welcome to Eldritch Academy
In a world of myths and mysteries, the pinnacle of the magical academies exists. Eldritch Academy offers education to all ages and species but specializes in the study and training of one's innate mystical capabilities, often called Eldritch Energies, Powers, or Unknowns, but more formally known as their Talent. However, tensions run high with the nations only holding a fragile peace as the Talents that rival the epitomes of technology change the balance of power.
With the more recent uprising of evil Shades and introduction of combat-oriented programs into Talent-focused schools, nations grow more aggressive towards one another. The demand for resources grows, and skirmishes at the border of Arka and Mistere become more frequent. Monsters run into the nations from the Wildes, terrorizing villages and cities. The need for trained or in-training Hunters and Guardians has never been more urgent.
Of Myths and Mysteries
eldritch academy The Tea Team
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FEBRUARY 20, 2019
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The Blind Leading The Blind
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Nov 18, 2018 0:22:30 GMT -6
Post by Christine Shuer on Nov 18, 2018 0:22:30 GMT -6
Christine would walk a bit slower than the other students and school faculty that roamed the halls. Most moved out of her way, either unsure as to why she was moving the way she was or knowing who she was and thus giving her a bit more space so she could move freely. Her main goal was to reach the location of a class that was held by a teacher she had yet to meet through the grades so far, which meant he likely had no clue that there would be a special needs student in his class unless he read the note that informed him there was a blind girl in his class. Having had teachers that did not read the notes, or ignored them thinking they were a prank or joke, the female was heading there to introduce herself to make it a bit more obvious.
The classroom had not been hard to find, she was used to roaming the halls, using her vision of souls and the braille added around the place to help her locate which rooms she was near on top of asking others that would generally help out. Upon arriving, seeing that there was a single soul in the general area of what would be the front of the class, the schoolgirl would gently knock on the open door as she stood there with a hand against the braille part of it from checking to make sure it was the correct room. "Excuse me, teacher, I just wanted to know if we could chat before the first class with you began. Would that be okay?" Her soft voice did not sound like one that was unhappy with their situation, as most would expect for someone with a perception based defect but seemed to be as normal speaking like any other girl that was doing the same thing.
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Theo
Faculty
GRADE •
73 (C-)
VITALITY •
1
STRENGTH •
3
SPEED •
4
RESILIENCE •
3
STAMINA •
1
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Nov 18, 2018 2:21:28 GMT -6
Post by Theo on Nov 18, 2018 2:21:28 GMT -6
The only reason Theo ever used his classroom was to nap, really. He'd made it into something of his living space, since he'd never stayed in one place for long. Signing an apartment rental contract made his skin crawl, enough that he'd ran out before doing so. Since his class was held outside, what was the harm of making his bed on the top of the nice mahogany desk provided? He had a microwave and mini fridge in the car corner, and had access to bathrooms on campus as long as he snuck in and out at off hours. Even this was much improved over many places he'd laid his head in the past, so the man was quite relaxed atop his futon mattress.
That is, until there was a knock at the door. He hadn't expected anyone to stop by, since his sign ups indicated meeting places outside. The door was open to let some air flow. Some of these classrooms were musty as heck, and the stench of books he could no longer read made his head hurt. Anyway, he jerked up off his desk bed so fast that he tumbled off with a hard thunk on the wooden floor. The instructor recovered quickly, though, rising to shove aforementioned cushion off his desk into the floor behind it, filling the air with a lovely puff of dust and chalk dust. Coughing and waving his hand to clear the particles, he approached the student. "Ah, chat? Sure, sure. Come in! You're the first student to actually see my classroom," he smiled, not realizing her predicament. With all the talents and species running around, he never took a second to entertain that the mask on her eyes might indicate blindness. Time to count how many times Theo Silversong could put his foot in his mouth. "What can I do for you?"
