A Minute With: An Academy Weaponmaster

What kind of formal education is available to children in your world? Why is it available and how is it organized?

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[As you step through the door of a cramped office that appears to have been converted from a closet as an afterthought, the adult male drow seated behind a desk better described as a small table looks up from the sheaf of papers he's reading and regards you intently. He is dressed in broken-in yet impeccably-maintained leathers, with his white hair neatly tucked into a knot at the nape of his neck. There's something strange about him though, is that...earnestness...in his very pale blue eyes? All at once, a large and not-quite-distant-enough bell tolls from somewhere outside. The sound is deafening, but he seems unfazed, as though this is perfectly normal.
Hmm...three bells. [a sudden, guttural wail of profound despair -- or maybe intense pleasure -- rends the air. The drow doesn't flinch] You must be my next appointment. It says here you're visiting the city for the first time, and want to learn a little about what we do here? Well, this is a place for learning; I guess that's not the strangest request. We just don't usually.... Ah well, Mistress Maelora's orders are orders. Welcome to the Academy at Ilindith. I am Ryiss Tathiv, Weaponmaster of Chain, at your service. I will introduce you to our school.
It's a little quiet around here right now: most of the students are doing field exercises for the next fortnight or so, and the graduating class completed its trials and ceremony last week. Only three deaths this year. I had long believed that that class held particular promise; as a teacher, it's a relief to be proven right.
If you'll come with me, we'll visit the loggia beneath this building's spire. The view is outstanding, and it will spare you some walking. I'll give you some background information on the way. The Academy was the second institution built when Ilindith was founded. Our forbears had learned much during the Test of the Dragons, but two millennia worth of information requires a dedicated effort to process. Furthermore, they were migrants to this new land, and had to teach the young how to survive in it, even as they were learning themselves. The Academy was created to address both challenges. If you know much about drow, it was a strange era. The level of cooperation that generation had to put forth to make these Shivan settlements viable is almost unimaginable now.
And here we are. The city is beautiful from here, isn't it? To help you get your bearings: this entire island is the Temple District. It is home to the Temple here to the right, the Academy, and then the arena in the distance to your left. It's easier to tell from the top of the canyon, but the Temple sits at the point where the other districts converged in the city's younger days. This district is supposed be neutral ground, in that none of the Noble Houses control it; but...our politics are complicated. The arrangement of the island was practical as well as symbolic. The Church is an active participant in our young ones' education from their earliest years. Children who successfully complete their studies are offered to Our Lady as full servants, and officially recognized as full adults. Having the Temple so near to the Academy helps keep us all mindful of our true purpose, and makes moving between the sites easier.
As for the arena, both the Church and the Academy use it. We hold large-group drills there; the older students are expected to compete in the gladiatorial fights to test their skills; and if a surface raid or the patrols produce suitable captives, a few may find their way to us for use in technique lessons or tactics exercises. House Juhlyr's untrainables and other unfortunates who've either outlived their usefulness to their superiors or somehow fallen out of favor may serve one last time, as well. It may sound harsh, but it's the most merciful of their possible fates. We, at least, teach our students to be quick and efficient about their kills.
The noble Houses employ private tutors to teach their scions and the most promising of their youth. Everyone else comes here. As is drow custom, as soon as an infant is able to crawl, formal instruction begins. The infant is turned over to the Temple, where the priestesses ingrain the foundations of our culture and society in them. They watch each child carefully for signs of weakness and, in the strong ones, aptitudes. When they are old enough, the surviving children are sent on to begin learning their assigned roles.
The Academy houses eight specialties. The only one not on these grounds is the arcanists' school: if you look downriver, you might be able to see a bit of it from here. After a...ah...incident...some years ago, it was deemed safest to place the arcanists -- and House Rauveld -- at a polite distance from the city center. Rauveld has always liked its privacy and is capable of handling any student mishaps that might occur, so the arrangement has worked well. Still, the Church keeps a careful eye on the happenings there. Their relationship with House Rauveld has been contentious at times; it's hard to say if that has anything to do with it. I would warn you not to go asking questions, though. I can see from the marks on your wrists that you've already met the peacekeepers. Press your luck no further. This city holds far darker and more dangerous enemies.
That's the basics. I hope it was enough to answer your questions. I have a session with a student shortly, but I can take you back to the front gate -- oh, watch your step on the stairs going down. A surprising standout student from House Baroniaraen who was supposed to complete the commencement trials last week fell to her death here just hours before the trials began. Such a terrible waste. The strangest thing is that she never should have been on the stairs at all. Students don't have access to any part of the spire: as you saw, the door leading to it is always locked.
I must bid you farewell; may you find the rest of your visit to our city rewarding. But before you leave the district, consider stopping by the Temple to leave an offering. You may not realize it, but you have been phenomenally lucky thus far.
Perhaps The Lady of the Drow has her eyes on you.