In Si-Tahna, through the Gate of Knowledge, you enter into the realm of magic. A relatively small, walled off section of Upper Tahna is home to the Academy of Si-Tahna, or the Academy for Improved Sciences. It is a must-go for any scholar. Its programs are of the highest quality, put together by the greatest minds of our age. Great magicians and professors teach and research here, everything from herbology to alchemy, from conjuration to divination.
History
Schools
Led by the Almagister, the greatest magician of our time, it is the Magisters that govern the magicians all across Aenín, as well as the Academy for Improved Sciences. The teachings of the Academy are divided over nine faculties, which they call Schools.
- The School of Alchemy is the most innovative school of the nine. It deals with the study of the particles that make up this world. Alchemists think it is important to know how the world is made, and better, know how to improve it.
- The School of Arcanism is where abjurers and conjurers dwell. It deals with the summoning of various arcane objects, teleportation and the creation of magical barriers, all out of thin air.
- The School of Charms is the realm of the Enchanters. They deal with spells and charms that affect other people. The mind is their playground, for they are able to influence or even control other creatures.
- The School of Elementalism is one with nature. It deals with the elemental forces that have shaped this world. An Elementalist calls on the power of Earth, Water, Air and Fire to reshape his world.
- The School of Heralds is devoted to stories of magic. Sometimes students of the School of Heralds are called Bards. They believe that words and music can re-arrange the fabric of this world, and practice their magic from this belief.
- The School of Herbology is where the expert potion makers reside. They know magical plants and focus on how to care for them. But they also know how to use them to their own benefit.
- The School of Illusion is the most elusive school of the nine. It deals with deception and things that are not really there. Illusionists create phantom noises and images, tricking other people into believing them.
- The School of Magecraft is the highest ranking school of the nine. Mages are the powerhouses of the magical world. They are the most powerful arcane casters, who can hurl fireballs, create massive shockwaves or summon bolts of lightning.
- The School of Seers is a mostly spiritual school. It deals with divination and astronomy. Seers reveal information, whether it be scrying on locations, gaining distant visions or even catching glimpses of the future.
Facilities
The Dormitories
The Academy not only lets the students attend colleges here, but it also houses them. Closer to the Inner Wall of Si-Tahna stand three four-story buildings, magically constructed to make optimal use of the limited space in the overcrowded city. These are the dormitories.
The left-most one is home to students of the Schools of Magecraft and Arcanism. This one is located furthest away from the main building, because it is loud. Students of these Schools are bold and daring, to the point of recklessness, and many a party stirs the slumber of those who live here. Even when they are studying these students make noise. Bright flashes of arcane energy, thunderwaves and explosions are never away. The grand designs and broad arches of the building reflect this, in the sense that many parts are burnt, broken and damaged otherwise.
The middle one is home to the students of the Schools of Illusion, Charms and the School of Heralds. On the outside the building looks plain and small, but do not be deceived by looks. The inside is actually bigger than the outside, and more intricate than any of the other two. It is the playground of the Enchanters, where nothing is what it seems, and a spell is easily put on you. Students who live here are always on their guard, be it for their peers or for their own rooms that have suddenly disappeared and reappeared somewhere else.
The right-most one is home to students of the Schools of Alchemy, Herbology and Elementalism. A tower on top is home to the students of the School of Seers. Students of these Schools are studious and focused, and unlike the previous two this building is quite calm. Ivy grows on the outside of the stone walls and around the broad windows that let in sunlight. This building is most one with nature. To the side it connects with the main building of the Academy. Inside are studies to sit in quietly and do research.
The Main Complex
A series of connected buildings form the main complex of the Academy.
Central stands the great hall that is the library. The library of the academy is renowned for its magnitude. If there is a question no one knows the answer to, be sure to find it there.
On one side of the library hall are two buildings that house various laboratories and other research facilities. Here the more practical side of the magics are studied, both the research into new areas of magic, as well as practical sessions for students to learn.
On the other side of the library hall are the auditoriums. There is one big semi-circular theater that can house many people, which it is used for events as well as particularly large lectures. Webbing out from the circle that this building forms are several other lecture halls, and to the side is a large rectangular building, also connected to the library hall makes offices for the various Magisters that lecture and research at the Academy.