[CHAR] Academy of the Arcane Artes [Reboot]

[The Fox Without]

Fox form

Male form

Female form

Full Name Byeondeog Fake Name Amon Amrath Nickname(s) Abomantion unto the gods, walking blasphmey, etc. etc. Gender N/A Age 1024, looks to be 19-25 (first 1000 years were spent as a feral fox) Year 1st Birthday March 31 Astrological Sign Ares Species Nine tailed (G/K)umiho, a slightly spiritually vampiric many tailed fox race, normally eating the hearts and livers of sentient creatures to increase and maintain their power, although the organs of non-intelligent creatures give only about a tenth of the energy. They are inherently a possessive race when it comes to information about themselves, and rarely even give out their names, often making up completely false l backgrounds even when unnecessary. All kumihos start as feral foxes, gaining longevity after having eaten the heart and liver of a sentient race, and gaining sentience and magical ability after living a thousand years. Class Enchanter, a shapeshifter with the ability to muddle the minds of Amon's targets, able to induce feelings of familiarity, kinship, lust, and fear among others, although can be fairly easy to resist if they are aware that it is occurring, and often breaks when Amon is suddenly surprised. Weapon Fox orb- object which houses all a kumiho's stolen energy, must be available to channel spells more complex than cantrips. Can be controlled with a telekinesis limited to the orb up to about 7 foot radius away, and makes a fairly adequate bludgeoning tool. All of Amon's mana is stored in this orb, often holding about a week's worth of mana, which she uses in rations every day, recharging when she feeds. Normally this store is accessible to Amon alone, however it is possible for her to open this flow to others should she be willing to share. The recipient must be touching the orb to gain the mana, and once it is open they are free to take as much mana as they wish, which leaves the possibility of amon being totally drained and reverting to her primal state. If forced into fighting physically, Amon will shift into her Fox form, preferring to attack with fang and claw. World Lucis Short Biography Kumihos, as a naturally antagonistic species, are often hunted down early in their lives when located, and as such are a dwindling occurrence. In such conditions, Amon was hard pressed to find a kumiho's preferred food choice, namely the hearts and livers of a sentient race, the signs of kumihos well known by now in Lucis, and would be soon chased from villages and towns after two or three meals. As sources of meals became more and more scarce, Amon heard there was indeed a completely new world even that would be ripe of unsuspecting meals. She found transportation easily enough after killing and taking the guise of a passenger scheduled to go to earth to start business talks, the death realized only after he failed to arrive at the meetings. Amon began cautiously feeding in the new world, a body in one town, a few homeless go missing in another, but soon became arrogant after no seeming retaliation, and soon began feeding with a passion. Soon she had been penned as the new Jack the Ripper, with bodies piling up with missing only their hearts and livers. Unbeknownst to Amon, a task force was put together to apprehend her, using undercover police as bait, and soon captured Amon. Unfortunately, due to her obviously being from Lucis, they were forced to alert the authorities on that side of the veil as to what had been captured. Amon happened to be the first kumiho to be captured in centuries due to most being killed when caught in Lucis. As such the academy saw what was a chance to, while under heavy restrictions, to see if it may be possible to tame such a species known only so far for leaving a trail of mauled bodies, and thus Amon, under the only offer of execution, has agreed to wear a leash, though is looking for a chance to break free. For a leash, no matter how long the chain, is simply an open air prison. Personality Amon is very confident, very rarely second guessing a decision. Will make all attempts to make "friends" in a new setting, well aware of the use such allies can be when things go south, but same as a Fox will chew off a leg that's been trapped, Amon will always cast aside what is needed for survival. Hates to give anything away for free, and is very possessive and protective of anything she has. This can extend to allies or "friends", which some interpret as loyalty, a notion she does nothing to dissuade. Partner Have a few characters in mind, but I'll wait to see how it plays out. Fear(s)/Weakness(es)/Limit(s) Extreme fear of dogs, gets tense when the same room and will immediately try to leave, and can be reduced to a panicking mess if unable to get away. Has a limited supply of energy for magic off campus, up to a week of casting as an average caster, and each use there after without replenishment giving up some sentience and becoming more like a feral fox, and if denied a source of will revert to being stuck in fox form. If the Fox orb is taken away, energy steadily ekes out, reducing the time to two days, one if using magic. Must have Fox orb out to use magic stronger than cantrips Strange Attributes/Abilities/Traits Is able to shape shift at will between Amon's default forms, as well as take on the form of others Amon has studied fairly well, although there is usually a trait that gives Amon away,either the ears or a tail staying. Tends to think like a predator, making Amon well versed in chasing down a fleeing target, aided by enhanced hearing and scent. Has a small affinity for fire spells, due more to Amon's species then actual practice, though with a little effort who knows what may come of it. At the moment her range is severely limited to shooting embers at nearby targets, and with little control of the fire afterwards. One exception being she can set her orb ablaze, although this drains mana rather quickly due to a lack of control. Another useful trick used when often glossing persuerers is to release a bright flash to blinding those nearby. She learned it after trying to imitate fireworks she had seen before, though often comes away with a few burns after using it. As a condition of Amon's release from execution, she has been shackled with an enchanted collar with a powerful slumber spell, made to knock out Amon should any predatory acts be attempted outside of missions, training, and classes, as well as a tracking spell the schools security can follow if she attempts to escape Can choose to gain the memories and mannerisms of those whose hearts and livers she eats, allowing her to better blend in when shapeshifted as them. Her mind magic is often a subtle act working best on those not expecting it at all, with a mix of pheromone release and mind manipulation, Amon inserts herself in the place of memories someone has strong feelings for, the person being chosen to fit the type of emotion she's going for. It takes a minimal effort of mana if the victim was caught unawares, but uncharacteristic acts can break the spell. However Amon can force her will on the other person, exerting more mana allowing her to override a person's ideas, when the pheromones trigger the appropriate responses. This will place her in a battle of wills though, determined by the other persons ability to see through the ruse. Is very agile and flexible, able to dislocate joints and such to squeeze through and out of things that may restrain her. She also has excellent balance, almost impossible to knock of her center of gravity due to having nine appendages ready to equilibrilize her center of gravity. Having been chased for most of her life after outstaying her welcome, Amon has become fairly adept at hiding, wether it be in shadows or in plain sight, easily making herself just another face in the crowd, and having the patience and willpower to stay cramped, uncomfortable, and still for hours on end. Other Can only eat meats. She can stand spices and very small portions of vegetables, but will grow sick if forced to eat them regularly. While she can survive on the hearts and livers of animals, it's a lot like being hooked up on an IV,it gives her what she needs but does not stop the cravings One of the first thing Amon saw when she became a completed kumiho was a fireworks show, and has been fascinated with the festive explosions ever since.

