Ryota – Kettering, He Whom the World Denies

Blood Type: AB

Backstory

Ryota was recruited to Public Upper School #142 twelve years ago, to teach writing and composition to young minds and to educate hearts as well as minds. Like most teachers, he has burned out a little. He arrived in the morning (or woke up at his desk), taught his classes, did his grading, went to the bar to drink, and remembered little or nothing of his presumably tiny apartment. Students came and went for years, and Ryota had little concern.

Three years ago, however, a class entered the school that began to awaken something in his mind. He took on one of them (Mei) as a student in the art of the sword. He watched as the leadership of the student body changed. This new group – they were different. He started caring about his work. He began preparing for his courses again. Ryota knew, somehow, that this senior class would be something special.

On his breaks and after work, Ryota often walks in the forest park near the Academy, enjoying the shade and smelling the flowers. He doesn’t go to the bar any more – he’s not sure what interest it ever held for him.

Ryota is unlikely to get involved in “purely student matters,” as he sees the squabbles amongst his Senior English students. He’s more interested in raising them all up, helping all of them learn and grow together. It’s a good thought, but several people want to convince him that more could happen, and that he’s a key piece of what’s happening.

Class Schedule

Ryota teaches all sections of Senior English.

Intimacies

Ryota: Ryota was Mei’s first sensei (major), and still thinks of himself as a mentor to her. Evelyn is more like a little sister (major) to him – not quite a friend, but only for the age difference. He’s suspicious (major) of Mio. She’s well-connected enough that Soma would love to control her, and he’s not sure where she stands. Ryota still holds out hope for a peaceful resolution, but it won’t take a lot for him to be persuaded by Honoka‘s arguments. He believes that people should meet their potential (defining), which is what led him to be a teacher in the first place.

Kettering: Kettering regrets (major) the life he must once have had with Degata, Destiny’s Raiment, though he knows not why. More recently his attention has turned to Ameria, She Who Reviled Form, and his lust (major) is aroused by her rejection of that which has rejected him. He is terrified (major) of Lemeth, That Without Pity, whom he feels might destroy him without hesitation should the moment arise.

 Capabilities

Ryota is an experienced teacher of literature. He not only knows how to write well and read critically, but also how to keep the attention of his students and see when he is being understood. His particular literary love is long, meandering, epic works that showcase all of human nature in one tremendous volume. His favorite of these is The Broken-Winged Crane.

Ryota is also an excellent swordsman, capable of teaching a clean, smooth, fluid style to those with a mind to learn it. He encourages honesty in his classroom, and demands discipline on the training floor. He believes in the connection between calligraphy and swordwork, and thus his makeshift dojo in the school’s disused meditation rooms is covered with calligraphic scrolls on every wall.

Kettering is apart from all things. The wind does not chill him. Fire cannot burn him. If a building fell on Ryota, Kettering would ensure that he was sheltered in some way. Ryota cannot eat, but Kettering says that hunger cannot harm him, so it matters not. Kettering is denied all of these things and more by the world, and has no desire to rejoin with such rude matter. Only reluctantly, when Ryota subconsciously desires it, will Kettering let him interact with things. Kettering’s power is not perfect, however. It does not extend to other things not of the mundane world: the works of the Exalted, or of the Fair Folk, or others similarly powerful.

In battle, only attacks enhanced with essence can strike at Ryota. As a fight progresses, Ryota slowly lifts off the ground, becoming lighter on his feet until he skates through the air and flies sword-first at his opponents.

Questions

• Why can I not remember where I live?
• Why is this year different?
• Where did I learn to wield the sword?

Rui – Zerith, She Without Flaw

Blood Type: B

Backstory

Rui was “the smart kid” for years. He never stopped being smart, but he got fed up with the reputation. You see, Rui could tell every time someone was mad at him; every time they were disappointed or unhappily surprised. Every time he let someone down, he felt it, and he was sick of it. Why did they care about him so much? What made him such a big deal that he had to carry the world? Why did he have to do the right thing when other people didn’t? So he made a big mistake, on purpose. Something public, something that couldn’t be ignored. Something that would make everyone realize he was a bit broken, and stop expecting so much of him.

If only he could remember what it was.

Now, Rui fits in better. He’s not seen as “perfect Rui” any more. Sometimes he misses being on a pedestal, but mostly he’s just glad to be ordinary and to be able to be himself. People don’t ask him for help, and they don’t gasp when he gets a B on a paper. He can fly under the radar, and life is a lot easier that way.

There’s still some of his old ego left. He can’t admit that he’s afraid of anything or anyone. He can’t admit that he’d ever dislike someone. He’d never admit to having his own emotions interfere with his judgment. However, he’s perfectly willing to say that he doesn’t understand something or can’t do something, and it’s awful hard to convince him that he can.

