Four Winds - Interest Thread

[Scio]

Inspiration for this story will be drawn from quite a few animated, drawn, and written sources. I will not list down each and every one of them since such a task would be too tedious and would just produce a large wall of text. As much as possible, I shall stray away from characters considered to be Canon as well.

Greetings,

If you are reading this, then that means you are something truly extraordinary. Perhaps you are aware of it, and maybe you are not. Regardless, I assure you it is the truth. The world is filled with countless specimens of life and among them all, you stand out as truly unique. You are gifted beyond normal; supernatural to be exact. Accept it.

You're exceptional and otherworldly to an extent. A truly special individual with gifts that have the potential to surpass all others if you learn to use them wisely and to your advantage. I can do that for you. If you join me, you'll find yourself in a place built specifically to help you succeed along with thousands of others your age and similarly gifted. Whoever you are now makes no difference to me. I am only concerned with who you might become and trust me when I say that you have the potential to become someone truly great. Included in this message you will find all the pertinent information about our organization, Four Winds, and all you need do is to fill in the registry and leave the rest to us.

I trust you'll make the right decision.

Sincerely,
Jasper
7th Four Winds Headmaster

Premise

Hider

Magic. The World is filled with it. There is magic in all things – and humans are no exception to this. But not all humans can naturally use magic. Only about 10 – 15 percent of the human population can reliably use such a power. Fortunately (or unfortunately), you are part of that group. Magic users are currently reviled and unaccepted by the world. However, you possess a rare gift and it would be a shame if it wasn't catered to.

You have all received letters inviting you to Four Winds. An institution made for catering to those with extraordinary capabilities that are dubbed strange by society. Settled on the top of Mt. Fuji, the highest peak of the Japanese Alps, Four Winds' castle-like structure is encased by a massive tree and shrouded in mist, giving it the appearance of floating in midair. It's grounds are large and expansive and its facilities numerous and well stocked. You are invited to attend free of charge thanks to your enormous potential. What that means is open to interpretation but it reminds you that Four Winds also comes with its fair share of rumors and stories both good and ill. Strange people and things are said to congregate there but is that any reason to pass it up? No, it's not. You are going because no matter what people say it is still the best school hands down in the world and like it or not, you have to go. No point in fighting it. Call it fate, call it destiny, call it Sheila for I care because you will be attending Four Winds, like it or not.

Four Winds

Hider

Four Winds was founded by Jasper in the late nineteen-forties following the devastating second demon war. During the reconstruction of magical world, Jasper spent a great deal of time in the countryside helping to rebuild the nation he had played a role in destroying. Guilt was what moved him to start up his institution in the remote mountain valley but it quickly changed over the years. Jasper recruited his old friends to help teach and began to scout out the gifted individuals in the world.

Why? That is a question that has been asked for years. The official reason is said to be Jasper’s desire to help preserve and protect the greatest humanity has to offer and to provide for them an environment that allows them to expand their abilities to that of their full potential. Indeed, over the years many excellent individuals have come from the hallowed halls of what became known as Four Winds. However, there have also been numerous graduates that have gone on to do horrible, monstrous things. They all also thanked Jasper’s academy for their training.

Four Winds is an institution for those with exceptional talents and eccentricities no matter their moral standing or family background. They take in people from all walks of life no matter their history or skill set. It is for these reasons that the institute has another name. The Zoo. A place for misfits, oddities, monsters, and exotic beasts. Have no fear though, for whatever you arrive as you most certainly will leave as something more.

Abilities

Hider

Magic is the life energy produced by all living bodies vital for survival. Magic from all parts of the body has a tendency to flow together, producing one mass of energy. This happens without the individual's awareness, typically resulting in a slow leak of magic continually escaping the body. However, there are a select few who are capable of expressing their magical energies which, in essence, allows them to create a special and unique ability.
There are six types of magical energy; every individual is born having one of these six different magic types.

