In the alternate world of Lekë, the islands rose from the oceans long before the dawn of human civilization. The first humans were adapted for this world, possessing the natural ability to fly as easily as they drew breath. And then there was the magic, Vitesse, as they called it. Vitesse energy fueled everything in this world, from weapons to the sky ships to every day household wares. The scholars surmised it was natural-flowing vitesse that lifted the islands into the skies and allowed people to fly by sheer willpower. But some humans were born with a second heart, an aeonheart, a reservoir filled with additional vitesse that granted them a supernatural magical ability, each unpredictable and unique and beautiful and scary. These magically inclined people would come to be known as Mystics.
But there was something special about this additional energy source that the Mystics possessed. You see, on the 12th moon of the year X339, a wrinkle in the sky opened, and a swarm of colossal-sized angelic beings, the Ni-Seraphi, spilled forth and consumed the Mystics who were unprepared for The Time of Tears, as the event would become known as in the history books. For hundreds of years, Mystics lived in fear of the Ni-Seraphi and humanity was enslaved to them. The Ni-Seraphi's single-track focus to consume Mystics was insatiable. The Ni-Seraphi were drawn to the magical aeonhearts that beat inside the Mystics' chests; that is what brought them to Lekë, after all. It would be discovered in time that Ni-Serpahi gained immortality by consuming Mystics.
After 250 years of human enslavement to the Ni-Seraphi, a young mystic named Harold Arslan was born. She grew up to be a powerful mystic, and arguably the most capable mystic Lekë had ever known. Harold was an even more charismatic leader and, fed up with the suffering of humanity during The Time of Tears, put together a secret group called the Order of Harold and Hope (OHAH). OHAH was a group of powerful mystics from all across Lekë who came together to put an end to the demonic reign of the Ni-Seraphi. For years OHAH recruited members and trained them to use their magical gifts to save humanity. And finally, after 72 years of war against the Ni-Serpahi (The 72 Years Liberation War), the Mystics freed humanity from the Ni-Seraphi and drove them back through the wrinkle in the sky. Ni-Serpahi that remained, unable to consume Mystics anymore, eventually turned into stone — statues of their former selves (the statues are referred to as Seraphim). Mystic artificers would later learn how to animate these Seraphim statues with vitesse and use them as vessels to fight against Ni-Seraphi.
Unfortunately, the wrinkle in the sky never closed. Sometimes Ni-Seraphi still come through it now and then, seeking the aeonhearts of Mystics, but they are severely weaker than their predecessors and in far fewer numbers than during the Time of Tears. Harold saw a need for a more sophisticated method of defense against any future threats, Ni-Serpahi or otherwise, and dedicated herself, in her old age (95), to become an educator and guide for the magically inclined. With the support of the Royal Family and Parliament, she eventually built a school for young mystics to attend, where they may be safe and learn to control their magical gifts. She would call it — Harold's Academy for the Magically Inclined.
Welcome young Mystic, this is where your story begins...
Your character is a student at Harold's Academy for the Magically Inclined, either a new student or a current student. In the modern day, the Royal Family and Parliament decreed that all mystics MUST attend The Academy when their gift manifests. As such, there is no grand orientation ceremony, and each student's orientation is provided on an individual basis when they arrive. Most mystics develop their magical gift during adolescence, so your character will be a teenager, 20 usually being the latest that a mystic's gift appears.
Your character's parents probably did not live during the Time of Tears (unless they're really old), but your character's grandparents almost certainly did. As such, while your character has no personal memories of that dark time, they most likely know of it and of the horror stories told to them by their grandparents and sometimes parents. Some of you may have dead relatives (Mystic or otherwise) who died gruesomely during that time.
In Lekë, vitesse is the mana that fuels this world. Mystic artificers are basically engineers who create objects that everyday people can imbue with a bit of their vitesse to "make them work" as the Mystic artificer intended them to. Some objects require more vitesse than others to operate. Everyone, including non-mystics, has the natural power to fly via the vitesse that flows through their body. But like you would get tired from running too long, a person can run out of vitesse. As such, they can only fly for limited periods of time before they need to recharge in order to fly again.
All Mystics have a second heart called an aeonheart. It is this aeonheart, filled with an extra reservoir of vitesse, that grants Mystics their magical gift. If a Mystic has their aeonheart removed, they may survive, but they will no longer have access to their magical gift. Some Mystics have undergone the controversial procedure of having their aeonhearts removed due to the dangerous nature of their magical gift. Not all have survived this complex procedure (called the Forsaken Ritual). This ritual is highly looked down upon by most people.
Some Mystics, though far more uncommon, are born with two aeonhearts instead of one. This third heart is pejoratively called the Seraph's Kiss or the Serpah's Mark. It grants the Mystic two magical gifts instead of one, but the Seraph's Kiss is known to emit an immense signal that attracts Ni-Seraphi more than your average Mystic does, making a Mystic who possesses a Seraph's Kiss more of a target and somewhat of a liability to those around them. Some Mystics who have two aeonhearts hide one of their magical abilities to keep their status as a Seraph's Kiss hidden, or they attempt the Forsaken Ritual to have it removed. Culturally, Mystics may hold prejudice toward other Mystics who have "the kiss".
Like any world, there are always gonna be criminals and bad people. Mystics who use their gifts for criminal activity and evil purposes are referred to as Daemons and are said to possess a warped heart instead of an aeonheart. Daemons who are not already locked up, work in the shadows and live in secrecy. It is rumored that there is a hidden academy run by Daemons who recruit lost and misunderstood young Mystics for their own nefarious purposes, but it is just speculation among most in Lekë.
Based on a Mystic's gift, they will usually fall within 1 of 4 classifications. Mystics with "the kiss" are almost always an Astra.