Class Schedule

Senior English (A), Multivariable Calculus (A), Music Theory (A), Ancient History (A), Advanced Physics (A), Advanced Chemistry (A)

Intimacies

Rui: Rui lusts (major) after Anna, and the two of them have a purely physical relationship. Mei hates him for wasting his potential; he wants to think that he couldn’t care less but really he’s nervous (major) that she might be right. He and Declan have been rivals (major) since they started training together. He alone among Soma‘s allies doesn’t realize that he’s being manipulated; instead he trusts (major) her. Rui believes in self-determination (defining) – that people should be left to do what they want, without anyone pushing them into it.

Zerith: Zerith is suspicious (major) of Halvath, the Harbinger of Final Battle. His presence here implies terrible things about this world. Catamira the Broken Hand was once Zerith’s lover, but now plots against her, and the two are enemies (major). Finally, Yondan, the Flame Without Fuel, is Zerith’s younger sibling (major). She tries her best to show him the proper way of all things, and though he may resent it, he loves her for it as well.

Capabilities

Rui is a boxer. He is fast and highly technically skilled. He doesn’t hit as hard as Declan, or take a hit as well as Everett, but he knows his own capabilities extremely well. His motions are practiced. He’ll chain together multiple attacks, moving from jab to cross to block/strike to uppercut fluidly and accurately. His fault is that he moves as if all of these are going to work. He hasn’t been in a lot of actual fights.

When it comes to academic subjects, Rui has years of positive momentum keeping him afloat in even the most challenging courses. Many people “make it through” calculus; Rui genuinely understood it. He has both memorized ancient history and understood the motivations of those who were present – alien and confusing though those motivations were.

Zerith ensures that Rui cannot fail. She does this before an event, by driving him to practice. She does this during the event, by twisting the fate of his opponents and preventing them from capitalizing on his openings. Those who would try to counterattack Rui, or distract him, or do anything else that might reduce his effectiveness will find themselves stymied by the world around them. This is a profound effect that stretches forward and backward through time. Rui’s teachers, for example, can (and do) write difficult problems for him, but not ones that he has not studied for. His opponents, studying his strategy, fall into Zerith’s purview and adopt countermeasures for which Rui has already prepared responses. He may be found weak or wanting, but never flawed.

As Rui fights, he becomes more and more the perfected version of himself. His form corrects itself. His clothing fits him better. The contrast in the world around him sharpens, until he is a sumi-e version of himself executing perfect techniques on a line-drawing battlefield.

Questions

• What did I do that changed everyone’s opinion of me?
• Why does our school not expel students?

Olivia – Degata, Destiny’s Raiment

Blood Type: A

Backstory

Olivia’s role in the Academy was the one that Everett stole. She was once the one who was well-loved and admired. She was the teachers’ pet and the unspoken leader of the student body. When Everett came, his novelty grabbed attention away from Olivia, and his charisma kept it. They had a fling, the two of them – Olivia was not without charisma herself, after all – but when it was over, he had moved on, and everyone went with him. She found herself with fewer friends, less attention from the faculty, and less to do in general.

She was sad, at first. Resentful. And then she moved on. Olivia reinvented herself. She focused on her schoolwork. She traded her people-pleasing attitude for one that puts her at a greater emotional distance. She put down the sword that she never really liked anyway, and learned a new martial arts style. She’s a much different person than she was a few years ago. Really, she may have moved on effectively than Everett did – he’s back to talking to her again for reasons she doesn’t understand.

Soma was a big part of Olivia’s maturation. The two of them talked many times about the need for change – for everything to change over time. Olivia’s own transformation from the popular girl to a more balanced young woman was very important to her, and she wants to help other people through that process as well. Soma was helpful to her – she’ll certainly be helpful to others as well.

Class Schedule

Senior English (B), Multivariable Calculus (A), Advanced Physics (B), Journalism (B), Philosophy (A), Comparative Religion (A)

Intimacies

Olivia: Olivia hates (major) Miyu for the way Miyu keeps trying to ruin her composure. She suspects (major) that Soma is manipulating her, but knows that Soma might also have a valid point. She and Anna have mutual disdain (major): Olivia thinks that swords are for the weak, and Anna thinks that bareknuckle fighters are chumps. She and Everett were involved once, and she’s uncertain (major) as to why he’s talking to her again. She believes that everyone needs a chance to grow (defining), and she’s looking to help them do it.

Degata: Degata regrets (major) the end of her time with Kettering, He Whom the World Denies, though she cannot remember now quite how it happened or what life was like before. There is simply an emptiness that fills her with remorse. Her feelings for Ameria, She Who Reviled Form, are much more clear: Ameria’s words have earned her nothing but disgust (major) from Degata. Degata knows that Shotindo, the Wheel of Light, is proud of her for her accomplishments, but would rather that Shotindo simply let the matter drop.

