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ExilliumTransparent This article is part of a series about Exillium

Main Article and Affiliated Places
ExilliumArch of DividingHealing TentBosk GorgeNeutral Territories

Exillium is a school for the "unworthy," as referred to by the Lost Cities' inhabitants. It's designed for banished Elvin children who have broken the laws of the Lost Cities.

Most attendees who grow up after their time in Exillium are either banished forever or allowed to get a job in the Lost Cities. The attendees are referred to as Waywards, instead of Foxfire's prodigies. Exillium attendees are laughed at by some of the more "stuffy" nobles.

Waywards[]

Waywards are the students at Exilium. At first, they were not allowed to announce their names or know the names of other Waywards. This changed when Sophie Foster told Councillor Oralie about Exillium's poor conditions.

Known Waywards[]

Attendees that are not Waywards[]

Curriculum[]

Exillium focuses on skills, such as holding their breath, night vision, regulating body temperature, suppressing hunger, levitation, blinking, and telekinesis and splotcher bursting.

Teaching Methods[]

The coaches are forced to use fear to keep the students in line. There are many students and only three coaches, so the coaches would be easily beaten if the students decided to rebel. The coaches use harsh methods of turning the Waywards against each other.

But after Sophie Elizabeth Foster came to Exillium, changes were made. The school eventually became a better place where students may practice their skills, such as breath control, hunger suppression, and body temperature regulation.

Locations[]

The location of Exillium changes every day. But it's always in the Neutral Territories. excluding the period when it was moved to the Lost Cities. This decision was made to help other elves to learn skills, and not just focus on talents.

Known Locations[]

- A cold, rocky clearing on the slope of a mountain, so wreathed in mist that the ground couldn't be seen. All around were slender, healthy trees untouched by the plague. This was the first place Sophie and her friends leaped to attend Exillium and were where they were divided into their Hemispheres.[1] They also practiced appetite suppression here.[2]

- The side of a sheer cliff that overlooked a withered, plague-infested forest called Bosk Gorge with twisted, cracked tree trunks and sagging branches. Mounds of fallen mold green and sallow yellow leaves blanketed the ground. Sophie, her friends, and the other Waywards worked on levitation here, and was also where Sophie and Fitz found an infected gnome that they later brought to the Lost Cities.[3]

- A large, sweltering desert with rolling, wind-rippled dunes of bleached white sand. No plant life thrived there, not even cacti. The Waywards worked on body temperature regulation in this desert while Sophie attended.[4]

- A dark, gaping cave in the side of a rocky mountain, where the Waywards were led deep into the mountain to practice night vision. The air was damp and black and blotted out any light.[5]

- A chilly, glassy lake at the base of a snow-capped mountain, where Sophie and everyone else practiced holding their breath. The Waywards were given wetsuits, goggles, and swim caps to wear for the task. Sophie inflicted positive emotions on Linh here to help calm her, and therefore gained Tam's trust. The twins and Sophie leaped to their home in Wildwood soon after. [6]

Crystal Beads[]

Knowing that the campus of Exillium moves around the Neutral Territories every night, the Waywards have to earn beads that lead to the next spot Exillium will move.

Groups[]

There are three instructors or coaches. They are in charge of three separate groups of Exillium: Coach Wilda (Red), Coach Bora (Blue), and Coach Rohana (Purple). Each color corresponds to a side of the brain (which side is dominant) or hemisphere. The Left is red, the right is blue, and a combined approach (known as Ambi) is purple. Left are more rational and come up with good solutions. Right are quick thinkers, but as a result, they are more reckless. Ambis are ambitious and may take longer but always get it done; they're also unpredictable.

Hemispheres[]

Ambi Hemisphere[]

Ambis are ambitious. They may take longer to find solutions but will always get it done. This hemisphere is a hybrid of the other two hemispheres.

Left Hemisphere[]

Lefts are rational and come up with good solutions.

Right Hemisphere[]

Rights favor creativity and spontaneity, often acting rashly to achieve their solutions.

Deciding of the Hemispheres[]

When arriving at Exilium, Waywards need to be sorted into a hemisphere. So at the Arch of Dividing, Waywards are hung with one foot dangling from the arch and have to make it to the bottom safely by choosing what/how to get out of the situation. Then the coaches looked at how Waywards got out of the trap and decided the Hemisphere. This was during Book 4: Neverseen and earlier.

But since Book 5: Lodestar instead of being dangled from the Arch of Dividing, students just have to fill out a packet to determine which hemisphere they go in, which is a very good change.

Uniform[]

The uniform includes a silver-studded black half mask, steel-toed boots, fitted black pants, a black long-sleeved shirt, and a grey vest with silver buckles and chains across the front. Under the collar of the vest is a hood that casts the wearer's face in shadow.

Soon after Sophie Foster came to Exillium, changes were made and masks weren't used anymore.

Ability Pins[]

They also wear pins that reflect the abilities of the elf.

  • Hydrokinetic: Swirling waves with drops of rain
  • Shade: Silver with a black hand reaching from the center
  • Telepath: Blue with a silhouette of a face and a lightning bolt zapping across the brain
  • Inflictor: Black with a silver hand radiating jagged silver lines
  • Polyglot: Purple background with pink lips and a white speech bubble
  • Teleporter: A starry sky background with a flying alicorn
  • Technopath: Dark green with a silver handprint covered in black lines like circuits and wires
  • Empath: Red with an open book and a silver heart painted across the pages
  • Flasher: Yellow with two hands holding the sun
  • Guster: Tree with wind-whipped branches
  • Vanisher: Cloudy sky and a figure that is black on one half and squiggly rainbow colors on the other
  • Charger: A person with an electric volt covering them.
  • Enhancer: Green Background with two people shaking hands.



