Cada Cratal Academy of Spellwriting

"I just don't understand," Sam said to his writing partner as they scurried down the hall, "why they have to hold the dinner here." The two pushed past a waiter pushing a cart laden with muffins and biscuits.
"Well, this is the Guildhouse, there'n't many better places for it. And you have to admit it's excitin' to see the old famous gaffers." Emily pushed aside her bedraggled curls and took a sip from the mug of cold tea she always carried. "And it's not the worst, you'n't one of the ones what been turfed out of their lodgings for the buggers."
"I suppose so," Sam sighed, "it's just I wish there weren't so many people! It's impossible to concentrate." He rounded the corner and opened the door. "Maybe we'll get some peace in here. After you," he said, motioning to Emily. She walked inside and he followed, closing the door behind them. The noise of the corridor faded and a calmness descended upon them.

Purpose / Function

The Cada Cratal Academy was built to accommodate the growing industry of spellwriting tutors that Cada Cratal hosts, and to provide facilities for them to practice their spellwriting in a slightly safe environment. It also functions as the headquarters for the Guild of Spellwriters, who occupy the three main buildings of the complex.

Architecture

The Cada Cratal Academy is a large complex but quite cluttered. There are several halls on the premises and many houses for the resident tutors, as well as the three large, three-storey buildings in the centre of the campus that are used by the Guild as their main offices. The campus uses the standard architecture style of the lands around Cada Cratal, with stone walls framed and latticed with stout wooden beams and small, arched windows inset into the walls. The halls are roofed with clay tiles, while other buildings are roofed variously with clay tiles, stone bricks and wooden rafters. The walls are typically painted with white or tan paint.

History

The Cada Cratal Academy of Spellwriting was built in the late 3rd century, as the city of Cada Cratal began to become a growing attraction for spellwriters visiting The Cada Cratal Rift and the potential for an academy was realised. The Guild of Spellwriters had been formed in the year 120 as the craft began to gain more popularity and respectability among the land of Mythia, due to the need for a cohesive group for rulers to negotiate with to limit the use of certain spells and to be in charge of the distribution of works around Mythia. The Guild approached the ruler of Cada Cratal at the time, Lady Leena, and asked for land to be granted to them to establish the Academy. Lady Leena agreed to this, provided that the Guild payed tithe to the city each year and also that they kept at least one copy of each spellwrit produced in or by the Academy for the exclusive use of the ruler of the city free of charge.
The Academy began with only one hall and one guild building, and expanded as time went on into the rest of the granted land.

Tourism

The Academy attracts mostly prospective spellwriters who wish to improve their craft and have already shown some amount of talent. These attend the academy with the intention of studying there, and typically stay for up to a week before making a decision as to whether they will enter formal training. Other people who visit the Academy include traveling lecturers and students from other universities coming to study The Cada Cratal Rift .
The other notable group of visitors to the Academy are those who are involved with the Guild and are visiting their headquarters. Most commonly this includes members coming to pay their annual fee to the Guild for its publishing and publicity services, but it can also include regional officials attending important meetings at the guildhouses. There is also an annual dinner held at the Academy for all the senior members of the Guild, which is hosted in the Academy halls.
Visitors typically stay in the guest accommodation on site, which is comprised of large accommodation halls with several bunks. More high-ranking visitors are offered beds in the Guildhouses themselves, or stay in an inn in Cada Cratal.

Alternative Names

Cada Cratal Academy, Academy of Spellwriting, Cratal Academy

Type

University / Educational complex

Parent Location

Cada Cratal

Related Professions

• Spellwriter