• Enhancement refers to the use of magic to increase the natural abilities of an object or one's own body.
• Transmutation allows users to change the properties of their magical energy to mimic something else.
• Conjuration on the other hand, grants the ability to create a physical, independent, material objects out of one's own magical energies.
• Liberation deals with the controlling and deployment of their magical energy while separating it from their body. And lastly,
• Manipulation allows the control of living or non-living things in certain ways depending on the conditions and means set by the user.
• Specialization is any magic that doesn't belong into the other five categories, being referred to as the vaguest of all types of magic.

Most abilities are based on one's individual magic type. Though it is possible for one to develop abilities outside of his primary magic type, one is typically less proficient at using those abilities. By creating an ability that one isn't suited for, one risks stagnating their potential by overloading their capacity for using magical energy.

There will be approximations to indicate just exactly how efficient one would be at using their magical abilities that one is not born into. Starting at one's own aura type, one has the potential to be 100% efficient at using abilities based in that category alone. Then looking at the category chart above, one has the potential to be 80% efficient at using aura types adjacent to one's primary type, 40% efficient at the opposite or farthest category, and 60% efficient in the two remaining categories. Specialization is typically unusable for non-Specialists because it is impossible to partially use; one either can or cannot use Specialist abilities. However, Conjurers and Manipulators have 1% efficiency potential of becoming Specialists due to being adjacent to it.

Application Form

Hider

Name: What you want people to call you.
Age: We accept those between age 13 to 18.
Appearance: An image would be amazing.

Personality: What are you like?
History: Include as much or as little of your background as you feel comfortable sharing. Just don't forget to mention the events that led to your discovery of your abilities. This shall be kept strictly confidential.

Skills: Before we go into you gift, I'm sure you have something that you're good at.

Magic: You've been blessed with an ability.

• Name:What's it called?
• Type: Pick from the six categories.
• Description: What can you do with it?

Inventory: Anything significant on you right now?

[FallingSkies]

This seems interesting.

[sassy1085]

i'm interest

[meyerlemontree]

Interested

[Scio]

@FallingSkies@sassy1085@meyerlemontree I'll be adding more stuff later on.

Premise is up.

[Vongola_Hasayo]

I'll throw my hat in here.

[Scio]

Regarding abilities, would you guys want me to create categories that you can choose from or would you want it to be free-for-all?

[FallingSkies]

@Scio

Is this gonna be set in modern times or not? Will cell phones and other technology be common? And what kind of photos would you want us to use (real, anime, etc.)?

I think giving us things to choose from might make it more balanced power wise.

[Scio]

@FallingSkies I'd say modern but with a mix of fantasy and magic. I'm planning to make magic interfere with technology unless its also based on magic.

I'm gonna say anime. o3o

Alright then, I'll see what I can come up with. Its basically classifications only, power-wise, everyone's gonna be newbies.

[FallingSkies]

@Scio

I guess I just want to know what direction you want the abilities to go in. Whether it's that they can use fire or they are telepathic or they have a special sword that can change shape or something. That's just me though, I don't know about the others and I don't want to make you spend three hours thinking something up.

[Scio]

@FallingSkies I want to be as unrestrictive as possible when it comes to abilities. The only thing I would ask for is that abilities should have a visual medium of some sort. Instead of simple telekinesis, maybe the user could create ethereal hands to serve the same purpose or for telepaths, they could create corporeal doves that fly into peoples minds to deliver their thoughts and ideas.

Fire magic, pyrokinesis, a magical sword are all fine for though.

These are the categories that I was talking about earlier. I'll try listing examples for each to make things clearer.

Abilities

Hider

Magic affects the body in various ways and may manifest differently per person. Abilities are classified under three types; HATSUDO, HENKEI, and IGYO. However, these are merely the base forms of abilities and overlaps among these categories do occur once the users further develop their powers.

