ALWAYS OPEN OPEN SIGNUPS Magic Unbound: The Academy Between Worlds SU

[rissa]

MAGIC UNBOUND: THE ACADEMY BETWEEN WORLDS​

Introduction​

INDWELL BETWIXT ALL WORLDS IN WHICH MAGIC EXISTS...

Lies an ancient, everlasting, and immemorial place, where magic— at its most concentrated —lives. Nestled between every existence with a potential for magic is the World Between, a magical space ever changing, ever forming and adapting to the whims and fears of its inhabitants.

For millennia untold, the young women who've been graced with the Guardian Share have been invited in to study and understand the powerful magic they wield. When they graduate as Magical Guardians, fit to protect the Universum against forces of negative energy, they graduate with elite and exclusive skill sets tailored to their magical epithet and a vast array of knowledge from every magical girl that'd come before them.

A new school year is about to begin at Wolpurgiswora University, and it will be one fit for the history books. For the first time ever, the World Between welcomes in a new generation of Magical Guardians— a graduating class that contains both young women and young men. As the cultural shock reverberates throughout the World Between, professors and ministers that govern Wolpurgiswora's different academies ready their campuses for the foreign inclusion of men into spaces that had never conceived it was possible. After all, the Guardian Brooch uses soul transport to take Guardians betwixt their home worlds and the World Between.

Only a few of the ministers have refused young men entry into their academies, outraged that they would even be asked to do so. However, the rest... they know, deep, deep in their hearts that something must be horribly unbalanced in the Universum for men to start receiving Grace. It began with the few who had read the signs two-betwixt years ago, but now whispers of the Breath of Halted Nigh are everywhere.

Doubt creeps into the World Between, darkening her rose pink skies.

The end of the Universum is nigh.

Overview​

The World Between is a massive magical space, one that grows and shrinks with the passing of time. It is magical in nature; Providence-by-the-Coast boasts large intricate statues weathered by the salty sea spray, where the ocean simply plummets into the Void Beyond after a few hundred miles. Every four years students and professors alike gather along the coastline to witness the coral pink void whale migration. Likewise, in Hollowgarde Proper, goods and wares from all over the universum can be found in bazaars and shopping centers raised by alumni who've left and returned and set up permanent shop, finding themselves incapable of leaving the World Between's comfort for too long.

At its center is Wolpurgiswora University, the entire estate a shocking 29,000 acres. Within the heart of this city are the main buildings; Department of Liminal and Extra-planar Spaces, Guardian Offices, the Library, the Cafeteria, (there's a mess hall of sorts on every academy grounds, just smaller and meant for the meals betwixt breakfast, lunch, and dinner) lecture halls, most of the first year's classrooms, as well as the Hall of Chanting, where everyone meets once a month in their formal clothes for a ceremony. There's also the Wishing Tree, the underground spa, and the flying pitch.

One important thing to keep in mind is that time moves differently in the World Between. You can be gone for months, galivanting through the Yarrow Fields and then soul-transport back to your home world, only to realize you've been gone for mere seconds. To graduate from Wolpurgiswora Academy, students must complete 7 years of academia studies and spend their final year in the Void Beyond. In special circumstances, the magical brooch will involuntarily soul-transport young children who do not have anywhere else to go. These children are sent to live in the orphange, where they help Minster Starley with more of the fun duties around the academy.


Quick Links

• Academies
• Auric Colors
• Character Sheet
• Curriculum
• Equipment
• Glossarium
• Magic Types

A Brief Look at Magic, Culture, and Setting​

Magic is believed to be feminine in nature.

Feminine by design.

Thus why no man, child or grown, had ever been Graced.

Sure, there are plenty of male warlocks, sorcerers, and wizards throughout the universum, but none have ever been given access to the Guardian Share. A magic born of and kept preserved by those in the World Between.

Until now.

In the past two-betwixt years (Common phrase/reminder that time moves differently on the myriad of worlds, and two-betwixt years means anywhere from 2 to 20 years. Three-betwixt years is 3-30 years, etc.) a handful of teenage boys and young men have been graced with the Guardian Share, their brooches manifesting and giving them access to the World Between, a demesne unto itself.

Some feel exposed. Some feel under siege. Some see it as no issue at all. Either way, Headmistress Greystone has asked everyone to tread carefully and sympathetically this school year, as new and old get accustomed to the change.


Magic Types

Too many to be absolutely precise, the following types of magic are the most broad of categories, where unique subtypes and specialties typically find harmony or balance. There are nine all together:

• Abjuration
• Alteration
• Conjuration
• Divination
• Destruction
• Enchantment
• Evocation
• Illusion
• Restoration

Students are expected to take at least one class of each type per semester until their third year*, including two additional biweekly physical endurance classes. Thereafter, intermediate to advanced classes are doled out, as well as specialized courses based on ones magical ability and epithet. You can take a peek at the curriculum here.


Auric Colors

Auras are predominantly used in the process of healing, doctoring, and taking stock of one's fundamental core— their magical epithet and overall wellbeing. Despite the different teachings throughout the universum, in the World Between specifically, foundational auras only change during the course of one's life or under traumatic circumstances.

