Life 1: Day 0
Awakening in a dimly lit, stone-walled antechamber you slowly rouse to your feet, your limbs aching, your mind blank. No matter how hard you try, you can't remember how you got here.
As your eyes adjust to the gloom, you notice others—scattered around the room, just like you. They're about your age, equally disoriented, confused and with fear etched across their faces. But what truly drew your attention are the mysterious figures.
High above, cloaked in shadow, they watch in silence, looming over them like grim reapers. Their faces hidden beneath heavy hoods, their presence felt eerie and nerve racking. Only their eyes seem to pierce through you from beneath the darkness, each glowing a strange otherworldly light that held such power as they weighed each of your worth… or soul. You don't know where you are. You don't know why you're here. But one thing is clear: this was just outright creepy.
Image: https://www.wowhead.com/gallery=269/mage-order-hall
"Ah… I see you are all awake now," one crackly old voice remarked with glee from amongst the shadowy figures. "Welcome, welcome, welcome," the hunchback figure said with mirth.
Image: https://readthedamnbook.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-perils-of-character-optimization.html
"Greetings, new initiates," another figure spoke, this one smooth, regal, and calm as he slowly drew himself to the center in his shimmering cloak that seemed to be made of starlight by… hoovering ten feet off the air, gravity seemingly all but forgotten.
Your jaw dropped to the floor as did others, but strangely many barely reacted, remaining unperturbed as if this kind of thing was… normal?!
"Many of you might know where you find yourselves in, but to the uninitiated let me enlighten you," the floating man said, his voice echoing unnaturally across the chamber.
"You find yourselves in a very special place in the multiverse, where very few are even deigned to be allowed to step foot in. This is The Magic School of the multiverse, where nowhere else but here is magic studied and mastered to the highest levels.
You have been chosen by the academy to enter these pristine halls and study here under our illustrious faculty and staff members to learn, to grow, and perhaps — if you survive — to ascend to one of our ranks. Now let's not waste any more time and get you all tested and awaken to your magic!"
With that, the chamber started to abruptly change.
Image: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/99853316732780008/
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Alright it's character building time before we roll for your Talent and choose your Magic!
Origins
World:
Image: https://www.reddit.com/r/FinalFantasy/comments/16ezncd/medieval_vs_scifi_which_setting_do_you_prefer_for/
1: Primitive 2: Classical 3: Medieval 4: Modern 5: Futuristic 6: ???
Give me a 1d6
Race: Human(This is all you got for now. Unlock others later.)
Image: https://keith-baker.com/phoenix-friday-origin-stories/
Variants
1: Mundane 2: Enhanced 3: Unique 4: Legendary 5: Hybrid 6: Post
Give me a 1d6
Background:
Image: https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultraleft/comments/1ghwxby/new_classes_just_dropped/
1: Margins 2: Middling 3: Upper 4: Elite 5: Ruler 6: ???
Give me a 1d6
Where going with the first lucky 3 rolls! So it's going to be;
Modern World. That from the Industrial Revolution to today in the 21st century. Choose which time period you guys want!
Enhanced Human. Think Amazonian with super strength. Choose a trait you guys want!
Margins of society. You're from the bottom of the pyramids. Choose a negative debuff!
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The dignified figure floated to the side, and with a graceful wave of his hand, the stone floor beneath your feet began to glow. Strange squiggly shapes etched on the ground began to radiate brightly, lighting up the chamber and forming a wide circular array that pulsed with raw energy.
"Step forward, one at a time," the floating man said. "It is time to see your talents. This shall determine how far you shall go in your adventure as a practitioner of the mystical arts. And don't fear, you shall also awaken your magic which is innate to you and you alone. So let it reveal itself for the first and reveal in the glory of your inner might."
No one seemed brave enough to step forwards until a girl with fiery hair and just as fiery skin came forth.
Image: https://us.idyllic.app/gen/female-tiefling-character-366948?highlighted=1304942
"My, don't we have a brave soul," a soft, melodious voice spoke up with a chuckle. "Come into the circle young one."
Doing as commanded, the circles began to spin around as the girl stood in the vortex. Let out a shout as something began to change within the girl, embers started raining about. Many jumped back in fear as finally a letter appeared above the girl's head. C
"Would you look at that, an uncommon Ember Magic, and you are quite gifted. I expect much from you," the woman said with a smile.
Image: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/D5ARDE
"Thank you, mistress," the girl said through gasps as she stepped back.
"Now who is next," the man in the starlight cloak asked.
One by one, students approached the circle. Some sparkled with lightning. Others shimmered with water or light. One girl glowed with vines and blooming flowers. Another boy cracked the stone beneath him with gravity magic. And one even showed glimpses of things beyond the veil to which you forgot about before you even know. Each showed varying degrees of talents until finally there were only a few people left and you knew it was your turn.Your feet felt like stone as you slowly stepped forward. The circle pulsed as you stepped into it — slowly starting up as it came to life in your presence.
"Name?" the old hunched man asked from the shadows. You spoke it, voice steady, even though your heart pounded.He grinned, exposing crooked, yellowed teeth."Let's see what you've got."
The moment you reached the center, the world went silent. Even the murmurs of the others faded. The light of the runes began to flare up. Symbols around you changed shape. The lines twisted, rearranging themselves, forming patterns unknown to you.
Then came the pain.Your chest felt like it was tearing open. Something deep inside you cracked — not your bones, not your body, but your soul. A light exploded upward from within you a column of blinding energy. When the light faded you dropped to your knees, gasping for breath.
The floating man stared at you with a gaze that felt ancient. "It looks like that," he murmured.
"Your magic is... Reinforcement Magic
And it looks like your talent level is…D-Tier"
You felt… awake. For the first time in your life, the world felt right. Like something you'd always known was missing had just clicked into place.
Talent:
Image: https://medium.com/@3valuedlogic/tier-lists-as-a-teaching-tool-in-philosophy-3554b7ea7260
F Tier – Trash! 1d4 Academics Rolls E Tier – Weak! 1d6 Academics Rolls D Tier – Mediocre! 1d8 Academics Rolls C Tier – Adequate! 1d10 Academics Rolls B Tier – Gifted! 1d12 Academics Rolls A Tier – Exceptional! 1d14 Academics Rolls S Tier – Genius [Unavailable] ? Tier [Unavailable] ? Tier [Unavailable]
Magic Rarity
Image: https://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/magic-types-set-of-flat-design-infographics-vector-18582509
Common Magic! 1d4 Combat Rolls Uncommon Magic! 1d6 Combat Rolls Special Magic! 1d8 Combat Rolls Unique Magic! 1d10 Combat Rolls Rare Magic! 1d12 Combat Rolls Epic Magic! 1d14 Combat Rolls Fabled Magic! [Unavailable] Legendary Magic. [Unavailable] Mythic Magic. [Unavailable] ??? [Unavailable]
Give me a 1d6
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Where going with the first 2 unlucky rolls! So its going to be;
D tier Talent. Your Mediocre. You're a step above the lowest ranking losers. You have a basic handle with mana, and your connection to the arcane is subpar. This doesn't mean you're doomed — but it does mean the path forward will be grueling and hard.