[Nytem4re]

Joseph Conrad

Normal Appearance

Power Armor

Full Name: Joseph Conrad Nickname(s): N/A Gender: Male Age: 19 Year: Fourth year Birthday: October 13, 2048 Astrological Sign: Libra Species: Augmented Human- Almost cyborg like, he has infrared and night vision due to eye implants. he also can slow down his perception of time due to implants in his brain and heart, which is also helps with his operation of power armor. Class: Assassin Weapon(s) X1-S Powered Armor: Power armor that focuses on mobility and stealth rather than the immense firepower and bulky armor normally attributed with others in it’s class. It gives the user superhuman speed, teleportation powers, and active camouflage, meaning the X1-S is more about avoiding being hit rather than being able to take hits. Experimental Vibroblades: Essentially blades that vibrate at an extremely high frequency, allowing him to slice through pretty much anything, although some sturdy and hardier materials, normally those used the the creation of heavy armor, takes a while for the vibroblades to pierce through. World: Earth Short Biography: The US government had exhausted most of its military might, and around 2056, having the biggest gun around didn't help when the US was spread too far and wide. The exacting toll it had on the budget was excruciating as well. Therefore, military officials had decided to see if they could change their military doctrine to lighter, more agile, more elite soldiers. Instead of fighting head on with conventional weaponry, this new breed of soldier would participate in the same tactics as the terrorists and rebels that had thwarted the US’s usual policy of overwhelming firepower. Waging a guerrilla war against a guerrilla war, fighting fire with fire. These soldiers would be sent in by the dozens. They would then proceed to demoralize the opposing force to the point of surrender, utilizing hit and run attacks, taking out key targets, and disrupting supply lines. Joseph was chosen to be trained and equipped by this new military program, and he was willing enough as Joseph wasn't exactly well off the begin with in the first place. He spent many years training to become the scalpel of the US armed forces, but the project was shut down. Too much money and resources that didn’t justify its implementation, not to mention politicians who were slashing every budget other than their salary. Joseph soon received a letter from the Arcane Artes, where he has spent the past four years schooling to become a Gatekeeper. Personality: Loves to be very sarcastic. Somewhat of a cynic, as he loves to point out anything and everything that is wrong or depressing. Partner Unassigned as of now. Fear(s)/Weakness(es)/Limit(s): His power armor was only built for speed, not protection. Anything bigger than a pistol will be able to harm him. Joseph's enhanced reaction speed also doesn’t mean he can dodge everything, as his powered armor has limits. Joseph can see it coming, for example, a shotgun fired at him from point blank range. While his brain was fast enough to process the firearm being discharged, he probably won’t be fast enough to dodge the pellets at all. This also means he is very susceptible to AOE attacks. The X1-S isn't resistant to EMPs, so lighting magic would also be effective. His stealth isn’t perfect either, as his Active Camo reflects light, so a visual distortion would be present as he cloaks, revealing his position to those nearby. Teleportation range is limited to 50 feet, which is only a bit longer than the average school bus. Strange Attributes/Abilities/Traits: Has an uncanny ability for numbers. Can guesstimate distances, trajectory and angle of bullets pretty accurately. Themesong: Rules of Nature Other: Does fancy a bit of woodworking. Hates Dagny Ek. With a Passion.

