Fandom Nonsuch Manor Academy: Extra information

[Blemmigan]

Background information ahoy!

 

[Blemmigan]

Background information
Otherwise known as "Lore", but oh well.

None of this is "need to know", but may help understand where I'm coming from. Certainly, your character isn't likely to know anything that's going on behind the scenes, although they're likely to be aware of the "confirmed fake" monster attacks.

DIGIMON

Ultimately they're known as a fictional game/TV franchise, but now they've been made real. Which came first, the fiction or the manifestations, is unclear.

Currently, the best guess of those at FIREWALL is that the information became sentient-- a kind of crude, spontaneous artificial intelligence-- and latched onto these fictional characters as a way of presenting itself. It certainly makes more sense than the other way around, right?

The Digital World, therefore, must be a physical manifestation of all information and data that we use, organise and transfer in this world. It seems to have been shaped into this physical, tangible place by the sentient beings that reside "within" it.

It can be thought of as another dimension: existing in the same place as our world, and looking like an imitation of its environments, and therefore is not restricted to only one place on earth.

As the amount of information that people use increases, so too does the size of the Digital World, and the number of digimon within it. It's essentially growing on its own, like a living thing, changing and developing its own ecosystem. It would be a fascinating thing to study, if Digimon weren't slipping through into the real world.

"FIREWALL"

FIREWALL is, of course, a convoluted acronym, for the Foundation for Internet Research With Anomaly Linking and Limitation. It can be considered an offshoot from several groups concerned with cyberterrorism and security, but took a bizarre twist when the existence of these "Digimon" was confirmed to be real. This bizarre twist was definitely helped by the head of FIREWALL, one eccentric named Willhoughby Unthank.

They can monitor the state of the internet for "rogue" artificial intelligences, which helps them to identify digimon. Glitches, blackouts and other similar things are also good indicators that a gate has opened, and digimon are crossing over.

Their first real, noticeable act, was to put an end to this catastrophe. Digimon were appearing at random in the world, and seemed to be getting more dangerous. At the start, most of them only lasted a short time before dissolving into nothing, but soon they were able to stay longer and longer, and more of them were coming. More importantly (in the eyes of various governments), the accompanying blackouts and malfunctions were dangerous, and potentially life-threatening on a huge scale, given our reliance on technology. FIREWALL initially gained power and financial support for them to put a stop to those.

Their solution was to close the "gates" that were opening, with what they crudely referred to as the "Banisher". The idea was that it could latch onto the gates, the traces of the Digital World, and the digimon themselves, and force it to rejoin the main Digital World body. In essence, everything digital would be sent back to where it came, and prevented from leaving that main body.

The very day they were due to use the Banisher, however, was when the Chosen Children made themselves known, six teenagers facing against six particularly powerful digimon, all over the world. But there was no use in waiting to see what happened, so FIREWALL used the device anyway... and to their surprise, those six teenagers were banished with the data, whether voluntarily or by force.

Until this time, they had not thought that humans could travel between worlds, but everything seemed to indicate that this was what had happened. But, with the crisis over, this was thought of as nothing more than a curiosity: they couldn't get the children back without reopening the gates, and the problem was apparently solved. Parents and families were quietly paid off, lied to, silenced or detained. The story was put out that the digimon attacks were faked, and most people seemed to believe it. Overall, FIREWALL and their funders were happy with the narrative they had spun.

Of course, it wasn't: the glitches and blackouts were not as much of a problem, but digimon began to slip through again. It was like the digital world was growing too big to be contained, and trying to hold it back would not work for long. They attempted to ease this by negating the effects of the Banisher at their headquarters: Nonsuch Manor. Allowing some gates to open and some digimon to get through seemed to work for the time being, and in a smaller area the digimon themselves could be more easily found, and either captured or destroyed. They tended to keep only digimon that weren't powerful enough to cause real trouble.

Meanwhile, FIREWALL's research into the Chosen Children was bringing up some interesting results: those teenagers were carrying devices that allowed them some degree of control over a certain digimon. They attempted to replicate the results , but some people were more compatible than others, and adults were hardly compatible at all. It seemed to depend on the person's resonance with the Digital World, which seemed to be random: some had it, some did not. Those who had it, however, grew more akin to digimon the more time spent in their presence. It seems that this is how the Chosen Children got caught up in the Banisher.

By this point, the obvious (to some) way to counter the digimon was to use Chosen Children after all. However, as the current ones had sadly been misplaced, they would have to make their own, in what the Professor decided should be called Project Delta. FIREWALL searched for those of the same age as the original Chosen Children, who seemed to have traces of digital resonance that could potentially grow. They had to be intelligent, too, in order to make their digimon more efficient, but not smart enough to cause problems. Family background had to be checked, as did the teenager's presence on social media for abnormal signs of rebellion. The schools were checked and contacted. Finally, letters were sent out, welcoming the applicant to their potential new school.