Common Magic. Classification: ✦ Universal Tier — "Everyday Arcana" Prevalence: Extremely widespread! Mastery Difficulty: Low! Required Talent: Minimal! Education Level: Taught in primary magical education or as part of basic spellcraft curricula!
Alright we will be closing here for tonight. So you guys got your rolls. Build your own character. We will go with the build with the most votes. Here is what I cooked up.
Example: Shadeling Plan
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🟥 F Tier – Trash No to little talent whatsoever. Fails basic cantrips, magic often misfires or fizzles Ridiculed in any magic academy Magic actively dislike you
🟧 E Tier – Weak Barely magical Can perform minor tricks: light, clean, levitate pebbles. Relies on potions, scrolls, or artifacts.
🟨 D Tier – Mediocre Can learn basic spells. Needs lots of focus and rest after simple magic.
🟩 C Tier – Adequate Functional magic user. Can handle practical and mild spells. Reliable in magical tasks, but lacks true mastery.
🟦 B Tier – Gifted Clear magical talent Solid spell variety, good control, decent stamina Respected mage, capable of real battlefield or ritual work Likely trained in a formal academy
🟪 A Tier – Exceptional Elite-level magical abilityCan cast high-tier spells solo, influence environmentsDangerous in a duel, revered by magical societies May invent new spells or manipulate ley lines"
🌟 S Tier – Genius. Arcane PhenomenonBorn of magic or chosen by the arcaneBreaks the rules of magic entirely: no incantations, no components, no limits Can shift reality, raise cities, erase armies, or warp timeOften mythologized, feared, or worshipped"
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Common Magic Found everywhere; basic magic used in daily life. Simple elemental spells (fire, water), utility (light, mend, float). Easily taught and widespread. Uncommon Magic. Slightly harder to learn or access. Elemental variants (ice, lightning), minor illusions, magic traps. Requires training, not talent. Special Magic. Often tied to personality, strong will, or minor bloodlines.Includes emotion magic, spirit sight, or rare nature-based talents. Unique Magic. Found in only a handful of people or items at a time.Soul-linked spells, cursed gifts, ancient rituals, or one-of-a-kind abilities.Often unteachable or bound to destiny."This magic chooses its wielder — not the other way around." Rare Magic. Requires incredible focus, talent, or a powerful lineage. Time magic, dream magic, pain magic. Feared, regulated, or banned in some realms. Epic Magic. Nearly mythological; passed down or hidden away. Planar magic, resurrection, binding true names, elemental fusion. A mage with this changes worlds. Legendary. Once-in-a-generation talent or ancient relics.Chaos-wielding, godfire, world-shaping, living spellbooks.Changes the fate of galaxies. Mythic. The rarest and most powerful known magic — reality-warping, creation-level, often divine or forbidden. Primordial language, Void-walking, time rewriting, soul-forging.Might destroy its caster… or remake them. ???
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Plan: Lone Gunslinger! W/ 24 Votes!
Name: Joshua "Edgeshot" Samuelson
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Magic: Reinforcement(Common)
Talent: D-Tier
Pic:
Image: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/760826930784165939/World: Earth – The Refuge of the Free
Joshua hails from a divergent Earth where the United States never outgrew its frontier roots. Even as technology advanced, the Wild West ethos endured — a land of lawless plains, dusty duels, and high-tech revolvers. It's a world where steam trains run at bullet speed, and the sheriff's badge carries the weight of legend. Outlaws ride hover-horses, and every man carries steel at his hip — or plasma for the fancy.
Race: Human – Folk Hero
"To leave your mark on history, you must shatter the limits of man."
Racial Trait: Limit Break 1(0/100)
Mechanics: Hit ⅓ Health and can cause 2x Damage rolls!
Humans from Joshua's Earth are built different. Through relentless training and grit, they can achieve what others would call impossible. This single-minded discipline allows them to break past their natural limits — gaining superhuman strength, speed, reflexes, or perception. But this power comes at a steep cost: their bodies burn through energy at a dangerous rate, making every second of exertion count.
Background: Abandoned Orphan → Gunslinging Wanderer
Wanderer(Negative Debuff): Restlessness when staying in one place too long!
Joshua doesn't remember his parents. Left in the dirt with nothing but a name, he taught himself to read, shoot, fight — and survive. He became a drifter, traveling from town to town, learning from every gunslinger, mystic, and outlaw willing to teach or fight. He trusts few, owes nothing to anyone, and follows a code of his own making. The world didn't give him a place — so he decided he'd carve one out with lead and blood.
Talent Grade: D-Tier — Mediocre
Joshua's connection to magic is not great often flickering like a dying flame. But what he lacks in raw talent, he makes up for in stubbornness, sweat, and pain. He doesn't win because he's better — he wins because he refuses to lose.
Magic Type: Reinforcement Magic
The bread-and-butter of warriors with poor mana affinity. Rather than weaving spells, Reinforcement Mages channel what little magic they have directly into their bodies or weapons.
Potential Abilities:
Physical Surge – Temporarily enhances bodily functions.
Edge Imprint – Infuses a weapon with magic to sharpen it beyond its natural limits.
Stamina Link – Converts mana into physical endurance; dangerous if overused.
Personality
Honorable Vagabond – Joshua may live on the fringes, but he follows a code. His word is iron. His promise is law.
Lonely by Choice – He keeps others at arm's length, but for those who manage to earn his trust, he becomes fiercely loyal.
Ravenous Learner – Despite his gruff demeanor, he's always learning. Whether it's magical theory, ballistics, or philosophy, he devours knowledge with reckless hunger.
Motivation
Joshua wants to become a legend — not just a man with a gun, but the man others tell stories about when the fire burns low. He dreams of becoming a Hero whose name will echo across the multiverse, not through bloodshed alone, but through honor, courage, and sheer force of will.
Magic to him is both a tool and a mystery — something to respect, fear, and maybe, just maybe, master in his own rugged way.
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"That will be all," the lead magic user intoned, voice carrying like a chime over still water as the last student completed their Awakening.
"This is where we leave you." The other cloaked figures behind him stood in silent formation, like shadows made regal. "But know this," he continued, turning slowly to address them all. "If you rise through the ranks, if your studies bear fruit, then perhaps… one of us may consider you worthy to take on as an apprentice."
A murmur rippled through the chamber, many excited, but more just as confused as you. "Until that day comes," he said with a faint smile, "may your time here at the academy be as magical as possible."
Then, without a single step, light burst outward in a quiet explosion — not harsh, but brilliant and soft, like a sunrise condensed into a breath — and just like that, the masters vanished, their presence whisked away like mist. Silence lingered in the aftermath, broken only by the sound of slowly creaking stone.
[A/N: Is that a hint? Hell yeah, get a good enough talent and the right magic and you might be picked up by an Esteemed Master, one of the academy's very own Professor!]