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Nov 18, 2018 3:28:58 GMT -6
Post by Christine Shuer on Nov 18, 2018 3:28:58 GMT -6
Based on the movement of the soul she was looking at when speaking, and the sounds that could be heard from within as well, Christine could wager a guess as to what had happened. The female may not have been able to see, but her other senses were working overtime to compensate for that issue. He seemed to have been relaxing or napping and been caught unawares. A small giggle would leave her lips as he coughed and approached her while responding to what she had said. From the moment he spoke it was clear that he had either gotten the memo or had not read it yet. Saying things like 'see' and 'look' to her directly were generally ways to insult a blind person when you knew they were blind. This man sounded like he was saying it in the casual conversation manner, so it was best not to get mad or upset about it just yet. It was still frustrating, however, given that the mask upon her face clearly covered the eyes completely if one thought about it.
"I see, I didn't know that the classroom was so underutilized for this class. I'm not really the best for physically moving around, but I should be able to make do as long as I don't get left in everyone's dust while outside. Thank you for letting me speak with you now, it makes me a lot more comfortable to speak with my teachers before I show up for an actual class." Feeling the man welcome her in, she would calmly walk in while making sure not to run into him at the same time. The soft, slow, steps made to get to the first desk would seem more like a nervous girl rather than a worry for knocking into something or being tripped by her own blindness. A hand would meet the top of a desk, standard throughout the entire academy which made it easier to know where to put a hand to ensure her balance and positioning. Once she was sure of where the seat would be she would gently seat herself before looking back to the teacher. "I know the class is about archeology and exploration, but the counselor assigned to me did not explain much more than that. Would you care to please give me an idea or visualization on what I will be doing for my time with you and the class?" Nothing she said directly said she was blind, but it did hint at it with how things were phrased.
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Theo
Faculty
GRADE •
73 (C-)
VITALITY •
1
STRENGTH •
3
SPEED •
4
RESILIENCE •
3
STAMINA •
1
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Nov 19, 2018 1:49:40 GMT -6
Post by Theo on Nov 19, 2018 1:49:40 GMT -6
As she took a seat, Theo took the seat of the desk in front of her, sitting on it backward to face her. He was still a bit nervous, this being his first one on one student meeting. In hindsight, it seemed like there should be some sort of training for faculty in this sort of thing. He may know a lot about what he taught, but interacting with students was a lot different than he imagined. They generally had all this respect and expectation for the adults attempting to impart knowledge into them. Yet, Theo was just this guy who flew by the seat of his pants and hoped someone learned something along the way. Perhaps he should seek out some additional advice...
Sadly, Theo could be a very dense man about some things. Subtlety only worked when he was looking for small changes in rocks or other minute details when hunting an item in the ruins somewhere. Or maybe he'd be all alert if he thought there was a shiny nearby, or if he didn't trust someone not to take something from him. He was a stealthy thief ever searching for wealth and worth, but when it came to interacting with others, he missed some things. He was friendly enough, warm in tone and goofy in nature, but also a little derpy. It made first impressions varying between good and bad seemingly at random.
"Sure, I can tell you a little more," he chirped, trying to build a summary in mis mind before it tumbled out of his mouth. "We meet outside if at all possible to learn the basics for exploring different parts of the world. Map reading, survival training, proper excavation, and stuff like that. You should never be left in the dust, though. I have a strict buddy policy in my class. Only approved intermediate students may venture off on their own, and honestly they'd have to be nearly graduated by then. No one should go alone unless they have no choice, or are immortal or something," explained the new instructor
In regards to the other part of his class, Theo grinned. This was the best part. Titling it Archaeology was just a fancy way to say rare and old valuables, and the entire reason he and his species did what he did. This was the reward of the exploration part. "Well be looking for stuff in caves and ruins...like this," he held out a small jade dragon from his pocket, a lucky charm of sorts but pretty valuable and something he'd found on his travels. He held it out to her...and she never moved a muscle. Weird. Maybe she was afraid to touch it because it was so beautiful.
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Nov 19, 2018 3:21:45 GMT -6
Post by Christine Shuer on Nov 19, 2018 3:21:45 GMT -6
The sound of him sitting down almost shocked her, though she managed to keep her composure and refrain from jumping in the process. She had not expected him to sit that close, most staying standing or sitting at their own desk when she did such a thing, and he seemed to be a lot less professional sounding than the teachers that she had spoken with up to this point. The man that was her teacher would begin going over what would go on in the class, including the reason she would not be left in the dust, and then things would begin to get awkward as he began to talk about 'seeing' something and 'reading' things. "Well, I won't be able to read maps. If you could put someone with me that excels in it, or at least can read them enough to not get us lost, I would appreciate it." The female would state the obvious for her situation to the man, though she was unsure if he would catch why she was saying it, before continuing on with what she wanted to say. The woman was blind, after all, and seeing or reading stuff was well outside of something she would ever be able to do! She could see souls, but that was the limit of her powers when it came to sight. After that, she was as useful as any other blind person.
