Blackrose Academy
Blackrose Academy was built as a center for anyone wanting to learn. It houses some of the most intelligent and brilliant minds of its time. People would come from all around to study magic, languages, warfare and tactics, among other things. But that has changed.
The academy is located on an island in the middle of the Lake of Stars. It was placed here originally to seclude itself from interruption from the outside world. Jonah Blackrose originally built the academy as a place where all knowledge could be learned.
Blackrose Academy was built as a center for anyone wanting to learn. It houses some of the most intelligent and brilliant minds of its time. People would come from all around to study magic, languages, warfare and tactics, among other things. But that has changed.
Now it has turned into an academy of status. On graduating from the academy a student recieves a mark on their arm that signifies that they have succeeded in graduating. Some employers will hire someone who has gone through the academy simply because of the respect and reputation involved with gaining that little mark.
This mark carries with it a respect that some people would never have achieved in life had it not been for graduating from Blackrose Academy.
Some Kingdoms send their military officers there to learn tactics and to become a better leader. This is mandatory in some militaries.
Originally when the academy was started more than a century ago, anyone was welcome to attend the academy to learn. Now however, only a select number of people are invited to attend. It is a great honor to be invited to the academy. However there are other ways to become a student of the illustrious academy. Some militaries require their officers to attend the school and pay a handsome yearly dividend to send their officers to the academy. Other more wealthy or influential have been known to give liberal gifts to Instructors and other faculty to allow their children to attend. This is normally done from the very rich merchants and nobility.
One of the most detailed libraries is located in the academy, to include original works from some of the most renowned authors on alchemy and magic.
Fourth year students undergo a different class regime that normal. They are given scenarios that they are put into that they must determine how to solve the problem. These scenarios (adventures, modules, etc) are real to the students. Every action they do has a reaction and any harm that befalls them during these scenarios feels real.
What the students don’t know, is that these scenarios are indeed real. They are told that they are made up scenarios that are given to every class, but that is to make the students less agitated toward the event. The instructors use an old device that can transport objects to a designated location. The students are given a task, and then sent to this destination and told to solve it. What they do from there is up to the students, but they are graded on their actions. And graduation falls to the Instructors passing the student by their actions.
Surrounding City
A small city has grown up around the academy to keep it stocked with needed supplies. In honor of the academy it has been unofficially dubbed City Blackrose. There is a single tavern on the island that doubles as a place for boarding visiting Instructors as well as students that do not go home for their yearly break. Most of the basic needs can be found on the island, there are numerous general stores as well as merchants that supply needed goods for the Instructors who can not get away from their studies to purchase off island.
There is a large garden that covers the entire north side of the academy. It is only available to faculty, visiting dignitaries, graduates, and fourth year students. Inside the garden are many contemplation glades, mazes, and small ponds with plenty of fish to watch and feed.
Plot Hooks
The academy as a starting point for some of my campaigns by having all of the characters students of the academy. The scenarios that the characters go on, are actually adventures that they characters are placed in.
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? Responses (12)
No comments but two votes, is that good or bad?
Good. We bag upon bad posts continuously (and sometimes offer helpful criticism). My best posts have like two posts... one of which is usually me saying... 'Does anyone have a comment?'
Thanks Moonhunter. I was getting a little worried there.
I like it! A few questions though. Other than providing training opportunities for its students, does the Academy have any ulterior motive in choosing missions? Does it choose heroic ones, evil ones or try to prop up and support any political factions (perhaps in exchange for money)? Also, is mission selection up to some central body or the individual tutors?
Also, even though the students donât know, how many people in the outside world realise what the Academy is doing? I would imagine quite a few have figured it out. What might they think of it when they do? If the Academy does have some overall political goal (or even if their students just happened to thwart someone in one mission) this could seriously affect the way some factions view the Academy.
I think the academy mightb ecome a mere pawn if it sell it services too often and does not show some backbone - its voice no longer commanding respect but rather provoking a smirk or frown.
After the students graduate they learn what was really going on. Some kingdoms have an agreement with the academy to do this so they have a lesser need of military or local law enforcement officials. What normally occurs is a village, city, or province sends in a request to their leige because of a problem. The request is then sent to the academy where the instructors choose what class would be the better able to handle such a problem. When they go, the students are told, 'This is your scenario... you are sent to this village because there have been complaints of missing people. You are being sent from the of (enter city name here) as their official.'
That is how the scenarios are played out. The students are told information and they have to act on it.
The missions are generally geared toward doing deeds that are helpful or good. Inspecting a theft in the palace or a rich merchants home, assisting in the search of missing people, inspecting the murder of someone. All of the scenarios start out simple and small. You are sent to find out this... but normally end up being quite the adventure.
This comment is both for Iain and Echo. That is one of the main problem with it in the campaign I am running at the moment. Either the academy stepped on one to many toes by doing this or someone found out and wants to stop them from their meddling. Or a disgruntled student who was kicked out for some misdeed want's revenge of some sort.
In the end a confrontation with the academy and this unknown antagonist will happen. And it will happen when the party is out on one of their scenarios so they don't know what happens, and they don't return when their scenario is over.
So they have to decide whether the scenario is still going, or if something is wrong, how to get home.
Hope that helps.
To give a bit of incite into this setting.
I have just recently placed my game group into the academy to playtest my system. So far the group is relatively unsure if what they are seeing is real.
The party has been sent on their first scenario to a small mining village where some of the villagers have come up missing. They have been sent to locat the reason and find the villagers. Pretty basic plot for a first adventure. The players have inter-party conversations during down time about whether the village is real or an illusion projected into their mind for the purpose of training and study.
They are coming to the final aspect of the first adventure and will be returning soon. Hopefully they wil lcontinue to thinkof it as a test, as one of the players nearly died because of stupidity but was saved by a lucky medical check.
It will be entertaining to see when or if one of them actually dies.
I will send in an update in two weeks on this as we will have some down time.
Ironically, the game group just heard some rumors regarding the Academy, tides of possible war, destruction and someone desires it downfall. They came up with the same few reasons I gave, which in part has some truth to it but is on a much grander scale.
One of the players still thinks it is mearly a test, but another one of them ran into someone he knew and they had personal information about them that they think is true. Doubts and questions and a few fingers are being pointed now. Making it all a nice mess on their part. They don't know what to think.
Last session we played one of the players did in fact die. They have not returned just yet but are questioning what will happen. To make things worse, they left the body were it was thinking it was all a test. Well see.
I like it. 5/5 for effort.
Very interesting. Very rich in detail. I like it.
:)
Good - and would be greatly helped by some plot ideas - perhaps ones that have been played out by your group.
