History of the Monk Academy Part II

The following is from, "A Modern History of the Academy," written by historian and Architecture Professor, Monk Aldori. It's prefix reads, "True history, history that is made separate from myth and legend, is based on evidence and multiple firsthand accounts. The following is true history."

It is important to understand, before we look at the Academy's history, that the Academy lies within the borders of Krainue, a mighty modern nation. When the Academy was founded by refugees, who may or may not have been called by the mythical Zogdreib, those who could not or would not enroll in the Academy spread out to found the nation of Krainue.

The history of the Academy is long and complicated, but the most important events center around the Two Wars, sometimes known collectively as the Di-War, because the second took place so soon after the first. The First War established the Academy as a major power within Krainue, and the Second War established the Academy as an independent nation within the borders of Krainue.



In the beginning, the leadership of Krainue were graduates of the Academy: enlightened and peaceful. With the intent of spreading their enlightenment to the other peoples of the world, the Krainue leadership opened communications with the nearby nation of Tortoisia, populated by the powerful Turtlemancers. However, Krainuean diplomacy, influenced by the Academy, is based on intricate acrobatics. The Turtlemancers, like their patron animals, are generally slow and incapable of answering these acrobatics.

The Krainuean leadership, mistakenly interpreting the sluggish responses of the Turtlemancers as insults, declared war on Tortoisia. Full accounts of this war can be found elsewhere, but for our purposes it will suffice to say that the combined power of the monks of the Academy and the Krainuean military was enough to overcome the Turtlemancers, banishing them from the surrounding land.

After the war, there was a three-year period of peace in Krainue. During that time, Monk Lia, Headmaster of the Academy at the time, spent many months meditating on the war. After her meditation, she declared that the war was unjust and against the teachings of Zogdreib. She declared that the Academy should never have to be involved in a war against its will from then on, to keep from repeating the past.

The other leadership of the Academy misinterpreted Lia's words as a call to secession, and they formally declared the Academy a sovereign nation. When Lia protested, she was locked away. This event still survives as one of the greatest shames in our history.

The Krainuean government refused to accept the Academy's independence, and a new war was sparked. The Second War raged between the monks and the Krainuean soldiers. This war was relatively quick, as the monks were far ahead of their time in both wisdom and strength. Before long, Krainue's military presence was greatly weakened and they submitted, accepting the Academy as a sovereign nation.

Now we stand, a powerful nation living in peace with Krainue and the surrounding world. We are once again a beacon of wisdom and enlightenment, though many of our people still hold a grudge towards Krainueans and a shamefully racist view of Turtlemancers.

In light of all we have been through, both good and bad, this historian is proud to be a monk and proud to serve our Academy.