Academy of the Scroll

It is the things that we learn here that further our understanding, that drive us to create a world that is ever evolving and growing more than before.

— Aelin Fenvyre

Classrooms, laboratories, auditoriums and more stretch down endless corridors and floors that fill the nose with the scent of old books and the head with thoughts of endless possibilities. Students and faculty rove between the rooms, carrying all manner of things that may come in handy during their schooling or their research, whichever their skills have reached toward. The bustle of the jade city outside is replicated inside the shimmering tower, a place of magic that is far larger, far more mysterious, on the inside than can be seen by looking in.
The Academy of the Scroll is one of many schools of magic on the Northern Continent recognized by the High Council of the Arcane, but it is by far the most free-thinking, its curriculum far more wide and diverse than any other. While the schools of the Humans and the Dwarves focus on particulars, the Elves believe in possibilities and the application of magic, often pushing the limits of what can be created with enough talent and tenacity. A school for all types of Mages, the Academy of the Scroll is mainly a research institution, but one that also provides an in-depth education to those that wish to partake.
Within the changing halls of the academy, one can find knowledge without measure. Each failure is a step forward, a learning opportunity from which to gain something that you did not have before. The draw of the Academy of the Scroll is that the answer is ever rarely no, but instead is how. How do we reach what we search for? How do we better ourselves and the world that is slowly repairing from twisted torment? With the knowledge gained and held within these walls, nothing is truly impossible, just a matter of time.

Structure

The Academy of the Scroll lacks much of the structure that may be expected of academia, choosing to have some structure mixed with freeform ideas that allow students and faculty to often move beyond what is considered possible. Students are grouped by their area of study and their level of experience, but even these divisions are fluid and can change frequently. This open-ended structure is meant to spur inspiration and creativity in a way that the Elves believe most academia stifles these attributes.

Areas of Study

The areas of study at the Academy of the Scroll are meant to be broad so as not to limit the breadth of one's creativity and the limitations of the world. Hundreds of subcategories of study may fall within each of the main categories, but students are grouped based on their interests and how those interests may affect the world.

Click the names to learn more about each area of study.

General Magicks

General Magicks is the broadest area of study as it not only includes learning about the various colors of magic and their applications, but also anything magic related that does not fit within the other areas of study. All students begin in the General Magicks courses and may branch out over time based on their interests and abilities. This area of study is the only one that is open to those not part of the Elven Kingdom on a case-by-case basis as decided upon by the current Headmaster or Headmistress.

Alchemical Research

Violet Magic sets itself apart as something of both magic and science. Those who study alchemical research are Violet Magic specialists and focus on expanding the knowledge of alchemy that will be shared across all the races. This type of magic is often forgotten among the other academies of the world, so the Elves have created a designated space for those who wish to pursue magic with scholarly intent.

Magical Production

Magical production is an interesting area of study as it focuses on the mass production of magical items and applications so that the general public can use these things. Once another area of study creates an item and finds its purpose, it is up to those who study magical production to figure out the best way to recreate these items in large-scale batches without sacrificing the quality of the original.

Magical Applications

Not everything in the world can be solved through the use of magic, but a large majority of things can. Those who study magical applications learn about how to apply magic to real-world problems that would not require a biological answer. Items such as Spell Scrolls, potions, wands, and other magical items are the focus of this area of study or how certain colors of magic can be applied to different situations that one might not originally think of.

Biologics

Biologics might be the second largest area of study at the Academy of the Scroll as students and faculty dabble in a variety of experiments and applications that deal with all things living. Items such as the Physi and Topaz Spider Silk are the results of those who study biological applications of magic and strive to find exactly where the line is between possible and impossible.

Extra-planar Applications

The fey heritage of the Elven Forest allows for the veil between the planes to be thinner here, the ability to move between the world and the Wandering Forest and the Lost Paths nothing more than passing through the wrong place at the right time. Those who specialize in extra-planar magic study the gates that allow people to travel between the planes as well as how magic changes between the planes.

Levels

While the Academy of the Scroll uses levels of knowledge to create a bit of structure within the areas of study, these delineations are not perfect. Students early on may be grouped with others considered basic learners so that they may work through the earliest stages of learning magic together, but quickly may find themselves in classes with those with advanced knowledge so that all students can help each other grow and learn in their interests.

Click the names to learn more about each level of study.

Basic

Those considered basic learners are often those just beginning their foray into all things magic. Before delving into the various areas of study at the academy, these students will learn the basics of one or two colors of magic and learn the physical and mental toll that magic use takes on one's body.