Everyone has a dominant color and one to two auxiliary colors that define them. It's not always representative of their personality or beliefs, but rather how they interact with the world on an instinctual and subconscious level— paired with where their ideological heart meets their Guardian Share. Note: the last three colors (white, black, and brown) are auxiliary colors only.

Colors and their meanings

Red - Energy, passion, leadership

Orange - Creativity, collaboration, positivity

Yellow - Charismatic, confident, harmonious

Green - Nurturing, manifesting, compassion

Blue - Insight, tranquility, motion

Indigo - Empathy, power, intuition

White - Protection, grace, truth

Brown - Negativity, depression, fear

Black - Blocked energy

Herbs

While many and more herbs exist and are grown in the comfort of the World Between, the ones listed below have made the short list and are the herbs in the Herb Bundle from the university-provided component pouch.

Herbiary

The Witches Herb - Basil - Common

Dead by Night - Belladonna - Toxic - Uncommon

Holy Thistle - Blessed Thistle - Rare

Beggar's Buttons - Burdock - Uncommon

Calendula - Marigold - Common

Nepeta - Catnip - Common

Celandine - Star Poppy - Rare

Witches Grass - Chickweed - Uncommon

Sweet Wood - Cinnamon - Common

Sage - Violet Sage - Common

Sweet Cicely - Death's Final Kiss - Rare

Graveyard Dust - Valerian - Uncommon

White Willow Bark - Rare

Sea Salt - Purple Salt - Uncommon

Yarrow - Flower, Root, Stalk, Powder - Common

Magic gab explained!

Glossarium

Breath of Halted Nigh - Colloquially used for the end of the universum as well as a tangible threat attempting to breach the World Between, something never before considered, as the only form of entry is soul transport via the guardian brooches.

Epithets - Magical words inscribed upon the soul of every Magical Guardian. It's theorized that when graced, the etching of the epithet begins, others theorize that everyone in the universum has an epithet, but only Magical Guardians have the ability to harness the power therein. Regardless of how it happens, a Guardian's epithet is the "heart" of their magical power and themselves as a person.

Guarded Worlds - Worlds that have the potential for magic and thus a magical guardian. These worlds are protected against negative forces, be they curses, monsters, or evil witches.

Guardian Share - Every magical guardian has been imbued with a portion of the overwhelming magic connected to the World Between. For some it was at birth. For others it was after a traumatic or religious experience. Regardless of the genesis, receiving a "guardian share" is traditionally seen as being "graced" by this potent magical energy, to uphold the positive forces of the Universum.

Magical Guardian - An honorific coined by the late Handler Rejes, "magical guardian" refers to the occupation and duty those who hold a sliver of the powerful magic that binds them to the World Between.

Universum - A term for all of the worlds combined or spoken of as a whole.

Wolpurgiswora University​

1. Hollowgarde Academy
   Sacred Color: White
   
   Hollowgarde is the oldest academy and one of the first few structures to ever be built in the World Between. Magic runs deep here and students from all over the university book private time in the reflection gardens tucked away in the starry, twi-lit caverns beneath the main dormitory. It is said Hollowgarde mages have dug and carved out a stairway all the way to the Void Beyond, and many younger students bet each other to make it as far as they can before being caught-- or worse --turning tail.
   
   Minister Ophelia Starley, the woman who oversees Hollowgarde Academy, asked the Headmistress of Wolpurgiswora University to be exempt from the inclusion of male students for one reason and one reason only: the orphanage grounds for special-case students are located here. Before Headmistress Greystone could say anything, the Minister said she would also fund a boys-only orphanage on University grounds, in the event special-case male students are graced as well. The headmistress agreed without hesitation and construction has already begun.
   
   Positive Relations: Wildheart and Oatharvest
   Neutral Relations: Treethorn
   Negative Relations: Providence, Starswallow, Swiftheart
   
   
2. Wildheart Academy
   Sacred Color: Orange
   
   Nestled between the overgrown Liminal Gardens and the prestigious white-stone gilded fences of Hollowgarde, Wildheart Academy is a relatively relaxed place to live, with greenery wherever your eyes look. Most physical endurance courses (which are always held mid-morning on your academy grounds) are hellish obstacle courses around and through the many greenhouses. There are two locations within Wildheart that students can request an entry permit for: the debate hall and the alumni-run Cryheart's Magical Pigments.
   
   Positive Relations: Hollowgarde and Oatharvest
   Neutral Relations: Starswallow, Treethorn, Swiftheart
   Negative Relations: Providence
   
   
3. Oatharvest Academy
   Sacred Color: Red
   
   One of the larger academies and perhaps the one most focused on combat, Oatharvest painted a target upon its back when Minister Cunningham flat out refused to cooperate in Providence Academy's plea to protest and forcibly remove the Guardian Share from these young men. Minister Cunningham said with the full force of Oatharvest that she would crush any and all who attempted to try. Ministers Starley and Aldridge of Hollowgarde and Wildheart stood behind her statement.
   
   The academy is home to the House of Light, where students, professors, and ministers alike can go to let off steam. It's the only location in all of the academies where students can travel without an entry permit on a campus that's not their own. Here, you can fight to your hearts content-- let loose your full potential without accidentally killing someone --because death is not a possibility here!
   
