Lake Hollym | Tyrrapedia: Encyclopedia of Tyrra

The Royal Academy of Arcane Arts & Sciences, or simply Lake Hollym as many refer to it, is the headquarters for training, research and development, historical archives, and storage of arcane (and often dangerous) artifacts, creatures and substances in the fields of Magic, Alchemy and Astrology for the Kingdom of Evendarr. It is located on the island of Janitria (an ancient Common word meaning "knowledge") - an hourglass-shaped territory in the middle of Lake Hollym. It houses the four major Colleges of the "higher" sciences prevalent on Tyrra: the Royal College of Celestial Arts & Sciences, the Royal College of Healing Arts & Sciences, the Royal College of Alchemical Arts & Sciences and the Royal College of Astrological Arts & Sciences. Students, teachers, researchers and visiting scholars from all parts of the Kingdom and the world, and representing all of the "civilized" races of Tyrra, may be found within its walls, in addition to a sizeable security force and the many workers required to maintain an operation of this size. Technically it is a Royal Demesne within the Duchy of Evendarr, but for all intents and purposes, it has functioned as an independent entity for several centuries.

The Royal Academy was relocated to Janitria in the 2nd century ER. 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.

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.

THE ARRIVAL OF THE GUILDS

By the last decades of the 2nd century, the Academy had turned out enough trained graduates to satisfy the demand for them in the Courts and Guilds of the Kingdom. In ER 188, the Royal Guild masters of Mages and Healers established headquarters for their respective Guilds on the island, followed shortly after (ER 191) by the Alchemists' Guild. In ER 194, a new astrological observatory, called Himmin Tor ("Tower of the Heavens") was completed, largely with funds supplied by the Royal Astrological Society (the Astrologers' Guild), which also relocated to that site. Since that time the four Guilds have been centered at Janitria, and appoint representatives to the Royal Court in Evendarr.

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 Alchemists and Mages (until 609).

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.

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.

ACADEMY TRAINING

The length of study at the Academy varies from College to College. A full training course in the Colleges of Celestial and Healing Arts lasts 10 years; the Alchemy and Astrology Colleges' courses last for 5. Training consists of research, theory and experimentation, but no graduate is considered truly skilled until s/he has acquired field experience.

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.