The Academy
The Academy in Whitehaven district is a large, historic, educational building that provides all manner of classes. It is usual for middle-class families to send their children here to undertake comprehensive courses covering a wide variety of subjects over several years. The academy also offers short, intense and expensive courses tailored to older individuals. And those who are competent in a particular field can gain employment here teaching others - or if expert, lecturing.
The Academy itself is a maze of haphazardly planned corridors and passageways lined with old oil paintings and wood paneling.
The Academy's administrative headquarters are in the adjacent Historical Society, a separate building but part of the same institution.
History
Founded in 2278 by the renowned Dean Eric Kandor.
Teaching, Tutoring, Lecturing
The Academy invites renowned individuals such as yourself to present guest lectures on subjects they have unusual expertise in. Or even if you are just competent rather than expert, there are always "supply teacher" jobs on offer here to cover for staff who are absent. To tutor at The Academy you will have to arrive between 8am and 12 noon, and teach for six hours. As a prominent individual in Ikaanos you can demand at least twice what one of your staff might get for working here; a good wage. How much you can negotiate to be paid will depend on your Science and Academics skills (teach the one that's highest, and get a boost from the other if it is high enough), your Influence in Ikaanos, and your reputation/standing with The Academy. The following figures give an indication but may not be complete or up to date:
Tutoring wages for yourself
- Base: $100
- Skill is 85-94: +$15
- Skill is 95-99: +$30
- Skill is 100-109: +$45
- Skill is 110-129: +$60
- Skill is 130+: +$160
- (Other) Skill is 130+: +$10
- Influence 1,000-1,499: +$5
- Influence 1,500-2,999: +$15
- Influence 3,000-4,999: +$20
- Influence 5,000-9,999: +$30
- Influence 10,000+: +$45
- Academic disp. 100-299: +$10
- Academic disp. 300-499: +$20
- Academic disp. 500-599: +$30
- Academic disp. 600-999: +$40
- Academic disp. 1,000+: +$60
Teaching & Lecturing opportunities for NPCs
Your staff lack your renown so don't draw crowds earning big fees, plus their commitments to you mean they are unlikely to be deemed reliable enough for full-time contracts at the Academy. However any who are adequately knowledgeable in Academics or Science can show up for daily "supply" work here, Teaching as a Lecturer if their skill is 40+ or as a Professor if their Skill is 70+, for $40 or $100ish respectively, for a 6 hour day (plus commute). There is always a demand for people filling in for absent Academy staff, helping students with their work, or assisting in practicals.
See Assignments and Jobs section for details. (Science pays slightly better than Academics at higher levels.)
Learning
The Academy offers a range of long and short courses. Long ones provide standardized education to prepare the middle-class youth of Ikaanos for careers, and shorter ones provide top-ups and specializations to adult learners. These short courses are intensive, expensive, and feature a degree of tailoring to the individual to ensure results. The former courses are more leisurely, and students can dip in and out and still be able to catch up on what they miss. These longer courses are assumed to be not suitable for the MC because you have so many other demands on your time, and you will want results quicker than they will deliver. The long courses however might be useful for you to send your staff to, as they won't require thousand dollar payments up front, it won't matter if your staff are called away from the course by you from time to time, and they will provide a slow but steady gain for every day attended. They will also eventually deliver far more gain than can be provided in a short course.
Courses for you
There are currently four short courses on offer at The Academy which might be of interest to you. You must arrive between 8 AM and 12 PM to attend a course, and pay a fee. This fee is a one-time payment for the entire course and is paid in full at start of the first lecture. You must attend all the lectures of a course to complete it and gain benefits. Each course has 6-8 days of lectures. Each day's lectures last 6 hours. You do not have to attend consecutive days; you can take breaks. Once you have completed all the lectures of a course you will gain bonuses to stats. There is a minimum and maximum gain for each course, so everyone will learn at least something. (You want Intelligence 60+ for max stat gains from Hemme's and Wolf's courses, 70+ for Daria's course and her Gift.) Courses cannot be taken again once completed.
