Sky BlueThe Arkangrad Academy for Arcane Aspirants
(Not an accurate image of Arkangrad, but it'll do)
Welcome students, to Arkangrad, to your new lives, to the place where you will develop your arts magical and otherwise. I, children, am Arthur Wick.
In a world still recovering from a divine war there stands the beacon of learning known as Arkangrad Academy. After The War that left the world nearly devoid of gods and countless other powerful beings, few of the already scarce schools of magic remained, elitist institutes that educated the privileged few that knew the truth, the few that knew that magic existed.
The War left little doubt in the minds of the mundane; Magic exists, and it is, if nothing else, a potent weapon.
After the war that nearly ended the world, Arthur Wick, a powerful pyromancer and survivor of The War, levied resources gained during the conflict to establish a new magical academy, Arkangrad.
This school, the first to emerge from the conflict, would be very different from those that came before. Not only would it teach more pedestrian subjects such as arithmetic and the sciences in addition to the arts arcane, but it would also be open to those with no ability or interest in magic. In this way Arkangrad was the first brick laid in rebuilding the war torn world. It has been fifty years since The War, and while other similar academies have emerged, Arkangrad remains the premier magical academy in the world.
In a world still recovering from a divine war there stands the beacon of learning known as Arkangrad Academy. After The War that left the world nearly devoid of gods and countless other powerful beings, few of the already scarce schools of magic remained, elitist institutes that educated the privileged few that knew the truth, the few that knew that magic existed.
The War left little doubt in the minds of the mundane; Magic exists, and it is, if nothing else, a potent weapon.
After the war that nearly ended the world, Arthur Wick, a powerful pyromancer and survivor of The War, levied resources gained during the conflict to establish a new magical academy, Arkangrad.
This school, the first to emerge from the conflict, would be very different from those that came before. Not only would it teach more pedestrian subjects such as arithmetic and the sciences in addition to the arts arcane, but it would also be open to those with no ability or interest in magic. In this way Arkangrad was the first brick laid in rebuilding the war torn world. It has been fifty years since The War, and while other similar academies have emerged, Arkangrad remains the premier magical academy in the world.
Alright, in order to keep everything nice and tidy I'll be keeping most of it hidden away below in hiders. That way you may browse everything in a clean and elegant fashion. Now let us begin.
I imagine most of you know that I am a survivor of the Divine War and I assure you, it was by no means glorious.
Roughly fifty three years ago, the single largest war to ever be known began. The exact cause is still unknown, but the consequences are as clear as day. Countless gods from numerous pantheons and cultures, even those long thought dead, appeared upon the Earth in physical form and began fighting. Soon what may have been a simple brawl between cosmic beings turned into a war of nations, with mortals both small and mighty throwing their lot in with their chosen champion deities, or against the gods entirely.
The war lasted a short, bloody, three years, during that time however nearly every major city on the planet was devastated, some nothing more than piles of rubble, a nontrivial portion of the human race was lost to the void of death, as well as several of the more powerful races and entities being completely eradicated, and to top it all off, only a few dozen deities remain. Those few gods who survived, the majority of whom were lesser or inactive gods, now distance themselves even further from the affairs of mortal beings. Maintaining reality itself is a dirty job, and somebody's has do it. So as to maintain the fabric of reality itself, else time and space unravel and destroy us all.
This was known as the Divines War.
One of the more major and noticeable changes is the lessening of the line between death and life. With less gods to maintain the afterlife it has become much easier to bridge the gap, both making life much easier on necromancers and creating the chance for quite a few tearful reunions.
Of course the most noticeable change is the fact that normal humans know that the myths and legends are real. How the various Governments dealt with this varied, but for the most part humankind has been accepting of their new neighbors in no small part helped by the efforts of the mage community to smooth relations.
Most of the World’s governments are making efforts to obtain and stockpile resources magical or otherwise. While not overly aggressive or bold, as no one wishes for another war like the last one.
On top of this all there exists divine sparks, a byproduct of the slain gods and possessing the power to make a mortal one if one can simply find a way to ingest the rumored substance. Though of course this is simply internet rumors and conspiracy.
