The Imperial Academy is the most respected in the West, and for good reason. It produces more Imperial Battlemages than every other academy combined. In addition a host of warmasters, knights, assassins, healers and other military professions graduate alongside the more influential mages.
The academy takes cadets at the age of fourteen. Prior to this all applicants are expected to secure an education in history, mathematics, linguistics and basic combat tactics. They must be able to defend themselves in combat, ride horses, march for hours and dig ditches at the end of it.
Only the best hundred applicants are accepted to the academy each year. The rest are often enrolled as legionairres or placed in some other useful military function.
Those who are accepted are brought immediately to The Reactor to catalize. Roughly one in three die, while the survivors are divided into curriculums suited for their new catalization. Those clearly fit for combat are given to the Academy of War. Those who manifest magic are enrolled in the Academy of Sorcery. The rest are assigned to the agency that best suits them.
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The Academy of War
The Academy of War is designed to turn out high quality officers who can lead men into battle. Cadets are enrolled in military tactics, military history, oratory, and a stern regimen of exercise and combat training.
For the first six months they drill for 14 hours a day training. This is designed to weed out the weaker candidates, while identifying those with the potential for greatness. Those who survive this phase are groomed for higher level officer positions, while those who fail are typically given lower officer ranks.
At the end of this first term the cadets are brought to The Arm to catalize, where they are given their first taste of real combat against the hordes of demons found in the void. Some die, but most typically survive the encounters there.
Those that return are reassed based on the catalization they receive. Any who gain magic are moved to the Academy of Sorcery. The rest are taught to utilize their new abilities. They are then sent north to The Radiant, where they spend a full year studying to pass the tests administered by the Seraphim.
Those who pass the tests receive a third catalization and are again reassessed based on their new abilities. All survivors then graduate and begin their five year military term of service. They may the be sent anywhere the Imperator wishes.
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The Academy of Sorcery
The Academy of Sorcery is the most important school in the academy, and it’s instructors make no pretense regarding that fact. They make sure the cadets know that they are more important than those enrolled in the academy of war, and this bias often leads to new mages lording their status over others.
Most students have fire magic during the first term, though occasionally an earth, void or life mage might enroll. These mages are taught basic spell magic, how to wield a staff effectively and how to give orders on a battlefield. They are given a healthy regimen of arane lore and history, and most study history, geography and the nobility as well.
Those who show promise are brought to the Arm alongside the cadets from the Academy of War. A few inevitably gain void magic in addition to fire, and these few are elevated far beyond the rest of their peers. They are given special classes, a stipend, servants and lavish apartments.
All mages take the same courses, which focus on turning them into living weapons of war. They are taught to use destructive magics with devestating effectiveness, and the battlemages are of course the best at this. The others have their uses of course, but the further they progress in their courses the more they take a backseat to the vaunted battlemages.
After a term of learning their new void spells all mages are sent to The Radiant, where they study alongside their more martial brethren to pass the tests administered by the Seraphim. Those who pass are granted access, and those few who gain life magic gain great prestige among their peers.
Life magic is given almost as much respect as destruction, and life mages are given many of the same perks. Those battlemages who also gain life are invaluable to the Imperium, and are given lavish gifts to secure their loyalty.
After they receive their third catalization the mages begin their five year term of military service. Most have already been courted by one of the great houses, who arrange to have their new family members posted to the best assignments.
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Post Graduation
After graduation each battlemage becomes the core of a military unit. They are given their pick of warmasters, knights, dedicated and mages to supplement their retinue. This unit is deployed wherever the imperium needs utter destruction, though typically new graduates are sent to other catalysts to increase their strength and that of their group.
Each battlemage graduates with the rank of Legatus, which makes them the equal of the imperium’s generals. Most other mages are given the rank of Centurion. However, very few mages command troops. That is typically reserved from the graduates of the Academy of War, but the mages receive their rank to ensure they have equal or greater status.