   Positive Relations: Wildheart, Hollowgarde, Starswallow
   Neutral Relations: Treethorn
   Negative Relations: Providence, Swiftheart
   
   
4. Providence Academy
   Sacred Color: Blue
   
   Minister Marsden Scarheart has run Providence Academy for hundreds of years. She is a staple in the community of Providence-by-the-Coast and the World Between as a whole. So it was a surprise to all when she claimed the end of their world would be heralded in by the souls of these young men-- that they should rally together and rip the Guardian Share from their hearts and send them back to their home world or better yet, drop them into the Void Beyond. Perhaps it was her influence or perhaps it was her impassioned and enraged plea, but the atmosphere which had been shocked, confused, and perhaps a bit frightened turned upside down and inside out.
   
   Where Hallowgarde claims the right to be the first academy, Providence claims it's right as the first structure built upon the World Between. Its architecture is confusing, filled with resonance and magic, and styles that span thousands of home worlds. Students see the history in every chipped tile and worn stone. There are hundreds of secret passageways across this city-turned-academy, and plenty of secret tunnels that squirrel one away to the city by the coast. Almost all of the Upper-class lecture halls, theoretical performance halls, and mixed magic media classes are located here, though they have been temporarily shut down due to the inclusion of men into the World Between.
   
   Positive Relations: Swiftheart
   Neutral Relations: Treethorn, Starswallow
   Negative Relations: Hollowgarde, Wildheart, and Oatharvest
   
   
5. Swiftheart Academy
   Sacred Color: Indigo
   
   Tucked away in the mountains north of Providence-by-the-Coast, Swiftheart Academy, currently seen as the lesser of two evils in the drama befalling the World Between, is normally, everyone's favorite academy. Students and alumni alike frequently request entry-permits for the lakes, waterfalls, and auric-healing pools located here. The theoretical metamagic halls and Transcendence Room is located here as well; where 3rd and 5th years must spend at least a(n accumulated) month contemplating and finding peace in a room deprived of all senses.
   
   Despite refusing male students entry to her halls, Minister Lyra, against her mother's wishes, has agreed to help fund an all-boys dormitory and provide her first year professors, provided the University supplies classrooms within the Main Hall.
   
   Positive Relations: Providence and Treethorn
   Neutral Relations: Starswallow and Wildheart
   Negative Relations: Hollowgarde and Oatharvest
   
   
6. Treethorn Academy
   Sacred Color: Green
   
   The minister of Treethorn Acadamey, Starla Rae, has always been a bit of a naturalist, transforming her academy into a treetop abode the moment she took office. It is the smallest academy at Wolpurgiswora. She has refused a coed-existence, but has already started a second dormitory just for the young boys that may settled into her academy. One of the few campuses hidden away, this time in another plane of existence stretched and laid atop this one, Treethorn academy can only be entered through Wolpurgiswora's main gardens. In the third greenhouse to the right, students can find a winding tree-case that goes on and on and on, until finally, the last steps transports them to their treehouse dorms.
   
   Positive Relations:
   Neutral Relations: Starswallow, Oatharvest, Providence, Swiftheart, Hollowgarde, and Wildheart
   Negative Relations:
   
   
7. Starswallow Academy
   Sacred Color: Yellow
   
   Starswallow Academy is an acrophobes worst nightmare, despite the fact that almost everyone can fly. There's always a new student or two too afraid to reach the apex their first night. Located atop the university's highest tower is a half-plane superimposed atop the splendid tower, allowing the guardians uninterpreted views of the cosmos beyond. Rumors ring out every Allhallowtide that they swallow stars to increase their power three-fold, but no one has ever witnessed this. As one of the newer academies, there are no lecture halls or official classrooms here, but there is something special that the first year herbalist professor likes to show off: the slender, elegant tree growing in their open-aired entry hall is the only successful cutting of the pygmy Yggdrasil tree from Wolpurgiswora's courtyard down below.
   
   Positive Relations: Oatharvest, Wildheart, Hollowgarde, Treethorn
   Neutral Relations: Swiftheart
   Negative Relations: Providence

Curriculum Insights

Lower classes:

Year 1 -

Semester 1: Principles of Arcane Calligraphy, Comparative Magical Studies, Introduction to Alchemical Interactions, Alteration & You: A Beginners Lecture, Illusionary Ethics, Principles of Elemental Studies, Divination is Not for Everyone: A Lecture, Basic Design: Spellcraft 101

- 7 Month Break - Halfway through the school year, five classes (which are underlined above) are dropped and replaced in the following semester.

Semester 2: Wards, Wands, and Sigils; A Lecture, Mystical Gemology, Anatomy for the Beginner Mage, Principles of Destruction, The Experimental Component Lab, Intro to Magical Combat, Principles of Arcane Calligraphy, Basic Design: Spellcraft 101, Principle of Elemental Studies


Note: Semester lengths roughly equal 9-betwixt months.

An Incomplete List of Upper classes: Intro to Audiovisual Spellcrafting, Battle Magic, Digital Media and Transmittance, Physics and Phasmata, Mythical Forging Techniques (AP Only), Ephemeral Economics, Planar Geography, Advanced Alteration Studies, Arcanology (AP Only), Metamagic Studies (AP Only), Philosophy of the Arcane, Computer-Aided Drafting of Constructs, Resonant Architecture, and more!

