Académie Louisiane des arts mystiques et mystères obscurs

L'académie Louisiane des arts mystiques et des mystères obscurs (ALAMMO) is a wizarding school located in the Black Bayou, a desolate swamp on the edge of Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana. ALAMMO was not incorporated into the American Wizarding Schools system until 1804, following the Louisiana Purchase, and is therefore not regarded as having been officially established until that time.

ALAMMO has perhaps the most interesting and unusual history of any of the American Wizarding Schools, due to its long association with Cajun chicken and Creole voodoo. Voodoo, of course, can only be practiced with a permit, so the allegations that the school teaches these types of arts indiscriminately are completely unfounded. While there have been such scandals in the past, ALAMMO has come fully into the modern era.

Location & Environs
ALAMMO is located in the Black Bayou, a stretch of swamp on the northern edge of Lake Pontchartrain. The entire area is ensorcelled so as to be unmappable and untraversable by Deficients, and the school is further protected by giant alligators. The alligators--and indeed, all the pests of the bayou--are, of course, enchanted to leave any and all magical folk alone, but it’s still best to avoid them when possible. This provides a large modicum of security, as very few Deficients would dare to venture so far into the swamp.

ALAMMO is housed within a vast network of interconnected treehouses that span the forest around the school, which is only practical, since the ground is an alligator-infested swamp. The treehouse network is centered around the central hub, Grand Arbre Hall, where the school administration is based and where school assemblies are held.

History
ALAMMO began as a community circle of magical escaped Caribbean slaves sharing and teaching magic. ALAMMO did not become a formal institution until after the Louisiana Purchase in 1804, when the state came under American control. The escaped slaves would keep track of any slaves born with the Gift, and do their best to purchase said slaves and bring them to the school. Since the school's original founding date was not recorded, the 1804 date is the one used today.

Academics & Organization
The head of ALAMMO is given the title of Witch Doctor upon his or her ascension, while his or her former name is lost. It is kind of like becoming the Pope, in that the magic surrounding the title is so heavy that, once proclaimed Witch Doctor, the old name is forever irretrievable; thus the Witch Doctor becomes eternally bound to that identity.

Controversy
Naturally, due to its location and history, ALAMMO has often been accused of harboring voodoo cultists. The practice of voodoo, of course, was restricted in 1746 by the Department of Magic and the Esoteric (DOME) in response to the Laveau Incident of 1744, when several voodoo practitioners summoned the demon Murmur, who proceeded to ravage a Deficient community until his eventual defeat at the hands of Witch Doctor V. Only permit-holders are authorized to practice voodoo magic, and permits are closely monitored and regulated by the Bureau of Arcane Arts and Lore (BAAL). Regardless, the history of ALAMMO is marked by intrigue, as dozens of voodoo scandals over the years have tarnished her reputation.

Relationship with the Mark Twain School
(see also Bartholomew Q. Hatch) ALAMMO has a longstanding rivalry with the Twain School, dating back to the intense conflict between the schools during the Civil War and the famous battle between their respective leaders.

Timeline
? - A circle of escaped slave mages begins meeting in the Black Bayou and training each other in the magical arts. The First Witch Doctor is appointed to lead the group.

1744 - The Laveau Incident. A circle of voodoo practicioners from ALAMMO succeed in summoning the dark entity Murmur, who annihilates a Deficient village before being defeated by Witch Doctor V in the Battle of Black Bayou.

1746 - The Wizarding Senate unanimously votes to restrict the practice of voodoo to those with a permit. BAAL is created to monitor and regulate the distribution of voodoo permits and other taboo studies.

1757 - Thirteen years to the day since his defeat of Murmur, Witch Doctor V succumbs to wounds sustained during the Battle of Black Bayou. Ascension of the Sixth Witch Doctor.

1804 - ALAMMO, under the Sixth Witch Doctor, is incorporated into the American Wizarding Schools system.

1829 - Death of Witch Doctor VI. Ascension of the Seventh Witch Doctor.

1863 - Demise of Witch Doctor VII while dueling Bartholomew Q. Hatch. Ascension of the Eighth Witch Doctor.