The large, magnificent looking pagoda that stands just outside the town of
Dokage. It is known across
Shudan as a place where unconventional wizards and magic users gather. The owner of the tower is given the title of
Inferno and tasked with overseeing and protecting both the tower and the town.
Schooling
Throughout Shudan there are a number of larger and more conventional schools where arcane magic is taught, such as the
Academy of the Arcane in
Nanganato. Sukorak is not officially a school like those places, and does not have an entire teaching staff. Sukorak is run by a single wizard, usually one who exemplifies the spirit of inovation and the creation of new things. As such, similarly minded arcane magic users have been known to flock to the tower to train with such unconventional wizards.
The small handful of students who study there live within the tower or the nearby town of
Dokage. There is no tuition associated with the training, but students are expected to help with research and complete errands or quests to offset the cost. Such expeditions often contribute to the overall education of the student. There is no graduation per se, as there is no set curriculum that can be officially completed. Students stay and train as long as they find the experience to be valuable. The most outstanding of each generation usually inherits the tower from their former teacher.
History
Construction
Hai Masterbrooke was a prolific student of astromony, who struggled with the noise, light, and otherwise distracting nature of life in
Zonyashi. In a desire to further his research, and partially because of his anti-social nature, he decided to fund the construction of a tower far from any existing settlements of the time. Despite the distance he wanted to ensure that reaching it was not too much of a burden, so he settled on a spot along the
Hogawa to the north of Zonyashi.
In H89 the construction of his tower began, but progress was a bit slow to start. It took time to transport workers and materials to the construction site, and it was hard to get people to stay for any extended period of time. Out of necessity a very small village began to form between the construction site and the river, to house the workers and sometimes their families. This temporary settlement was referred to as
Pagoda no Kage (
Shadow of the Pagoda in
Shudani).
Over time the village grew, as people came to forge new tools for the workers, create goods for their families, and provide all of the same services you would expect to find in a proper village. Work continued until H97 before the tower was finally complete, and by then the village had become a more permanent fixture and taken on the name of
Dokage.
Hai Masterbrooke worked at the tower and tolerated the small village because it was much quieter and simpler than the city from which he had fled. In the decade that followed, he even began to trade with the town and appreciate their presence to some extent.
Early Years
By H111 some young men from the village had began working for Hai Masterbrooke, including a young
Horbrar Vusk who had a passion for books and history in particular. Vusk studied under Masterbrooke for a long time, and was eventually put in charge of building a library inside of the tower for Masterbrooke. Vusk made sure that every book in Dokage was copied so that the tower library would be stocked, and went out of his way to bring new written works into the town and tower as well.
When Masterbrooke died in H138, he left the tower to Vusk. Vusk partially continued Masterbrooke's study of astromony, but focused mainly on his true passion for history. He also contributed to the expansion of Dokage and accepted more students to come and study at the tower library. He was also responsible for naming the tower Sukorak.
When Vusk died in H186, he left Sukorak to a student by the name of
Nalen Highvale. Highvale was a highly intelligent wizard with a propensity for art and creating things. Highvale added things to the tower such as a music room and a painting studio. He taught students to follow their passions, think differently, and create new and beautiful things.
When Highvale died in H231, he left Sukorak to a student by the name of
Glan Nightshade. Nightshade was obsessed with plants, potions, and remedies. He built a large greenhouse outside the tower, and several gardens nearby. He added an apothecary's study to the tower and was said to enjoy cooking for himself and friends in the town.
Shortly after he took over,
The Break led to a decline in people's desire to study magic. Nightshade made a concerted effort to resolve the mana instability with botany, and by B4 he began to make moderate progress. Using special plants he was able to disperse pockets of dense mana from Sukorak.
Unfortunately cultural respect for magic continued to dip and he soon found himself with no students to pass on his knowledge to. Nightshade is said to have died somewhere between B30 and B40, after which time Sukorak stood empty for more than a century.
The First Inferno
Lorcam Sunstrike was known during his time as an unparalled wizard in terms of knowledge and power. Many claim that he was the most powerful since
the Hotsukai himself. In S167 Sunstrike claimed Sukorak for himself, and began work enhancing the tower in a number of ways. He is credited for creating the title of
Inferno for himself.
Powerful wizards from all over Shudan came to Sukorak to study under Sunstrike, who viewed them more as followers than as students. He gave them tasks and sent them on errands more than he instructed them. One such wizard was
Virth Whiteblaze, a blacksmith by hobby with a special talent for crafting magical items. Whiteblaze becomes a favoried of Sunstrike.
By S199 Whiteblaze began teaching more formally, as Sunstrike continued focusing on expanding his own power and reputation. It was during this time that a young
Silia Lai first began studying at Sukorak under Whiteblaze.
Modern History
When Sunstrike died in S218, Whiteblaze took over and assumed the title as the second Inferno of Sukorak. Many of the older wizards who had gathered to support Sunstrike dispersed at this time, but students of Whiteblaze, such as Lai, stay and continue to study.
When Whiteblaze died in S231, hed left the title of third Inferno to Lai. She continued teaching the younger students of Whiteblaze, but didn't focus on taking in new students at that time. After they had grown and left, and she found herself alone, new students finally began to show up again.
She trained a number of well known students in that generation, including
Mitsugu Atsutane the heir to the
Atsutane Clan, and
Eden Morningfire who eventually became the fourth Inferno after her death in S264.
Morningfire himself trained a small handful of students before his death in S304. Ever since that time,
Rhea Firelocs has maintained the tower as the fifth Inferno.
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