Ioth Academy
Nestled in the foothills of the Sunswept Lands is a massive translucent golden sphere, approximately one mile in diameter. Through its shining surface you can catch glimpses of fantastic vistas, spires shining with light, islands and forests and beaches floating midair and countless wonders. This is Ioth Academy, the greatest institute of magical learning in the Four Kingdoms, the last legacy of Luminias.
Demographics
Species
Countless species inhabit Ioth Academy, selected from across the world for their magical talent or knack| Category | Species |
|---|---|
| Dominant | Elves (Alfar) |
| Minority | Humans |
| Enclave | Dragonborn, Half-Elves |
| Groups | Tieflings, Gnomes, Elves (Huldra) |
| Individuals | Minotaurs, Genasi, Half-Orcs, Elves (Aurai, Shileg, Shadar-Kai, Eladrin), Dwarves, Fey |
| Singular | Aasimar, Bugbear |
Cultures
The Sunswept Lands provide the majority of Ioth Academy's recruits, though there are others from further beyond.| Category | Cultures |
|---|---|
| Dominant | |
| Minority | |
| Enclave | |
| Groups | |
| Individuals | |
| Singular |
Wealth Classes
The Academy tends to the needs of all of its students. Thanks to the abundance of magic, no denizen of the academy ever wants for food, shelter, clothes or supplies for their various arts and interests. Nonetheless, there can be a degree of inequality among the student body. The academy furnishes requests for experiments and crafting supplies but requests for especially difficult to furnish items must be justified by some magical project worthy of the expense. As such, students with access to outside wealth may have more "luxury" items than others, particularly when it comes to comforts and specialties of distant lands. ProfessionsDefences
With so many powerful mages at their disposal, Ioth did not have to rely solely on its walls. Chief among its defenses is the Golden Sphere. The properties of the Sphere can be controlled by the Masters of the Academy, modifying its permeability, visibility and more. Thus, the sphere is impregnable to most mortals. It can withstand physical assault and most forms of magic. Most of the time, the sphere blocks extraplanar travel, preventing teleportation and sealing off paths through the Otherworld.
Infrastructure
Ioth was renowned for its magical marvels.
Districts
The Spire
At the very heart of the Golden Sphere is a spire of pure gold. Near the top, it branches into numerous towers. These are the facilities, offices, laboratories and living quarters of the Masters, the highest ranking teachers in Ioth Academy. Ioth himself has his home here.The Ring
Floating about halfway up the Spire is a modified torus that spins eternally in the opposite direction from the other structures. This is the Ring, and is home to students from years 5-7 and beyond.The Towers
Eight towers rise from the inner surface of the ring, almost like spokes on a wheel. These are the Towers, home to students pursuing apprenticeship and advanced study, as well as fully taught graduates of the school who are seeking the title of Master.The Lodges
Orbiting the spire clockwise at various heights within the sphere are the Lodges, four specialized environments for raising young spellcasters from years 1-4. In order from greatest height to lowest these are the Grove, the Great Hall, the Cove, and the Grotto.The Undercroft
At the very base of the sphere is the ground level, which over the years has accumulated detritus and refuse from centuries of magical experiments. It's a weird wasteland of unpredictable magic and a dangerous place. Nobody is supposed to go there.The Causeway
A floating fortress of white marble that moved throughout the sphere as needed. It is the only sanctioned method for outsiders to come and go from the Academy. When access must be granted, the Causeway floats to the very edge of the sphere. An enchanted archway breaches the sphere, creating a walkway to the outside world. The Causeway is guarded by constructs and trained warmages.Assets
The city rested on the greatest Dawn Veins ever discovered, a wellspring of mystical power.
Points of interest
Broxwerth Hall
Great Hall Broxwerth Hall is a unique ballroom even considering the variety of peculiar construction inside Ioth Academy. The 100-foot long, 50-foot wide room is completely immune to seemingly all damage, both magical and physical. Often used as a sparring or training room, Broxwerth Hall is almost always bustling with activity from students, faculty, and visitors at all times of the day. Constructed as a parting gift from a master of abjuration whose long-standing illness robbed them of their ability to move, Broxwerth is the magnum opus of decades of study and execution of extremely high level magic. Academics who have studied the hall suggest that should the entire college be erased in a cataclysm that Broxwerth Hall would still be standing among the rubble. To attempt to dispel the enchantments inside this space is a grievous offense to every member of the academy and is met with vehement disapproval if not hostility – though no enchantment has successfully been removed as of yet.Paurlona
The Cove Many diplomats and academics congregate around a great well in the northern-most fringe of the academy itself. Made of ivory-colored hewn stone, the well is 20-feet wide and nearly a mile deep, measured by many scholars who have descended to the bottom. Water pulled from the well, which is filled to the brim at all times, is clear as glass. The water seems to resist attempts to spoil it, magically or through mundane means. So potent is the water's purity that dead creatures submerged in it do not decay, as with the gentle repose spell. In addition to access to fresh, pure water – the plaza in which the well sits seems to be suffused with a calming effect that most enjoy daily. Even the most bull-headed and jaded diplomat finds it difficult to become angered in close proximity to the well.River's Heart
The Grove Hidden in a nexus of waterways at the heart of the grove is River's Heart, a stone platform above the springs. Here, a binding circle contains Doobbaasseef , a marid genie bound here by Ioth himself. Doobbaasseef maintains the water cycle throughout the grove, and possibly in other areas of the academy as well.The Scriptorium
The Great Hall An abandoned teacher's lounge on the second floor of the Great Hall, this humble room is mostly bare except for a sink in the corner. Since then it's been decorated and slowly furnished by members of The Codex. This fledgling secret society hopes that the room will one day go down in history as the birthplace of great things.
Founding Date
5627
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