Aeolian

Harold's Academy for the Magically Inclined

◈ Mirandae has kindly accepted to be my Co-GM for my first RP. She is fair, thoughtful, knowledgeable, and respectful. Please be sure to show her respect in return.

◈ Please be respectful of one another. Disagreements should be settled respectfully or in DMs. No public drama or nasty behavior, please.

◈ Please listen to the GMs. We are open to discussion and feedback. We're not perfect. But when a decision is made, please respect those decisions.

◈ Only post COMPLETED character sheets in the OOC tab, not WIPs. I will review it and give feedback for any changes if necessary. IF it's approved, you can post it in the Characters Tab. The character sheet can be found at the top of the character tab.

◈ Mirandae and I are VERY keen on our aesthetics. If we make any aesthetics-based decisions, please abide by them. Our OCD for aesthetics might flair up otherwise! LOL ^_~

◈ I'm sorry. I mention "aesthetics" and "respect" a lot. But they're important to me. lol

◈ I love when other players help flesh out the world. But always think about any addition thoughtfully. Does this make since based on the setting? Does it fit thematically? If you're not sure, bring it up to me and I'll gladly go over your idea with you. :)

◈ No double posting in the IC.

◈ Try to post at least once a week. Try not to "overpost" too much. People need time to read and respond. I won't set a hard and fast rule about "overposting", but just be mindful of others. We want balanced, consistent, steady pacing. Quality over quantity.

◈ At a minimum, posts should be AT LEAST 2 to 3 well-written paragraphs. You don't have to write like Agatha Christie, but thoughtful paragraphs are great for storytelling and flow.

◈ Banned powers include: Reality Warping, Power Nullification, Time Travel. Others may be added to this list based on necessity.

Harold's Academy for the Magically Inclined

Harold's Academy for the Magically Inclined

Hi everyone. Here is the official character sheet for this RP. I'm a stickler for consistent aesthetics (as you guys can tell), so please fill this out accordingly. A High-quality RP begins with a high-quality character sheet, IMO. lol If you've already created your own makeshift draft (I love the eagerness ^_^), please import what information you need over to this form and then flesh it out where necessary. Thanks!

Student's Name

*Please use high-quality anime or digital character art here. I know it might seem insignificant, but it's important for aesthetics and cohesive immersion. So no hand-drawn sketches, chat room avatars, or real-life face claims. Thank you :)


◈ A p p e a r a n c e ◈
Describe your character's appearance. Any notable scars, accessories, glasses, missing a finger, heterochromia, etc.?

◈ "Insert Character Quote" ◈

◈ N a m e
Insert here

◈ S p e l l c a s t e r N a m e
Like your X-men codename. Every academy student has one, which they are referred to as during training or combat. Many Mystics may even use it after graduation.

◈ A g e, H e i g h t, a n d W e i g h t
Age, Height, Weight

◈ R a c e
Mystic or Mystic (Seraph's Kiss) *Remember, narratively, having a seraph's kiss is pretty uncommon, so if too many players have it, I'll have to pick and choose who gets to have it based on the quality of their character sheet and how many players there are total.

◈ G e n d e r
Insert here

◈ S e x u a l O r i e n t a t i o n
Insert here

◈ Y e a r
1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, or 8th

◈ P e t
Owlette, Blue Spotted Wink, Cait, Gupoo, Tree Monkey, or None. Also, include their name.

◈ H o u s e
House of Harold, House of Seraphine, House of Eusebia, or House of Ivar

◈ I l l u m i n a i r e
Yes or No. *Remember, there can only be one Illuminaire from each house within any given school year, so 4 in total each year. If multiple players from the same house want to be the Illuminaire, I will pick based on the quality of their character sheet.

◈ C l a s s e s
At least four, (no more than six for the REALLY ambitious students). *Please be mindful of certain class requirements based on your Year. For example, everyone must take Gifts, and 1st Years must take Sustained Flight.

◈ Gifts

◈ Class 2

◈ Class 3

◈ Class 4

◈ Class 5

◈ Class 6

◈ A r e Y o u O n Y o u r H o u s e ' s W a a g a T e a m?
Yes or No. This is basically the equivalency of a House Quidditch Team from Harry Potter.

◈ "Insert Character Quote" ◈

◈ P e r s o n a l i t y
Trait 1◈ Trait 2◈ Trait 3◈ Trait 4◈ Trait 5

1 to 3 paragraphs

◈ H i s t o r y
3 to 5 paragraphs

◈ R e p u t a t i o n
1 to 2 paragraphs. What is your reputation at the academy? Are you popular or known for being a troublemaker in a delinquent school gang? Do all the teachers love you for being a star student or are all the students scared of you cause you're a bully? Or are you just the shy invisible nobody-new kid? Let us know here.

