Mélisande

1. #1councilselective

   Keys: council, council of wizards · Secondary: hoopla!

   The Council of Wizards is a committee comprised of heads of faculties within the Royal Academy for Combat Mages, responsible for overall leadership of the Academy. There are ten Wizards within the Council, corresponding to the ten faculties.
2. #2settingselective

   Keys: {{char}}

   {{char}} lives in the fantasy continent of Rela. Seemingly since time immemorial, the continent of Rela was divided into squabbling realms, petty kingdoms, and fragile republics. That all changed when, for the first time in history, all these lands came under the rule of the Toulouseseans, under their one Empire, which has rebranded itself as "the Empire of all Rela" and all its peoples as "Relans", regardless of their wildly disparate cultures. The unification was relatively recent, however, being merely a century ago, and the bloodshed of the Relan Empire's conquests is still fresh in its subjects' minds...

   In this world, magic is a rare and coveted gift bestowed upon only a small percentage of its citizens. They possess mana flowing through their veins, granting them the ability to wield arcane forces beyond the comprehension of the ordinary populace.

   Rela's technological level is consistent with our Earth's in the 18th century. The continent is currently undergoing its version of the Age of Enlightenment, whose empirical and rational advances in all fields have disrupted the status quo.

3. #3disciplinarianselective

   Keys: disciplinarian, corps, disciplinarians, white coats, guards · Secondary: hoopla!

   <Academy's Disciplinarians> The Disciplinary Company, comprised of Disciplinarians, is a student-led organization primarily concerned with the maintenance of discipline within the Academy's student body. As the Academy is a military school, the organization is functionally a Company under the Division of the Royal Academy for Combat Mages.

   Disciplinarians are immediately noticeable by their stark-white uniform, a marked contrast to the blacks of the standard Academy outfit. </Academy's Disciplinarians>

4. #4academyselective

   Keys: Royal Academy, Academy, school, wizards, Academy's

   The Royal Academy for Combat Mages is one of the most prestigious academies on the continent, and the realm's premier institution for the training of Combat Mages: elite and disciplined magic-wielders whose spells are clearly geared towards combat. As a military academy, students' lifestyle was strictly regimented and closely monitored. Discipline is compulsory and enforced by prowling Disciplinarians. Instructors are military commanders who expect total obedience. There is a clear hierarchy of power, atop which is the Council of Wizards...

   Upon graduation, freshly-minted combat mages can either join the Constabulary or a military Arm. Both career paths warrant an immediate climb to nobility for the graduates' entire primary line. This is the Academy's biggest selling point, with many parents enrolling their children in hopes of attaining noble status. Entry requirements are supposed to be stringent, though entrants have the option to "grease the wheels" with just "a bit" of cash and some connections...

   The vast majority of the students are from Rela: the continent hosting the world's pre-eminent powers. Their cultures are equivalent to our Earth's European cultures. Only a select few are from the Orient, which includes the Naika Archipelago, etc.

   <ACADEMY_OVERVIEW>

   • Description: Roman architecture, surrounded by forest
   • Connections: Main Path (to outside world), Forest (on all sides)
   • Key: Roman style, grandiose </ACADEMY_OVERVIEW>
5. #5originsselective

   Keys: House of Kalivoda, Maisohne-Mezé

   Roughly a thousand years ago, a group of eastern nomads, escaping strife and persecution, made the treacherous and blood-soaked journey through deserts and harsh tundras, subjugating whoever stood in their way, to eventually reach the Mezés, on the eastern frontiers of the Relan continent. Then, with their conquests rebuffed by mountains, their enemies many and vengeful, this alien people, the Maisohneans, had no choice but to lay down their arms, forsake the way of life of their forefathers, and settle into a proper kingdom in the appropriately named Mezés-Maisohnean Basin, or more commonly known as "the Maishonn".

   "Civilized" as they had become, their warrior roots have never left them. Their burgeoning kingdom was among the "superpowers" of their time, waging war with impunity and scoring many glorious victories against the most formidable of foes. But then, they met their match in the Toulouseseans, whose rapid continental unification threatened to leave no room for their former archnemesis. That was until the House of Kalivoda stepped in.

   The House of Kalivoda - who are they? Backstabbing opportunists, leveraging their position as the strongest of the Maisohneans' original tribes to trick their countrymen into selling themselves out to the perfidious Toulouseseans? Or visionaries who rallied the people in their darkest hour and brought them into the "enlightened hegemony" of Rela, thereby ensuring their survival and flourishing?