[Dead Cruiser]

Full Name Francisco Leandro Fake Name Frontal Lobe Nickname(s) F.L., Fruity Loops, Filthy Larry, Chico Gender Male Age 35 (Seventeen years spent dead) Year 2 Birthday January 30, 2039 Astrological Sign Aquarius Species Wraith: the soul of a dead man, clad in ectoplasm and returned to the world of the living. Wraiths are a peculiar type of ghost that maintain their ego, memories and ability to reason. Due to their strength of spirit, Wraiths are able to enforce their will on the world of the living through powers, known to some as Manifestations. Class Poltergeist: While unable to directly interact with the world by any significant means, the Poltergeist makes their mark by more subtly, confusing and frightening their quarry with their phantasmal power. Weapon While direct combat is far from FL's forte, if need be he carries a pair of Beretta Model 12 submachine guns beneath his jacket. He's a terrible shot, but with enough bullets, you're bound to hit something eventually. If given time to prepare for a heavy engagement, he will opt for an M4 carbine with a double drum magazine, and an under-barrel grenade launcher. He also seems inordinately fond of chainsaws. World Earth Biography Born before the advent of the Black Gale, Francisco was not a terribly unusual teenage boy. Born in Mexico City but raised in San Antonio, he got good grades, hung out with his friends, and generally enjoyed his youth. Such pastimes as soccer, comic books, online video games, model guns, airsoft fights, and dirt bike racing filled these sunny days. Francisco's father was an esteemed scientist, and a high-profile member of the global community of robotics engineers. In his earlier years, Dr. Leandro was a pioneer in such technologies now taken for granted, such as advanced prostheses and servantile androids. Chico (as his father called him) took after his old man in learning how to engineer and program computers, a skill at which he was proving to be quite adept. However, with the Black Gale came a reckoning. Many people suffered in the earliest years of the merging of worlds. Many of the rich and famous were able to protect themselves with their wealth and resources, but fate plays no favorites. In the shelter that his father had procured for Chico and his mother, a monster fell from the sky, spawned completely at random by the Black Gale. Many died within the shelter, its walls making it a trap for its inhabitants. Among them were Francisco and his mother, Dr. Leandro spared as he installed prostheses onto refugees in a camp a five-hundred miles away. Maddened by grief, Dr. Leandros threw away his profession and sought to right his perceived wrong, using the very forces that had taken his son from him. He ventured into Lucis and spent nearly twenty years scouring the land, searching for dark sources of power that could restore life to the dead. He eventually stumbled upon a cabal of necromancers who were willing to help him, for a cost, but they required two things: a body, as Chico's own had long rotted away, and a soul, to pay for the toll across the River. As a roboticist, the solution for the former was obvious to Dr. Leandro. As his last work as an engineer, he made an android body for Francisco, but could not bring himself to sculpt his son's face onto it. With this insane masterpiece in tow, he returned to the necromancers. The second component was also obvious, he would offer his own soul. The ritual went smoothly, and all went as the necromancers promised. Dr. Leandro had given them the gold they asked for, and though he was dead before he could see it, his son had returned to the living world. Only rather than a teenage boy, full of life and vigor, he was a Wraith, a half-mad ghost, bound to a mechanical doll. Made uncomfortable by his own name, Francisco took up his online handle, Frontal Lobe, and decided to spend his new life as a Gatekeeper, seeking to save lives with the life his father gave back to him. Personality After his "return," FL is... notably different. Almost two decades spent "down below" does strange things to a person. As such, FL is full of bizarre quirks and non-sequiturs. Socially inappropriate at the best of times, he's still re-adjusting to how sensitive living people are. His sense of humor is pitch-black, and he has an unsettling fascination with tools of war, malicious computer code, and the glitch-hop techno genre. His usual emotion is a strange, morbid cheerfulness, and only seems to diverge into a more energetic, excitable version of the same emotion, or a solemn, stoic "offline mode." Despite his creepiness, FL really isn't a bad guy. His desire to be a Gatekeeper is out of a genuine desire to help people, and he's surprisingly pacifistic for someone that carries military-grade weaponry around with them. Partner TBA Fear(s)/Weakness(es)/Limit(s) FL's mechanical body, being the "anchor" that binds him to the world of the living, is his foremost weakness. If it is damaged, his presence in the living world lessens; his powers lose their magnitude, and his senses dull to the world around him. If ever completely destroyed, FL's presence in the waking world would be in serious jeopardy. He can remain in the living world on his own power alone for a few hours at best before he is forcefully pulled back into the underworld. Whatever lurks down there, it doesn't take kindly to anything that leaves and comes back. That said, FL's body is really nothing special. While somewhat