◈ G o a l s
What are your character's goals, dreams, aspirations, or ambitions after graduation?

◈ R e l a t i o n s
Family members, friends, lovers, crushes, enemies, rivals, mentors, etc.

◈ "Insert Character Quote" ◈

◈ M y s t i c C l a s s i f i c a t i o n
Elementalist, Somatic, Psychiccer, or Astra

◈ G i f t
The unofficial title or name for your gift(s)

◈ M y s t i c C o d e
Please describe your gift.

◈ L i m i t a t i o n s a n d W e a k n e s s e s
Every gift has a limitation and/or weakness. Please describe it here.

Harold's Academy for the Magically Inclined

Theme of Lekë

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.

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.

Academy Uniforms

Standard Uniforms must be worn during normal school hours. However, they are gender-neutral, so students can wear whichever uniform is comfortable for them. Students are not required to wear their standard uniforms in their dormitories or when off-campus visiting other islands.

Standard Uniforms

Battle Uniforms are worn during combat, training sessions, honorary ceremonies, and on missions. These uniforms conform to the body of the wearer, while the drapes provide better aerodynamics for improved maneuverability and speed while flying in combat.

Battle Uniforms

Aquatic Uniforms are specialized uniforms only worn when swimming in the ocean below, swimming in an aquasphire, or when playing Waaga.

Aquatic Uniforms

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.

The School Grounds

Rosalia Courtyard

The Rosalia Courtyard is at the front entrance of the Academy and a place where many students relax first thing in the morning or during their downtime between classes. The students superstitiously believe that if you kiss your crush by the Rosalia Fountain at night, your love will last a lifetime (or risk detention trying).

Main Entrance

The Main Entrance is where new students enter the school for the first time. After that, it's common for some students to fly out an open window rather than go all the way back down to the main entrance to leave or enter the academy. While there is no strict rule saying students can't fly out their windows (except under emergency circumstances), some professors see it as poor etiquette and may give you detention if they catch you (it's like sneaking out, basically).

Main Hall

The Main Hall is where you end up after entering the academy through the main entrance. This area feeds into the other parts of the school.

Main Ballroom

The Main Ballroom is a massive open room where many school events are held, such as the Traveling Merchant Festival and the quarterly Moonlit Masquerade Ball. When the room isn't being used for an event, it is just a space for students to hang out in.

House Dormitories

Students sleep, hang out, and regularly study in their House Dormitories. Students will pass through their House's Common Room before arriving at their bedroom. Every student has their own bedroom.


House of Harold Common Room


House of Seraphine Common Room


House of Eusebia Common Room


House of Ivar Common Room


House Dormitory Bedrooms

Academic Rooms

Classrooms


Library


The Astronomy Room is the highest point in the academy and is where students come to look and learn about the stars. Astronomy isn't popular with most students, though, so this room gets little use aside from the occasional unpermitted late-night party where students from different houses come together to dance, play around, eat snacks, and enjoy other unpermitted contraband brought in.

Headmistress's Office

The Headmistress's Office is normally located in the center of the Academy but has been known to instantaneously change locations. Students and professors can only enter with the explicit permission of the Headmistress.

Infirmary

The Infirmary is where students go when they are injured or sick. The Infirmary is managed by the Head Nurse and several healing fairies who help support the Head Nurse in his tasks.

Dining Hall

The Dining Hall is where feasts prepared by the kitchen staff are served (Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Tea, and Dinner). Students may request a snack from the kitchen staff in-between meals if they aren't too busy.

Dueling Room of Illusion

The Dueling Room of Illusion is a long, mostly empty hall where students come to duel or participate in team combat training scenarios. There's a magical holographic element to this room that allows the operator to cast a realistic illusion over the room, changing the environment, sounds, smell, touch, and even creating realistic illusions of enemies for students to test their magical powers and teamwork against. Students need permission from a professor or Illuminaire before booking this room outside of their scheduled training classes. (a la X-men's Danger Room)

Owlery

The Owlery is where the academy messenger owlettes and pet owlettes belonging to students live during their time at the academy. There is an Owlette Specialist who lives in a nearby room, whose sole job is to take care of the owlettes.