Capabilities

Both studious and ambitious, Olivia works for the long term. She has blown past most of her classmates. She’s doubled down on math and science courses, always her forte, and put in the extra effort to do well in softer subjects. She’s interested in ideas about self-improvement and the potential for change in everyone, and finds those strikingly lacking in the local philosophy course. Her memory for facts isn’t great, so she uses mnemonics and flashcards to help. She’s also an excellent public speaker. She can give a rousing motivational speech, or rally those who have been disheartened.

Olivia is a grappler with excellent control over her balance. She stays in close during a fight, thrashes her opponent, throws them into walls, and then closes again before they can recover. Her foes rarely have room to breathe. She won’t take a hit to give a hit; instead, she’ll throw her coat to distract and annoy her foes, slip out of it, and grab them from the other side.

Destiny’s Raiment is literally Olivia’s clothing, at all times. In another world, one person might be able to pass this clothing to another. Here, Olivia and the Raiment are bound together in one soul. No matter what she wears, it is Destiny’s Raiment. If she takes off her coat, it ceases to be Destiny’s Raiment as it flutters to the ground. If she puts on a hat, the demon has grown. As Olivia fights, the clothing draws insubstantial, thin, white lines to the world around her. At first they’re almost invisible. Eventually they show her connection to all people and all things.

The demon protects Olivia’s fate. If she would be affected by magic that relies on her being within fate or being outside of it, treat her as being in the more beneficial category. Anything that would keep her from achieving her fate, whatever it might be, is deflected or blunted. Most importantly, this makes her almost impossible to kill. She can be wounded, but not fatally. Degata has also nudged her at certain times, pushing her toward Soma, away from Ryota (or perhaps Kettering), and toward any newcomers who might appear in the Academy. Her free will and social skills remain untouched, but circumstances favor (or oppose) her first impressions.

Questions

• Why are people so wary of Soma?
• Is Everett ever going to grow up?

Miyu – Catamira, The Broken Hand

Blood Type: B

Backstory

Miyu is fascinated by things that most people find repellent. Murder, blood, guts, lies, and perversity all get her attention. She’s a fan of both cognitive and musical dissonance. In the classroom, she’s the one dissecting frogs, reading morbid poems, and most definitely wearing black.

She’s also a keen observer. Miyu is rarely involved in the drama that happens at the Academy, but she’s often right at the edge of it, watching it happen with rapt attention. She’ll hang out in the halls after detention, or wander the woods in the park, hoping to catch her classmates doing yet another stupid thing. Her respect for her peers is generally pretty low.

Miyu is also one of the few students who ventures into the rest of the city on a regular basis. She’s not stupid about it – she brings someone else with her, usually Henry or Honoka. (After all, there are wolves there.) Her trips there have sometimes ended up with her waking up back at the Academy in the morning, remembering only some bizarre sunset over an impossible skyline. Most of the students’ memories fade over time, but this memory is beginning to stick with her.

Class Schedule

Senior English (C), Anatomy (A), Advanced Biology (B+), Poetry and Verse (A), Mythology (B), Psychology (B)

Intimacies

Miyu: Miyu and Henry are rivals (major) – at some point one of them started daring the other to do better, and it escalated. She loves it. She hates (major) Olivia, on the other hand, finding her enigmatic manner pretentious and irritating. She’s interested (major) in Everett, and doesn’t realize that he’s using her in the conflict against Soma. If she knew that was happening and realized that he’s trying to pull the same thing with Olivia, she might be angry enough to switch sides.

Catamira: Catamira is allied (major) with Iskonu, the Hound of Destiny, and the two have taught each other some of the deep secrets of their power. She and Zerith, She Without Flaw, are enemies (major). Once they were lovers, and the end of love is rarely clean. However she may plot against Zerith, it is little compared to the intensity of hatred (major) that she feels for Geggath, the Red Mist, who claims that Catamira insults her simply by being.

Capabilities

Miyu does well when she cares, and fails when she doesn’t. Some subjects are natural attractors for her (biology, poetry); others are “boring” and not worth pursuing (math, english). She’s especially not interested in things that everyone else considers important.

Miyu is an untrained but vicious brawler. She’ll grasp and twist, lunge and tear, going for throats and eyes and vitals. She’s excellent at feints and fake-outs. She almost always comes away from a fight injured in some way, having taken a hit in order to close with her foe.

Catamira disconnects causes from effects. Under her influence, undertakings fail to have their intended consequences, or any consequences at all. A sword blow strikes home; no wound is left. An impassioned speech is given; the crowd wanders away in boredom. Imagine her power as a simple reply to any action: “It never happened.”

