Rules and Background

[Scythe de Zaran]

In the Garden of the Damned, two figures stood in the center. One, with dark webbed wings and claws, in a beam of light, a portal of some sort. The other, looking relatively human, outside the light, standing and smirking.

“…if you can keep the portal closed, that is…”

“Oh, believe me, I will, even if I have to throw apples at you,” the figure standing outside the light said as black bars came into existence around the light, shutting out the light and closing in on the figure within.

“… you have tricked me, but we shall see who wins this bet!” the figure trapped in the light declared as it disappeared with the light.

In place of the light, a statue thundered from the sky and landed with a loud thud on the spot. A sundial, supported by twin statues of an angel and a demon, chained to each other in the molding.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You did realize the danger of opening this academy here, didn't you, Armand? We can’t even stop them all the time. Why involve more potential victims?... wait, you’re not trying to build a personal army, are you?”

“Of course not. Now, why would I do that? I have no need for one.” The red-haired headmaster grinned as he toyed with a small chess piece. He looked up at his companion. “However, this will be to their benefit as well as ours.” Armand paused and arched an eyebrow. “By the way, you do realize that there is a giant millipede crawling on your shoulder, right?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

As a new student, you enter the grounds, finally find yourself in the dorm towers after asking for directions from the teachers, elder students, or prefects, and set your belongings down as you attempt to enter the room. The door does open, you surmise, however, no matter how much you turn, you hand keeps slipping and the door just won’t open. Even after swearing and additional numerous attempts, you give up and smack the door knob. To your surprise, it falls off, and underneath is another door knob. Curious, you give it a turn, and the door opens easily.

A few doors down, someone has just opened his door on the first try, and you near a loud crash and a cry. The ground around the person is wet, and curiously, you see a sopping wet person with a pail over his head. Even stranger is that the pail has two eye holes cut out of it so the person can conveniently see.

You shake your head and head inside your room. On your desk is a sign saying, “Welcome to the School of Pranks!” Inside, you are confused. You thought you were attending the Nexus Academy, not a School of Pranks.

 

[Scythe de Zaran]

Setting and Time:
In a world far far away, in a world not named Gaea or Earth, there exists a school... The landscape of the world has various climates and terrains much like Earth. This is not a modern or sci fi roleplay and is closer to a medieval setting although there is use of mechanical guns (not machine guns). The people still mostly fight with weapons such as swords and spears, and the main way to travel overland is by horse or foot. Magic is unknown except to a small group of people, and the world is experimenting with science. The level of technology can be compared to Clock Punk, but is broader because technology is not limited to clockwork. Suffice to say, there are some crazy inventors running around out there, and some things that seem impossible in this time period do exist.

The People:
The world is predominantly human. However, there are a few select resident who are not. These other races include some mythical creatures such as elves and demons. For the purposes of the roleplay, not all races will exist in the Academy. As a note, students at the Academy who are not completely human all believe themselves to be human until they find out later. This is also because everyone at the Academy has the appearance of a human.

The Races at the Academy:
In all races, you can choose whether you use magic or not. However, if your character does use magic, he or she must be physically disadvantaged in some way….or your character sucks at magic. Note all students are full human or part human/part other race. Teachers can be full or partial.

Human
Self explanatory. They are the all-arounders, the most flexible in adjusting to situations.

Elf
True appearance is basically humans with pointy ears. They move less noisily, are sneakier, and are more magically inclined and physically weaker than humans. There can be different types of elves such as Forest Elves (who mainly live in the forest) and Sand elves (desert elves). There are Water Elves, but none are in the school. Elves do not need to have affinities aligned to where they live (aka Forest elves don’t need to have an Earth affinity).

Angle
This is not a misspelling of the word “Angel.” In their true form, Angles however are similar to the appearance of angels. Angles are basically humans with feathery wings. Their wing colors may vary as well as their skin, hair, and eye colors. Angles may be able to fly with proper training and tend to be more magically inclined, especially with Light magic. Note that if the Angle has lost its wings, it cannot fly. Angles cannot use Dark magic and they cannot use destructive magic (except for Light destructive magic and only if they undergo hard training).

