The Jedi Praxeum, informally known as Jedi Academy or just Praxeum, is a school built for the education and training of Jedi. Located on the isolated planet of Kiast, it is Odan-Urr’s main training facility for Force users and it is deemed the safest place for Jedi within the Dark Jedi Brotherhood.
History
Location
The Jedi Praxeum (click on the picture to see the full size)Kiast System, Kiast
Summit of the Or’ena Mountains
Smaller mountain peaks surround it and in the distance nearby on another summit of the mountain you can see the 'Velastari Temple' — Jedi temple long forgotten — which is a source of inspiration for the Jedi Praxeum’s students and serves as a reminder of the Jedi long gone.
The mountain range emerges to a height of almost a thousand meters out of the seething fumes of Kiast’s toxic lower atmosphere. The sulfuric gases, searing temperatures and crushing pressure of the planet surface make the range seem like an isolated island, but fortunately occasional shuttle flights connect it to civilization. These shuttles exchange supplies and personnel with the Essadan skyhooks and the Odan-Urr United Space Command in orbit, and the Academy also makes a landing platform available for the personal starships of guests and visitors.
Design of School
The theme of this school is “one with nature, one with the Force”. As such, the school creators created a place that did as little damage as possible to the already existing ecosystem. In addition, any fresh construction was created to blend in with the surrounding environment rather than stick out. It has two key architecture influences: Tythonian and Sephi. New construction follows the former and uses a simple, modern construction.
Existing infrastructure is made out of Sephi construction. This old Sephi base serves as the infrastructure for much of the school and is built to flow with and around the contour of the mountain peak. As a result, the only pieces of the campus that stick out are the main buildings themselves, since they were created by the Sephi as an old military base. Regardless, the Sephi did try to hide their base by constructing it in unison with the mountain itself. As a result, it is clearly visible from some angles and hidden from others.
The Praxum is protected from attacks by a Nyalsan II Planetary Shield, guarding against both orbital bombardments and assaults from the local environment.
Layout of School
The school itself is actually a campus consisting of several types of buildings. There are the main educational spires, outdoor facilities, and support infrastructure. The main educational spires — one of the first things a visitor sees upon arrival — along with key outdoor facilities and some support buildings, are grouped closely together, while the rest of the school is spread out across the campus. As a result, the campus is rather large but most of it leaves the mountainous wilderness untouched, save for farms that dot the landscape.
As one approaches the school from either air or land, they will eventually see watchtower pods which are a holdover from the campus’s origins as an old Sephi base. Once used for war, they are now repurposed for weather observation, search and rescue, scientific instruments, and other needs as required. As you pass the watchtowers and enter the campus itself, farms dot the landscape, along with their various support infrastructure, which includes livestock barns. With the exception of the farms, there isn’t much to see in the outer portion of the campus besides the mountainous landscape itself. But if one were to look closely enough, one might see man-made landmarks of significance and odd structures every now and then, doing their best to blend in with the surrounding environment. These are used for a variety of purposes, whether they be for ceremonies, trials, creative ways to meditate, or something else the campus’s inhabitants have created.
The heart of the campus reveals itself as one travels inwards. It is a bustle of activity, housing the key services that most students would use every day. First, visitors see the various support infrastructure that predominantly resides at the lower levels of the mountain, formerly parts of the lower levels of the Sephi base. These have been restored since and are used to support the heart of the school with a landing pad, hangars, mechanical and power infrastructure, and storage. Some supporting infrastructure, mostly storage, exists outside the main complex, but none of the core essentials are located there. Food and produce, which included anything imported by merchants, is held inside the main complex itself. In addition, there are a few stand-alone structures in the outer circle, scattered around the main educational spires. These serve key functions but aren’t absolutely required for the day to day education of students. Examples include the Ashla zen garden, workshop, outdoor sparring and training areas, outdoor meditation zones, and special landmarks inlaid with key Jedi principles and history.
