Evening – A New Circle: A Study Group for the Forgotten
The day’s lessons were over. The shadows in the halls stretched long, and most students had already retreated to their elite lounges, sky-chambers, or private towers. The high-ranks gathered in shimmering courts of learning, their tutors people of great name and importance. But not everyone had that kind of magic.
Not far from the edge of campus, was a forgotten bell tower, rusting in silence. Tucked in it was a half-buried lecture hall no one used anymore and the building was marked “Time Mechanics – Decommissioned.” Most thought it hollow. Most never noticed the cold draft that flowed from beneath the floorboards. Joshua did.
Joshua found it by accident—or fate. Behind a false wall in the base of a rusting bell tower, he followed an invisible draft down a staircase made of managlass. At the bottom: a circular chamber of monumental size, carved into obsidian-veined stone, supported by statues of forgotten people. The ceiling curves like a dome, covered in constellations made of glowing spell-ink—ever-shifting. The air is thick with warmth, echoes, and memories.
It had been abandoned for years—its telescope lens that looked out into the sky was cracked, its ceiling warped from spellquake damage. But its circular floorplan, tiered seating, and floating lecture platforms still mostly worked. And more importantly: No one cared who entered it anymore.
Around it are ancient desks etched with spellwork, long worn by thousands of hands. The walls are engraved with thousands of names—some faded, some scratched out, others glowing faintly when remembered. What drew his attention the most was a mural of a hooded mage dressed in shabby robes with a light in one hand and a staff in another.
Image:
https://www.reddit.com/r/worldbuilding/comments/1gr61fy/the_divine_mage_commission/
They weren’t officially sanctioned. They weren’t respected. But they came. He made the call out to anyone who was interested in their year for extra study sessions and support. Dozens of low-ranked first-years—Iron, Copper, and even a few bronze students—filtered in through the creaking side doors. They carried: Tattered notebooks. Burnt staves. Broken familiars in need of rest. And hope. Just enough of it to try again.
Joshua lit a handful of lanterns through the hall. They burned with flickering gold light—casting warm halos onto rusted steel and half-functional illusion boards. No professor would guide them. No sponsor backed them. But they would learn anyway.
The lessons were loose. Messy. Sometimes off-topic. But they worked. Students took turns teaching what they knew. They argued, corrected, and joked. Even the quiet ones—like the boy with no wand or the girl who only spoke in rhyme—found their voice here. Someone brewed tea from pocket herbs. Someone else fixed a broken wand tip with a nail and chewing gum. It shouldn’t have worked. It did anyway.
By the end, they made a pact: Every week. Same time. Same place. No rank. No ritual. No lies. Just magic—as it was meant to be.
New Faction Seed: ??? (Rank F-)
Come up with ideas for the new group you want to build.
Example: The Light
Rank:
F- (Emergent)
Type:
Hidden Student Network / Educational Mutual-Aid Cell
Motto:
“We bring light to all the forgotten and mistreated of the world.”
The
Light
is a fledgling student-led collective formed by low-ranked and disenfranchised first-years—Iron and Copper primarily—gathered under the leadership of
Joshua “Edgeshot” Samuelson
, the emerging
Folk-Hero of the Downtrodden
.
They meet in secret beneath the Academy in a forgotten hall of stars and memory with shared purpose and rebel learning. A living, breathing network of marginalized students forged from hope and grit. The first step toward a new order within the Academy.
Goal! Reclaim Magic for the People.
To empower the overlooked. To bridge gaps between talent and opportunity. To forge new magic not bound by hierarchy, family name, or wealth.
Activities: Underground Spell Development:
Focusing on practical, improvised, or salvaged magic that works
despite
lack of resources. Recordkeeping of the Forgotten: Writing the names, fates, and ideas of low-ranked students into the star-ledgers of the Foundry. Resistance to the System: Low-key disruption of rank-favoritism, rigged resource distribution, and elitist institutional decay.
Perks & Boons
(F Rank - 1 Perk):
Light in the Sky
: When a member performs an act of magical courage, sacrifice, or brilliance, they become a constellation that flares up in the sky granting boons to the faction
Paths
(F Rank - 1 Perk):
The Voice Beneath! Role:
Cultural revolutionaries, magical performers, poetic saboteurs.
-
+10 Quest Progress
Quest #2 - Save/Lead the Downtrodden(10/1,000)
-
Day 4 – Ferradine
(+1 Runes, Crafting, Mechanics)
Morning: Arcane Gunsmithing (Workshop)
Instructor:
Elra Vintock
– dwarven artificer, battlefield engineer, and harsh mentor with a heart of adamant.
The workshop floor buzzes with activity. Arcano-forges glow in dim orange, and students hammer out their personal tools and components.
Joshua’s Task:
Build a modular barrel extension that can integrate runework—swappable between elemental types. It's not enough to make it function—he must inscribe a rune by hand that channels and amplifies a chosen magical effect.
Runes Offered:
Heat, Ricochet, Expansion, Gravitic Twist, Spirit-Bind
He selects Spirit-Bind metal when creating the barrel which leaves a metaphysical “anchor” on targets—making it easier to trace or target again later.
