Titan Ecological Academy

Titan Ecological Academy Crest by Mochi

An eclectic mishmash of small buildings piled around a titan trunk and titanic tortonid shell, the Titan Ecological Academy is Aridara's leading institute of ecology and biology.

Apprentices and professionals alike band together to study the unique lifeforms of the Sian Lowlands. It has a strong reputation for pumping out academic brilliances, many outgrowing their planet and finding adventure farther out in the galaxies.

The two co-founders, Presidents Doidea Caenos and Lea Acora, both envisioned a grand academy where students flocked to from around the globe to study the fascinating life of this region. Their differences as two separate species were put aside for the greater good of this academy. The school now has around three hundred students and a hundred professors, allowing for much attention to be given to the wellbeing of each student.

As you approach the doors to the academy, you notice the letter I and D etched into the golden door handle. Peculiar.

Precarious Infrastructure

Titan Ecological Academy by Mochi

The Academy has formed itself around the remains of two of Norrab's most enormous creatures: the shell of a titanic tortonid, and the husked remains of a titan trunk.

Metal infrastructure weave its way through the dead titan trunk, preserving the landmark's completely natural appeal while maintaining some level of structure and stability.

Both the shell of the tortonid and the titan trunk provide great protection from planktonic storms, a common weather phenomenon plaguing this region.

Each storm weakens this academy's infrastructure, causing fractures all down the trunk and moldy yellow markings and stains to become apparent.

Putting immense pressure on the titan trunk's cap are large hanging conservatories with hydroponic gardens growing crops with just sunlight and water. They are exclusively tended to by tenured professors, accessed by raising and lowering the conservatories with a hatch on the bottom of the trunk's cap.

So... Doidea just disappeared? Nobody knew why?  

Nobody knows. And you should be focusing on your work.

— Student and a professor

Clash of the Cohorts

Anda, how on Norrab did you lose the propellor kelp race? You lost to someone four years younger than you - he's so short you can barely see him in his school photo.

— Bickering friends

Adamnan Student by Mochi

Norrabian Student by Mochi

Curriculums & Calendars

Claris, this is such impressive work. You managed to study all of these plants in three days? And put together this gorgeous piece of art? 100 points, you've passed with flying colours.

— An impressed teacher

Every academic year is focused on unique experiences and school trips, putting emphasis on their students studying local wildlife. As students age and climb through the ranks of the academy, they have more opportunities for longer school trips, farther away from the school.

First and second years explore the gardens around the school, helping tenured professors in the conservatories, managing crops and studying dangerous fauna.

Third years get the opportunity to spend several days exploring the Algol, working out of a research facility a mile from Seven Falls. Fourth and fifth years are invited to one of three other sister academies dotted around the planet for a six month research opportunity. It is an expensive, yet rewarding, opportunity. Sixth years, the final year, get a taste of floramancy. Those that find magic appealing often take the next step to a magical university, of which there are many available.

Games & Holidays

The academy hosts annual games, team-building competitions to ignite competitive fires within students. Propellor kelp races are the most popular of said events, where participants must create a raft and swim upstream. These powerful plants can hold the weight of several students on a single raft.

Summer months are off curriculum, a chance for students to decompress from an intense school year, only to repeat the process again.

History

The Titan Ecological Academy is one of the oldest ecology-centric schools on the planet. The academy was founded almost three hundred years ago, in 1624. It caused a significant wave of these types of schools popping up in different regions, dedicated in educating youth on the ecology of Norrab.

Doidea Caenos and Lea Acora were co-founders, Doidea an adamnan and Lea a norrabian. This pairing was immediately controversial, many avoiding this academy out of concern and judgment. Doidea kept himself in the shadows, monitoring the academy from the background. Lea was the face of the school, attending all fundraising events, participating in school trips when she found time, and supporting Doidea with his work.

Original Crest

TEA Crest by Mochi

The original TEA Crest was designed by Lea Acora. It is a much simpler design that still remains used to this day, a nod to the academy's founder. It is printed on all academy uniforms.

Doidea was largely absent throughout the initial founding years of the school. He was swamped with personal projects that he kept completely private, even from Lea. She often questioned what these projects were, but he refused to disclose them.

Around this time the academy was struggling to enrol enough students. The school was on the brink of financial collapse, and had no respect from the local community.

