Arcanium

Palladian Arcanium
Type	School
Leader	Council of High Magisters
Headquarters	Outside Telmissus, Viridia
Goals	Education, magical research
Scope	Global
Members	Students and instructors of magical arts

The Palladian Arcanium (pronounced pah-LAY-dee-an), more commonly known simply as the Arcanium, is one of the most prestigious institutions of magical learning around the Chaska Sea. The school attracts students and instructors alike from far away, all of whom join the hyper-competitive Arcanium to advance their skills and knowledge at the forefront of magical learning.

Location

The Arcanium is located several miles up the Ispar River from the port city of Telmissus in western Viridia. Though it has long since outgrown its initial facilities and constructed other buildings in order to house its students and allow them enough space to perform their studies, the center of the school is found within the restored remains of an old fortress dating back to the short-lived Grand Empire of Hellea.

Interests and activities

The magisters, as instructors at the Arcanium are known, are organized into eight Institutes, one for each school of magic. Students are able, and encouraged, to follow their studies in multiple Institutes, but the magisters themselves almost always focus on one in particular.

All students at the Arcanium are wizards or other practitioners of learned magic, whether arcane, primal, or occult. Those who have innate talents, such as sorcerers, are still permitted to attend, but only if they do so with the intent of advancing magical abilities other than those that come naturally to them. Admission to the Arcanium is based on demonstrations of existing skill as well as a hefty tuition. All who join the Arcanium are expected to have already attained a great level of education beforehand, whether independently or at other schools - it is highly unusual to have young students at the Arcanium.

There is no real notion of graduation at the Arcanium - students simply leave when they are ready and believe their abilities to have peaked. If one doesn't perform up to the expected standards of their peers, however, they may find themselves asked to leave in order to make space for new arrivals from the Arcanium's endless list of prospective students. In large part this causes the extremely high level of competitiveness at the school, as all constantly seek to surpass their peers in order to not fall behind.

Despite the competitive nature of student life in the Arcanium, those attending the school must abide by strict guidelines as to their behavior as it relates to other students. Any action that would endanger others at the school, for example, are forbidden under threat of immediate expulsion. However, these rules pointedly do not forbid any specific acts of magic, as the magisters believe to do so would stifle innovation and development. As a result it is not uncommon for students to attempt dangerous or sometimes morally questionable acts of magic, as long as they do so out of sight of others, preferably in the forests near the school or in the extensive ruined tunnels beneath it.

Notable individuals

Each of the Institutes at the Arcanium are led by a High Magister. These teachers and administrators are considered some of the best in the world at their chosen schools of magic. As of Y9976^*, the following are the current High Magisters:

• Qalhata (Abjuration)
• Xenophanes (Conjuration)
• Sin-Kashid (Divination)
• ?? (Enchantment)
• Sorqan Shira (Evocation)
• ?? (Illusion)
• ?? (Necromancy)
• ?? (Transmutation).

Relations

Viridian administrators have an unusually lax attitude towards the activities that take place on the grounds of the Arcanium. They view the political and social benefits of the Arcanium to be of far more importance than their otherwise typically unbending enforcement of the Dominion's laws, even to the point of overlooking necromancy, normally banned in Viridia, as long as such actions do not go too far or harm nearby communities. It is not uncommon for senatorial families to wield their influence in order to get their heirs admitted into the Arcanium, as attendance to the school is seen as a powerful symbol of prestige in the society of Viridian elites.