The Library
You enter the library of The Academy, and the first thing you notice is its size. Shelves upon shelves of knowledge span three floors, with a central atrium. Rows of long desks span the length of the library, and you can see a few people seated with stacks of books. The library is largely empty, and your echoing footsteps can likely be heard at the opposite end of the hall.
Near the back of the atrium stands several podiums. They're all empty but the central one, upon which a thick, leather bound tome sits. It's likely very old, judging by the wear and tear of the cover, and the smell of old parchment that hits you as you approach it. On the cover is an engraving of a wheel, with eight spokes extending from the centre. The words on the cover are foreign to you, a strange alphabet forming what you can only guess is the title. Luckily there is a small card below the book, presenting its name: The Legend of the Seven Mages. You lift the cover delicately, and begin to read.
The world was once whole, but due to a great cataclysm, it was shattered into nineteen planes. The darkness that caused the cataclysm was powerful, and claimed twelve of the planes for its own. this left seven realms of light, protected by the good in people's hearts from the darkness that sought to destroy them.
In the beginning, when the darkness was fresh and overflowing with power, each of the realms of light agreed that they'd need a way to defend themselves from this threat. So, the seven greatest mages of light, one from each realm, gathered together in Sanctuary, the most well defended of the planes of light. They pooled their power and knowledge to create the perfect defence against the darkness; the Crystal Heart, a source of power that draws from the good in people's hearts.
The Crystal Heart quickly grew powerful, drawing on the good of the seven realms of light. It was then tasked by the mages to create the perfect weapon to defeat the darkness once and for all. In a great flash of light, their creation bestowed upon the mages seven weapons; the seven Keyblades of Pure Light. This task drew greatly from the Heart, and it fell into slumber.
Each Keyblade was shaped differently, though each was in the shape of a large key. The mages quickly discovered that the Keyblades magnified the strength of their magic prodigiously.
Soon after, the mages were called to deal with a crisis of grave importance; the first of the realms of light, Mercy, had been breached, and was being overrun by the army of darkness; the Heartless. The mages rushed to the aid of the realm. While their magical power was great, their new weapons proved to be even more effective in defeating the legions of heartless destroying the plane. Despite their immense boost in power, the mages were unable to drive the overwhelming swarms of Heartless from Mercy.
In their retreat, the mage native to Mercy did not survive, instead sacrificing himself to ensure the escape of the other mages. His unparalleled bravery and boundless strength would not be soon forgotten. The plane was ultimately lost, its ties to the others severed, though the majority of its citizens managed to escape to Sanctuary with the mages.
Upon their return to Sanctuary, the six remaining mages discovered that the Crystal Heart had awoken from its slumber. After much deliberation, the mages tasked the Heart with solving their dilemma. The mages could not fight the darkness alone, even with the immense power of the Keyblades of Pure Light. The Heart glowed brightly, and with its vast well of magic power, altered the land around it. The rolling, empty hills surrounding the mages' tower came to be covered in flowers, of many colours and sorts. The meadow then came to be filled, as far as the eye could see, with Keyblades.
These Keyblades, called the Blades of the Legion, would allow the mages to recruit those with pure light in their heart to wield them. They would gain the power to vanquish heartless with the Keyblades, though their power would not be as great as the mages'. The mages studied these Keyblades closely, and found that no two were alike. They found that, while any of their number could wield these blades, many others who tried would find themselves unable to even uproot the Keyblades from the fertile earth they were planted in. The mages came to call this meadow the Keyblade Garden.
The mages quickly took to finding those who could wield the Keyblades, and began to train them. They taught them magic and trained them in the art of vanquishing Heartless. Once they were deemed strong enough, the new wielders of the Blades of the Legion returned to their home planes, and protected them from any Heartless that sneaked through their defences. This protection continued for several years, and the numbers of the newly formed Keyblade Guard grew steadily.
