Swarlvard Academy for sorcery/ Arkangelica
The Grounds
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry-Potter or Warhammer.
The Academy is divided into four convents; Ignis, Petra, Aquatica and Ventus. It is where wizards learn magic and Sorcery. At the end of each academic year, the convent with most points wins the Convent Cup. Students are sorted into their convents by the Sorting Sword, a Physic, wizards Glaive. Students arrive when they are eleven and graduate when seventeen. Each convent has its own patron ghost, common room and prefect.
The academy is housed in a huge floating castle with lots of floors, rooms, towers and classrooms as well as magical features: Steps that vanish, corridors that warp in destination, talking paintings, fake doors, and etcetera. There is a lots of ground areas outside, each tended by the Captain of the Guard, Hagrizzv. Also the castle is impossible to map because its many rooms and staircases move. There are seventy floors in the castle and really cold portraits hide secrets as well as secret passages and secret rooms. The most important towers are called Aquila Tower, Astronomy Tower and Headmaster's Sanctum. There are 14,000 staircases in the castle altogether.
The castle floats above the stratospheric cloud layer, at about 69,000 feet. It can only be reached by Apperation or Star-ship. The school is protected by layers upon layers of anti-curse and hex, shielding. The Academy is protected by its students and staff, as well as a battalion of 2000 Aurors.
The current Headmaster is Battle-Wizard, Alexander Castigor (4th). His awards range from the benign to the extraordinary. With two orders of the Merlin, (both 1st class), he is also the proud owner of the Titan Sword of Castalia, (of that which slew Blookservine, in 1200AD).
The Defenses
The castle is supported by a blend Sorcery and Technology (unable to be maintained or constructed by any other means), a good example being the moving staircases, a feature contributed by one of the four Arkangelica's founders, Vraptor Ventus, a Wizard of both superb control as well as battle knowledge.
Arkangelica is also protected by numerous ancient spells and incantations, such as the Anti-Cassandra Jinx. It is also unplottable and has been bewitched so that, if Muggles approach the castle, all they will see is a mouldering ruin with a sign warning them to keep out and that it is unsafe. The protective magic over Hogwarts is not only strong enough to resist the dispelling effects of the Taboo but also to repel even the most feared and talented dark wizards.
One example of this was in 1200AD; when the Chaos Lord Blookservine, of whom shall never be named again (and is simply referred to as the Fallen), who attempted to capture the castle with a legion of Khornate greater Demons. This resulted in a 666 day siege, by the end of which the castle still held out. Only an assault by a being of fearsome power can hope to overwhelm the castles shields, such as in 1808, when Angrath the Fallen assaulted the Aquila Tower.
The castles defenses were again tested in 1987, by the Dark Lord Gellert Grindalwald, who attempted to gain access to the legendary Black Library. He escaped with only a few of his 4000 strong army, of followers. His defeat was one of many occasions when evil forces have been defeated in the name of God.
Headmaster Alexander himself took to the field of battle in 1987, to personally duel Gellert, whom he had a personal grudge against. In a mere two minutes Alexander had not only disarmed Gellert, but also wounded him to the point of which he would of died, had he not of been seen to by a nearby Healer. This was the result of a continuous barrage of Avarda and Crucio dark curses.
Not only is the Academy protected by its magical defenses, but it is also protected by numerous normal systems based nearby. These include Defense Laser-Turrets and Cyclonic-Missile silos, as well as the orbiting Colonial Fleets of Narmania. Ground defenses are equipped with Void and Aegis shields. While Air assets include Heli-Carrier formations within striking distance.
The appearance of the castle is one of a mix between Krak'de'chavaliez and Windsor castles. It is surrounded by a 20m high curtain wall that is topped by ramparts, 5m wide, and turrets another 12m tall (also topped by ramparts and roofs). The Keep is a rectangular block measuring 3 kilometers squared. It is organized with four main towers on each corner, each one around 340m tall from ground to roof-turret, the rest of the Keep is 190m tall.