Conditions, Scorn, and Neglect[]

Exillium is not well supplied by the Council. Minimal food is provided, and the mats and tents are worn out.

The Change for Good[]

However, Sophie tells Councillor Oralie about it, and she uses some of the money provided for the Councillors to fix the problems. This turns Exillium into a much better place. They gain more coaches, new tents and mats, and more food for lunch, and even breakfast. This results in the coaches being much nicer and encouraging the students to work in groups and be friends.

Known Experiences[]

Book 4: Neverseen[]

Sophie, Fitz, Dex, Biana, and Keefe told the Council that they want to go to Exillium as their punishment for breaking the law.

Book 5: Lodestar[]

In Lodestar, it became mandatory to attend Exillium. It was no longer a school for exiled children, but rather a day camp to hone skills and was located at Foxfire.

Tam's Experience[]

The worst thing about Exillium was that the rules were all designed to strip away our identities and leave everyone feeling powerless - and I get the Coaches were super outnumbered and trying to find a way to keep some kind of control. But it was brutal not being allowed to talk to anyone - or use our names.

The only "identifying" thing we were able to have was an ability badge pinned to our vests - and don't even get me started on the rest of the uniform. I mean, I'm a Shade. Black clothes are my life. But really, guys? Tall boots? A studded mask? It's like they were trying to make us look ridiculous.

They probably were...

The Coaches were also allowed to punish us however they wanted. And there was never enough food or medical supplies. Oh, and for added fun, we had to prove that we deserved to get one of the beads to find the campus every day. So we got to be miserable, and also got to be like, "Please let us come back tomorrow so we can be miserable again!"

Fun times.

But... all the skill practice has turned out to be pretty useful. Everyone definitely needs a lot more of that. And Foxfire can be kind of annoying, with everyone walking around like, "We're so special!" Plus, things really did get better at Exillium after Sophie got the Council to cough up some actual funding. Sometimes I think about transferring back.

It was cool seeing all the different Neutral Territories - and I'm pretty sure my dad's brain would implode if I went back.

But, I go where Linh goes.

-Tam

Linh's Experience[]

I'm not going to pretend that things weren't hard at Exillium - but I'm sure my brother already had plenty to say about all of that.

Plus... I'm actually not sure if I would've learned how to temper my hydrokinesis if I'd been at Foxfire. The Foxfire curriculum is centered on abilities, and that's the last thing I needed. Focusing on skills at Exillium trained my brain to ignore the call of water - which is the only reason I stopped flooding everything.

It was also nice getting to learn in a group setting at Exillium - or it was, once we were allowed to talk and show our faces and make friends. Sometimes working one-on-one with the Foxfire Mentors can be a little intimidating - especially if their lecture is boring and there's no way to hide your yawns.

So I hope everyone is finally realizing that it's absolutely okay if their brain works a little differently. Going to Exillium should never be about "failing" or "punishment," or "not belonging to the Lost Cities." It should be about finding a safe, happy learning environment that works for how someone learns. And it looks like that's what Exillium's trying to create for everyone.

I hope they pull it off, and that no one has to feel scared or worthless or cast aside like Tam and I did.

Oh, and Exillium needs to get new uniforms!

~Linh

Places
Lost Cities
Cities

AtlantisEternaliaGildinghamLumenariaMarintryllaMysteriumRavagogSerenvale

Residences

CandleshadeChoralmereDawnheathEverglenFluttermontHavenfieldMistmeadRimeshireRiverdriftShores of SolaceSolreefSplendor PlainsSterling GablesWidgetmoor

Hideouts

Black Swan Hideouts

AlluveterreBrumevaleStone House

Neverseen Hideouts

The Sixteen Former HideoutsPallidroseGwynauraValkonianLady Gisela's NightfallVespera's Nightfall

Exile Places

Entrance to ExileGateway to ExileExileThe Room Where Chances Are LostThe Somnatorium

Foxfire

FoxfireThe Gold TowerThe Hall of IlluminationThe Healing CenterThe Silver TowerThe Tutoring Center

Rivers

The Alenon RiverThe Eventide RiverSpateswale

Other

Blackwater BayClaws, Wings, Horns and ThingsCrooked ForestDawnheath Troll HiveInktide IslandMoongladeOblivymereHall of HeroesPoint of PurityPrism PeaksSiren RockSlurps and BurpsThe Gloaming ValleyThe King's PathThe Matchmaking OfficeThe SanctuaryThe VoidTribunal HallThe Unity FountainWanderling Woods

Neutral Territories

Bosk GorgeBrackendaleMerrowmarshThe Lake of BloodThe Starkrial ValleyThe Strixian PlainsThe Wildwood Colony

Exillium

ExilliumThe Arch of Dividing

References[]

  1. Narration, Book 4: Neverseen, pages 378-379, paperback
  2. Coach Wilda to Waywards, Book 4: Neverseen, page 394, paperback
  3. Narration and Tam Song to Sophie Foster, Book 4: Neverseen, pages 411-419, paperback
  4. Narration, Book 4: Neverseen, pages 437-439, paperback
  5. Narration and Coaches to Waywards, Book 4: Neverseen, page 440, paperback
  6. Narration, Book 4: Neverseen, page 442-443, paperback
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