As visitors move into the inner ring of the heart of the campus, they find the educational spires themselves as well as the auditorium and gym. These spires of various heights jut out from the school’s base and form the very foundation of the school and include its most important facilities. There are four spires: North, South, East, and West. Each spire has specific purposes, but overall they train and educate future Jedi in a curriculum that ensures they are ready for the galaxy at large.
North Spire
This spire serves to educate students in the art of the lightsaber. As the most iconic art form Jedi will ever learn, great care has been taken in the spire’s design. The first floor is comprised of a small handful of large classrooms made to allow everyone the space they need to swing a saber and not stab someone by accident. The second floor has the all important lunch room as well as several exercise rooms with training droids that come with multiple difficulty settings to fit any challenge. The third floor holds a study hall and a few meditation rooms. The fourth floor is mostly frequented by older students or those undergoing a trial. It includes several teachers’ offices open to any instructor, staff rooms, an advanced exercise room that requires teacher supervision, and lastly a workbench for lightsaber repair and maintenance along with any needed supplies.
South Spire
This spire serves to educate students with the knowledge they need to function in the galaxy at large successfully, which is especially important for younger students who may not have had any formal education yet. The first floor consists of smaller classrooms made to focus on smaller groups of students. The second floor includes several labs as well as the lunch room for students to use at their leisure. Cooks prepare regular meals every day. The third floor holds a study hall and several meditation rooms. The fourth floor houses the general library, which covers Clan lore and a wide variety of non-Force topics key to understanding and operating within the galaxy. The fifth floor includes several teachers’ offices, mostly held by tenured teachers or guest lecturers. The fifth floor also houses the small library of books and holocrons that was saved off of New Tython. It is open and accessible to anyone permitted on the campus.
East Spire
This spire serves to provide a means for students — mostly younger ones — to exercise and train their bodies. While this spire is structurally sound, its proximity to the nearby forest has resulted in nature reclaiming the interior of the spire itself. Rather than knock it down or renovate it, the interior has been re-purposed to serve as a jungle gym like obstacle course in which students can play a variety of games. The natural intrusions into the spire break up any linear movement and force students to use the Force to reach the top, which requires properly maneuvering the winding twists and turns that stand in one’s way. In addition to platforms and creative uses of walls (among many other things), there are several ropes one can use to get around. This jungle gym can be used for trials for younger students, competitive games, and whatever else students can think up.
West Spire
This spire serves to house students and teachers. The first floor serves as a large common room. As such, the Headmaster’s office is situated on this floor, as well as any administrative functions. This floor is carefully decorated to show the best the Jedi have to offer. The second through fourth floors serve as the ‘Spire Housing’ for students. Any additional floors above that serve as ‘Spire Housing’ for fully-grown students and teachers. For more specifics see the below.
Spire Housing
Everyone lives in the main spire but there are some differences in housing accommodations as one reaches adulthood.
For younger students: This is a dormitory style arrangement but made to work in a generally circular architecture. All the rooms/facilities are on the outer portion of the floor with a large circular common area in the middle. One often finds a small collection of plants and meditation aids. Additionally, each floor has its own basic amenities. These floors have at least one adult or older Padawan on rotation.
For fully-grown students and teachers: This is a pod-based arrangement — where pods are self-contained, larger rooms with independent amenities — that is made to work in a generally circular architecture. All the rooms are on the outer portion of the floor with a small circular common area in the middle. One often finds a small collection of plants and meditation aids.
In addition to the spires, there are several landmarks of note. The West Spire connects to an unblemished mountain plateau, which is a great place to meditate and look across the mountain range to the old Jedi Temple — known as the ‘Velastari temple’. If a student were to look up towards the mountain peak they are standing on, they would see an outdoor, mostly-natural set of obstacles leading up to the mountain peak itself. Students have to overcome this challenge in their attempts to reach the vaunted peak. Once reached, they will find a small flat plateau with a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountainside, allowing a clarity of mind seldom found in the busy center of campus below. This ceremonial, outdoor level is a place for crowds to gather — most often for Knighting ceremonies — and contains a ceremonial walkway as well as a small raised rock dais. Lastly, a key landmark is the Grand memorial to New Tython that resides in the center of the campus surrounded by the spires, where any student can easily view and reflect on its story.