University Provided Equipment


Dorm Aesthetics

Academy Signet Ring 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Magical Toolkit

Scales
Censer
Broom
Ink pen
Cauldron
Glass jars
Sealing wax
Crystal vials
Mortar and pestle
Component Pouch
Ink pot (12 ounces)
Candles (5 of each auric color + 10 additional white candles)

Component Pouch Contents:

Tinderbox
Herb Bundle
12 sticks of Incense
Gemstone Assortment
Essential Oils (2 flasks per)

If students run out of University-supplied herbs, they're expected to harvest and process what they need from the Liminal Gardens. Additional supplies can be purchased with "credits" (hours spent volunteering) or with accumulated Gemhearts and Crystal Tears. Both are naturally found in the Void Beyond, where upperclassmen spend most of their time, but younger students with gold can exchange it for Gemhearts. The gold-standard-exchange rate states 1 gold (coin, drach, sphere, etc.) equals 10 gemhearts. There is no standardized equivalency for Crystal Tears- trade them or wait until your 5th year to find some in the Void Beyond.

Base Uniform + Descriptions

The base uniform for Wolpurgiswora University (pictured left) consists of a plaid pleated skirt in Wolpurgi colors (wistera, pale dogwood cream, tearose pink, grey-violet), a charcoal colored long-sleeved blouse with the crest embroidered on the chest pocket, a plaid bow, with charcoal knee-highs with two plaid stripes, and charcoal-colored mary janes. Variants of this uniform include but are not limited to: dress and jumper combos, varying skirt lengths, as well as pants and bermuda-length shorts.

The newly-designed men's uniforms consist of charcoal colored pants, a long-sleeved wisteria colored button-down, a charcoal colored blazer and plaid tie. Similar charcoal colored dress shoes. In addition, Wolpurgi tailors have designed short sleeve button downs, polo-style shirts (long and short sleeve), shorts, as well as a gym uniform for basic attire. More to come next semester.

Note: Charcoal is never included in plaid. Pants/shorts are never plaid.

In addition to the uniform, all students must wear their capes / cloaks. In color they are a deep charcoal black, whose material shifts in composition to always provide the most comfortable feeling and texture. There are three different types which indicate your school year and magical expertise. First through third years wear black capelets that do not have hoods. Fourth through sixth years wear hooded double-breasted half-cloaks. Seventh and eighth years graduate to hooded full cloaks.

Visual Ref

​

Character Creation​

Creation Reminders

- Due to Professor Zinnia's campaigning over the past few decades, no magical guardians under 16 are given a broach to activate their latent powers and begin channeling their Guardian Share, even with the Breath of Halted Nigh upon the guarded worlds.

- The vibe of your home world can be anything, as long as the root of it remains within "magical girl" territory. I'm not here to police your desired aesthetics-- except for when you're on campus. :^) IE. Want mecha magical girls? Go for it. Wanna play as a Sailor Guardian? Go for it. Want a non-combatant who stays in the World Between and never leaves, practicing and shaping the Guardian Sphere? Go. For. It.

Make the vibe your own, and then remember...

- When on campus grounds, all students must be wearing one of their four uniforms or risk being carded! Customization is of course allowed, but don't get caught breaking the rules, or you'll find yourself with a detention card-- or worse, a hex.

Character Sheet

Name:

Guardian Name:

Magical Epithet: (Do not reveal publicly; only to mEEE)

Appearance: Images are preferred, along with a short description clarifying any discrepancies with the faceclaim. Special Grade submissions include "Normal" and "Transformed" versions of their characters.

Auric Colors:

Academic Affiliation:

3 Sentence Vibe Check: Broil your character down to three sentences. Include their age, personality, power (including its strengths, weaknesses, tools, and clever usages), home world vibe, who they are, what they want out of life, and core motivations and fears.

Your ideal posting speed:

-- Optional --

Companion: Can be magical, mechanical, spiritual, or a suggested alternative relating to your home world vibes.

Miscellaneous:

clicky me for a filled out example

Name: Piper "Pip" Delaney

Guardian Name: Grail Warden

Magical Epithet: Hope

Appearance: I will unabashedly use Akko from Little Witch Academia. You can't stop me. Pre Transformation, Post Transformation.

Auric Colors: Green dominant, Yellow and Blue auxiliaries

Academic Affiliation: Wildheart Academy

Vibe Check: Pip is your average girl wonder— happy-go-lucky, hardheaded, and a maybe just a bit clumsy; it often takes a few good knocks for this seventeen year old to really get the gist of a lesson well learned. Her home world, Fentysia, is constantly at odds with cursed witches and the creatures they summon out of the world's negativity and she hopes that discovering the true power behind False Ancients will help her reset the balance on her world.

Posting Speed: Once a week for my "main" character. A couple small NPC replies throughout the week. One big GM Post to move the narrative or scene(s) forward once a month or whenever needed.

Companion: Horatio Elam Ignatius Dor Elifur, a butterfly dragon that's the size of a very large house cat.

