The Sorcerous Academy
Sorcery and Science
What I am about to teach you is considered illegal outside of this tower. Keep in mind that if you attempt to research it at the Archives, you will likely be arrested. Now, how many of you have heard of Hyacinem?Roughly a hundred years ago, the various Academies were controlled by the Empire, under House Hallowford. When the Trade Union Revolutionary War broke out, the professors and academics refused to turn their studies to war. Initially, the Empire tried to force them back under their control, but the Academy withdrew their technological support. Faced with the posibillity of the Clans gaining an easy upper hand in the war, the Empire caved. Since then, the Academy has been able to ignore every law and decree of the Empire, even dealing across the border and continuing to operate within the Trade Union.
Structure
The Academy is structured very differently from the House that used to control it. Superficially, there is a leader, but this High-Professor is chosen from the leaders of each individual academy, who are known as Dean-Professors. Dean-Professors are elected by their peers at each academy every two years, except when a High-Professor is elected, every ten years. By themselves, Dean and High Professors cannot do much. They do appoint Professors to deal with individual issues, such as finances, curriculum, new hires, tuition, and discipline. This rough balance of power prevents one dictator from changing vast amounts of the Academy without support from their peers or, in some cases, lackeys who are willing to do their bidding.Locations
Ilysium: These towers were the first ones built. It is much taller than the rest of Ilysium, aside from the mountain that the Imperial Palace sits upon, and was the place where modern skyships were designed. Nobility is largely discouraged from enrolling by House Avisong, but commoners who can afford the high tuition are free to take classes and improve their sorcerous ability in any of the base bloods.
Sayles: Originally known as the Earthblood Academy, the towers are one of the few buildings constructed out of the marble that was mined from Sayles and shipped to Ilysium. New mining techniques were perfected here, along with the combination of Earthblood and Waterblood that keeps most of the Blue fed in the modern day. Like the others, despite its initial distinction, anyone who can afford tuition can learn how to better control any of their base bloods, not just Earthblood.
Olympus: The third academy constructed, it was initially just for teaching Skyblood sailors in the art of keeping their ships aloft and moving quickly. However, this was no longer needed once modern, Flameblood-powered engines were designed, which supplanted the need for Skyblood at all. The Olympus Academy is the most military-focused of the Academies, which is not surprising due to its proximity to the home fort of the Imperial Navy, and it is where the Sparklocks now weilded across the Blue were developed.
Boreana: Thechincally the most recently build academy, the towers on Boreana now called the Boreana Academy replaced a much older structure that was built to teach any of the people working the water-collection rigs with some scrap of Skyblood magic how to use that to speed the water harvest, and keep the colony free. The Boreana Academy grew from that need, and only recently was replaced by an institution dedicated not just to work, but to knowledge of all things.
General Information
Yearly Tuition: 12,000-16,000 Ae or 15,000-20,000 TCNumber of Students: ~3,500 per Academy
Number of Faculty: ~500 per Academy
Average Research Budget: 16% of yearly income
(NB: Income is not reported to either the Empire or the Trade Union, so exact numbers are unknown.)
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