Justice, the second plane of light, was swarmed with Heartless in a matter of hours. The Mages of Light were first alerted when Blades of the Legion began reappearing in the Keyblade Garden en masse, signalling the death of their wielders. They sent out a call to all the Keyblade Legionnaires from all the planes to rush to Justice at once. Masters and apprentices alike fought valiantly to protect Justice, but they were too late. The realm was too far consumed by darkness, beyond salvation. The people of Justice were saved, but the plane was ultimately lost to the darkness. The loss of his home was too much to bare for the second mage, and he fell into despair, disappearing into the darkness.
It was at this point that the remaining mages began to worry. Even with the Keyblades of Pure Light and the Keyblade Guard, they could not prevent the fall of yet another Plane of Light. So they returned to the chamber of the Crystal Heart, and found it once again pulsing with light, awoken from its slumber. The five mages of light decided that they must find a way to ensure the safety of the people of the remaining realms, and tasked the heart with this burden; in the event of the loss of another realm, the Heart would pull any survivors to Sacrifice, shielding them from the collapse of their plane. Sacrifice would become a safe haven for the ultimately homeless, housing them from the dark storm brooding on the horizon. With a dazzling flash of light, the Crystal Heart made it so, connecting the hearts of the people of the planes to Sacrifice.
For months the mages poured their hearts ever the more passionately into finding a further solution to the encroaching darkness. The people of the planes grew scared and weary, losing faith in the mages. The mages sympathised with the people, and sent one of their number, the third mage of light, to guide them. The third mage spoke soothing words to the people, calming them, ensuring them that the mages would do everything in their power to protect them. The people venerated the third mage as their saint, and trusted in him absolutely.
When the third realm, Sacrifice, began to fall, the mages realized the solemnly inevitable truth. Without a power strong enough to eliminate the darkness at its source, they could not banish it forever. The mages and legionnaires fought valiantly for Sacrifice, but as Justice and Mercy did before it, it fell to the darkness within days. The third mage, unable to face the people he had failed to protect, stayed behind in Sacrifice, even as its ties to the other realms were severed. The people of the planes mourned his sacrifice greatly, and revered him as a martyr. Thousands turned up to the mages' tower to show support and to join their cause.
The third mage's death inspired the mages to redouble their efforts, and the fruits of their labour were borne. They mage's found that to destroy the darkness for good, they would open a door to the dark realm of origin that the darkness had spawned in. They discovered that this plane of darkness was in fact one of the twelve outer Planes of Darkness that the Heartless has claimed upon the shattering of the world, though they knew not which. For months the mages attempted to divine the location of the Plane of Pure Darkness, as they could not attempt to open a door to an outer plane without being absolutely certain of its importance. To do so hastily would risk the livelihood of Sanctuary and all the people of the realms of light.
After many months of unfettered research, the mages were interrupted by the collapse of the fourth plane of light, Persistence. The strength and ranks of the legionnaires had grown mighty, but even still the realm was lost. More than half the Planes of Light had been lost to the darkness, and the mages had only mere speculation to show for it. This infuriated the fourth mage, and having lost his home, confided in the other mages an unsavoury plan: He would task the Crystal Heart with discovering the location of the Plane of Pure Darkness. The other mages immediately understood the weight of the fourth mage's words; they knew no task thus far had been of such consequence, and that the Heart would require a supplement of pure light to complete it. The fourth mage understood this, and approached the Crystal Heart with conviction in his soul. In a flash of light the mage was gone, absorbed into the Heart, and the knowledge of the location of the Plane of Pure Darkness was imparted on the remaining three mages of light.
The mages set about building a machine that could open a door to the Plane of Pure Darkness. This project was led by the fifth mage, who's passion burned brightly. He saw the salvation of the Planes of Light within his grasp, and inspired all those around him to see the same. The door was completed earlier than expected with efforts by the whole of the peoples of light, a mere four years after the sacrifice of the fourth mage. The mages decided that to defeat the Darkness, the majority of the Keyblade Legionnaires would be required. So it was, and five thousand keyblade wielders were gathered to the door, the fifth mage leading them into battle. The remaining two mages would stay behind with a fraction of the legion, and would perform the rite of the Crystal Heart to power the door to the Plane of Pure Darkness.