Novice

Novice learners have grasped the basics of magic overall and are ready to become more specialized in their learning. It is not uncommon for novice learners to pick two or three areas of study before truly diving into one specific area as their knowledge and power grow.

Moderate

Moderate learners are those who have chosen an area of study to specialize in and have truly begun to delve deep into the varied knowledge of their specializations. Under the supervision of faculty, moderate learners may complete their own experiments and forays into the more abstract realm of knowledge.

Advanced

Advanced learners often are the largest group and the most varied in their depth and breadth of knowledge. While these students are trusted to complete their own experiments unsupervised, some students in this group are considered experts in their specific area of study.

History

The Academy of the Scroll is the oldest institution of magic amongst the mortal races, being established shortly after the Elves found the oldest tree in the world within their forest. Being innately magical, the Elves put great emphasis on their abilities and the lengths to which they will go to expand their knowledge. While the earliest days of the academy were spent recording the knowledge that would then be shared, it was soon realized that the academy would be far more than just an institution of teaching.
The earliest faculty of the academy believed in the power of research and experimentation, within safe parameters. The academic model that they built would have the students a part of the research as well as the learning, giving them not only a base in magic and the possible knowledge but a way to expand that knowledge following tried and true methods. With this base structure, the Academy of the Scroll in its true form was born.
Over centuries, the academy has changed greatly, implementing new areas of study and a level of knowledge system that placed students with peers who could assist each other with their learning. The biggest explosion of change came after the Eldritch War and the appointment of Aelin Fenvyre as Headmistress. Under her leadership, the Academy of the Scroll truly became the center of magical creation and experimentation, setting the Elven Academy apart once again from the other magic academies of the world.

Uniforms

Earliest Uniform

Pre-Eldritch War Uniform

Uniform of the Scroll

The uniforms worn by students have greatly changed over the years. Each Headmaster often added their own flair to the simple uniforms that were worn in the earliest days of the academy and before the Eldritch War. After the Eldritch War, the uniforms changed to represent a new class of students and the academy forever changed.

Ruling Organization

Elven Kingdom

Location

Alfensil

Manufactured Items

• Topaz Robes

Notable Members

• Asteria Stormbow

Related Species

• Elves

Related Ethnicities

• Elven Culture

People of the Academy

While the Academy of the Scroll tends to only admit Elves for complete courses of study and research, those that attend the academy or work their are very diverse in their specialties. It is not uncommon to find someone that has dedicated decades if not centuries of their very long lives to a rather niche topic.

Click the names to learn more about those that are part of the academy.

Headmaster

The Headmaster of the Academy of the Scroll is traditionally appointed by the Elven King from the current faculty at the time when the previous Headmaster retires. Most Headmasters serve a term of two or more centuries, often establishing changes within the academy that better serve the students and the world around them.
Aelin Fenvyre

Aelin Fenvyre

Aelin Fenvyre by Portrait via Portrait Workshop, created by RiverFang

Headmistress of the Academy of the Scroll

Aelin Fenvyre has served as the Headmistress of the Academy of the Scroll for a number of decades, helping to rebuild the institution as one of great research after the events of the Eldritch War. During her tenure, the research conducted at the academy expanded greatly, moving into the territory of what was once considered impossible.

Faculty

Faculty are appointed by the Headmaster of the Academy. While most faculty were former students of the academy, it is not a requirement that one have attended the academy to teach there.
Errol Witherstone

Errol Witherstone

Errol Witherstone by Portrait via Portrait Workshop, created by RiverFang

Professor of General Magicks

Errol Witherstone is currently one of the longest-tenured faculty at the academy. Having taught for nearly five centuries, Errol teaches all prospective students the basics of magic and the color spectrum. There are no students at the academy who have not sat through a class taught by Professor Witherstone.

Amnestria Presyra

Amnestria Presyra

Amnestria Presyra by Portrait via Portrait Workshop, created by RiverFang

Professor of Biologics

Amnestria Presyra specializes in the creation of biologics, mostly plants, that can aid with various problems. Through her research as a student and later a faculty member, the Biologics program has expanded far beyond its origins, increasing the need for the Magical Production program to expand as well.

Orym Sylkrana

Orym Sylkrana

Orym Sylkrana by Portrait via Portrait Workshop, created by RiverFang

Professor of Extra-planar Applications

Orym Sylkrana has spent many centuries studying the Wandering Forest and the connection its magic has to the Elven Forest and the oldest tree in the world. His expertise shows greatly in his classes on Extra-planar Applications and what one might learn from the magic of wonderland and its darker side, the Lost Paths.