Result:
His craftsmanship is solid, but what impresses Elra is how he infuses the rune with
intention
—his desire not just to hit, but to haunt his mark. “That’s how you make magic mean something,” she grunts. “A message. Not just a bullet.”
Roll for Minor Item(Gun Barrel)[1d8(Talent) +1 Day Bonus + 1 Instructor Bonus +1 Relationship Bonus]
Full Success Threshold: 10!
Rolled 10. Full Success
Rolled 10, Full Success
Crafted:
Spiralcore Barrel
(Charge 15/15)
Craft Bonus
: +1 to accuracy
Passive Effect
: silencing effect during firing
-
Afternoon: Magical Ballistics (Workshop)
Instructor:
Liora Fenwick
– high elf physicist and arcane ballistics specialist.
Here, it’s all about practical ammo-building. Students work in pairs to design, craft, and test custom ammunition under pressure. Liora watches silently, taking notes—only intervening when a spell backfires
too
violently.
Workshop Goal:
Forge a 2-shot prototype of magically imbued rounds that can be tested in live simulations. Joshua, drawing from his previous salvage work and his Spirit-Bind barrel, creates:
Round 1: Soulpiercer
– A shimmering silver bullet that phases through armor to seek residual soul signatures. Particularly effective against constructs, ghosts, or familiars.
Round 2: Chainwake
– A kinetic round that creates a burst effect—each hit “echoes” into nearby magical structures, ideal for setting off spell traps or destabilizing wards.
Both rounds are unstable—but beautiful. He earns extra marks for risk, and Liora silently drops one of his bullets into her “Exceptional Submissions” case without a word.
Roll for Minor Item(Ammo)[1d8(Talent) +1 Day Bonus + 1 Instructor Bonus +2 Relationship Bonus]
Full Success Threshold: 10!
Rolled 7, Partial Success
1x Soulpiercer
Bullets
1x Chainwake
Bullets
-
Evening: Instructor Office Hour – Magical Ballistics (Bullet Crafting Focus)
Joshua arrives early. Liora is alone in the lecture hall, adjusting calibration dials on a floating target sphere. Without looking up, she says: “Your Chainwake was reckless. And clever. Sit.”
For the next hour, it’s one-on-one. She drills him on magical ratios, chemical mana-infusions, and runic fail-safes. At one point, she lets him attempt a rare crafting process:
Spellprint Rounds
– bullets inscribed with
unique, personalized incantations
that only respond to the user’s magical resonance and boost it.
It's hard. Joshua fumbles his first attempt. Liora doesn’t comment. Just lets him reset. The second time, the bullet clicks into place, glowing briefly with his Reinforcement signature. “Now you’re building something worth shooting,” she says at last.
Before he leaves, she gives him a custom reagent—a small vial of
Stardust-Cracked Powder
, rare and dangerous. “Use it when you’re ready to make a bullet that shouldn’t exist.”
+ 1x Stardust-Cracked Powder(Unique Ingredient): +3 to Damage Roll
Roll for Minor Item(Ammo)[1d8(Talent) +1 Day Bonus + 1 Instructor Bonus +2 Relationship Bonus]
Full Success Threshold: 10!
Roll 11. Full Success
6x Spellprint Rounds
- You can shoot bullets with Reinforcement magic without mana expenditure.
-
Give me Crafting Rolls:
1d8+3
1d8+4
1d8+4
-
Morning: Magical Ballistics (Lecture + Live Demo)
Instructor:
Liora Fenwick
– Arcane Ballistics Expert
Lecture Topic:
“Bullets That Cross Worlds”
Today’s lecture focuses on a rarely-discussed but critical application of magical firearms: Cross-Planar Ammunition Theory. Liora walks students through:
Resonant Ammo
– designed to phase through planar boundaries to strike incorporeal or partially-anchored targets (ghosts, phased beasts, cursed echoes).
Planar Anchor Shot
– a technique where a bullet doesn’t kill, but
tethers
a creature or object to this plane.
As a demo, she fires a soul-threaded round into a summoned wraithhound and traps it mid-air, frozen in an ethereal stasis bubble. Joshua takes detailed notes, already imagining how to apply this to his Spirit-Bind barrel and Chainwake rounds. Liora leaves the class with one cryptic statement: “If your bullet can’t reach them… change what ‘reach’ means.”
+1 Skill Progress to
Arcane Physics(Ballistics) 1(3/3)
: +1 Bonus to launching, flight behavior and impact of projectiles
→
Skill Upgrade
Arcane Physics(Ballistics) II(0/5)
: +2 Bonus to launching, flight behavior and impact of projectiles
-
Afternoon: Romance Your Partner – Seraphyne
Location:
The Floating Lotus Pavilion (a gravity-suspended teahouse in a stillwater planar fold)
Getting a text on his copper badge, Joshua was surprised to see it was from Seraphyne - the mysterious, masked, and dangerously alluring yearmate he met at the school ball.
It was for a met up, which he decided to agree to. He knew it was not smart mixing with someone way beyond his means, but a part of him was curious and there was something he did want to speak to her about.
[A/N: I’m reworking badges to be more important. Make them like phones & ID. Means of communications, messaging, magicnet access, spellapps, etc.]