And so the rite was performed, and five thousand legionnaires passed through to the home of the Heartless, the door slamming shut behind them. The people of light waited for some sign of their victory for days. Days turned to months, and months to years. Six years passed, and not a single keyblade returned to the Keyblade Garden, nor did the engulfed Planes of Light relinquish their darkened ties. After six years, the fifth plane, Knowledge, was lost. The greatly diminished numbers of the legion and the two mages could hold no ground against the ever powerful heartless, and Knowledge was overrun in mere hours.
The truth of their futility hardened the heart of the sixth mage, who made a solemn vow to protect his home plane, Bravery, when the darkness inevitably arrived to claim it. The mage consulted his only remaining comrade, and the two devised a rite to bestow upon him the entirety of the Crystal Hearts energy. They hypothesized that this could allow him to beat back the Heartless swarm, and with his super charged Keyblade of Pure Light, follow the trail of Heartless straight to their source.
The pair waited for months, ensuring that they would be prepared to react immediately. When the time came, the mages reacted like clockwork. The rite was performed, and all the light that the Crystal Heart had built up was released, and infused into the sixth mage. He became god-like in power, and was able to transport himself to Bravery in a fraction of a second. Those that witnessed the mage as they were escaping described him as an angel of light, vaporising swaths of Heartless with his presence alone, and eliminating the more powerful beasts with a single swipe of his blade.
Inexplicably, however, the sixth mage disappeared. The sixth plane of light was severed from Sanctuary, and the angel of light was never heard from again. Some who witnessed his spender told stories of the being flashing in and out of existence as he approached the source of the swarm, and others reported that he disappeared into a hole in the sky. Others still told of witnessing his downfall, even his heavenly power no match for the overwhelming destruction of the Darkness.
Sanctuary was left alone, a solitary beacon of light in a world shattered and warped by Darkness. The population of Sanctuary overflowed with displaced souls, each vying for their home, but ultimately accepting in their fate; they had no home to return to. So the people of light rebuilt, formed mighty cities and powerful guards against the darkness that beseiged their final bastion. The seventh, final mage performed one last duty before locking himself behind the doors of his tower. He tasked the Crystal Heart with a final mission; Protect the people of Sanctuary, and repel the Darkness for as long as their is good in people's hearts. The Crystal Heart glowed brightly for one last time, and the seventh plane of light was blessed with a blessing of light; for as long as the seven keys of light remain distant from Sanctuary, their absence will act as its shield. After this final rite, the final mage closed the doors of the tower for good, and disappeared forever.
The remainder of the Blade of the Legion committed themselves to the protection of the plane, though even they eventually faded into obscurity. Eventually Sanctuary forgot about the world outside their walls, and of the mages. The legends of great warriors, baring Weapons of Pure Light, however, were not forgotten. Though the number of keyblade masters in the present can be counted on one hand, their legacy live on, in the form of the Rite of the Legion. This is a traditional ceremony for students in Sanctuary in their sixteenth year, and serves as a reminder of the sacrifices that keyblade bearers have made in the past to protect their home.
Though thousands of students participate each year, it is not uncommon for no keyblade bearers to be chosen at all, and at most a dozen will be chosen. These bearers are then given the choice to join the remaining keyblade masters and train to become legionnaires, or to reject the offer, and never be offered the chance again. This rite has been transpiring for centuries, and is only barely keeping the ranks of the Keyblade Guard alive.
You find a section on life in Sanctuary. You take a few books and sit down to read.
The plane of Sanctuary is known as the Last Plane of Pure Light. It exists as a beacon of light in a sea of darkness; A safe haven for those whose ancestors lost their homes long ago. Sanctuary is bathed in the warm, welcoming light of its twin suns, Sol and Nova, creating a perpetual summery environment. The plane of Sanctuary can be divided into four "rings", each with a different domain and purpose.
The centre of Sanctuary is filled by the city of Haven, the capital of the plane. It houses the majority of the population, and is filled with life. The culture of Haven is mixed and rich, its people claiming ancestry from all six of the lost planes. The streets are old and constantly busy, its buildings tall and close together, almost touching in some places. During the day there is a quiet hustle and bustle to it all, but at night the streets come alive; Music and laughter can be heard from all corners, as people drink to forget or experience nights to remember. Haven is truly a city of Light, a place where anyone can feel safe. This is due in part to the prestige and renown of the city's central institution, the Academy of Light, and their elite soldiers, the Keyblade Guard. They patrol the streets at night, ensuring the protection of each and every of Haven's charges.