There are two limitations to Catamira’s power beyond the need for sufficient essence. The first is that it requires her to see the cause – she doesn’t need to be aware of an event’s the original cause, but the chain of causality cannot be obscured from her if she is to break it. The second is that her power is, at its heart, a thing of unpoetic endings rather than beginnings. She cannot cause something to happen, she can only cause it not to happen.

When Miyu is in a fight, her hands begin to bleed without cause. A scratch becomes a gash, which spreads across her hands. Eventually, blood drips constantly from her fingertips, flinging across the battlefield when she strikes. Her fingernails lengthen and sharpen into talons. Her foes hear constant, angry laughter coming from her hands.

Questions

• Why does everyone act like they can’t figure out who they are?
• Why do I want Everett so bad?

Mio – Rishimoro, The Queen with the Coral Heart

Blood Type: B

Backstory

Mio is a year older than most of the students at the Academy. She remembers being held back in an earlier grade (which one? It’s unclear…). She resented it at the time, but appreciates it now. It gives her a perspective just slightly more seasoned than that of her peers. Mio knows herself a little better, rushes less, thinks more carefully. She tends to see her fellow students as being impetuous and overly emotional, and if she perhaps corrects too far in the other direction, at least she ends up with less pain and drama. The other students respect her for her maturity… those who notice it.

While she normally plays the observer, Mio is being drawn into events at the Academy. Balancing her relationships with Everett and Abigail takes up a lot of time. (The two of them know about each other. Their relationship is complicated, not a comedy.) Everett is involved in… whatever is happening here… and he’s convinced Mio that Abigail needs to be too. Honestly, he seems to be recruiting an army. He’s trying to mend walls with Henry. He’s talking to Olivia again. Mio can tell that even if nothing’s happening, Everett might be making something happen, which isn’t necessarily good.

She needs more information. And, preferably, everyone needs to calm down just a bit.

Mio is asking questions, but she’s primarily just trying to get everyone to calm down and stop jumping down each other’s throats over something that’s probably not even happening. Everett could stand to slow his recruitment drive. Honoka doesn’t need to be trying to rile people up.  Anna could honestly just stand to shut her drama mouth. If people could just take their causes and ratchet them back a few notches, we could all just get out of school and move on.

Class Schedule

Senior English (A-), Philosophy (B), Poetry and Verse (B+), Anatomy (B), Music Theory (A), Mythology (B+)

Intimacies

Mio: Mio is suspicious (major) of Ryota, wanting to know why he’s hanging out with younger people in the first place and what his real motivation is. She and Henry are unhappy with each other (major). Their previous relationship was already sour when she started dating (major) Everett, but she’s not really expecting that to go anywhere. She’s also dating (major) Abigail, which came out of nowhere and which she’s still trying to figure out. Mio believes in the Middle Path, or as she puts it, don’t go overboard (defining).

Rishimoro: Rishimoro is envious (major) of Lemeth, That Without Pity, for the way in which Lemeth can brush away the cares of others and the needs of the world. She feels scorn (major) for Ameria, She Who Reviled Form, for abandoning her physical body, and is scorned in return for her love of her own. Rishimoro knows that Shotindo, the Wheel of Light, longs for her, and that Mrith, the Unheard Truth, is jealous of her, but feels nothing in return. Her mind is taken up by more important people.

Capabilities

Mio is good at keeping people at a distance (with the exception of Abigail). She hides her feelings well. Her friends know exactly where her boundaries are and how serious she is about them. Despite being held back a year, Mio is no idiot. She applies herself in the classroom, often doing homework at lunchtime so that she can have more time to spend with friends after school.

Mio’s punches are distractions. Her legs are her real weapon. She fights with sweeps, kicks, knees, and unbalancing. Her ideal move is to sweep someone to the ground and knock them out with an axe kick. If caught in a grapple, she’ll use leg locks and quick, short palm-heel strikes to escape. Against someone with a weapon she’ll use quick footwork to fight toward their weak side, taking advantage of them when they turn to strike her.

Rishimoro makes Mio beloved. It is difficult to gather the will to strike her in battle, and harder still to finish her off when given the opportunity. As she fights more, the world around her grows warmer, more welcoming, more loving. Mio’s rib-cracking side kicks are accompanied by a paradoxical feeling of homecoming. At its strongest, this feeling visually limns Mio with a flickering pink aura.

Greater benefits come when Rishimoro acts outside of a battle. It is difficult to act with anything but love or respect toward Mio. This is not always positive, as she also attracts envy, suspicion, and resentment – love can sometimes manifest in painful ways, and even respect can be wary. The upshot is that while people can feel however they want about Mio, they can’t ignore her. Her words strike home. There is always something compelling in even the worst of her ideas.

