Jaksu Academy

The **Jaksu Academy** was an institute of education located on an island off the coast of Southern Qethos. A college of humble repute and origin, it served as an important stepping stone for spellcasters seeking to master their gifts, with most of its students came from the Kingdom of Llwendolyn. In the year 735, however, the academy began to lose more and more staff and students to the more prestigious Exodus Academy in Northern Ishtar. This eventually left the school as a hollow shell of itself, with even the Headmaster abandoning it. In the end, only one professor was left to maintain the Academy, though it is uncertain if it even regained any of its former glory.

## Objectives

The Jaksu Academy functioned primarily as a school of magic. Its main objectives were the education of young wizards and sorcerers on how to use their talents effectively and the research of the arcane and other phenomena. Unlike the Exodus Academy, the Jaksu Academy appeared to be a private institution, meaning that there was no expectation on its students to join a nation's military or other such careers. Students were instead encouraged to pursue their own path, as seen with Professor Hanio's encouragement to Sachi to become an adventurer.

## Description

There appears to be no distinct uniform for the students or staff of the Jaksu Academy. The two teachers seen were dressed in traditional wizarding robes, while Sachi Ko was rarely seen without her pointed hat, which might imply that accoutrement associated with mages were the norm in the academy.

## Organizational Structure

It appears that the Jaksu Academy operated similarly to schools in real life. Students were instructed and overseen by qualified teachers called professors. Administration of the academy was handled primarily by the Headmaster and their personal staff. It is unclear how many staff were employed as part of the academy or if its hierarchy deviated in any way from the norm.

## History

### Founding

It is unknown when the Jaksu Academy was founded and by who. The name of the Academy is shared with a race of empathic aquatic people called the Jaksu who are usually found in the Astral Veil. It is unclear if this species was involved in any way in the formation of the Academy, be it directly or indirectly. The Academy made its home on a small verdant island to the southeast of the Kingdom of Llwendolyn.

### School of Magic

The Jaksu Academy took in and trained students from its inception onwards. It acted as a boarding school, with both students and teachers living on campus. The Jaksu Academy remained a small but effective learning institution over its existence. Though it did not reach the prestige associated with its rival institution in Ishtar, the Exodus Academy, it was still held in high regard in Southern Qethos as a center of knowledge. Some time before the Year 735, a young woman by the name of Sachi Ko studied and graduated from the Jaksu Academy, before leaving to become an adventurer.

## Phase 2 Story

### Decline

By the Year 735, the academic domination of the Exodus Academy began to siphon away students and staff away from the Jaksu Academy. With dwindling resources and employees, the Academy struggled to maintain itself. Eventually the Academy's Headmaster, Shur, decided that the Jaksu Academy was a lost cause. He eventually resigned from his position as Headmaster and left for Ishtar to join the Exodus Academy. Before the Headmaster left, however, one of the teachers, Professor Hanio ,managed to identify a strange magic connecting the Headmaster with one of the Fallen Heroes and managed to siphon part of it away for study. With Shur's departure, the Jaksu Academy emptied of all students and staff, leaving the island college all but abandoned. Only Professor Hanio, remained behind, opting to look after the Academy instead of taking her chances elsewhere.

### Return of the VOID

Some time after the departure of Headmaster Shur, Sachi Ko returned to the Jaksu Academy with her allies in tow. They met with Professor Hanio, who had disguised herself as the former Headmaster to mess with her old student. After revealing herself, she informed the party of the decline of the Academy. The party in turn explained their desire to research DIV and VOID by looking through the Academy's library. Hanio agreed to help them, and brought them to the library.

However, they group was waylaid by an unusual magic that manifested the memories of others, brought on by Hanio's experimentation on Shur's Memory. While within the Memory, the party encountered the memory of a Voidstar, which possessed the djinn Terasolum and escaped into the real world. Once there, the VOID Reborn conjured a massive storm from VOID energy. The storm razed the island, destroying its buildings and greenery. Hanio, Sachi and her friends managed to escape via a teleportation spell, reluctantly leaving the Academy to fall to ruin. It is unknown if the Jaksu Academy was ever rebuilt or if it was left abandoned in the subsequent centuries.

## Prominent Members

### Leaders

* **Headmaster Shur†**- Former Headmaster

### External Collaborators

* **The Kingdom of Llwendolyn** - Sovereign nation.

## Etymology

"Jaksu" appears to be an original name created for this setting. It is shared with a race from the Astral Veil, who also appear to be homebrew in nature.

An "academy" is a place of study or training for a special field, typically of secondary or tertiary level for higher education. The word is derived from the ancient Greek *akadēmeia*. The name was originally used to describe Plato's school of philosophy, which was located in a sacred garden outside of Ancient Athens.

## Trivia

* The Jaksu Academy was first mentioned in Under Io Episode 13, where Tremmer interrogated Sachi about her magical skill and education. The Academy itself first appeared in Under Io Episode 20.