electromagnetically shielded and waterproof, any serious EMP attacks, heavy precipitation or submersion, or highly inclement weather will severely damage his body. While as mobile as the average human, FL's body wasn't made for acrobatics, and anything more athletic than running or jumping will either disrupt his gyrometers or screw up his joints. Dirt and dust also damage him over time, and he requires fairly frequent maintenance to stay limber. His lithium-alloy battery is fairly strong, but under average conditions requires a three-hour charge every two days. As a Wraith, FL is sensitive to spiritual disturbances, and anything that can harm a soul or common spirit can harm him. The rules he abides to as a Wraith are more metaphysical than physical, as he can pass through a wall, but not a wall of fire. He can't travel more than several meters beyond his body, and he can't enter any consecrated area, nor bypass spiritual wards or barriers. When active outisde of his body, the mechanical form becomes inert, and he is unable to physically interact with the living world without his Manifestations, and cannot communicate with anyone that is not sensitive to spiritual entities. Any electronics that he attempts to spiritually interface with must be in direct contact with his body. Over-expenditure of his ghastly powers requires him to replenish the plasm in his body in dark places where the energies of death gather. Skills/Abilities/Traits FL's abilities are trifold: those as a robot, those as a ghost, and those as a ghost inside of a robot. Despite the shortcomings of FL's body, it does confer a number of advantages over the usual, fleshy variety. Its titanium frame is quite resistant to being bent and dented, and is fairly lightweight. His android musculature makes him surprisingly strong, as he can effectively lift 300 kilograms over his head, and his grip could break a person's hand if he chose to. His limbs and digits are both quick and precise, allowing him to be perfectly delicate when the situation calls for it. Though its sensory systems are redundant, FL can use them to record his experiences as standard-encoded video, and he is equipped with both a geiger counter and an air-toxicity meter. He also picks up wifi. Don't try to give him a virus, though. The last guy that tried ended up stuffed inside of his own dakimakura. Yeah, I read about that on Anime News Network. As a Wraith, FL can leave his body within a certain range. His plasmic body is invisible and incorporeal, able to pass through most solid objects, and detectable by most only as a chill in the air. He can see other ghosts and similar entities, can instinctively tell if a being is dead, living, or somewhere between, and can sense concentrations of deathly energy. FL's manifestations are fairly simple ones. He can project a limited telekinetic force over an area about the size of a room, strong enough to make small objects fly about erratically or make larger ones drift lazily through the air. Not a precise nor powerful ability, but a useful one none the less. His more effective ability is that to enter the dreams of those in REM sleep, and either commune with them, delve into their psyche for information, or twist their dreams to his liking. By expending the plasm of his body, he can incur "waking nightmares," essentially illusions that vary in intensity. The least most are simple distortions of perceived reality, shifting shadows and subtle whispers and the like. The stronger phantasms are chthonic beasts and aberrations wrought into reality by the target's self-destructive subconscious. While they cannot incur any physical harm to a subject, it is said that "the mind makes it real," and a severely tormented target could work themselves into a cardiac arrest under highly unfavorable conditions. Lastly, FL can enter and manipulate mechanical and electronic systems, much the same as he manipulates his own body. If a device is powered by electricity and his body is in contact with it, FL can possess it. While he cannot make an object do anything it was not built or programmed to, he can utilize any of a device's features, access any data stored within it, or overload the device to destroy it or cause it to malfunction. He can easily spread between computers via local area networks, and can enter nearly any system in a building through its power supply. Antivirus programs or firewalls are no obstacle for him, as he manipulates the solid systems of the machine to do his bidding. That said, he has yet to attempt to enter the World Wide Web, as he has no idea what the result would be. A few of FL's mortal skills still remain. He's a decently skilled programmer and mundane hacker, and easily knows his way around the inside of a computer or simple android. He knows quite a bit about guns and how to properly fire and maintain them, and he's damnably good at first-person-shooter video games. Theme Song "My robotic, electronic impression, is panic, trespassing your mission, yeah, just listen." Other FL's "face" is an LCD screen that can display essentially anything FL chooses to, though if he's not thinking about it, its "default" display is a shifting display of patterns and colors. FL is rather private about his condition and circumstances, and as such, his status as a Wraith in a mechanical body is not common knowledge. Many believe him to be an advanced AI, or some manner of highly advanced golem. Even fewer know what the initials "F.L." actually stand for.