Questions

• Why can’t people just let go of this drama?
• Where am I going after I graduate? Why can’t anyone answer that question?

Mei – Geggath, The Red Mist

Blood Type: AB

Backstory

Mei and Everett are two sides of the school’s heart. He’s the charismatic, vocal face of the student body. She’s the hard-working negotiator who stays out of the limelight. If the Accursed Academy had student offices, Everett would be class president and Mei would be running the newspaper. He is the light, and she is the shadow.

The two of them met in a dojo, long ago, before Everett moved here. (Where was this? Mei doesn’t remember, and she’s confused by that.) They’ve been equally matched since childhood, and gained respect for one another as sparring partners. He comes to her for advice on people he doesn’t understand; she feeds him information and gives him a direction and a drive that he doesn’t really have on his own.

Like many others in the Academy, Mei knows that something is happening. She feels it in her gut. Every time she comes out of a classroom feeling like she learned nothing, or comes out of a shop with something she didn’t really want. Every time she talks to a random classmate and comes out thinking that they barely said anything at all. Something here is seriously wrong…

…it has to be the teachers. They’re the ones with the real power here. Every one of them acts like they have something to hide. Her sensei Ryota might be on her side, but she doesn’t completely trust him either. It’s time to find out what’s really going on.

Class Schedule

Senior English (A), Psychology (A-), Calculus (A), Intro to Government (B+), Ancient Languages (B+), Advanced Chemistry (B)

Intimacies

Mei: Mei and Honoka have long been friends (major), since the two of them spent detention together in 4th grade. Not long after she met Ryota, who took her in as her honored sensei (major) and trained her in the art of the sword. Mei is now taking on the role of teacher herself, and is training (major) Declan in swordplay. She hates (major) Rui for being a coward and not living up to what he could be. Mei is suspicious (major) of Anna for her connection with Rui, and because she thinks Anna has something up her sleeve. Finally, her comrade (major) Everett has earned her respect as a warrior, but she worries about his relationships with others. Mei believes in getting to the bottom of things (defining).

Geggath: Geggath hates (major) Catamira, the Broken Hand, for encroaching on her conceptual territory with her blood-red hands of murder. However, she is fascinated (major) with Yondan, the Flame Without Fuel, for much the same reason – Yondan’s red flame somehow captures Geggath’s obsession without repelling her as Catamira does.

Capabilities

Mei is an excellent student, diligent and self-aware. She’s particularly good at seeing the connections between things, whether metaphorical or mathematical. She knows her strengths and moves to shore up her weaknesses. She can work as the center of her friend network and an influential student and keep her grades up only because she knows herself well. She’s comfortable delegating and asking for help. If only the people around her were more reliable…

In battle, Mei is not an athletic fighter. She locks eyes with her opponent, parries with small motions, and cuts for the wrist early. She fights with the black blade called Collapse, which drinks the force of blows directed at it and yields nothing in return. Those who strike at her find their momentum sapped.

The Red Mist conceals violence and brings terror. When Mei fights, each strike releases just a bit more of the mist into the air. Eventually, Mei’s enemies are blinded by the red spray. If they fought her long enough, they would begin to choke on it. Mei, of course, is unaffected, allowing her to strike with deadly precision. Unlike many of her classmates, Mei is well aware of the effects that arise when she fights, and takes full advantage of them.

Outside of battle, Geggath grants Mei an instinctive sense of the strength of potential opponents. To the Red Mist, all who live are potential opponents. She can sense essence flows and charm usage as if they were water rushing past her body. If there were more places of power in the Contorted Blocks she might be able to sense that as well, but there are no manses here. She knows when she’s outmatched. She can tell who has potential and who doesn’t. Unlike her fellow students, she won’t spend any time trying to recruit the faceless nonentities that are the majority of her classmates – she’ll go straight for the important people.

Questions

• How can I uncover this conspiracy without looking like I’m going crazy?
• Are they turning us students against one another, or is that just us?

Honoka – Lemeth, That Without Pity

Blood Type: A

Backstory

Honoka knows that something is going on.

She noticed Soma‘s disappearance. She’s seen Anna and Olivia hanging out together when she knows they hate each other. She sees Rui turning more bitter against Declan after he and Anna started dating. There’s something brewing amongst the senior class, and Honoka isn’t going to sit around and do nothing.

That doesn’t mean that she’s right about what’s happening. Honoka is actually worried that Everett is the source of all this. He could have done something to Soma, turned Rui against Declan, lied to Mei about it all, and only Olivia realizes that he’s dishonest. Not that she’s a fan of Olivia. No, Honoka needs other allies.She’s looking for Evelyn during free periods. She’s trying to track down Ryota after school. She’s sticking close to Declan. She’s watching her oldest friend Mei carefully.

