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Post: 60134317_1 created on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 06:17:05 +0000
Posted: Tue, 06 Apr 2010 06:17:05 +0000

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♛ _ E m e r a l d _ H i l l s _ ♛
A c a d e m y

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It is one of the most prestigious schools in the world, normally open only to the children of royalty and noblemen from a dozen countries, and even then only if they pass the rigorous entrance standards. But the new headmistress of Emerald Hills Academy has a vision that will change this historic institution for the new age of entertainment and celebrity. For the first time ever, Emerald Hills Academy has sent out invitations to rising young stars of screen, stage, music, art and the written word, offering them a unique educational experience intended to nurture their natural talents, and make them grow. At the same, some of the most off-beat and quirky teachers have been hired to teach them. It’s an experimental program, designed by the mysterious eclectic genius who has taken over as headmistress, and it’s a risky gamble. If it fails, it could destroy the careers of some of the most promising creative talents in the world and the already shaky careers of the teachers hired. If it succeeds... the possibilities are endless.

But what is the program? What does the mysterious headmistress have planned for her students and the teachers? And, is it to teach them about more than just how to be the best at their chosen form of creativity?

To find out, you must pass through the large, prestigious gates of...

Hello, and welcome to Emerald Hills Academy, the roleplay. My name is Rodent, and this is not your average advanced literate school roleplay. While the players enjoy the setting, the story, and... each other... I will be acting as the mysterious, never-seen headmistress running the social experiment that is Emerald Hills Academy. From time to time, I – acting as the headmistress – will pass down instructions to the students and teachers, telling them to take certain actions, or moving schedules and room assignments around.

Why? Well, have you ever noticed how some roleplays tend to stagnate? People clump together in pairs or small groups and ignore the rest of the roleplay, playing out a relationship up to the point where they get close... and then get bored and move on to another roleplay because there is nowhere else to go. Well, I intend to prevent this roleplay from stagnating by shaking things up from time to time. Maybe I will separate two characters that are getting too close. Or, maybe I will throw together two characters that are complete opposites. Maybe I will send a teacher to live in the student dorms, or a teacher to share a room with the students. Anything can happen, at any time, and... it will.

Boredom is not an option at Emerald Hills Academy. Get ready to be a part of an educational experiment of epic proportions, in a whirlwind of love, jealousy, mystery, drama and excitement. Come and join us, at Emerald Hills Academy.

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Post: 60134317_2 created on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 06:23:15 +0000
Posted: Tue, 06 Apr 2010 06:23:15 +0000

１．

I n t r o d u c t i o n

２．

T a b l e _ o f _ C o n t e n t s

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S t o r y

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R u l e s

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P r o f i l e _ T e m p l a t e

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T h e _ S c h o o l

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S c h o o l _ L i f e

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T e r m _ S c h e d u l e

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Post: 60134317_3 created on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 06:24:40 +0000
Posted: Tue, 06 Apr 2010 06:24:40 +0000

For the last three hundred years, Emerald Hills Academy in the northern part of England has been one of the most prestigious private secondary education institutions in the world. Enrolment is by invitation only, and the only people who have been traditionally invited have been royalty or nobility – at first only British, then later from all over the world. It is an institution with a proud history, and a bastion of strict tradition.

But the newly appointed headmistress of Emerald Hills is a radical woman. Despite being acknowledged amongst her peers as a genius for her sociological theories on education, she prefers to stay out of the spotlight and has a reputation as a bit of a recluse. She was given the job at a surprisingly young age, and started right away shaking up the tired, old institution with changes that shocked the old guard and the alumni, but which are – so she claims, according to her theories – going to make Emerald Hills one of the most special educational institutions in academic history.

One of the first changes was that Emerald Hills is no longer accepting students based on whether they are royalty or nobility. In fact, some of the people who have received invitations are positively obscure. The only criteria for getting an invitation seems to be that you have demonstrated a creative or artistic talent far and above the average for your age group, and can afford the hefty entrance fee. Musicians, actors, writers, painters, photographers, and dancers... it does not matter what your artistic skill is, so long as you are very good at it, and have made yourself well-enough known to attract the attention of the headmistress. Then, if you can afford the entrance fee – because Emerald Hills does not offer scholarships – you’re in.