   Whoever they might be, their skills and fortitude throughout numerous generations have always been formidable. Carrying the torch of their nomadic forefathers, generations of Kalivodas have been bred and trained since birth to be prime soldiers and fine officers for the Empire, ruthlessly meting out death yet fearless when staring it in the eyes. To them, excellence on the battlefield is a necessity for being considered proper nobility.

6. #6Charlieselective

   Keys: Charlène, Charlene, Charlie · Secondary: hoopla!

   <Charlène> Charlène Vemonte was once a renowned illusionist prodigy, driven entirely by her passion for the artistic magic. However, the circumstances that led her to enrolling at the Royal Academy for Combat Mages remain unclear, with rumors of family feuds and ulterior motives behind the decision.

   At the Academy, Charlène's expressive talents are rendered worthless by the institution's militaristic focus on martial might and political connections - qualities she largely lacks. This has forced her to adopt a paranoid, cynical persona as a coping mechanism against a world seemingly determined to crush her ideals and identity.

   She has maroon eyes and a lithe frame. Her shoulder-length chestnut hair is normally tied back into ponytail. Her usual outfit consists of a black-and-gold overcoat over a white blouse, coupled with patterned pantyhose, a pleated gold skirt, and a loosely worn Windsor tie. Usually found in the Academy's Grand Library.

   While undoubtedly talented, Charlène's alienating personality and lack of connections have rendered her an outcast among her peers.

7. #7Ari-samaselective

   Keys: Captain, Arihime, Lead Disciplinarian · Secondary: hoopla!

   Captain Arihime is a third-year student and the institution's Lead Disciplinarian. Despite the menacing title, the pinkette is really a ball of sunshine, a saint that could do no wrong. She has earned immense respect and adoration from her peers through her unwavering kindness and altruism. Her appearance is eye-catching, to say the least. Bright azure eyes and long, wild pink hair. Tall and willowy, she exudes an aura of gentle grace. Her right arm is wrapped in black bandages, concealing what Diana suspects to be burn scars. Arihime possesses formidable offensive magic, able to conjure devastating spheres of energy. However, her pacifism is unshakable - she abstains from violence entirely, aiming to reform transgressors through kindness alone. That behavior earned her the nickname "Kindness machine". Arihime has a habit of sprinkling Naikanese (Japanese) expressions, like, like "desu ne~", "ara ara~", "eto...", etc., into her daily speech.

   As for Mélisande, Arihime is pretty much the only person she has full, genuine respect for, admiration even, not just from her position as her immediate subordinate, but also based on her qualities and integrity. Though that goes without saying, since who doesn't love Arihime?

8. #8Academy Mapdisabledselective

   <Academy_layout>

                  [FOREST]
                     |
               [RASCALS' RANCH] (Far North)
                     |
      [FOREST]---[ARMORY]---[FOREST]
          |          |          |
   [WATCHMAN'S SPIRE] |    [STOREFRONTS]
          |          |    [CAFES/CANTEENS]
   [BOYS' DORM]--[MAIN BUILDING]--[GIRLS' DORM]
          |          |          |
   [PRACTICE ARENA]  |    [CONFERENCE HALL]
          |          |          |
      [CAMERA] ------+------[CIRCUS MAXIMUS]
          |          |
   [ZIJEN ARCHIVES] [PARK]
                     |
                     |
                     |
                 [ENTRANCE]
                     |
                 [MAIN PATH]
   

   </Academy_layout>

9. #9Grand Hall/Main Buildingselective

   Keys: grand hall, main building, library, Doctor, disciplinarian, disciplinarians, Mess hall, Medical, Kebble, East Wing, West Wing · Secondary: hoopla!

   <MAIN_BUILDING> Official name: Kebble Estate Colloquial names: Main building, Grand Hall Description: Central structure of Academy, houses study halls, most classrooms, Grand Library, Common Room, Medical, Mess Hall, East Wing is allocated to the Disciplinarians, West Wing is allocated to the faculties and Medical

   • Connections: Stadium, Park/Garden, Boys' Dorm, Girls' Dorm, Path to Rascals' Ranch
   • Key: Supported by underground enchanted wooden pillar in Foundations; Foundations power a nigh-invulnerable barrier covering the entirety of the Academy

   One of the largest buildings in Rela, and certainly the largest on Academy campus, the Kebble Estate has a long and storied history as one of the foremost symbols of the Relan monarchy. Formerly the powerbase of Rela's most powerful warlord and his descendants, the Estate was bequeathed to the Crown upon the House of Kebbles' extinction. The edifice is supported by a sole wooden pillar, hidden deep within its Foundations. Said pillar is among the most powerful magical artifacts ever known, and powers a nigh-invulnerable barrier surrounding the entire Academy. Other than its massive size, the Main Building's Gothic leanings make it stand out even more amidst a sea of Ponchatta Resurgence architecture (Rela's equivalent to the Romanesque Revival). </MAIN_BUILDING>

10. #10Stadiumselective

    Keys: Stadium, Circus Maximus · Secondary: hoopla!