• HATSUDO-CLASS abilities are grant their user the ability to either releasing certain substances from their body, or alter materials around them in certain ways. While most hatsudo-type users generally have a handle on their own "emissions", it's also possible for users to hurt themselves from coming into too much contact with their own ability. While some substances produced by emitter-type abilities have common properties, some are unique to the user, and thus have special attributes to them.
• HENKEI-CLASS abilities cause the user to take on a temporary alteration of some kind. This allow the user to temporarily "transform" their body in a variety of manners, sometimes enhancing existing features or perhaps adding new features to the body altogether. Transformation generally affect the user exclusively. Henkei abilities usually require a close-range proximity in order to fully utilize them in combat due to them only affecting the user's body. They are also the only known type of Quirk that can bestow the user attributes they don't normally exhibit by default. Henkei usually require a conscious effort by the user to "activate", though users can be trained to initiate them reflexively. While transformation abilities are often quite powerful, their biggest weakness is that their effects are often temporary, and over-exertion usually leads to negative repercussions on the user's behalf.
• IGYO-CLASS abilities are basically mutations that can have a wide variety of features and abilities depending on the individual, but the common similarity seems to be that these abilities are a part of the user's physicality. As a result, they are always active, but generally allow the user the greatest degree of control. Igyo abilities cause the user to exhibit irregular features that generally have some sort of purpose to them. Whether it be bodily alteration or enhancing preexisting abilities. While not necessarily a weakness, these mutations cannot be turned off, and sometimes cause the user inconvenience due to their malformations.

[GreenGoat]

Hmm, why not? I'll join.

[banjoanjo]

Interested

[Scio]

A little bit about Four Winds.

Hider

Four Winds was founded by Jasper in the late nineteen-forties following the devastating second demon war. During the reconstruction of magical world, Jasper spent a great deal of time in the countryside helping to rebuild the nation he had played a role in destroying. Guilt was what moved him to start up his institution in the remote mountain valley but it quickly changed over the years. Jasper recruited his old friends to help teach and began to scout out the gifted individuals in the world.

Why? That is a question that has been asked for years. The official reason is said to be Jasper’s desire to help preserve and protect the greatest humanity has to offer and to provide for them an environment that allows them to expand their abilities to that of their full potential. Indeed, over the years many excellent individuals have come from the hallowed halls of what became known as Four Winds. However, there have also been numerous graduates that have gone on to do horrible, monstrous things. They all also thanked Jasper’s academy for their training.

Four Winds is an institution for those with exceptional talents and eccentricities no matter their moral standing or family background. They take in people from all walks of life no matter their history or skill set. It is for these reasons that the institute has another name. The Zoo. A place for misfits, oddities, monsters, and exotic beasts. Have no fear though, for whatever you arrive as you most certainly will leave as something more.

[Mercurial]

I'm interested too. Got a question though; obviously this is basically set in the real world plus magic, but what about the history? Did everything happen the same as we know, or are there a lot of differences due to magic?

For instance, you mentioned a "second demon war"; is that like WW2 but with demons, or is it something completely different?

[Scio]

@Mercurial The world still isn't wary of the presence of magic, so you could think of it similar to Harry Potter? As for the demon war, that's an entirely different thing.

The setting of the RP will not be on earth. Or at least it's going to be in an area where the supernatural thrive.

[Dead Cruiser]

I could be interested. I didn't join on with the last one because all of the interest died off (ie, I wasn't going to be one of only two people to bother writing a CS).

I kind of want to make a catch-all beamspam psychic type, so would "psycho-energy manipulation" or something similarly ridiculous work?

[Mercurial]

@Mercurial The world still isn't wary of the presence of magic, so you could think of it similar to Harry Potter? As for the demon war, that's an entirely different thing.

The setting of the RP will not be on earth. Or at least it's going to be in an area where the supernatural thrive.

@Scio

Ah, I see. So then, is Four Winds the only institution of it's kind, or are there other magic academies around?

[Scio]

@Dead Cruiser No biggie, man.

Psycho-energy is okay in my book. The only thing I wanna see when psychic abilities come in play, is some sort of physical medium. None of that invisible energy or moved it with my mind stuff. Since you said beamspam, I guess we'll be seeing laser-like constructs.

@Mercurial Yeah, there are going to be others.

[RoflsMazoy]

Definitely want to join in on this :D

So I'm assuming we can't be senior students or anything like that?

Would we also be able to have weapons or something of that nature with us, coming into the school?