limitless range of areas for work and research, often leading many magicians to commit their entire lives to a task and never even come close to completing it. Its for such reasons that some believe alchemy to be a wasted discipline, allowing lazy magicians to get out of any real work to waste their time on a task they can never complete – thought in retort many of the planets greatest achievements have come from alchemy, such as magically designed buildings like the academy.
3.3) Knight – Knights are the protectors of the guild, and as such wear shimmering silver armour, though the robes that they wear underneath it are a dark, emerald green. The Knight discipline is seen as the most selfish of all the disciplines as it focuses purely on better oneself, rather than using the magic to serve a greater good. Knights dedicate themselves to the arts of battle using an arrangement of magic strikes that either aim to kill of stun their opponent. However, more recently practises involving magic and physical weapons have become more popular. Duelling is extremely popular amongst Knights as well, and good practise for the several, dangerous missions that the academy and magicians council often send them on.
3.4) Elementist – Elementists wear vibrant violet robes, which is meant to be a symbolic show of the passion it takes to wield the elements. More often than not a person with the natural ability to manipulate a single element will become an elementist, so that they can gain a better sense of knowledge and control over their gift. The other form of elementist, and the most common, are the types that do not have the ability to manipulate an element, but instead dedicate their lives to learning a variety of elemental based strikes and spells, whether for offence, defence or even fore more practical means. It is thought by some that the discipline of elementist is too similar to that of the Knight, due to the offensive capabilities of the elemental spells, but it is an unwritten rule that elementists use their powers for practical means rather than battle, unless it’s for protection.
3.5) Summoning - Summoners wear (not sure what colour yet) coloured robes and use summoning Magic, which calls on powerful entities to materialize. Summoners train themselves to focus their magical energy in a different way to any of the other disciplines, seeing as they use the said magic to call forth their chosen entity; the concentration needed has often been compared to that needed by an Alleviator. These entities go by many different names: minions, beasts, guardians, or simply just summon monsters, to name just a few. The entities attack enemies, protect the party, or render other forms of aid, and different entities have different abilities, as well as advantages or disadvantages (for example, a particular entity may work far better in defending its Summoner than it is in attacking an opponent, and a fire based entity will have a natural weakness to water, but may find fire regenerating). Summoners are typically shown to be physically frail as a trade-off for high magical potency, and as such often only the magicians with an extremely large magical source due to the large drain that summoning the creature has on the Summoner.
4) Academy Services
The Arcane Academy provides a number of services that cannot be found anywhere else on Noria. In addition, all of the qualified mages and teachers who reside in the academy are, simply put, a wealth of information for the aspiring mage, and are always more than happy to help a young mage with any of their problems, studies or tasks; if it is within their own abilities to do so and they have the time available, obviously.
4.1) Incantographical Dormitories - The Incantographical Dormitories are the homes to all the student mages within the academy. Unlike fully-fledged magicians/mages, the students live within the actual academy, allowing for a great access to facilities and help that they would not gain from living outside of the academy walls. Plus, living within the academy also means that the students have no excuses for being late for classes.
4.2) Battle Dome - The Battle Dome is a fully protected area within the academy walls in which it is safe for students to practice their magic, especially their offensive magic. Practice duels are also taken place within the dome. The dome is named as such because it’s fundamentally a large hole within the ground with a large dome shaped barrier covering the top for the protection of spectators. The barrier is created and maintained by the magicians of the order, who willingly add a small amount magic power to the barrier whenever they pass the dome.
4.3) Numinous Archives – The Numinous Archives is the central repository of the Magic Orders knowledge on Noria. It is a vast library, containing thousands upon thousands of books, many that are rare and first editions that cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. Ristin Nedlog, a depository of arcane knowledge, runs the archives. If he can’t be found sorting through the books he can almost certainly be found within the main lobby, in deep discussion or debate.
4.4) Chrononasium – The Chrononasium provides enchantment services to those within the magic order. The building contains several Altars, where mages can use credits to add enchantments to their mundane items, mainly their Magician/Mage’s staff, or other such weapons and armor/clothes.
4.5) Hermetics Laboratory – The Hermetics Laboratory is the main alchemical centre of the Academy. It includes a few noted alchemy books, and all the up-to-date alchemy equipment that any Magician/Mage would need to use for basic alchemy studies. Susan Vax, one of the most highly noted alchemical researchers on Noria, runs the academy’s hermetics lab.
4.6) The Alchemical Garden – Just outside the Hermetics Laboratory the Alchemical Garden can be found. The garden provides a large assortment of different ingredients that can be used in the art of alchemy, which may otherwise be very hard to come by across Noria. Although this isn’t the only source of alchemy ingredients, and many much needed ingredients cannot even be found here, more plants can also be found outside the other academy buildings, as well as across Noria.
4.7) The Observatory – The academy houses the only surviving, and fully functional, observatory in Noria, although it is often in great need of repairs. Whether it is for research for a class project/work or in attempt to harness the power of the stars, the observatory is open to all magicians within the order, though a lord must accompany all novice and apprentice students.
