In a time long past, there were gods that walked the land. Gods that governed over every aspect of life and fate, who held the answer to all the secrets of the universe. Most called it the age of prosperity. Conflict was nonexistent, death and disease but distant dreams. The land was rich, water sweet and food plentiful. Mankind was content to be guided by these holy beings, and all was at peace.
But peace is never meant to last, and the seed of greed planted in man's heart brought black clouds over the horizon. Desiring power, a cruel man wished to topple the gods and take their magic for himself, to rule over the lives and fates of others. In the stillness of the night, he spun a most devious plan. Arrogant belief urged him on, certain his rebellion would not be seen by fate.
Yet for all his confidence he forgot one important fact; the gods were omniscient. They'd long noticed the dark desire of betrayal, but could not believe it until that fateful night. Stunned by the greed and corruption in men, they were enraged by the hunger for power. Leaving for the heavens, the gods took paradise with them.
Dark ages fell upon Terrene. Men grew distrustful, confused by fate and afraid of the future. Without the guidance of the gods, they balked at change and failed to look within themselves for truth and kindness. Fear and confusion ran through the land, a world forsaken by the gods.
Men looked to the past once again, revering the gods of old; hoping and praying their desperate pleas might reach the heavens. Though mankind's betrayal still broke their hearts, the celestials took pity on the lambs they'd once carefully tended to. They sent magic and guidance down to one of their descendants, a demigod who was brave and just. The gods gave him their knowledge and blessed him with magic, so that he might lead humanity to prosperous ages once again.
The demigod was crowned as the first king of the land, and thereafter all his children were known as royalty. The aristocrats, who carried the blood of the gods, of the first human who was crowned worthy of heaven, were the only ones who held the key to magic. Each year they drew cards, designed in the image of the holy beings, to see which god deemed them as worthy to carry their magic.
However, if one holds the seed of greed in their heart and still wish to take the power of the gods, divine punishment shall befall upon them. They show no mercy on the descendants of the first man of evil, who cast mankind out of paradise.
But peace is never meant to last, and the seed of greed planted in man's heart brought black clouds over the horizon. Desiring power, a cruel man wished to topple the gods and take their magic for himself, to rule over the lives and fates of others. In the stillness of the night, he spun a most devious plan. Arrogant belief urged him on, certain his rebellion would not be seen by fate.
Yet for all his confidence he forgot one important fact; the gods were omniscient. They'd long noticed the dark desire of betrayal, but could not believe it until that fateful night. Stunned by the greed and corruption in men, they were enraged by the hunger for power. Leaving for the heavens, the gods took paradise with them.
Dark ages fell upon Terrene. Men grew distrustful, confused by fate and afraid of the future. Without the guidance of the gods, they balked at change and failed to look within themselves for truth and kindness. Fear and confusion ran through the land, a world forsaken by the gods.
Men looked to the past once again, revering the gods of old; hoping and praying their desperate pleas might reach the heavens. Though mankind's betrayal still broke their hearts, the celestials took pity on the lambs they'd once carefully tended to. They sent magic and guidance down to one of their descendants, a demigod who was brave and just. The gods gave him their knowledge and blessed him with magic, so that he might lead humanity to prosperous ages once again.
The demigod was crowned as the first king of the land, and thereafter all his children were known as royalty. The aristocrats, who carried the blood of the gods, of the first human who was crowned worthy of heaven, were the only ones who held the key to magic. Each year they drew cards, designed in the image of the holy beings, to see which god deemed them as worthy to carry their magic.
However, if one holds the seed of greed in their heart and still wish to take the power of the gods, divine punishment shall befall upon them. They show no mercy on the descendants of the first man of evil, who cast mankind out of paradise.
Mankind never forgot the gods' benevolence, the gift of magic being their greatest blessing. And so the aristocracy was chosen with care and breeding, only accepting into their blood those who were worthy of the honor. There is no greater service or bigger responsibility to the world than raising a child with the birthright of a god.
