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The Empire, Long United...

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Arrival - 1
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    • 35th of Februarius, 4350 A.P.


    The seers were rarely united in their visions. Fate is murky at best to divine, even for the most experienced and powerful seers. So when every seer of the Werriden clan agreed that to follow Gerhild would lead to certain doom, Headman Hludwig Werriden faced east and knelt. That day, he became Patriarch Clodovicus Viridius. The Viridii did not fight alongside the Imperial Legions, but their seers proved useful enough that upon the Warrior Queen's defeat, the Viridii were formally acknowledged as a true and loyal House of Tribus Horatia.

    Now, Sabina Viridia is on a carriage from the ancestral lands of the Viridii to face a people she has only known from mortal tutors. Instead of the comfortable trousers and boots of her people, she is clad in tunic, cloak and sandals. Certainly, the tunic and cloak are finery made of silk from the relatives of the very creature resting in her lap, but these clothes are foreign to her.

    "Do not fear/hurt/lonely." Glittering Strand of Hope offers, the spider's head gently nudging Sabina's belly. "You are strong/capable/talented." She insists, "You will grow/succeed/thrive."

    "Thank you." Sabina scratches Hope behind her head, comforted by the familiar tingle of the bristles on her fingertips. "I am as prepared as can be. I just have to hope it is enough."

    "Young mistress, we have arrived." The carriage stops outside what appears to be a large village. Every building made of stone, every road paved. Manicured trees line the roads. "Once you have selected a residence, we will be delivering your luggage. For now, you are expected at the forum."

    "Thank you." Though Sabina's tutors could not tell her much of what she could expect at the Imperial Wall Academy, she does know the forum is always somewhat centrally located. As such, she begins her path towards the center of this strangely opulent and strangely empty village. It feels as though the homes are empty, and what few people she sees are headed to the forum just like her.

    The forum turns out to be at the exact center, and is larger than she would have expected for the size of this settlement. A circular area roughly a hundred paces in diameter, with terraced seating covering a third of the circle's outer edge. Most of the people seem to be already seated there.

    Sabina finds herself a spot in the lower third, near the stairs back down. Not long after, a thin wisp of a girl sits next to her. The girl's tunic is ill-fitting and of what seems to be much cheaper make than most here. She says something that Sabina does not recognize, but by body language it seems to be some form of greeting, unsure what to say, Sabina just raises her hand in wordless greeting.

    As she scans the seats, Sabina's eye is drawn to a couple other interesting people. At the opposite side sits a giant of a boy, already a head taller than any man she's known. His poorly fitting tunic struggles to contain his bulk, and what at first looked like disks on a strange headband upon further examination seem more likely to be filed down horns.

    Closer by, a girl with an owl on her shoulder studies the crowd much like Sabina does, and when eyes meet the stare is so intense that she has no choice but to look away in a hurry. "Think/Believe/Suspect she sees/knows/watches much." Hope comments.

    Sabina is about to respond when she is cut short. "Welcome young talents. I am Senior Magister Decima Flavia, and I am in charge of the Junior Academy." The voice is simultaneously soft and cuts through the chatter with ease, drawing everyone's eyes to the previously empty center of the forum. Sabina does not recall seeing her arrive. "For the most part, you will not see me. The day to day of the Junior Academy is left to Junior Magisters. I find it unlikely that any of you will enjoy my personal attention, if your actions come to the point to require it."

    The short, and for a cultivator uncharacteristically plump woman, takes a good look over the crowd before she continues. "I am a busy woman, and you are no doubt eager to socialize with your peers, so I will keep this as short as I can. Pay close attention if you want to succeed in your time here." The last remnants of chatter die out when her iridescent eyes focus on a particular trio that seem to be already well acquainted with each other.

    "The rules are simple. There will be no fighting within the Academy Towns, except for properly supervised duels." One rough looking fair-haired boy spits on the ground at this news, meanwhile the Magister continues. "There will be no dueling for the first two months, after which you will learn the relevant rules regarding challenges."

    "You will repair any damage you inflict upon the buildings and formations in the Academy Towns, whether through your own efforts, currying favor with your peers, or through expenditure of Merits." A girl with a massive hammer worn on her back cheers at that news, only for the Magister's gaze to fall upon her and shush her. "You will not be allowed to leave the Academy Town for the first two months, the rules surrounding conduct elsewhere will be made available when they become relevant.