Centaur – Only 1 teacher is allowed to be a centaur
True appearance is that of a human upper half and a horse’s lower body and legs. Because they do have four legs, they can run faster than the other races and they are stronger than most. Generally, they are swifter in their actions. Centaurs are weak in magic.

Demon – This category is very broad, so for the purposes of the roleplay, these are the limitations. Demons might also be referred to as chimera because they sometimes seem to be a mix of other races.

No vampires. No dragons. No mixing multiple types of demon. No mixing demon with another race and calling it a demon. Demons are either elemental based or animal based.

True appearance may have any combination of fangs, horns, claws, extra fur, wings, or hooves, or they might just look human. Their advantages and disadvantages fluctuate all over. A demon cannot be both physically strong and magically strong.

Demons can be based on one element. So, there can be fire demons, water demons, earth demons, wind demons, shadow demons. The element will also be the character’s affinity, and even without magic, they themselves will have a weakness toward the opposite element.

Or a demon can be based on one animal. If you want to be another type of demon, please ask and explain.



The Nexus Academy:
The Nexus Academy is a relative unknown boarding school reputable in academics, but in the underground, it is most commonly known as the “School of Pranks” run by the notorious and secretive headmaster. The prestigious academy has earned its name from the simple fact that everyone in the school is pranked and/or is always pranking other people. Even the headmaster has been pranked, and he himself has pulled quite a few as well.

Situated in the mountains, the school is a large castle estate with gardens, small lakes, and vast grounds. The school has many many hidden rooms with the only person who knows all of them is the headmaster. Of course with hidden rooms, there must be secrets!

Students are selected for specific unnamed criteria, which may be stranger than you may think. However, not all those that make it in have the temperament to stay and adjust. For those that stay, they surely will have the adventure of their life whether they like it or not.

The Nexus Academy's Secret
The Academy holds many secrets. However, the biggest one involves the portals in the complex. Unknown except to the staff, portals are scattered in certain areas of the school grounds. The portals are sealed, but will they remain sealed? The staff does not know the location of all portals, and there may be some that they don't even know exist.  

[Scythe de Zaran]

1. Follow the guild and Gaia ToS. Yes, that means no cybering.

2. Please do not god mod, power play, or kill off anyone else's character without their permission. Also, let me know if any planned deaths come along, so others won't accuse you of god modding. With the same idea, please allow some time for someone to respond to your post. Not everyone may be on as frequently as you are.

3. Separate OOC from IC somehow. For example (( )) around OOC words.

4. Literacy: Write in third person. Try not to use one liners. Writing more lets roleplayers work with more to respond with and possibly more fun!

5. When moving from thread to thread, please write in OOC or in your post where you are moving to or where you are coming from.

6. Do not use pictures in your posts unless they are small, don't stretch the page, and don't make reading your post hard. We're fine with just text.

7. Character applications:
- You may have up to 3 characters at a time.

- Note that when you apply as a student, you do NOT have magic capabilities from the start if you choose your affinity to be magic.

Seniority Note: For School of Prank veterans, your characters may carry over the knowledge from the old roleplays to here. However, I can't guarantee that the school is completely the same. If your character was a student in the old roleplay and have knowledge from the old roleplay, that character must not be a first year student.

- There are two ways to send your profile application: a) by PM, or b) In the SOP Characters Applications/Discussions/OOC Subforum.

a) PM - Send the profile to Scythe de Zaran or Talon StarDrifter with the subject line "SoP [student or staff] - [character name]"

b) SOP Characters Applications/OOC Subforum - Post your character profile in a new topic and state in the title that it's ready for review.

8. Absences: If you know you will be going away, please let me and the rest of the rpers know. You can post in The Absence Report. Also, let us know what to do with your character e.g. ghost him/her along or leave him/her in that location, etc...

9. Feel free to be creative. Knock yourself out on pranking ideas. This is the School of Pranks.

10. If you have any questions, feel free to ask by pm, in the OOC thread, or in the Ask Armand and Faraday topic located in the SOP Characters Applications/OOC Subforum.