Surrounding the walled city of Haven is a stretch of fertile plains and rolling hills. Here, farmers, herders and workers form tight knit communities and villages, manual labour moulding them into a strong, independent people. These villages are numerous in the plains, and serve as a close second in population to Haven when counted together. While their culture can widely vary by the families in each town, they all share a common love of the outdoors, and a respect for the sweat of a hard day's work, whether it be farming the land, herding sheep, forging steel, or training to be a soldier. The area of most note in these plains is the Keyblade Garden; an ancient meadow of beautiful flowers and serene lakes, dotted with Keyblades, rooted firmly into the ground. Fables tell of a time when the blades were as numerous as the flowers they grew from, but this legend has long since faded from memory.
Beyond the plains lies the Dark Forest, though its name is more symbolic than literal in modern times. Small logging and mining communities dot the forest, though they are few and far between. Tall, thick walls surround each village, a relic of darker times, when shadows were plentiful, and could strike at a moments notice. These people tend to be closed off and keep to themselves, wary of travellers. This has garnered them a reputation of being blunt and rude, a cold people who care little for the world outside their walls. Despite this, the villages of the Forest trade frequently with the inner rings, providing the majority of the natural resources needed for any sort of construction.
The final ring lies just outside the Dark Forest, and consists of miles of cliffs and beaches, punctuated by several notable port towns. Built into the rocks of the Sanctuary coastline, the lives of the fishermen and their families are much colder than those of the inland populations. This has made the dock people a hardy sort, acclimatised to the harsh environment. They have many myths surrounding the wide and unforgiving sea that surrounds Sanctuary. They know it gives no respite, and the sailors who ford it respect it, for it has taken many lives. The sea is also the boundary of the plane of Sanctuary, as none have crossed its rough and stormy outskirts successfully, and even if they could, fables tell that it simply drops off at the realm's edge.
You stumble upon a section about the other Planes of Light. They seem very old, and were probably written before the fall even began. You pick up a few volumes and get to reading.
The Plane of Bravery is relatively large plane, the second largest of the seven realms of light. It boasts a continent rivalling the size of Sanctuary, and several smaller islands surrounding it. Large castles and bustling towns dot the mountainous landscape, with sweeping forests and majestic seas tucked away between ridges and in valleys. Small villages and tiny hamlets abound as well, tucked away into every nook and cranny imaginable. One of the main features of Bravery is it's extensive train system. Over hundreds of years, miles of track have been built into the landscape, connecting every major population centre for easy transportation of its people. The trains of Bravery are powerful iron beasts, capable of crossing the plane in a matter of days.
The Plane is home to a proud people, who put duty before self and the protection of others above all else. History's greatest Knights and soldiers hail from Bravery, their valour knowing no bounds. Their people are simple but care-free, a dozen races living together in harmony. They are most happy with a hard day's work, and are warm and inviting to travellers. The people of Bravery have embraced magic with open arms, and have integrated it into their society. Grand airships powered by wind crystals carry hundreds of passengers to towns unreachable by foot. Fleets of boats powered by water crystals allow quick movement from the main land to islands, making travel and trade easily accessible. Mages are almost as common as knights in Bravery, and become beacons of wisdom and knowledge, bettering life for all citizens of the Planes of Light.
Notably, Bravery houses four crystal monoliths of immense power, whose influence stretches beyond the bounds of the plane. They embody the four houses of magic; the Wind Crystal, which embodies Lightning and Aero magic, the Earth Crystal, which embodies Gravity and Cure magic, the Fire Crystal, which embodies Fire and Holy magic, and the Water Crystal, which embodies Ice and Reflect magic.