The other thing the new headmistress changed was the policy for hiring teachers. Now the school is hiring young teachers with a reputation for unconventional teaching practises. Whereas in the past, the school would never hire any teacher with a single bad mark on their record, some of the new teachers hired were barely holding onto their jobs in their old schools. But something about their unique teaching styles attracted them to the attention of the new headmistress.

In both the invitations to the teachers and students, the headmistress has made it quite clear that Emerald Hills will be a unique experience, and that it is an experimental program. She has not told anyone what the experiment is, except to say that the goal is to create a teaching program that will take the best and brightest creative minds in the world... and give them an academic experience that will make them even better at whatever it is they do.

At some point during the previous year, you received a gilded, engraved invitation to the school, telling you that if you were interested in a unique learning experience that will nurture your creative talents, to please respond for more invitation.

When you responded, you were sent a package introducing you to Emerald Hills Academy: its history, its rich tradition and its international prestige. The package also informed you that the school was under new management, and that a new experimental program was being developed especially for gifted youths by one of the top sociologists in the world. It would go on to tell you that once your (rather hefty) application fee was processed, everything else would be taken care of by the school. All you would have to do is show up, and everything would be provided.

Just to make this clear: All students have an artistic talent that they have been recognized for publicly (at least nationally, if not internationally). All students pay tuition: no pity packages or scholarships. All students are in good academic standing: no delinquents or students on the verge of failing out (Emerald Hills does not accept pyromaniacs). No student gets in because of family connections or having “friends on the school board”. No student gets in by applying. No exceptions.

Just to make this even more clear: All students have one artistic talent for which they are recognized on at least the national level. They may have auxiliary, related ‘talents’, like if they’re an internationally recognized sculptor, maybe they can draw really well, too... but only one talent. I don’t want students with a laundry list of talents. You have one major talent, and you have been (inter)nationally recognized as a great artist because of that talent... if you can do other things, great, but you must have one (inter)nationally recognized talent.

At some point during the previous year, you would have been contacted by a representative for the school... something you would never have expected in a million years. They would have told you that you had been selected to be a teacher at a school for some of the most artistically gifted students in the world, in an experimental program run by one of the world’s top educational researchers.

When you agreed to the contract, you would have been told that all you had to do was show up before the school year starts. The school has top-of-the-line facilities, but you are free to bring whatever educational tools you think you will need. Just bring yourself and whatever clothes and supplies you will need to live in the teachers’ apartments for the year.

Just to make this clear: All teachers are professional teachers who have had some teaching success, but for some reason or another were on the verge of failing at their jobs (it could even be that their school boards just didn’t like them). All teachers have taught before, for at least a year (Emerald Hills does not hire teachers just because their friends or family have put in a good word for them). No teachers get in based on “recommendations”. No exceptions.

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Post: 60134317_4 created on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 06:26:46 +0000
Posted: Tue, 06 Apr 2010 06:26:46 +0000

I am Rodent. In this roleplay, I am the final word. On everything.

This is an advanced literate roleplay, which means that you are expected to be an advanced literate roleplayer. Of course, as most people know, this means that you are expected to post a minimum of 3-4 sizable paragraphs in each post, and to use proper English spelling and grammar. However, it also means that you are expected to have an awareness of what else is going on in the roleplay. It is not enough to simply post a wall of text if that text ruins the roleplay for anyone else. For example, if it contradicts what other people have done, “god-mods” them (moves their characters without permission), gives them no chance to react to important events or leaves no one else in the roleplay anything to work with. If in doubt, discuss it in the OOC before posting it.

One more thing: be creative! I want fancy post styles (but not blinding – they should still be legible, with 10-12 pt font and colours that don’t hurt the eye), both in the IC thread and in your profile! Make them fun to look at! (That way, people will be likely to spend more time looking at them... which is good, right, because you put a lot of effort into them.)

Before you apply to join, please send me a background check. I'm sorry, I really don't believe in them, but past experience has shown me that there are a lot of people who can write up a really good profile, but just can't follow through in the roleplay.

All I need in the background check is a link to two or three other advanced literate roleplays you have been in. That's it. Just send me a PM saying you would like to be part of Emerald Hills, and give me links to two or three other roleplays you have been in recently. No tricks, no codes, no special PM titles.

After I have approved your background check, you can start making your profile (see the next post for the profile format and other instructions). Please note: there are no tricks or games to join here. All you have to do is send in a background check, then once that's approved, send in your profile for final approval, then make your pretty profile thread and send me the link to that so I can include you in the cast list. The only "catch"... is that quality is required.

