Chantagne Academy of the Bladed Rings
A thousand years ago, a Blade Saint who left no name behind, discovered the Singing Mountain and it's vast cache of Resonant Metal. It became a refuge for Saints and their Smiths, one where they could congregate and gather without the concerns of monsters and contracts both mercenary and political.Five hundred years ago, Preciata Rowe, our founder and first headmistress, established this school to train the generation that would follow her, and would take up the torch of teaching after the fact. We still follow the example she set, and follow the guiding words carved above our front gate.
-Headmaster William Clemons, upon yearly commencement
In the ancient days before the epitaph of Blade Saint had become commonplace, those that the illustrious title would eventually know were random loci of power created by happenstance and confluence. An arcane secret passed down from master to pupil, or parent to child, alongside a technique that provided an impressive edge against the rabble of the world, and a new hero or villain would be born. Given time and cultivation, their names would enter the history books. Those individuals would wander the world, seeking contracts to hunt monsters and the occasional work as a straight mercenary or soldier of a nation. Still, inevitably a Monster would get the better of them in that never-ending arms race between mortal and monster, or another Blade Saint (or prospective Blade Saint) would kill them. Their experience and style would be lost to time for all eternity. A few of the more forward-thinking individuals moved to prevent such loss, of their own and others, and put together concurrent plans to construct places of learning through which to pass down their styles and codices. They, of course, all thought their own way was best and would not have it be said that any other method was superior to their own, and their rivalry has been living through their established institutions ever since. Chantagne is one such institution. Founded by one Preciata Rowe half a millennia ago, Chantagne is a fairly general learning center for prospective Blade Saints. It does not focus on any particular style or weapon, instead attempting to forge any and all comers into powerful spellblades. That being said, the vast majority of it's students would fall into the "sword" classification. The school's location on top of a still-massive vein of Resonant Metal attracts all sorts of interested parties, and forces several other schools nearby and abroad to keep at least a cordial relation to the school should they lose access to a comparatively cheap source of a resource precious to all Blade Saints.
Due to that large vein of Resonant Metal, the school also has a well-funded curriculum intended to teach Smith Saints as well. While other such organizations will maintain a cadre of skilled Smiths for their students and faculty to make use of, Chantagne has enough of both Smiths and Resonant Metal to simply pair a Smith to a Blade Saint, and have them operate in tandem. Many of these pairings last through to graduation, and into the professional world: many, but not all. Such an abundance of resource and talent is not wholely unique, but it is rare enough that one could count the examples of facilities that could match it on one hand.
Culture
The school is divided into eight "Rolls" (drawn from the fact that each maintains its own roll, and is technically a self-contained student body), four upper and four lower rolls.
The upper are, as one might guess, for the nobility and more recently the upper class. The lower are for everyone else.
At the start of a year, representatives of each Roll will attempt to recruit the new students into their grouping. Officially, it's just supposed to be a commiserating conversation. A friendly chat so that you can find people you believe you might enjoy living with during your time at the academy. In reality, things like bribes and under-the-table promises are common, especially in the Upper Rolls. These happen for a variety of reasons. A particularly strong duelist is a hot commodity so that a particular Roll might stand out during competitions, gathering commendations and awards that reflect positively and assist the Roll's grades. Others might just be for the auspice of having certain individuals, scions of noble houses and such, gracing the halls of a Roll's dorm.
When a Roll is selected, it's not necessarily a permanent choice, as one can switch their Roll at will, if the Roll they desire is willing to take them. There are few cases where a Roll would turn down another blade, but it likely doesn't leave a the Roll being left with a particularly pleasant view on the student in question.
Cut Down the False, Cherish the True
Type
Educational, School/Academy
Alternative Names
School of the Singing Mountain
Leader
Founders
As the idea of a school for Blade Saints has evolved over time, they've fallen more in line with the traditional idea of a school the longer that the clock ticks forward. This is particularly notable in schools like Chantagne, who also look to give their students a more mundane education alongside their lessons on blade work and spellcraft. The school founder herself was a firm believe in the idea that knowledge was the most effective tool in a Blade Saints arsenal, and she ingrained that idea into the very stone of the school itself. After all, you'll eventually find an obstacle that you can't just stab and it will suit you better to have what knowledge you can at your disposal when appropriate.
At full capacity, the school has about 300 full-time teachers and a multitude of support staff that number near the thousands. The campus also has it's own security forces, intended to both protect the students and faculty, as well as guard the Resonant Metal vein beneath the campus.
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