11. Miscellaneous: At times, the roleplays will have certain events where there will be prizes. Actual prizes may include Gaia gold or items.  

[Scythe de Zaran]

What are you doing here?
You are a staff member, teacher, or student at the Nexus Academy, a prestigious but not well known boarding school on a huge castle estate. The estate holds many secrets for brave explorers. However, the academy is also known as the “School of Pranks.” The students and teachers constantly prank each other, but no one has ever gotten seriously hurt… unless someone is mysteriously found dead, possibly from a prank, in which case everyone searches for the culprit. Meanwhile, students have gone exploring and have found some parts of the castle to be extremely strange. It couldn’t just be due to the castle’s age. What is the secret behind the academy and why is it so full of pranks? Only time and daring exploration can tell.

The Magic and Affinities
Most people will have an affinity, meaning magic that is easier for them to learn and use. That doesn't mean they choose to learn that magic though. They will still have that weakness though. For those who can’t use magic, they either have no affinity (neutral) or an affinity which allows them to understand and possibly avoid that type of magic easier. Note that those who cannot use magic could be especially good at something else such as strategy or at one form of fighting or sneaking around or even good at jumping.

The types of magic are: [Wind / Earth (includes rocks, plants, etc) / Fire / Water / Light (strongest healing spells are here) / Dark(shadow)]. People often specialize in certain parts of their elements.

Each affinity has a broad spectrum of uses and weaknesses. For example, an earth-affinity might grant you power over plants while making you vulnerable to fire, or you can shift the very ground beneath your feet to create a fortress or to be used as a weapon while water will quickly wear you down. The affinities come with a variety of uses and powers, so when choosing your affinity, make sure you think hard about what your character would be weak against.

If two mages are the same level and use same level spells, then this is the general result. This can change (as you can see from above).
Water > Fire
Fire > Air
Air > Earth
Earth > Water
Light = Dark

Note that you can also upset the balance if you are a more skilled/higher classes magic user or use high leveled spells. Usually speaking, if you are capable of more than one type of magic as an all rounder, you will be weaker than a single magic type user in that single magic.
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Students:
Curriculum: All students start not knowing magic exists. Magic will be unlocked later. Later, they will most likely specialize in one type of magic, if they are able and choose to go with magic. There are four years at the Academy. Each student is required to take the basic courses of science, literature, math, etc. In addition, everyone is forced to take a form of fighting arts. Suffice to say, pranks are not as common during fighting arts since when sparring with real weapons, it is a danger. (But the teachers won’t mind pranking students since they know what the bounds for safety are.)

For general knowledge for later, students will learn about magic if a trigger event occurs or if they end up demonstrating sporadic displays that they can't control that may endanger everyone's lives. In the latter case, the students will be pulled aside by a teacher.

Example Positions
- [Insert year] Student
- Male Prefect - Prefects are upper classmen, either 3rd or 4th years and may act as dorm leaders.
- Female Prefect
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Teachers and Staff
Teachers and staff know about magic right from the beginning of the roleplay. However, they are forbidden from using any visibly in front of students. In addition, the use of magic may give them an enormous advantage when it comes to pranking. Some of the teachers are capable of magic (limit of two types). If you want to have all of the types of magic, you will probably not have strong magic. Again, as for the students, those that aren't can be especially good at something else.

Example Teacher and Staff Positions
- 1 Nurse/Doctor - should have healing magic
- Librarian
- Cook
- Teacher [insert random subject, can be a fighting art]
- 1 Teacher in Disguise - Student Prefect - fill out the student sheet. Additionally, you can fill out the teacher sheet so we have your real bio, but it won't be posted.

