Fantasy Loftheart School of Dungeoneering - Lore

[Duwang]

Setting:

• The World
• Dungeons

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  Magica had once gone by a different name. The original human settlers had once called it after one of their old gods, but as old religion was lost as the past became too distorted to discern mythology from fact, the old name was lost. Humans and other inhabitants of the land refer to it widely as "Magica". Strong winds are omnipresent especially in the upper atmosphere of the planet. A great anticyclonic storm rages omnipresent at the south pole of the planet, thrashing apart anything which comes near it. Settlements are built upon large floating, drifting stones which act as continents and islands. Because of their drifting nature, should two continents come close enough, their inhabits may hop between the landmasses for a period of time.
  
  
  After many years of innovation, sky travel had been made far cheaper and more accessible to the masses on Magica allowing many to travel quickly from one place to another and even between islands. The quickest and most reliable means of transport, however, remains large flying zeppelins, powerful enough to circle the globe twice, many having high-end accommodations, rich enough families capable of going on luxury cruises on these zeppelins.
  
  
  Large cities dot the sky-scape on Magica, the largest cities forming typically on large clusters of different landmasses, or occasionally on exceptionally large landmasses with some exceptions. Other types of settlement vary with the inhabitants of said settlement and can vary anywhere between small, scattered tribes warring with one another on a relatively small island; to large, sprawling megalopolises made up of several islands chained together by magic (and sometimes actual chains).
  
  
  
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  On Magica, a land where everything floats, life has taken a strange turn. Dungeons on Magica are not stationary settlements long abandoned and filled with monsters and loot. On Magica, dungeons exist as the mature form of greater mimics which take root on floating stones and grow in time to large proportions. As they mature, the dungeon mimics take in other creatures and collect treasure within their depths. These dungeons become living biomes capable supporting life in sometimes strange and unpredictable ways, turning the creatures it takes in into a line of defense against predators. Each dungeon contains a living, magical "core" which acts as the mimic's nucleus, controlling and regulating everything within the dungeon. The method by which they mate and reproduce is a mystery as many dungeons "take root" in places away from civilization. It is theorized by scholars that upon reaching maturity, dungeon mimics release thousands of spores commonly known as the common but mysterious flying polyp which seems to live all over the planet. While their reproduction is a mystery, it seems that dungeons and the strange creatures which live inside them have begun to get closer and closer to the settlements of different species and disrupting the lifestyle.
  
  
  Dungeons are split into different classes and categories. These help distinguish the age of the dungeon, and its general inhabitants. Dungeons are ranked from class 1, being the youngest dungeons which are the most common and the newbies are typically sent to deal with; to class 4, being the elder dungeons which are the most difficult and only expert dungeoneers ever even dare to explore. There is a theorized class 5 which exist somewhere deep within the planet, closer to its core. They are believed by some to be the oldest dungeons, and related to the formation of the planet itself.
  
  
  Dungeons are an important part of life on Magica. As living things and indeed living ecosystems, they drive and directly affect the inhabitants of Magica. Dungeons have, as of late, become an integral part of the modern world, with much innovation done from discoveries inside dungeons.
  
  
  For instance: mass communication. One particular dungeon was home to a breed of beetles which released radio signals allowing them to communicate with one another, alerting the hive of intruders/prey. By carefully dissecting and researching these beetles, the now famous artificer Tegrin Celstadt was capable of inventing the modern cellphone, a device using a modified version of the beetle's signal piggy-backing off each other so that two individuals perhaps across the world from one another could communicate as if they were standing right next to each other.
  
  
  

• Loftheart
• Great Houses
• Phases

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  The Loftheart School is located on the continent Lawrence at border between the United Laurentian Republic to the south and Mosdossia to the north with most of the campus on the side of the ULR. It is on a small island separating Dankin Falls and Lemgaar Falls, two great waterfalls which drain Oxoor Lake into the Laurentian Sea, one of the few bodies of water on Magica large enough to be considered a true liquid sea.
  
  
  It was founded 100 years ago by renowned adventurer, dungeoneer, and Archmage Alice Loftheart.
  
  
  Mascot: Bruins
  
  
  School Colors: Brown and Silver
  
  
  Alma Mater: Unless you're part of the school's choir, you probably wouldn't even have known the school had one.
  
  
  
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  When a new student enters the Loftheart School, they are given a magical witch's hat owned by none other than the school's founder herself. The hat reads their surface thoughts; sorts through their dreams, their aspirations, and their goals; it looks at bits and pieces of their history; then sorts the student into one of four great houses on a whim (by player choice). Each house has its own history, philosophy and culture as well as its own means of conquering dungeons and a motto written in Old High Common.
  
  
  House Balandalhara:
  
  
  Motto: Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem
  
  
  Approach: House Balandalhara believes dungeons, while can be very dangerous, can also be a source of great knowledge for the people of Magica. The house tends to cultivate researchers developing various technologies and techniques to further the study of dungeons but also to create new ways to cull and otherwise defeat them. Members of this house tend to focus on defensive abilities.
  
