Tolarian Academy

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Tolarian Academy
[[File:{{#setmainimage:Tolarian academy.jpg}}|150px]]
History
Founded on Dominaria
Founded Before the Phyrexian invasion of Dominaria
Status Active
Membership
Founded by Barrin, Urza
Notable members Adeliz, Alexi, Ertai, Gatha, Hanna, Jhoira, Karn, Naban, Naru Meha, Rayne, Rona, Teferi
Races Humans
Associated Colors
{U}

The Tolarian Academy was both a school and a research facility on Dominaria, founded by Urza and Barrin in 3285 AR on the island of Tolaria.[1][2] After the original Tolarian Academy was destroyed, campuses were built in various places on Dominaria by former students and professors of the original academy.[3]

Description

The original Academy was used by its founders to train an elite cadre of mages to lead Dominaria's defense in the upcoming Phyrexian Invasion and to conduct research into weapons that could be used in the war. Although originally run by Urza himself, as it expanded others such as Barrin, Jhoira, and Rayne, assumed chancellorship. Especially as Urza's mission took him on longer and further journeys throughout the planes. Notable students of the academy include Teferi, Jhoira, Gatha, Ertai, and Hanna.

The Academy was responsible for many important magical creations throughout its history. Amongst these was the discovery of slowtime water capable of letting mortals live vastly extended lifespans (as used by Barrin, Rayne, and Jhoira, among others), the creation of a time-traveling device, the eugenic manipulation of the Metathran and the Bloodline project, and the building of the Titan Engines, the Soul Bombs and the Skyship Weatherlight.

Temporal disaster

When Jhoira's life was taken by a Phyrexian sleeper agent during a Phyrexian assault in 3307 AR, Karn used Urza's time machine to go back and save her; though he succeeded, the time machine suffered a catastrophic failure, destroying the first academy and leaving Tolaria a shattered temporal landscape.[4] This also created the Tolarian Time Rift.

Headmaster Urza escaped with Mage Master Barrin and thirteen other students and scholars.[5] Karn rescued twenty more, but Jhoira was stranded alone.

The survivors of the academy moved their school to a grand sailing ship named New Tolaria.[6] Ten years later, Urza, Barrin, and Karn returned with a new batch of students to help rebuild Tolaria and discovered Jhoira still alive, and Teferi trapped in a slow-time bubble. Jhoira and Karn worked hard and eventually devised a method to rescue Teferi.

Destruction

The Academy's ruins. Art by Zoltan Boros and Gabor Szikszai.

The original Academy was destroyed once again by the Phyrexians during the first stage of their Invasion, while Barrin destroyed the whole island along with all of its occupants while grieving the loss of his daughter Hanna.

The new Tolarian Academies

Behold New Phyrexia: Phyrexian translation guide

Nowadays, there exist five particularly well-known Tolarian Academies (though they are not necessarily the only ones). These are located at Tolaria West in the Spice Isles, at Lat-Nam, at Orvada (on the island of Walassa near the Burning Isles), Tolaria of the Depths underwater at the ruins where Tolaria originally stood, and a Shadow Academy that doesn't have a particular location.[3] The latter is a secret network claimed to be linked by a pocket dimension.[1]

Within these academies there are three main pedagogical lineages: Urzans (systematical and cynical, focusing on artifice, temporal mechanics and genetics), Barrinites (humane and ethical, focusing on sorcery, temporal mechanics, and administration), and Raynians (focusing on improvement of artifacts and recruitment).[1] There are also secret cults of Phyrexian sympathizers (The "Society of Mishra" and Gixians[7]) and a strain of scientists performing illegal genetic experiments ("Gathans").

The primary source of income for the Tolarian academies is tuition and providing expertise to those in need of scientific or magical help. They have also branched out into more practical and immediately vital sciences like Agriculture and Aquaculture.[1] The campuses maintain a network of regular ocean-sailing packet ships that move news and passengers from one campus to another. They hold right-of-passage agreements with a variety of (suboceanic) nations.

During the Second Phyrexian Invasion of Dominaria, the former Tolarian student Ertai was resurrected as a Phyrexian and took control of the academy at Lat-Nam.[8] In the aftermath of New Phyrexia's Invasion of the Multiverse, the Tolarians excised the Society of Mishra from their ranks.[9]

Famous students and faculty

In-game references

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References