Honoka hasn’t talked to anyone about this. From the outside, she’s still the same quiet, confident person who intimidates her classmates with her intensity. Only those who know her well will realize that she’s stepped back to become more of a cautious observer.

Meanwhile, Soma looks on from the shadows and laughs.

Class Schedule

Senior English (B), Poetry and Verse (B), Precalculus (C), Introduction to Government (A), Psychology (A), Anatomy (B)

Intimacies

Honoka: Despite not being very extroverted, Honoka is doing her damnedest to make connections for the cause. She and Mei have long been friends (major), since the two of them spent detention together in 4th grade. She knows that Ryota is Mei’s old sensei, and is attempting to recruit (major) him in anticipation of the coming battles. She’s also hunting (major) Evelyn for much the same purpose. She and Declan have been dating (major), and she trusts his heart, if not his impulses.

Lemeth: Lemeth is wary (major) of Yondan, the Flame without Fuel, knowing that its intensity may destroy any around it. It is envious (major) of Rishimoro, the Queen with the Coral Heart, for the way that she is beloved by all. Kettering, He Whom the World Denies, is terrified of Lemeth, and Lemeth laughs openly and viciously at this.

Capabilities

Honoka understands people pretty well. She’s great at predicting reactions and guessing motivations. (All the more irony that she has the situation at the Academy wrong.) She puts in a reasonable amount of work at school, but not enough to excel. She cares more about her personal pursuits than pleasing her teachers. In addition to her fighting practice, she enjoys modifying clothing and working with makeup, and helped Mei to develop her look.

Honoka is a smart and flexible pugilist. She’ll stay out of range for the first exchange or two, sussing out her opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, and then switch up her own fighting style to take advantage. If she’s facing a wrestler, she’ll stay back and pepper her opponent with blows. If her foe is tall and strong of arm, she’ll move in to grapple. When she faces someone without discipline, she’ll tire them out. Against armed opponents she’ll often pick up a rock to “encourage” them to close the distance, and then grapple to disarm them.

Lemeth is the master of a thousand styles. Whenever things come together in a harmonious and coherent manner, Lemeth gains power. This can be a visual style – clothing, makeup, jewelry – or a fighting style – attack, defense, form – or even a musical style. What’s most important is creating a new approach to something that feels like it always belonged in the world. Things that are incoherent patchworks face Lemeth’s scorn.

Functionally, whenever Honoka brings her approach to a problem into harmony with the problem itself, Lemeth aids her. Yin-yang approaches are most favored. Novelty is encouraged. Conformity is viewed with disdain. If Honoka tries to keep the same approach at all times, or tries to break an existing pattern rather than blending with it and transforming it, Lemeth punishes her. Honoka’s stunts are enhanced; her regular actions are penalized. When she fights, the world near Honoka slowly becomes more and more saturated with color, and every punch and block resounds with world-shaking vibration.

Questions

• Why is Mei working with Declan?
• Where does Evelyn disappear to?

Henry – Yondan, The Flame Without Fuel

Blood Type: AB

Backstory

Henry is surfacing after drowning.

When Henry was a kid, he was good at everything. He didn’t have to practice; he was just talented, so he did what he liked best. Without realizing it, he was only practicing a few things and relying on his natural ability everywhere else.

When he got to high school, that caught up with him. He crashed academically. At first he tried to just hide in his strengths – sports and martial arts – but he couldn’t avoid his poor grades. To this day he doesn’t know why they decided to keep him at the Academy. It was depressing. It felt like one day he was perfect, and the next (well, two years later, really) he was a mess. He drove away a few friends and lost some relationships along the way.

Eventually, with some help from Abigail and a healthy rivalry with Miyu, his grades started recovering. He started understanding how important practice had been, started seeing his life differently. He knows he’ll never completely catch up, but he no longer blames himself for the failure.

Class Schedule

Senior English (B), Algebra II (C), Introductory Physics (C+), Psychology (B), Chemistry (C), Economics (C-)

Intimacies

Henry: Henry resents (major) his one-time lover Everett for “stealing” Mio from him, though in truth he and Mio had been unhappy with each other (major) even before then. He and Miyu are rivals (major), trying to one-up each other both in class and in battle – everyone is expecting them to be a couple soon. In truth, his most platonic relationship is with Abigail, whom he respects (major) as a science tutor and as a student of the sword arts. Henry understands that hard work should pay off (defining) and tries to make that happen for those around him.

