Kitharodian Academy

Kitharodian Academy

(Organization)

Type

Bardic college

Leader

Lord Merriweather Stokes

Headquarters

Kitharodian Academy, Canal Row, Oppara, Taldor

Goals

Train bards and Lion Blades

Scope

National

Structure

Academic

Members

Bards & spies

Source: Crownfall, pg(s). 70

The Kitharodian Academy (or the Kith, as it is called by the citizens) is one of the largest bardic colleges on Golarion.

The Kith allows anyone to attend its performances, whether members of the royalty class, the senatorial class, or commoners. Even former Grand Prince Stavian III himself sometimes attended its performances. The acting and music training at Kith is difficult but produces high-level professionals. Students are expected to follow the rules, and the graduation path is established by their department advisor.

Location

The Kitharodian Academy is located in Oppara's Canal Row district, astride of the northern cliffs of the city, overlooking the Mighty Porthmos. Its great campus features beautiful gardens, large squares, fountains, and exquisitely constructed buildings topped by high towers. More than 2,000 students are enrolled at any given time and nearly 200 teachers, administrative staff, and other employees work in the Kith.

Staff

The Kitharodian Academy's administrator is Lord Merriweather Stokes. Besides his administration duties, he leads casts of Taldor's greatest living actors in some of the best theatrical performances of the Inner Sea region.

Lion Blades

The secret behind the Kith is that it is a front for Taldor's secret core of spies, called the Lion Blades. The organization usually selects its recruits among the best of the trained bards, as it prefers creative thinkers and intelligent problem solvers. Nearly all of the teachers are veteran Lion Blades, including Lord Merriweather Stokes.

Arcane studies

While less prominent than its work in the performance arts, the Academy has also published New Developments in Constructivism, a work of magic theory on the Keleshite Constructivist school of logic as it relates to the arcane. The work was written by Qittan Al-Zhierri and Orius Mavrogenis and published in 4719 AR, and was cited by Acadamae Headmaster Toff Ornelos in his seventh edition of The Principals of Elementary Thaumaturgy.

History

A Love That Loss Can Bear is a legendary work combining Chelish opera and Kortosi dance that was created in 3225 AR by a group of students known as The Six. Some critics consider it to be an unparalleled work of art.

Grand Prince Daronlyr XII is well-known throughout his rule for founding numerous arcane organisations throughout Taldor. In 3578 AR, the Kitharodian Academy was established on his order.

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.