    "Now that we have handled the things you can't do, let's focus on the more exciting things. Housing is shared, each house can room three people but we will only require people to form pairs. Individual housing is available in exchange for Merits, but supplies are limited." The Magister's attention lingers for a moment on a tall girl with an axe whose blade is larger than her head, "If you have not already applied for individual housing, your first opportunity to do so will be at the end of the month. You have one hour from the end of this introduction to find someone to room with, or someone will be found for you."

    "Now you keep hearing me talk about Merits, so let's detail those. Merits are how you get rewards from the Academy. They are gained in five ways. The first is that each of you gets a set amount of Merits per month based on how much your sponsor was willing to commit." There's a scrawny boy who loudly boos at that, "Yes, it's not fair. If the world was fair this academy wouldn't exist, because each and every one of you is blessed beyond what most can dream of. Now, can we continue? The Magister's piercing glare all but dares the boy to challenge her, but he backs down. "The second is for making progress in your cultivation. Third, you can sell things on the market. The remaining methods will be detailed in two months, as they are not available until then."

    "As for what Merits can be used for? Besides small privileges like individual housing, there are a few main uses. First, the market provides access to material resources such as cultivation aids, raw materials, and artifacts." Once again, the girl with the hammer cheers, and once again she falls quiet upon receiving the Magister's attention. "Second, the library has a wide range of cultivation methods and techniques for you to study. Third, you can commission the aid of your seniors. Last but not least, after the first two months lessons will cost merits to attend."

    "Which brings me to my final point. Lessons. Over the first two months, there will be free lessons. Attendance to some is mandatory, attendance to others is strongly recommended, and yet others are not likely to benefit you. You all have received the lesson plan along with which category they fall into for you." The woman then vanishes as suddenly as she arrived, with no apparent trace of her passing.


    Sabina Viridia

    Date of Birth: 4th of Quintilis, 4336 A.P.
    Cultivation Talent: 8
    Cultivation Stage: Unawakened (—/Unknown)
    Affinity: Fate 5

    Attributes

    Strength: 2
    Dexterity: 2
    Stamina: 3
    Perception: 3
    Intelligence: 2
    Wits: 2
    Resolve: 2
    Insight: 2
    Charisma: 1
    Manipulation: 2
    Composure: 2
    Observation: 3

    Skills

    Animal Care: 2
    Archery: 2
    Athletics: 2
    Divination: 2
    Embroidery: 1
    Empathy: 2
    Intimidation: 1
    Medicine: 1
    Navigation: 1
    Persuasion: 2
    Socialize: 1
    Spear: 2
    Subterfuge: 1
    Sword: 2
    Toxins: 1
    Unarmed: 1
    Weaving: 1

    Languages

    Imperial: 4
    Wermonnic: 5

    Some mechanical context.

    Mortals have attributes and skills ranging from 0-4. However, attributes and skills at 4 are rare, and are generally only found in the most capable mortals. Attributes at 1 and 2 are common, with neither being seen as exceptional in either the negative or positive sense. Mortals with more than 2-3 attributes at 3 are also very rare. Mortals will generally get several skills to 3 in their lifetime, but skills at 3 are a rarity at the age of the Academy's students.


    Who does Sabina approach?

    [ ] The girl with the unfamiliar greeting
    [ ] The observant girl with the owl
    [ ] The rowdy girl with the hammer
    [ ] The tall girl with the axe
    [ ] Someone else (Mystery Box)
     
  • Threadmarks
    • DareDaemon said:
    I can neither confirm nor deny that the owl girl was inspired by Athena.
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    I meant more "was Arachne being cursed by Athena a story that exists in this world?". Actually, do we even worship the gods, given that humans have the potential to become godlike themselves? You don't have to answer, just thinking out loud.
     
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    CedeTheBees said:
    I meant more "was Arachne being cursed by Athena a story that exists in this world?". Actually, do we even worship the gods, given that humans have the potential to become godlike themselves? You don't have to answer, just thinking out loud.
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    Ah, right.

    Well the answer to the first of those questions is: Sabina doesn't know such a story, for however much that's worth.

    The answer to the second of those questions is: The exact relation between the divine, mortals, and cultivators will be discussed in detail later, but I'll just leave with you with the fact that the Romans have declared several people who we would consider mortals to be gods.
     
    DareDaemon said:
    At the opposite side sits a giant of a boy, already a head taller than any man she's known. His poorly fitting tunic struggles to contain his bulk, and what at first looked like disks on a strange headband upon further examination seem more likely to be filed down horns.
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    Was he inspired by the Juggernaut plan? He is clearly half-spirit and the size+horns screams minotaur. Pity we can't interact with him yet.

    [X] The observant girl with the owl
     
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