Of course the most noticeable change is the fact that normal humans know that the myths and legends are real. How the various Governments dealt with this varied, but for the most part humankind has been accepting of their new neighbors in no small part helped by the efforts of the mage community to smooth relations.
Most of the World’s governments are making efforts to obtain and stockpile resources magical or otherwise. While not overly aggressive or bold, as no one wishes for another war like the last one.
On top of this all there exists divine sparks, a byproduct of the slain gods and possessing the power to make a mortal one if one can simply find a way to ingest the rumored substance. Though of course this is simply internet rumors and conspiracy.
This is why most of you are here. The art of weaving mana into displays both beautiful and powerful. Yes, we can teach you.
Magic is the result of a mage expelling and then harnessing the mana stored in their body. To perform magic one requires two organs, the mana pool which stores mana, and the magic circuits which are used to transport mana into and out of the body. While humans aren't frequently born with these organs they can be, and are more likely to be born with these organs when birthed near ley lines. Which brings us to ley lines. much like veins move blood through the body ley lines move pure mana through the Earth. From these circuits of pure mana leaks the aforementioned mana, which then flows into things possessing magic circuits before flowing out and returning to the ley lines.
Places where ley lines meet are places of great power, where mana is plentiful and magic is powerful. It is said that those born near the crossings of ley lines have much larger mana pools and clearer magic circuits though this is most likely just rumor.
While it is indeed required to possess both a mana pool and magic circuits to perform magic the same is not true of magical items. And also of note, these organs are not the same in the other races as humans. For instance dwarves tend to possess much larger mana pools, while elven magic circuits and blood veins are one and the same, making their very blood infused with magic. And of course there are creatures who perform acts one would call magical without any actual skill in magic, such as a dragon's breath or Medusa's gaze, and while these powers are magical in nature they work by different rules altogether.
Magic is the result of a mage expelling and then harnessing the mana stored in their body. To perform magic one requires two organs, the mana pool which stores mana, and the magic circuits which are used to transport mana into and out of the body. While humans aren't frequently born with these organs they can be, and are more likely to be born with these organs when birthed near ley lines. Which brings us to ley lines. much like veins move blood through the body ley lines move pure mana through the Earth. From these circuits of pure mana leaks the aforementioned mana, which then flows into things possessing magic circuits before flowing out and returning to the ley lines.
Places where ley lines meet are places of great power, where mana is plentiful and magic is powerful. It is said that those born near the crossings of ley lines have much larger mana pools and clearer magic circuits though this is most likely just rumor.
While it is indeed required to possess both a mana pool and magic circuits to perform magic the same is not true of magical items. And also of note, these organs are not the same in the other races as humans. For instance dwarves tend to possess much larger mana pools, while elven magic circuits and blood veins are one and the same, making their very blood infused with magic. And of course there are creatures who perform acts one would call magical without any actual skill in magic, such as a dragon's breath or Medusa's gaze, and while these powers are magical in nature they work by different rules altogether.
The schools of magic, plainly speaking, are a system of classification that keeps everything fairly tidy. These 'schools', which include things such as fire, spirit, and spatial, is the system that has been used by mages to sort magic for nearly a thousand years. However while some mages may exclusively use one school of magic many instead use multiple schools blending them together into unique and interesting ways. For example, a wizard possessing the skill with both fire and spirit magic could forge a semi-living orb of flame to do their bidding.
-Earth: The power of the earth, from dirt to metal and all in between.
-Water: Control over liquid.
-Air: Power over atmospheric flow, allows one to do the windy thing.
-Fire: Wielding heat and flame, some like it hot.
-Ice: Power over ice, and cold in general. It's pretty cool.
-Lightning: The application of energy, good for shock and awe.
-Mana: The direct use of the building blocks of magic itself. Allows one to enchant, enhance, or expel.
-Spatial: Relating to the physical location of something. Everything from telekinesis to teleportation in this school.
-Mental: Things relating to the mind, ranging from telepathy to illusions.
-Spirit: Things of a less corporeal nature, such as creating wisps and harnessing the power of a soul.
-Natural: Plants manipulation, healing and other such things.
-Earth: The power of the earth, from dirt to metal and all in between.
-Water: Control over liquid.
-Air: Power over atmospheric flow, allows one to do the windy thing.
-Fire: Wielding heat and flame, some like it hot.