The journey took him beyond the edge of campus where a hidden gate on the edge of the Spirit Garden opened into a stillwater planar fold, where gravity loosened and sound curled sideways. Suspended high above a mirror-lake that had no bottom, the Floating Lotus Pavilion hung in midair like a secret kept by the wind. Its foundation: a massive blooming lotus the size of a house, petals carved from spirit-glass and pulsewood, each one radiating gentle waves of magic like breath. Wisps of glowing water orbited the structure in slow arcs, and koi made of starlight swam through the air like birds.
Gravity wasn’t fixed here—it bowed politely. You walked where you wished, and the world adjusted to your pace. The sky above shimmered between dusk and starlight, while the lake below held your reflection wrong on purpose, like it was remembering a version of you that never quite existed.
She was waiting for him. Seraphyne lounged in a raised glass-shell tea alcove, surrounded by gently drifting spirit-lotus. The petals glowed with embedded memory-threads, pulsing softly with stories long forgotten. She didn’t wear the fox mask from before so he could take in her face more fully. She looked elegant, proud, and smiling faintly. Every inch of her looked effortless. Dangerous.
The tea before her gleamed like sunlight caught in liquid form, suspended in curved porcelain shaped like a waning moon. She greets him with a sly smile: “I’ve been wondering when the infamous gunboy would finally decide to show up.”
Image: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/4151824651936878/
“Sorry for holding you up, princess,” he grinned, taking a seat opposite her. The weightless cushion beneath him adjusting to his frame with a sigh of magic. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The breeze carried a hint of lotus-sugar and ozone. Above them, a spirit-koi flicked through the air, then vanished with a ripple.
Standing behind her were two young horned girls dressed in maid outfits. “Oh, my,” one whispered, which really wasn’t since he could hear her perfectly well. “Look what the mistress dragged in. A ruffian. I fear for our mistress sister that he might have his way with her.”
“Our lady did always like those bad boys. I told you to keep those trashy novels away from her, but you spoiled her.”
Coughing awkwardly into his hand, he didn’t know what to say.
Image: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/298645019044401824/
“Hush, now,” Seraphyne said without looking back at them. Seraphyne poured him tea—light refracted inside it like a prism drowning in honey. “So,” she said, tilting her head, “how’s the school’s most unorthodox first-year faring?”
“What makes me the most unorthodox first-year?” he asked in fake astonishment.
“You know why. Hardly any Copper defeats a Bronze. Talent and Magic is everything here. To overcome that shows a lot of potential. A couple people are keeping an eye on you.”
“Does that include you,” he asked teasingly.
“Sure, it's tough to find a good minion around here, and you might make do,” she teased back.
“Oh, is that all,” he asked husky. He quickly had to dodge the tea that was ‘accidentally’ spilled on his hand by one of the maids, and decided it was best to change the topic.
Joshua smirked, then winced as he shifted—bruises still lingered from his descent below. “To answer your question. I’m Alive. So far. Might be an achievement around here.”
She raised her porcelain cup. “To continual survival, then.”
They clinked—barely—and he took a sip. Warm, floral, a little too rich for his blood. “Went somewhere I wasn’t supposed to,” he said after a pause. “Found something that definitely wasn’t supposed to be found.”
“And where might that be?” she asked, taking a sip of her drink.
“The Menagerie!”
“My aren’t you as bold as brass! Not many are foolish or brave enough to go there. Especially for a first year like us.”
“I guess you can say I’m both,” he replied.
The moment hung, charged like a drawn gun. Joshua exhaled before he told her what he found. “There was a wyrm down there,” he said. “Made of ungodly energy and magic rot. It was as big as a mountain. When it breathed, you could smell death. Saw it crawl through bone-sand dunes, and mountains leaving trails of glass behind.”
“Fallout Wyrm,” Seraphyne murmured. “Thought it was just a myth.”
He shook his head. “It’s real. I didn’t fight it. Just ran.” A silence passed between them. Even the spirit-lotus seemed to dim slightly.
“Well that was the smart thing to do,” she stated.
“And then,” he said, “further in… I found something else. Something
bigger.
"
Her gaze narrowed. “One moment,” she said. Then giving a nod to the two maids. They put up wards that seemed to mute everything. “Go ahead now,” she said.
“It wasn’t hostile. Not even aware of me. Just…
resting.
Like it had crossed galaxies to get there. A Star Colosseling. Baby version of a titan I believe. It looked like starlight inside a fossil.”
“You saw
two
fabled-class anomalies in a single descent?”
He nodded slowly. “Either I’m lucky, or cursed.”
Seraphyne let out a quiet laugh. “Oh, Joshua. Those are often the same thing.” She leaned back, tapping a lacquered nail against her teacup. “You know, some people would kill to see what you saw.”
“Just glad I was able to make it out,” he stated.
“This is quite valuable information,” she said. “There are not that many fabled creatures in the myriad cosmos. To find not one, but two! Now that is a great find.”
“You can do with what you want with that information,” he said with a shrug. “Its not like I can do much with it. I don’t think I can even scratch one in a million years.”
Shaking her head, “You don’t understand. Those are not creatures you go around hunting. These are things to be tamed. Claiming those creatures as Familiars not only will bring many boons for you, but most importantly it can upgrade your magic.”
“Your brother will be glad to hear about the Star Colosseling, mistress,” one of the maids noted.
