The Shadows Of Middlemarch (a dark fantasy, magical academy RP)

[Lovejoy]

Hey everyone!

This is an RP I've been working on for a long while. It's actually a "redux" of an old RP that I used to run on this site, only with a lot of stuff changed around. The older version of this RP was based on the Harry Potter universe, but this one takes place in an original universe which is somewhat inspired by HP but has its own continuity along with some darker elements.

The RP will revolve around a group of new students in the Middlemarch School of Sorcery and their trials and tribulations within the school. All of this is set against the backdrop of an approaching war that will prove devastating to the planet. The story will also go into the relationship between the wizards of the world and human beings and will of course feature plenty of fun and not so fun adventures in and out of the school grounds. The world the RP takes place in is a dark one. Demons are a big part of the RP's mythology and there will a lot of blood, betrayal, and plenty of psychological trauma to go around.

I'm really big on character development, so the RP will have a big focus on drama and character interactions. I probably won't be accepting too many characters, as I find a smaller cast to be more manageable.

Lastly, while the RP will have an overarching plot, I am very open and very encouraging to player-created sideplots as well as general world-building. Below, you'll find quite a bit of world/plot info that will give you guys a bit of insight on the world and will hopefully offer up some ideas about what characters you can create.

Spoiler

It is the year 2022, and the human world stands at the precipice of war.

Tensions between the super powers of the east and west have been brewing for the past decade, and both sides have begun the preparations for the inevitable coming of a war unlike any other in history.

Millions will die in this conflict, and the future of the very planet lies on the brink of cataclysm.

You are a magus, gifted with supernatural abilities far beyond the ken of normal humans. As a member of the magi race, you have been raised within the Obscured World, a world of silence and secrets, of horrible monsters and demons that hunt in the shadows, of powerful forces which hold sway over the fabric of reality itself. Your world, hidden from the perception of human beings since the beginning of time, is soon to be threatened by the coming of this terrible war.

Within the hallowed halls of the Middlemarch School of Sorcery, an academy where the very best of the magi race are taught to reach the extreme of their potential, a great rift is forming between those who would choose to let the power-hungry humans kill themselves off, and those who yield allegiance to the lesser race and would choose to help them.

As both students and faculty choose their sides in the face of the incoming human war, an ancient conspiracy will soon be made manifest and shall threaten to not only consume Middlemarch, but the world itself.

Spoiler

The Obscured World, a hidden veil imperceptible to non-magi, was created aeons ago to protect the lesser human race from the terrors that lurk beyond the fabric of the mortal world. It can best be described as a planet-wide barrier of perception which protects humanity from the fantastic and dangerous fauna that exist beyond their reality. Werewolves, vampires, dragons, sea serpents, and countless other magical creatures live and roam in the Obscured World. Most dangerous of all however, are the dark and terrifying demonic entities which, if allowed, can break through and cause irreparable ruin to the human race.

The magi, a race of humanoid magical beings, first existed as the guardians of this ethereal veil and their first duty was to safeguard the primitive human race from the terrors that lurk beyond their perception. However, the demons that exist within the Obscured World are as powerful and dangerous as the magi themselves, and the one thing that demons desire most is to break free of the veil.

For this reason, the magi and their demonic counterparts have never known peace. In the many magical academies throughout the world, students are taught to hate demons, and all are educated in the means to kill them.

As the ages passed and humanity grew in power and technology, the magi were forced to alter their purpose. Aside from protecting humanity from the monsters and demons that run rampant in the Obscured World, the magi now protect the Obscured World from humans themselves, who most fear will cause a great catastrophe should they become aware of what lies beyond the veil. To do this, many magi choose to live among humans in order to watch over them, and their exist countless magi communities hidden within human cities and towns.


For millennia, the Great Houses, the ancient bloodlines who rule over every facet of magi society, have enforced an unyielding decree which forbids any magus from revealing themselves or other magi to humanity. The First Oath, as it is known, is the most sacred of laws for the magi race, and breaking it comes with the most severe punishment imaginable-- the sealing of a magus' natural magic and the locking away of their own memories. Worst yet, those who break their First Oath are erased from the memories of every magi alive, and all traces of their existence are removed from the world.

A magi can still live among human beings, but they must keep their true nature hidden and must do everything in their power to keep it as such.

The ruling magisters of the Great Houses hold mastery over ancient and powerful magic and are hailed as the most sovereign of all magi. Due to this, the vast majority of magi live in both fear and awe of the magisters, and have lived under their rule for as long as anyone can remember.

In all the ages of the Obscured World, there has never been a revolt against the Great Houses.

Spoiler

Five hundred years ago, a strange phenomenon began to manifest itself within normal human beings. On a fateful day which is now celebrated in magi society as a holiday, hundreds of thousands of children all over the human world, none of them older than the age of five, began to showcase supernatural abilities. Some began to levitate objects with their minds, others set fire to their own houses, while other more powerful children were able to influence the minds of people around them. Whatever the gift, it was soon hypothesized that these abilities had somehow been passed down from the great and powerful magi race to the lesser human race.

