The Arcanum, First School of The Arcane

The Arcanum has a long a storied history, well long as anything these days, but it was established by Feldon Cyrwic, as a school to teach those with the spark of magic what he could so that they could fight back against their demonic overlords. Now it stands as the finest mage academy in the world! Students clamor to get in and be trained to be the best, but most get turned away.

The school does not charge tuition, and they are supported quite significantly by the Lord of the City, though they probably do not need the Lord's gracious donations, so it is not for lack of money that students are turned away in droves. Many suspect that it is skill with The Arcane, but many students who are clearly savants in the magical arts end up walking away from these storied halls, dejected. There's the argument that The Arcanum only has a limited number of seats available at any given time, which has seen some evidence, as many students are referred elsewhere and encouraged to come and try again at a later date. Whatever the reason, it remains one of The Arcanum's secrets, as all that is publicly known to bar entry is the entrance exam.

Feldon Cyrwic, Keeper of the First Spell

Founder.

Erenael Mor'dRhein, Seeker of the First Spell

Headmaster, aka First Mage, but doesn't claim the title -- holding out hope for Ilyndra's return.

Overview

The Arcanum is the oldest school for mages in the world. It stands out as one of the world's premier schools for magic, and has fostered the abilities of many a mage. While attending the institution is free of charge, passing the entrance exam is famously, or infamously, difficult. The mages that graduate from the Arcanum are considered some of the finest mages you will find, and many have gone on to make leaps and bounds in the fields of music, in diplomacy, in medicine, in uncovering the past, in the betterment of the world of Alar as a whole.

Atmosphere

The Arcanum tends to cultivate a spirit of wonder, curiosity, passion, comradery, and healthy competition. It's been around a while, so it's also had time to settle into its overall vibe. The school itself ranges from cold to warm, vibrant to dull. Usually depending on the mages that fill the space.

Curriculum

The Arcanum is the center of theoretical magics. Many of the scholars both attending and running the school are more concerned with why magic works and how it works than what magic can do for them. That is not to say that the Arcanum doesn't facilitate the practice and innovation of magic, of all the schools they are perhaps the most prolific contributors to the body of known spells. But it is more that their concern for the why and how of things contributes to a deeper understanding of the what, which in turn helps to inform the practice and control of said what.

Curriculum varies from the theoretics, to the practical. From the study of the invisible particles that allow magic to be cast, to the casting of spells themselves, to the enchanting of magical properties into mundane objects, like potions and magical items, to the ethics of spellcraft -- which a large emphasis of instruction is placed.

Faculty

The faculty of The Arcanum are masters of their fields, rigorously tested and vetted. If you are being taught by a faculty member of The Arcanum you can rest assured that they have a wealth of experience and knowledge to pass on to you. The relationship between faculty members is generally genial, but the institution is run by mortals, so there does exist the odd rivalry from time to time, even an escalation to what some might call drama between faculty members. But of the many magic schools of the world, the Arcanum is -- currently -- the only one without the scandal of blight of The Profane on their reputation.

The faculty of the Arcanum have also garnered a reputation for taking care of the students in their care, making the Arcanum one of the most sought after schools in the world.

The Arcanum is led by the Headmaster, there does exist the title of First Mage, which has only ever been held by three mages in known history. The obvious First was Feldon Cyrwic -- the literal first mage. The second was his successor, Ilyndra Kalendras, who disappeared some 40 years ago, taking the title with her. The current Headmaster, Mor'dRein Erenael, the apprentice to First Mage Kalendras, holds out hope that Ilyndra is alive somewhere out there, but the world turns, and life goes on, so he has taken her place as leader of The Arcanum, but though he leads the academy, he does not consider himself the First Mage for reasons he has publicly declined, on many occasions, to answer -- saying only that it is not his place.

Campus and Facilities

The Arcanum's campus is in the heart of Midtown, the 4th tier. It sits in the square between the lifts of the city. In truth, the campus extends beyond the lifts several blocks, but this land is open to the public and used to facilitate the many ventures, festivals, and experiments the school organizes. The grounds themselves, are a wonder to behold, wrought with both a respect to nature, the city, and with the creative flares of the myriad of mages that have called the halls of The Arcanum home.

There exist gardens for meditation, deep thought and study, with reading nooks sprinkled throughout. Outdoor areas for activity, mundane and arcane, are within the private grounds.

Within the storied halls of The Arcanum is just as wondrous, if not more. Halls of expert craftsmanship, and Arcane flare, throughout. The mural of the Dawnbreak, which is said to have occurred on the spot the mural sits. There are halls within halls, areas of alternating gravity. Classrooms of glass, gold, or lightning spun crystal! Rooms of such darkness it would swallow you whole, and chambers of light no shadow could possibly withstand. To enumerate all the facets of what is in the Arcanum is nigh impossible!

Satellite laboratories within Anbaerin and abroad exist on the second, third, fourth, and ninth tiers of Anbaerin, as well as in the Bay of Stars, on Ismond's Peak in the Cragspire Range, and on the Veil of Carrack.

Admission

Admission to The Arcanum is free of charge, but hinges on passing The Arcanum's infamous entrance exam. It is infamous in two regards: the first being that the Arcanum has, seemingly, snubbed the most number of mages -- refusing to instruct them -- of all magic academies; and no one outside the institution knows what the exam is. It is one of The Arcanum's greatest held secrets, and it baffles the magical community since they've turned some of the most powerful mages in the world away, and they've allowed some of the least talented prospects attend.

But since The Arcanum has been a steering force, even now in the face of stiff competition, their refusal to admit a prospective mage to their academy is often seen as a black mark that closes many other doors for them as well. With the exception of the Tower of Kar, the Enchanter's Guild of Ank'Jir, and of course the jaded would-be-competitors of the Collegium Arcanum. And though the Lightwing Academy and the Brjylczek Lyceum -- close collaborators with The Arcanum -- have accepted students who have been rejected by The Arcanum, they only did so based on the excellence of the student, and only after lengthy discussions with The Arcanum's First Mage.