Scroll to top ^​

 

[rissa]

So it has been done

I have DND this evening, but I'm around til then to answer any questions and help with brainstorming up characters! Feel free to ask any and all questions!! I know I'm bound to have forgotten something.

Unless I feel like it's 100% needed, I'm going to try and keep all OOC communication in threads here on Iwaku instead of my preferred and beloved Discord. My reasoning is since this will be an #Always Open roleplay interested parties can peek at what's going on and get a feel for the vibe. If you have a strong argument against that, feel free to let me know!

Otherwise, I can't wait to see dem characters

 

[monkeydoll5]

We're allowed to use realistic fcs here right?

 

[rissa]

We're allowed to use realistic fcs here right?

completely your choice! while i would prefer art faceclaims, at the end of the day its whateva best fulfills yer muse!!

 

[Hecatoncheires]

So the vibe I'm getting here is something like 'Little Witch Academia' or 'Witch Hat Atelier', with a healthy dose of Magical Girl influences thrown in to add some zest. That a fair assessment?

 

[rissa]

So the vibe I'm getting here is something like 'Little Witch Academia' or 'Witch Hat Atelier', with a healthy dose of Magical Girl influences thrown in to add some zest. That a fair assessment?

absolutely!

 

[Alharaca]

Can you tell me a bit more about the all boys dorm proposed at Swiftheart, and a forecast of how much adversity that role would face?

 

[rissa]

Can you tell me a bit more about the all boys dorm proposed at Swiftheart, and a forecast of how much adversity that role would face?

well, to some extent, all male characters will face some adversaries, even if its just the adjustment to being within the World Between, a space that was designed by women, for women. so i imagine there's a lot of small, nuanced things that they would have to get used to over time, but as for actual people: 50% of the populace is prolly neutral, preferring to wait and see how the adjustment period is like or just apathetic to the other side's concern. 30% sees positive, 20% negative. most of the backlash you'd face will be from older students from providence and swiftheart, though most of the younger ones are prolly wide-eyed and curious more than angry or suspicious. swiftheart's proposed dorm would cater to swiftheart AND providences' academy, which will actually be a first for any of the academies; despite not appreciating the fact that men have infiltrated their space, minister lyra scarheart has too much of her mother's ostentatiousness and will more than likely make it just as fancy (if not tucked away out of sight) as the rest of the buildings on academy grounds.

lemme know if that answered your question!!

 

[Alharaca]

Certainly did. Hypothetically my character in mind is genderfluid by heritage, but was born and typically does prefer to be male. Of course this plot screams "tough shit" for his typical demeanor. I'm thinking instead of him him though, I'll do an alternate universe version of him. That way I get the most adhesion out of his character with a fresh concept of what he could have been. I'm getting pretty excited just thinking about it based on what I'm reading here.

Thank you, is there a particular template you'd prefer for profiles? Are profiles necessary for submission of some sort, did I overlook this?

 

[rissa]

Certainly did. Hypothetically my character in mind is genderfluid by heritage, but was born and typically does prefer to be male. Of course this plot screams "tough shit" for his typical demeanor. I'm thinking instead of him him though, I'll do an alternate universe version of him. That way I get the most adhesion out of his character with a fresh concept of what he could have been. I'm getting pretty excited just thinking about it based on what I'm reading here.

Thank you, is there a particular template you'd prefer for profiles? Are profiles necessary for submission of some sort, did I overlook this?

nah, coding / templates /etc, are not needed to fill out the character sheet! (which is at the vERY bottom of the post and below for convivence!!) and eeeeeeeee, im so excited to everyones stuff!!

CS

Name:

Guardian Name:

Magical Epithet: (Do not reveal publicly; only to mEEE)

Appearance: Images are preferred, along with a short description clarifying any discrepancies with the faceclaim. Special Grade submissions include "Normal" and "Transformed" versions of their characters.

Auric Colors:

Academic Affiliation:

3 Sentence Vibe Check: Broil your character down to three sentences. Include their age, personality, power (including its strengths, weaknesses, tools, and clever usages), home world vibe, who they are, what they want out of life, and core motivations and fears.

Your ideal posting speed:

-- Optional --

Companion: Can be magical, mechanical, spiritual, or a suggested alternative relating to your home world vibes.

Miscellaneous:

 

[Alharaca]

Ah, missed the spoiler tab while viewing mobile. I'll be sure to fill it out when I'm back on my pc.

 

[Hecatoncheires]

Name: Tallis de Fossoyeur

Guardian Name: Grave Warden

Magical Epithet: ██████

Appearance: Tallis dares to flaunt the Moros convention of 'all black everything' by adding pastel flourishes to her clothes and uniform. She's also recently been introduced to the joys of hair dye. It is rapidly getting a little out of hand.

TRANSFORMED

Auric Colors: Blue, White

Academic Affiliation: Providence Academy

3 Sentence Vibe Check: In contrast to her home world of Moros, beset by the restless dead and a malignent necromantic entity known only as the Corpsefather, Tallis is a surprisingly upbeat and cheerful seventeen year old with a passion for academic study and skeletons. Her magical aptitude takes the form of Severance, a method of offensive Restoration magic that she uses to combat necromantic energies and put souls to rest. She can come across as rather eccentric, thanks to her pastel-accentuated morbid aesthetic and the gloomy nature of her home, but beneath it all is a bubbly, intelligent and insightful girl who just happens to be really enthusiastic about books, magic and slapping the shit out of necromancers.