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The enormous chamber doors began to open… only to stop halfway with a loud groan. A small voice behind them grumbled, "Oh for the love of gnomish grease—!" There was a loud grunt, a fwump, and then the doors finally swung open the rest of the way, revealing a three-foot-tall woman red in the face, visibly tired from wrestling with the ancient door. She dusted her hands off dramatically and marched inside, trying not to look like she nearly lost a fight with the architecture. She had a wild frizz of auburn curls, thick glasses with cracked lenses, and a scroll so long it could wrap around her several times. Her vest was covered in enchanted patches — one of which was currently snoring loudly, complete with a rising and falling snot bubble. A glowing nametag stuck out reading: "Miss Pipkin Bramblebluff, Orientation Specialist."
"Right then!" she huffed, hands on hips. "How are we doing, my little spellchickens? Still breathing in there? You all made it through alive and in one piece? No one vaporized themselves? No spontaneous transmutations?" She gave the gathered students a keen once-over — like a general inspecting new recruits — then grinned wide. "Good, good. I like this batch. Most of you still have your eyebrows."
Joshua shifted his stance, boots crackling with residual magic static. The ritual circle beneath him still buzzed, a faint tingle clinging to his skin. It felt like standing inside a thunderstorm's echo. His breath was steady now, but inside, his chest still churned with wonder, disbelief… and joy.
Beyond the now-opened door, more Awakening ceremonies shimmered through open archways, flashes of color lighting up the labyrinthine stone hallways beyond. It wasn't just one chamber, or one ritual, but hundreds.
The realization hit him hard: This wasn't some small academy. It was a city of magic. Maybe even a world or more. Thousands upon thousands of students were arriving just like him, plucked from a hundred different worlds, timelines, and realities. And he was one of them all converging here with them all.
Miss Bramblebluff tapped her giant scroll against the floor, making it ring like a bell. "Come on now! Don't just stand there like wooden mules! We've got a tight orientation schedule and if we miss our transit bubble, I'll have to bribe another portal goblin, and they charge overtime!" She spun on her heel — nearly tripping on her scroll — and waddled briskly out the chamber, muttering about first-years and paperworks.
Joshua exchanged a glance with a nearby student — a boy whose skin was metal and eyes glowed blue. The kid shrugged. Together, they followed Miss Bramblebluff into the strange new world ahead. Into a whole new life. And into the great unknown.
Image: https://www.worldanvil.com/w/the-forgotten-realms-guillaumer/a/-nyx-raulnor-person
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Joshua and the other new students followed her past bending corridors and floating walkways until the ground simply... stopped.They stood at the very edge of the sky-island campus, where clouds rolled beneath an open drop and stars glittered far too close for comfort. At the ledge, a circular platform waited — floating just a few inches above the stone.
A small green creature with a long nose and beady yellow eyes waited there, tapping its claws impatiently.
"Birt," the gnome greeted, adjusting her glasses.
"Miss Pipkin," the goblin replied with a too-wide grin, removing his hat in an exaggerated bow. "I see you have your newest batch."
"Yes. Can you take us to Dormitories?"
"Of course, of course!" He said, holding out his hat expectedly. Pindle sighed, clearly used to this. With a flick, she pulled a blue-shining stone at her side pouch. It glowed with a hum of power.The goblin's grin widened to impossible proportions. "Excellent."He turned and gestured grandly to... nothing.Then, from the edge of space itself, a bubble — glistening, translucent, humming with magical tension — began to form. It grew slowly, forming a spherical shape w
"Come through. That includes you, cowboy," Miss Pindle said, squinting up at Joshua's dust-stained hat.
Joshua hesitated — then climbed aboard with the rest of the group. The bubble's surface gave slightly under his boots, like glass under tension.He glanced around. One student was a lizard boy with brass implants hissing gently with steam. Another was a literal cloud in a jar, hovering nervously near the edge. A horned girl sneezed, and a gust of wind lifted her robe briefly before she grabbed it, blushing furiously.
Then the bubble lurched upward lifting them off the platform like a shot from a sling in the open air. Joshua barely caught his hat as wind whipped around them. The entire island surged away as they climbed fast into the sky letting them get a glimpse of the vast heart of the academy.
What opened before him wasn't a campus. It wasn't even a city. It was a realm — alive, layered, and impossible.
Image: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/1107604102107115834/
The sky split with colors he didn't have names for, and stars danced so low they looked touchable. Dozens of floating islands orbited around a towering central spire that reached in both directions, up and down, like a sword plunged through the heavens. Some of the islands spun gently, others hovered still, each one sculpted with impossible geometry. One was shaped like a giant glass rose, its petals folding slowly, revealing students moving between classrooms carved into the crystal. Another looked like a coiled serpent biting its tail, with buildings growing out of its curve like moss on stone.
The bubble swooped past a tower made entirely of shifting musical notes. The structure rearranged itself constantly, every window humming in harmony, every breeze stirring the air into symphony. He passed a mountain-sized library that spiraled around itself, open to the air, its outer walls crawling with books and scrolls flying like birds returning home. On another island, a greenhouse cracked open like a glass egg, revealing golden vines that reached skyward — and somewhere high above, something in the stars reached back.
The wind hit his face, crisp and charged with magic, making his hat flutter as the bubble darted between soaring bridges and arcs of light. He tightened his grip as the bubble wove through the floating chaos. There was so much to take in from as he was unsure whether to be amazed or afraid. Leviathan-sized creatures drifted lazily above them, translucent bodies containing swirling galaxies inside. Birds made of equations flitted past, their wings leaving trails of glowing math that unraveled behind them like feathers. Enormous turtles flew in formation, each with a different biomes on their back — tundra, jungle, desert, etc. And still the bubble continued forth.
The ride through the Academy was just as horrifying as it was revealing, they soared past entire universes of learning. "Welcome to the Magical School," Miss Pindle announced as if they were on a field trip. "Please keep your hands, wings, and psionic projections inside the platform at all times. Yes, the dragons are tame. Mostly."Joshua stared at everything, jaw slack, fingers tight around his hat. There were no words to describe what he was seeing, so he just remained silent.
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The transport bubble glided through the sky possessed with purpose — transparently humming faintly with magic, and crammed full of awkward silence and first-day jitters. Inside, dozens of new arrivals stood shoulder to shoulder, wedged tightly together as they took in everything in awe.
Below them, the Academy spread like an open book written in madness — spiraling towers, floating lecture halls, and impossible bridges that seemed to defy both logic and gravity.
He'd been to fancy northern cities. Dust-bitten outposts. Fortress-chapels carved into cliffs. But nothing like this.
In the center of the transport bubble, Miss Pipkin Bramblebluff, their escort, stood atop a conjured stool, waving her wand like she was conducting an unruly orchestra. "Alright, listen up new initiates! First stop — Badge Assignment Hall," she chirped, her voice as sweet and sharp as honey over broken glass. "That's where you'll be tagged with your Academy rank. It's based on your average of Talent Tier and Magic Quality. It's the Academy's way of telling you where you stand… and what doors you'll never walk through. So try not to take it too personally and faint on me. Unless you combust. Then you'll need to take it very personally because I'll have to fill out so much paperwork."