[Grey]

TL;DR: Experimental Human Nanobot Lightning Bruiser Wannabe

Full Name Francois Jeannotte Fake Name N/A Nickname(s) Gender Male Age 16 Year First Birthday March 23 Astrological Sign Aries Species Human Class

Nanite Bruiser

A melee combat class that utilizes the augmentations granted by nanomachines to become gain an edge over their opponents. Typically seen conducting combat unarmed, these fighters leverage physical attributes far beyond the capabilities of their race, as well as a healing factor that makes them hard to put down. However they lack multiple methods of attack, making them rather inflexible when their three main attack strategies (Strike, Strike Really Hard, and Strike at a Specific Spot) fail.

Weapon

Nanomachines

Francois's "weapon of choice" is that of a series of nanobots dwelling within his body. They are controlled using stimuli from his modified brain or preset commands in response to specific scenarios, acting somewhat like an artificial nervous system. Or, perhaps, a hivemind. These nanobots, shielded against EMPs, are rather versatile in potential applications, although Francois has yet to figure out how to max out their capacities internally or if it's possible to manipulate them externally. Currently the nanobots are used by Francois as a means to passively augment his capabilities beyond human limits and grant himself a strong healing factor. Furthermore, optimization of chemical input results in a hyperactive metabolism of sorts. Not enough to get healed by eating, but enough to purge negative chemicals from his system. Any destroyed or otherwise inactive nanobots are used as materials to make more bots, and any that find themselves separated from the majority will attempt to return to the host. If no command input is received from the vessel, they will execute only repair and disease suppression functions. Currently, Francois physical attribute augmentations max out at punching through a concrete wall; running 40 km/h, peaking at a 50 km/h sprint; jumping up to 3 meters with a running start, 2 meters otherwise; and reacting at peak human levels.