Spoilers for her brother! Image: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/107523509847859931/
“Yeah, he will owe me big time,” she smiled. Then turning to him, she said, “Anyways this information describes a kingly ransom. Here,” she said, tossing him a cube.
Image: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/1125968644051972/
“What is it?” he asked. Before he knew it, his consciousness was tossed inside and like peering into a whole nother world. Inside he spotted countless stones that glowed brightly with an unearthly glow.
“Its a energy cube,” she answered. “There should be enough Mana stones to live lavishly through the school. "Also here," Seraphyne said, her tone softer now, almost thoughtful. She reached into the folds of her sleeve and produced a scroll—aged, frayed, and sealed with a wax glyph that shimmered with ancient light. Its parchment gave off a faint scent of rain on stone and something older than memory.
She offered it across the table with the kind of reverence one might reserve for a blade or a curse.
“Are you certain, mistress?” one of the maids asked, concern leaking into her otherwise poised demeanor.
Seraphyne didn’t look away. “It’s well deserved,” she said, a twinkle playing at the edge of her smile. “And I want to see how far he can reach.”
As Joshua reached out, the scroll pulsed. Not with mana—but with
recognition
. It was calling out to him as his fingertips tingled. His bones hummed. Something in him stirred—as if a locked door had been waiting for this exact key since the moment he was born. The parchment was cold and hot at once, not heavy but
dense
with meaning. Like it remembered more of him than he did.
“What is it?”
he asked, voice lower than before. Uneasy, not from fear, but awe.
“Its a cultivation method,” she simply answered. “One that I think will be a good fit for a rough shot like you.”
Joshua’s breath hitched. He heard about them,
Cultivation Method
— often called by magic users Arcane Codex, Mystic Doctrine, or Soulpath Schema. These were very important, they were the work of countless generations pouring all their research and experiments into a blueprint for ascension.
Some mages inherited them. Others found them in ruins, guarded by spirits, dragons, or worse. They were rare. Priceless. Often more guarded than bloodlines.
Forgot the truck load of magic stone she gave him, this was the true king ransom. Forgot about buying these things, no one could even get access to the most common cultivation method as they were closely guarded secrets for any magic order or magic family.
There was of course the school’s method given to all students, but it was quite generic, offered safe foundations, and was adaptable to any magic. Also allowing you to change out of it when you wanted.
Basically Safe. Boring. Replaceable.
But this? This felt personal. This wasn’t a ladder. It was his gun aimed at the stars.
-
Universal Cultivation Method of the Grand Academy
Special Cultivation Method:
Ars Primordia
(+3 Stats each Level; 1 Body, 1 Mind, 1 Spirit)
“Before there were spells or sigils, there was pattern.”
Ars Primordia
is the foundational cultivation method of the Grand Academy of Magic, given to all magical students upon entry, regardless of origin or specialization. It is not elemental, not doctrinal, and not culturally bound. Instead, it is the pure architecture of magical self-evolution, a mental, spiritual, and arcane scaffolding designed to help any being harmonize with the multiverse’s magical laws. It is a book on living patterns that adapts to its bearer — a path that grows as you do.
-
Cultivation Method
In the multiverse, a
Cultivation Method
— often called by magic users Pathway, Arcane Codex, or Mystic Doctrine — is the sacred blueprint for ascension. It defines how a spellcaster grows in power, understanding, and spiritual resonance. It is more than just “leveling up” — it is the magical philosophy, ritual foundation, and soul-binding framework that shapes who you become.
To a mundane scholar, it might appear a structured series of techniques, rituals, or incantations. But to a true practitioner, a Cultivation Method is
a living scripture
— equal parts metaphysical engine, spiritual map, and existential mirror. It defines not only how a spellcaster grows in power, but what they become in the process.
Just as a swordmaster tempers their body and a monk sharpens their breath, a magic-user must cultivate their essence, refine their magical affinity, and walk a path carved through generations of arcane legacy.
It is the
philosophy you embody
, the
sacrifice you endure
, and the
truth you must shape
.
Core Components
Foundational Philosophy
– The spiritual principle that anchors the path. There philosophy colors every spell, every reaction, every decision. It becomes the practitioner’s mantra, creed, and inner compass.
Metaphysical Blueprint
– The internal arcana-architecture that reshapes the body, soul, and mana channels. This determines how energy flows through the practitioner, what organs or spirit-meridians are altered, which soul-aspects awaken, and what kind of magical resonance becomes dominant. Some paths crystallize the soul into a spell-core; others awaken echo-bodies in higher planes; some carve runes directly into the practitioner’s bones.
Training Regimen
– The arcane disciplines, rituals, and trials used to cultivate. These may include meditations beneath astral storms, duels with inner demons, collecting rare ingredients tied to personal trauma, or enduring planar isolation to refine one’s ego.
Together, these elements shape every facet of the caster’s magical growth—from how they cast spells, to what powers they unlock, to how they evolve across Circles or Ranks. No two Paths are alike, and each leaves a mark.