The bubble tilted gently, descending toward a vast amphitheater carved into the side of a metallic cliff. Great banners rippled in the breeze — Iron, Copper, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and Mythril — each glowing with shifting arcane glyphs. Other bubbles and skycrafts hovered nearby, unloading waves of first-years. The air buzzed — literally — and tasted faintly like ozone and too many half-finished dreams.
"Now, do pay attention," Bramblebluff continued, voice rising over the hum. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your badge determines nearly everything. It's just status symbols, its everything here - what classes you can take, what parts of campus you're allowed into, which dueling brackets you qualify for, your access to instructors, labs, gear, training areas, spells, and so much more. It decides how the school sees you — and how you'll be treated. So curse the gods or genetics if you have low talent or common magic."
"Plus," she added as an afterthought, "They sync to your aura, let you message other students, give you maps, schedules, access to restricted areas, spellbanks, duel rankings, spellcasting licenses, research logs, applets—you name it. Lose it, and you're basically a ghost."
She gave them a quick shoo with her wand. "Off you go now! I'll be right here when you're all done. Try not to cry in the lobby."
Joshua stepped off with the rest, joined the crowd funneled from the landing platforms, some with floating luggages in hand, oversized familiars towed after others, and many were like him with nothing to their name as they came into a vast, sunlit chamber pulsing with magic. Floating runes spun lazily overhead, casting shifting patterns on the marble floor. At the center of the vast hall floated a massive board — part crystal, part arcane tech — and from it drifted glowing badges, each moving with purpose like they had minds of their own.
A voice rang out — deep, dry, and faintly bored, as if it had been calling names for a thousand years and hadn't enjoyed a single one of them.
"ADELAIDE VERN — GOLD BADGE"
A golden badge floated down with pomp and shimmer, wrapping itself around a girl in silks that looked like sunlight.
"SOREN VAEL — BRONZE BADGE"
Another badge dropped, slow and respectable, landing neatly on the wrist of a tall boy with a bookish air.
"JOSHUA SAMUELSON — COPPER BADGE"
A soft ping followed Joshua's name, and a copper band blinked into existence, hovering for a beat before gently clasping itself around his wrist. It was warm. Plain. Unenchanted. Functional.
The badge screen blinked to life in his mind's eye, displaying his access level:
Student ID: 311-09-Joshua
Badge Rank: Copper
Academy Access Level: Tier 1
SpellNet: Limited
Magicast: Voice & Gesture-locked
Dueling Tier: Novice (Open Pool)
Zone Access: Dormitories, Basic Labs & Training Grounds, Public Areas, Instructor Lobby,
Heading back out, he was lost in his thoughts. Copper wasn't the worst rank — the Iron took that honor, but it did not carry much weight. It marked you as average. Forgettable. The sort of student who might get by without ever getting noticed. And that is not what he wanted to be. He stared at it for a moment, his jaw tightening. Well. It would make do. He'd made do with far worse situations.
And popping in besides him with a breezy grin was Miss Bramblebluff, completely unbothered how overwhelmed they all clearly were. "Chin up!" she said. "Copper's solid. Honest. Classic. And hey — at least it's not Pewter. That's the 'please don't lick the spellbooks' tier."
Joshua gave her a sidelong glance. "That's a real tier?"
"It was. Briefly. We don't talk about it." She clapped her hands, and the giant scroll snapped into a new configuration, its glowing text shaping itself into a map of sorts.
"If you are all here, then let's get your dorm assignments!"
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The moment the group stepped off the platform, Miss Bramblebluff chirped, "We are here at the Housing Hall, where you'll be sorted into your new magical homes. Try to remain calm some of the dorms can smell fear."
The students piled in after her, and the bubble zipped away veering toward a structure that looked like a floating stadium where people were flying on brooms.
The Student Housing hovered mid-air, balanced between three massive spell-bridges, held in place by shimmering threads of raw spell-threads. Inside, the space was cathedral-wide and ever-shifting. Pillars rearranged themselves, doors vanished or multiplied depending on which way one turned their head. Magical orbs floated through the air like dandelion seeds, each glowing with scenes of fantastic architecture.
A chime sounded. Then — a puff of emerald smoke, and a figure appeared center-stage, as if summoned from the folds of an old, expensive rug.He was tall, angular, and dressed like an arcane realtor: shimmering robes lined with constellation-stitched cuffs, his collar too high, and his teeth much too white.
Image: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/Bm3OZ8
"Welcome, fresh initiates!" he sang, voice rich and rehearsed. "I am Warrin Quillick, your Official Dormitory Liaison and Personal Living Assignment Advisor — certified in six dimensions and a half. It is my honor and burden to match young mages like yourselves with your magical residences."
He flourished his hands, and the orbs above them pulsed brighter."Do not make the mistake of treating your dorm lightly. A dormitory is not just a place to sleep or hide out in. They are great magical places of power. It can be a crucible. A conduit. A cocoon for you. The walls you live between will shape your studies, test your spirit, and — for the ambitious — amplify your magic. Some even go as far as to say your first dorm shapes your entire legacy. But that is neither here nor there…"
There was silence at that announcement to which the man carried on as if it meant nothing. "Now then!" He spun dramatically, raising a gloved finger. "Observe!"
Columns of light burst from the floor as illusion spheres hovered over gleaming brass pedestals. Each contained a vision of a different dormitory — more fantastical than the last.
Joshua stepped toward one, spellbound.
A black tower spiraled in slow rotation through the void between realms, its walls reflective like obsidian, runes glowing faintly in cosmic alignment. Obsidian Wing: Reserved for legacies, planar nobility, and souls who survived reincarnation three times.
Next, a golden fortress crackled with divine fire. Winged students clashed in midair, their sparring strikes sending echoes across marble halls. Sunforge Hall: Known for producing champions, warlords, and a fire god.
A spiraling dorm caught in a permanent cyclone shimmered next. Students dashed between balconies on flying discs, wind familiars trailing behind them. Tempest Spiral: For stormcallers, windshapers, and those who treat gravity as "optional."
Another orb revealed a shimmering crystal hive nested high in the clouds, where students floated like bees in geometric precision. Prism Aerie: Dorm of illusionists, lightbinders, and aerial tacticians. Renowned for flawless aesthetic combat and top-grade tea parties.
A massive tree burst into view, its trunk hollowed into winding stairwells, its canopy home to living treehouses that reshaped themselves with each season. Verdant Reach: For druids, summoners, and wild-bonded mages. Home to four elemental cores and one grumpy talking owl.
One orb crackled with dark ocean magic, revealing a coral citadel beneath stormy waves. Muffled spells echoed through its translucent walls. Abyssal Vault: Underwater dorm for aquamancers, deep necromancers, and students who breathe brine.
