The Kudahay Academy
The territory is considered as absolutely neutral and untouchable. The small country, Kudahay, called an 'autonomy' by Halrua and an independent country or enclave by the rest of the world, has been considered an important point for all of the continent. It's autonomy has been established after a whole series of bloody wars, led by many rulers who wished to have the Academy in their own territory and own all the pieces of art for themselves.
The Kudahay Arts Academy takes up the whole area of the An'ventea mountain (from the halruan 'invenio ventum' – 'to achieve revelation/ obtain / discover'; the people who know the position of Halrua on the Academy call the mountain nastily 'Invisum' – from the idiom 'to cast an evil glare'). The mountain, it's slopes and the surrounding uplands IS the country and all of the Academys territory. The An'ventea mountain is considered to be the worlds largest sculpture. To explain what was done with it, we will need to go back in time to the legendary founder of the Academy, the famous sculptor, Fergvany.
Who was this creature really is not known, as it is said that he decided to relinquish his race and serve art and only art. In a tribute to his decision, chroniclers respected his will and his race was not noted. That is also why now there are no racial boundaries as to who can study at the Academy, according to the motto : 'We are all equal in the face of art'
Fergvany lived in the Second Era and with his talent, created true miracles. While sculpting, he talked to rocks and they eagerly submitted to his will. He could uplift mountains and islands by summoning rocks and with every next piece of art, the rocks would listen to him with even more avidity. Many rulers of that time would ask Fergvany for castles, cities, strongholds, monuments, islands. There is a remain of the city Enyelf in the lilt by the poet Rhydd y Glan (and a painting of it's downfall in the 'Memoirs of the Dead' by Taigarkhan Herventrimnagnoth, in short called Taig) and also many legends I.e. The Chamber of the Blind and The Bridge into Infinity. Many ancient cities on the continent are built on the foundations of cities by Fergvany. Also many islands were uplifted and shaped by him.
The evil that had occurred later was fuelled with one feeling – envy. Every next piece by Fergvany was more beautiful and every ruler received a creation a fraction better than the previous one. The pride of the monarchs was also irritated by Fergvany not differentiating between the rich and the poor. He often sculpted for the poor, especially that he took no gratification for his creations (only when he was not happy with what he made, he would take payment for not destroying the sculpture. He sometimes agreed to that, but he did not allow it to be signed with his name).
Fergvany was not able to satisfy all the demands of the kings, especially that often they wanted him to sabotage the sculptures for other rulers. It ended up in a terrible conflict. It was not an open war – the kings purpose was only the destruction of the beautiful cities and sculptures belonging to others. Who struck first, remains a mystery, but from that moment it went very fast. A big part of the masterpieces were ruined. Others which survived were annihilated by peace treaties, to remove the source of the conflicts.
Few remained from the rout: Eklesia on Albion, Az-Treitabad in Old Halad, supposedly the Chamber of the Blind. Many tried to save the sculptures but all the legendary masterpieces have been lost in the First Era, they are now only known from copies. Fergvany was banished from the countries in which, not so long ago, he was worshipped like a god. It is said that he promised then, that before he dies he will create one more sculpture, only one, and it will make the kings bow before art and regret their mistake. The sculptor wandered off to Halrua, which was the only country not to make use of his talent, and asked for land, on which he could settle. The Arkanon faced a difficult decision: up till then, pride did not let him use the service of the sculptor, but here he was, offering his service. On the other hand, open support, especially in the face of Fergvanys promise, might have terrible consequences to Halrua on the international scene. He chose trickery. He showed the sculptor the Inventum mountain and said: 'This will be your land for a year and one day. I forbid you to settle on the slope for longer, as it is the land of Halrua, which cannot give you asylum. For the year, do with it whatever you wish.' Fergvany agreed and started work. How big was the astonishment of the Arkanon when he sent for the sculptor after a year. It turned out that Fergvany dug into the inside of the mountain, covered the slopes with an openwork of pillars and windows. The whole top of Inventum became one great building, created by the artist. When Fergvany finished the piece, he summoned his friends to him. The dwarf Twegg (sculpture), the tanelfenne Eilena, called the Ruler of Sound (music), the sea elf Rhydd y Glan (poetry) and the human Ohtan (painting). He established the Academy of Art and asked them to continue his work. He then got to the top of his sculpture and turned to the countries which destroyed his art and laughed, for the first time since the wars. Then he died.