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[color=POSTINGCOLOR][b]So, you look new around here! What’s your name?:[/b] [first and last name]
[b]Oh? And what do you do?:[/b] [Student – 1st to 4th year/////Teacher(Include Subject Taught) or Staff Position]
[b]Hmmm…, you look:[/b] [Male or female]
[b]Well, how old are you?[/b] [Students (15-19)///// Teacher or Staff (Older than 26)]
[b]What race might you be?[/b][What race are you?
[u]Students[/u] Please note that students all think they are human. Students are after all mostly human. If they aren’t, they are only part human/part another species. (Human or part human/part elf, part human/part demon, part human/part Angle)
/////
[u]Teacher and Staff[/u] (Human, demon, part something, angle, elf , centaur(only 1 centaur allowed for teachers)]
[b]And your Affinity:[/b] [ Wind, Earth, Fire, Water, Light, Dark, None]
[b]Do you have any skills or abilities?[/b] [Skills/abilities or things that you’re especially good at? For those that cannot use magic, you can list your physical advantages and skills here too. Teachers, also list your magic abilities.]
[b]Hey, maybe we’re in the same Fighting Arts Class[/b]: [Students only! Name a type of fighting class.]
[b]So, how would you describe yourself?[/b] [A picture is optional, but describe what your character looks like. Hair, eyes, height, maybe weight. Clothes style?]
[b]What type of person do you think you are?[/b] [Personality. What is your character like? How does he/she act? Please also list a few likes and dislikes.]
[b]I’ll keep this a secret..maybe. Tell me three weakness:[/b] [List three weaknesses. Please vary them so that at least one weakness can be affected by another person.]
[b]What was life like before Nexus Academy…you know…like when life was normal…haha! Just kidding![/b] [History: What is your character’s background or history before coming to the academy? Teachers: Were you recruited by Armand? Did you know him before?]
[b]Anything else?:[/b] [Anything else? Does the character have a secret?]
[b]I know who that is peeking behind you! It’s[/b] [Gaia Username][/color]

Student Sample

So, you look new around here! What’s your name?: Will DeScythe, and nice to meet myself too!
Oh? And what do you do?: 4th Year Student, and you teachers can’t get rid of me!
Hmmm…, you look: male last time I checked.
Well, how old are you? 17
What race might you be? 100% human, or am I?
And your Affinity: Dark
Do you have any skills or abilities? I’m pro at acting and pranking. *nods* You’ll see. I’m pretty good at music too. And I’m also capable of learning magic.
Hey, maybe we’re in the same Fighting Arts Class: Fencing, and yes we are!
So, how would you describe yourself? This is me.
I have loose and kempt blonde hair and ridiculously emeraldy green eyes that people say sparkle with playfulness. I’m usually pretty playful and lighthearted, but I can appear innocent or mean, depending on the outlook I’m shooting for. I’ll be a meanie if I want to keep others way. My body is of medium build and well toned in muscle. My skin is so pale and delicate that if I dye my hair a dark color, my skin would appear ghostly pale. My innocent/sweet smile is a very welcoming smile that many find quite friendly. I am at 5'8'’ tall.
What type of person do you think you are? Let’s see… well, people say calling me mischievous is enough said. I am quite the outgoing and spontaneous person. I poke fun at the poor, but I love them all the same as the rest. Hmm…well, I love pranking people and causing strife. I suppose I might be slightly sadistic and masochist to some extent if I feel like it. I am straight, but I sure don’t mind fooling others into believing otherwise. It’s all a game, and I’m quite the actor. I can be a “lady’s man” as well. Hmm…I like pranks, fun, and games. I don’t like extreme boredom, horridly sad situations, and reading books.
I’ll keep this a secret..maybe. Tell me three weakness: I will specialize in Dark magic, so Light is a weakness to me. Fire can be an issue too since it creates light in some instances. My lust for pranks takes me above limits and will often result in sometimes, unintended consequences that backfire on me.
What was life like before Nexus Academy…you know…like when life was normal…haha! Just kidding! Will comes from a wealthy upper middle class family. His father is a successful merchant, who opened up his own trading company, first based on weapon making then expanding into more merchandise and goods. The company flourishes now. Will is the second born son. The first born son(Kent, a wonderful fencer) was killed in a war, and the second born daughter(Selis) is a well known musician. Music runs in the family and although, Will despises music, he finds that he enjoys playing an instrument by himself alone. Of the three children, Will was given the least attention because of his successful siblings. His parents pampered him at times, but not enough for him. He thus resorted to pranks to get attention and to amuse himself. Once, he even managed to dress up as his sister and pose at her, completely embarrassing her at a concert. She was part of a concert and before her performance, Will ran up to the stage and … acted strangely, completely bewildering the audience. Selis had to come out, drag him off the stage, then apologize before beginning her performance. Will began fencing and learning martial arts after his brother’s death, realizing that he had to be able to defend himself. As of now, his fencing skills are better than his martial arts, though it would be more convenient for the latter to be better since he easily picks fights. …or so he says his history is so.
Anything else?: There’s more to me than it seems.
I know who that is peeking behind you! It’s Scythe de Zaran