World Earth Biography The sole success in a series of biological-nanotechnology experiments conducted by the American branch of an international scientific think tank. The intent of the American branch's experiments were to develop nanomachines and test their viability in various fields. However, while they did succeed in inventing adequate nanomachines, they were faced with the problem that they were essentially useless without a human operator, and even they had yet to find an individual who could serve as such without violent rejection of the body. So the call was sent out. If you wanted to become a test subject and get paid for your contributions to science, they were willing to take you in. A native Parisian born to a destitute family, Francois was sold off to the French branch of this organization in exchange for the pension, and subsequently shipped to the aforementioned American branch to partake as a subject of these experiments. Fortunately, unlike his predecessors, Francois survived due to the unusual properties of his body and was essentially raised by the scientists who had taken him in from then on. Unfortunately after numerous instances of trial and error, the scientists found that external control was a nonviable goal even after waiting a few years to see if his growth correlated with control of nanobots. As this resulted in the knowledge that nanomachines were suitable only for reinforcing the capabilities of a human, they adjusted the parameters of the experiments to a more militaristic goal: creating a super soldier, preferably one that could surpass the power armored units being trained by the military. His purpose for joining the Academy to become a Gatekeeper is twofold: 1) refine and put his combat skills to work, and 2) use those skills to make both worlds a better place. Personality A chipper young man, albeit an overly casual one that doesn't much understand common adolescent social cues or terminology due to an upbringing of interacting solely with overly professional scientists at least twice his age. Although Francois hasn't much had many - or really any - friends around his age growing up, he cherishes and appreciates the ones he has, even if they don't reciprocate his feelings. He's rather selfish in that sense, a clingy person who grows too attached to his friends and is willing to take on any risk or extreme length to keep them safe and keep them there with him. On a somewhat related note, Francois is a very reliable individual, typically willing to help out simply because it would make him "useful". This trait, as well as his self-worth issues, both likely arise from being sold by his parents for a government pension. Partner TBA Fear(s)/Weakness(es)/Limit(s)

Fear of Abandonment

Did I mention he's a clingy one yet? Because he is. His fear of being left by all his friends and allies can drive him to some drastic measures, and though this can be used for good, it can also be used to manipulate him rather easily. Even then, using this to manipulate him is... probably not the best idea no matter what you're getting from the deal.

Human Factor

Healing factor aside, Francois still retains the durability and the pain sensitivity of a normal human being. Not to mention the other weaknesses of being a human not covered by his nanotech, like how he needs to breathe and such.

Hyperactive Metabolism

While yes, Francois's augmentations do purge antagonistic chemicals from his system, the method they use to do so results in very strong but very short effects. While the results can be very tame, they can also be severe as well depending on intake. A specific scenario that one should note is that while Francois cannot hold his liquor, he'll get over any drunkenness rather quickly.

Lack of Technique and Training

While Francois does possess physical ability surpassing that of a human's, he lacks any sort of martial arts or specific brawling style to make use of it, relying mostly on "going with the flow" as it were.

Mid-Long Range Combat

As Francois lacks any attack vectors surpassing what he can reach with his hands, having an enemy "kite" him is definitely a rather effective strategy.

Naivete

Yes, he's interacted with people outside his own family, and yes, he knows a good deal of modern pop culture. Nevertheless, he's kind of a doof who doesn't understand people around his age due to living in a lab and interacting with stoic, first rate nerds for most his life.

Skills/Abilities/Traits

Bilingualism

Francois can speak both English and French, with or without accent.

Brain Modification

In addition to the nanobot augmentations, Francois has received modification to his brain in order to provide better control over the legions of nanomachines in his body, as well as his own anatomical functions. Specifically his brain has been compartmentalized into five divisions, each essentially functioning as five different brains working in unison. The primary three are responsible for neurological processing of nanorobotic functions, anatomical functions, and mental/knowledge-based functions, respectively, while the final two are spares for whatever that the primary three can't be bothered to process. In addition to their parallel processing, these partitions allow for a greater memory capacity, giving Francois a knack for analyzing and memorizing all sorts of information. Typically this is blueprints, recipes, instruction manuals, textbooks, and other guides. He's also very proficient in math. On a side note, divisions can be temporarily shutdown and separated from the network, their resources reallocated to one of the spares. Though why one would want to do that is unknown.

Malleable Biology

Francois's body is peculiar in the sense that it doesn't reject transplants. Essentially the reason why the nanotech works on him in the first place. Rather than attack the foreign technology within his body and cause him to be destroyed from the inside out, his immune system just lets them be while targeting internal entities that are actually antagonistic. Or maybe his immune system is just incompetent. Who knows?

Theme Song Other Would undoubtedly not get along well with a certain Chinese geomancer.

[ERode]

Name: Ier-Briar Thorn-of-the-Shield Age: 6 Race: Gemstone, a species of animate rocks that can't really die. Position: Headmaster and Professor of the Academy