Joshua stood in awe. Each dormitory was amazing. A world onto its own that held so much. Warrin snapped his fingers, cutting off the feed to the different dorms on display as his voice sliced through the air like a blade. "Now… the moment you've all been nervously pretending not to anticipate." A scroll unfurled midair. Names began to flicker into existence, one after another. "But before we begin assignments," Warrin added, his tone silkier than ever, "you should know: your talent will determine which dormitories you may choose from. The higher the rank, the more powerful the options available to you. The lower…" He shrugged theatrically. "If you are ready.. the assignments."
Alright time to pick your Dorm! This will be your home sweet home for now so choose wisely. I will let you guys come up with a plan, but since you are a D-Tier talent you can't pick something too fanciful. D-Tier Dorm: 3 positive benefits. 2 negative benefits.
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One by one, students were called to the center stage where a massive, opalescent orb hovered above a purple velvet pillow. It pulsed with quiet magic, responding to each new arrival like a heartbeat syncing with a song. Beside it stood their Dormitory Liaison offering whispers of advice to each student as they approached, guiding their choices with practiced flair.Each selection triggered a tiny celebration — the orb shimmered, sometimes changing color, and occasionally summoned confetti or illusions of the dorm in question. Then, a glowing script would ripple into the air, followed by a flourish as the man plucked a dormitory key from seemingly nowhere and handed it to the student.
"ISHA VELL — TINROOT HOLLOW WING"
"REMI ALDIR — STONE OF TEMPLE"
"ALIN SORROWIND — STARFALL HAVEN"
Oohs and applause followed each selection and some snide comments as well. A few students gasped at the grand choices they were offered. These were the lucky ones, others had some average choices which they could make do with, but some had some god-awful ones making him wonder if they would choose the bushes then go there.
Joshua stood quietly among them. Hands in his pockets.Heart thudding like it wanted to run ahead without him.He watched as more students took their turns — some grinning, some nervous, some holding back tears of relief. Around him, others were already whispering guesses at what dorm they'd get. Joshua said nothing.Then came his name."Joshua Kane."He stepped forward."Place your hand on the orb," said Warrin.
Joshua obeyed. His copper badge pulsed faintly on his wrist as his palm met the orb's surface. Warm. Buzzing. A hum passed through him like a breath drawn in reverse. The polished script that had graced the orb screen before? Gone.This time, the letters that surfaced were plain. Uneven. The color of old pennies and rust.
D-TIER HOUSING OPTIONS (Selection Required)
A dull shimmer passed across the orb as it projected a floating list of available dorms. Glimpses of each flickered behind their names:
Dormitory 8E - The Ember Post: A scorched-out firewatch tower converted into a dorm, perched on crag above lava vents.
Dormitory 11B - The Siltstone Nest: Carved into the cliffs, mostly underground. Moss, glowing mushrooms, and surprisingly high humidity.
Dormitory 9C - The Redhook Linehouse: A mobile dormitory, steam-powered, clockwork-driven, perpetually in motion.
Dormitory 17A - Trailblazer's Roost: Tall, thin, and full of stairs. No elevator. Former scout tower. Still smells like old leather and wind magic.
Dormitory 10K - Iron Root Bastion: Root-forged walls. Protective runes. Excellent defenses. Zero charm.
Dormitory 24O - Dustspur Outstation: Remote. Sandstorms are common. Mail delivery is inconsistent. But "technically a dorm."
Joshua scanned the list. These weren't prime pickings and he didn't expect them to be, and at the very least he could say they had their charm. Each seemed to be like dented tools that still worked. And he had lived in even worse places or none at all for that matter so he didn't mind.
Warrin offered occasional commentary: "That one's snug but has rats."
"Strong elemental warding, poor heating."
"Oh, that place? Giant spiders. Still better than the cafeteria, mind you."
But Joshua's eyes kept drifting back.Back to Dormitory 9C — The Redhook Linehouse.Its image stuttered when he focused on it — almost like it didn't want to be seen — then locked into place. The train was old. Rusted. Arcane glyphs carved into weathered steel. Smoke and magic curled from its stacks. A dorm built to move. Not a house.A vessel.
Somehow it felt like it wasn't offering him a room, it felt like it was offering him a ride for a lifetime. "I'm ready to select my housing," and without hesitation he said. "I choose the Linehouse." The other listings vanished in a soft puff of static. Several heads gawked at the option on the screen and someone whispered, "The train?"
Warrin raised an eyebrow, pulling a long iron key from the folds of his robe. "The Redhook? Huh. Didn't think that old rust bucked still ran. Can't imagine why it hasn't been condemned."
He handed over the key anyway.It was cold in Joshua's hand. Heavy. The orb blinked once, then projected one final line: "JOSHUA KANE — DORMITORY 9C, REDHOOK LINEHOUSE"
The letters glowed a tired red.The orb screen shutdown, and he shifted through the crowd out the building with his dormitory assignments done.
Plan - Redhook Linehouse (mobile rail dorm)
An old rusted rail hub enchanted to move — the dorm literally rides the spell tracks endlessly around campus.
Pic:
Image: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/683oDW
Pros Boxcar Trials: Dorm expands with weekly procedurally generated combat rooms or challenges — beat it, get a small boost or item fragment.
Railwake Workshop: Onboard arcane forge-car can modify gear using scraps and spell fragments.
Kinetic Reservoir: The ceaseless clatter and motion of the Linehouse feeds hidden conduits which residents can tap into.
Cons Miss the Stop, Miss the Day: If you're late, the dorm's gone for hours wherever it goes. Mysterious Conductor : There is a mysterious figure onboard at the front, don't draw their attention or you might find your life derailed.
-
A shimmer swept across the staging platform as a transport bubble enveloped the students — a translucent sphere laced with containment runes and spinning navigation sigils. It peeled away from the central spire of the academy like a soap bubble caught on wind and began to drift outward, toward the Outer Ring.
At first, the view dazzled. They passed dormitories like palaces, whole cities sculpted from magic and excess. Towers of glass and star-metal, floating libraries, greenhouses suspended from clouds, and bridges spun from starlight arched between spires. Students in silver and silk strolled manicured courtyards beneath hovering suns.Then the bubble descended further and further down. And the shimmer faded.
Beneath the pristine rings of the Academy sprawled a different world — one the brochures didn't show.The Outer Ring hugged the edges of the campus like a rusted exoskeleton. Buildings here hunched instead of soared. Moss choked the rooftops. Arcane ductwork bulged and twisted along the walls like veins under sick skin. Cracked stone. Creaking bridges. The magic here didn't hum — it wheezed.
Crumbling dorms clung to the cliffs like stubborn barnacles. Chimneys coughed out crooked plumes of smoke. One tower looked like it had been built from wrecked boats. Another leaned so far over the swamp below it seemed to be apologizing for existing.
Overhead, gondolas of crystal and gold zipped by, carrying Inner Ring students toward towers that sparkled like constellations. Inside them, students in immaculate robes sipped floating tea and whispered behind raised hands. From one gondola, a smug voice rang out: "Hey, look! They're heading to the D-Tier Dungeon! Don't trip on your mediocrity!"
