Voltide Academy

## **Voltide at a glance**

Voltide is a university centered city state on the boreal island of Skoros in the southern seas. Voltide has a small population of sentient individuals mostly human, with 99% of the population being either human or vampire. Much of the economy comes from fine manufactured goods such as optical lenses, dinnerware, magical items, and precision instruments, However one of the primary driving forces of the economy is Voltide academy itself, drawing in aspiring and experienced mages from around the world. One thing striking to a visitor to Voltide might be the golem workforce. While golems have not replaced manual labour, many families both rich and poor employ non-sentient golems to preform every day menial tasks. Much of the military is also made up of specialized golems known as 'War Forms'

## **History**

Much of the early history of Skoros and the surrounding isles is steeped in myth and legend. The native humans 'Schlazi', meaning empowered, tell of how the world was created. They tell of the time when the spirits of the earth , air, sea, fire, and stars joined with the humans to overthrow the creator gods. This story is how the Schlazi explain their seemingly inborn desire to pursue magic. Modern scholars often will say such stories are simply allegorical. The monolithic architecture of the early periods found on many islands suggests the Schlazi culture was very prevalent in the region, this changed some three thousand years ago when many of these structures were simply abandoned with no writings in the structures themselves indicating why. These early Schlazi were predisposed to magic and scholarship much like our modern day societies, so it is no wonder one of the first structures built after the fall was Voltide Academy. Created by a shaman, later to be called arch mage, known as Rihjad Tersil in order to better educate his apprentices. It was only a few decades later that the academy was the center of activity on Skoros. A city was built around Voltide called 'Tiros' however often the city is simply called 'Voltide City' rather than it's true name. Over time little happened, the city remains much as it was then even to this day, minus the major technological advances that have occurred since of course. The only major happening was the ' Great Unveiling' which saw vampires openly assert their existence to general Skoros society. Since this event nearly one hundred and fifty years ago it has dominated the political and social discussion forums.

## **Culture**

In Modern times the Schlazi peoples primarily live within the city of Tiros and some surrounding countryside. However some of the population still remains in the simple agrarian or pastoral lifestyles particularly in the southernmost regions. Those cultures have changed little since the mysterious fall many thousands of years ago. Schlazi culture is dominated by the pursuit of philosophical, artisianal, and magical skill/knowledge. These skills are the primary way of gaining status and wealth on Skoros. Despite having a very emotionally open society, much of the politics and government action occurs subversively due to complex alliance webs throughout the university departments, companies, and vampiric clans.

Emotional openness is a cornerstone of society and being closed off is considered very rude. Touching and kissing are perfectly acceptable greetings and will be preformed often, in some cases it may be rude to turn down such an activity. Acting as though one does not have information or opinions to add especially during a meeting is a major misstep and could destroy any bridges you might be building. Eye contact when talking is often essential as well. Guest rights also play an important role in Schlazi society and refusal to partake in them is a quick way to become an outcast. While the hosts are expected to help provide for the guest, the guest must also provide help to the host whenever possible. The host will not at any time ask for help, but it is an implication do well to remember that.

Voltide cuisine is largely based off of seafood, cheeses, and starch vegetables. Despite that wine is the most popular of alcoholic beverages, and they are ingested in small amounts at least almost daily. Recreational drugs are common.

An important distinction is the one between Schlazi culture and Vampire culture. Unlike their more mortal counterparts, most vampire bloodlines are not emotionally open. Vampires gain little from recreational drugs as compared to mortals, and therefore are not often seen using them. While most vampires attempt to integrate into the general culture, some vampires have decided it better to simply live apart from humans whenever possible.These enclaves are rather autonomous and clash with the surrounding city. The tall monochrome vampiric architecture very much clashes with the airy domed architecture of the Schlazi. Vampires rarely share their internal politics with outsiders so there is not much to say there. Due to laws imposed during the unveiling, vampires are not allowed to drink the blood of anyone unwilling, this leads most vampires to drink in blood dens. It is here where many trade their blood to a vampire for the pleasure caused by being drank from. These places can become very corrupt, with a particularly skilled vampire hoarding all the blood and forcing other vampires to work for them in order to simply survive.

One universal aspect of culture on Skoros is the presence of golems. These non-sentient creations do a lot for society, and the wealthiest citizens may have hundreds of them to do their bidding, even most poorer folk have access to at least one simpler golem. This freedom from work allows for the scholarly and skilled labor economy that Voltide relies on.

