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(Taken from the Royal Library of Evendarr 6/25/603) (Minor edits by Eric Augustson, 07/22/603) History,
Structure, and Function of the Prepared by Daniel Redbrook, Archwizard of Lightning and
Lore for the court of King Mykel Endarr II. 1. HISTORY The
Royal Academy, or simply "Lake Hollym", as many refer to it, was
relocated to Janitria in the 2nd century ER (Evendarr Reckoning).
The Academy's predecessor was the Tower of Magic founded by Lord Lawrance
Huntington in ER 10, just outside the walls of Cwyll, the old capital of the
Kingdom; and it served the loyalists of the new Kingdom during the Succession
War (ER 1-16). In ER 32, a
cataclysmic explosion destroyed the Tower, permanently killing everyone inside
including the reigning King, Berthold III, and destroying most of the Tower's
contents. Several decades were to
pass before the spell casters of Evendarr were able to gather the support and
resources necessary to rebuild, for not only had they lost their best and
brightest in the disaster, they also found a major obstacle in the fear
engendered among noble and commoner alike of the powers that had been unleashed. Finally in ER 101, during the reign of Ulson II ("Ulson the Builder"), construction began on a new Royal Academy on the then-remote island of Janitria on Lake Hollym, far away from any major population center. The work was completed in ER 111, and the Academy has operated from Janitria since then. 2. THE 75TH ASSAULT REGIMENT In ER
112, the Academy petitioned King Ulson for a unit of the Royal Army to assist in
maintaining security on the island after a series of near disasters involving
experimental Rituals gone awry. In
addition, since Janitria marked the Kingdom's northern frontier at the time,
threats from hostile forces, particularly the Nordennites of what is now
Ashbury, were a constant source of concern to the Academy's Regents. Ulson
responded by dispatching the 75th Assault Regiment, a unit newly formed from
several older forces and untested in battle.
Within a few years it had acquired considerable experience, the least of
which came from attacks by Barbarians and humanoids from off-island.
Most of the unit's battle decorations were acquired in encounters with
invasions from within the Academy's research environs.
Within a few decades, it was generally recognized that the 75th was the
only force in the Kingdom with the training and experience to deal with this
unique situation. In ER 149 King
Ulson, nearing the end of his 53-year reign, permanently detached the 75th to
the Academy, to be recalled only with the unanimous approval of the Academy's
Regents. The 75th Assault Regiment is unique among Royal Army units in that every soldier is required to learn spell casting in addition to any other skills s/he may possess. The unit is strictly volunteer, although many of the troops and officers are from families who have served for generations. Candidates are carefully screened, and off-islanders must come highly recommended. Training is rigorous and continues throughout the soldier's career. Attrition is high, and less than a quarter of the force lives long enough to collect the retiree's pension, although most of the veterans remain with the unit, providing advice and assistance upon mustering out. Today the 75th exists not so much to protect the Academy against threats from outside as to protect everyone else from threats generated from within. 3. THE ARRIVAL OF THE GUILDS Until the Succession Treaty of ER 593, the Mages', Healers' and Astrologers'
Guilds were represented on the Royal Council.
(The Alchemists' Guild had not held a seat since the early part of this
century, chiefly because of chronic factionalism within its ranks.)
However, each of the Colleges and two of the Guilds in a five-year
rotation, holds a seat on the Board of Regents, the governing body of the
island, with the Lord or Lady Regent being a Royal appointment.
Currently the two Guilds represented on the Board of Regents are the
Astrologers and Healers (until 604). Guild operations are separate from those of the Academy, and the Academy has jurisdiction over the island itself and any non-Guild operations. The relationship between the two entities has been so close for so long that distinctions between them are all but invisible to outsiders. The Guilds provide funds, materials and personnel for much of the Academy's research and the Academy in turn provides the Guilds with the first fruits of its labors. Nevertheless, each entity jealously guards its prerogatives, and there is the usual element of in-house politicking common to any large endeavor. 4. THE NEUTRALITY TRADITION It was
during and after the Second Saxony Rebellion in ER 267 that the tradition of
Academy and Guild neutrality during times of conflict became established,
largely as a result of the hatred and conflicts between pro- and anti-Saxony
factions. One group (whose identity
was never confirmed) summoned a small army of Elementals and subsequently lost
control over them, unleashing a reign of terror that cost hundreds of lives and
took several weeks to overcome. As a
result of that experience, the chastened survivors quickly agreed that
Janitria's awesome capabilities made it far too dangerous to be used as a
battleground for internal civil disputes, and too great a threat to the Kingdom
to be considered a prize of war. The
only exception to this policy occurs when the Sovereign commands its resources.
