Heaven’s Glory School

Heaven’s Glory is a boarding school of the sacred arts, located on Mt Samara in Sacred Valley

Location

This school is located in Sacred Valley, a somewhat segregated area located at the westernmost boundary of the Blackflame Empire. Further west is Sky’s Edge mining community on the shores of the Western Sea. All of these territories are controlled ultimately by Akura Malice, who reigns overs the western half of Ashwind continent. (See also Ashwind Continent History)

Sacred Valley is bounded by four “holy peaks” and a school sits on each one. Heaven's Glory School is located on Mount Samara, the holy peak framing the eastern boundary of Sacred Valley. This towering mountain is crowned by a ring of white light named Samara's Ring. The ring appears at sundown and disappears at sunrise. It was built by an expert centuries in the past. It allows the Heaven's Glory school to collect light madra on even a moonless night.

The school is located near the Ancestor's Tomb, high on the peak, in which the Sage of the Endless Sword is entombed. This tomb is also an entrance into the Labyrinth.

Each of the four holy peaks is located at a pass through its particular mountain. Each pass is guarded by each school. In book 1, Lindon and Yerin escape from Sacred Valley via the pass behind the Ancestor’s Tomb and Heaven’s Glory School. They travel east, away from Sacred Valley, towards the Desolate Wilds in the Blackflame Empire.

Sacred Arts per School

Sacred Arts study and discipleship at the four mountain-top schools is granted to only the most gifted.

• Students at Heaven’s Glory School on Mount Samara study a Path that employs dream and light madra. Light madra is gathered from the ring atop the mountain. This is the Path of Heaven’s Glory.

• Members of Holy Wind School on The Greatfather peak follow a strange Path of wind, light, and dream techniques that create zones of unnatural weather. This school therefore offers shelter to anyone stranded by the sudden storms.

• Golden Sword disciples on Mount Venture study a Path of sword madra that uses Enforcer techniques on their weapon. The name of their Path comes from the goldsteel swords they use more than from their techniques.

• Attendees of Fallen Leaf School on Yoma Mountain to the north focus on using life madra to guide the growth of spirit-fruits and sacred herbs. They are especially proud of their harvest of treasure fruit from their orchards of purple orus tree. (also see Abidan Archive e174)

Infrastructure

The main entrance to the school is the Trial of Glorious Ascension. It is a large staircase covered in a cloud containing spirit-aspected and mind-aspected remnants. Ascending the staircase is the first trial for new disciples. Odds are given that 1 in 3 disciples fails to complete the ascension. Only 1 in 5 disciples completes the trial by sundown, allowing the disciple to choose a treasure from the Lesser Treasure Hall.

Buildings include initiate quarters, three treasures halls, an Outer Disciple Hall, and a Medicine Hall. A Hall of Healing is also mentioned and may be another name for the Medicine Hall. The least of the three treasure halls in named the Lesser Treasure Hall and is managed by Elder Rahm.

The buildings are sculpted from riverstone.

School Elders, etc.

The elder leaders of the Heaven's Glory School are all Jades.

• Whitehall (Elder, Path of Heaven’s Glory, old man in boy’s body, Jade Rank)
• Rahm (Elder, Path of Heaven’s Glory, Forger, Jade Rank). Treasure Room
• Anses (Elder, Path of Heaven’s Glory, Jade Rank)
• Harbek (Elder, Path of Heaven’s Glory, Jade Rank, killed by the Sword Sage before book 1)
• Nasiri (Elder, Path of Heaven’s Glory, Jade Rank, killed by the Sword Sage before book 1)
• Serenity (Elder, Path of Heaven’s Glory, Jade Rank, killed by the Sword Sage before book 1)
• Kazan Ma Deret (Disciple, Path of the Mountain’s Heart, Forger, Iron Rank, killed)

Colors & Path

One of the school's characteristic techniques is a striker technique of burning golden beams of light.

The school uniform is white and gold.

Plot Interaction

The school is responsible for the death of the Sage of the Endless Sword. It is reported by Yerin, the Sage's disciple, that the school poisoned and stabbed him. Although it seems incredible that a group of Jades was able to kill a Sage, Will promised that this apparent impossibility will be explained in the future. This promise is kept in the prologue of book 8, Wintersteel.

Rumours

In response to the question, "Who was the last person in sacred valley to reach gold before the events of the story?", Will answers:

"That's a great question, but unfortunately I can't answer it accurately without getting into why the people in Sacred Valley aren't Gold anymore, which is a spoiler. I will say that one of the founders of the Heaven's Glory School was a sacred beast who achieved Gold; a golden-scaled dragon that breathed light and heat. Legend says he's still sealed beneath Mount Samara, ready to defend the School in its hour of need."