When he mentioned 'like this' the schoolgirl that went by the name of Christine would hold out a hand in his direction so that he could place the item in her hand. She could not see the item to feel it, but she could not tell where his hand was nor where the item in question was to grab it. It was a really awkward situation, but she did not want to straight up say she was blind unless he really could not figure it out on his own. That would just be embarrassing for the both of them if she had to do such a thing!
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Theo
Faculty
GRADE •
73 (C-)
VITALITY •
1
STRENGTH •
3
SPEED •
4
RESILIENCE •
3
STAMINA •
1
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Nov 19, 2018 5:05:42 GMT -6
Post by Theo on Nov 19, 2018 5:05:42 GMT -6
Theo paused, one brow quirking inward in contemplation. Could she not read either? How could he let her know that was okay without revealing his own embarrassing issue? He very rarely told anyone, and even if he did it was under intense duress like a life and death situation. He survived in recent life by menus with images beside words and memorizing the shapes and squiggles on maps. Maps were just pictures to him, so he'd used the word 'read' loosely. "Sure...maps are challenging to learn. Another reason why the buddy system is always a good idea," he started, cogs in his brain starting to turn. How to reassure her without telling his own secret...oh. Maybe this would work. "I don't require any physical books, pens, or paper in this class. Just the audiobook Dr. Hackoff's Guide to Discovering Everything! and audio recorders for notes and any assignments I might have. They may even make audio maps...oh! I didn't think of small portable GPS. You could get one of those. I should suggest that to the others later." There. Maybe that would clear some things up! Now he was excited to get himself a GPS. That would make trying to figure out the names of places easier for even someone as experienced as him.
From what it sounded like, she would need his class more than any of this other students. That was fine. He enjoyed a challenge and thus far to him it seemed she could be taught and improved, but usually students that felt like she did about the activities would just not take the class. Like he wouldn't take a reading and writing class, since it would be an impossible and only result in shame.
The silence that followed as they both sat facing each other, his hand still extended with the item she didn't take, and hers extended in expectation. Was she really not gonna take it from him? His arm was getting tired, and his mind whirled with reasons for her odd behavior. Was she being difficult? Mean? Insinuating something? While he didn't trust people not to steal from him, he otherwise tended to think the best of people in general where treasures weren't involved. His eyes peered into her mask, as if looking into her eyes. If only he knew he was being defeated by his own extreme caution to not be insensitive to racial traits. Was she even looking at the dragon? It was getting weird, because he didn't know where she was looking, and come to think of it, he hadn't seen her head move at all. Maybe her neck bones were fused. What could be said that he'd rather assume her neck bones were fused than assume she was blind? After a few more moments of thick awkwardness, he lowered his treasure into her hand. "So..yeah. Stuff like that. I'll teach you how to tell what it's made of, where stuff like that is most likely to be found, what its worth...cool stuff, eh?"
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Nov 20, 2018 4:06:58 GMT -6
Post by Christine Shuer on Nov 20, 2018 4:06:58 GMT -6
The woman's heart would feel a bit of a burden lift from her heart as the teacher told her that books were not something that were a requirement. Audiobooks were something she adored, it made it so much easier for her to learn about the classes when there were no Braille books for her to use in her studies. Meeting outside might be a bit of a problem, however, as it meant that unless there was a specific spot to meet and things leading to it for her to feel that led the way. Without those, she would have no way to make it there unless she followed someone else that could take her there. She wasn't too sure about GPS and the like, as unless it took voice commands she would be unable to use it, but there were ways around that that they could talk about later on.
