Vanaheim Academy - UPDATES and NEW COURSES

Vanaheim Academy was founded in 1730 as an Elite Drakehest school of riding. Its main purpose, to teach the equestrian  disciplines that  Drakehests are bred for, particularly dragon fighting, while also educating those born with the gift of sorcery about Seidr, and its history with the Drakehest breed.  

Currently, Vanaheim Academy offers a wide range of courses with internationally accepted degrees  to those who wish to shape their occupation towards the Drakehest culture, whether it be working with Dragons, becoming a commercial stable, or to become a Volur. By enrolling in the Academy, the students, or “cadets,” reside on campus in the Academy dorms, located in the wondrous city of Vanaheim by the shore of Lysefjord, Norway.
Each cadet may bring with them one of their own Drakehest with which they will train with. The staff/professors, or “Guild Members” will pass down their knowledge as it has been since the Drakehest breed achieved it's infamous reputation of dragon fighting horse. The Guild values the bond between horse and rider above else, so one should choose wisely when deciding his mount.

The Guild members themselves have very special mounts themselves, owned by the Council, these horses are representations of the successful line of mutations coursing through the bloodlines of Drakehest. Also known as Group horses, horses assigned to Guild members are completely in the care of said member. Any art drawn of a 'bonded' group horse must be with its corresponding rider if pictured. Horses without Guild members assigned to them will be for public lease during events and competitions.

[[ OOC: Group horses are "owned" by Guild members, but breedings are up for the group to determine, and only to be rewarded during events, competitions, or times of great merit. If you would like to draw a specific group horse, it may have its own name, personality, and rider. Horses without riders will be available to "lease" during events and competitions to enter with your rider but any outside storylines that the horse does not belong to Vanaheim is not approved. Drawing a guild member and their horse for a prompt or course assignment will always earn you extra points ]]

Even though the roots of Vanaheim center around dragon fighting, its mission has developed through the years into dragon conservation. With its partnership with the Reserve, cadets may learn behavior and biology from the rescued dragons there from the Academy’s specific training program.  While dragon “fighting” is only used ceremoniously or in bloodless competition, the waitlist for VA is still a long one due to the huge cultural factor and many local as well as international occupations that require such a degree from this specific school.  

Vanaheim Academy is a university-level school, as most to all classes will be building on knowledge of already possessed skills or education. The applicant demographic would be graduate students, with the youngest applicable age being 18, but the average applicant is 25. It would be the equivalent of earning a Masters Degree in your field of choice. Cadets are expected to graduate in 5 years, but many may take additional courses to extend their period up to 7 years.
6 months real time will equal 1 year of game time.

(ex. :
Riding experience TO take part in the mounted combat courses
Graduation at the police academy TO become a police officer in the dragon welfare department
Degree in natural science TO become a dragon scientist )

The only exceptions are Volur, who may apply as cadet also without attending formerly a school for witchcraft or wizardry but it is recommended.

How to Submit the Entries for the Courses:

After completing the Image, Submit your deviation into >this folder<,
The Academy Admins will check the Entry for submission and will add it to the cadet's log.

Submission for Task Entries need to include these infos on top in the artist comment:

TITLE: VA | Class Name

SEMESTER Nr. 
Class Name
Featuring: -own cadet ref link- | -assigned horse ref link- | -featured cadet ref link- 
Description: (include a text that describes what is happening in at least 3 sentences)

Rules and Judging of the Entries:

-No Comissioned Artwork for these tasks. Art has to be done by the cadet's owner.
Collabs are allowed if the description of the class says so
-Literature Entries minimum 1000 words for a task each and has to follow the same guidelines given per task
-Tasks need to be done in correct order
(it's up to you if you want to either finish one whole course before starting on the other,
or go through them all at once)
-Each task entry can be pictured in the current season or whatever fits the timeline of the creator
-before including anyone else's character in the task they need to be asked!
-If the cadet is drawn failing the task it counts as extra image but can not be handed in to PASS the task!
(cadet can be shown struggling during the task but then the description needs to state they tried hard to bend it right!)

EVERY APPROVED COURSE ART counts at +5XP to the assigned horse of the cadet!
-Any Vanaheim Academy related image of your cadet, gains XP for the assigned horse! (Only the assigned horse)
-drawing your cadet equals as if you drew your horse that is assigned to the cadet (fullbody 1 xp, half body 05 etc)
-drawing a teacher if the option is there for some tasks, gains you 2XP as if drawing a group horse

-The drawings need to show a fully colored Background + shading and have to match the provided references for the backgrounds when linked in the Class description
(That doesn't mean the place needs to look exactly the same, but when a stone circle is linked as reference and the image shows a riding hall, it will not count)
-No chibi art/ Sketches for these Submissions! Atmosphere and effort will grant you to pass the task, if the image is significantly rushed compared to your gallery it might only count as extra art/training but not to pass the task. 
- when your entry will get declined, you may add what is missing to get accepted (you don't have to re draw it)

-There are NO DEADLINES for these tasks! They are permanently there to finish in your own pace. 

The Teachers and their Courses:

Armed Combat & Dragon Tracking
(held by Bera Ingeborgdatter, Guild Elite)

(coming soon! )
Traditional & Ceremonial Dragonfight 
(held by Roar Løve, Guild Elite)


Dragon Behavior & Training 
(held by Maalik Sow, Guild Elite)


Mounted Combat & War games 
(held by Rebecca Manx, Guild Elite)


On-site medical training & Herbology
(held by -in progress-, Guild Elite)


Dragon Anatomy & Biology
(held by Gideon Rogers McBeth, Guild Member)



Applied Seiðr & Modern Pagan Traditions
(held by Simen Skyberg, Volur Master)


Drakehest Blessings
(held by Astrid Ravnfare, Volur)


Ecology and Traditional Totemism
(held by Volodmir Sabor, Guild Member)


Natural and Seiðr caused genetic mutations
(held by Dysmas Ari Zachos, Guild Member)


Seiðr Chemistry
(held by -, Guild Member)


Tack and armor crafting & Forging
(held by Brynjolfur Isleifson, Guild Member)


Service Experience & Practice as Dragon Police
(held by Department Chief Kádár András, Vanaheim Dragon Police)

Dragon Folklore and History
(-currently unavailable-)




The education the Vanaheim Academy offers is often also sought out by people who wish to bring Drakehest & Dragon culture to their own hometowns and to places where it is yet uncommon and wish to set a milestone. Here are a couple of Examples what you can become when graduating in in the courses:

-Military force specialized for Dragons
-Dragon Department of Police
-City Guard of Vanaheim and other places in the world that have Dragons nearby
-On-site Medic/Surgeon specialized for dragon-caused injuries
-Dragon specialized Vet, Trainer, Rescue, Researcher, Biologist, Breeder
-Drakehest specialized Equestrian, Trainer, Breeder
-Dragonfighter
-Volur
-Seiðr Shaman
-Herbologist for Rituals & Healing
-Alternative Healer
-Professional Drakehest Enchanter (applies custom Seiðr to Drakehest)
-Traditional Tack and Dragonfight Tack Designer and crafter
-Blacksmith/ Armorer
-Stuntman
-Teacher in either of the Courses to work as Consultant in other countries.

ONE-TIME-CHANCE to CHANGE Courses! As now additional courses can be chosen, or you reconsidered the courses your cadet chose at the moment, you can
NOTE the group with the title "VA Course Change"
And this content:
-Link to cadet's profile
-Which current course you wish to cancel
-Which new course you'd like to add

(this does not mean that in future you can not take the canceled course once the first 3 are completed! : D)