It is no easy thing to tell the story of which St. Empyreal’s University for the Arcane had been built.

From the primordial unrest at the center of the universe grew the Earth’s flicker of magic. The first arcanists summoned the power of the cosmos; here lies the poignant saga of fate. A rift, opened; the birth of existence, life, an unparalleled allure of divine mastery. What once had started in harmony between the four arcanists bloomed to conflict; perhaps it was the temptation of divinity, to hold the power of the aether in their hands; perhaps they sought what they thought was right. The arcanist leaders fought for their rightful place on the Throne of Archmagus Empyreal: a war, devastating as wars are — there are stories of bloodshed, though what has risen was the resplendence of humanity: their victories came at a staggering cost.

The life of others.

After the onslaught of harrowing battles, the first Arcanists came to a truce; known as the Stalwart Four, at least — that is what the mortals have called them. They’d relinquished their titles, though their efforts have not gone unnoticed by the aether. A clandestine tradition arose, the rift between man and magic seemingly forever sealed — hidden from the world of man, occupied by the divine. What they’d built became a sanctuary, idyllic — fair and forthright; no quarrel between houses, no wars to be sung.

Buildings and squares, the bustle of wizards and witches, Sanctuary had become the land of safety, befitting the title — homes, filled to the brim with family — with life. The Stalwart Four had (uncreatively) named the realm Sanctum. Thus it is stickered with villages and towns, with its largest named after the Throne; Empyreal, a rightful name for the city which harbored the throne itself.

From ashes and debate rose St. Empyreal’s University of the Arcane. Its founders, the predecessors of the Stalwart Four, built this academy to continue the longstanding traditions of spellcasting. In present day, what had formerly been detested, became reality for those in Sanctum. Its doors had opened to the average man, offering those without magic to learn—the suggestion of an overzealous professor whose chicken scratch held the belief that Science and Magic went hand in hand; some say it was due to the lack of students, and others say that the idea began during a drunken outing amongst the heads. Whatever the reason, those who have not been born into the magical bloodline can live amongst those who are. But beware, the mortal realm finds itself to have a fear of the unknown.

This year marks the 3rd year St. Empyreal has allowed non-magical bloodline students; those which are called the inarcane.

*Hello and thank you for reading! As seen above, this roleplay is centered on the students of St. Empyreal's University of the Arcane; there are a few things to note when entering the realm of Sanctum!

First and foremost, the University is Sanctum's largest University of Arcane. It has become the dream of many to attend, thus many students in Sanctum work hard in order to pass the Academy's entrance exam. However, there are a few that get by without having the most pristine grades throughout their academic career. Those who do not come from Sanctum could have heard of it from tall-tales that weren't as fictional as most would initially think; some might have run into a witch or wizard that had gone into the mortal realm, oftentimes mistaken as trick magicians and nothing more; some may be interested in the "myth" that is Sanctum, perhaps studied it to no end. Either way, non-magical bloodlines are permitted access to Sanctum by a strict basis. Marriage, school, what ever the current Archmage sees as permissible.*

The Stalwart Four

Zhao Ruo Shi (Deceased - Unknown Circumstances) The last to join the Stalwart Four. Ruo Shi is known for his prismatic, illusionary magic. A man born in the far mountains, tamer of winger-creatures — known for his wisdom and occasional trickery.

Kima Brookthorne (Deceased - Natural Causes) The first to call upon the truce, Kima Breakthorne was a strong leader — a master of the elements, friend of nature. She watched as the war wasted away the beauty of Sanctum’s nature and vowed to keep it safe once again.

Kheviris Moonstone (Deceased - Murdered) Known as Sanctum's Moon Mother, Kheviris lead her cause in light of her husband's cowardice. She was cold, calculated: not blessed by the warmth her name otherwise gave. She was the second to last member of the Stalwart Four -- initially wary, mostly driven by the Aether's pull for greed. It is still unknown who her murderer is.

Percival Darrington (Deceased - Murdered) Formerly the leader of the Iron Conclave, Percival needn't accept defeat by the other three of the Stalwart Four. Be it his pride or his genuine care for the Aether, Percival relinquished his title of the Iron Conclave's leader. A master of fire and brimstone, artisan of enchanted weaponry, he'd given his talents over to the Stalwart Four. His fate was forged in blood, a murder in the midst, one committed by his own child: succumbing to the Aether's maddening word.

The darkness seemingly dispelled by the former Stalwart Four has seem to claw its way back! Faculty has made it their mission to assist in choosing the students whose rightful positions belong in the new generation of the Stalwart Four; students will be under close evaluation. Note that students from both magic and non-magic backgrounds have the opportunity to become part of the Stalwart Four. There is no guarantee that your character will be in that list, no matter the title of Nobility, no matter the family's history. However, there will be members who play favorites. Of course, that doesn't always mean a good ending.

Students will be able to look at their ranking: though, it will only show the top 4 students and the bottom 4. From the primordial unrest at the center of the universe grew Earth’s flicker of magic. The first arcanists summoned the cosmos' power; here lies the saga of fate. A rift opened: the birth of existence and an unparalleled allure of divine mastery. What started in harmony between the four arcanists bloomed into conflict. Perhaps it was the temptation of divinity, to hold the aether in their hands, or perhaps they simply sought what they believed was right. The leaders fought for their rightful place on the Throne of Archmagus Empyreal. It was a devastating war; stories of bloodshed abound, and while the resplendence of humanity rose from the ashes, their victories came at a staggering co