Academia Spire

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The Academia

One of the six branches of the Order of the Discerning Gaze. The Academia oversees all learning within the settlements of the Children of Radiance (humans). In the smallest towns and villages lessons are taught at a shared temple, which serves as the center for all six branches of the order. In mid-sized and large cities, there are likely to be separate temples for each branch. All schooling would be conducted within a school attached to the Academia Temple. The capital city of Chronwhorl holds the special distinction of being the center of the order of the Discerning Gaze, as well as the center of human civilization. Within the city, each branch is housed within a massive spire unique to that branch.

The central location of the Academia branch of the Order is the Academia Spire. The spire contains holy rooms, an elite academy for anyone entering the Order of the Discerning Gaze, and the living quarters for all local members of the Academia branch of the Order.

The Academy

The Academy housed within the spire takes up most of the visible floors of the Academia Spire. The academy dorms are in the floors spanning from the base of the fog zone up to the bottom of the Shining Roads. At the level of the Shining Roads is the official entrance to the Academy Spire. This is the beginning of the school floors. Later years of classes are taught higher up in the spire, so that higher level students spend their time higher above the city and closer to the Radiant Disk above.

The Academy teaches students of many ages. The lowest levels of the school floors are public and offer general classes and instruction to young children, and adults who are not highly educated. Young students do not live within the dormitories until they are old enough to commit to the Order of the Discerning Gaze, which usually occurs around the age of ten to twelve. After early years of general training and education students of the Academy will select which branch of the order they will become a member of after graduation, and begin to specialize their classes. The branch focus that a student chooses will also determine the typical timeline to graduation, with more militaristic branches having shorter program options unless a student has high enough marks to specialize further within the branch while still attending the Academy. After graduation students move out of the Academy Spire to be housed in the spire of their branch to continue their training and move I not their roles within the order.

Students choosing a Scholar route stay within the Academia Spire but move from the dormitories into higher residency floors for Academia members. Many Scholars stay within the Academia Spire as instructors or researchers, while some others travel out of Chronwhorl to join smaller temples or work as a traveling researcher.

Important Figures

Academia Beacon

The Academia Beacon is the head of the Academia Spire and of the Academia branch of the Order. They reside and maintain an office in the top floors of the spire and are only occasionally seen throughout the rest of the spire.

Six Shining Scholars

Directly under the Academia Beacon is a counsel of six scholars, known as the Shining Scholars. Each Shining Scholar is focused on in-depth knowledge of one of the spires. The Shining Scholar of the Academia is considered a second in command to the Beacon but does not formally hold any more power than each of the other five. These scholars have both in-depth knowledge of the spire they represent and current ties to that spire. While unproven, many members of the other spires believe that the Shining Scholars maintain spies within each spire whose true loyalty lies with the Academia.

Head Academia Instructor

Head Radiant Instructor

Head Lightbringer Instructor

Head Battle Instructor

Head Heartlight Instructor

Head Sheltering Instructor

Dormitory Masters

There are six Dormitory Masters on each floor of the dormitory levels of the spire. Traditionally there is one master representing each spire on each level, but that is a formality which is not strictly followed. Dormitory Masters have a dual focus in knowledge of the age group residing on their level and the tenants of the spire they represent. They act as guides for students during their academy years and aid and support as well as discipline.

Notable Graduates