Elementalists
Elementalists possess an elemental-based magical gift such as fire, ice, wind, earth, plants, water, electricity, light, darkness, sound, etc. They can either manipulate pre-existing elements or produce them directly from their bodies or both.
Somatics
Somatics possess a magical gift that allows them to augment or change their physical form in some way. They may also be able to alter the physical form of another person or object. For example, Enhanced strength, shapeshifting, self-healing, wing-generation, healing others, durable skin, super speed, intangibility, invisibility, duplication, etc.
Psychiccers
Psychiccers possess psychic powers, magical gifts that allow them to harness the power of their minds to influence others and sometimes the physical world, such as telekinesis, telepathy, empathy, precognition, enhanced intelligence, mind control, mental illusions, astral projection, clairvoyance, etc. Some people have prejudice or mistrust toward Psychiccers due to the potentially invasive nature of their gifts.
Astras
Astras are Mystics who possess very unique magical gifts that don't fall into any category. Their magic is often difficult to define and is more abstract in nature, and may be some kind of strange combination of the other classifications. These magical gifts may have niche uses or caveats for their application, but due to their peculiarity, they have the potential to be the most specialized and powerful. For example, teleportation, laser beam eyes, summoning spirits, resurrecting someone from the dead, pocket dimension, luck manipulation, curses, conjuration, bringing drawings to life, etc.
At Harold's Academy, students are put into one of four houses to help better track and organize them into efficient social, training, learning, and combat groups. However, students from different houses regularly interact and collaborate with one another. Each house is named after one of the Four Great Mystics of the 72 Years Liberation War. None of these people are alive anymore, but they are well-renowned in the world of Lekë, especially among Mystics. There are no age requirements for each house, though students are placed in their house based on the Headmistress's recommendation. How she determines a student's house is currently unknown by most.
Every year, one student from each house is designated as the Illuminaire, a shining example of academic, magical, and leadership prowess. These students form The Student Council and are given extra privileges, such as staying up and roaming the grounds at night, sending students to detention, orchestrating student events, leading teams during training sessions, and sometimes serving as assistant professors during classes. Being an Illuminaire provides great recognition throughout the school and they even get to have dinner with the Royal Family and shadow the members of Parliament. It is a great honor to be chosen as an Illuminaire, but it is not mandatory and the student can turn it down. The Illuminaire also leads their house in combat alongside professors, but the role is very stressful and comes with a lot of responsibility, as these students have to fit their Illuminaire duties into their regular student schedules, though there is a little flexibility to accommodate them. A student can be chosen as the Illuminaire several years in a row, sometimes throughout their entire tenure at the academy, but it is uncommon.
A student's house is identified by their House Necklace, which they must wear at all times while on campus, except during periods of personal hygiene. Students who are caught not wearing their necklace get detention. Students who lose their House Necklace may request a replacement, but they must complete an arduous task first as punishment (often, it is a trial, called the Reflection Examination that tests the limit of their character and magical gift). The house necklace is used as a "key card" of sorts for students to enter their House Dormitories. It ensures students cannot enter other house dormitories freely without someone from that house there to let them in.
Every year, one student from each house is designated as the Illuminaire, a shining example of academic, magical, and leadership prowess. These students form The Student Council and are given extra privileges, such as staying up and roaming the grounds at night, sending students to detention, orchestrating student events, leading teams during training sessions, and sometimes serving as assistant professors during classes. Being an Illuminaire provides great recognition throughout the school and they even get to have dinner with the Royal Family and shadow the members of Parliament. It is a great honor to be chosen as an Illuminaire, but it is not mandatory and the student can turn it down. The Illuminaire also leads their house in combat alongside professors, but the role is very stressful and comes with a lot of responsibility, as these students have to fit their Illuminaire duties into their regular student schedules, though there is a little flexibility to accommodate them. A student can be chosen as the Illuminaire several years in a row, sometimes throughout their entire tenure at the academy, but it is uncommon.
A student's house is identified by their House Necklace, which they must wear at all times while on campus, except during periods of personal hygiene. Students who are caught not wearing their necklace get detention. Students who lose their House Necklace may request a replacement, but they must complete an arduous task first as punishment (often, it is a trial, called the Reflection Examination that tests the limit of their character and magical gift). The house necklace is used as a "key card" of sorts for students to enter their House Dormitories. It ensures students cannot enter other house dormitories freely without someone from that house there to let them in.
House of Harold
Harold the Rebel orchestrated the eventual fall of the Ni-Seraphi and lead the Mystics to victory during the 72 Years Liberation War. As the founder of Harold's Academy, her name will be etched in the ether forever. Students from this house adorn the Ruby Necklace.
House of Seraphine
Seraphine the Martyr was instrumental during the 72 Years Liberation War. Her sacrifice, though difficult to make at the time, was key in turning the tide of battle in their favor. Some people look up to her more than Harold. Students from this house adorn the Sapphire Necklace.
House of Eusebia
Eusebia the Stalwart stayed behind to defend the Royal Family after his comrades died during the final leg of the 72 Years Liberation War. He was pivotal in preserving the capital and its inhabitants from certain annihilation. Students from this house adorn the Emerald Necklace.
House of Ivar
Ivar the Infiltrator used his vast intellect and psychic gift to infiltrate the core of the Ni-Seraphi forces. His commitment to years of steady espionage and intelligence gathering helped him successfully execute his strategy. Students from this house adorn the Violet Necklace.
There are three uniforms that students wear for different occasions.
The school grounds of Harold's Academy are vast and welcoming. Students are permitted to be in most areas of the grounds during normal school hours, but must be in their dorms at night (except Professors and Illuminaires). Students caught outside of their dorms at night may receive detention or have to perform some kind of tedious chore the following day after classes are over. There are a few areas where students must be accompanied by a Professor or an Illuminaire.
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