Teacher Sample

So, you look new around here! What’s your name?: Estas Landry
Oh? And what do you do?: Teacher of Literature
Hmmm…, you look: male. And you look lovely too, my dear . …wait, you’re a guy…ARMAND!!!
Well, how old are you? A fresh 27
What race might you be? The beautiful Angle race
And your Affinity: Water
Do you have any skills or abilities? Of course I do. As a former thief (or maybe I still am one…), I am lithe and agile with my fingers and legs. I am great at dodging and running away from fighting! See a fight? I’m not there! I do have a handy knife on hand because of habit. I am able to use water magic, but my water magic is limited. The only method I have somewhat mastered is creating air bubbles to breathe underwater and to act as weak shields. I am an excellent chef, no matter what Armand says.
Hey, maybe we’re in the same Fighting Arts Class: N/A.
So, how would you describe yourself? I am a handsome piece of work that the ladies swoon over. My shiny sleek black hair drapes down to my mid back, but I keep it nice and tidy in a low pony tail. My figure is slender and I stand at a height of five feet and six inches. I have violet eyes, and I don comfortable loose fitting clothes. Don’t forget my favorite hat. People say it’s Robin Hood style with a purple feather tucked in its side. Hmm? Oh, I rather make sure I dress with style. The ladies love it…My wings in Angle form are a pure feathery white. They are a beauty.
What type of person do you think you are? Outgoing and full of smiles. Oh, yes, and romantic like a midsummer’s night. Inside, I have my own mischievous streak. This is the School of Pranks after all. I love to scare the students (by stealing objects and making them disappear) and make the girls swoon. Though… Armand jokes that girls should watch out because “If you're looking for bravery in a fight, Estas might be a bit lacking as he's better at running away.” Speak nothing of it! I enjoy romance and romantic novels. I dislike bugs and ugly things, but I will put up a strong face for the students.
I’ll keep this a secret..maybe. Tell me three weakness: Do I really have to? *sigh* The Headmaster knows…

Due to his affinity to water magic, Estas dislikes fire. His water magic cannot overcome the other teachers’ fire magic if that is their main magic. Unfortunately, this weakness has been made use of by Armand. In addition, Estas’s water magic cannot always combat earth magic either. Estas is not the strongest of men physically. This is evidenced by his tendencies to flee from battle instead of engaging in fight. It has been a joke that some of the women are stronger than him. Another one of Estas’s weaknesses is women. Being a romanticist, he is easily prone to being tricked or manipulated by women no matter what he says.
What was life like before Nexus Academy…you know…like when life was normal…haha! Just kidding! A long time ago, I was an innocent child introduced to the joys of attempting to master water magic. But alas, life was hard and it was not meant to be. War ravaged my world, and my family found ourselves in hard times, and my education could not continue. Ill fortune shone on us as my family had to give up our land to pay off debts. Secretly, I being the brave one, took up thievery to help feed my poor family. I was a bold one, and my ego drove me to take riskier challenges. However, that fated day came when I was discovered. While being hunted, I found an escape through the forest by hiding in a cave. But there was something else there, and it was slippery. I accidentally slipping unknowingly through a portal and passed out. The next thing I remembered was the bottom of Headmaster Parr’s boot.
Anything else?: Estas wants to go back to see his parents, but he is unaware of their condition and would have to face capture if he returned.
I know who that is peeking behind you! It’s [TBA]