Portal Room

The Portal Room is a large chamber with a massive portal that connects Lekë to other worlds. The mystic artificers and engineers learned how to harness the energy produced by the Wrinkle in the Sky to create a portal of similar function. Sometimes students, with the guidance of a professor, traverse other worlds to complete missions, find valuable resources, etc. Students cannot and are not permitted to enter the Portal Room without the accompaniment of a professor. Not even Illuminaires have access to this room without a professor. Only two other portals, aside from the Wrinkle in the Sky, exist in Lekë. One is at the Parliament Headquarters and the other is at the Royal Family Palace. Due to the constant rotation of energy produced by the portal, the room is always windy.

Illuminaires' Secret Grotto

The Illuminaires' Secret Grotto is like a small little pub located deep under the academy. When Harold first built the school, she also built this secret grotto for herself as an "escape" when she needed to get away without being too far away. Harold also loved to drink so she had it well stocked. She never told a soul about the grotto, not even up till her death. At some point, one of the Illuminaires from a previous generation of students found it and only told the other Illuminaires. The Illuminaires began using it as their own secret hideaway to drink and relax, making it a rule to ONLY tell other Illuminaires about its location; from generation to generation, this tradition has remained. Illuminaires invite very few other students to their grotto (usually only the ones they REALLY like), but it does happen on occasion. However, for someone to enter the Illuminaires' grotto, they must be escorted personally by an Illuminaire and agree to wear a magical blindfold when being escorted to and from the grotto. They also must never tell anyone about the existence of the grotto. There are only ever 4 Illuminaires a year, but students who were previously Illuminaires still have the privilege of using the secret grotto.

Arslan Family Home

The Arslan Family Home is the modest chateau near the academy where Harold's family lived. It existed before the academy came into existence, but after the passing of Harold and her family, the chateau fell into disrepair. It is believed to be haunted. Senior students sometimes play pranks on first years by luring them to the home and then scaring the shit out of them. It really might be haunted though. Just saying...

Conservatory

The Conservatory serves as the school greenhouse and is where important herbs and plants are grown. The Herbology professor and students with a green thumb use this space the most outside of scheduled Herbology classes.

Guest House

The Guest House is where the royal family and parliament members stay when they visit the academy and stay overnight.

Training and Battle Colosseum

The Training and Battle Colosseum is where students participate in large-scale training sessions, and formal combat competitions between the houses are held in this multi-level arena.

Seraphim Terrace

The Seraphim Terrace, located on the backside of the school where the waterfall is, is the academy's Seraphim statue. This colossal structure, the stone shell of a now-deceased Ni-Seraphi, towers over the school grounds and can be seen from far away. When the school is under threat by something big, like a Ni-Seraphi, the Seraphim becomes animated to defend the school. There are terraformed tunnels and entryways into the school under the Seraphim statue. There are other important destinations in Lekë that are also guarded by Seraphim statues. Some people have issues with the repurposing of Seraphim statues due to the legacy of what they represent in Lekë's history.

Classes

Students are required to take four classes per year, up to six if they're really ambitious.

◈ Arithmetic and Mathematics

◈ Astronomy

◈ Physics

◈ Lekëon History (Students learn all about the present and past history of their world, Lekë.)

◈ Parliament Studies (Students learn all about the ins and outs of Parliament)

◈ Royal Studies (Students learn all about the ins and outs of the Royal Family)

◈ The Time of Tears (Students learn in-depth about the Time of Tears and the 72 Years Liberation War.)

◈ Oceanics (Teaches students about the Endless Ocean Below.)

◈ Swimming

◈ Waaga Riding (Only available to 2nd years and up. Students learn how to ride Waagas and play the game. Some students with enough skill may be invited to join their House's Waaga Team, if they aren't already on it, that is.)

◈ Sustained Flight (Teaches students how to improve their self-flight capabilities, including endurance, speed, and maneuverability.) (Required for 1st years.)

◈ Gifts (Teaches students how to control their magical gifts.) (Is required every year.)

◈ General Combat Training

◈ Teamwork (Students learn how to operate in teams, whether that be during combat or for completing a group project.)

◈ Daemons (Students learn about Daemons and how to defend against or subdue them.)

◈ Defense Against the Ni-Seraphi

◈ Ni-Seraphi History

◈ Skyship Piloting (Only available to 5th years and up.)

◈ Seraphim Piloting (Only available to 5th years and up.)

◈ Herbology

◈ Geology (Students learn about the geology of the sky islands.)

◈ Artificing and Magi-Tech Advancements

◈ Cartography

◈ Portal Studies (Students learn about other worlds that have been discovered and or explored.)