But even they knew that the world couldn't function when only a small handful held the keys to the arcane secrets. The masses could not be trusted with it; why else would the gods have only chosen one individual when they could've just as easily given it to all? In a process not dissimilar to selecting their spouse, they chose partners who would be willing to bear child and then part with him. It became the norm for many aristocratic families to raise children out of wedlock, with the purpose of grooming these children for service to their own family or to the kingdom.
Many saw these children as signs of greed; certain families turned their nose at the very presence of one. But it was difficult to deny that their existence lightened their load significantly; both magic and technology improved as the arcane became more accessible to the common folk.
The stigma remains however. Though these illegitimate children would be praised by the masses, when thrust into a society that far favors pure bloodlines, they are seen as nothing more than a means to an end. After all, no child of this nature had survived past the first three years of pulling a major arcana. It only showed that they simply did not have the same capacity as those who'd been fully accepted into the family.
But even they knew that the world couldn't function when only a small handful held the keys to the arcane secrets. The masses could not be trusted with it; why else would the gods have only chosen one individual when they could've just as easily given it to all? In a process not dissimilar to selecting their spouse, they chose partners who would be willing to bear child and then part with him. It became the norm for many aristocratic families to raise children out of wedlock, with the purpose of grooming these children for service to their own family or to the kingdom.
Many saw these children as signs of greed; certain families turned their nose at the very presence of one. But it was difficult to deny that their existence lightened their load significantly; both magic and technology improved as the arcane became more accessible to the common folk.
The stigma remains however. Though these illegitimate children would be praised by the masses, when thrust into a society that far favors pure bloodlines, they are seen as nothing more than a means to an end. After all, no child of this nature had survived past the first three years of pulling a major arcana. It only showed that they simply did not have the same capacity as those who'd been fully accepted into the family.
Aurelius Academy came to be when they realized the benefits of standardization in magic. It is one of the oldest institutions that continue to serve its original purpose until today. Funded by the donations of aristocrats and wealthy non-mages hoping to gain favor amongst them, it grooms young men and women of noble descent. Most of the classes are taught by lesser nobles, although they will take on more common folk for classes that do not require any magic to teach, such as mathematics and the early stages of language.
The city of Okvina is integrated into the Academy itself, with around 78% of the area belonging to scholastic pursuits. While the city and some academic rooms are accessible to the public, majority of the Academy is kept away from prying eyes. Glass, steel, wood and stone come together in an architectural style that speaks of both tradition and progress.
Within a month after a mage pulls their tarot, they are enrolled in the school and remain there until they complete all their required classes. Younger students, usually in the 8 to 11 range, have the option to be brought between home and school. However, it's an uncommon occurrence as most of Aurelius' students come from outside the city. Most opt to board within the Academy itself for convenience's sake. Class is in session most of the year, with short breaks and holidays spread throughout rather than long stretches of vacation.
Once a student graduates from the Academy, they can either pursue higher education or head straight into society, as there's always an opening for a graduate. There are very few instances of students being dropped from the program, the most likely cause being the instigator of major violence. Otherwise, most incidents are kept in the hush and down low; it's not that hard to do really, considering the fact the public knows little about what happens within its walls.
The city of Okvina is integrated into the Academy itself, with around 78% of the area belonging to scholastic pursuits. While the city and some academic rooms are accessible to the public, majority of the Academy is kept away from prying eyes. Glass, steel, wood and stone come together in an architectural style that speaks of both tradition and progress.
Within a month after a mage pulls their tarot, they are enrolled in the school and remain there until they complete all their required classes. Younger students, usually in the 8 to 11 range, have the option to be brought between home and school. However, it's an uncommon occurrence as most of Aurelius' students come from outside the city. Most opt to board within the Academy itself for convenience's sake. Class is in session most of the year, with short breaks and holidays spread throughout rather than long stretches of vacation.
Once a student graduates from the Academy, they can either pursue higher education or head straight into society, as there's always an opening for a graduate. There are very few instances of students being dropped from the program, the most likely cause being the instigator of major violence. Otherwise, most incidents are kept in the hush and down low; it's not that hard to do really, considering the fact the public knows little about what happens within its walls.
