The Ethereal Academy

📍 Basic Info

• Type: Arcane Institution

• Region: Velquora

• Notable Residents: Mireva Tain

• Affiliated Factions: The Ethereal Academy, RoB Governance

🏙️ Description

Perched on a hill that subtly shifts elevation with the tides of the Resonance Node, the Ethereal Academy is a living monument to illusion magic and planar research. Its spires gleam with a translucent shimmer, as if half-formed or caught between worlds. The architecture refuses to be pinned down—classrooms reconfigure themselves based on the topic being taught, and corridors are longer or shorter depending on the mood of the building’s arcane matrix.

The air within the Academy always carries a faint tension, like the charged silence before a spell is cast. Soft glows, floating runes, and visual paradoxes (like staircases that seem to climb and descend simultaneously) are common throughout its halls. Its central dome, The Prism Atrium, reflects the city skyline through a thousand altered versions, each tied to a different potential reality. The Academy blends the serene with the surreal—both sanctuary and crucible for some of the greatest magical minds in Begoestia.

🕰️ History

• Founding/Mythology:
  Established shortly after Velquora’s early formation, the Academy was originally a simple hall built atop a convergence of illusion ley-lines. Over time, as planar anomalies grew more frequent and public interest in the manipulation of perception swelled, the Academy expanded exponentially. According to legend, the original structure was designed by a consortium of illusionists and architects from several realms—some of whom may not have existed in any fixed timeline.

• Major Events:

  • The Prism Collapse – A failed planar stability experiment briefly fractured the Academy’s temporal structure, causing time-loops within a section of the building. While most loops were sealed, a few professors are rumored to still teach classes that technically haven’t started yet.

  • The Schism of Philosophy – A rift between traditional illusionists and radical theorists led to internal restructuring and the rise of Mireva Tain as the Academy’s uncontested Arch-Illusionist.

• Current Status:
  Prosperous and influential. The Academy remains Velquora’s most powerful and politically entangled institution, its discoveries shaping everything from local architecture to planar defense protocols.

🌟 Key Locations

• Tavern/Inn: The Tangled Thread – A faculty-only lounge located within a time-dilated pocket just off the Prism Atrium. The passage of time inside is subjective, making it an ideal (if unpredictable) place for long debates and short naps.

• Temple/Shrine: The Veilstone Niche – A quiet alcove dedicated to the philosophical “Spirit of Illusion,” where students leave mirrored tokens and unanswered questions. No known deity is tied to it, but dreams had in this space often reveal strange insights.

• Market/District: The Argent Gallery – An internal arcade where enchanted supplies, illusion components, and prototype spell scripts are traded. Students can test experimental constructs here under monitored conditions.

🔗 Related Entries

• Connected Characters: Mireva Tain, Kein Saldo

🗺️ Map

(Map illusionally reorients with each viewer. A fixed version is currently held in the Obsidian Archives, though accuracy is debated.)