Roke Island
Roke Island, the Isle of the Wise, is the heart of wizardry in Earthsea, a place where the high arts of magic are taught and the balance of the world is guarded. It is the seat of the Archmage and the home of the School for Wizards, a fortress of learning and power that stands as a bulwark against the forces of darkness. For Ged, Roke is the crucible where his raw talent is forged into mastery, but also where his pride and recklessness lead to a catastrophe that will shape his entire life.
Geography and Enchantment
Roke lies in the Inmost Sea, a green and fertile island protected by powerful spells. The Roke-wind, a magical barrier, keeps evil powers from approaching its shores, as Ged discovers when he tries to return after loosing the shadow and is turned back by a storm that seems to blow against him personally. The island's most prominent landmark is Roke Knoll, a round, treeless hill whose roots are said to go down to the center of the earth, making all spells cast there exceptionally strong. Nearby lies the Immanent Grove, a mysterious wood that is not always in the same place; its trees are said to be wise, and the Master Patterner learns his supreme magery within it. The town of Thwil, with its steep, narrow streets and high-roofed houses, is a strange place where the inhabitants are so used to sorcery that they talk in riddles and are unperturbed by magical pranks.
The School for Wizards
The School is housed in the Great House, a massive building of grey stone blocks that resembles a fortress. Its entrance is a door of horn and ivory, carved with the Thousand-Leaved Tree, which only those who speak their true name may pass. Inside are open courts, roofed halls, the Room of Shelves filled with lore-books, the great Hearth Hall where the school gathers on festival days, and small sleeping-cells in the towers. The school is governed by the Nine Masters, each a master of a specific art: Windkey, Hand, Herbal, Chanter, Changer, Summoner, Namer, Patterner, and the Doorkeeper. The Archmage, the head of the school, is considered the ninth master. The students, called prentices, study a wide range of subjects, from the Six Hundred Runes of Hardic and the Deeds of heroes to weatherworking, illusion, and the perilous arts of Summoning and Change.
Ged's Arrival and Training
Ged arrives at Roke after a stormy voyage, guided by a light he sees from the ship. He is tested at the door by the Doorkeeper, who refuses him entry until he speaks his true name. Once inside, he is brought before the Archmage Nemmerle, an ancient, white-clad man who seems to have been leached of all darkness. In the sunlit court, Ged experiences a moment of profound understanding, feeling himself to be "a word spoken by the sunlight." He is then shown around by Jasper, a tall, disdainful youth from Havnor, whose condescension immediately sparks a rivalry in Ged. Ged's first year is spent in the Isolate Tower with the Master Namer, Kurremkarmerruk, learning the true names of things, a task he finds dry but essential. He excels in his studies, particularly in the arts of illusion, and is rumored to be the quickest student ever at Roke. He also befriends Vetch, a plain, kind-hearted youth from the East Reach, who offers him a sure and open friendship.
The Loosing of the Shadow
Ged's pride and his rivalry with Jasper lead him to disaster. During the Long Dance festival, Jasper goads him into a challenge, and Ged, boasting that he can summon a spirit from the dead, performs the Spell of Summoning on Roke Knoll. The spell tears open the fabric of the world, and through the breach comes a shapeless, hideous shadow-beast that attacks Ged, leaving him scarred and near death. The Archmage Nemmerle, using all his power, drives the shadow away but dies from the effort. The new Archmage, Gensher, tells Ged that the shadow is a nameless power of unlife, the shadow of his own arrogance and ignorance, and that it will hunt him. Ged is left broken and ashamed, his power faltering, and he spends the next years in a kind of exile on Roke, studying with the Masters and trying to understand the nature of the evil he has unleashed.
Departure and Significance
After years of study, Ged is made a wizard and given a staff of yew-wood. He is sent to the distant township of Low Torning, a place of little fame or wealth, to serve as its wizard. Before he leaves, he must pass one final test: learning the Doorkeeper's name. He fails to trick or force the secret, but in his humility, he simply asks, and the Doorkeeper tells him. This act of humility and directness marks his readiness to leave the safety of Roke and face the world. Roke Island, therefore, is not just a school but a symbol of the ordered, balanced magic that Ged must learn to serve. It is the place where he gains his knowledge and power, but also where he learns the terrible cost of using that power wrongly. It is the foundation from which he must set out on his long, solitary hunt for the shadow, a journey that will take him to the very edge of the world and beyond.