Master Hemme's Know-It-All ($950)
"Spend eight magnificent sessions with me and learn all you'll need to know on all the classic subjects." An intense, multidisciplinary primer customized to the requirements of each select group taking the course.
| Min/Max Gains | ||
|---|---|---|
| Skill | Minimum | Maximum |
| Intelligence | +1 | +3 |
| Academics | +2 | +5 |
| Science | +2 | +5 |
| Manipulate | +2 | +6 |
| Gambling | +1 | +5 |
Daria's Science and Mathematics ($900)
"Fill your mind with advanced mathematical theories and open up new vistas of reality." Six long and intense lectures to a small group. Completing this course awards Daria's Gift, a special passive ability. Daria's gift becomes active if the player has 70 Intelligence or higher, and grants a +20 bonus to Charm rolls when interacting with a character with Intelligence under 50.
| Min/Max Gains | ||
|---|---|---|
| Skill | Minimum | Maximum |
| Intelligence | +1 | +5 |
| Science | +2 | +8 |
| Gambling | +1 | +15 |
Professor Wolf's Complete Masters ($1,500)
"Seven days. Academical focus. Students must bring own equipment. No smoking in class. No lollygagging."
| Min/Max Gains | ||
|---|---|---|
| Skill | Minimum | Maximum |
| Intelligence | +1 | +3 |
| Academics | +4 | +8 |
| Science | +1 | +2 |
| Occult | +1 | +1 |
| Willpower | +0 | +5 |
Professor Wolf's Planetary Studies ($1,200)
"An advanced course for diligent adults. Will bestow an attentive student with valuable knowledge about Raana. No talking in class unless answering teacher. Attend all seven sessions or fail. No refunds."
| Min/Max Gains | ||
|---|---|---|
| Skill | Minimum | Maximum |
| Intelligence | +1 | +6 |
| Academics | +4 | +10 |
| Science | +2 | +5 |
Courses for your staff
You can send any of the NPCs in your household to attend the following four courses at the Academy. The classes last for years, and cost $60 or $80 per day, but the display of wealth and valuing of the finer things in life which this displays will gain you +2 Influence per student per day. Each course will also improve 5 or 6 of a student's relevant Skills and Attributes, 1- 3 points each per fortnight on average. The classes are from 9am-4pm each day, plus commute time.
Maximum Age: The courses were designed for students aged under 25 and progressing through a semi-standardized education, but The Academy is currently experimenting with allowing people of any age to attend (because money talks!) However, older students might find the courses pitched at the wrong level for them. Or they might feel socially uncomfortable or lonely if they are a generation older than everyone else in the class. Or they may end up prepared for a career that may not recruit them because of their age.
Maximum Skills: Students can raise their Skills & Attributes up to about 120 at the Academy. At this point they are matching their tutors, so will have to go their own way if they want to improve further. (Most skills/Attributes now hard cap at 120 for Academy assigned NPCs.)
Science and Hardware
A five-year program that trains Ikaanos' future engineers. The SAH, as it is called, delves into everything from natural history to advanced computers and Grid navigation.
Daily gain chances:
- Science: 18%
- Academics: 12%
- Discipline: 8% (cap: 90)
- INTELLIGENCE: 8%
- WILLPOWER: 8%
- Influence: +2/day
Other notes:
- Schedule: 9am-4pm
- Stamina loss: -10
- Cost: $60/d
- Head Professor: Obaar Walker
History and Anthropology
A three-year program that offers a complete understanding of Earth's history, Raanic history, and a thorough overview of life and events on other planets before the severance.
Daily gain chances:
- Academics: 22%
- Science: 12%
- Discipline: 9% (cap: 90)
- INTELLIGENCE: 9%
- WILLPOWER: 6%
- Influence: +2/day
Other notes:
- Schedule: 9am-4pm
- Stamina loss: -10
- Cost: $60/d
- Head Professor: Nadarian Wolf
Administration and Domestic Art
A three-year program that offers the students a thorough understanding of household economy, gastronomy, and maid services.
Daily gain chances:
- Domestic: 18%
- Administration: 20%, to skill 70; then if Int 50+, 10% to skill 100.
- Gardening: 16%
- Discipline: 12% (cap: 90)
- INTELLIGENCE: 4%
- Influence: +2/day
Other notes:
- Schedule: 9am-4pm
- Stamina loss: -10
- Cost: $60/d
- Head Professor: Theresa Vimaar
Gymnastics and Performance
A three-year program that molds the student's body into a chiseled perfection. Has trained some of Raana's most famous artists.
Daily gain chances:
- Acrobatics: 20%
- Dancing: 15%
- Discipline: 15% (cap: 90)
- Performance: 6%
- DEXTERITY: 8%
- STRENGTH: 8%
- Influence: +2/day
Other notes:
- Schedule: 9am-4pm
- Stamina loss: -25
- Cost: $80/d
- Injury risk
- Risk (other)
- Head Professor: Geoffrey Dolme