Final exam celebrations: These festivities are similar to the midterm celebrations—though the gifts exchanged tend to be more extravagant. And the principal closes out the school year with an inspiring speech, followed by another shower of edible confetti and a coordinated cape toss between all the prodigies.

A new beginning for the truly exceptional.

EXILLIUM

FOR CENTURIES, EXILLIUM HAS BEEN viewed as a place for the unworthy—a school only attended when there were no other options. Waywards were sent to Exillium as punishment, after most had been banished from the Lost Cities.

But Exillium was originally created to be a space of alternative learning—a haven for those who take in knowledge a little differently, where all can grow and thrive. Additionally, Exillium was meant to offer a path toward redemption for those who’d made mistakes in their past.

Somehow those visions were lost over time—but Exillium is working hard to bring them back!

Thanks to the efforts of Sophie Foster—and the assistance of Councillor Oralie—Exillium has begun receiving the funds and support needed in order to transform the educational experience into what it was always meant to be.

In fact, Exillium recently set up their tents on the Foxfire campus for a joint educational venture that benefitted everyone in the Lost Cities! Every elf was then able to experience being divided according to their learning style before working through some of Exillium’s skill-based curriculum with our three talented Coaches. And everyone could clearly see how simple and effective the Exillium approach is.

Still, many in the Lost Cities cling to old misconceptions about Exillium. So for clarity, two former Waywards (Tam and Linh Song) have shared their experiences. And while Tam doesn’t hold back from revealing Exillium’s old, unfortunate ways, Linh points to the school’s bright future—and the hope that someday attending Exillium will be a choice many will eagerly make.

BASIC PROGRAM ORGANIZATION

HEMISPHERE

LEARNING STYLE

TENT COLOR

COACH

Left

Favoring logic and reason

Red

Coach Wilda

Right

Favoring spontaneity and creativity

Blue

Coach Bora

Ambi

A hybrid of both approaches

Purple

Coach Rohana

TAM SONG’S EXILLIUM 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 that 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.

Actually, 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 SONG’S EXILLIUM 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 in 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 ever has to feel scared or worthless or cast aside like Tam and I did.

Oh, and Exillium definitely needs to get new uniforms!

~Linh

PROTECTED CREATURES

THE ELVES BELIEVE THAT EVERY creature exists for a reason, and to allow any species to go extinct would throw off the planet’s delicate balance and cause irreparable damage—possibly even a massive catastrophe. As a result, the elves have gone to tremendous lengths to preserve each type of animal—particularly those linked to human myths and superstitions (since they’re the most vulnerable to hunting, capture, and experimentation).

Many creatures considered by humans to be “extinct” or “endangered” are also thriving under elvin protection—and finding a place to safely (and secretly) shelter so many animals was quite a challenge. But the elves turned to the dwarves and gnomes for assistance, and together, they hollowed out the Himalayan mountain range and built the Sanctuary: a special wildlife preserve designed for creatures of all shapes, sizes, and needs. Every climate and ecosystem is available, as is a limitless supply of food and resources—and a vast team of caretakers. All animals are also “rehabilitated” before being moved to the Sanctuary, to ensure they’ve adjusted to a diet of gnomish vegetables and tamed their hunting instincts.

Some of the species under elvin protection are:

ALICORN

The rarest creature on the planet, with only four in existence (Silveny, Greyfell, Wynn, and Luna)—and that number is a recent development. Alicorns have shimmering silver fur, feathered wings, brown eyes, a wavy silver mane and tail, and a white-and-silver-swirled horn jutting out of their foreheads. They’re also telepathic and can teleport.

ARGENTAVIS

Enormous silver-blue birds that humans believe are extinct. They eat carrion in the wild and are one of the four creatures the Neverseen used to create the gorgodon.

ARTHROPLEURA

Giant arthropods believed to be extinct, with long, poisonous antennae that end in forked points covered in clear slime. Arthropleura have plenty of writhing legs, but they travel primarily by coiling themselves into balls and rolling—and they hiss when threatened.