Build up my body

Zeno stared upwards, trying to take in the vast display that covered the walls in the Hall of Steel. Row upon row of weapons covered almost every inch of the smooth tower walls extending up right to the very top of the three-story tower. It was an extraordinary sight, breathtaking, inspiring and more than just a little intimidating.

"Did all these weapons belong to Adelmar?" he asked. His stepmother was away talking shop with the Academy instructors, but his father Marcus was stood by his side, seemingly as rapt as he was by the vision above their heads.

"No. Well probably not." Marcus replied. "... Although it's said that he was a master of every weapon ever made... So maybe."

"How could one man master so many weapons? It's impossible... it would take too long."

"Inga Tarn was said to be strong enough to lift a wain of white granite above her head. I once read that Avigliana could tell pure gold from debased just by the way it smelled. Our inspirations were capable of the most extraordinary feats. It's wise to keep an open mind about what is impossible."

Zeno nodded thoughtfully at the wisdom his father had imparted. "If Adelmar did it - then I can do it too," he solemnly intoned "I can become skilled with every weapon here."

Marcus glanced across at his wife who was handing a purse of crowns to the tutor. He took it as a good sign and placed one hand reassuringly on his sons shoulders. "It looks like you may yet have a chance..."

While he is better known for his personal mastery of arms, Adelmar himself said "The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their ambition, expressed via their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavour."

Click for audio version

Overview

During the Spring Equinox the Virtue Assembly of Ambition endorsed a mandate raised by Ranae de Rondell of Dawn to use True Liao to consecrate the Academy of Arms in Redoubt. As word spreads of the decision made by the Assembly there has been a wave of interest in both the first Academy of Arms, the other Academies, and the Academy in Anvil.

Place of Pilgrimage

• The Academy of Arms in Siluri could be expanded into a place of pilgrimage
• It would require a commission slot, 25 wains of white granite, 50 crowns, and take three months to construct
• It would create an Imperial title Prelate of Adelmar's Shrine which would provide 10 liao and 20 votes in the Synod
• It would allow one starting military unit to train at the academy each season to gain free upgrade
• This opportunity will be available until the end of the Spring Equinox 385YE

The Academy of Arms in Siluri is reached by a treacherous and winding mountain path but it is still visited by those who wish to follow in the footsteps of Adelmar. As increasing numbers of citizens visit the Academy the faculty struggle with the crowds, but resident scholar Sophus of the Guiding Lights wants to take advantage of this influx of visitors to expand the Academy to allow visiting pilgrims a chance to truly understand about the journeys of the Lion.

Sophus' idea is for a major expansion of the Academy creating a large new gymnasium and palaestra where students can train and study. Their idea is that visitors will then be able to take part in the lessons the Academy offers alongside the existing students. There would be accommodation to house the many visitors and a small auditorium to allow the resident priest to deliver sermons on the life and achievements of Adelmar. The new structure would serve as a grand site of pilgrimage, attracting devotees of Ambition not only from across the Empire but from across the known world.

The expansion is a commission that would require 25 wains of white granite and 50 crowns, and take three months to complete. Sophus proposes to call the title the Prelate of Adelmar's Shrine". The resulting sinecure would provide 10 liao and 20 votes in the Synod. The title will need to be appointed annually by judgement of the Assembly of Ambition to gain the support of the Academy of Arms, otherwise it will not function.

Once complete, the Academy would be able to allow a single military unit to train in the gymnasium and palaestra. The Prelate would be able to choose to grant permission to a single military unit to train there each season. At the end of that time, a starting military unit will be upgraded by one rank to reflect the gain in skills and training. A military unit that is already upgraded will be unable to gain the benefits.

It is always possible to commission a more restrained structure instead but a small sinecure would follow the standard costs for such commissions.

For the Children

• Several artisans have been inspired by the consecration to support the academy in Anvil
• Citizens can now donate resources to be used to create up to five magic items for the Academy each season

One of the groups most influenced by the consecration of the Academy of Arms is the loose sodality of the Circle of the Shimmering Forge. The artisans wish to support the Academy in Anvil, and have asked the citizens who attend Anvil to help. Any citizen who wishes to support the academy can provide them with valuable materials which can then be used to fund artisans from the Citadel of Shining Quartz, House de Kucant, the Guild of Good Grapes, and the Steading of Evergreen Tears to create magic items for those who attend the Academy. The artisans will not charge for their time, they merely need enough materials to cover their costs.

Any citizen can provide funding to the artisans, by calling in at the Academy during summits to donate the materials in person to the Chancellor of the Academy, currently Provost Lord Florette Griffinsbane. After each summit, the collected materials will be used to pay the artisans who are now supporting the Academy. They will use the materials to craft up to five magic items - anything currently in Imperial lore - which they will pass to the Chancellor. Lord Florette will then decide how best to hand out the items to the students of the Academy.

Lord Florette has indicated that he will try to keep records of the materials donated to the Academy with the intention of submitting a judgement to the Assembly of Ambition in a years' time asking them to recognize the virtue of whichever citizen has donated the most and to reward them accordingly. The Chancellor is not a member of the Assembly but hopes that a priest who is will be able to help the Academy when the time comes.

Rook, Flame and Throne

• The Senate can commission great works in Astolat, Hercynia, Holberg, and Sarvos that enhance congregations of Ambition in those territories
• Each great work would require a commission slot, 15 wains of white granite, 5 wains of mithril, 5 thrones in labour costs, and take three months to construct
• Each Academy would provide 30 Synod votes and 15 doses of liao spread among congregations of Ambition in the territory where it was constructed
• A senator could use a single Senate motion to authorize all four Academies which would require only one commission slot. In that case the work would take six months to complete
• This opportunity will be available until the end of the Spring Equinox 385YE

As knowledge of the consecration spreads across the Empire there is a noted increase in the number of citizens who wish to visit the various Academies in territories close to their home as part of a pilgrimage. Whilst there are a number of Academies of Arms scattered throughout the Empire there are only four which are large enough to support the expected number of pilgrims. The Academies in Astolat, Hercynia, Holberg, and Sarvos, all have substantial existing facilities along with the room needed to expand to house a grand new Academy edifice. They are also some of the first to be built following the establishment of Adelmar's own Academy of Arms in Redoubt.

The Imperial Senate can commission a new Academy structure in one or more of the four named territories. The new structures would provide support to those who wish to visit the various Academies of Arms across the Empire. Each Academy will require 15 wains of white granite, 5 wains of mithril, and 5 thrones to complete and will function as a great work providing a pool of 30 votes in the Imperial Synod and 15 additional doses of liao spread among the congregations in that territory overseen by priests belonging to the Assembly of Ambition.

Each Academy would require a commission slot, but they could be authorized by the Imperial Senate with a Senate motion or by any Imperial title with the power to commission a great work. The Constitutional Court have also indicated that a senator could use a single Senate motion to commission all four of the Academies simultaneously - but only if all four are to be built. A single single Senate motion could not be used to pick and choose which ones to build. If this were done then it would require 60 wains of white granite, 20 wains of mithril and take six months to complete but would require only a single commission slot. The civil service caution that if this happened, they would be legally obliged to ensure any materials provided for the construction were divided equally between the four academies. That would mean no Academy was completed until there were enough materials to complete all of them.

Further Reading

• Adelmar the Lion
• Three celebrations and a funeral - Spring 384YE wind of fortune discussing the consecration