Tortonid Attack

Titan Tortonid by Mochi

What brought the academy into the spotlight, in 1714, was a devastating attack from a supposedly mindless monster. A titanic tortonid burst through a perimeter fence surrounding the academy, which was designed to keep out these exact creatures.

Overgrown gardens were ripped from the ground, trees flew into the sky, and a line of toolsheds were obliterated as this animal trod its way over to the academy. Five brave students, all well-versed in magic, were able to defeat this monster, who seemingly wanted to consume the academy and all within.

The students were able to overpower this creature, slaying it. Unfortunately, one of these students did not survive the battle - all of their names are etched into golden plaques in the Hall of Honours.

The destruction unearthed large metal plates buried under the academy. Doidea was quick to dismiss all students and professors from the site, sending them on an extended break as he single-handedly cleared up the mess, and carefully hid whatever lied undereath the school.

Ever since this attack and the success of the students in the battle, the academy has been held in high esteem. People from around the globe enrol in this academy in the hopes of achieving the skills and strength of those five students.

Hall of Honours

The Hall of Honours is a large circular room above all classrooms, located within the titan trunk's cap. In it are plaques and portraits honouring students and professors that have gone above and beyond for the school. The Hall of Honours was formed after the destruction of the school two hundred years ago, when five students slayed an aggressive titanic tortonid.

Hover over the plaques to read more!

   

Deceased

1699 - 1801

Crotala Latera

Student - Fought the titanic tortonid

Crotala was part of a battle against a rampant titanic tortonid, attempting to eat the titan trunk that makes up the entire academy. Crotala was able to dismantle the tortonid, attacking its legs and causing it to fall to the ground.  

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  E

Deceased

1698 - 1743

Azemi Xenae

Student - Fought the titanic tortonid

While Azemi did not actually fight the tortonid, she was present on the grounds and enjoyed taking credit for the battle.

Deceased

1698 - 1714

Colubra Kharini

Student - Fought the titanic tortonid

Colubra unfortunately passed away in the battle. She was crushed underneath the tortonid as it fell to the ground. In her final moments, she was able to fracture the animal's shell and pierce its heart, dealing significant damage.

Deceased

1699 - 1777

Psamma Vela

Student - Fought the titanic tortonid

Psamma dealt the final blow to the tortonid, decapitating the creature with the academy's fabled peacock sword, kept on display.

Deceased

1699 - 1723

Sibyl Gemina

Student - Fought the titanic tortonid

Her mastery of floramancy, even at such a young age, was great help in the battle. She was able to restrain the the tortonid using vines reaching out of the ground.

Deceased

1802 - 1908

Corallus Avanas

Professor of Mycology - His noble sacrifice saved the school

Corallus sacrificed his life, protecting the academy against a horde of bulletwings, infected by destructor's reign, a fast grown, infectious land coral.

1873 - Present

Ela Dendrola

Student - Her noble sacrifice saved the school

Ela sacrified her life after warning students of an oncoming planktonic storm. After all residents of the academy made it into the school, safe from the storm, Ela was left stranded outside. Fortunately she survived, but she suffers respiratory issues as a result.

1901 - Present

Najae Inyoka

Student - Invented Ichorous Bone Disease (IBD)

Lamapa Inyoka's twin brother. Najae invented Ichorous Bone Disease after experimenting with the venom of a witherback cobra. These experiments took place in an undisclosed part of the academy, with extremely restricted access.

1901 - Present

Lamapa Inyoka

Student - Discovered cure for Ichorous Bone Disease

While Lamapa may not be as academically inclined as his brother, he has earned himself an admirable reputation.   After a breakout of IBD caused hundreds of students to catch the disease and mysteriously vanish from the academy, Lamapa took it upon himself to invent a cure and save the school.  

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  A

Oh, is that another basement door? It has a couple of letters scribbled on. A D, or maybe an O? Maybe both?

As you stroll through the Hall of Honours, you notice one plaque is slightly askew. Carefully, you push it back into place, but as you do so, the plaque drops to the ground with a loud clatter. You rush to pick it up, but before you hang it back on the wall, you spot a tiny alcove in its place.   You peer in, expecting to see nothing, but are met with a security lock. You fumble, pressing all the letters you can. Wrong answer. You type in "TEA", for the name of the academy. One guess remaining. Suddenly you recall all the mysterious letters you have spotted since joining this academy, unscrambling the anagram.   Correct answer.   A small doorway becomes apparent just farther down the corridor.   Do you enter?