◈ Portal Exploration (This is a specialty extracurricular class with no set schedule. Classes seem to occur randomly whenever the Portal professor schedules one. Sometimes months pass before the professor schedules a portal exploration class. Nonetheless, this is a popular class with limited admission, as students who signed up for the class are chosen at the behest of the Portal professor. When a selection of students is chosen and a portal exploration class is scheduled, these students get to travel to a different world to complete a mission.)

◈ Pet Bonding (This is a popular extracurricular class cause its easy and fun, where students learn to bond, train, and just spend time with their pets.)

◈ Care of Lekëon Creatures

◈ Student Council (A student may join the student council under the leadership and guidance of the Illuminaires.)

◈ Art

◈ Music

◈ Theater (Students spend the entire semester putting together and performing a theater performance for an audience, including the Royal Family, at the end of the school year.)

◈ Apprenticeship and Support (A student may spend a semester helping out a professor as an apprentice or providing support to a facility in the academy, such as the infirmary, library, kitchen, etc.)

◈ Professions (Students learn about various professions they can pursue after graduation.)

◈ Theology (Students learn about the religions of Lekë, of which there are many.)

◈ Clubs (Students may start or join an extracurricular club(s), but a club must have at least four active members and be approved by the Headmistress.)

Harold's Academy for the Magically Inclined

Students are allowed to bring one pet with them to the academy, though it is not mandatory. There are only five permissible pets that students may choose from.

Owlette

Owlettes are owl-like creatures that can see in the dark and are trained to fetch and deliver items over short and long distances. Owlettes belonging to students live and are cared for by the Owlette Specialist in the Owlery.

Blue Spotted Wink

Blue Spotted Winks are a species of wink, small humanoid-shaped creatures that have a nasty habit of biting when they get annoyed or feisty. They're also very expensive, so very few students can afford one. Because of their "nipping" behavior, a student can only bring a blue-spotted wink if they have express permission from the Headmistress and have documentation showing their wink is highly trained and tamed. These are very high-maintenance pets.

Cait

Caits are one of, if not the most popular pets due to their loving nature, cute appearance, easy-going personalities, and low maintenance. They LOVE to nap and lounge around.

Gupoo

Gupoos are an inexpensive, super low maintenance pet that doesn't make noise, drink, or eat in the traditional sense. They absorb nutrients from the air through their skin. However, they are highly affectionate and float around like dandelions. They love to be cuddled, held, and are known to sleep right under their owners like a pillow or stuffed animal. They are very fluffy, but some students may find them a bit boring.

Tree Monkey

Tree Monkeys are highly intelligent pets with very dexterous hands and feet. They are very affectionate and can emote like humans. They can even mimic human speech and have been known to learn words from the humans around them. Tree Monkeys love to be in high places and sleep hanging upside down by their tails. Their snoring is melodic, like a lullaby, and is known to help people sleep better.

Endless Ocean Below

The Endless Ocean Below exist below the sky islands and there are no land masses on this ocean. The waters are full of fish and some dangerous sea creatures, but this vast endless body of water provides the main source of protein for humans and there are people highly trained to navigate these waters, sometimes with deadly endings. When someone dies, their body is put in a coffin made of a biodegradable seaglass and buried at sea in a ritual called Mer de Reves. This ritual is performed by a professional called a Funerailles.

Wrinkle in the Sky

The Wrinkle in the Sky is a colossal anomalous portal that appeared in the sky centuries ago and is where the Ni-Seraphi came from during their reign over Lekë. Due to the distortation of space, there is a persistent current of strong winds surrounding the vicinity, making it dangerous to be near the portal for extended periods of time. Sometimes Ni-Seraphi still come through this portal, but they are dispatched by academy students and members of the Lekë Royal Guard.

Parliament Headquarters

The Parliament Headquarters is where the members of parliament conduct business, like creating laws and overseeing the governance of the land. They sometimes work in cohesion with the Royal Family, but have significantly more power than the latter.

Royal Family Palace

The Royal Family Palace is where the Royal Family lives.

Aquasphire of Lost Leonnis

The Aquasphire of Lost Leonnis is an aquasphire that exist off the coast of Harold's Academy and is where house waaga teams go to train and compete in matches of Waaga against other house teams. In Lekë, a natural phenomenon exist where a large body of water in the shape of an orb rises up out the ocean and remains suspended in the sky like the islands. The phenomenm occurs very rarely, but several of these aquasphires exist throughout Lekë. Leonnis was a city that became enveloped in one of these aquasphires and is now used as an underwater battleground by academy Waaga Riders. Students also come to this Aquasphire during scheduled swimming classes, Waaga riding classes, and recreational swimming with a permission slip from the Aquasphire and oceanics professor.