-Ice: Power over ice, and cold in general. It's pretty cool.
-Lightning: The application of energy, good for shock and awe.
-Mana: The direct use of the building blocks of magic itself. Allows one to enchant, enhance, or expel.
-Spatial: Relating to the physical location of something. Everything from telekinesis to teleportation in this school.
-Mental: Things relating to the mind, ranging from telepathy to illusions.
-Spirit: Things of a less corporeal nature, such as creating wisps and harnessing the power of a soul.
-Natural: Plants manipulation, healing and other such things.
"As I'm sure you've noticed our school is quite beautiful."
The Grounds
Arkandgrad is situated on a small island located to the North and West of Ireland. The climate is temperate, though controlled by weather oriented mages, with it most often sunny during the week, but from the end of classes on friday till sunday night it is grey and rainy. The island is host to a wide range of plants and trees, most of which occupy the gardens located near the central tower. The island itself lays upon the conflux of four ley lines, making it a natural hub for arcane energies. Separating the dormitories from the school itself is the gardens, which include such sights as the Hedge, a maze of ever changing bushes, groves housing small shrines to the remaining gods, and greenhouses devoted to the art of growing and maintaining rare alchemical substances.
The Dorms
The dormitories are located on the northern third of the island, and are comprised of several long, low, stone buildings, steadfast against the elements, despite the typical weather patterns. The buildings appear to have been on the island prior to the existence of Arkangrad itself. Each building is divided into thirds, and each third is subdivided into four bays. Each bay comfortably houses four students of roughly human stature. There exists also two dorms unlike the others. Much more recently built they are fitted to accommodate the more unique students of Arkangrad, whether they require aquatic tanks or quadrupedal furniture.
The Facilities
Arkangrad has a number of workshops geared toward numerous disciplines, each of which has been provided with a comprehensive suite of relevant equipment, tools, and literature. Some workshops also provide functional services to the rest of the school; Health 101 and Advanced Healing Arts are functional infirmaries. The whole shebang rests on a hill. It’s more of a small mountain, really.
Castle Town
Surrounding the academy proper, Castle town is a small community that has formed around Arkangrad. Within the town lies the homes of most of the instructors and other faculty, as well as many who have graduated the academy, or simply desire to live nearby for some reason or other. The town has all the fixings of a modern life, as well as the benefits of a magical society, and as such is awash with stores and restaurants of all sorts accommodating both the dwellers of Castle town and of course the students and staff of Arkangrad.
The Grounds
Arkandgrad is situated on a small island located to the North and West of Ireland. The climate is temperate, though controlled by weather oriented mages, with it most often sunny during the week, but from the end of classes on friday till sunday night it is grey and rainy. The island is host to a wide range of plants and trees, most of which occupy the gardens located near the central tower. The island itself lays upon the conflux of four ley lines, making it a natural hub for arcane energies. Separating the dormitories from the school itself is the gardens, which include such sights as the Hedge, a maze of ever changing bushes, groves housing small shrines to the remaining gods, and greenhouses devoted to the art of growing and maintaining rare alchemical substances.
The Dorms
The dormitories are located on the northern third of the island, and are comprised of several long, low, stone buildings, steadfast against the elements, despite the typical weather patterns. The buildings appear to have been on the island prior to the existence of Arkangrad itself. Each building is divided into thirds, and each third is subdivided into four bays. Each bay comfortably houses four students of roughly human stature. There exists also two dorms unlike the others. Much more recently built they are fitted to accommodate the more unique students of Arkangrad, whether they require aquatic tanks or quadrupedal furniture.
The Facilities
Arkangrad has a number of workshops geared toward numerous disciplines, each of which has been provided with a comprehensive suite of relevant equipment, tools, and literature. Some workshops also provide functional services to the rest of the school; Health 101 and Advanced Healing Arts are functional infirmaries. The whole shebang rests on a hill. It’s more of a small mountain, really.
Castle Town
Surrounding the academy proper, Castle town is a small community that has formed around Arkangrad. Within the town lies the homes of most of the instructors and other faculty, as well as many who have graduated the academy, or simply desire to live nearby for some reason or other. The town has all the fixings of a modern life, as well as the benefits of a magical society, and as such is awash with stores and restaurants of all sorts accommodating both the dwellers of Castle town and of course the students and staff of Arkangrad.