## **Economy**

Skoros has access to a number of natural resources, some based on geography and some based on the unique magical capabilities of the island. There is ready access to timber, coal, limestone, and fish in large amounts but these sources make up a very small amount of the Voltide economy. The natural resource that comes closest to rivaling the primary produces is gemstones, mined from deep underground and using specialized aquatic golems. Most of these gems go to the primary economic sector, fine manufactured goods. Voltide is a haven for skilled craftspeople of all sorts ranging from furniture, dinnerware, and musical instruments, to glasswork, optics, precision measuring devices, and top tier magical items. These magic items are focuses, golems, wands, potions,staves, premade spells, necromantic services, and innumerable other things. The success of the magical item market is due in no small part to Voltide itself, drawing in magical talent from across the world.

Also due to the university is a thriving tourism industry, ski parks, wilderness camping, stunning landmarks, and exceptional hunting grounds draws even more people to the isles.

Voltide does have a number of major imports as well. Many types of vegetables and fruits are imported from warmer climates as they would not grow well in the cool summers and cold winters. Copper is also another major import, it is useful in the construction of many different things and is the single largest import in terms of volume and cost in Voltide.

**Detailed effective industry production for you spoil sports who can't leave it up to the imagination.**

20 Factory( mine) Coal

20 factory( mill) timber

20 factory (quarry) limestone

50 factory(fishery) fish/seafood

110 factory(mine) Gems

25 factory (workshop) glasswork

20 factory(workshop) dinnerware

25 factory(workshop) furniture

5 factory (workshop) musical instruments

225 factory (workshop) wands, focuses, enchanted items (magic item)

10 factory (lab) alchemy, magic lanterns, (magic effects)

80 factory Commercial Golems

70 factory( lodge) hunting/fishing/skiing/camping

50 factory (federated campus) University facilities ( magical service)

## Religion

**The Dreaming**

Before there was void, there was the Source. The source is the world, and the minds, which dream the physical world into existence. In the beginning their dreams was only void, a formless place of ideas without consistency or meaning

**The Stone**

The Schlazi creation myth states that the gods spent innumerable years before the creation of the universe within the void, with no forms and very little force of will. At some point a god (or a group of gods in other sources) discovered two objects of great power: Encylus the burning stone,and Entorpus the consuming stone. When they discovered the two objects were very close together and as such canceled each other out. The stones were brought before the gods, and they then ripped the stones away from each other. In that moment a massive web spread out from the stones. This web would become the forces of the universe: Time, Gravity, Electric, Magic, and stellar.

**The War of creation**

The gods were entranced by the beauty and potential of this world, so they immediately began the process of creation by imbuing parts of their own power into the web. Soon some of their creations became aware as the energies of their minds coalesced. These were the spirits of the stars, the earth, the sea, the air, of nature, and the People. For many years the spirits of creation worshiped the gods, who are called nameless gods as they had been erased after the events that followed. The Gods soon realized that the mortals of the world had a special ability to ascend to power even greater than their own so in jealousy they attempted to control the universe, make it more manageable, they achieved this by bringing Entorpus closer to creation. According to the Schlazi this event robbed mortality from the Vampires, although vampires have a much different story of their own creation separate from the larger Schlazi religion. The spirits of the stars having seen this take place, warned the people. Enraged with the Stars the gods veiled them away and plunged creation into darkness. Xida Skybringer ( it is unknown if this title had existed before the events of the creation war) rose to leadership within the ranks of the people. It was with his guidance than an alliance was created with the remaining spirits of creation (earth, sea, air, and nature) and lead a war against the gods who were eventually all slain. Xida then flew into the skies and returned the stars to their positions one by one. Having seen so much of the universe and possessing great magical might he then ascended once his task was complete. He is said to be the first of any being to do so.

**The Ascendancy**

The war of creation is often considered only a side point in modern religion on Skoros. The primary aspects are The Dreaming, The Spirits of the land, and The Ascendancy. Ancestor worship is very common, every home has an altar to the departed dead of their family and friends. Worship of spirits tied to specific places generally occur in a way not unlike a business contract. The most visible form of religion is the worship of Ascendants, people who have transcended the world and now have the power over the dreaming like a god would. They are worshiped often, however there are no specific temple complexes. The closest to one would be the various tombs in which an ascendants remains are kept, or the towers. In more recent times an advanced form of necromancy allows a being from the spirit world to be tethered to a tower within the physical world, acting like a massive arcane focus. These towers are called Ascendants, because all those encased within have ascended. not all those who are worshiped as Ascendants are within an Ascendant tower, as they had been in the spirit world too long to be returned to the physical one. Someone who has not ascended could be placed in an Ascendant tower but such an act is considered not only wasteful, but blasphemous. The current Ascendants within towers are: Zelina, Gariuos, Feltrix, and Brigid. There are three living ascendants who will be granted a tower upon their deaths, They are the siblings Andrei, Cara, and Torin.