Cespheus Prison

Cespheus Prison is where criminals are held. No one really knows what goes on in there.

Examples of Other Sky Islands

Sky Islands

As people can only fly for limited amounts of time, there are various types of skyships that the people of Lekë use to get around. Some are more suited for inner-city travel between several closely connected islands, while others operate to transport people across long distances. Some skyships are even used by the Royal Guard for combat and defense purposes. Here are some examples:

Skyships

Waaga is a homonym that describes a mostly docile whale-like creature and one of the few creatures from the ocean below that can rise from the sea and fly in the sky. It also refers to the popular sport played in Lekë by riding Waagas within an aquasphire. These individuals are referred to as Waaga Riders.

As mentioned before, Waaga is a game that's played within an aquasphire by Waaga Riders. There are 4 teams (with 8 players each) with only 3 players from each team on the field at any given time, making a total of 12 active players and 20 inactive players.

At the beginning of the game, each team has their own Yāsa jar, a magical item created specifically for this game. Prior to the match, each team must carefully collect 10 sea crystals (simply called stars) from the ocean below, which they hold inside their Yāsa jars. After collecting the stars into their jars, the teams have 10 minutes to strategically place their 10 stars wherever they want within the watery bubble arena (aquasphire), for a total of 40 stars in the arena at the start of the match.

Once the match begins, each team’s active Waaga Riders must battle it out to collect the other three teams' 10 stars into their own Yāsa jars. At the 5-minute mark, some stars begin to move throughout the aquasphire, picking up speed in small increments every 5 minutes that pass. Other stars may hide themselves in hard-to-find places, which has been known to prolong the match. When a team loses their 10 stars, they are out of the match, and the game resets with the remaining teams until only one team is left standing. Therefore, there are three rounds for a winner to be decided.

A team can collect a maximum of 30 stars total (10 from each opposing team) in the first round, 20 in the second round, etc. Teams can form alliances and betray each other to take out key competitors during the match. Waagas must be trained to listen to their Waaga rider. Some are faster or slower than others, depending on how much training they’ve endured from their Waaga Rider. There are special facilities that house and train Waagas (like a horse stable).

Waagas and Waaga Riders

Harold's Academy for the Magically Inclined

@Aeolian Any idea how many people you are aiming for?

@Benzaiten

I don't have a specific number I'm aiming for. But it's a large group school RP, so it's fine if the number of people is on the higher end. Some people drop off anyways (which is normal), so a larger group helps to mitigate the impact of some of that shedding.

Harold's Academy for the Magically Inclined

You guys are really eager; that's great. lol

I'm working right now, but will have the IC thread and the official character sheet ready by the end of today.

Cheers!

Harold's Academy for the Magically Inclined

I was thinking of making a second year elementalist traditionally from an aeroflying daemon matriachy but is reforming himself as he grows out of his damilys shadow and learns his other heart is far more pyromatic. He fencces and looks up lyquistics alot in the library, if anyone needs a spitfire twerp around. Eagerly awaiting this I'll draw up a portrait in the mean time.

@Deja

AEOLIAN

I think that's a great concept. The son of a Daemon matriarchy would probably have to unlearn some things from their upbringing but remember, for his mother to have been classified as a Daemon, she has done some bad stuff and is likely a fugitive of the Royal Guard, as all Daemons are if they are not already being held in Cespheus Prison, some have just managed to avoid capture.

Also, I think it's great that you're drawing up a portrait, but I might ask you to use a more high-quality character art when it's time to submit your character sheet. I'm pretty flexible I think, but I tend to be a stickler for high-quality aesthetics, as you might have already guessed. lol

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Hmm I might go with a Somatic, I like shapeshifters. Thinking someone who can take on feline traits, and with training might even learn to fully turn into a wildcat. Kitty characters are a go-to thing for me.

They'd be curious and adventurous, and of course they'd have a pet cait.

As for Discord, in my experience RPs with them last longer than RPs without, but yeah toxic people are a concern. I RP with a few people here though, namely Crimson Flame, TheNoCoKid and Emeth, and can attest that they're respectful.