-
Cultivation Method
Rarity
1. Common! +1 Stat Per Level/Circle
2. Uncommon! +2 Stat Per Level/Circle
3. Special! +3 Stat Per Level/Circle
4. Unique! +4 Stat Per Level/Circle
5. Rare! +5 Stat Per Level/Circle
6. Epic! +6 Stat Per Level/Circle
7. Fabled! [Unavailable] +7 Stat Per Level/Circle
8. Legendary. [Unavailable] +8 Stat Per Level/Circle
9. Mythic. [Unavailable] +9 Stat Per Level/Circle
10. ??? [Unavailable] +10 Stat Per Level/Circle
-
Give me 1d6+2(Creatures found) roll for
Cultivation Method
Rarity
Rolled 7,
Fabled
Cultivation Method
-
Fabled
Cultivation Method
A world shaking metaphysical method
, so rare that entire nations have gone to war over a rumor of one. Each Fabled Method represents a great and perfected ideology, often formed through the fusion of countless lesser doctrines, world-shaping events, or the legacy of a godlike figure.
These are most likely formed from;
Originates from a Great Event
: Formed during a cosmic catastrophe, divine rebellion, or planar convergence.
Tied to a Legendary Being
: Created by or imprinted with the spirit of an Ascended Archmage, Eldritch Beast, or Godfallen Entity.
Requires Destiny Resonance
: Can’t be used unless the scroll “chooses” the wielder—bloodline, fate-thread, or soulmark must align.
Evolves With the User
: Unlike common methods, a Fabled Method grows
organically
, mutating to suit the user's choices, psyche, and magic.
Reality-Altering Techniques
: Its higher-tier parts begin to
bend laws
of physics, causality, or time—bordering on divine authority.
Can Birth a New Magic Lineage
: Founders of Magic Noble Families often carried Fabled Methods as their core doctrine.
-
Idea Based on the video game:
Tyranny
Fabled Cultivation Method: Path of Ruined Thrones(+7 Stats each Level; 3 Body, 2 Mind, 2 Spirit)
“The kings of the past were never buried — only dethroned.”
Power through reclamation; Order through ruin; Growth through collapse and ruination
The Path of Ruined Thrones
is a forbidden, fabled cultivation method etched not in ink, but in the wounds of failed empires, the dust of toppled orders, and the psychic scars of broken dynasties.
Rather than drawing on natural mana or divine favor, this method teaches the practitioner to seek out ancient seats of dominion, known as Ruined Thrones — the literal or symbolic remnants of broken empires, fallen monarchs, dead gods, broken cults, and extinct magic orders.
By confronting these legacies, devouring their spiritual residue, and surviving the soul-duel that follows, the practitioner accumulates Domain Marks — fragments of authority tied to the throne scavenged. Each throne conquered makes the magic user more part-king, part-relic, part-revenant. They do not rise on their own merit — they rise upon the bones of those who failed before them. They become not just great wielders of magic, but a walking pantheon of shattered crowns.
Realm 1: Crownbearer
Locate
first Ruined Throne
— often guarded by the undead, curses, echoes, or failed aspirants.
Claiming it,
undergo first Throne Baptism
, imprinting a Domain Mark
–
a metaphysical sigil representing the nature of the throne
Gains access to
Crown
Legacy Spells –
unique spells themed after the conquered throne
Aura of Dominion –
all must bow to you and show you fealty
Realm 2: Throneforger
Conquer more Thrones— but now the practitioner builds or reshapes them, fusing multiple legacies into a personal dynasty.
Sovereignty Declaration
: You announce your claim as a successor of thrones. This awakens new powers and also brings more challenges.
Words as Edicts
: Your spoken commands (or spells) temporarily bend local reality.
Inheritance Grafting
: You may fuse traits of multiple Domain Marks to create hybridized spells and buffs.
Dominion Halo
: An aura that adapts based on your thrones
Realm 3: Dynastymaker
-
Plan
Path of Ruined Thrones. Won
Daring himself, Joshua unrolled the manual and it was everything he imagined and more. The ancient parchment crackled like it had been waiting centuries just for him. A fabled cultivation method, forget his fellow students even the professors and dept heads would kill for it.
His heart thudded as he read the title:
THE PATH OF RUINED THRONES
Looking it over, he focused on the first part which had more to do with him, the Crownbearer. Right now he was basically unranked, a circle 0(level 0) newbie who did not start to walk down any path. He had been giving the school cultivation method a thought, but this beat it way out of the water.
The method’s core philosophy sang in his bones. The main thinking behind it was reclamation of long forgotten or dead legacies whether that be great kings or mages, or fallen kingdoms or orders. All were up for grabs, and you just needed to scavenge for it.
Which to be honest was a good fit for him, since all his life he had been scavenging whatever he could get his hand on. Nothing has been ever given to him, unless earned through strife or struggle. It didn’t care about pedigree or purity. Only what you could take.
The blueprint offered for his path of ascension was clear but deadly. Locate a Ruined Throne—a place of shattered authority, heavy with lingering legacy. Survive the Baptism—face the echo of its final ruler. Claim the Domain Mark—a soul-brand of conquest. Assimilate its history—through memory enshrinement, dream-burials, or blood rites.
And the training regiments he had to go through sounded crazy. Whether that be Memory Enshrinement, where he had to relive through memories of the legacy he steals. Pilgrimage, going physically or astrally to where the legacy is located at. Then Exhumating it, where he unearths the hidden secrets. And other weird things like building a court and developing followers, banner burning or icon rites, gathering ashes of the fallen, meditation techniques, breathing cycles, stance forms, and more.
