Into the Academy
Scenario Supplement for The Kaluthin Are Always Greener

By Morrie Mullins
Living Force Plot Director and Campaign Designer

Morrie Mullins presents the latest in our monthly series of free supplements to the Living Force campaign's newest scenarios. "Into the Academy" ties in with The Kaluthin Are Always Greener, the campaign's March scenario and the first part in the "Almas, Sweet Almas" trilogy.

The Living Force Campaign Guide describes the basics of the Jedi Academy on Almas, but players and Gamemasters (both within the RPGA's Living Force campaign and outside) have asked for more information on this important structure. This article begins to describe the Academy and provides a map (wonderfully rendered by Reimer Behrends, based on my original drawings) of the main level. It does not detail all of the gardens and other elements of the structure mentioned in the Campaign Guide. This is an initial foray into the Academy, and if you're interested in seeing further web articles detailing the Academy's layout, defenses, or anything else, feel free to email me.

Nestled in the center of Forard, the Jedi Academy on Almas has been home to both young and old Jedi for decades. Every day Masters, Knights, and Padawans all make their way in and out of the great double-doors, 5-meter-tall swirls of metal and crystal that stand open from dawn until dusk - or what passes for dawn and dusk on Almas. Dawn arrives as the kaluthin spread their leaves, allowing heat and light to issue forth, and dusk comes when they fold in upon themselves once again.

Very few, other than Jedi, have ever been allowed within the Academy. Deliveries are taken at one of a dozen loading docks and transported into the Academy by Padawans. All cleaning, maintenance, and cooking is done by Jedi. Only the rare individual not of the Order - such as "Mother" Missira -is allowed within.

Those who see the interior of the Academy never fail to experience at least a touch of awe, though, because behind the doors of metal and crystal, behind the outer walls of white marble veined with streaks of silver so bright that the building could never have been safely constructed much nearer a star, is a place of beauty and wonder.

The entry hall of the Academy is of the same white marble as the outer walls, but the veins of silver are thicker, twisting into knots that meet at the intersection of wall and floor. Small inset cases line the walls, most somewhere around waist-height for humans. These cases contain plaques listing the names of Almas Jedi who have successfully completed their trials within the Academy's chambers, along with names of Almas Jedi who have perished in defense of the Jedi way. They also contain mementos - Master Lanius insists that they are neither trophies nor souvenirs, but reminders - of conflicts the Jedi have faced and overcome. In the final case, at the far right end of the entry hall, is a bust of an austere Twi'lek with lines around his eyes and a scarf around his neck. While no nameplate adorns the bust, every student and Master knows the wise face of the Academy's founder, Nerra Ziveri.

The entry hall leads into one of the most used (yet quietest) portions of the Academy, the fountain chamber. Padded marble benches line the walls, with extra cushions stored beneath for those who come late or choose the floor. In the center of the chamber is an immense fountain, the waters of which bubble around the sculpture of a hand, palm out, extended as in welcome. The bubbling of the fountain is used in the training of the youngest of Jedi students, to assist them in focusing and learning to concentrate and center themselves. While the fountain ceases to be a central part of the educational process as soon as the child is accepted as a Padawan, many students retain fond memories of the fountain and still find it useful as a tool in their meditations. Instructors such as Masters Lanius and Kirlocca are often found among those silently reflecting beside the fountain as well. While they certainly do not need such a focus, either will happily explain that while meditation is by necessity a solitary activity, it's important that the students understand that even when they're in their most solitary moments, they're not alone. They're always part of the Jedi Order. Even when they must do something where no one else can provide assistance, they always have the influence of those who have gone before, those who have taught them and helped them to become who and what they are.

All around this lowest level of the Academy are classrooms of various shapes and sizes. In opposite corners are two of the largest classrooms, enormous tiered rooms capable of seating over 100 students each. The northernmost room is equipped with workstations connected to the Academy network, while the southernmost room is free of all but the most basic technology. Both are home to classes on the Jedi arts, the history of the Order, and the galaxy it serves.

One of the rooms that most fascinates many Padawans in their early days is the lightsaber training chamber. Here, Kirlocca engages the students with practice blades and observes and trains them as they engage one another. The center of the practice chamber (which has no door -- only a curtain through which other instructors can enter and leave without disturbing the session) is taken up by an enormous blue mat covered with a bright red symbol of the Republic. Kirlocca keeps a close eye on the students as they practice with one another and as they move through the forms that they must master if they are to wield their lightsabers with grace and honor.

In the center of the northern wall of the Academy is the grand lecture hall. Here, visiting dignitaries speak to the Academy, and Master Lanius and other instructors deliver annual addresses. The annual recitation of the story of Kibh Jeen occurs in the grand lecture hall, which is tiered both up and down, allowing room to accommodate all of the Academy's students and instructors, with the speaker suspended on a floating platform and holo-projected to an angle viewable by every attendee.

With the offices, the classrooms, the grand lecture hall, and the fountain room, the entry level of the Jedi Academy on Almas still remains only one of the fascinating aspects of this magnificent construction.