Each of these crystals is housed in a lavish temple, one on each of the main landmasses of Bravery. The Earth Crystal is housed on the mainland, in the capitol of the plane, Cornelia. The temple rests below the castle, and is protected by the royal family. The Wind Crystal us kept on the southern island of Gaia, mountainous and under constant barrage by maelstroms and storms. The island is uninhabited save for the Lightning Guard, who protect for Wind Crystal in it's temple upon the peak of Gaia's highest mountain. The temple of the Water Crystal rests at the bottom of a frozen lake, and is inaccessible by normal means. The lake rests at the centre of the northern island of Onrac, the largest island in an archipelago that stretches the length of the mainland. Finally, the temple of the Fire Crystal sits at the centre of the holy city of Lufenia. Lufenia is a heavily guarded city, with tall, defensive walls. The crystal is guarded by the Knights of the Holy Crystal, who worship the crystal for its holy properties. Lufenia rests on the island of the same name, east of the mainland.
The Plane of Knowledge is one of the smallest planes, boasting a single, huge city that stretches until the boundaries of the plane, called San-Fransokyo. The residents of the plane have covered every square inch in massive skyscrapers and concrete streets. Overhead, gigantic wind turbines tethered to buildings power the city. At its edges, the earth drops off, giving way to a vast, empty expanse that goes on forever. The expansion of the city has pushed beyond these boundaries however, with several miles of floating buildings pushing outward in every direction, and impressive flying farms producing food for the city on the backs of enormous aircraft.
The people of Knowledge are logical, creative and knowledgeable. Instead of embracing magic like some other planes, they rejected it outright, and instead pursued science and technology. This allowed them to flourish in their comparatively tiny environment. They made great leaps and bounds in knowledge, and shared that knowledge with the other Planes of Light. The greatest of scientists make their home in Knowledge, pledging to better the lives of all those who refuse to shy away from the future. The culture of Knowledge is lively and opinionated, great minds clashing on all matters that could be debated. The people of Knowledge never settle for less than the best for themselves or their peers, and scientific competition is fierce.
You approach an oak counter, littered with papers and books. Behind the piles parchment sits a Black Mage, his face hidden under a thick leather wizards hat as he writes away diligently. You cough, and he looks up startled, his black face expressionless but his glowing yellow eyes filled with life.
"Oh! Hello there! Welcome to the Library. Oh don't worry about this, I welcome distractions from all this boring paperwork. What can I help you with?"
You ask to see the staff records, and he points you toward a cabinet beside the desk. You open it up carefully and begin perusing.
Augustus Monday
Headmaster, Keyblade Master, General of the Keyblade Guard
51
Male
Human
Sunrise Above Sanctuary
The Headmaster of the Academy, and leader of the Keyblade Guard. He coordinates the Guard from the war room in the academy, and thus Keyblade wielders from all over Sanctuary are coming and going often. The Academy acts as their home base, and Augustus as their prime authority figure. Augustus is often very reserved and quiet, and raises his voice only to shout instructions to subordinates. He is very strict and adheres closely to every rule imaginable. As a tactician he is very gifted, and commands the Guard with ease, delineating and delegating masterfully to maximize the effectiveness of his relatively thin ranks. On the battlefield, General Monday fights proudly alongside the Keyblade Guard, using Sunrise Above Sanctuary. His style is brutal and fast, striking down swaths of shadows and shredding larger heartless in moments. In his prime, Augustus could take on entire legions of Heartless single handedly, though he rarely needed to. He was part of a small, elite team that protected Sanctuary in its darker hours, and acted as their leader. His dedication to the People of Light earned him his powerful Keyblade, and drove him straight to the top of the Guard.
Ida Veer
Professor of Swordplay, Keyblade Master, Lieutenant General of the Keyblade Guard
39
Female
Human
Final Sunset
The professor of swordplay at the Academy, Ida also acts as the second in command of the Keyblade Guard. Due to a permanent injury in her left arm, Ida is unable to fight effectively, and has decided to dedicate her time to training the Apprentices of the Keyblade Guard. She is a loud and harsh teacher, drilling her students in the proper fighting techniques for defeating Heartless, and pitting them against ever more difficult challenges. She has produced some of the strongest and most versatile Keyblade Masters ever, and prides herself on this fact. Despite her injury, the training of her students include a final confrontation with the wounded soldier. She holds strong that in order to graduate, the students must be able to defeat her while she is using Final Sunset in her offhand, her right hand. This has earned her a reputation as the "Offhand Destroyer", as it often takes months of additional training and multiple battles to even come close to besting her. In her youth, Ida was part of an elite group within the Guard, headed by Augustus, that defended Sanctuary in its darkest hours. Before her injury, she was the fastest and most limber Keyblade Master in the Guard, able to use her exceptional fencing styles to best any heartless that she faced.