Your ideal posting speed: I am a disaster.

Companion: Mortimer, a spirit inhabiting a human skull who acts as Tallis' assistant/advisor/general pain in the ass. No, he will not stop making bone puns.

 

[PolyesterH]

Name: Daniela Jude Navarro

Guardian Name: Vitreous Captain

Magical Epithet

Appearance

Auric Colors: Red, white, and brown.

Academic Affiliation: Providence

3 Sentence Vibe Check: Dangerously idealistic and upbeat young girl barely in her 20's, with a fragile ego and struggling to deal with less than ideal reality's. Home universe is modern day, but magic is hidden with an insidious lie. Basically on the front lines against darkness, but left as an enclave for a long time fighting a losing battle where the forces of darkness have basically won. Her specialty revolved around using enchantment and alteration magic on herself.

Your ideal posting speed: One every day.

-- Optional --

Companion: None for now. Not high tech, not overtly magical, not shamanistic. It's Spiranaut. You probably realized I was here from somewhere else.

Miscellaneous: Magical Girl flavor is modern day low fantasy. Their own magical girls (and boys) based on universal laws are fighting a losing battle.

 

[SilverPaw]

Do companions have any function?

 

[Hecatoncheires]

Do companions have any function?

Skeleton-related puns, obviously.

 

[Hyphae]

Got a mostly coherent character concept assuming you've still got room for more, but first I have some questions to ask. Apologies if I missed anything that's already been answered, it's like 6:00am and I'm rather tired.

1. How aware of one another are the various worlds of the Universum of one another? Are they for the most part isolated and unaware of one another or is it generally known across the worlds?
2. How exactly do invitations to the Academy work? Does someone show up to explain things to you or do you get a letter or email sent your way? Expanding from that what would happen if the normal means of invitation wasn't possible, say the would-be student was currently in an active warzone or something? This isn't really relevant to my character idea, I just want to know.
3. Could I get some more details on how the involuntary soul transport in special circumstances works? Am I correct in assuming that they live/help out in the orphanage until they come of age to become students proper? Also, just how young do they need to be in order for the special circumstances to apply?
4. Another entirely irrelevant question to feed my curiosity, so feel free to ignore me, but could I get some clarification on the time dilation? The description of Betwixt years indicates that time moves at anywhere from normal speed to 20 times slower, while the line about spending months in the Yarrow Fields and coming back with only seconds having passed suggests that time moves a hell of a lot faster.

Do companions have any function?

Companionship?

Skeleton-related puns, obviously.

Skeleton companions always think they're so humerus, but the constant puns are why they have no body.

 

[rissa]

Do companions have any function?

Companions roughly equate to a witches familiar in the Universum. Not every world has them, but for those that do, it's usually to aid their Magical Guardian in some way, shape, or form. And speaking of form, they're not limited to a physical form either.

You'll notice that a lot of things in regards to magic I keep intentionally vague-- and that's because I want to leave plenty of room for creativity and player interpretation. Sometimes magic is just magic.

How aware of one another are the various worlds of the Universum of one another? Are they for the most part isolated and unaware of one another or is it generally known across the worlds?

Do you mean from the perspective of someone <strictly> on their home world? I'd say that'd be dependent upon the magic/technology of that world! A medieval Guardian society won't have as much knowledge on the Universum as a magi-punk world simply because their society hasn't evolved to that point. But on the flipside, a very magically-dominant medieval society à la D&D's Forgotten Realms could know more about their world and surrounding cosmos vs a relatively modern society who has repressed magic to only a select few.

I do imagine most Guardians don't know the true breadth of the Universum until they get to the World Between and begin their magical education and see the diversity of students at Wolpurgiswora. I like to think only a handful of home worlds know of each other, but I'll speak on the Octet more in my first couple GM posts!

How exactly do invitations to the Academy work? Does someone show up to explain things to you or do you get a letter or email sent your way? Expanding from that what would happen if the normal means of invitation wasn't possible, say the would-be student was currently in an active warzone or something? This isn't really relevant to my character idea, I just want to know.

So one day yer chests starts to feel a lil fuzzy and then tingly and then it glows and from it, a magical brooch appears, and hovers for a moment as it "realigns" your soul (some theorize this is your Epithet revealing itself, others theorize that this is when you receive your sliver of Grace). This is where I'll be vague again, because I'd like people to envision their first moments in the World Between without me telling them "this is how it happens". For some, there could be an automatic soul-transport to the World Between for a split second before being booted back to their world. For others, this could be when their companion materializes for the first time, to explain what is happening. And still others would find themselves in front of a Guidance Counsellor, so they could explain the transition. I like to think magic knows what you need and acts accordingly.

An active warzone wouldn't stop the brooch from appearing, it just would a. cause a scene or b. wait for you to be alone or c. a plethora of other combinations.