No element was frivolous. Every technique in the scroll had intent. Every step demanded power and sacrifice. And somehow—somehow—Joshua knew it had chosen
him
. He stared at the final line on the page, written in jagged ink like it had been carved from the throat of a dying monarch:
The kings of the past were never buried. Only dethroned.
He exhaled slowly, folding the scroll with reverent care.
“How do you find it?” Seraphyne asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.
“Its quite unbelievable,” he answered honestly. “However I noticed that the third part is missing.”
Smiling at him, she answered, “Well a lady can’t reveal all her secrets.”
Joshua said nothing. He wasn’t stupid. He could already see the game she was playing. The missing section would be her leash—one tug and he’d come running. But he couldn’t blame her. Power like this? It didn’t come free. And honestly, even what he had now was enough to reshape his future. Just those two parts would satisfy him for a lifetime, since he never knew if could make it to a True Mage level, and forgot about Master Mage.
Seraphyne watched him a moment longer, then said more coolly, “Be careful with it. My grandfather’s been experimenting with Ruined Thrones for millennia. Most of his test subjects ended up twisted. Some went mad. Some became something... else. Revenants clinging to stolen dynasties.”
Seraphyne Grandfather: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/151433606215972951/
“I’ll take my chances,” Joshua muttered, folding the scroll. This was a risk worth taking, and his method spoke to him like nothing else. “If I end up a monster, at least I’ll be a powerful one.”
She gave an approving laugh. “I knew there was a reason I found you interesting gunboy. You are damn brassy or just crazy. Then again who isn’t here at this Academy.”
Then her tone sharpened. “Now you need to fulfill your end of the bargain and lead us down to where these creatures are so we can capture them.”
Joshua’s grin faded and he cursed under his breath. Just the memory of that descent—the whispering bones, the glass dunes, the colosseling dreaming in the dark—made his spine itch. Joshua never wanted to step foot in that place again his life. But a deal was a deal, and he fulfilled his promises. “Sure,” he nodded his head.
“Good,” she said, “We will head down in a month's time. I will need to prepare. I will also need to meet with the person who will kill for that Fallout Wyrm.”
“What? You are not taking it for yourself?” Joshua asked in surprise.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “It doesn’t fit me. And I already have my own familiar. I rather trade it for something equally valuable, Talent elevation. The one thing holding me back from becoming a true Platinum Rank!”
Joshua recalled his own promise of Talent elevation, and kept quite on it. Still this had to be very costly, she most likely B tiered talent and to jump to A was very tough.
“I’ll contact the buyer for now. You can join me next week when I meet him. Just make sure to dress well,” she added as an afterthought.
“Sounds good,” Joshua said, then raising his cup he called out. “To us, may we advance swiftly and overcome all odds.”
“Here, here,” she said.
“My, my, what’s going on here?”
+1 Romance Progress - Relationship with Seraphyne: 1(1/3)
-
Roll 1d3(new interaction)
1- Hostile 2- Neutral 3- Friendly
Rolled 2, Neutral
-
The conversation between Joshua and Seraphyne was interrupted when the air
shifted
. Not the wind. Not the breeze. But a pressure change—like someone had arrived who expected the world to bend. The spirit-lotus swirled gently in their alcove, casting dreamlike reflections over the porcelain and their half-shadowed faces.
The entrance to the Floating Lotus Pavilion flared briefly with starlight and sound. Reality warped politely to make room for
Valessia D'Arquentine
—Gold Badge, princess of the Coral Space Dynasty and the undisputed social tyrant of her year.
She wore her rank like a blade—her gown a rippling weave of myththread and phoenix silk, hair coiled in molten platinum braids. A pair of peacock-feather familiars flanked her, each radiating smug enchantments. Her badge wasn’t on her wrist—it floated behind her like a halo.
Image: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/7599893093587909/
Valessia’s eyes didn’t even
pause
on Joshua. They slid across him like he was background decor, landing instead on Seraphyne.
“My, my.
You
of all people,” Valessia said, voice dripping with false warmth. “Slumming it in copper now?”
Seraphyne didn’t flinch. “Hello, Valessia. Lovely gown. Compensating for something?”
Valessia tsked, her heels clicking lightly across the lotus petals as she entered the alcove uninvited. She glanced at Joshua like one might glance at a bug in a teacup. “Is this your new
project
? Or has the school finally allowed volunteers for charity work?”
Joshua raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He knew better than to start swinging in a room where the duel was already fixed.
Seraphyne’s smile turned glassy. “You’re interrupting.”
Valessia ignored her. “Word travels fast, you know. Gold-tier study groups are already whispering about how
our dear Seraphyne
has taken an interest in a Copper-badged nobody. Some say it’s a bet. Others think it’s rebellion.” She tilted her head, mock-pouting. “Which is it, dear? I’d love to update the betting pool.”
Seraphyne’s voice dropped a half-step. “Careful, Valessia. You are boarding on defamation and I will be more than glad to put you in your place.”
Valessia smirked, unbothered. “Who’s going to believe he didn’t seduce you for scraps of power? Or worse—
that you gave it willingly
?”
