Post by Gaea on Feb 6, 2017 1:00:21 GMT -8
Many of the Pleiades installations are difficult to find and limited in scope. Most of Elibe hardly even knows they exist; the Taygete may be a center of learning and knowledge, but its location in the desolate north ensures few know it exists and fewer care. Celæno is known to be home to master geomancers and architects, but few short of kings can afford their services. But Maia - mother to them all, the eldest of the sisters; nary a soul in Arcadia does not recognize her name, even the mere mortals of the Divide know of her, and whispers of her name travel even to the Reaches. For the Maia is not simply dedicated to the pursuit of one aspect of knowledge, but to all of it - in its centralization and wide pursuits lie the interest of countless mages and scientists the world over. Perhaps even more so than that, though, is that in setting itself up as the premier mage academy in the land it has become able to shape numerous newbie mages over the years. For in helping define what 'magic' is, in helping define and categorize the three Great Spheres, in encoding its rules of conduct into its graduates, it has transcended from an academy to the Academy.
Taking up several of Arcadia's outer islands in itself, Pleiades Maia is a familiar sight to many of those coming to Arcadia for the first time, gleaming spires of white spread across the lush green lawns and leafy foliage that covers much of the academy's grounds, neatly ordered buildings and countless teeming throngs of young bodies spread throughout. Within the hallowed halls, the faculty are drawn from across Elibe with stories as disparate of their origins; most of the teachers and staff are capable or even famous mages in their own right, unsurprising given the rigor to which they and their lessons are held. It may be a place of knowledge, but there is always an undercurrent, an edge of intensity to be found; to actually be accepted means something, and they are loath to lower their standards for acceptance and graduation alike.
While quite well known on its own accord, the great academy is also known quite well for its sizable library - not necessarily the greatest in all of Elibe, but certainly the most centralized and one of the most broadly ranged. Thus, even unaffiliated magi and researchers often come to visit for purposes of their own. While the library enforces fairly harsh rules on unruly conduct, it otherwise allows outsiders to enter freely, and more than a few legendary partnerships have begun there.
Taking up several of Arcadia's outer islands in itself, Pleiades Maia is a familiar sight to many of those coming to Arcadia for the first time, gleaming spires of white spread across the lush green lawns and leafy foliage that covers much of the academy's grounds, neatly ordered buildings and countless teeming throngs of young bodies spread throughout. Within the hallowed halls, the faculty are drawn from across Elibe with stories as disparate of their origins; most of the teachers and staff are capable or even famous mages in their own right, unsurprising given the rigor to which they and their lessons are held. It may be a place of knowledge, but there is always an undercurrent, an edge of intensity to be found; to actually be accepted means something, and they are loath to lower their standards for acceptance and graduation alike.
While quite well known on its own accord, the great academy is also known quite well for its sizable library - not necessarily the greatest in all of Elibe, but certainly the most centralized and one of the most broadly ranged. Thus, even unaffiliated magi and researchers often come to visit for purposes of their own. While the library enforces fairly harsh rules on unruly conduct, it otherwise allows outsiders to enter freely, and more than a few legendary partnerships have begun there.