Could I get some more details on how the involuntary soul transport in special circumstances works? Am I correct in assuming that they live/help out in the orphanage until they come of age to become students proper? Also, just how young do they need to be in order for the special circumstances to apply?

13 used to be the age Guardians began their magical education. Professor Zinnia said "13 year olds are still babies, I'm tired of seeing them die and you're all fucking idiots for sending them out to fight evil." ...Perhaps not her exact words, but you get my drift. As mentioned above, 16 is the new baseline for entry to Wolpurgiswora Academy.

The youngest Guardian to arrive was only 6 months old. You can find out more information about them in-game if you want to ask and poke around-- I don't want to give everything away via questions. But yes, they help out around Hollowgarde Academy! The "fun bits" I mentioned in the lore post above was chiefly pointing at what the kids call "Catch the Mokie". It's mostly a game, but it's beneficial as well, since the frog-like spirits don't have any natural enemies and they get over-populated. A few rounds of catch the mokie though, and they burst into fairy-like dust before they reform again in a few days.

They're children, after all, and should have the time to be one.

Interestingly enough, 8/10 of these "special case" Guardians will go through Wolpurgiswora and decide (or realize) that they would be more beneficial here in the World Between, guarding and studying the Magical Sphere. Alumni speculate that being drenched in it's magic for so long causes a Soul Resonance with the Guardian Sphere (but that ain't been proven yet so who really knows I MEAN I KNOW BUT I AINT TELLIN YET)

Another entirely irrelevant question to feed my curiosity, so feel free to ignore me, but could I get some clarification on the time dilation? The description of Betwixt years indicates that time moves at anywhere from normal speed to 20 times slower, while the line about spending months in the Yarrow Fields and coming back with only seconds having passed suggests that time moves a hell of a lot faster.

So! The easiest reference I can give you is: Narnia! It's not a perfect representation, but it's the best media example I can think of that has the same wonky time significance between worlds.

Time in the World Between hasn't been fully deciphered yet, as dunamancy/time Guardians have been exceptionally rare. Maybe one every generation of the World Between-- who typically end up as Headmistress of Wolpurgiswora (but not always)-- but there have been exceptions, namely the Time Twins who were not actually twins and the actual twin sisters Maren and Maeve Makri.

Explaining it out in greater detail makes it seem more complicated than I initially envisioned it to be, but I imagine Betwixt years <strictly> refer to the years that have passed within the World Between (usually in relation to something that has happened throughout the Universum (which has several different modes in which time expresses itself)). There is a general consensus that time moves extraordinarily slow on the World Between and that it can sometimes move backwards, though no one has figured out how or why you revert back to the EXACT age and moment you soul-transport away from.

( I'll let yall consider the loopholes and ramifications there)


@PolyesterH also asked me a great question I hadn't even considered in DMs the other day, so I'ma put that here as well!

Does everyone just speak a common tongue given by magical girl anointment or is there an auto translator effect? Different languages are going to take very different times to get the same statement off, how is that handled?

I had just instinctually assumed there was a magical auto-translate happening within the World Between. There's a few reasons for this, though I may keep a couple for you to discover in-game. I'll give you the stereotyped reason, hehe. Harking back to the belief that magic is feminine in nature, there's a common belief throughout the World Between that because it's a. needed and b. a feminine initiative the Guardian Sphere makes it so. There may be some lag within translating, but I don't imagine they'd be longer than a few seconds, not unless your home world is significantly against the norm. (And I'm talkin bout alien-magical-girl levels vs a medieval to modern scale) The more time you spend within the World Between, the more effective this magical effect becomes.

 

[Hyphae]

Oh no, a language translation effect. As is tradition for me I must decipher the underlying mechanics and exploit it for all it's worth. Feel free to just ignore these questions especially since figuring them out in character could be a lot of fun but be aware that I'm probably going to try to figure them out unless you really don't want me to.

1. Does the translation effect work on spoken words or a written words fine too? If someone had means of communicating by other senses, say by touch or smell, would that be translated?
2. Is the translation hearing based or understanding based? Would someone listening to an unknown language hear the words in their native tongue or are the words meanings simply superimposed upon the sounds? Does the translation lip sync?
3. How does the translation handle words that are not shared between languages? Would it simply allow the other side to understand, expand the word into a full-blown description, or fail to translate it at all?
4. What would happen if someone tried speaking a made-up word? Say for example someone decided that "Weheahaha" meant "I would like to buy a wheel of cheese" and then spoke the word. Alternatively, what would happen if someone had been magically influenced or lied to such that they believed a word meant something it did not and then spoke that word?

In other notes, I've pretty much finished my character sheet save for some minor details I've yet to fill in and whatever screwups I need to fix, so I'll post that here now I guess. I figured we've already got our fantasy and modern bases covered so why not complete the trifecta and have a sci-fi magical girl as well?