School Curriculum
Jedi Code
The Jedi Code is at the heart of everything the school teaches. As such, it follows the Praxeum’s students no matter where they go, always ready to lend a helping hand.
- "Emotion, yet peace.
Ignorance, yet knowledge.
Passion, yet serenity.
Chaos, yet harmony.
Death, yet the Force."
- ―Odan-Urr's Jedi Code
Odan-Urr’s interpretation of the Jedi Code: Jedi of old followed the well-known version of the code that prohibited Emotion, Ignorance, Passion, Chaos, and even denied Death. Odan-Urr has chosen to follow an alternate version as set forth by Depa Billaba. We do not deny any of these potentially dangerous facts of life but rather address them by exercising self-control over our own actions. These potential faults are acknowledged for what they are and our Jedi learn to deal with each of them so that they will not control their destiny.
Training Exercises
The Jedi Praxeum supports a variety of exercises meant to assist students in furthering their Jedi education by providing feedback on a student’s abilities to both student and teacher/master. Some of these are rank specific, but many are applicable to all students in some way or form. The difficulty of these general exercises varies based on several factors, some of which include intensity (speed, the number of enemies, etc.) and scale (height, weight, increased duration, etc.). Once a student has demonstrated proficiency in an exercise, they move onto others. A few special examples can be found below, but this is by no means an exhaustive list and common exercises (lightsaber Form practice, Force powers practice, meditation, survival skills, etc.) are not specifically called out as they can be applied to all students and occur almost anywhere.
Youngling training
The Younglings of the Jedi Praxeum vary in species, age, maturity, and many other traits. They begin their initial training by being separated in rough groups determined by these factors. Adults are usually grouped with adults, adolescents with adolescents, and children with children. These are not, however, strict rules and sometimes the groups can be mixed.
The basic curriculum for Younglings consists of theoretical studies of the nature of the Force, the ideals of the Jedi Order, and lightsaber Form Zero. They are taught the Jedi Code, its interpretation, and the way Jedi live off of it. They are taught that selflessness and service to others is the Jedi way of life and that fighting for others is the greater ideal. They are taught the underlying principles of lightsaber combat. In addition, the curriculum for younger students includes general studies, such as writing, math, science, and history. These courses are also offered to older students who would like to participate in these studies. While younger students tend to absorb the information but have a hard time processing it, older students understand it but tend to be abrasive if these ideals clash with their own world view. Thus the intention is to ease Younglings into the Jedi path.
Youngling training prepares you to pass the Initiate trials which require the following:
- Understand the most basic tenets of the Jedi Order
- Demonstrate basic knowledge of lightsaber Form Zero
- Show basic understanding of the Force
Younglings Training Exercise:
- I, Jedi: Younglings embark on a unique journey around the campus itself. Accompanied by their teachers, students explore the main campus and any important landmarks — such as the Grand memorial to New Tython — learning about the history of the Jedi, their old teachings and how they have improved and learned from past mistakes, as well as the key principles of the Order. Various physical and mental exercises are mixed throughout the event. At the end of this exercise, Younglings will have followed the journey of long-gone Jedi but hopefully begin to understand that an even greater journey is yet to come.
Initiate training
The Initiates of the Jedi Praxeum are those Younglings, generally between the age range of 10 to 14, who have proven their basic grasp of the theoretical application and ideology of the Force. They have also demonstrated their grasp of the basic form of lightsaber fighting and how the Jedi Order implements it in their missions and everyday lives. Lastly and most importantly, they have shown an understanding of the Jedi Order’s most basic tenets.
At this point in their training, Initiates are taught more in depth control over the Force and are taught all the basic Forms of lightsaber combat. They are also taught more detailed versions of the history and theology of the Force. In addition to being offered core general studies, students may choose to take elective courses per their interests. Older students may opt-in for these classes as well. This is also where the Initiates are tasked with obtaining an Armory lightsaber. These lightsabers come from various sources. These are often mass produced versions that allow the Initiate to experiment with different builds of lightsabers with varying grips and lengths as well as weights.