Her hand would be held outward for an awkward amount of time before the item that she was being shown was actually placed in it. It was clear he had not figured it out yet, and she was going to be stubborn about this up to the very end. The item dropped into her hand would be felt with her fingers, drawing it close to her chest as both hands moved across the surface as well as palming it to get a good feel for weight and what material it might be made of. It was warm to the touch, though it was likely due to the man holding it in a pocket and it absorbing body heat. It stayed warm, for the most part, and was definitely not any kind of metal with the weight it had. It felt like a rock, though from there she could not tell what kind, and had some kind of shape that reminded her of a four-legged creature that was lumpy across the top and had a tail. "Ah, shaped rocks from times past? Interesting things to dig up, especially with everything else that we might find from our dark spots in history." It was all someone without sight could ascertain from the item, though she would continue to toy with it a bit longer before reaching her hand out with it again, the item on her palm for him to grab it from her once he was ready to take it. Words that involved with vision would never leave her lips when describing the item, and her eyes would remain looking forward instead of at the item the entire time.
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Theo
Faculty
GRADE •
73 (C-)
VITALITY •
1
STRENGTH •
3
SPEED •
4
RESILIENCE •
3
STAMINA •
1
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Nov 25, 2018 2:44:12 GMT -6
Post by Theo on Nov 25, 2018 2:44:12 GMT -6
Theo's brows furrowed in slight consternation. Only now did it dawn on him, slowly illuminating the glaring facts the normally observant man missed. Something was up here. Never once did she angle her face down to inspect the item. It seemed she was staring into his chest as her hands ran over it carefully... Moreover, she never mentioned the distinct jade color, nor did she recognize that it was a dragon. She didn't say any details at all. Unless she lived under the 'rock' she spoke of, the treasure hunter assumed nearly everyone could identify the green mineral as well as a creature as popular as dragon kind. What, was she blind?
Oh god.
She was, wasn't she? The thing over her eyes, traversing outside being difficult, being afraid of getting left in the dust by the others, being unable to read maps... his face paled before rapidly heating up and turning red, a reaction she probably wasn't even able to see. He felt bad for taking any comfort in that assumption! This was why she wanted to chat before class. There probably weren't eyes hidden somewhere else on her body, or any other sensory organ she could use for 'sight'. It became more evident that he'd been a ginormous idiot, and this was a human girl who couldn't see, and he'd already probably offended her several times over. It had been a long while since he'd taken his niffler form, but now he felt as if it would be his only escape from the awkward situation he'd created. Slinking into a hole to never show his face again would be a mercy denied to him. Trepidation only increased as he contemplated how to approach and salvage this situation.
"Oh crap," he hissed, wincing afterward. No, that's not how Theo had intended to make his attempt to save face. Taking his item back from her hand with a nervously quick pluck, he silently wished it was a talisman that could rewind time far enough to try this again with his newly acquired suspicion. How could he even confirm? Flat out ask? That seemed rude. But so would be trying to toss her something to see if she'd catch it. Ugh. There had to have been some sort of instructor training that he missed for these types of situations. Maybe continuing as if he'd always known? Denial always worked, except when it didn't. "U-uh...yes. I'll, erm, teach you alternate ways to identify the materials of carved stones like that one when we start excavating for them. F-For instance, that was a jade dragon from a cave deep in Hisakawa...dated pre-war..." Oh yeah, Theo. The stuttering totally didn't give away how his foot tasted.
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Nov 27, 2018 1:10:11 GMT -6
Post by Christine Shuer on Nov 27, 2018 1:10:11 GMT -6
The words that left his mouth, alongside the awkward pluck Theo made to take the object back into his own possession made him sound worried about something. Was he finally realizing why she had come down here today? Or was Christine going to have to openly state that she was as blind as one could get? There was a pause before the teacher spoke again, this time stuttering pretty badly, to go on and tell her that they would alternate ways to identify the stuff they dug up while also telling the blind female what she had actually been holding. Thinking back on it now it was definitely what she had felt, it was just there were other things like it so it was hard for her to know one hundred percent on her own. "I am sure we can figure out a way for identification for me in the future. For now, I should be fine if you or a student with a greater understanding of the subject and materials involved. It's from such a long time ago, I wonder if we can find things that stem from my religion and others as well." The religion and archeology almost went hand in hand, with how the minds of people and the existence of deities went on, and thus she would love to find relics of pre-war era for the people that told her she was a saviour in a time of need.