Joshua spoke then—calm, level. “Funny. You say that like power’s something you
own.
”
Valessia finally turned her eyes on him. “Copper badge,” she said flatly. “You don’t even qualify to be in front of my presence, let alone speak to me with that mouth.”
“Hey, I at least don’t look like a peacock. So that’s something.”
There was a pause. And then, sharply, Seraphyne
laughed
. A real laugh. Smooth, melodic, cutting. “Joshua,” she said, dabbing the corner of her mouth with a napkin, “you really are something.”
Valessia’s expression turned cold. “You’ll regret associating down-rank, Seraphyne. Remember who your allies are.”
“Unlike you,” Seraphyne replied sweetly, “I
choose
my allies.”
With a final sniff, Valessia turned, the weight of her badge warping the air as she left, her familiars squawking irritably behind her. The pavilion slowly settled back to silence. Joshua took a sip of his tea. “So. That was your friend?”
Seraphyne rolled her eyes. “Hardly. She’s just a bored royal with too much lineage and not enough tact. She likes to set fires and then blame the ashes.”
“Think she’ll really spread rumors?”
“She already did the moment she walked in.”
- 1 Relationship with Valessia D'Arquentine: -1(Dismissive)
-
Evening: Club: The Librarians. Assignment: Archive Retrieval (Multiverse Gun Orders & Factions)
Today, for once, their nanny didn’t assign them to shelving duty — no endless stacks of spellbound tomes trying to bite or teleport mid-alphabetization. Instead, they were given something more interesting: a scavenger hunt for lost texts buried deep in the Grand Library’s infinite, shifting archives.
Looking at the list of different books he needed to find, he could see a running theme of different gun orders and factions. His boots echoed lightly as he descended into the lower levels where the halls wound like a labyrinth, reality flickered at the edges, and bookspines whispered when you weren’t listening.
The first one he located was called; The Myriad Orders of the Gun. Bound in leather that smelled faintly of black powder and dried blood. It pulsed faintly under his hand — like it remembered every shot its pages had ever recorded.
Cracking it open, he was quickly absorbed by it as he read about the different great organizations that littered the multiverse all centered around firearms.
The Dawnsworn Vanguard
"We carry the first light into the dark."
Origin: The Sky-Citadel of Halivarn, a fortress that orbits a dying star.
Philosophy: Guns are divine instruments of justice and protection. Every bullet is a covenant of light.
Signature Weapon: Solar Oath Rifle – fires searing beams of sunfire, purges undead and shadow-born instantly.
Feat of Legend: Lead many great celestial hosts into the hells.
The Emberleaf Outriders
"The forest sings, and our barrels answer."
Origin: The Living Wilds of Loratha, a realm where flora thinks and the wind whispers.
Philosophy: Eco-aligned gunslingers bonded with symbiotic firearm spirits.
Signature Weapon: Verdantpulse Shotgun – blooms explosive seeds and elemental vines on impact.
Feat of Legend: Can grow an entire city out of their bullets
The Gravepowder Syndicate
"Our bullets never rest."
Origin: The Black Market Mausoleums of Necroprax.
Philosophy: Guns powered by death, souls, and grave-forged magic.
Signature Weapon: Bonecoil Repeater – feeds on the spirit of the recently dead to reload.
Feat of Legend: Took out an undead god using a bullet forged from its own ribcage.
The Clockwork Legion
"The first gun was a gear. The last will be a god."
Origin: The Orrery World of Mechathrone, where time and machine are one.
Philosophy: Precision is sacred. They use time-magic to predict, perfect, and paralyze.
Signature Weapon: Chrono-Lock Carbine – fires projectiles that freeze local time on impact.
Feat of Legend: Killed a draconic warlord who planned to lead many dragonflights to invade countless realms before he declared war
The Hollow Caliber
"Every shot is a secret you shouldn’t have heard."
Origin: The Whisper Vaults
Philosophy: Assassins, spymasters, and death-dealers who believe silence is the truest aim.
Signature Weapon: Ghostneedle Derringer – passes through walls and memories. Kills concepts, not just people.
Feat of Legend: Erased an entire royal bloodline in three seconds across five timelines.
The Starwrought Mandate
“We are the will of dying stars.”
Mythic Origin: Ancient order from a neutron fortress orbiting the galactic graveyard.
Legend: Used black hole-forged bullets to seal a rift in the fabric of reality.
Signature Firearm: Nova Tribunal – chambered with astral cores and capable of collapsing time-space singularities.
Divine Trait: Every shot temporarily bends celestial law in a localized radius.
The Genegun Covenant
“We craft bullets from bloodlines.”
Core Philosophy: Gunsmithing is genetic sculpting. Every shot is encoded with ancestral wrath. They engineer living bullets tied to legacy.
Weapons: Bioforged Rifles — each one attuned to a shooter's bloodline. The gun refuses to work for the unworthy.
Unique Trait: Can fire memory spores, psychic sigils, or reactive cell-swarms.
Feared Tech: Inheritance Rounds — bullets that grow stronger every time they're passed down through generations.
The Emberveil Corsairs
Origin: The Broken Sea of Varn
Philosophy: There’s no gravity in chaos. So we fly. So we burn.