In order to acquire an Armory Saber, each Initiate is sufficiently challenged in a way that requires the student to face themselves. In the process they learn more about themselves, often a specific lesson in things like courage, hope, patience, trust, confidence, and selflessness. The intention of this is to address a character flaw as well as expand on their training and knowledge they received as a Youngling. This portion of the training also allows the Initiate to answer any lingering theological or practical questions about the Force before being assigned to a Jedi master.
Initiate training prepares you to pass the Padawan trials which require the following:
- A test of the wholeness of body and mind
- Demonstrate basic knowledge of saber combat in their preferred Form
- Show advanced understanding of the Force
- Demonstrate a degree of self-control fitting a Padawan
Initiate Training Exercise:
- Watchtower Expedition: Initiates get the honor to take several trips out to the watchtowers — which are a holdover from the old Sephi bases — and often conduct a number of experiments and exercises. These can include but are not limited to search and rescue, scientific studies, meditation, or simple guard duty.
Padawan training
The Padawan of the Jedi Praxeum are Initiates who have successfully completed and shown competency in the fundamental training offered to them while they were Initiates. They are generally between the ages of 14 and 18. Ages vary depending on the student.
This is where they are taken as apprentices or Padawan learners under a mentor. The goal is to give them real life applications and instruction on how to adapt their studies as an Initiate to the hands-on work of a Jedi Knight. This is also where their mentor begins teaching them the necessary skills to pass their trials by teaching them more in depth, as well as the theological significance of each trial. The intention of this is to prepare a Padawan to move on to Knighthood utilizing real world application of the Jedi Code and the education the Padawan has received up to this point.
Padawan training prepares you to pass the trials of Knighthood which require the following:
- A rigorous test of the wholeness of body and mind
- A completion of the Trials of Knighthood
- Demonstrate advanced knowledge of saber combat in their preferred Form
- Show advanced understanding of the Force and its application
- Build their first lightsaber
Padawan Training Exercise:
- Reach the Summit: Eventually each Padawan undertakes the ascension of the summit attached to the West Spire. While younger students are safely transported to the mountain plateau, Padawans train to overcome the mountain itself. An outdoor, natural set of obstacles augmented with some man-made additions — including hand holds, man-made overhangs, and ropes to name a few — give students an opportunity to test their mental fortitude and physical prowess. This exercise lasts as long as a Padawan needs and it prepares them for their final climb when they must ascend the summit to attend their Knighting ceremony. Those Padawans able to reach the summit are then encouraged to meditate in the serenity of the mountain plateau. Many students often celebrate the feat by marking their name in a datacron purposefully left behind by instructors who have also made the climb.
Knight training
The Knights training that is offered post-Knighthood and Knight trials is to expand on the Jedi’s abilities in both the Force and in leadership roles. The leadership syllabus includes courses that teach a Jedi Knight how to lead military units into combat, how to teach Padawan learners down the line, and how to participate in politics in a neutral fashion in a more detailed way than they learned as Padawans. The expanded courses in the Force are to teach Knights finer use of their abilities and to offer additional one on one time to hone their abilities.
General Exercises
- Visit Velastari temple: Students of all levels visit the “Velastari temple”, an old Sephi Jedi Temple that Odanites cherish as a link to their Jedi heritage. Students can see it off in the distance, north of the Jedi Praxeum grounds. Usually, Masters take students on excursions to the temple, but as they advance more and more, students themselves must undertake the journey alone. This exercise is important because all students must learn to live off the land and find their own inner strength. The “simple way of life” teaches them humility and helps them understand what it is to survive on your own labor, a trait some students lack. This exercise tests a variety of physical skills in order to safely cross from one summit of the mountain to the next. In addition, they also test the student’s ability to execute crucial skills in self-sufficiency and survival. Once they have reached the old Jedi Temple, the next challenge is from within and is unique to each and every student. The temple is explored under the supervision of a teacher or master.