Yondan: Yondan and Lemeth, That Without Pity, are wary (major) of one another, each expecting the other to strike without remorse. Yondan is also fascinated (major) with Geggath, the Red Mist, its movements drawing Yondan’s attention and desires. Finally, Yondan is a sibling (major) of Zerith, She Without Flaw, and this comes with all the exasperation and camaraderie that are typical of such relations. Yondan is the younger of the two.

Capabilities

Henry has a lot of physical gifts and not a lot of academic ability. He’s short on book-smarts and his memory stinks. He was a straight-A student through grade school, didn’t have to study until he his first year in high school, and then found the workload overwhelming compared to what he was used to. Abigail is tutoring him in math and science, and he’d be failing without her. He’s quite athletically gifted, however: he can do a standing backflip, repeat moves that he sees other people do, and handle complex weapons like seven-section staffs without injuring himself. A lot of his inner calm comes from his physical confidence.

As a student of the sword, Henry is probably one of the best in the Academy. He’s fast and powerful. His reflexes are phenomenal. He doesn’t predict his foes’ strikes; he sees them swing and moves to block them. He’s well-aware of his skill, and can be a little arrogant about it. This will be a real problem for him if he gets into a fight with Anna, who has surpassed him in swordplay over the past year.

Yondan energizes Henry. He can keep going seemingly forever, exercising for hours, studying without his brain getting tired. If not for the strange nature of the Contorted Blocks he would probably be able to stay up for a week without rest. Yondan’s inner fire also allows Henry to shrug off the effects of nerve pinches, stunning blows, and Abigail’s sword.

While Yondan grants Henry inexhaustible mental and physical stamina, he has nothing metaphysical to offer. Most of the other demons summoned by Raikon have powers that slant toward the magical or metaphorical. They can often nudge fate, enhance skill, or work to counter each others’ powers. Yondan’s only gift is boundless endurance.

Questions

• Why was I never expelled?
• Does Miyu like me?

Everett – Iskonu, The Hound of Destiny

Blood Type: A

Backstory

The whole school loves Everett. He’s been everyone’s friend, ever since he arrived a few years ago. He’s a hugger, always shaking hands, putting his hands on someone’s shoulder, patting a teammate on the back. The teachers have immense respect for him, especially since he uses his charisma to keep his classmates on task. If he’s a little late on assignments now and then, well, he makes up for it in other ways. How could such a nice young man not deserve a little leeway?

Everett also has a real problem with relationships. He inevitably tries to escalate every close friendship to romance. His handsome physique and winning smile mean that he often succeeds. (When he doesn’t, he sulks, wondering what’s wrong with him.) Everett is never aggressive with his paramours, but he hangs much of his self-image and self-esteem on his romantic success.

Everett is also a smooth liar. Right now he uses this mostly to talk his way out of assignments and bad grades. The more impact and importance someone has in his life, the more likely he is to lie to them. This is especially true with teachers — he feels a lot of pressure to make sure they think everything’s going fine — but it’s also becoming true with Mei as events at the Academy move forward.

He and Mei work well together. Everett wants to succeed in life, but he doesn’t seek out obstacles naturally. Mei does. She’ll find a dozen mountains before breakfast, and he trusts her opinion on which ones are important enough to climb. However, he’s not so sure that her current suspicions are correct. A conspiracy between all the teachers? His own classmates turning against him? Come on. He’s the man here. What could someone have against him?

Class Schedule

Senior English (B), Journalism (A), Precalculus (B), Music Theory (C), Chemistry (B), Economics (B)

Intimacies

Everett: Everett is at the center of a web of friends. He knows everyone, and everyone knows him. He and Mei have been comrades (major) in their training dojo since the beginning, knowing that they’re equally matched. His looks and gregarious nature give him a long litany of relationships: He’s currently dating (major) Mio, and feels like it could be serious. In the past, he has dated Anna (angry, major) and Henry (resentment, major), among others. He knows that Miyu feels something for him, but is using her (major) as part of his army against Soma. He sees something worth redeeming (major) in Olivia – whether that’s just because he finds her attractive, only he could say. Everett knows that your friends make you powerful (defining) and will go out of his way to make new friends and allies.

Iskonu: Iskonu desires (major) Halvath, the Harbinger of Final Battle, whom it would make into a fine and glorious lover. It is allied (major) with Catamira, the Broken Hand. Iskonu taught Catamira the secret of hunting one’s foes, and Catamira taught Iskonu how to rend the downed prey limb from limb. Mrith, the Unheard Truth is indebted to Iskonu for an event in the distant past. Iskonu cares little for this – indeed, it does not even remember the event – but it considers that Mrith may be useful (major).

Capabilities

Everett comes across as intelligent and charming, and both of those are true. However, he uses his charisma far more than his wit. His grades would be much higher if he’d apply both approaches. He’ll do fine in his courses even if he doesn’t really learn much from them. Journalism is the exception. Everett loves digging for a story, and genuinely cares about finding out the truth.

