The Academy

* Miasma
* Cleared

Pearl Canyon Chapter ruins

## Noteable Locations

Known Chapters:* Pearl Canyon
* Rockport
* Carver Springs
* Hickory Bluffs

Pearl Canyon Chapter ruins

## Noteable Locations

Known Chapters:* Pearl Canyon
* Rockport
* Carver Springs
* Hickory Bluffs

The Academy was a center for scientific research and experimentation, and ruins of one of its Chapters are found in the Pearl Canyon.

## History

The Academy was founded by Wynona Creeks in 1774 A.B., or 26 years before the issue of the *Academy Orientation Manual* journal found in the wild. At the time, its known locations were spread throughout the highlands, areas generally considered safe from Miasma, with the Head Chapter headquartered in an undisclosed location.

The Academy adopted the timekeeping nomenclature After Bloom (A.B.), using the estimated explosion of the Miasma as year zero, which, at the time of issue of the orientation manual found by the player, took place 1800 years prior. However, it is unclear whether A.B. preceded the Y.F. timekeeping method or the two existed at the same time. Aunt Tilly's journals are dated using the Y.F. method and in these, The Academy is already in ruins; at the same time, the player's mother comments in a letter that Pops would have applied to The Academy, indicating it was still active when the player's parents (and, therefore, Aunt Tilly as well) were old enough to join (*Ma and Pops: On The Academy* letter; see Notes below).

The Academy's mission was "**to understand the mysteries of the Miasma.**" This was accomplished through exploration of Miasma-covered lands, collecting specimens, and conducting arcane experiments with potions and machinery in order to curb the spread of the Miasma.

Despite its dedication to scientific research, The Academy and its Head Chapter leaders were religious, mentioning Solarism (the dominant and possibly only extant religion in the game) in official documents and correspondence, using phrases like "Sun bless" and "if Sun wishes it."

### Known Accomplishments

The Academy was prolific in its heyday, and its successes encouraged the creation of new Chapters. A few accomplishments and inventions are learned from journals and even utilized during gameplay.

#### Filter Mask

A recovered report states that Academy Magus Ezra Redfinger "has perfected the Miasma filter formula" (*Filter Mask Report* journal). According to the report, this was one of many contributions by Redfinger that paved the way for further research. The filter mask quickly gained popularity and was sold to Little Rock's Homesteaders for a sizeable profit. This inspired plans to open up new Chapters.

#### The Fielding-Gilbert Method

Scholars Arlet Fielding (AKA the Hermit) and Theresa Gilbert co-authored the Fielding-Gilbert Method, lauded as "monumental in The Academy's campaign to eliminate the Miasma," although the research behind it raised suspicions among Academy scholars. The description of the method is as follows:

> *"This requires concocting a fertilizer that is poured into a Miasma scar, wherein the dust-eater burrows into the infected earth and absorb[s] the Miasma. The roots, if able to prosper, also double as a suture for the terran wound and seal the pocket from lethal Miasma bursts." —* Author Unknown (*The Fielding-Gilbert Method* journal excerpt)
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#### Crystal Locking Mechanism

In Autumn of 1789 A.B., Academy Scholars monitored three crystal growths surrounding a dying Dust-eater tree and later attached machinery with locking mechanisms to halt the crystals' growth and measure their effect on the Miasma infection in the Dust-eater (*Crystal Construction Report*). Huckleberry claims that he witnessed the installation of the locking mechanisms in conversation with the player (see Notes).

The aim of this research was to invent a method of purging Miasma from infected living organisms. However, an unknown Scholar (likely the Hermit, based on a conversation with Huckleberry) left behind a *Vision of Locks* hint tablet in front of the Dust-eater discovered in the Pearl Canyon in which they posed a divergent theory.

> *"...I have a theory that they [the locks] may be doing the exact opposite—these locks will instead trap the Miasma in the earth, causing excess energy to spill out. In case I'm right (and I'm rarely wrong), I'm making it simple to unlock and remove locks. ... In this scenario, there also need to be someone who can channel the dust-eater once it's been freed. That should stop further agitation."* — (*Vision of Locks* hint tablet)
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#### Miasma-based Camouflage

In Spring of 1793 A.B., Scholar Fernpeak discovered a novel use for Miasma shrubs. While retrieving a sample, he noticed a Miasma creature approach within arm's reach, seemingly not noticing Fernpeak. This led to a hypothesis that Miasma shrubs have developed an evolutionary mutation that renders them camouflaged to prevent being eaten by animals (*Shrub Report* journal).