[A/N: Someone asked how you can get a higher tier dorm w/ lower talent. Wealth of course!]
Laughter followed — bright, cruel, and fading. Joshua clenched his fists wishing to pull out his trustee revolver, but holding himself back. His copper badge buzzed faintly against his skin. It itched. Beside him, one student didn't hold back as his eyes began to glow, irises rimmed with blue fire. Before he could launch an attack, Bramblebluff thwacked him across the shoulder with her scroll."No spells outside casting zones unless you want detention," she said, not even looking up.
She tapped her scroll, voice dry as dust."Alright we are here, now entering Dormitory Complex Sector J-Kappa - affectionately known as The Junkheap. Let's see first stop is…"
A moment later, a girl gasped in horror as her assigned dorm came into view — squat, sunken, and visibly smoldering ruin. Flames flickered behind broken windows. A section of the roof had collapsed inward, curling with smoke. The bubble began its slow circuit as Miss Bramblebluff wondered out loud as she squinted at her scroll. "Did it just lose a Dorm War?" she murmured. Then, more cheerfully: "Oh no — just an accident from a fourth-year. Harmless. Mostly."
One by one, the bubble docked with the outer dormitories. Each stop brought a different scene of sorts as the student was invited in. One or two students would step off, eyes wide, posture uncertain. A door would creak open. A few hissed. One whimpered.
Each departure left the bubble just a little quieter. Eventually, Joshua stood alone with only 3 others. Ahead lay a rundown train station no more bigger than a mom-and-pop shop, and a floating platform of rusted steel and old wood, bolted before a ravine that led nowhere like a forgotten thought. "Here you are, Redhook Linehouse."
Getting off at the steps leading into the station, the gnome called out, "Best of luck with your stay here at the academy, and remember to make it to the opening ceremony or it will come to you."
Waving them goodbye, as the bubble darted off into the air, Joshua took a deep breath in before he walked in. A lock hung around a chain that closed the gates shut, pulling out his key he was given. He did the obvious thing and unlocked it, letting himself in. A tarnished brass sign swung overhead, squealing with each lazy gust of wind. Painted in faded red:
→ REDHOOK LINEHOUSE
Arrival is an opportunity. Miss it, and never receive it again.
He followed the arrow. The station was empty. Just planks, rust, and a few broken lanterns flickering to life at his approach. Somewhere, a bell tolled once — hollow and distant, like it hadn't been rung in years.
Then came the sound: A deep hiss of steam. A grind of wheels that didn't touch the rails. A low groan, as if something ancient was waking up.
The Redhook Linehouse emerged from the mist like a memory dragged back into existence. A train — barely. Bronze pipes snaked across a hull stitched together from old spellsteel, warped planks, mismatched cabins, and sagging balconies. Arcane conduits glowing like embers. It hovered just above the rails, held aloft by some combination of forgotten engineering and sheer stubbornness. It looked tired and proud.
The train screeched to a halt. The front door creaked open with a reluctant click. Joshua stepped forward onto the train, the flooring beneath the rug groaning from his heavy boots. The scent hit him immediately — coal smoke, warm oil, and the sharp static of old magic still alive in the bones of the machine. He should've been nervous. But he wasn't. He felt… alright like he just came home.
A voice crackled from a rusted speaker above the door —distorted, dark: "Welcome onboard Passenger. We'll be in motion now." Then silence.
Joshua stepped back from the doors as they swung shut behind him with a hiss. And the Redhook Linehouse rolled back into the mist —onward, into wherever it went.
-
Standing alone in the corridor, Joshua wasn't sure where to go — or if "forward" even applied in this place. The hallway was crooked, its floor slanted like it had been installed drunk. Copper pipes hissed overhead and light trickled through bulbous wall-lanterns like honey through glass.
Then the rusted speaker overhead clicked on again. A different voice this time — smoother, cleaner, and eerily calm woman. "New arrival detected. Adjusting cabin allocations. Please remain where you are. This will only take a second."
Joshua frowned. "Adjusting—?" The train lurched. Not forward. Inward. Space folded with a wrenching groan. The corridor twisted, stretched, bent in on itself like a string unspooling. Overhead a second train corridor ran upside-down, lanterns hanging like chandeliers. Staircases curled in spiraling shell patterns. Doors shuffled positions, windows blinked open like eyes. At the heart of the distortion, a girl in soot-streaked goggles sprinted past overhead, holding a wrench the size of a toddler. "Oh, hey," she said, not even looking down. "Looks like we got someone new. Gotta run — there's a leaky steam-valve in the boiler again."
Image: https://www.instagram.com/p/CxDS6CYq9Fm/
She sprinted past him above, her heavy boots ringing against the metal floor. Joshua blinked. Before he could collect a single thought, a voice greeted him from behind. "Howdy there. I see you met our resident fixer-upper." He turned — and his heart stuttered. His own face stared back at him. Joshua's hand flew to his holster, fingers brushing against his revolver.
"Who the hell are you?" The face stealer raised both hands slowly. "Easy there, partner. Just me being me. I mean no trouble." Its voice was friendly — too friendly which he didn't like one bit.
"I've got a condition," it said with a shrug. "Affliction, if you're being dramatic. I mirror what I see. Occupational hazard of being a shapeshifter."
Image: https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/16843-doppelganger?page=2
"Great," Joshua muttered, not relaxing. "Off to a real comforting start."
The thing grinned — his grin — and said, "Name's Marrow. I'm here to give you the grand tour. Come on, before the train changes again."
Joshua followed, warily. "You're lucky number thirteen, by the way," Marrow added. "We've been down a few residents lately. Always good to refill the ranks."
"What happened to them?" Joshua asked, already suspecting he didn't want to know.
Marrow's smile didn't falter, but something behind his eyes twitched. "Oh, the usual. Magical mishaps, experiments gone wrong, failing exams, deadly duels, turning into a frog. All part of the standard school attrition rate."
Joshua stopped, and he asked the first dumb thing that came to his mind. "A Frog?"
"Yup. Real polite frog though. Still knocks before entering a room." Then turning a bit more serious, he said. "Word of advice, this is something you will soon find out for yourself, this place isn't the most friendliest place, it is quite magical I could grant you that, but deaths are to be abound!"
Before he could press further, they stepped through a doorway and into a different train cart.
-
The place they entered was a lounge - dimly lit, cozy, and homely. Threadbare rugs overlapped like scales on the floor. Different sofas sagging with age lined the place. Faint light glowed from stained glass fixtures, casting sleepy swirls of blue, green, and amber. At the far end, a fireplace crackled — not with flame, but glowing coals that shone different colors as they breathed heat like a sleeping beast. A mechanical ceiling fan clacked rhythmically overhead, occasionally slowing to a crawl when someone spoke, then speeding once there was silence.
To the left, a carved-out corner had been converted into a bar — more apothecary than pub. Shelves of mismatched bottles lined the walls, some glowing faintly, others whispering softly inside their corks. Near the bar was a crate with barrels surrounding it as a game of dice and cards was taking place.