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Theo
Faculty
GRADE •
73 (C-)
VITALITY •
1
STRENGTH •
3
SPEED •
4
RESILIENCE •
3
STAMINA •
1
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Nov 30, 2018 2:52:52 GMT -6
Post by Theo on Nov 30, 2018 2:52:52 GMT -6
"S-Sure," he squeaked, forcefully pausing himself to take a couple even breaths. Getting worked up and embarrassed wouldn't help anything now. Even though his mind was whirling with all the work he'd need to do to make this class worth the girl's time, he was more than willing to do it. He might not be a very professional teacher, but he did care about his students and wanted to help them in any way he could. If they wanted to share his passion, he'd do everything he could to accommodate.
Now calmer, he continued to speak to his student, adopting an even but pleasant tone. "I'll make sure to either assist you myself or pair you with one of my top students," Theo assured her, his face lighting up at the challenge a bit. He'd been at this for a long time, and while he loved it, this offered a new facet of thought to it. His subject was visually dependent, but surely there were ways around it that would make everyone better at exploring and locating shiny items. "Religious items are the most common found, for sure. What is your religion? I can research a site maybe to take us on a field trip to so we can find some cool stuff."
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Dec 1, 2018 3:41:56 GMT -6
Post by Christine Shuer on Dec 1, 2018 3:41:56 GMT -6
The teacher, now that he clearly understood her physical issues with the subject he taught, was prepared to do what was necessary to ensure she was able to make it through and pass his class without being hindered by something she had to live with for her entire life. It was a good feeling, knowing that people did not always immediately reject someone that could not see at all. The squeaking voice that the teacher had eventually passed as he likely calmed himself down and regained his composure. The man would continue speaking, asking about the religion she was a part of so that he would be able to research on it and know what to look for when they went out on their expeditions.
"The religion I am a part of calls itself 'Savior of Soul.' They've been around a long time, even before the world first saw the abilities we have now. They always spoke of the souls of the living being in trouble, a future where something hungry comes for them all. After the abilities came out in others they found a ritual to make a human a vessel to hold the souls of those that die. It requires a certain soul, newly born, to do, and comes with a cost, but it gives them pure power over the soul in all its essence." The female would talk a bit, calmly saying this even though she knew she had been one that had had the ritual done on her. "Sorry if I rambled, it's been my whole life so it's a subject I could go on about for longer than anyone would want to listen." For once the females head would shift, moving down to look down where the tabletop of the school desk would be located. He had simply asked what religion she was in, not for the whole story that went with it.
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Theo
Faculty
GRADE •
73 (C-)
VITALITY •
1
STRENGTH •
3
SPEED •
4
RESILIENCE •
3
STAMINA •
1
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Dec 4, 2018 2:57:59 GMT -6
Post by Theo on Dec 4, 2018 2:57:59 GMT -6
Yet, while she seemed to anticipate that he'd be bored, Theo was intensely interested. His chair creaked as he leaned into it, closer to her as if on instinct, in that way one does when their attention is captured. "Savior of Souls. I've heard of them," he noted, voice devoid of personal feeling on the matter. It was a cult that had been around for a while. While he didn't agree with their stances, they were no different to him than any other religion or cult he'd researched and excavated, and goodness there were many. They always had the weirdest and most interesting stuff. However, he'd found far fewer Savior of Souls sites, and even fewer artifacts. "I could really listen for hours. Honestly, anything you could tell me would probably help planning a field trip. I don't know too much about them, since most old sites were razed. Of all I've come across, I only have a few items, and while they're cool...I have no idea what some are for or how much they could be worth.." he trailed, trying to recall what he kept in his secret stash of treasures.
Theo had a bunch of stuff hidden away somewhere, kept entirely secret to keep it safe from...well, people like him. He'd hoard his treasures away until he needed to sell one off, otherwise he refused to part with them let alone let others see. However, for this class, he might have to bring a view of the less valuable ones as examples, something he only just realized. Mind switching back to the matter at hand in light of his remembrance, the new teacher spoke again. "Off hand, I found an odd little ceremonial kettle made out of silver with some mysterious black substance inside, something I think was a wax seal stamp, and a highly decorative chalice. Archaeology and all it entails relies heavily on information gathering and history, so world knowledge is always something I'll be itching for. The more elusive, the better."
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