Academia
As a relatively small country, consisting of eight islands, with little wealth available from with minerals or natural resources, Academia makes the most of its many colleges to justify its membership in the Empire.
Each of the islands is home to one of the bard colleges and almost all the citizens of Academia live in or around a college and so the average education level is much higher than the surrounding nations. On the downside there is practically no other industry above subsistence farming. Academia also has the smallest army retinue of any Imperial nation at just 4 permanent legions (the 29th, 38th, 40th and 71st), although the ration of army to citizens is actually one of the highest in the Empire.
The native people are collectively known as “Academians” (not 'Aademics') but in truth there is really no such thing as a typical Academian, as the populace is made up of immigrants from across the Empire. Academia does not have it’s own language, instead using “High Merebian” as it’s adopted tongue.
Bard colleges
The eight Bard colleges are:
- 1. Fochlucan
- 2. Mac-Fuiridh
- 3. Doss
- 4. Canaith
- 5. Cli
- 6. Anstruth
- 7. Ollamh
- 8. Magna Alumnae
Each of the first seven colleges is named after a 'patron' Bard who founded the college, whereas the last is funded entirely by the Empire. Each Bard college charges a 'study fee' of various extortionate amounts. The most 'exclusive' (expensive) being Canaith. The exception to this being Magna Alumnae which has a student body made up of 50% 'scholarships' bequeathed by the Empire. As such Magna Alumnae is looked down on a little by the somewhat elitist 'private' Bard colleges.
Population
The total population of Academia is estimated to be around 100,000 people.
Each college is able to provide for about 5000 students when full. To achieve this a college typically has about 2000 people on their payroll including tutors, ground-staff, security, cleaners, cooks, stablehands and assorted craftsmen. Hence the whole of Academia has a college population of around 60,000, plus another 20,000 army personnel from their four legions (1 legion per 2 islands). Various fishing villages and small hamlets make up the remaining 20,000 population.
The Imperial Library
On the same island as, but separate from, Magna Alumnae is the Imperial Library, a huge complex of book stores, scribing chambers and reading rooms that is free to use by any student of the 8 colleges. A copy of practically every book written since the forming of the Empire is present here. Students from all of the eight colleges head here if there own colleges don't have a spare copy of a text in stock.
The Tower of the Heavens
The Imperial Library is an amazing resource of knowledge but it is more widely known for it's observatory named 'The Tower of the Heavens'. The observatory is neither a tower nor can it actually see the heavens but, on a clear night, one of the clearest uninterrupted views of the night sky can be seen from its platform.
Schools of Magic
As may be obvious, Bards who can cast spells will seek to stud at the Bard colleges. However the colleges themselves are not actually magic schools. Anyone wanting to add some arcane magic to their knowledge of history, religion, music and the arts will enrol into both a college AND a magic school, of which there are several around the islands. Those people who are truly 'Bards' therefore tend to come from particularly wealthy families.