The room paused when the newcomers stepped in. All eyes turned toward Joshua. Marrow clapped his hands.
"Hey gang. Meet the new blood." The room was silent for a heartbeat. Then, "He's tall," said a young voice from beneath a bonnet. "And meat-based." A gothic girl no taller than his chest stepped up to him taking him in as he did her in turn. She was dressed in a frilled black lace dress with eyes painted like dark bruises and long pointed ears that stuck out. Clutched to her chest was a porcelain doll and before his eyes, the doll eerily twisted its head and whispered in her ear and she whispered back.
"I'm Catalina, this is Lady Sepulchra," she introduced herself without smiling. "We'll watch you while you sleep."
Image: https://www.reddit.com/r/RoyaleHigh_Roblox/comments/zt6vze/i_attempted_to_make_gothic_lolita_outfits_based/#lightbox
"Wonderful," Joshua muttered under his breath.
Behind the counter of the bar, stood a man in a well fitted vest, polishing a glass. Where his head should've been was a sphere of flickering purple fire.
what stuck out of course was his head which was just a large purple flaming ball. Nodding at him, or that was Joshua assumed, Marrow introduced him.
"That's Ashford, our unofficial bartender. He is able to concoct up any drink you want. Bring him some magical spirits and he will whip you a drink that will knock your socks off."
Image: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/306526318388069493/
Next, Marrow drew his attention to a short boyish student with pale skin, surrounded by books who hid himself when they turned in his direction. Joshua could still make out his mushroom cap or was that his actual head, from behind the books.
"That's Erin, he is a little bit shy, but he will be more friendly once you get to know him."
Image: https://erin.artstation.com/projects/06zl5
Seated at the center of the room in a plush chair all on her lonesome was a draconic woman in a velvet coat who had a haughty attitude. Giving him a once over she uttered, "Why did they have to drag in a wildlander here!" Then as if it was beneath her, she stated. "I'm Virelle von Ophinorae, of House Cloudfang."
"Don't ask her what she is doing here." Marrow whispered.
"I heard you little sly doppeganger," the woman hurumped.
"My apologies, your Cloudfangliness..."
Image: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/19210735902252229/
Turning away from their argument, Joshua drifted to the table where the game was happening, there were a couple figures around it. One was a small cackling bluish-purple skinned woman who he was pretty sure was holding a bomb that she tossed around like a ball.
Image: https://n3.kemono.su/data/47/57/4757d5095f43a10463550e22a6ecebf63bc26a0dd2630d7923ead8d329c01509.pdf?f=Gremlins+By+DM+Tuz.pdf
The other player was a woman who he would have thought was from his world, if she didn't have horns, tiny wings on her back, and a long pointed tale.
Image: https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/038/137/054/large/m-m-mapaiban.jpg?1622276440
Next to her, was a woman wearing a turban on her head, and an orb in hand, but what stuck out was the violet slime that made up her body.
Image: https://openart.ai/community/hrftpQQ6AQCDOkLjiItP
Besides her was a massive man over 7 ft tall, who he would have thought was savage with jutting tusks, bull like horns, orange skin, but he had gentle eyes and a kindly smile on his face.
Image: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/441141725981591308/
The last was a tall dark skinned man who stood to the side with large feathered wings on his back, shaking his head in disappointment. "Why must you debase yourselves like this?" he asked the group.
Image: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/angel-statue-in-2024--17662623531962164/
"Oh, get over yourself, Neal," the demonic woman said as she lit a cigar and took a puff of it. "You play when you think no one's watching."
"I do not," the man answered as if he heard the most heinous rumor.
"I see our newest member is joining us," the purple skinned girl said in an airy voice.
"Care to join us," the large, brutish man asked warmly.
"Don't stoop to their level, young one," Neal warned solemnly.
"I see you meet the others," Marrow walked into the conversation. "This is Neal, Flickwick, Brandon, Hella, and Ume," he introduced everyone in turn. "It looks like only Jack is missing."
"Come join us, you bastard. Hella is cheating again," Flickwick called out.
"It's just skill, you little gremlin," the demonic woman scoffed as she took another puff of smoke.
"Are you sure? The card hidden under your hat says otherwise," Ume stated.
Laughing mightily which caused the table to shake, Brandon said. "You've been found out, Hella."
Smiling at the display, Joshua took a seat, and said. "Don't mind if I do."
Neal shook his head, and uttered, "My God help us, another one fallen into sin."
Then walking into the lounge was the woman that Joshua saw earlier. Now that he had a closer look at her he was able to see all those scars lining her body.
"Velka there you are, how's the old rust bucket doing?" Marrow waved over.
"Not great," the woman answered as she took a seat. "Only the ancestors know how long this old girl will last."
[A/N: Is that a quest I see?]
"It looks like we have to raid another dorm for parts," Flickwick intoned grimly, her shark-like smile gone.
"And start a Dorm war?" Ume asked pointedly.
"Enough of this grim shit," Hella roared. "Ashy-boy, get us drinks. Let's toast to making it to another year, to our new roomie, and all the bastards we lost along the way."
"Here, here," the giant man smacked his palm on the table causing the dice and chips to jump in the air.
+1 Relationship with Dormmates: 12 Individuals(Velka, Marrow, Catalina, Ashford, Erin, Virelle, Ume, Brandon, Flickwick, Neal, Hella, Jack)
-
New Quest: Old Rust Bucket!
Objective: Your Dorm is breaking down. Fix it or be left homeless.
Rewards: Continued shelter, possible upgrades, ???
Time Limit: 1 Year
-
By the time the games and the final toast had been made, Joshua found himself sunk deep into a lounge chair — one of the few that didn't try to swallow him whole into the recesses of its folds. The warmth of drink and laughter still lingered in the air, but the group had thinned. Some had already retired for the night, while others sat in companionable silence, basking in the low roar of the firepit and the occasional clink of glass. Only Hella and Flickwick remained locked in a vicious, slow-motion game of whatever rules they kept rewriting.
"All right, time to call it," Marrow said, swaying slightly. Too much liquor didn't seem to sit well with shapeshifters — every few minutes, his face shifted like a deck shuffling itself. "You'll need to be up early. You have a lot to do tomorrow, and Redhook doesn't wait for anyone. She only lets you off at 6 a.m. sharp."
"The new cabin assignments should be finalized," Velka added, arms crossed as she nursed a rust-colored drink. "Your quarters are located in Section E, Car 7, Cabin 13. Be ever watchful, and avoid Car 4."
Joshua raised an eyebrow. "What's in Car 4?"
"It's best if you don't know," Ume said as she rose gracefully, robes flowing like smoke. "I'm off. Marrow, would you do the honors and walk our new first year to his room?"
"Sure," the thing replied, rubbing his forehead until a new, more stable face stuck into place.
Joshua rose and gave a grateful nod to those still awake. "Thanks for the warm welcome. It means a lot."
"You take care, firsty," Hella slurred, wobbling dangerously on her stool. "Don't go dyin' on us on day one."