Fergvanys friends completed his wish. They gathered students and began building, enhancing, beautifying the Academy. Four different Cathedrals have been established in it, according to the four types of art: The Cathedral of Rock/Stone (architecture, sculpture), The Cathedral of Music (dance, instruments, singing), The Cathedral of Word (poetry, literature) and the Cathedral of Colour (painting). Not long had passed until Halrua found out that just next to it, there is a whole new little autonomy growing in power. It tried to subordinate Kudahay to itself, but that crashed with the dealings of other countries. It seemed as if the War of Art taught the rulers nothing and once again they will try to fight for the control over the great sculptors heritage. Apart from that, the question of the Academy was a great opportunity of countries looking for an excuse to have a conflict with others, especially Halrua, which was the most engaged one from the beginning. After a series of conflicts, annexations, occupations, spanned throughout hundreds of years (Halrua tried to scoop Kudahay for itself, using force, many times) at the Congress in Gerfeer in Aldor, Kudahay was established to be an absolutely independent, separate country, with which no one has right to interfere, control, set customs at borders, nor push its authority to anything. Lack of respect for the neutrality of the Academy will draw forth an immediate reaction of the other countries. At this moment, the only race not respecting this agreement are the Sharans (from the haladian word for locust - sharanch). Because Kudahay belongs to everyone, the denizen of each country has the same right be there. The Iron Safe Conduct has been established, otherwise known as the Kudahay Safe Conduct, authorised by rulers. One owning it, could safely travel to the Academy to study there, even if the surrounding countries were in a state of war. The Rector of the Academy set only one condition: the members of the Congress in Gerfeer were to come to the Academy and sign the agreement there. The prominent of the world came to meet in Kudahay and they were to find a surprise – they had to walk on foot all the way uphill to the top of the Academy and during the journey, underneath their feet they saw the history of Fergvany, the wars of Art and the establishing of the Academy, painted by the students. Slouching, watching the pieces of art, they did not even notice how they walked through the last gate, an arch so low, that it demanded bowing the head. In this way, Fergvanys promise fulfilled.
Nowadays almost all of the races of Turblanda learn and teach at the Academy. Dwarfs, petch, tanelves, elves (even drow), dryads and sylphides, the races of the sea, humans, demons, angels and many minor races. If there is a bigger chance of meeting a Borderline Being, it is in Kudahay. The present shape of the Academy is an effect of the work of thousands of pupils. The petch uplifted rock on the slope, creating amazing shapes, which under the chisels of students became pieces of art. The whole hill-side is covered in sculpture and relief. The Path of the Kings – the entrance to the Academy – is the place of work of the Kudahay painters. The flooring and the walls are on big painting. The openwork of the hollowed slopes is covered in hundreds of fabulous stained glass. Throughout the centuries new storeys have been added, new windows built, new podiums created. Only one thing remained unchanged – the spire at the top of An’ventea, where the founder of the school died.
Other bigger sculptures worth mentioning would be the two gates: of the Sun and the Moon. They are the effect of a rivalry in which, a long time ago, two students of the Academy got involved. They had a similar talent, but different views on the role of art. One of them sculpted the Sun Gate on the east slope of An’ventea. The rest of the students, who also eagerly took part in the rivalry, decorated the lower parts of the hillside according to the view that art should show things for what they are, like the sun, which always shows the truthful image. The help in making an image are artistic techniques and rules, made by past masters. Out of golden amethyst they constructed beams from the Sun Gate. The other student replied with the creation of the silver Moon Gate. His followers made the stair-heads of the Path of the Kings into sea waves out of blue crystal in which they enclosed actual water. They claimed that art can show the world in different ways, changing it, constantly transforming, that it cannot be closed in rules, laws and bans. The long ongoing conflict, embellished with the artistic polemics of poets from both sides, was ended by the rector, pointing out that to get to Fergvanys spire at the top, you need to pass through both gates. On the stairs of Sun there are presently fantastic gardens, where painters and poets gather inspiration and the rector of the Music Cathedral, sylphide Frizea teaches dance.
It is said that the present rector of the Academy is a Borderline Being of Word.