@LuckyBlackCat

AEOLIAN

A feline-based Somatic shapeshifter totally works. She could be like the cat version of Rahne Sinclair from X-men, who could turn into a semi-wolf and full wolf form. Also, thanks for vouching for your friends. That does give me some reassurance. :)

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The character I have in mind is a Light elementalist with an interesting relationship with their gender.

They come from a prominent noble family who are heavily involved with the church, they were bullied for being different, and found acceptance in the church. They think their gift is a sign from the deity that they worship that they were destined for bigger things.

They act all haughty and superior to mask their loneliness.

@Crimson Flame

AEOLIAN

That totally works. There are many religions throughout Lekë and each island has its own culture to a degree, so your character could definitely come from a noble family with heavy religious ties. Not at the level of the Royal Family of course, but I'm sure the aristocracy does exist to a lesser extent in certain places. Which means your character probably comes from money and certain privileges, despite the bullying. The overt personality traits represent that overcompensation as the spoiled, rich, but bullied, lonely noble child archetype. Delusions of grandeur perhaps? I like it. :)

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I'm not the most active in group RPs but I've only ever seen one member of one Discord server from this site stir up trouble. They wrote some stuff that broke forum rules and kinda ignored the main plot in general, so I consider them a pretty special case. I've never used Discord for anything else except keeping in touch with a few RL friends, but I could imagine random servers for subreddits getting pretty toxic. It's not an issue I've run into with RPGuild though, but alas, I do a lot of lurking in the 1x1 section mostly, so my opinion might not be the most representative.

I'm working on my character now, actually. Her ability that falls in the telepath/empath category is something I've wanted to play for a long time but never found the right RP for it. Basically, she can see the connections between people, visually represented as threads of various colors, texture and thickness. By touching them, she can directly feel how others feel about each other, and by plucking them like a stringed instrument, she might hear a stray thought or two. By implication, she should be able to manipulate those threads somehow, like strengthening/weakening or outright creating/breaking them, but because of some childhood trauma, she has an extreme aversion to messing with them too much.

She has another ability which works kind of like a heavily nerfed version of Koishi's ability from the Touhou series. She can slip away from the collective consciousness of everyone around her and become imperceptible, but there's tons of limitations on it due to her inexperience. It's probably more comparable to being Anonymous/Blended in Assassin's Creed if you've ever played or watched one of those. Basically, if she does anything that's too high-profile (like tripping over her own two feet), her cloak fails and she becomes perceptible again. I have a cute idea that she could be using this ability to attend more than six classes on the sly, but let me know if that's chronologically impossible.

I currently have a half-baked idea that she has "The Kiss" but one of her aeonhearts is kinda funky, so she intermittently loses access to one of her abilities and a good chunk of her vitesse. She spends an unusual amount of time in the infirmary as a result, which could lead to some inconvenient questions being asked. I'm thinking she hasn't been found out yet since one of her abilities is an easily kept secret and the other helps her escape unwanted attention. I think making her a first year would be fun too so there's that in the cards.

So, a mixed bag of pretty powerful abilities with pretty powerful weaknesses, and unlikely to see combat (of her own volition).

@Emeth

AEOLIAN

Interesting. So she's an Astra with a telempathy kind of power. Emma from Mutant-X had a telempathy power, so it could work. I think the way you described it is lovely and you'd be surprised what she could do in combat. She's a support role on the battlefield. She could use her telepathic threads to boost the teams morale, help two bickering teammates work better as a team, help someone whose given up to get back up and fight again. Don't shoot yourself short. :) In fact, with her spending so much time in the infirmary, maybe she can take up an apprenticeship under the nurse and become somewhat of the field medic during battles. But yes, I think whenever we're dealing with psychic powers that can influence others, we want to be wise and use that gift with caution if its to be used on other player-controlled characters. Perhaps getting permission on the front end is the best policy if not being used on an NPC.

The Second Ability is cool too. Reminds me of an X-men character called ForgetMeNot, who had the power of imperceptibility. Though I think it's good that you put some limitations on it to keep it grounded. :) And I think it's possible she could use it to attend more than six classes. What she'd be doing is similar to what Hermoine did with the time-turner. Yeah, most Mystic's with the Seraph's Kiss keep one of their gifts hidden, IF POSSIBLE. Some people can't due to the nature of their magic. The school staff and Headmistress would definitely know about one of her gifts (I imagine the telempathy), how else would she be at the academy right if they didn't already know beforehand? lol

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Despite building what would otherwise be a fairly combat heavy character, there was actually the idea of leaning more on the artifice side of things for her lol. Like, yeah on one hand in my head there was the gunslinger with artificed revolvers and some kind of 1600's style magitech wheel-lock repeating rifle going on monster hunts with the class or using specialized ammunition during the magic duels mentioned in the OP for the Colosseum or Dueling Room. Then on the other there was the idea of exploring the entire concept of actually making these things and testing them in something like the Halls of Artifice or whatever kinds of workshops they may have. Things like building new arms and legs, new and hopefully improved tools for expeditions, and of course a vitesse controlled laser eye. You know, to replace the one she lost lmao.