NONSUCH MANOR

Nonsuch Manor is, in this story, an old stately home located in the centre of England. It was commandeered by FIREWALL a while ago: the idea being to stay out of the way of large concentrations of people and technology, with plenty of land surrounding it to keep an eye out for intruders. And now it doubles as a handy front for a posh boarding school.

As far as the locals in the nearby village of Wittlingham are concerned, it's undergoing renovations. Some of those who heard about it being turned into a school are surprised, but have been reassured by others in the village that it's been planned for a while now. Mostly this is due to people in small villages always wanting to look like they know what's going on before their neighbours do.

The appearance of the manor's main building is based on Wollaton Hall. There are also lots of hastily-constructed buildings around the place, and several additional floors below ground, which is kept hidden from the students and their families. This is where the majority of the research now takes place, including the location of the Banisher, the captured digimon, and most of the controlled gates.

The main dormitories and classrooms for this year group (which is, of course, the only year group) are housed in the main building. It's really not a big school: on the first day, some people are hired to wander around in the background as students and teachers, but this is quickly dropped as soon as the parents leave. Security on the grounds is tight to prevent anyone unauthorised from entering or leaving, and cell phone signals are jammed, with the excuse that cell phones just don't work, so far out in the country.

As for language: "DigiDestined" or "Chosen Child"? "Digivolution" or "Evolution"? Both are used.

FIREWALL are likely to use the latter, rather than the former. The reasoning being that it sounds less "fun", and they're at least trying to be serious about the whole thing. However, as Digimon exists as games and a TV show in this world, the words from that tend to sneak in, and it's more than possible that the students use those words. Particularly if they want it to sound less clinical and more fun.
In summary: your character can use whichever words you like. Just know that's what FIREWALL are talking about when they say "Chosen Child" or similar.

 

[Blemmigan]

NPCs
A few of the staff members at Nonsuch, who may interact with students, or just provide handy exposition.


Prof. Willoughby Unthank

Description: The head of FIREWALL, headmaster of Nonsuch Manor Academy and noted eccentric. You've got to be, with a name like that. Turning Nonsuch Manor into a school was his idea, and he was adamant that he should play the role of headteacher. He greets everyone as though they're his personal friend, often with vigorous handshakes, although he often forgets people's names. Along with plenty of other things.

He is one of those kinds of people who would be considered a genius, and plenty of FIREWALL's success is due to his work and outlandish ways of thinking. He always makes sure to know what's going on at FIREWALL, and does not take kindly to things being done behind his back. Although he's friendly towards his people, he will not hesitate to put a stop to anyone who interferes with FIREWALL's work, and to those who get on his bad side he can be unexpectedly brutal.

Appearance: A white man in his late 60s, mostly clean-shaven, with glasses and a tendency to laugh whenever something pleases him. He is tall, with a booming voice, and it's often possible to hear him before seeing him.

Role: Head of FIREWALL, Headmaster of Nonsuch Manor Academy.


Dr. Bhavita Jadhav
Description: Professor Unthank's second-in-command and probably the closest thing he has to an assistant. She finds herself functioning as the link between him and the rest of the staff, and does most of the work making things run smoothly. She's ostensibly not his PA, however: rather, she just wants the work to succeed and for the problems to be solved. She has quite a logical way of thinking, and sees obstacles as challenges to be dealt with.

Her speciality is applying mathematics and analysing data from the digimon, and was responsible for setting out the parameters for who would be selected as potential Chosen Children. Due to this she is in charge of whittling down the numbers of students to those who are most suitable.

Appearance: A short Indian woman in her mid-forties who walks tall. She wears her dark hair pulled back into a bun and usually a stern expression (or maybe she just looks stern compared to the professor).

Role: To the students, their head of year, overseeing their studies and intellectual pursuits.


Dr. Lucy Bowcott
Description: She was brought in as a teacher and behavioural analyst, on the insistence of forces outside FIREWALL, to keep an eye on the students. She seems to be in favour of the project, although plenty of people do not trust her due to her being an outsider. Her job is to make the students like and trust her as their class teacher, and come to her with any problems. And for the most part, she does care about them in return.

However, there is a reason that she in particular was chosen for this project, and it's not because she's the nicest person in the country. She has made no secret of the fact that she's willing to put the project first, and sees her job more as a vetting process for the students: those who aren't suitable won't be chosen, for both the good of their mental health and the good of the digimon partnership.

Appearance: A mousy-blond white woman in her 30s, who dresses formally but always looks a little like she's arrived in a rush. She has a very expressive face, that encourages people to talk openly to her.