Ah, it is always refreshing to lay my old eyes upon such a wide range of people looking to learn.
Arkangrad is a school that teaches not only magic, but also more mundane subjects as well. The school also promotes diversity, and due to these two facts most nearly anything can enroll. Everything from minotaurs and harpies to oni, selkies, and even yeti. Sadly, or perhaps not so sadly, The War fifty years ago has ended in the extinctions of many of the more powerful creatures of myth and with common human knowledge now acknowledging many of these creatures as real(or having been real as is the case with the aforementioned died out creatures) the state of being with near all of these creatures has changed somewhat. Below is listed some of the more common creatures one will meet both in the world and at Arkangrad.
Humans
The most common creature on Earth, I really don't need to explain humans to you. The real distinction is if they always knew about magic or were introduced to the fact later in life, a distinction that lessens with each generation. While most humans can't perform magic all are welcomed into Arkangrad, and regular humans who attend get the chance to grow and learn in an environment awash with magic and non-humans.
Elves
Before the war most elves lived in secret enclaves hidden deep in the forests of the world. However with the war came the truth of the fair skin dwellers of the forest. Tall, graceful and elegant the elves are beings with innate skill and understanding with magic. However, once the war ended and with most of their secret homes destroyed many elves went even deeper in hiding forming new communities even farther from prying eyes. Those that decided to integrate into the human world however have found great fortune, frequently finding occupation as actors both on the big screen and, more private films.
Such being the case the isolationist Elves now mock the 'city elves' for becoming slaves to human culture while the 'city elves' scorn their enclave siblings for their narrow mindsets.
Dwarves
Stout, proud, loyal. These are traits oft given to the Dwarves. Once too hidden away in their underground strongholds with the war came truth, as well as the toppling of a few mountains. With many of their homes buried most dwarves have decided settle down in human lands, where they find work as architects, laborers, and other jobs suiting their strong bodies and keen minds. Having easily joining into human life you can often dwarves wherever you find humans, though a fair few dwarves have managed to clear out and/or rebuild their strongholds, which can be found housing many humans now as well.
Fey
The fair folk. Often likened to elves and vise versa, many have pondered if one came from the other though few have found satisfactory answers on such a subject. While the fey come in many sizes, shapes and temperaments most are short, born with great skill in magic, and often prone to tricks and japes. Due to Arkangrad's location many fey have found their way to the school. With the lost of their god-king fifty years ago most fey lost, either in grieving or madness, and those that aren't still feel a void where once was their leader. Regardless the fey carry on.
Dragons
You will rarely find a dragon. Even before The War to stumble across a dragon was a once in a lifetime occasion, made even more true by virtue of the fact that few survived such a meeting. With the war however most dragons died though not without bringing entire armies down with them. The few you'll find left are the lesser dragons, freshly hatched or born. When two dragons mated they brought into the world another true dragon, which would often hatch from its egg after a few decades, however when a pairing was between greater dragon and human the creature was something else entirely, a being neither fully dragon or human. It is with these handful of people that the legacy of greater dragons lives on.
Of course, there exists many more beings. Creatures once resigned to myth and legends that now walk human roads freely and openly. Centaurs, Naga, Sphinxes and more exist in the world, either less or more numerous after the Divine War and all these creatures are free to attend Arkangrad.
Arkangrad is a school that teaches not only magic, but also more mundane subjects as well. The school also promotes diversity, and due to these two facts most nearly anything can enroll. Everything from minotaurs and harpies to oni, selkies, and even yeti. Sadly, or perhaps not so sadly, The War fifty years ago has ended in the extinctions of many of the more powerful creatures of myth and with common human knowledge now acknowledging many of these creatures as real(or having been real as is the case with the aforementioned died out creatures) the state of being with near all of these creatures has changed somewhat. Below is listed some of the more common creatures one will meet both in the world and at Arkangrad.
Humans
The most common creature on Earth, I really don't need to explain humans to you. The real distinction is if they always knew about magic or were introduced to the fact later in life, a distinction that lessens with each generation. While most humans can't perform magic all are welcomed into Arkangrad, and regular humans who attend get the chance to grow and learn in an environment awash with magic and non-humans.