"I win, bitch," Flickwick cackled, throwing her arms up as her cards fluttered like bats. Joshua grinned and followed Marrow up the narrow stairs to the second level. The laughter behind him faded into a low hum, swallowed by the murmuring walls and the ever-present pulse of the train.
The stairs creaked underfoot like they were trying to remember the weight of newcomers. The hallway twisted ahead, lined with mismatched doors — some double-hinged like ballroom entrances, others narrow and ominously coffin-shaped. He followed Marrow through flickering lantern paths down the winding, metallic belly of Redhook.
The train groaned and sighed around them, alive in its own peculiar way. Each car was a world unto itself — one resembled a cathedral filled with floating books whispering sermons; another was a greenhouse glowing with gently pulsing fungi; one held nothing but ticking clocks, all slightly out of sync. They passed Car 4 without incident. Joshua didn't look. Something behind the door was breathing — heavily, rhythmically, like a sleeping predator with bad dreams.
Eventually, they reached Car 7. The air here was different, antique, and quiet. Wood-paneled walls held a worn dignity. Brass fixtures glowed with a steady amber light. The corridor tilted with the train's motion, the floor creaking softly beneath their steps like it remembered other footsteps. Cabin doors lined both sides, some marked with glowing sigils, others humming with old wards. At the very end sat a crooked, patchwork door bearing a rusted plaque:
CABIN 13 — J. SAMUELSON
The door looked like it had been patched together from the remnants of three other doors. There was a doorknob, a hatch, and — oddly — a door bell to press. Joshua tried the knob. It didn't turn. He tried the hatch. It tried to bite him. Looking at the shapeshifter who shrugged his shoulders. Joshua pressed the door bell which buzzed once, loudly.
The door clicked open a moment later — reluctantly, like a tired gatekeeper — and swung inward. Inside, his new room was... surprisingly large
The ceiling curved high above like the inside of a lantern. A round window overlooked the vast, glittering tracks that stretched across a void of emptiness and drifting lights. The bed was nestled in the corner beneath a patchwork quilt that subtly shifted colors — storm gray, moss green, old copper — as if reacting to his presence.
A battered desk sat beneath the window, scarred and etched with initials and faded runes. Maps were tacked along the walls — some drawn in ink, others in charcoal, and one stitched entirely from red thread. A small lantern buzzed overhead, casting a sleepy golden glow.
Joshua removed his hat, setting it carefully on the desk. A slow breath escaped him, tired from all the days events.. He was just about to sit when a knock echoed from the still-open door, remembering that Marrow was still there.
He stood at the threshold, thankfully not entering his room, and this time looking like a generic version of himself — bland face, average height, completely unremarkable. It was somehow creepier.
"Forgot to mention," Marrow said. "Don't go wandering the halls after midnight. Don't try climbing onto the roof. And whatever you do, don't open the blinds if someone knocks."
Joshua blinked. "That's a lot of don'ts."
"That's life for you," the thing said. "First night's usually quiet," he added. "Usually."
Then he vanished down the hall before Joshua could ask what "not quiet" meant, and his door shut itself behind the thing with a decisive click.
Joshua stood in the silence of his new room then when a shake of his head prepared to go to bed.
Outside, the great engine of the Redhook Linehouse rumbled — not loud, but low and constant, like the heartbeat of something ancient. Pipes hissed in the walls. Somewhere nearby, something whispered and another thing shrieked.
He sat on the bed. The mattress was firm. The pillow was made of something suspiciously heavy. The blanket curled around him without prompting. He stared out the round window, watching tracklines unfurl beneath moonless stars, vanishing into the dark emptiness.
Joshua lay back with one arm behind his head. "You know what," he muttered to no one. "This could do." The lantern dimmed. And Redhook rolled on as he went to sleep.
-
Alright time to get a taste of Events!
🎲 First Night Aboard – Random Event Table (1d6)
Bad 2. Unsettling 3. Neutral 4. Weird 5. Good 6. Wonderful
Rolled 5
-
Event Roll(5- Good): The Rhythm of Redhook
On your first night aboard the Redhook Linehouse, you were lulled to sleep by something more than the usual rattle of wheels on the track. As Joshua lay in bed, the soft creaks of the cabin swayed in time with the train's gentle rhythm. Despite the chaos of the day — strange people, strange sights, whispered warnings — the warmth of the patchwork quilts and the low hum of arcane machinery cradled him like a lullaby.
Somewhere deep in the bones of the train, gears clicked in harmony. Pipes hissed in a pattern. Brass rang like distant bells. There was structure in the madness — not random clatter, but a rhythm. A pulse.A heartbeat. The Redhook Linehouse wasn't just a train. It was alive. And that night, it whispered to him — not in words, but in movement. It danced in his dreams, a phantom of wheels and momentum, inertia and breath.
The rhythm crawled beneath his skin, syncing with his pulse, tugging his limbs into time. When Joshua awoke the next day he noticed it immediately: his breath came steady and strong, like a piston. His fingers twitched in time with some unseen metronome.
He swung his legs out of bed and hit the ground running — and found, to his surprise, that the train carried him. His steps landed lighter, smoother. He was in sync with something deeper. For the first time since leaving his world behind, he didn't feel like a stranger in strange lands. He felt like he belonged.
Temporary Buff Gained!
Duration: 5 Days
Effect: Harmonic Motion: Gain +5 to all movement-based rolls (dodge, sprint, climb, slide, dismount, reflex saves, etc.)
After one week, the rhythm fades. But the memory stays in your bones — and maybe, one day, the train will sing for you again.
-
Day 1 Begins – Schedule Planning
Welcome to your first official day at the Magical School.
Due to your D-Tier Talent, your body, mind, and spirit can only handle 3 ACTIONS per day. These actions are split across three parts of the day:
Time Slots
Morning (6 AM – 12 PM)
Afternoon (12 PM – 6 PM)
Evening (6 PM – 10 PM)
-
LOCKED IN ACTIONS
Morning – Class Selection You will need to choose the classes you will be taking. Some have expect magical assessments, aggressive faculty, and unpredictable grading metrics.
Afternoon – Welcoming Speech All first-years are required to attend this dimensional broadcast. Rumor has it one of the School Deans might even appear in person… or in proxy.
Evening – FREE ACTION SLOT This is your first opportunity to explore the Academy at your own discretion. Choose how you want to spend it:
Suggested Options:
Explore the Dormitory
Bond with Dormmate(Name)
Observe upperclassmen duels
Head to the Library and Research(Subject)
Join a school Club
Wander around aimlessly and take in the sight
-
Recap Day 0
Day 0 Schedule:
Morning – Awakening Ceremony
Afternoon – Dorm Selection
Evening - Introduction to your Dormmates
-
Build: Plan: Lone Gunslinger
Dorm: Plan - Redhook Linehouse (mobile rail dorm)
Dormmates: 12 Individuals(Velka, Marrow, Catalina, Ashford, Erin, Virelle, Ume, Brandon, Flickwick, Neal, Hella, Jack)