Role: Making sure that the students are mentally and emotionally stable at the school, and advising which should leave on those grounds. To the students, she is their class/homeroom teacher, teaches mathematics, and is the designated housemistress for the female students: someone who is the first call for any problems or concerns they might have, whether in or outside of lessons.


Dr. Warren Lester
Description: One of the lower-ranking FIREWALL officers, who due to his past experience as a teacher was assigned to reprise that role here, at least in appearance. He is thoughtful and serious, but is able to take most things in his stride and think quickly. He is not entirely optimistic that Project Delta will be a success, but he'll go along with it anyway, because it seems bizarre enough to be interesting. Also, he does rather want to teach again.

He tends to think rather than talk, and would often somebody else acts, but his actions are always deliberate, and he owns up to his mistakes. He respects the same in others, regardless of whether they are colleagues or students.

Appearance: A man with dark features, olive skin and dark hair shaved close to the scalp. He is in his late thirties: tall and well-built, he rarely smiles but luckily has a neutral resting expression rather than an angry one. Always seems interested in listening.

Role: Keeping track of the children and ensuring that they get some semblance of an education (Professor Unthank may not care about that, but he does). To the students he is their English literature teacher, and accompanies them for sports and other physical activities. He is also the designated housemaster for the male students.


Simon James
Description: Originally an enthusiastic underling, he soon proved himself to be worth more than the grunt work he was assigned. He most recently stood out by identifying the digital signature of the previous Chosen Children that indicated their ability to partner successfully with digimon. Essentially, he was the one who allowed the team to find these new, potential children recruited as students. He was also the one who made the digivices, and realised that they were essential to link human and digimon. Of course, they've yet to work properly without the correct human.

Although he works hard, he's helped by being naturally good at his job and finding it relatively easy to make breakthroughs, thinking outside the box and finding things easy that others struggle over.

Appearance: A mixed Jamaican and white-British man with hair that needs a cut, in his late 20s. He would be tall if he had better posture, but alas it was not to be.

Role: Monitoring the students' digital signatures to assess which of them are most suitable as Chosen Children. Unlikely to encounter the students until the digimon become relevant to them, but is useful for exposition.


Gary Zielinski
Description: Spends most of his time working with Simon in the basement levels of FIREWALL, specifically studying and monitoring the digimon that have been captured, as well as the digital signatures of the potential Chosen Children. Although he did not design the Banisher, he is the one who maintains and operates it, controlling the gates that are permitted to open underneath and around Nonsuch Manor. Tends to overwork himself and fret over things not being complete in time, or going wrong.

Appearance: A short, white man with reddish, pale hair and the sort of exasperated expression one gets from worry.

Role: Studying the digimon held at Nonsuch, including deciding which ones are worth keeping. Also controls where the gates should open and for how long. Unlikely to encounter the students until the digimon become relevant to them, but is useful for exposition.

 

[Blemmigan]

Chosen Children
The six previous chosen children each travelled to six specific locations, some further than others. At each place, a gate was opened and a digimon came through. As "adult" level digimon, they were more powerful than most others that had appeared so far.

All of the children seem to have been aged 15-16. Although not all of the encounters were filmed, nor did they all cause permanent damage, all six were confirmed by FIREWALL due to data readings, eyewitness accounts and interviews with families and friends (see the "Meanwhile in the world" section in the first post for more info).

Chosen Child

Partner

Digimon encountered

Location

Antonio Ferrera Calvo

Candlemon

Thundermon

Near Iquitos, in the Peruvian Amazon

Hisaki Fujimoto

Bearmon

Pipismon

In the hills around Osaka, Japan

Kimberley Nayda

Lunamon

Greymon

Outback north of Port Augusta, Australia

Sophie Tousignant

Hagurumon

Raremon

La Mauricie National Park, Canada

Lene Tidemand

Gazimon

Golemon

The mountains around Galdbygde, Norway

Terek Salah

Wormmon

Gesomon

The sea at Port Said, Egypt

The most filmed encounter is that of Hisaki Fujimoto and his partner, Bearmon, and the Pipismon that had slipped through a gate on the outskirts of Osaka. Due to the flying nature of the rogue digimon, it was filmed by several people before honing back in on Hisaki and Bearmon, where the three of them abruptly disappeared. Damage was minimal.

The most destruction was caused by Thundermon, who, despite being small, caused damage to buildings and boats in Iquitos half a mile away from where the gate opened.
Gesomon also sank several boats returning to or leaving the harbour at Port Said. The other three appearances caused no damage to human structures, and only Raremon was filmed, in low-quality footage most viewers dismissed as being faked.

Whether your character saw any of these films or not, and what they thought of them, is up to you.