You are required to post at least once a week once you are accepted. It’s really not that hard to do. I know real life can get hectic, but come on. Even if 95% of your waking hours are accounted for, that still gives you about five hours a week free time: just take half an hour while you’re eating lunch or something, draft out your post, then type it up when you get a chance later – and if it’s sloppy just explain in the OOC that that’s because you’re busy and try to do anything in your post that causes problems for anyone else. If you really can’t post at all, again, tell us in the OOC, and excuse your character – go to the bathroom or something. If you hold up anyone for more than two weeks, I will god-mod your character away to free the other person (anyway I choose to), and consider your character gone until you post again. Do it twice, and you will be expelled from the roleplay.

Posting in the OOC is required in this roleplay. Your profile will not be accepted if you don’t make a presence in the OOC. And if anything happens in the actual roleplay – for example, someone else contradicts your post – then even if it’s someone else’s fault, if they’ve been posting the OOC and you haven’t, their version is going to be accepted as canon. I am not going to give a minimum for how often you should post in the OOC, but use your judgement. Just let us know you’re there and paying attention from time to time.

From time to time, the mysterious, anonymous headmistress will contact people – sometimes publicly, sometimes by PM. When she does, she will give you instructions. They may be changing room or class assignments, or they may be... other instructions. You don’t have to follow her instructions... but it’s never wise to disobey the headmistress, right?

If you want to contact the headmistress for any reason, just send her an email (in character), and she will either reply or contact you by phone.

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Post: 60134317_5 created on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 06:43:07 +0000
Posted: Tue, 06 Apr 2010 06:43:07 +0000

This is the profile template for you to use when applying for a character. To apply, all you have to do is fill it out and PM it to me (just title the PM “Emerald Hills” or something similar so I know what it’s for).

Once I accept your profile, you should make it pretty – with lots of fancy characters, formatting, pictures and flair. Go nuts! Feel free to shuffle information around – it doesn’t matter what you do, so long as all the information is there, and it is not too hard to find. Then post it in your own thread (wherever you like, even an existing thread, so long as it’s your own thread – if in doubt, just make a thread in the Test Forum for it). The reason for this is that as the roleplay progresses, you may want to make updates to your profile. For example, you can add a list of people you are interested in and/or people you hate, and keep that up to date. Or if your appearance changes (for example, a scar, a cast or even just a hair cut), you can describe that, too. You can even keep an area to describe where you are and what you’re currently wearing. You can even have a journal for your character, if you have time!

And once your thread is set up, PM me again to let me know the URL. Simple as that! One final bit of advice, though: use the OOC. Discuss your character with others. It will make your character better, it will help you possibly create back stories with other characters, and, if your character is flawed, it will give you a chance to fix it before you waste your time writing it out. And, check out the sample profile.

Vital Statistics

Name:

Age:

Gender:

Birthday:

Nationality:

(for students) Talent:

(for teachers) Subject:

Appearance

Height:

Weight:

Eyes:

Hair:

Physique:

Style:

Distinguishing Marks:

Picture:

About Me

Personality:

Sexual Preference:

Biography:

Likes:

Dislikes:

Fears:

(optional) Relationships:

(optional) Theme Music:

[b][u]Vital Statistics[/u][/b]
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Birthday:[/b]
[b]Nationality:[/b]
(for students) [b]Talent:[/b]
(for teachers) [b]Subject:[/b]

[b][u]Appearance[/u][/b]
[b]Height:[/b]
[b]Weight:[/b]
[b]Eyes:[/b]
[b]Hair:[/b]
[b]Physique:[/b]
[b]Style:[/b]
[b]Distinguishing Marks:[/b]
[b]Picture:[/b]

[b][u]About Me[/u][/b]
[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]Sexual Preference:[/b]
[b]Biography:[/b]
[b]Likes:[/b]
[b]Dislikes:[/b]
[b]Fears:[/b]
(optional) [b]Relationships:[/b]
(optional) [b]Theme Music:[/b]

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Post: 60134317_6 created on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 06:44:13 +0000
Posted: Tue, 06 Apr 2010 06:44:13 +0000

The school is located at one corner of a small, sleepy town in Northern England. The town is small, but it has been host to Emerald Hills Academy for hundreds of years with its rich, royal students, so its residents are used to the presence of royalty and celebrity, and the town has all the facilities that young, rich and private students could ever want. Of course, students are only allowed off-campus during the day on weekends, and the rest of the time, must stay within the school gates unless granted special permission.