  
  House Celandinius:
  
  
  Motto: Virtute et armis
  
  
  Approach: House Celandinius believes that dungeons can be very dangerous, though unlike House Balandalhara, has no reason to preserve them in any way and instead seek simply to destroy them. The house produces the finest exterminators around, a team of Celandinius graduates capable of quickly, efficiently, effortlessly and mercilessly clearing any dungeon. Members of this house tend to focus on offensive abilities.
  
  
  House Mesfirnari:
  
  
  Motto: Experientia et progressus
  
  
  Approach: House Mesfirnari is unique in that members of the house tend to be more interested in dungeoneers than dungeons themselves. The house produces among the smartest graduates of the Loftheart School who become great doctors, cooks, artificers, and engineers who help better the lives of dungeoneers. Members of this house typically focus on abilities which support other dungeoneers.
  
  
  House Kanniainen:
  
  
  Motto: Animis Opibusque Parati
  
  
  Approach: House Kanniainen believes that dungeons are a key to understanding the mysteries of life on Magica, focusing on the history of dungeons, dungeoneering, and the impact that the dungeons have on the many of Magica's cultures. Alma mater of House Kanniainen tend to be great archeologists, sociologists, and historians creating a wealth of soft knowledge furthering the understanding of dungeons. Members of this house tend to be very roguish in nature, focusing on cleverness, skill, and dexterity rather than brute strength.
  
  
  
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  The Loftheart School is a private boarding school running on a trimester system. It accepts students starting from the age of 14-16 and is a four year school. In order to ensure maximum effort and motivation in students, fresh, first year students are granted a very small amount of privileges, and every semester, students are given more and more freedoms.
  
  
  Reception: A period before the school year begins in which prospective students are taken in, issued uniforms and school supplies, given various medical examinations, given shots, and eventually sorted into their houses. Students in this phase are given special holding quarters- very simple, individual rooms just large enough to sleep and put their things in. Older students refer to this stage as “Limbo”.
  
  
  Uniform: White button-up shirt (long sleeve for cold weather, short sleeve for cold weather), dark brown trousers, and black shoes.
  
  
  First Year: First Year, first trimester students have the least privileges on anyone at the school. After reception, they are moved from their holding quarters into large bays holding 20-30 personnel. These are organized as a building for males and a building for females, each with four rooms, one belonging to one of the four houses. Their personal belongings are taken from them and stored in large rooms, not to be touched until the end of their first year. All their courses are chosen for them and they follow a very strict work-rest cycle to maximize their time training.
  
  
  Privileges: First trimester, students have none. Their lives are at the whim of each other and their instructors. Every single thing is done in unison. They are given 10-minute phone privileges. Second trimester, students are allowed to carry watches, and the instructors choose a class leader per house among the first years. Phone privileges extend to one hour. Third trimester, phone privileges extend to two hours. Just before graduation, students are given full possession of their phone as well as their personal belongings before they go home for the summer.
  
  
  Uniform: White button-up shirt (long sleeve for cold weather, short sleeve for cold weather), dark brown trousers, a white cloth belt, and black shoes. Brown, tweed blazers may be worn in cold weather. Brown, hooded ponchos are given in wet weather.
  
  
  Second Year: In the second year, students are moved from their large sleeping areas to dorm rooms designated two students per room and separated by gender. In this stage, students still have few privileges, and are bound to their quarters.
  
  
  Privileges: First trimester students are obliged to follow their instructors during instructional periods. Like in first year, they all get food as a group. Weekends are considered a resting period. Second trimester students are allowed to roam campus on weekends so long as they don't miss meals with the rest of the second year students. No additional privileges are awarded at the third trimester.
  
  
  Uniform: Same as first years. Second year students wear green cloth belts and neckties. Upon second trimester, students are allowed to wear shorts and females are allowed to wear skirts as long as they are the same dark brown color as authorized (the student store sells clothing).
  
  
  Third Year: Students return to the same dorm rooms they had in second year with the same roommate. They are given much more privileges than second year students.
  
  
  Privileges: First trimester is similar to third trimester of second year. Second trimester, students are allowed to go free after the instructional period and on weekends as long as they stay on campus. On third trimester, students are rewarded with off-campus passes for good behavior or outstanding performance.
  
  
  Uniform: Same as second year students.Third year students wear brown cloth belts and neckties. Students are allowed to wear tan button-up shirts. Males are allowed bowties and females are allowed necktabs as long as they are the same brown as their neckties.
  
  
  Fourth Year: Students near the end of their lives at Loftheart. As such, they are the most experienced and most responsible, thereby awarding them the most privileges.
  
  
  Privileges: First trimester students are allowed to be out of uniform while on their own free time. Second trimester students are allowed to freely leave campus on free time as long as they are in uniform while they are off-campus. Third trimester students may leave campus on their own free time without having to wear a uniform.
  
  
  Uniform: Same as third year. Fourth year students wear black cloth belts and neckties. Upon second trimester, students may make modifications to their uniforms so long as they are modest, respectful, do not resemble uniforms of the earlier years, and maintain the school colors.