But yeah, I totally get trying to lean more towards the actual school-life aspect of X-Men rather than what we usually get from it, though I would say that there could still be a place for things like weapons training and hunting classes. I mean, not every jaunt through a portal is going to be a nice and relaxing one, right?

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Having been around the forums for a bit now, I do feel that while there is a downside to Discord in that it can direct more conversations away from the thread and present the appearance of inactivity, there is a much greater benefit to having it from the expedience of character planning, the ability to quickly and dynamically develop pre-existing character relations, and of course the most important thing of all... A place to shitpost without disrupting the thread lmao.

But also, while I don't really know many of the people who have expressed interest so far, that at least means that most of the people here are alright enough that they don't have a reputation for themselves lmao. That I know of...

@Alfhedil

AEOLIAN

I definitely appreciate your creativity. And while combat is definitely a part of this RP, let's air on the side of nuance when it comes to what kind of artifice weapons she crafts for herself. She's still a school student after all. It'd be a bit odd to bring guns to a magical powers fight against other students, you know? LOL But if she does create a few weapons, she could probably use them during her portal missions or during combat against foes in Lekë. Again, she's an older student and experienced, so I imagine she might have permission to work on her craft. But yeah its true, some jaunts through the portal will be incredibly dangerous. But that's also the nature of X-men. The X-men are constantly put in perilous situations time and time again and they usually only ever have their teamwork and powers to rely on to get them through. I see those same struggles happening in this RP as opportunities for the characters to grow, rather than having weapons that, in some ways, may act as a safety net. Like with the X-men, life isn't always going to be easy or convenient. Sometimes you just gotta work with what you were born with. haha but yeah, there probably won't be weapons training or hunting classes and I want combat to be a nuanced addition rather than the center of it. But there is the General Combat Training class, Defense Against the Ni-Seraphi class, and Daemons class which are more combat focused and would help students prepare for combat situations. There's the Artificing and Magi-Tech Advancements class too, so I imagine there's a workshop in whatever classroom that class is held in where your character can artifice (maybe the Artificery Workshop or something. I'll figure it out lol). I like the idea of a vitesse-powered laser eye, very magi-tech :)

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Great to see that you are back on your feet @Aeolian. Very impressive return. Keeping an eye on this for sure! :)

@Mirandae

AEOLIAN

Thanks babe. :) It's been a minute, but it's time to jump back into another story. Hope to see you hop in. You're the aesthetics queen, so I always appreciate your presence to elevate an RP.

Harold's Academy for the Magically Inclined

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Excellent, that works pretty well with both ideas I had in mind and gives me a bit of a better idea on how to work things.

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Okay so, with a bit more thonking involved and reworking some old ideas for the same character, the idea I'm leaning more towards is this. Sixth or Seventh year at most, but right around 20 either way and someone quite specialized in artifice due to her mentor. Workshopping an NPC here, a rather old man who's been around the Academy for #awhile and for a brief time fought in the 72 Year Liberation Wars as Tyren the Boneweaver for his combination of in-depth medical and artifice knowledge, but he's not really inclined to speak about those times simply referring to how he helped put people back together after the war. He's basically teaching Corrine(Just the first name for now for convenience lol) everything he knows about artifice and doing his best to steer her down the path of building and repairing, though she's not even near his level yet. There's more to the relationship between the two, but most I'll say for now is that it was Tyren who brought her to the Academy after putting her back together from a rather traumatic event.

And on the other end of the character, aside from her skill with artifice and love for making her own replacement parts, I was leaning towards the idea of her being older for a bit of a theme I like for this one in particular. That idea being that she's got a bit of a reputation for heroics and taking on rather dangerous missions through the portals. All sorts of rumors about how she's done this and that, how each trip through the portal is some epic saga. In truth, she's an absolute disaster and is winging it. Which is why she's more artifice than person at this point and to those who really know her feel she's more of a bad luck charm than anything. Like, she's almost a magnet for bad stuff lol. But hey, she makes it work somehow.