Alice Fawns (Old)

Name: Alice Fawns

Guardian Name: Pharma

Magical Epithet: █████████

Appearance: 1, 2, 3

Auric Colours: Blue, Brown, Black

Academic Affiliation: Hollowgarde Academy

3 Sentence Vibe Check: A twitchy young woman of 17 years, who somehow perpetually appears simultaneously exhausted and ready to bolt at a moment's notice, her nature is to inquire into every unknown, though that curiosity has long since been tempered by a fear of the things she might find. Alice comes from a magitech cyberpunk dystopia, one where magical girls play the role of superheroes to the public eye, while simply being another asset for the corporations to exploit behind closed doors. Alice like the vast majority of magical girls from her home world has zero knowledge of more traditional spellcasting methods, instead relying on cybernetics to fulfil a specialised role, in her case the development and conjuration of magitech pharmaceuticals.

Your ideal posting speed: As often as I possibly can, realistically one to three times a week.

Companion: Chipie. Not quite a companion per se, but rather an AI chip, courtesy of the company that once owned Alice, housing a "Mascot" AI whose programming Alice has significantly mutilated. Though for the most part capable of producing little more than garbled nonsense, Chipie's code somehow still clings to life and the AI will on occasion briefly reawaken to varying degrees of lucidity in order to offer Alice advice, praise her for her service to "The Company" or else berate her for betraying it.

 

[rissa]

Does the translation effect work on spoken words or a written words fine too? If someone had means of communicating by other senses, say by touch or smell, would that be translated?

Si, it includes both— in addition to thoughts (telepathy-like magic) as well as any sensory based communication. As mentioned in my other reply, as the Guardian Sphere views communication a necessity, the magical effect to communicate is just that— a magical effect that grows more astute over time and exposure to different languages encountered in the World Between.

Is the translation hearing based or understanding based? Would someone listening to an unknown language hear the words in their native tongue or are the words meanings simply superimposed upon the sounds? Does the translation lip sync?

It's understanding/instinctually based. As for the specifics: decide for your character!

How does the translation handle words that are not shared between languages? Would it simply allow the other side to understand, expand the word into a full-blown description, or fail to translate it at all?

Translation never fails unless the translatee has an all-black aura, which means they currently have no access to their Guardian Share magics. As mentioned above, the magical effect is understanding/instinctively based, so the root of the meaning will always be shared and prioritized.

What would happen if someone tried speaking a made-up word? Say for example someone decided that "Weheahaha" meant "I would like to buy a wheel of cheese" and then spoke the word. Alternatively, what would happen if someone had been magically influenced or lied to such that they believed a word meant something it did not and then spoke that word?

If they're trying to buy a wheel of cheese it'd just translate that. If trying to tell a joke or the equivalent, the translator would express that too. As to your second question, lying about a words meaning is nigh impossible, but being magically influenced to believe a word means something else is possible, but wouldn't last long, as the magical effect would eventually work through the bribery.

 

[rissa]

Oh no, a language translation effect. As is tradition for me I must decipher the underlying mechanics and exploit it for all it's worth. Feel free to just ignore these questions especially since figuring them out in character could be a lot of fun but be aware that I'm probably going to try to figure them out unless you really don't want me to.

1. Does the translation effect work on spoken words or a written words fine too? If someone had means of communicating by other senses, say by touch or smell, would that be translated?
2. Is the translation hearing based or understanding based? Would someone listening to an unknown language hear the words in their native tongue or are the words meanings simply superimposed upon the sounds? Does the translation lip sync?
3. How does the translation handle words that are not shared between languages? Would it simply allow the other side to understand, expand the word into a full-blown description, or fail to translate it at all?
4. What would happen if someone tried speaking a made-up word? Say for example someone decided that "Weheahaha" meant "I would like to buy a wheel of cheese" and then spoke the word. Alternatively, what would happen if someone had been magically influenced or lied to such that they believed a word meant something it did not and then spoke that word?

In other notes, I've pretty much finished my character sheet save for some minor details I've yet to fill in and whatever screwups I need to fix, so I'll post that here now I guess. I figured we've already got our fantasy and modern bases covered so why not complete the trifecta and have a sci-fi magical girl as well?

Alice Fawns

Name: Alice Fawns

Guardian Name: ####

Magical Epithet: █████████

Appearance: ####

Auric Colours: Blue, Brown, Black

Academic Affiliation: Hollowgarde Academy

3 Sentence Vibe Check: A twitchy young woman of 17 years, who somehow perpetually appears simultaneously exhausted and ready to bolt at a moment's notice, her nature is to inquire into every unknown, though that curiosity has long since been tempered by a fear of the things she might find. Alice comes from a magitech cyberpunk dystopia, one where magical girls play the role of superheroes to the public eye, while simply being another asset for the corporations to exploit behind closed doors. Alice like the vast majority of magical girls from her home world has zero knowledge of more traditional spellcasting methods, instead relying on cybernetics to fulfil a specialised role, in her case the development and conjuration of magitech pharmaceuticals.

Your ideal posting speed: As often as I possibly can, realistically one to three times a week.

Companion: Chipie. Not quite a companion per se, but rather an AI chip, courtesy of the company that once owned Alice, housing a "Mascot" AI whose programming Alice has significantly mutilated. Though for the most part capable of producing little more than garbled nonsense, Chipie's code somehow still clings to life and the AI will on occasion briefly reawaken to varying degrees of lucidity in order to offer Alice advice, praise her for her service to "The Company" or else berate her for betraying it.

And be sure to poke me when your CS is finished so I can read through it!!