The School of Pure Thought
(Site; Mt. Celestia/Lunia)
written by Heiner de Wendt
Character. Magic is a gift of the gods, and has to be treated
accordingly. Those who use magic for evil purposes waste that
gift; those who use it for the good of all have to strive for
perfection in their art.
Description. The School of Pure Thought is often seen as the
tiny mirror image of the Order of the Planes-Militant. Members
of the school include mages, priest, and a few bards and paladins;
put short, all those who wield magic in their battle for goodness.
The School is mainly a place to seek wisdom and understanding,
and to train one's abilities. The wisest and most experienced
members lead courses to give their insight to the other members,
and those members with certain problems (be it philosophical,
personal, or something more "technical", like problems with
researching a new spell) always find someone who helps them.
The members of the School of Pure Thought are less active than
the Planes-Militant, training far more than actually using their
powers. But whenever they feel that they are needed, the magical
might they wield is more than awesome to behold.
About a decade ago, the School has, for the first time ever,
agreed to work together with the Order of the Planes-Militant,
as an tanar'ri enemy of the Order had captured a priest of Bahamut,
who himself was a member of the School of Pure Thought. The
battle at the tanar'ri's fortress in the first layer of the Abyss
lasted for only about one hour, after which only ashes remained
of the formerly powerful fortress. Since that event, the ties
between the two organizations slowly grow closer, though no
official statements have been made yet.
The School actually looks like a big library. It's got the form
of a granite cube, each side about a hundred meters long, with
an entrance large enough for giants at every side. The entrances
open magically to everyone of lawful good alignment with the
intention to enter, and with no intention to bring any evil inside
(be it metaphorically or literally). Inside, large corridors
lighted by everlasting spells lead to hundreds of libraries, discussion forums and so-called "course rooms", in which the
highest-ranking members teach their less experienced brethren
and sisters.
Special Features. For members, the School of Pure Thought is a
kind of second home (for some, actually, their only home),
granting them everything they need for their studies, and far
more. The School is regularly visited by proxies of most of
Mt. Celestia's powers, as the School has close ties to all
of the Mount's faiths.
Non-members in need of advise can also find help here, and the
countless tomes in the libraries keep many ancient secrets.
But such things aren't given away freely; non-members who hope
for the help of the School of Pure Thought should expect to
pay back any such help one day. This, though, is of course
tempered by the merciful goodness of Mt. Celestia's ideals:
No untrained young boy is asked to ride into battle, and a
paladin on his quest isn't asked to give a break to that quest
to help the School. Also, the "payment" is always a fair one.
Members of the School don't ask for more than they've given,
a cutter can be sure of that.