Taika Aili
Professor of Magic, Keyblade Master, Retired Mage of Light
76
Female
Human
Advent of Knowledge
The professor of magic at the Academy, and one of the only retired Keyblade Masters. She dedicates all of her time to teaching her students the subtle intricacies latent to the use of the Keyblade as a channel for magic. She is very kind and passionate, and is genuinely happy to share her knowledge with the Apprentices. While not all Keyblade wielders can use magic, she believes that an education in the uses of magic will allow them to better understand the capabilities of their peers that can. She often lectures on the importance of knowing your team mates, their capabilities and weaknesses, and making up for what they lack. Taika was also once a member of the Mages of Light, a group of powerful mages who search for ways to protect Sanctuary and its people from the threat of the Heartless. The Mages also study the Heartless, trying to discern their origin and purpose, in the hopes of tracking down and eliminating their source. In her youth, Taika was part of an elite group within the Guard, headed by Augustus, that defended Sanctuary in its darkest hours. Her ability to use Advent of Knowledge with any and every form of magic was unparalleled. She was able to call down fire-storms and sheets of hail on her enemies, and cast impenetrable shields around her allies while healing them with powerful curative magic.
Athanas
Professor of History, Keyblade Master
??? (Very Old)
Male
Immortal
Compendium's Regalia
The professor of history at the Academy, and a bit of an enigma. He holds no ties to anywhere in Sanctuary, and is a self-proclaimed "Immortal". He has garnered a bit of a reputation as a loon, and when asked about his age, he will often simply scoff, or answer with the infamous line, "Do you know how old Sanctuary is? Well I'm two days older than that.". Athanas is very spry and animated for someone whose age he appears to be. He is very passionate about the history of the Planes of Light, and is adamant that refusing to learn from the past will ultimately result in its repetition. He boasts having knowledge of every book in the Library, and has even written a few himself. He also claims to be around during the early days of the Academy, though no records can corroborate his account. He is also a bit paranoid, though he is never clear on what exactly he thinks is after him. Athanas has appeared the same for a very long time, but when he was younger, he was part of an elite group within the Guard, lead by Augustus, and protected Sanctuary in its darkest hours. He acted as a strategist for the group, and consulted Augustus in matters of knowledge and history, giving providing essential information on any region they travelled to. He also battled with the others, though his strength as a Keyblade Master was limited. He still claims to this day that in his youth, he was the most powerful Keyblade Wielder in Sanctuary.
Vint
Chronicler, Library Keeper, Head Academy Steward
13
Male
Black Mage
x
The Chronicler at the Academy, and the leader of the Black Mages who act as stewards for the large, empty halls of the institution. Vint acts records any and all goings on in the Academy, and keeps records on anyone and everyone who has ever worked, attended and graduated. He puts on a facetious front about his job at the Academy, but still works diligently to keep the books in check. He likes to keep a good relationship with all the students who pass through his Library, and tries to be helpful when they are genuinely curious and seeking knowledge.
Diarmaid (DEER-med) "E" Evyns
Senior Legionnaire, Assistant Professor of Swordplay, Keyblade Master
29
Male
Forethought, Afterthought
Working under Ida, Diarmaid Evyns, or as he prefers to be called, "E", aids in the training of the Apprentices of the Academy. He acts as professor when Ida cannot be present, and is highly skilled in both combat and magic. E is a respected member of the Guard, and is well known as one of the faces of the Academy among its professors. E wields two keyblades, Forethought and Afterthough. Forethought is quick and dexterous, able to strike with pin point accuracy. Afterthought is heavy and sharp, striking powerful blows against its enemies.
