Setting that became a character: Arcane Elemental Academy
The Arcane Elemental Academy is a hub of 32 competing schools. You’re not getting publicly-funded indoctrination here, but real education.
Arcane Elemental Academy ain’t Hogwarts. This isn’t a magical castle set in the highlands and isolated from civilization. Instead, Arcane is located near the edge of the quaint, yet modernized Aurora Village.
Arcane is a high school campus, but it’s nothing like the high school you probably attended once upon a time. Instead, Arcane offers a school for every personality type and learning style that meets consumer demand.
And if it doesn’t meet demand for a particular learning style and personality type, someone is starting a new school within the academy. Or, since this is a market-based approach to education, they technically don’t need to be on the academy’s grounds because zoning laws don’t exist in Aurora or the entire Northern Region.
This is the campus where liberty shines. Nobody’s forced to pay property taxes to fund it. Nor do state and federal taxes flow into it. Instead, the schools in Arcane rely on overdelivering a service if they plan on staying in business.
What does Arcane Elemental Academy look like?
Arcane isn’t some ivory-tower campus. It’s got old, limestone buildings and cobblestone pathways. But it carries a modern flair.
Each school contains multiple buildings, with corresponding apartment complexes. They all have their own subset of grounds, but students may visit buildings and apartments of other schools if they have friends attending them, or if they just wish to explore.
Most of Aurora sits to Arcane’s east, while residential areas and rolling hills behind it face north. The vast forest sits to the south, while Aurora’s outskirts and more forestland sit west.
Arcane ain’t a school like yours
You might be jealous of people who go to class here. For one, they’re called gatherings in many of Arcane’s schools, not classes.
Gatherings are more voluntary, and while each student has a schedule, they’re never required to attend. Many schools at Arcane lack grading scales. Instead, they focus on helping students master the four, and occasionally five, elements.
Other classes, like Elemental History and Elemental Science, also focus on mastering the knowledge and sharpening critical thinking mechanisms. They teach students how to think, not what to think.
Homework also isn’t a thing at many of these schools. While some schools at Arcane follow the traditional model with letter grades, homework, and class-like gatherings, only about five of the 32 schools follow this path.
Let’s be honest: some kids thrive in such structured environments. But most don’t. If that were the case, then public schools would fare a hell of a lot better on standardized tests.
Arcane offers no extracurricular activities
While you’ll see students at Arcane engaging in extracurriculars like playing box thrashball, know that these aren’t school-sponsored sports. In fact, neither Arcane nor their schools sponsor a single sport.
Instead, graduates of each school have taken it upon themselves to form groups and teams, market them, and promote their events. Nothing is set in stone here.
Some graduates form committees on which sports and activities to keep and to cut. Others direct one or a small group of activities single-handedly. Even students can form their own groups and teams if they’re not already offered. They’re also encouraged, as it sets the stage for a potential entrepreneurial future.
For every extracurricular activity you see at Arcane Elemental Academy, know that passionate people behind the scenes are the true reasons why box thrashball, dueling, and even Elemental science clubs exist.
Local businesses cater to Arcane’s students
Arcane also has no dining halls. Instead, eateries exist around the campus’ perimeter, giving students options. They can buy cheap food when they’re on a budget or on the go. Or, they can buy an expensive dinner at a rather upscale place down the road, like at La Casa Dello.
As for the rec center? Also privately-owned. Ditto for the trail system beyond the rec and the campus. Students pay a small rate to gain access to both. Most, like Yote Diamondback, will pay upfront for the entire year.
Like the schools, if there’s demand for a certain product or service, somebody will solve the problem and provide that product or service at a specific rate of exchange. So, if you’re the ultimate libertarian like I am, a place like Arcane Elemental Academy will be up your alley.
And speaking of Yote Diamondback. If you’re looking to meet her, check out the first three chapters of Book I, The Arcane Prophecy. Arcane itself isn’t present in the sample, but there are rumblings of the school.
Check out The Arcane Elemental Academy Hub for more in-depth profiles.