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This is excellent, as I was going to rock a bit of a arcane/magitech gunslinger vibe with Corrine lmao. Also discord is pretty convenient, just to add in from above.

@Alfhedil

AEOLIAN

Wonderful character concept. Very cool indeed! The ideas you have really help to flesh her out in this world and make her more well-rounded and real.

Although you won't be happy to read this lol But I only mentioned magical guns as an example of something that does exist in the world. Students at the academy don't use weapons. It's not an academy thing. Those weapons would be used by the Royal Guard, which is something a student might aspire to be after graduation. Now, if you're character's artificing skills help them, to say, create some kind of makeshift magical gun-like weapon for just herself, then I think that would be okay since she's a senior student and may have gotten permission from a professor to use it. Kind of like Forge from X-men uses his power to create magi-techy weapons for himself, but just himself. Weapons aren't something just readily available to students at the academy. They must rely on their magical gifts for combat and not everyone has a gift that is well-suited for combat. And that's okay. They can be useful in other ways.

It's funny, I went back and forth on whether or not students used weapons like guns, wands, swords, bow and arrows, etc. I even had created an Armory room and art for it at one point while drafting. Ultimately, I decided against it because I don't necessarily want this RP to be a fight fight fight fight fight kind of RP where everyone can run into any dangerous situation guns a blazing. I liked the more X-men approach, where students have to be more clever in combat situations because they are limited to the capabilities and weaknesses of their magical gift and nothing else. This also would require more thoughtful teamwork and would allow non-combat focused characters opportunities to shine in their own unique way. Guns and weapons and such kind of oversimplify any dangerous situation. So ultimately yeah, students don't use guns and weapons LOL

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I can begin working on a character as soon as you have a sheet. Gonna have some fun with this one for sure.

Are you Discordly inclined, by the way?

@Emeth

AEOLIAN

Wonderful. I'm working on the character sheet now. Repurposing one I created for a 1x1 RP I semi-started with someone a while back.

And I am considering a Discord. I'm not strictly opposed to it so long as everyone is Respectful of one another. That's REALLY big for me. I've seen Discords divulge into pettiness, personal attacks and really toxic behavior. Soooo, I'm not sure I'll start one for this RP, but I won't say no definitively. Giving it thoughtful consideration. Again, respect and kindness is KEY. Even if people disagree about something, it should be discussed with civility and maturity, no matter what.

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I'll be crossing my fingers that my idea isn't too similar to yours!

I'm probably doing a character who's not very useful in combat. Hopefully that's okay.

@Emeth

AEOLIAN

It is totally okay for your character to have a non-combat-oriented gift. They can shine and be useful in other capacities. Combat is only one element of this RP, so non-combat-focused characters are just as important to flesh out this story. Also, it is okay for characters to have similar gifts, so long as they're not completely identical.

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The moment I read that part about Psychiccers being mistrusted I knew I had to have my character being either a telepath or an empath, and have them be a friendless girl with a privacy-invasive power, who tries to overcompensate by being bubbly and agreeable.

@Silver Carrot

AEOLIAN

That is a perfectly plausible characterization for a Mystic Psychiccer and makes sense due to the cultural implications. Nuanced takes like this add to the dark undertones I mentioned will be present in this RP. Excellent. :)

Harold's Academy for the Magically Inclined

@Crimson Flame

Great question. Id say the technology is mostly gaslamp fantasy mixed with some magitech influences when it's convenient lol For example, the Portal Room and the skyships are more magitech in nature, but students don't have cellphones or flashlights, they send letters and use magical lamps to light their way through a dark corridor. Everyday living conveniences/"technologies" are gonna more magical Edwardian in nature. Think, Howls Moving Castle, right? The technology is of the Edwardian Era (so slight steampunk influences may be present in this RP too), but the fuel for everything is Vitesse (mana), the real power is magical. Just specific things may lean more into the magi-tech realm because it serves the narrative or plot, but those aspects are only vestiges within the grand scheme of a world that lies squarely within the magical gaslamp fantasy realm. So most things will have an Edwardian European vintage flare to them (with some quasi-modern European aesthetics, like the school uniform is very modern Europe). That includes the technology, like magical guns do exist as does the classic sword and shield. Both may have an Edwardian fantasy gaslamp look to them, but function in a quasi-modern magi-tech sort of way, fueled by magic. In some ways, this world is more aesthetic than practical. And that's okay. That's basically Howls Moving Castle in some regards anyways.

Hope that answers your question...clearly enough lol Cheers!