- The Obstacle Course: Students of all ages, though usually younger, attempt to conquer the Obstacle Course — which many consider an easier version of Reach the Summit — held in the East Spire. This requires the student to apply what they have learned to demonstrate control over their bodies in an environment that requires ingenuity. One can conquer the Obstacle Course in many ways. Some examples include simply reaching the top or competing with another in a contest of agility, but the uses of this Obstacle Course are limitless.
The way of nature
The Jedi Praxeum thrives both on inbound supplies from the Odan-Urr Fleet and local merchants, but also, very intentionally, on the locally grown and reared flora and fauna. All students, regardless of rank or stature, including the Masters, have a mandatory training regimen that includes seeding crops, harvesting, domesticating and rearing livestock all for the purpose of preparing their daily meal. Droids are used for most of the labor, though Jedi Younglings and Initiates are given specific tasks to assist in daily chores as their teachers dictate.
Survival training is also part of the standard curriculum and is conducted in many different areas of the planet, and even on Kaerls later on during the students’ Padawan training. The students are shown the most common ways to orient themselves, the food they can eat, the water they can drink, and other useful survival tools they can use in everyday life, or on a mission.
The Jedi Trials
Trial of the Youngling
Usually performed by a prominent Jedi Council member, this test consists of simple pantomime or a guessing game where the student is asked puzzling questions they would be pressed to find an answer to without the aid of the Force. It is used to test Force sensitivity and gauge a student's potential before introducing them to further study. If passed, the student is accepted into the Jedi Praxeum as a Youngling.
Trials of the Initiate
Initiate trials consist of testing the Youngling's knowledge of the most basic tenets of the Jedi Order, their basic knowledge of lightsaber Form Zero, and their basic understanding of the Force. Many students fail these trials because they can be demanding on younger minds. Teenagers and adults generally find them difficult in other ways, as they must adjust their world view and adapt to new discoveries. A student needs to be mentally and physically prepared to face the challenges of a Jedi’s life as these challenges only increase with time. While still conducted within the safety of the Praxeum, these trials have known to lead students and teachers into the wilderness for more advanced tests.
Trials of the Padawan
The Padawan trials are the second-to-last step to becoming a Jedi Knight. As such they are conceived as a test of the wholeness of body and mind that will prepare the Initiates for a very cruel and unforgiving galaxy. They include saber combat in their preferred Form, advanced knowledge of the Force, and a degree of self-control fitting a Padawan. Upon finishing these trials, the newly-minted Padawans are usually approached by Masters who train them further in the Jedi arts, usually outside of the Praxeum and in the practicality of the real world.
Trials of Knighthood
The Knighthood trials are the most pivotal tests for a Jedi. They are often deemed dangerous and deadly, and many students die without accomplishing them fully. They consist of several trials: skill, courage, spirit, flesh, and insight. Each of these trials tests the Padawan's mind and body to their limit, often even taking pieces of them permanently. The Knighthood trials are conducted under supervision from a Master and may last anywhere from several months to several decades, depending on the Padawan in question. Upon completing what the Master deems the final trial, the Padawan is taken to the Kyber cave on Kiast’s ice moon, Kaerls, where they are united with their kyber crystal, and where they painstakingly build their first true lightsaber. Upon completion, the Padawan is presented to the Council where the eldest Jedi member grants them the title of Knight. Family is allowed to attend.
Kyber cave
The Kyber cave is a natural formation of kyber crystals located deep underneath the western foot of the Godaark mountain range on Kiast's ice moon, Kaerls. The cave itself is hollowed out from a natural volcanic lava tube from a dormant volcano forming one of the peaks in the Godaark range.
Its entrance is two hundred feet wide and tall, eroded from centuries of glacial activity and snowmelt from the mountains, making it an imposing sight on the mountainside. The massive entrance is home to Stroilk packs during the summer mating season, where the predatory canines find a safe haven for their pups.
The interior of the cave is much narrower and forms a solid, fifty-foot wide lava tube fairly quickly within, moving in several directions and branching into the mountain’s depths. The crystal cave itself is actually a massive geode, opened some time within the last millennium by tectonic activity, filled with colonies of kyber crystals. Crystals of diminutive and colossal size share the same space within, forming a breathtaking visual for any visitors.