When it comes down to a fight, Everett swings hard. He tries to make every hit count. He’ll lean out of the way rather than parrying, and he’s not against taking a punch to deliver a punch. He’s also good on the inside, with elbows and knees striking repeatedly. He’s no good at locks or throws, but he’s strong and durable.

Iskonu is a ferocious beast of long limb and thick sinew. Its bite tears away the anchors that hold people to their meek lives, driving them toward a higher destiny. Now it is chained restlessly within Everett. Through him, it destroys old attachments and builds new ones. Everett can erode Intimacies through physical contact, but only those that hold someone back from taking action. He can likewise build Intimacies that promote personal initiative and build motivation. This works even within a fight. If his allies are holding back, a touch on a shoulder will change their feelings. If his foe is considering running or changing sides, even a light brush might be enough to convince them. Iskonu breaks physical restraints as well, letting Everett snap chains, escape grapples, and break out of locked rooms.

When Everett fights the world behind him darkens, showing outlines of a tunnel. Eventually the end of the tunnel can be seen, with Iskonu’s shape distantly outlined against a red sun.

Questions

• Are Henry and I ever going to be friends again?
• Why aren’t there any student clubs at this school? Why do I think there should be?

Evelyn – Mrith, The Unheard Truth

Blood Type: O

Backstory

Abigail is accidentally distant from others. Declan wants to connect but can’t. Evelyn is distant on purpose. She’s not an introvert, she just worries that everyone secretly hates her and will never tell her to her face.

Evelyn skips class on a regular basis, and skips detention as well. She’s on the edge of being kicked out of school. She remembers at least a dozen meetings where the vice-principal warned her that she might be expelled if she kept up this behavior. She just bows her head and apologizes over and over until they let her out of the meeting. Her teachers don’t understand why she doesn’t just apply herself and pass. She reads their frustration and disappointment with her all too well.

Ironically, Evelyn spends most of her time out of class studying and training in the park. Sometimes it’s for class; sometimes she practices her swordplay; but she’s never just loafing in the woods. Most of those class projects never get turned in.

She can’t quite explain why she’s become a hermit like this. She doesn’t mind Ryota’s company on the rare occasions that they cross paths. She wants to go back to the school… but fear drapes around her when she thinks of it, and she goes back to her solo practice.

Class Schedule

Senior English (D), Precalculus (D), Comparative Religion (C), Chemistry (F), Anatomy (C), Ancient Languages (F)

Intimacies

Evelyn: Evelyn counts Ryota as one of her few friends (major), at least outside of the school environment where his word is law. She has no idea that Honoka is looking for her and intending to recruit her. She feels like she’s better off on her own (minor), but also feels lonely and desires human contact (minor). She believes that perfection will bring her peace (defining).

Mrith: Mrith is jealous (major) of Rishimoro, the Queen with the Coral Heart, who draws and holds the attention of others. Mrith also feels indebted (major) to Iskonu, the Hound of Destiny for aid rendered in a forgotten war long ago. Finally, Mrith is in love (major) with Eleda, the Falling Edge of Sorrow, drawn in by her sad beauty.

Capabilities

It’s not that Evelyn doesn’t understand people – just the opposite, in fact. She understands them too well. She’s painfully good at reading emotions in the faces and body language of others. She sees every little time when someone reacts badly to her, and remembers it, and can’t imagine being forgiven.

Evelyn is extremely hard-working. She puts in hours of sword training, making her fast and precise. She uses her katana in one hand and its sheath in the other. She’s put in enough time in her subjects to realize there are massive holes in what she and her fellow students are taught. (She imagines that they must already know this. Telling them would only draw their scorn.) She’s spent days in the city library, with its green windows and glass tables, only to realize that every book is a pile of circular references and logical fallacies. Unbeknownst to her, they’re still correct within the Contorted Blocks. Evelyn is surprisingly well-trained in the lore of this strange little world, and knows it better than any of her classmates.  She just doesn’t believe any of it at the moment, because it’s genuinely contradictory.

Mrith doesn’t help Evelyn’s self-esteem. Mrith is also known as the Unheard Truth of the World, and that truth is that the world is terrible. She points out flaws in all things: weak points in structures, techniques that leave the user open to attack, all the places a plan might fail. She doesn’t stop at externalities, either – Mrith tells Evelyn the places that she is weak, foolish, or slow. From Mrith’s point of view, she relentlessly drives Evelyn to improve herself. Not that it matters. Everything will still be terrible, even if everything is improved.

It’s better than nothing, probably.

Questions

• Why haven’t I been expelled yet?
• Why are the teachers telling us things that don’t make sense?