Minstrel's University
Sure, you can become a damn good entertainer in other places than the Minstrel's University. Yet, if you want to be among the elite, among the ones that live forever, mentioned in the tomes of history, their songs sung by people for generations...
The best way to acquire these levels of fame and recognition is to enroll in the Minstrel's University.
The Minstrel's University in Sakastro is known all over Shireon among people who appreciate the performed kinds of art. The best entertainers are taught here, their skills honed to perfection.
An Exclusive Education
The hardest part of getting enrolled at the Minstrel's University is to get through the auditions required to even be considered. Only a handful of students are chosen each year, the number depending on how many students there are at the moment. If a new student gets through this narrow gateway, they will have to pay a hefty sum of money to be formally accepted. This is to ensure the new student is serious about enrolling.
The hardships aren't finished after being accepted as a student. The teachers demand a high level of dedication and effort from the students, which would weed out the ones who can't handle the pressure. Yet, this isn't everything that makes it extremely challenging to get a degree in this establishment. There is plenty of competitive conflicts among the students, the constant bickering making it hard to complete the education if you let it get to you. Out of the average yearly acceptance of seven new students, only two or three students on average finish all three years.
General Classes
All students are trained in how to use words in every situation to most kinds of people to gain the other part's favorable side. Even after the first year, the students are known for their silver tongues and smooth-talking. The ones who stay tend to be the best students in these classes, only to use their new skills to torment their classmates to get above them.
During the first year the students will get lessons in songs, dancing, acting, several instruments, and storytelling. This is both to give the students a wide general understanding of the performing arts, as well as giving them a way to make an informed choice when they decide on their specialization.
All these general classes will continue up until the end of the education, though only for half the curriculum in the second year, and one-fourth of the curriculum in the third year.
Specialization
At the beginning of the second year, students are allowed to choose a specialization. They will pick one to three styles or instruments to perfect. The teachers are strict and demanding, and it isn't unusual to spend most waking hours to practice their specializations during the two last years. There is a saying among the students that if you're willing to prioritize doing other things than practicing you're not dedicated enough to be at the Minstrel's University.
Weaving Magic into Performance
During the second half of the second year the students take their first steps into the world of magic, learning how to weave subtle magic energy into their performance. The magic will never reach the raw power of the students at the Academy of the Arcane, yet if the wielder knows how to utilize it, the effects can be quite powerful.
In stark contrast to the more external magic of the other casters of Shireon, the magic of the Minstrel's University works much more with communication and the relationships between people. The magic can make the caster seem more charismatic, trustworthy, noticeable, but also less visible if that is preferred. Due to its subtler nature, it's harder to notice this magic as the ones who can search for it won't always know that they should look.
Ennuria Forestbreeze
Faculty
It's important that the teachers are the best of their field and most of them are recruited from previous students after they've traveled the world for a bit. If a specific speciality is needed, the headmaster will send out a letter to the best former students of that specialization to ask them if they wish to come back to teach new students.
If a former student visits Sakastro, especially if that former student has become famed for their skills, they might agree to become a guest teacher for a period of time. This period can be anything from a day to a month, and is generally a popular happening among the current students.
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