The Dekatia

Meletis boasts many centers of learning, but the preeminent academy for philosophers and mages is the Dekatia. Students who display remarkable promise over the course of their earlier education can go on to spend up to ten years in arduous training at the Dekatia, apprenticed to master priests, thaumaturges, philosophers, and military heroes. Those who manage to complete this decade of training are renowned as the wisest of the wise and the bravest of the brave, combining all the essential learning of the polis into one heroic package.
The Dekatia is selective with admission. Beginning with students as young as age 8, the Dekatia will carefully select the brightest pupils to mold into philosophers, mages, and clerics. Citizenship is not a requirement to attend, as the Dekatia is primarily concerned about finding the brightest students.
The Dekatia is overseen by the legendary thaumaturge Antixulos. The elderly silver-haired philosopher has been content to guide the next generation of leaders, largely staying out of politics until recently.
The most transcendent and renowned Meletian institution on Theros is arguably the academy of magic and philosophy. Its students and teachers are among the most referenced figures for mortal thought and many of the great schools of thought were born here. Although there are many other teachers independent of the Dekatia the prestige of the institution makes it stand out in the preferences of aspirants to the famous institution. The name Dekatia refers to the ten years of study dedicated to both philosophy and magic, to which is added training in different disciplines of knowledge. The access requires a previous exam by way of test of several masters. The student chooses the training towards which to orient himself under the tutelage of a master. The training can be done at any age, but it is usual to start at 12 or 13 years of age. At the end of it, the student is given the honor of being called philosopher or magician, depending on the chosen branch. At 5 years in the Dekatia, the student may choose to join the Reverential Army, among its famed war mages, where he begins his military training. The main building of the Dekatia stands to the east of the agora, in a circular three-story building with a central courtyard presided over by a tholos that acts as a great hall for the students and an enclosure for the image of Ephara Sophia, protector of magicians and philosophers. Each floor is open to the central courtyard as a three-story cloister. The outer area of each floor has halls of all kinds, with tiers where the teachers give their theoretical classes. It is not uncommon, however, to find outside the Dekatia or even anywhere in the city teachers giving their classes, declaiming about philosophy or magic surrounded by their students. To the west of the main building another large two-story porticoed building serves as a library and study. After the Pyrgnos and the Library of Gnossus, this is possibly the most complete library in Theros, and certainly the one that has come to store more magic collected on paper. Its central courtyard has a large fountain-shaped pool, a perfect area for meditation and study, for its tranquility. To the east of the complex a wing of two floors and two basements houses a huge symposium, cells for students and a chamber guarded with magic and several war mages that keeps objects and relics of varying power. To the southeast a pair of buildings serves as maintenance for the entire Dekatia.

Type

College / Academy