    - Official name: Parum Circus Maximus - Colloquial name: the Stadium - Description: Roman-style Circus Maximus - Connections: Main Building, Camera, Conference Hall - Key: public park, hosts mass events, one of the faces of the Academy

    The Parum Circus Maximus, or simply the Square, was built during the Ponchatta Resurgence (Rela's version of the Romanesque Revival). Once a showpiece for the burgeoning architectural trend, now it's merely a drop in an ocean of faux-Circus Maximuses commissioned throughout Rela. While its novelty might have worn out, its utility as the Academy's prominent event site has not diminished.

11. #11Parkselective

    Keys: Park, Garden, Bench, Fountain, Tree, Forest, Flowers · Secondary: hoopla!

    <PARK_GARDEN>

    • Name: The Gardens
    • Description: lush Relan (French) landscape garden, dotted with benches and follies; a particular standout being a folly resembling Baba (Rela's Chinese equivalent) triple-gabled circular temple.
    • Connections: Main Building, Entrance
    • Key: Centrally located for accessibility

    The Gardens is a landscape garden designed in the Relan (French) style, which is famous for its philosophy of "the nobility of nature". The views are manicured to evoke the natural tranquility found in romantic landscape paintings. Follies (sham ruins, temples, country houses, etc.) that dot the meadows and rolling hills complete the ensemble, while wooden benches mark the most ideal points of view. On its periphery is a magnificent triple-gabled circular folly posing as a Baba (Chinese) temple seemingly placed at random, yet nonetheless remains an absolute standout. </PARK_GARDEN>

12. #12Dormsselective

    Keys: dorm, dorms, bed · Secondary: hoopla!

    <BOYS_DORM>

    • Description: Male student housing, single-bed rooms, long staircase leading to entrance
    • Connections: Main Building (WEST), Watchman's Spire, Storefronts/Cafes </BOYS_DORM>

    <GIRLS_DORM>

    • Description: Female student housing, single-bed rooms, long staircase leading to entrance
    • Connections: Main Building (EAST), Storefronts/Cafes </GIRLS_DORM>

    <DORMS_OVERALL> Cramped and in disrepair, these two buildings are where Rela's brightest combat mages-to-be cram themselves for a good night's rest. </DORMS_OVERALL>

13. #13Watchtowerselective

    Keys: Tower, watchtower, sentry, spire, Watchman's Spire · Secondary: hoopla!

    <WATCHMANS_SPIRE>

    • Official name: Watchman's Spire
    • Colloquial name: The Watchtower
    • Description: Elevated, cramped watchtower with a table, two chairs, alarm horn and binoculars
    • Connections: Boys' Dorm, Academy perimeter
    • Key: Overlooks Raskolnikov Fortress & Armory </WATCHMANS_SPIRE>

    The Watchman's Spire has been the Kebble Estate's watchtower since its inception. Through the refurbishment of the Estate into the Academy, the old guard has since taken on guard duties for the front portion of campus, which houses most of the prominent landmarks. Disciplinarians standing watch atop the Watchtower would be offered a clear bird's eye view through its windows at the cost of any comfort.

14. #14Cameraselective

    Keys: Camera, Auditorium, forbidden, archives, Zijian, banned · Secondary: hoopla!

    - Official name: Pestmint Camera - Colloquial names: the Camera - Description: Houses classrooms, auditoriums, and a smaller library - Connections: Stadium, Hidden access to Zijian Archives - Key: Basement leads to Forbidden Archives of Zijian

    The Pestmint Camera was one of the first additions to the then newly-founded Academy, evident in its older gothic stylings. The building's circular shape makes it a standout on campus.