#### Gray Spell Potion

The Gray spell potion recipe description attributes its invention to an unknown Academy Scholar, who left behind the *How To Focus* hint tablet in the Petrified Forest, in which they mentioned Arlet Fielding, Theresa Gilbert, and Mg. Maplebark, who presided over the Pearl Canyon Chapter.

### Tensions with City Council

Despite the Little Rock City Council granting The Academy the authority to conduct research, the relationship between the two was known to be strained and it gradually worsened over time. This is evidenced both in Arlet Fielding's accounts of her experience with the City Council.

Arlet's journals describe the progressive degradation of the partnership between the City Council and The Academy.

* **Page 2:** City Council bans filter masks shortly before this entry's writing and in Spring of 1816 A.B., it issues a moratorium on all Academy experiments:
	+ *"Theresa and I suspected our research was in jeopardy after the banning of filtered masks... but to have all our experiments shuttered by the council? Little Rock has no interest in saving itself or its people! Village politics preoccupied with the immediate term and local denizens sporting blinders to shield themselves from an ugly reality... All too typical."*
* **Page 4:** As of Autumn of 1816 A.B., exploration of the Miasma requires special permission, greatly limiting research on Miasma scars.
* **Page 6:** In an effort to prove its value to the City Council, The Academy shifts its focus to low-hanging fruit and de-prioritizes deep research:
	+ *"I filed for special research approval to investigate, but I'm worried that waiting on The Academy will waste critical time. Nowadays The Academy only has eyes for easy results, a last-ditch effort to keep the remaining Chapters from shuttering. The real questions go unwanted."* — Winter 13th, 1816 A.B.

This sentiment is echoed in a letter to the player from their Little Rock school teacher, Miss June Clerk (*Ms. Clerk: On The Academy* letter):

> *"The Council always believed they* [The Academy] *were prying at forces that ought to have been left alone. If only they found a way to see eye to eye the knowledge shared between the two could've been immense. A shame..."*
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### Shutdown

Little is known about The Academy's final days. At the time of the player's story, The Academy is defunct, its members mysteriously disappeared.

Journals found in the wild allude to several events leading up to The Academy's disbandment. It is likely that most Chapters were consumed by the Miasma, causing scholars to flee or succumb to it, and the remaining Chapters closed their doors due to dwindling support from the Little Rock City Council and increasing dangers of traversing the Miasma.

The earliest\* account of looming danger came from the *Unidentified Figure Report* issued in Winter 64th, 1811 A.B. (5 years prior to Theresa Gilbert's transfer and the City Council's moratorium on Academy Research), possibly the first contemporary sighting of Ghosts.

> *"Disturbing news from the Miasma— a Scholar claims to have seen a humanoid figure within the cloud. The first sighting of its kind.* [...] *With the potential implications of this discovery, extreme caution is advised during the continuation of this research."* — Author Unknown
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From the *Retreat Plan* Magus Order issued by Mg. Florence Gearstone of the Rockport Chapter, on impending Miasma invasion of the Pearl Canyon:

> *"The Pearl Canyon Chapter's fall to the Miasma spread is imminent but there's still time to recover all active research and Academy records.* [...] *Do not under any circumstances return to the corrupted forest—even for personnel."*
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From a series of personal accounts *Thoughts About The Book of Sun* by a possible Academy Scholar, Markus Plumtree, who chose to side with the Miasma:

* *"My budding skepticism demands more tangible things to base my faith on. I've decided to journey into the Miasma and see Sol [the Sun] fighting it back for myself."* - Spring 43rd, 198 Y.F.
* *"The Miasma provided a disturbing comfort. Something I've yearned over for many moons. The last place I expected to find it."* - Spring 66th, 198 Y.F.
* *"I end my journey of faith filled with doubt... But now I start a new quest for truth. The only way forward is to embrace the cloud."* - Spring 78th, 198 Y.F.

## Notes

**Huckleberry's quotes about The Academy:**

* *"I watched them [The Academy] build an odd crystal cage at one point."*
* *"The Academy did a lot of good things, but they didn't care for outsiders. Sometimes they were downright hostile. Plus, there were rumors that they'd hunt down Miasma creatures and take them in to do autopsies... I couldn't risk that. Grandma Betty would've been furious!"*

**Ma's thoughts from a letter to the player:**

* *"They sought to understand the Miasma and one day they just... disappeared."*
* *"Gramps never thought too highly of them—messing with forces incomprehensible to us."*
* *"Your Pops would've signed up if not for his accident, but I can't say I'm upset he stayed here with us."*

\*If my assumption is correct that the A.B. era precedes the Y.F. era and that the two methods of timekeeping did not exist simultaneously ~ Muffinigans