Mannaz School of Magical Arts
Oct 25, 2014 5:35:55 GMT
Post by twellen on Oct 25, 2014 5:35:55 GMT
Mannaz School of Magical Arts
Tada Drastuh Svarupe Vasthanam
(Then The Seer Sees His/Her Nature)Mannaz School of Magical Arts is an institution for seers (the umbrella term used for magical weapon specialists including the staff) established by foreign sages twenty years ago. It is located in Medon, Plegia, occupying a relatively remote land that was once the habitat of wyverns thirty years ago. Mannaz has an open international enrollment policy, allowing non-Plegians, foreigners, and non-humans to study as long as they have talent and dedication for the magical arts. It is one of the few private schools in the continent and perhaps the only non-Grimleal institution in Plegia.
History
50 years ago, a group of foreign sages arrived in Ylisse. Together, they were part of an international society that dedicated themselves to sharing and studying magic without regard to race and nationality. They settled in Plegia due to its specialization in magecraft as compared to the other two kingdoms and its practice of elder magic, which was deemed evil in Ylisse. In eleven years time, they made plans on starting a school but wanted it to be independent from the politics and religions of the country. Plegia's theocractic nature made it impossible for the sages to approach the government and were constantly pressured to sponsorship by the Grimleal, who wanted to use the school for nurturing soldiers. Through donations and the discovery of a very cheap land in the valley, the sages were able to make their neutral school a reality.
The school did not involve any sort of advertising. The sages themselves invited potential students and the couple that knew the sages gathered from far and wide in pursuit of additional knowledge. Student population was less than thirty, which was only at least two times the number of professors. The dominating age group of the population was between 23-26 with the oldest student being 55.
When school achieved success despite its small size, the sages sought out younger blood. But this involved speaking to parents and the tuition of the school was realistically reachable only to the upper middle class. The sages failed to convince any of the families because of the school's enrollment policy, location, and inferior facilities.
The sages planned to shut down the school if the situation didn't improve in three years, but Mannaz would see a steady growth as they poured out graduates. Since ten years it was established, student population doubled and the dominating age group lowered down to 17-20 thanks to its graduates who were very content with the education in Mannaz and sent their children, relatives, and friends in Mannaz over the more prestigious institutions in Gra and Altea. With more students, more courses were offered and many of its graduates returned to re-enroll.
A year ago, the first headmistress of the school retired. She was succeeded by twellen, a professor of elder magic and Mannaz' first teaching staff who was born in the continent.
School Coat Of Arms
The Mannaz Coat of Arms display two ravens facing each other. With their wings raised in a 100 degree angle, their beaks meet in a bowed position, forming an M. The two ravens symbolize thought and memory.
Enrollment And Graduation
Mannaz has an international enrollment policy. Anyone with the capability is allowed to enroll. Mannaz has a bit of an expensive tuition but the staff is more than willing to negotiate with the payment. They may lower the price in case-to-case basis.
Enrollment in Mannaz includes a one-on-one interview with the headmistress (which may include a demonstration from the student) and a theoretical exam. The students are evaluated based on their potential, not on the results. When a student doesn't pass the evaluation, it is not considered as a failure. The staff illuminates them of their mistakes and welcomes them to join the classes for a few days before coming back in a month to try again.
Completing of education in Mannaz takes at least three years but it is only with the addition of two that graduating students will receive the Mark of Mannaz, a tattoo on the right and left arm (inscribed from top to bottom) written in Sanskrit that means "There is no knowledge. There is only I." The inscription is not entirely a reflection of the school philosophy, but is the last task the school leaves on its students: its meaning.
Offered Courses
Students are required to choose between anima and elder magic while the staff is offered to the former later on. As such, its students compromised of mages and dark mages. A few courses offered in the two can be taken by the other.
- Elder Magic - Study and application of elder or dark magic. Requirement: Dark Tome.
- Anima Magic - Study and application of anima magic (thunder, fire, wind.) Requirement: Anima Tome.
- Higher Magic - Study and application of higher magic or "staff" magic. "Higher" does not refer to its meaning of "better" but to the next plane of spirituality, the inner self. Offered to experienced anima mages.
- Greater Elder Magic - Study and application of very advance elder magic. Offered to experience dark mages.
- Summoning Studies - Studies the art of summoning and the summoned creatures who are product of magic, more known as "monsters." (Note: Theoretical at most since the means of summoning is impossible for a unit in this universe. So even if the school is open to the idea of practical applications, it's not considered to be possible, though the phenomenom has been observed in nature.)
- Philosophy of Magic - Study and the understanding of the nature of magic. Teaches students the ethics and consciousness a seer must have in pursuit of knowledge through meditation and understanding of the place of magic in society and history.
Tutorials:
- Swordsmanship - Basic training on the use of swords in actual combat. Requirement: Tree Branch.
- Tome Writing - Creation and writing of tomes.
- Horseback Riding - Handling and riding of horses. Must be physically fit.
Reputation and School Life
Mannaz is a pretty unknown school. Its plans of construction had initially caught the attention of the royalty but it soon waned with the independence it achieved. Being a small school that does not appeal to the nobility, the special circumstance of Mannaz is considered too trivial to make an issue of. The school prizes its independence so it prefers to stay out of the radar from most people as much as possible, only extending its services to those who truly seek to learn.
Currently, Mannaz has a school population of 64. The primary age group in the student body is 17-20. Although there is no age requirement, the school rarely accepts anyone below 17 due to the high level of education provided.
Most of the students live in the nearby towns and villages but no one of them actually belonged there. Mannaz doesn't have a dorm, so students have to deal with the necessary accommodations for them to study. It is similar with the professors. The school was built with sleeping quarters for the professors. It's also normal for either (or both) students and professors to camp on the school grounds and sleep overnight.
The school is what would be considered to be "poor" but the students and staff care little for the inconvenient lifestyle all for the sake of learning. There are a few students, especially the more privileged ones, who cannot stand the lifestyle and opt to leave.
The teaching staff is very competent and are masters of their fields. It's the quality of education they provide that drive students to study in Mannaz over anywhere else.
With a small population, the Mannaz community are tighter than most academic schools and students and professors more or less know each other.
School Facilities
The school grounds appear like a hamlet with single-story houses around a field with a single well. These are the classrooms professors may use for their classes. It's more common for professors to teach their students outside, as they believe the students would continue studying by exploring the world.
The largest building in the school is three-story tall. The first floor and basement serve as the school library while the second and third floor are the professor dormitories, with the second for male and the third for female. The school library is compromised of books the sages and professors donated. It is used up and beaten, but are rare and rich in information; they could not be found anywhere else in the continent. In fact, the books in the library could fetch at least a hundred thousand gold in total. Some books are kept in the personal possession of the professors and require the permission of the headmistress to read - room-use only. These books are either too rare or dangerous to put in the library.
There is an outdoor kitchen with a palm leaf roofing. There are many tables and chairs that could be used. Not too far is the storage where food for eating and for emergency is in stock.
There is a small stables where some of the horses are. A small building containing hay also contains the swords used for swordsmanship class. The swords are locked up inside a chest.
Outside the school grounds is an abandoned Grimleal temple. The school often uses this for gatherings and competitions.
Since 3 years is the minimum time to graduate, she has no choice but to take it. We can see how the first practical lesson goes? It's not like Twellen's going to force her...maybe. Who knows how teachers think.
So excited for Monday." 