But there’s no need to go off-campus! This school has everything. A pool, a convenience store, even a small theatre that can play movies! The campus is so big, it takes over twenty minutes to walk from one side to the other (although, golf carts are available, but not for student use except for under special conditions, and while they are technically not intended for teacher use, many teachers do use them).

1. Main Entrance Gate and Guard House

2. Tudor Hall
This houses all of the administrative offices for the school, along with the infirmary and a decently-sized convenience store that sells numerous items that both the students and teachers might need.
First floor: convenience store, infirmary, library, textbook distribution, uniform distribution, offices for major student organizations (student government, student disciplinary peer review board, etc.).
Second floor: Teacher’s offices (every teacher has an office, whether or not they choose to use it), teacher’s conference room, school secretary, exam and records storage.
Third floor: Headmistress’s office, board of trustees’ conference room.
Fourth floor: The headmistress lives on the fourth floor.

3. Quadrangle (“The Quad”)
Has numerous benches for sitting, plus shade trees, and the large fountain – basically a large area for students to relax in.

4. Brandon Hall
All classrooms, plus labs are in this building. Also, most student clubs and organizations use classrooms after hours for meeting in.
East (Hodgins) Wing: This wing is more modern (having been rebuilt several times over the years). The first and second floors house the laboratories (the reason it has been rebuilt several times). The third floor has classrooms.
West (Chapham) Wing: The oldest wing, the first and second floors house the art studios. The third floor has classrooms.
Central (Fullerton) Wing: Houses classrooms on all three floors.

5. Gymnasium
Houses two separate large gyms large enough to host basketball games with bleachers (one is usually set up for gymnastics), and a fully stocked gym with free weights, machines and other equipment. There is also the athletics and recreation (A&R) office where students can sign out equipment or book fields or the gym for whatever reason. All teachers who do athletics related courses or coach teams get a second office here, too.

6. Sports Fields
An athletics track with markings for all major track and field events, and a full-sized soccer,rugby and field hockey pitch.

7. Shooting (and archery) Range
Has a high wall on three sides for safety (and behind the outer wall is a cliff face, in case arrows or bullets go over). Contains archery targets, and a clay pigeon launcher.

8. Athletics Equipment Storage Shed

9. Stewart Hall
Male student dorms. Rooms are very large and comfortable, but are shared between two people. Each of the four floors has six rooms, except the first floor. The first floor has a large common area with couches and a big screen television, a decently-sized kitchen, four small study rooms, and a double-sized room for the Dorm Monitor.

10. Theatre
Used for both live stage performances and (with a drop-down screen) movies. The Drama Club controls the stage and backstage areas, and the Movie Club controls the projection booth – both have keys to the building (the school secretary has a key that can be signed out, if there is no Movie Club or Drama Club).

11. Swimming Pool
Olympic-sized pool with change rooms. Also has saunas and hot tubs for physiotherapy. Open at all times, but certain hours are booked off for classes, athletics teams and for single-sex swimming.

12. Music Hall
Large practise hall for both dancing and music. The instruments are kept under lock and key, under control of the Music Club (or the school secretary if there is no Music Club).

13. Greenhouse

14. Gardens

15. Tennis Courts

16. Wallingford Hall
Female student dorms. Rooms are very large and comfortable, but are shared between two people. Each of the four floors has six rooms, except the first floor. The first floor has a large common area with couches and a big screen television, a decently-sized kitchen, four small study rooms, and a double-sized room for the Dorm Monitor.

17. Stables
Horses are normally not kept anymore, unless a student requests arrangements (this can be done by mail before arriving, so your horses are there already).

18. Side Gate
Opens onto an open field and riding trail that leads into a small wood. Although there is a guard house there, it is no longer manned, but remote operated from the main guard house.

19. Faculty Hollow
Teachers’ apartments. All teachers get a very large, studio-style apartment. Students are not supposed to go here.

20. The Rathskellar (“The Rat”)
Doubles as a cafeteria for students during the day, and a club to party in on weekend nights. Teachers are welcome to use it if they wish, but there are more private rooms upstairs if they do not wish to eat with the students.

