The Academy
Heroes are not born. They are forged in the fires of experience, and tempered in the waters of wisdom. It is my duty and my honour to help forge the heroes of tomorrow.
Chancellor Eldenheart of the Imperial AcademyOverview
The Academy is an in-character school run by NPCs which focuses on providing activities for young role-players. It aims to give them a fun and interesting role-playing experience while also helping them learn about the game world and, of course, how to play the the game. Sessions currently planned for the first event include lessons in Magic, Alchemy, Crafting and Combat, as well as field trips to the Senate and other in-game institutions and the chance to meet and learn about various characters within the game. Future events will see new sessions being added to cater for returning children, as well as repeats of the above sessions for new students.
Our aim is to prepare young role-players to be fully-fledged characters in the game, which can be achieved by them passing their Test of Citizenship. Children can take part in Academy activities from around age 7 and up. The Academy will also have a prize-giving at the end of each event to reward students for their hard work!
Academy Staff
The Academy will be run by a core team of NPCs: Tom Francis, Gillian Francis, Jerry Ferley and Thomas Twissell. In addition we have several other members of crew who will assist in providing specialist sessions, and we will also be collaborating with Player groups to provide some of the sessions, particularly the Combat training. If you are have ideas for children's activities we are always interested to hear from you!
Attendance
Most members of the core team hold an appropriate CRB/ DBS check, and at least one of these will be present at every session. However, we do require that any children attending Academy activities is accompanied by a responsible adult; Academy crew cannot be left in loco parentis. This policy is in place to protect PD staff, parents and young role-players alike and is line with the general rules relating to children at Empire. One responsible adult may bring more than one child but they will also be ultimately responsible for any children in their care.
Opening times
The Academy will offer roughly 14-15 hours of sessions over the course of an event, starting on the afternoon of the first day. Morning sessions begin at around 10am and afternoon session at 2pm, although we will be flexible enough to accommodate groups who arrive later. Most sessions will last around 2 hours, although some might be spread over the course of a whole day.
Academy Rules
These are the IC rules for children (and adults) attending the Academy. They are intended to reflect the game world as well as providing a sensible, fair and enjoyable setting for young role-players.
- No-one is forced to come to the Academy – you should only attend if you have a desire to learn and better yourself
- We treat one another with respect, regardless of age or nationality
- Train hard and with spirit
- All students must bring a responsible adult who is happy to stay with them for the duration of the classes
- If any student causes harm to another they may well be barred from the Academy
- Students are encouraged keep a well presented and accurate record of their studies to assist the Chancellor in judging and distributing awards and certificates