Signature Weapon: Spellplasm Muskets, Rune-Grenade Revolvers
Tradition: Pirate-mystics who duel on air currents, trade flesh for upgrades, and loot collapsed worlds.
Legacy Feat: Ride warship made of thunderclouds and lightning
The Gunwalkers of Hidden Orbit
“We walk between stars. Each shot maps a new world.”
Core Philosophy: Gunfire is navigation. Shots chart unstable space. They use cosmic pistols to stabilize unstable folds.
Iconic Loadout: Astro-Revolvers — engraved with stellar paths, star-metal hammers, bullets that tear holes in local gravity.
Legacy Feat: Brought down an entire Dyson ring by detonating six Orbit Rounds in a golden triangle.
The Crimson Chamber
“All bullets are written in blood.”
Bloodbound pact order – feed guns their own lifeforce
Weapon: Hemogun — fuses to the wielder’s veins
Ammo: Pulse Rounds — gain power when user bleeds
Curse: The longer you use it, the more your body is no longer yours.
Pale Caliber Covenant
“To fire is to forget.”
Eldritch gunslingers who hunt forgotten gods
Firearm: The Pale Caliber — shoots oblivion
Ritual: Sacrifice a memory to empower each bullet
Result: Their enemies vanish from existence — and memory.
The Iron Masque Society
“To duel is to live. To win is to be known.”
Origin: The Gilded Courts of Gearspire
Philosophy: Duel, drama, and disclosure — the gun reveals all.
Signature Weapon: Springlock Dueling Pistols, Gilded Shotcasters
Rules: Masks are sacred. Every duel must end with an unmasking — or death.
Legacy Feat: Brought down a corrupt magelord during a formal ball, mid-toast, mid-waltz.
The Cogflame Accord
“We don’t aim. We obey.”
AI-synced gunners who let their guns choose targets.
Firearm: AutoCleric-77 — speaks prophecies mid-fight
Ammo: Code-Piercers — erase spells and fate itself
Lore: Calculated a kill 47 years ahead of time.
The Argent Atelier
“A gun is a poem in fire and steel.”
Origin: Moltenheart Forge-Realm, inside a living volcano spirit.
Philosophy: Every weapon must tell a story. Crafters here inscribe their life’s essence into each barrel.
Crafts: Soul-bound revolvers, spirit-singing scatterguns, heat-reactive ammo.
Feat: Forged the gun that killed the last Phoenix King — the weapon melted upon its final shot.
The Sovereign Bullet Assembly
“We are kings by right of conquest. Our coronation is the shot.”
Philosophy:
Authority is won, not granted. Each kill is a claim to rulership.
Origin
: Slayen gods, dethroned monarchs,
Weapon
: Thronebreaker Musket
Feat
: Conquered 77 universes via sacred duels
-
Which Gun Order/Faction would you like to research?
-
Magic Research
Magic Research is King at the Academy. It’s the disciplined, imaginative, and often dangerous process of exploring the unknown depths of magic. It bridges the gap between raw talent and scholarly innovation. Where spellcasting is performance, research is invention.
How does it look like?
Spellcraft Journaling – Documenting spell performance, mana flow, side effects, and tuning rituals.
Arcane Fieldwork – Exploring phenomena in hostile environments like the Bleeding Veil, Time-Frozen Vaults, or Eldritch Echo Fields.
Comparative Magic – Studying magic styles across cultures, races, or species.
Magical Biology – Dissecting magical creatures to understand soul patterns, mana organs, or inherited spellforms.
Artifact Recovery & Reverse Engineering – Recovering relics and figuring out what the hell they do.
Ritual Construction – Building complex, multi-part spell circles that manipulate space, time, memory, or being.
Importance of Research
Unlocks Prestige: High-level research earns badges, recognition, and mentorship from legendary faculty.
Enables Custom Magic: Research lets students shape spells and rituals around their own philosophy or fighting style. Uncover Secrets: Learn long forgotten or hidden knowledge.
Patronage & Sponsorship: Attracts patrons, investors, and faculty who see promise in your theories.
Unlocks Curriculum Paths: Certain breakthroughs allow enrollment in elite courses or funding for projects.
Magic Research Tournaments: The Academy may host showcases where research is judged, stolen, or fought over.
Magic Research Levels
1. Minor Insight -
100 Progress. Slightly novel applications or tweaks to existing spells.
Example:
Discovering a new magical component substitute in potion brewing.
2. Notable Experiment -
500 Progress. A successful independent study that uncovers useful arcane patterns.
3. Major Breakthrough -
1,000 Progress. Creates great improvements to existing magical processes or techniques.
4. Arcane Innovation -
5,000 Progress. Reveals new magical principles or introduces a unique spellform.
5. Grand Revelation -
10,000 Progress. Leads to the creation of a new school of magic or widely adopted method.
6. World-Altering Discovery -
??? Progress. Changes how an entire field of magic is understood or practiced.
7. Forbidden Theory -
??? Progress. Breaks all limits, taps into taboo or dangerous forces.
8. Cosmic Revelation -
??? Progress. Rewrites natural law or metaphysics.
9. Ultimate TRUTH -
??? Progress. Changes everything.
10. ???