While its beauty is enchanting, the geode and the interior of the cave holds dangers in the form of tectonic collapses that block off or create new passages, and multi-legged beasts called Qrelt that burrow completely new, smaller tunnels through the mountain, destabilizing the caverns even more.
School Operations and Management
Basic Tenets of Jedi Praxeum Beliefs
- Do not deny your emotions, rather exercise self-control over them.
- Discipline is taught not beaten into people.
- Follow Ashla, beware Bogan.
School Organization & Ranks
There are no formal social ranks beside teacher and student, but skill ranks are assigned to track a student’s progress. These ranks define the student’s position in the Praxeum’s training program and they mostly run independently of the Clan’s rank structure. The skill ranks comprise of Youngling, Initiate, Padawan, and Knight. A rough equivalent to the Clan’s rank structure is the following:
All students are treated equally no matter how far they have progressed in the Jedi teachings. All teachers are treated equally with the exception of the Headmaster/Headmistress, who is responsible for the running of the school and thus has some additional powers to ensure its safety and smooth running. Sometimes, the school hosts visiting Jedi, who are treated like teachers and are expected to follow all school rules.
General School Rules
- Respect and show compassion to students, masters and teachers alike
- Community is important - help others and you help yourself
- Follow the Odan-Urr Jedi Code
Not everyone is cut out to be a Jedi. If a student finds it impossible to adhere to the above or they wish to take the path of Bogan in any form, they will be dismissed. If the school has any trusted contacts that could help such students, attempts are made to connect them together.
Assigning of Masters & the Master-Student Program
(Disclaimer: This is NOT the out of character Master/Student program, but rather an in character one. Your in character master may differ from your out of character Master.)
Newly-minted Padawans are available to be paired with a Master — who are at least a Jedi Knight — but this is done at the Master’s discretion. There are no prescribed pairings. Each Master picks their own Student(s), who will be guided to becoming a full Jedi Knight. This choice is often made on commonalities, traits, or anything else they find intriguing. In addition, a big factor in this decision is the performance of the Student during their Padawan Trials. Lastly, let us not forget the Force, which has its own ways of connecting Masters and Students together.
“Day in the Life” of a student
The students of the school are kept busy with their classes and training exercises to prepare for their next trial, but there are a few key things to note. First, all students are accompanied by their instructors or masters. This is particularly true once a student obtains the rank of Padawan and acquires a master. Second, parental visits and digital communications are allowed between students and their loved ones. Third, students and teachers live on the same campus in close proximity.
Dress Code
The Jedi of the Odan-Urr Praxeum dress in simple, light, and breathable clothing. While there is no established uniform or even a required dress code, the clothes that are made by and for the members of the Praxeum are usually made from what is available in nature around the school itself. Droids are often employed to try, temper, and weave the strands that comprise common Jedi clothing, though some of the needlework is done by the Younglings and Initiates to teach them sewing, train their patience and provide them with survival skills.
The dress robes vary from traditional Jedi clothing in that they eschew the traditional long, wide, deep robe that is commonly associated with Jedi. This is deliberate for two reasons: anonymity and practicality. The Jedi of Odan-Urr have found that head coverings and backpacks for carrying provisions and gear often yield better results in training but also in provisioning rations and food in general. Unlike the old Order, the Jedi Praxeum is supplied rarely and often relies on self-sustained food supplies in the form of livestock or grain fields.
Most Jedi wear comfortable linen or cotton pants, stuffed into worn synth or bantha leather boots. Their torsos are usually covered in light shirts with several layers overlapping for added protection against the wind. A utility belt is standard practice and a good thing to have at all times, while their throat and head are very often covered with a simple cloth headdress that can be wrapped around the head to protect from, often violent, wind storms high in the Or’ena mountains. Other gear and gadgets are personal preference, though some carry goggles for eye protection. Many Jedi personalize their clothing further with cloaks, leather accessories, and armor.