21. Bandstand and Gazebo
A great place to watch the ducks who swim in the Drink.

22. Boathouse
Boats cannot be taken without permission and a key from the A&R office.

23. Boating Pond (“The Drink”)

24. The Woods (“Sherwood Forest”)
Students are not supposed to go in the woods (with the exception of the Nature Club, and only during daylight hours unless they have special permission).

25. Service Workers’ Lodgings
Security guards, office workers, cleaning staff, groundskeepers, cooks, and everyone else needed to keep the school running live here. Students are not supposed to go here.

26. Service Gate
Although there is a guard house there, it is no longer manned, but remote operated from the main guard house.

27. Observatory and Planetarium
Both are in a single building, side by side. The key is controlled by the Astronomy Club (or the school secretary if there is no Astronomy Club).

28. Secret Garden
A small garden and bench in a small clearing in the woods built a hundred years ago by anonymous students... labelled only “For Claire”. The bench overlooks a small pond. The garden is unkempt and overgrown, and the bench in disrepair, and students are not supposed to go here (as it would involve going through the woods, which they are not supposed to do also). Despite this, sometimes students sneak off for romantic liaisons here, and the teachers know it full well (and sometimes raid the area to catch them).

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Post: 60134317_7 created on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 06:45:18 +0000
Posted: Tue, 06 Apr 2010 06:45:18 +0000

Teachers are not only expected to teach classes, they are also required to manage at least one student club (one period a week). They are required to be in their office for student questions for at least two periods on days when they are not teaching. A teacher should have three periods a week teaching, two periods a week minimum in their office (or, at least, “reachable”, which usually means putting a note on their office door saying where they can be found – it is not uncommon for a teacher to leave a note on their office door saying “find me at the Rat” or “I’ll be lounging by the Drink”), and one after-school activity. Anything else is optional.

When they are off-duty, teachers are free to do as they please (they may even join other student clubs, if they like). They are given a fully-furnished studio apartment for their use in Faculty Hollow, but unlike students, they are not bound by curfew and can leave the campus any time they want.

However, whenever they are on campus, even when they are off-duty, teachers are required to dress “appropriately”, according to the school dress code for teachers. For women, that means pantsuits or a skirt that at least brushes the knees and is not too tight, a top that is not too low cut and not too tight, and closed-toe shoes. For men, pants – no shorts or jeans – a button-up shirt or sweater, preferably with a tie, and loafers, brogues, derbies or oxfords, no running shoes or sandals. It is not uncommon for both male and female teachers to get sloppy with the dress code later in the year, but it could lead to disciplinary action.

Students are required to take three classes (for nine periods a week), and join at least three after-school activities. It is also required that they take charge of at least one club. Anything else is optional.

When they do not have classes, students are free to do whatever they want on campus, but cannot leave campus without a special permission slip from the secretary. However, they must be in their dorms after dark, unless they have permission to be somewhere else due to club activities or special permission given by the secretary. Getting permission slips is a lot easier with a teacher’s word.

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Students are required to wear uniforms at all times when on campus. There are two uniforms each for the guys and girls: the winter uniform and the summer uniform (also called term 1 and term 2 uniforms, because that’s when they are supposed to be worn). The uniforms are shown below. Boys have the option of red, green or blue ties and girls have the option of red, green or blue ribbons (in the past, these indicated which “house” you were in, but those days are past, and you are free to choose which colour you want to wear and change it whenever you want). Both are required to wear closed-toe dress shoes with low heels – no running shoes or sandals. Girls’ skirts are supposed to be brushing the knees, and the socks must be pulled up at least to the knees. It is not uncommon for both boys and girls to push the limits on what is acceptable in their uniforms, but going too far would certainly lead to disciplinary action.

W i n t e r _ U n i f o r m _ ( o r _ T e r m _ 1 _ u n i f o r m)

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Boys

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Girls

S u m m e r _ U n i f o r m _ ( o r _ T e r m _ 2 _ u n i f o r m)

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Boys

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Girls

E x t r a _ I m a g e s

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Tie/bow colours

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Post: 60134317_8 created on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 06:46:29 +0000
Posted: Tue, 06 Apr 2010 06:46:29 +0000

31 (Monday)
Students begin arriving. Start of Welcome Week.

2 (Wednesday)
Morning: Welcome Assembly in the Theatre
Afternoon: Student-Teacher meet and greet in Brandon Hall

3 (Thursday)
Class scheduling day.

4 (Friday)
Clubs and Activities day.

7 (Monday)
Classes start.