The castle is also surrounded by a last wall, before the yearning depths after. This wall is 30m tall and 40m thick. It is sloped up to a flat top, some 6m wide which is topped off by both ramparts and a roof. The wall is both proof against Magical and Conventional Weaponry. The bottom of the floating Academy houses the many Hangers and Void-Generators needed to both protect the academy from any potential threats.
A standing Air-fleet of 300 Raven-Interceptors, 130 Marauder-Bombers and numerous Landing craft holds sentry over the academy. There are points for Battle-Cruisers to moor. A single, larger port is reserved for the Colonial Fleets Flagship, the NWS Valiant, to dock at. In times of need, the castle can support its students for a period of up to 13 years, after which rationing will be needed to be introduced.
In case of the most catastrophically Lethal events the castle has six, enormous plasma drives and a Slip-Space Drive built into it. This means that the castle can also relocate to a new planet if it is deemed necessary. The castle is kept at a steady altitude by a complex arrangement of Anti-Gravity Grids and Fusion-Cells. A series of four Anti-Matter Reactors power the entire castle.
The Grounds
The Grounds are split into four areas, one to each of the Convents. These areas have multiple uses, and include both leisure and training areas. There is also a garden, a lake and a Food allotment for all the population of the castle to share.
Mt Ka'Hadraz rears up 4km into the distance, and has its roots in the core of the floating complex. Inside can be found a multitude of caves and rooms, given over to both the students and the castle it's self. The most legendary of these is the Black-Library. This library contains some of the most potent and indeed ancient documents in the Magical world, including diaries of all the Magical-School's Founders (including Hogwarts, Dumstrang and Arkangelica). It has history books going back to the earliest settlement of Terra by Narmania.
The Library is guarded by multiple defenses; shields, curse-protectors and etcetera. And some even claim a time-warping reality field. The Library it's self is guarded by a special squad of Aurors whose job it is to protect or die trying, the secrets contained in those shelves.
The Students and Local Geography
Over six thousand students go to the Academy in total, a thousand students per year. Another 300 are staff and instructors. All students are required to overcome a series of challenges or tests every year before they can continue onto the next year. This means, by the last year, only the very best and most promising students have survived.
Swarlvard is a hive-covered country; stripped long ago of all forms of resources; its soil is utterly barren and its atmosphere is a fog of pollution. Massive, labyrinthine edifices of state sprawl across the vast majority of the surface. Its oceans and seas have long ago boiled away. Many mountain ranges have been leveled, perhaps all of them except the Iron-Hills, which seemingly remain all but untouched due to the laboratories said to be underneath and the chambers of the Astronomican that course throughout the whole mountain range.
Despite being devastated during the Heresy and earlier wars than that, which occurred during the long Age of Strife, Swarlvard is probably the most vastly-populated and built-up hive Area on Earth. Beneath countless layers and millennia of urban accretion, catacombs hold older cultures completely different from the surface ones.
The Imperial Palace is a vast edifice sprawling across a large part of a continental area on Swarlvard's northern sector, divided into the Inner and Outer Palaces. The Palace is built to truly monumental proportions; seen from orbit, it consists of connected kilometres-high monolithic and pyramidal structures, marked with landing pads and studded with defense weaponry. The Imperial Palace is as heavily urbanized and populated as any other hive city. Adepts numbering in the billions work and reside within the Palace. The Outer Palace is also heavily urbanized by a population of destitute non-adepts.
The Adeptus Custodes maintain a constant vigil over the Imperial Palace, and are among the few permitted to pass beyond the Eternity Gate into the Void Emperor's presence. Jericho is protected by far more than simply his trained Royal-guards; his throne has Void and Quantum-shield generators built into it.
Special Section; Mars
In the Age of the Imperium, Mars is home to untold billions of servitors and the Cult Mechanicus tech-priests, the devoted servants of its techno-arcane Machine God. The planet is covered in sprawling hives reaching miles into the Martian sky and their foundations delving deep into the planet's core. Orbital factories circle the equatorial belt, their ceaseless industry forming a glowing halo around the planet.