Over the centuries the attitude has spread to Courts and Guilds
throughout Evendarr, as Academy-trained personnel have seen the same
possibilities on a smaller scale, and again the exception is when a Liege
requires Guild assistance. The neutrality principle is not a formalized law, but rather an unwritten custom based upon vivid experience, and applies only in cases of internal conflict. In situations involving outside forces, the Guilds are expected to serve their Lieges as would any other loyal unit. However, the system is far from perfect. More than one Guild member has been forced to make a difficult choice among conflicting oaths, and more than one Guild member has paid dearly for making the wrong choice.
5. THE MISSION OF THE GUILDS The four
Royal Guilds hold Royal Charters that command them to establish chapters in any
territory where they have been petitioned to do so, either to establish a new
Guild in the respective discipline or to re-establish a Guild that has been
destroyed or dissolved by conflict or catastrophe.
Customarily, this has been initiated at the Duchy level, although under
the terms of the Succession Treaty of 593, the Principalities may also establish
Guilds. The highest-ranking Liege
in a given territory petitions the particular Royal Guild for a chapter charter,
trained personnel and the necessary supplies (e.g. ritual scrolls, components,
etc.) to begin operations. Someone
may be assigned from Janitria to supervise the Guild until such time as the
local staff has acquired the necessary training to function on their own. Chapter charters are generic; every Royally-sanctioned Guild in Evendarr operates under similar conditions, although there may be minor variations. Some chapters, particularly those of the Healers' Guild, may prefer to redraft their chapter charter each time a new Guild leader is selected; others simply operate under the original charter, which may be centuries old. The Royal Guilds may also send inspectors into the field from time to time, or may send trained mediators to resolve internal conflicts. 6. ACADEMY TRAINING Courses include a history of the student's chosen field through the 11 known Cycles of Ages, studies of the writings and specimens of field researchers and collectors from all over Tyrra, a thorough course of instruction in methods of identification, and many hours assisting the masters of the field in observation and research. Students in the spell casting and alchemical Colleges are not permitted to experiment on their own because of the dangers involved. Tuition is expensive: 500 crowns (GP) per year for the spell casting Colleges, 300 for Alchemy and 200 for Astrology. Many students, whom sponsors have recommended but who need to supplement their tuition payments, elect to take service with the 75th during their tenure, and often remain in the military after completing their formal studies. 7. THE JANITRIA CHAIN OF COMMAND
BOARD OF REGENTS (A 7-member council) Sir Robard Egmont, Lord Regent, Royal Academy of Arcane Arts & Sciences, Lord Steward of Janitria (a Royal Demesne)
THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARCANE ARTS & SCIENCES Lord Trelayne fan Arcevol, Dean, Royal College of Celestial Arts & Sciences Mother Juarista, O.B.D.F.L., Dean, Royal College of Healing Arts & Sciences* Dame Fionella Bellflower, Dean, Royal College of Alchemical Arts & Sciences Lord Vaisillon Eannaril, Dean, Royal College of Astrological Arts & Sciences
THE ROYAL GUILDS Lady Chandria a'Vaughn, Royal Guild mistress of Mages Lord Stefan Vilkas,
Royal Guild master of Healers
The 75th Assault Regiment is commanded by Brigadier Morran Bartholomew-Saneth.
*Formerly known as the Royal College of Earthly Arts & Sciences, the name was changed in ER 580, after King Roderick outlawed Necromancy at the behest of Crown Prince Richard.
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Please contact the head of Research, Eric
Augustson, with any comments or corrections.
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