The roleplay uses images from Wand of Fortune and Kokuchou no Psychedelica. Source details for individual characters will be found in their respective sheets. All resources used are attributed to their creators, inclusive of textures used in the making of graphics.
Edited graphics, layout, writing and bbcoding are credited to Greater Secret's GM and mods; namely maccotango, MaxwellH and Soleli. We polite but firmly insist that none of the elements seen here be reproduced without our permission.
Should you wish to borrow the CS or application code of this roleplay, please contact maccotango. While it's unlikely that she will accept (as she has a rule that layouts currently in active use not be distributed), she can point you towards some of her older works which you may be able to use.
For any questions and concerns, please contact GS' moderator team via PM or discord. Each mod has a certain area they cover, so it's best to direct your question to the relevant personnel. While we can all answer most questions to a certain extent, it would be much more efficient for everyone involved to go directly to the source.
Edited graphics, layout, writing and bbcoding are credited to Greater Secret's GM and mods; namely maccotango, MaxwellH and Soleli. We polite but firmly insist that none of the elements seen here be reproduced without our permission.
Should you wish to borrow the CS or application code of this roleplay, please contact maccotango. While it's unlikely that she will accept (as she has a rule that layouts currently in active use not be distributed), she can point you towards some of her older works which you may be able to use.
For any questions and concerns, please contact GS' moderator team via PM or discord. Each mod has a certain area they cover, so it's best to direct your question to the relevant personnel. While we can all answer most questions to a certain extent, it would be much more efficient for everyone involved to go directly to the source.
CHARACTERS
Players are required to fill out an application form which discusses your character and their chosen representative card. Failure to comply with this will mean automatic rejection. We will acknowledge if we've read your application, but we will always leave a week period before we make a decision. This is to give a chance for others to contest you for the spot. Usual character rules apply otherwise. For more details, head over to the app thread.
OOC
Everyone is required to treat each other with respect, regardless of one's position within the roleplay. If any issues arise between players, flag one of us for attention. As GM's, we're obligated to cater to you... to a certain extent. If we make a decision you disagree with, this is often with the roleplay's best interests in mind and is not directed at you personally. We ask that you respect it when we put our foot down.
ACTIVITY
Should you fail to talk to us within a month, you're booted from the roleplay, no exceptions. We don't mind long absences so long as you keep us updated on your current status and know you're still in it. Likewise, should you no longer feel like participating, we want to be informed graciously instead of leaving us with question marks. We take more offence at being dropped like a hot potato than being told directly that you no long feel like you can commit to us.
INFORMATION
The GS team enjoys questions, as this helps us spot plotholes and discrepancies easier. However, we find it annoying if you ask questions about information that has already been covered in our index. This tells us that you're simply skimming through the work we've placed into this roleplay, and could paint you negatively when applications roll around. Please, before asking, check if the material has already been covered.
Players are required to fill out an application form which discusses your character and their chosen representative card. Failure to comply with this will mean automatic rejection. We will acknowledge if we've read your application, but we will always leave a week period before we make a decision. This is to give a chance for others to contest you for the spot. Usual character rules apply otherwise. For more details, head over to the app thread.
OOC
Everyone is required to treat each other with respect, regardless of one's position within the roleplay. If any issues arise between players, flag one of us for attention. As GM's, we're obligated to cater to you... to a certain extent. If we make a decision you disagree with, this is often with the roleplay's best interests in mind and is not directed at you personally. We ask that you respect it when we put our foot down.
ACTIVITY
Should you fail to talk to us within a month, you're booted from the roleplay, no exceptions. We don't mind long absences so long as you keep us updated on your current status and know you're still in it. Likewise, should you no longer feel like participating, we want to be informed graciously instead of leaving us with question marks. We take more offence at being dropped like a hot potato than being told directly that you no long feel like you can commit to us.
INFORMATION
The GS team enjoys questions, as this helps us spot plotholes and discrepancies easier. However, we find it annoying if you ask questions about information that has already been covered in our index. This tells us that you're simply skimming through the work we've placed into this roleplay, and could paint you negatively when applications roll around. Please, before asking, check if the material has already been covered.