Mars is the home of the mightiest fleet in the Imperium of Narmania, the Battlefleet Solar; above the equator vast space docks float in geo-stationary orbit. Mars serves as the Segmentum fortress of Segmentum Solar, and is the home world of several Titan Legions, including the Legio Draconeti.
Legio Draconeti, one of the most feared Titan legions in the cosmos, is mainly comprised of Castigor and Warmonger variants of the Imperator titan. The Legio is based at Pavonis Mons, an extinct volcanic region of mars. Each Legio is comprised of 200 Warlord-variant battle-engines, as well as 560 Reaver-variant Support-engines.
Famous students and Staff…
Alexander Castigor; sorted into the convent of Ignis, Alexander was a powerful wizard even before his birth. In the womb he was able to psychically talk to his parents. Within 3 years of being born he was already fluent in several languages including French, English and Latin. He created his first spell on the 31st of December, 1407 AD. By the age of 18, he left the academy, having learnt almost all the spells and curses in the Tome of Thaul.
He applied for teaching at Arkangelica on the 4th September, 1422 AD. He was given the post of Charms-Professor, and went on to teach at the academy for another 122 years, by which time he had been awarded the post of Headmaster. He continued to teach until 1980.
Jericho-Alexander-Castigor was born on the eve of the month of Ignatus, 852 million BC. He was rated by a nearby Narmanian Tech-Lord as having a psychic level of Alpha-Plus. He was chosen, at the age of twelve to lead his race to the stars. Within ten years, Narmania had risen to a level equivalent of Transsentience. He was named The Fallen, after the events of the Heresy.
Guard Master Tycon was not only the first guard-captain of the Academy, but was also the first student of Ignought Ignis, the founder of the Covent of Ignis. He was the third cousin of Vraptor Ventus and so was, in magical terms, the blood of royalty.
Brother-Captain Thule, one of the most celebrated captains of Legion 666, was a very leader and friend to Jericho. He led his legion, on both the mortal and immaterial planes. He fell in battle at Terra, during the Heresy of the Fallen, in 200 million BC. His brother Castalia forged the very blade that Alexander used to slay the Chaos-Lord Blookservine, in 800 AD.
The Founders
Ventus, Vraptor was a very skilled Tech-Lord. He was both the Pact-Brother and friend to Jericho. He fell in 200-million BC, on Terra, alongside his cousin Thule. He also created the first Fynd-Fire spell. The convent of Ventus was named after him.
Anatius, Petra was one of the founders of Arkangelica. He was a fine wizard but fell into the use of Dark-sorcery on the cusp of 278 million BC. He was the first desighner of the Horcux, of which he made and tested upon himself in the year, 276 Million BC. He was slain by his brother Ventus, on Terra, after a heated argument over his creations use.
Jericho the 3rd, lord of the Aquatic city of Tellemar, was the second son of Jericho the 2nd with his brother Alexander being the first. He fell in defense of his city, during the Heresy. That battle, which was later termed the Fall of Tellemar, was one of the most vicous planatery assaults in the history of time its self. The Convent of Aquatica, was named in his houner.
Ilsidor Ignis, was a sorcerer of great power and prestige. He laid down the fundamental spells of the Dark-lores of Sorcery, on the cusp of 852 Million BC, 30 years after Jericho's birth. He created the Killing-Curse (Avarda Kadavra), fifteen years later. He became a trusted associate to the young Jericho, and acted as his primary teacher in the Winds of Magic, for the next 50 Million years. He fell from a re-bounding curse of unique desighn in 802 Million BC. To his ever-lasting houner as Jericho's main friend and teacher, his Convent of Magic on Narmar, was re-named Ignis.
Relics of the four Convents
The Sword of Castllia, was forged by Castalia, in 800 AD. He had lost his brother to treachery in the hands of the Sorcerer, Vakr'Knor, the Lord of Darkness. The Sword posses a fragment of Thule's memory, and to this day continues to guide and choose the students of Arkangelica Academey for Magical-Studies.