How this phenomenon occurred is still a hotly debated topic today. Some old-fashioned magi believe that it could only have resulted from the actions of a renegade magister, while other more progressive magi believe that it was simply natural for humans to begin to be born with these abilities. Whatever the perspective, no one knows what caused human children to begin to be born with magi powers.

Since the dawn of the "half-blood", the Great Houses began to monitor the human race more closely. Upon the first sign of a young child showing hints of magical ability, the magisters would take that boy or girl from their lot in life and bring them into the Obscured World, where he or she would be raised as a magus. Of course, that child would be expressly forbidden from making contact with their former family. This has not stopped many half-blood children from holding on to memories of their former loved ones, however.

The adoption of human children with magical powers has been going on for five hundred years, and now the 'half-bloods', as human children are known, make up a good fraction of the magi populace. Despite this, there is still great friction between half-bloods and pure-blooded magi. Many pure-blood magi, descended from the ancient sorcerers who gave their lives protecting humanity from the demonic entities of the Obscure World, believe themselves to be the true magi and look down on their half-blood counterparts and openly show disdain for the lesser human race. Many half-bloods however celebrate and embrace their human roots, and as time went by and half-bloods began to permeate magi society, there has been an increase in the influence of human culture within the magi populace.

Today, countless magi teenagers dress the same as their human counterparts and listen to the same music, watch the same television shows, read the same books, and even make friends with oblivious human beings. Some magi even fall in love and marry humans, all while hiding their true nature. The prevalence of pro-human sentiment is so strong in magi culture during modern times that a few magi each year ask the magisters to strip them of their magical abilities and to be "banished" into the human world. This practice has only added to the resentment that pure magi feel toward the half-blood magi and the rest of the human race.

Spoiler

The Middlemarch School of Sorcery is a secondary learning institution for the higher education of young magi. It's campus is located within an ancient castle sitting atop the misty Appalachian mountains, hidden somewhere deep in the wilderness of West Virginia.

Middlemarch is a secondary wizarding school, meaning that its students enroll here after graduating from their primary schools, thus students tend to be 15-16 during their first year. Middlemarch is the oldest magical school in the western hemisphere, and though thousands of magi teenagers apply for enrollment, only a scant few are accepted every year.

The school is one of the most prestigious and legendary learning institutions in all the magical world, and has been at the center of several historic events throughout the ages. Many of its students have gone on to accomplish both great and terrible things which have left a mark on magi society, while its faculty are often counted among the greatest sorcerers in any given era. Lastly, Middlemarch's Head Master is thought to wield power comparable to a magister's, and is able stand against the might of the Great Houses when necessary.

Because of its standing as a pillar within magi history, Middlemarch is given a measure of autonomy in world affairs, and is often treated as its own independent "super power". Middlemarch and the Great Houses have shared a strained relationship over the ages, at one time acting as allies, while at other times clashing as enemies.

The exact circumstances of Middlemarch's origins are clouded in mystery, as its true history was lost when a great fire engulfed the school some time during its early years, destroying all its records, including those pertaining to the founding of Middlemarch and thus burying many of the school's darkest secrets. It is generally believed however that Middlemarch was founded four hundred years ago by three independent magisters-- Lord H.W Wolfgramm, Lady Pietra Redgrave, and Prince Bastian Margrace. The school's three student Houses are named in honour of the three founders.

***

That's about it for now. I'll include more information along with a CS in the OOC. I just wanted to put up an Interest Check for this to see how many people might be interested in joining the RP. Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to ask.

[MrMystic]

I'd be interested in this! Keep me posted when the OOC is up!

[tefruit]

I'm interested .

[xbriannova]

Oh hey, I remember this one! I won't be joining though, I just thought that I'd drop by and say hi! If it means anything, I'd say this is one of the cream-of-the-crop RPs.

[Lovejoy]

Thanks for the kind words Brian.

[Celowein]

wow, I'm definitely interested! I like how it's sort of a Harry Potter-esque premise, but completely redone to keep it familiar and yet original. I definitely dig this idea, but I just have one question:

what's the magic usage like for the students? is it just a "general" thing, so everyone can conceivably learn everything? do people have certain "affinities" for certain magic? or will every character have some sort of unique thing (i.e. someone's set powers can be weather control magic, and another character may choose healing abilities)?

[Lovejoy]

Actually, I'm looking to collaborate in creating the magic system with the people who are accepted into the RP. I have a general skeleton of what I think the magic system should be like, but not any super concrete specifics. Basically my idea revolves around different schools of magic, with things like illusion, elemental manipulation, occult magic, ect. So yeah, I think it'd be cool to have you guys be able to create your own spells and such. Of course, I'll be vetting every idea so as to not have some magic be too overpowered.

[qichao]

Hi, I think I would be interested in this! But yes, some more information about the magic system would be cool

[Adjectives]

I'm interested. Are there many more magical schools like Middlemarch in other parts of the world? I might be interested in making a non-American character, maybe an exchange student or something.

EDIT: Also, must we play students? Are teachers etc available? ^^'

[Lovejoy]

There are several magical schools throughout the world . Oh and I mentioned this in the opening post, but Middlemarch accepts students from all over the world, so anyone can create a non-American student if they want.