Elves
Before the war most elves lived in secret enclaves hidden deep in the forests of the world. However with the war came the truth of the fair skin dwellers of the forest. Tall, graceful and elegant the elves are beings with innate skill and understanding with magic. However, once the war ended and with most of their secret homes destroyed many elves went even deeper in hiding forming new communities even farther from prying eyes. Those that decided to integrate into the human world however have found great fortune, frequently finding occupation as actors both on the big screen and, more private films.
Such being the case the isolationist Elves now mock the 'city elves' for becoming slaves to human culture while the 'city elves' scorn their enclave siblings for their narrow mindsets.
Dwarves
Stout, proud, loyal. These are traits oft given to the Dwarves. Once too hidden away in their underground strongholds with the war came truth, as well as the toppling of a few mountains. With many of their homes buried most dwarves have decided settle down in human lands, where they find work as architects, laborers, and other jobs suiting their strong bodies and keen minds. Having easily joining into human life you can often dwarves wherever you find humans, though a fair few dwarves have managed to clear out and/or rebuild their strongholds, which can be found housing many humans now as well.
Fey
The fair folk. Often likened to elves and vise versa, many have pondered if one came from the other though few have found satisfactory answers on such a subject. While the fey come in many sizes, shapes and temperaments most are short, born with great skill in magic, and often prone to tricks and japes. Due to Arkangrad's location many fey have found their way to the school. With the lost of their god-king fifty years ago most fey lost, either in grieving or madness, and those that aren't still feel a void where once was their leader. Regardless the fey carry on.
Dragons
You will rarely find a dragon. Even before The War to stumble across a dragon was a once in a lifetime occasion, made even more true by virtue of the fact that few survived such a meeting. With the war however most dragons died though not without bringing entire armies down with them. The few you'll find left are the lesser dragons, freshly hatched or born. When two dragons mated they brought into the world another true dragon, which would often hatch from its egg after a few decades, however when a pairing was between greater dragon and human the creature was something else entirely, a being neither fully dragon or human. It is with these handful of people that the legacy of greater dragons lives on.
Of course, there exists many more beings. Creatures once resigned to myth and legends that now walk human roads freely and openly. Centaurs, Naga, Sphinxes and more exist in the world, either less or more numerous after the Divine War and all these creatures are free to attend Arkangrad.
Now students, make sure to play nice and respect your teachers, whom you'll see on your right. And teachers, I'm sure at least half your students will actually pay attention, don't worry.
Those who attend Arkangrad, regardless of whether they came by choice, were pressured into it, or simply had nowhere else to go, are all around their teen years, or the emotional equivalent for their race. While not by any means a hard limitation, indeed both wizened old men and particularly bright children can be found walking the halls of Arkangrad, it is however preferred that those wishing to attend the academy be within their late teens as it is during this age that the Headmaster feels their teachings do the students the most good.
While most students apply to be at Arkangrad the Headmaster and his staff sometimes seek out new students, recommending those they find of interest to attend.
As for those that teach at Arkangrad the range of instructors and professors is as diverse as the students. While Arthur has commented, quote "If I had my way, every one of my faculty would be an ancient wizard with a beard to rival the heavens!" unquote he has also admitted that it would be absurd to actually hire based on such traits and as such the school's faculty, from teachers to janitors and groundskeepers come from a wide range of races and upbringings, in fact some are even prior students who decided to stick around!
The teachers at Arkangrad are among the most powerful mages in their fields, and the same can be said of the non-magical instructors who educate at the academy.
Those who attend Arkangrad, regardless of whether they came by choice, were pressured into it, or simply had nowhere else to go, are all around their teen years, or the emotional equivalent for their race. While not by any means a hard limitation, indeed both wizened old men and particularly bright children can be found walking the halls of Arkangrad, it is however preferred that those wishing to attend the academy be within their late teens as it is during this age that the Headmaster feels their teachings do the students the most good.
While most students apply to be at Arkangrad the Headmaster and his staff sometimes seek out new students, recommending those they find of interest to attend.