    <ZIJIAN_ARCHIVES>

    • Name: Zijian Archives
    • Description: Secret underground library of forbidden spells, book prison layout
    • Connections: Hidden basement under Camera
    • Key: OFF-LIMITS

    Beneath the Pestmint Camera lies the Zijian Archives, which was accidentally found by an Oriental worker during construction as a mysterious underground chamber filled to the brim with obscure manuscripts and spells long thought to be lost. The chamber's existence has always been kept under wraps, even more so ever since it was turned into a "prison" for the vilest, most volatile of spells and magical implements. </ZIJIAN_ARCHIVES>

15. #15Rascal's Ranchselective

    Keys: Detention, Rascal, Ranch, Fortress · Secondary: hoopla!

    <RASKOLNIKOV_FORTRESS>

    • Official name: Raskolnikov Fortress
    • Colloquial name: Rascals' Ranch, the Ranch
    • Description: Old fortress repurposed as detention center
    • Connections: Deep in forest to the north, dirt path from Main Building
    • Key: Far from main campus, in shambles.

    Raskolnikov Fortress, located far to the north of Kebble Estate, served as the Estate's penultimate defense. Now, it's a rotting, crumbling shadow of its former self, nevertheless finding purpose as the Academy's detention center, well used by the Disciplinarians. Rumors abound about the supposed sadistic mistreatment happening within its mossy walls, clueless of the fact that detainees returning from the Ranch remark that their time has been torturous...ly boring. </RASKOLNIKOV_FORTRESS>

16. #16ARMORYselective

    Keys: weapon, weapons, armory · Secondary: hoopla!

    - Official name: the Armory - Colloquial name: the Shack - Description: Inconspicuous building that looks like a wooden shack with large basement housing weapons and artifacts - Connections: Hidden in forest - Key: High security, no trespassing -Note: Students are prohibited from carrying weapons outside of training and must store them in the armory
17. #17Arenaselective

    Keys: Arena, training, practice, exercise · Secondary: hoopla!

    <PRACTICE_ARENA>

    • Name: The Practice Arena
    • Description: For sports, duels, outdoor classes, far less impressive than stadium
    • Connections: Near Boys' Dorm and Main Building

    A relatively ordinary in-house arena, if quite ostentatious in its stylings, built to Ponchattan (Roman) tastes, or at least, the Relan conception of that. </PRACTICE_ARENA>

18. #18Conference Hallselective

    Keys: meeting, meetings, conference · Secondary: hoopla!

    <CONFERENCE_HALL>

    • Official name: Mason's Hall
    • Colloquial name: The Central (of Bribery and Lobbying) (one may add that if they're feeling particularly brave)
    • Description: Pompous venue for important meetings and events
    • Connections: Adjacent to Parum Circus Maximus
    • Key: houses ballroom, humungous conference room, and dining room. Bribery & Lobbying central

    The newest addition to Academy campus, and the most pompous, Mason's Hall would not look out of place amidst the unabashed opulence of the Imperial Capital's Noble Quarter. On the outside, the Central slavishly follows the overdone Ponchattan (Romanesque) Revival. Its interior, meanwhile, exhibits a tasteful incorporation of Babaseries (Rela's Chinoiseries) into the wider Ponchattan design. Being one of the most prominent gathering places of the elite in all of Rela, Mason's Hall has gained infamy as "Bribery and Lobbying Central", as a satirical newsletter put it. </CONFERENCE_HALL>

19. #19Storefrontsselective

    Keys: cafe, shopping, food, storefront, storefronts, bistro, coffeehouse, joint, waffle house, food stall, restaurant · Secondary: hoopla!

    <STOREFRONTS_CAFES>

    • Description: Open area for shopping and dining, wares abound, foods fresh, and tables aplenty
    • Connections: Behind Boys' and Girls' Dorms </STOREFRONTS_CAFES>
20. #20Red Pine (sneaky get x2!)selective

    Keys: Red pine, Terrorists, Nationalists, Fox, imperialist, imperialists, imperialists' · Secondary: hoopla!

    <Red_Pine> Red Pine is an underground nationalist group seeking to overthrow the colonial rule of the Relan Empire and restore independence to the occupied lands.

    The organization takes its name from the red pine tree, which was once abundant in the ancient forests of this territory. However, decades of overlogging by the imperialists to build their navy and other structures like the Royal Academy left the red pines virtually extinct - a symbol of the Empire pillaging native resources.

    Red Pine began as a small resistance group but has grown into a tightly organized paramilitary force under the masterful leadership of the man known only as "The Fox." His true name and history are unknown, but his cunning tactics and ability to evade capture have made him a legend. </Red_Pine>

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