Thread: The Heart of the World -[Haru::Ironic]-

The world of Prynh , a magical realm filled with danger and wild promise. All manner of beings call Prynh their home humans and elves, as well as dwarves and magical beasts and beings of all types. Among these are the anthros, humanoid beings with traits of animals and humans alike, intelligent as any human and yet blessed with the senses and instincts of the animals they encompass. Once thought nothing more than wild beasts, as the Magisters of Prynh conquered the wilderness and civilized parts of it, they found that the anthros were one of the most promising races. Now they number among the best protectors and knights of the land, superbly suited for the wilderness in ways that mere humans and elves are not. The Magisters command great magic, and this is what civilization is built upon. Able to command those primal elemental forces, the Magisters are made up of members of all the sentient races... except the anthros. None of that race has yet to rise to the rank of Magister. Scattered about Prynh are the bastions of civilization that the Magisters have carved out of the land - places where the sentient races gather and make their homes, relatively safe from the wilds of Prynh that hold dangers which would bring most to their knees. Or their demise. Luckily, most beasts do not stray from their territories, and the cities and fortified towns of Prynh discourage the monsters. One such city is Marsippi . Located in the southeastern part of Prynh, this city is expansive, and a hub of trade in the south. Set upon the shores of Azure Lake, ships are a constant sight in the city, transporting goods and passengers. The streets of the city are filled with all manner of botanical life, and some of the streets can only be traversed by boat. One of the most famed buildings in Marsippi, and some even say in all of Prynh, is the Bednia Academy , a school reknowned across the land for producing the best knights and protectors of the land. Of the dozen or so Magisters of Prynh, no less than half are graduates of this Academy. The school teaches those with promise in magic how to harness their powers. It also teaches all fighting arts, both unarmed and armed. Professors at the Academy specialize in various areas, from utility and defensive magic, to more destructive arts and divination. Students are held to a very high standard, as most cadets strive to become Knights of the First Order. Only those inducted as Knights ever have the chance to attain the rank of Magister, and that is only after climbing through all ten Ranks of Knighthood. Amarok is one such promising student. Though slightly older than his peers, due to a few discipline problems that held him back, Amarok is now starting to come into his own. A wolf anthro with snow white fur, Amarok possesses everything that the Magisters look for in their best cadets a peerless intinct and a quick mind being the most important. Not only quite intelligent, even if he tries to act otherwise, Amarok also is a superlative example of a wolf anthro. Several times stronger than a human man, faster than an elf, and with senses to back all of that up. Now getting close to graduating, and ascending to being a Knight of the First Order, Amarok is looking forward to graduating. The wolf has honed his skills in the more destructive arts, a practitioner of evocation magic. Able to call upon the powers of the elements, Amarok employs fire and lightning to augment his excellent skills with the sword. Blending these into a whirlwind of combat prowess, the anthro is shaping up to be one of the best warriors in all of Prynh. Unfortunately, though he is very in touch and in tune with nature, he lacks the one type of magic that would make him one of the most well-rounded warriors in the world. Healing. Amarok simply has no knack for it, and in truth that does not hamper him much, since all cadets are trained to work in teams. No student is expected to go through the Trial alone, and teamwork is a conerstone of being a Knoght, much less a Magister. ---------- Amarok padded down the hallway of Bednia Academy, his white fur practically gleaming in the morning light, brushed and washed as it was. The slight sound of his armor could be heard as he moved. The tempered steel plates backed with leather to padd it against his body and silence it. His weapon was at his hip, and the gauntlet that allowed further focus of his magic locked upon his arm. He felt ready, and his bright yellow eyes were bright as he entered the auditorium. All the students now ready for the Trial had been called to this place, each to be assigned a partner for their Trial, and sent out into Prynh with various missions to complete. Were they successful, and lived to return to Bednia, then they wuld be inducted into the First Order, being a Knight in full. Amarok! a fellow cadet called, out, a young human male by the name of Jaerth. The young man waved and came over. He and Amarok had shared a few classes, and the young human male was one of the best healers in the Academy. Because of this, Jaerth had high hopes that he and Amarok would be paired together for the Trial. He could not ask for a better Sword than Amarok. He had little martial skill in attack arts, but his defense was nigh impregnable. Which was nice, but often led to more stalemates than anything, as he was left untouched but simply did not have the capacity nor heart to kill. Jaerth knew he would never become a Magister, but on the path he had set for himself he would likely become one of the most powerful Hospitalers. I knew you'd be all set! How you feeling big guy? Jaerth asked, looking up into the wolfish face of the seven foot tall anthro. I'm feeling strong! Amarok answered and smiled at the human. And you? Are you ready for your Trial? he asked. Jaerth nodded. I am! I'm hoping that I get a Sword as good as you!b he exclaimed. There's no other Sword as good as me. Amarok boasted, and winked at the young man. Pfft! I know that! But you know all of us Hospitalers hope to be paired with a strong Sword. It's the only way we'll survive! You guys have it easier I think, knowing that even if your Hospitaler falls you can likely survive. For us, if our Sword falls we have to beat a hasty retreat! It was true in some ways, though a Hospitaler could always heal themselves as well, the process was slower and not as 'natural'. They were made to heal others, and often took along healing potions to speed along their own recovery. Swords were the martial practitioners, and dubbed as such even if they wielded magic, like Amarok. Hospitalers were the healers, able to channel blessed magic into others to knit wounds and mend bone. Under the care of a Hospitaler, especially a talented one, a person could be brought back from the cusp of death itself, sometimes in a matter of hours if a Hospitaler was well prepared. There were other specialties as well Summoners who were able to call on supernatural beasts to fight for them, Clockers who controlled time in one manner or another, Geomancers who had control over various terrains and could turn the land on their enemies... and several others. Each cadet had shown promise in some area and the Magisters would assign the teams to best complement one another to complete their Trial. Soon the room was called to attention and the Headmaster came in, preparing to speak to the cadets and give the assigned teams their orders.