Argent Military Academy

The Argent Military Academy is the Sivak Clan's school for military training. They are located in the Argentum Bastion.  

Description

The grounds of the academy are the largest and most maintained of all of the Argentum Bastion. It is still a relatively small building in comparrison to larger cities, but remains one of the most prominent. It consists of a single, large classroom, a barracks for students that don't have a parent at their home, a training grounds and the armory of Clan Sivak. The construction is simple, but well done in a way that reflects the clan itself. There are few extra adornments but it is sturdy and practical. As one of the most used buildings, it is one of the few made entirely of stone, carved from the mines of the Evergloom Peaks. It is often filled with the sounds of sparring and drills run by the instructors. Every member of the clan is required to attend the academy once they are fifteen years of age. For the first five years of their studies, they learn and practice exclusively on the grounds unless a situation calls for more soldiers, in which they will be deployed with the military. After which, they will serve a mandatory five years of service where they will continue studies when off duty. This effectively means that every member of the clan, with only the rarest of exceptions, serve and study for ten years.

Facilities

Each of the on faciities on the grounds is an integral part of the clan, not just the cadets going through training. The reasons for such a structure is both because of the fairy realm presence, making the Sivak Clan reduce the number of buildings they create, but also as a way for the young warriors to meet experienced soldiers more frequently.

• Lecture Hall: This is the classroom part of the building. Here is where tactics are studied and military etiquette is taught. It is a singular square room with several slates and chalk, but it only has a score of desks. The population of Clan Sivak never large enough to have needed more. Weapon and armor care is taught here, as it is believed that warriors should be one with their gear, knowing what is both good for it and what will damage it. Basic medicine and field dressing is taught for those that show aptitude, or fall short of martial standards. The one course that is not taken her or in The Pit is survival training. This course covers wilderness training and how to behave in the presence of fairies. It is usually taught by a graduate still in their five years service that shows promise of making a good officer.

• Barracks: A communal living area where each person has nothing but a bed and a chest for their belongings. Mostly filled with cadets who have lost their parents or have parents that are actively deployed.

• The Pit: The sparring grounds and weapon training have been long referred to as The Pit by the cadets. It is an open air part of the facility that is mostly just hard packed earth from years of use. There are stone pillars encircling the area to give a sense of perimeter to keep fights contained. There is no roof, only a ring of stone above the pillars, allowing for full weather conditions to be incorporated into training. This is also where disputes between adults are fought out or where soldiers go to let off steam.

• Armory: Weapons and armor are crafted and repaired here. It is the facility least used by the students and more often visited by the rest of the military. Practice weapons and armor are supplied and stored there for training purposes and for fights between disputers for when they want to go all out without risking killing each other. The current mastersmith will analyze each student and make suggestions for weapons and armor best suited to each individual. It is only a recommendation and if the student agrees, the mastersmith will craft a set for them for their graduation into active duty.

• Infirmary: The only medical facility in the Argentum Bastion. Despite this, it is usually used by cadets and not the active military. The students tend to injure each other during training and need the treatments since they have not yest chosen a field to specialize in. Contrarily, the experienced soldiers are capable of treating themselves enough to get by or they tough out their injuries. It is the second largest part of the facility after The Pit.

Notable People

• Ulna'thaan: An experienced officer forced into Reprieve, she is the current teacher of the Academy. Due to an old injury, she is unable to project her voice very much and therefore puts an emphasis in etiquette and Sivak Sign Language first to get the students to show respect and have another way to understand her. This makes it easier to teach tactics and other fields without disruption.

• Sivak Praetora B'lanna: While not an active teacher, it is Praetora B'lanna's tactics that are taught. She has written the entire cirruculum on modern war tactics with the help of Sivak Toy'wl. It focuses on strategies to be utilized against forces much larger than theirs.

• Sivak Toy'wl: Much like the Praetora, she does not often teach, but her tactical genius and co-opting the new strategies has been revolutionary. She also has shown a brillaint technical mind and has been frequently been in charge of the infirmary as one of the clan's primary healers. She has also begun development of prosthetics for the missing limbs and such for the veteran soldiers, allowing them to serve longer at full capacity.

• Sivak Captain Qo'suval: The trainer of all of the combat skills for the cadets. He has a habit of letting his cadets make mistakes, allowing their hubris to make them learn lessons the hard way. Despite this, he is a beloved instructor, serving as something of a father figure to those that have lost one or both parents to war. His partial deafness is played up for levity so that his students don't feel pressure constantly and can still have something to laugh about during their training.

• Sivak Ran'quo: The current mastersmith of Clan Sivak. He controls the armory and forge with an apprentice. He is able to analyze anyone perfectly for their optimal armor and weapons better than any before him. He is often called the Weapon Sommelier.

History

The Argent Military Academy was the first permanent structure built in the Argentum Bastion. Initially it was a military facility, consisting of the barracks, infirmary, armory and a war room. There was little special about it otherwise at the time, as the entire clan lived in it together as they learned to navigate the Dreaming Grove. As they aclimatized to the region, the warriors began to settle in spaces for themselves and their families. Not wanting the building to go to waste, the Sivak Clan expanded it and converted it into the academy. It remains the central most part of their civilization and a symbol of the clan's heritage and values.