As for those that teach at Arkangrad the range of instructors and professors is as diverse as the students. While Arthur has commented, quote "If I had my way, every one of my faculty would be an ancient wizard with a beard to rival the heavens!" unquote he has also admitted that it would be absurd to actually hire based on such traits and as such the school's faculty, from teachers to janitors and groundskeepers come from a wide range of races and upbringings, in fact some are even prior students who decided to stick around!
The teachers at Arkangrad are among the most powerful mages in their fields, and the same can be said of the non-magical instructors who educate at the academy.
I ask that you all take a moment to look inwardly, who are you?
(A quote from your character would look nice here if you'd like)
Name: I don't need to explain the concept of a name do I?
Race: Human, Elf, Ghost, Phoenix?
Gender: I'm sure you can sort this out yourself.
Appearance: Several paragraphs of physical description, or maybe an anime picture ripped from google search it's all the same to me. A bit of both would be nice though
Magic:
Schools: What schools they have skill in, and a score from 1 to 20 on how skilled they are, with 1 being barely and 20 being godly (p.s. you shouldn't have something at 20 if you're going to school to learn how to do it)
Technique: What your character actually does with their magic. Do they use their skill with air and fire to create fire tornados, or to make far off explosions? This is where you really get to make your character special.
Abilities: This is for magical creatures and the like with innate abilities, such as flight or laser eyes. Omit this if you will be playing a more mundane character.
(And of course if you're playing someone without magic at all than just don't have this bit at all.)
Skills: What is your character good at? Maybe they'll a decent chef, or well read, or maybe a killer flutist?
Bio: Your character's past. I would prefer it to not be too long since I'll have to read all of them, but who am I kidding? Give me novels.
(Also feel free to alter this application to suit your needs. I still want all this information of course, but if you've a fancier format, or a better layout than feel free to use it)
(A quote from your character would look nice here if you'd like)
Name: I don't need to explain the concept of a name do I?
Race: Human, Elf, Ghost, Phoenix?
Gender: I'm sure you can sort this out yourself.
Appearance: Several paragraphs of physical description, or maybe an anime picture ripped from google search it's all the same to me. A bit of both would be nice though
Magic:
Schools: What schools they have skill in, and a score from 1 to 20 on how skilled they are, with 1 being barely and 20 being godly (p.s. you shouldn't have something at 20 if you're going to school to learn how to do it)
Technique: What your character actually does with their magic. Do they use their skill with air and fire to create fire tornados, or to make far off explosions? This is where you really get to make your character special.
Abilities: This is for magical creatures and the like with innate abilities, such as flight or laser eyes. Omit this if you will be playing a more mundane character.
(And of course if you're playing someone without magic at all than just don't have this bit at all.)
Skills: What is your character good at? Maybe they'll a decent chef, or well read, or maybe a killer flutist?
Bio: Your character's past. I would prefer it to not be too long since I'll have to read all of them, but who am I kidding? Give me novels.
(Also feel free to alter this application to suit your needs. I still want all this information of course, but if you've a fancier format, or a better layout than feel free to use it)
Rules
1: The Guild's rules apply here as much as anywhere else on the site.
2: The usual, no overpowered nonsense, no puppeting other people’s characters so on and so forth.
3: Remember that most of us likely aren’t self aware machine spending all our time on this site, try not to flood the IC or OOC if it can be helped.
4: Keep the OOC reasonable. I fully expect a great deal of random nonsense, but please keep things orderly and clean.
5: Take everything Myr says with a grain of salt, as he is an absurdist heretic from the Izzet League. (For instance, he wrote this rule)
6: If you’ve a question, one of the GMs should be able to answer it.
7: If two characters end up in a physical conflict than it will be handled with clean, rational debate and collaboration, because everyone here is a good reasonable human person.
8: If two players end up in a verbal conflict than it will also be handled hopefully in a clean, rational debate far away from the OOC, perhaps in a Convo?
9: While I don’t wish to impose any hard guidelines regarding posting I would prefer if everyone could post at least once a week. If you cannot than some warning would be nice but life is what it is, and so for rule ten...
10: If for whatever reason you disappear for longer than a week than your character will also disappear… Into their studies. They will suddenly become a background character and not interact with the plot(s) until your return. This way people can leave safely without their character just falling over dead, or with the RP grinding to a sudden halt.
