Ardent Academy

**Region** | Sanus

Ardent Academy is a Hunter Training Facility located in the RWBY Fanverse Argence. A small private school, Ardent is generally isolated on the southeast forested mountains of Sanus. The school was built for the purpose of bolstering mankind's fighting forces against the Grimm after the Great War.

## System

Ardent Academy has a four year system for students who have reached adulthood, akin to that of a university or college. They run on a semester system, with one school year consisting of two terms. Dormitories are co-ed, with one team staying in each room. Several dorms are located throughout the campus cliffside, though they were typically in the same area. Spare dormitories arere maintained for visiting teams for events such as the Vytal Festival or important guests.

Though most students stay on campus during the first three years, Senior teams are sent off on various long-term missions or explorations. They aim to complete their goals and return to Ardent about a month before the end of the school year for graduation. Those who are not able to return on time are assumed KIA and a vigil is held for them after the graduation ceremonies.

For Juniors (or third year teams), they are permitted to take a term abroad in other regions though for only a couple months maximum. Though they are not given a specific goal or mission like the Seniors, the teams abroad are given the message to discover theirselves together in the world. The teams are meant to check in every several weeks to ensure they are not killed or missing. In the case that they are, special squads of hunters are sent as a search party in a rescue attempt, though this is rare.

### Uniforms

Arddent Academy uniforms were primarily shaded in navy blue and white. The male uniforms consist of a blue suit outlined in gray, over a black vest and white dress shirt with a navy tie. The female uniforms are a blue plaid skirt, black corset vest, and a navy jacket on top of a white blouse and blue ribbon.

### Rankings

On average, there are 240 students in every class year. Half of the third years are gone for each term, and every fourth year team is abroad. This means Ardent has around 600 students on campus each semester, comprised of 240 first years, 240 second years, and 120 third years.

Ardent Academy keeps tabs on its best and brightest with a unique ranking system for the top 5% of students (Top 30). These rankings are determined with a points system raised through test scores, examinations, extracurricular performances, and more granted by the professors. These rankings are reset at the end of each academic year so that the upperclassmen do not dominate the boards.

### Classes

As an institute dedicated to raising future huntsmen and huntresses, the academy has a number of both required and elective classes for students.

* Sparring
* Remnant History
* Grimm Theory
* Physical Conditioning
* Social Psychology
* Cooking
* Dust Composition
* Cultural Studies
* Mechanical Engineering

## Location and Landmarks

      The academy itself is located at the brink of a series of large waterfall, surrounded by the vast forests and mountains of the continent. Most of the main halls are built into the cliffside behind the cascades of water. Several landing platforms extend from the main campus for airships.

The school itself comprises of several main departments for each of the major subjects and fields of study. Each has its own structure developed underneath the waterfalls on the cliffside. The student dormitories are located on the eastern forest cliff of Ardent and built on the land itself. The west dormitories are reserved typically for visiting students and guests for events such as the Vytal Festival.

    The Founders Library is one of the largest structures within Ardent. The building is comprised of three stories underneath an immense ceiling with immeasurable shelves of books and desks for student usage. Archives of rarer texts and artifice are found behind locked doors that only the professors have access to.

Entrium Hall, also known as the auditorium, stands on its own in a courtyard a ways off from the central area. Rather than being built into the cliffside underneath the waterfalls, it appears somewhat similar to a cathedral.

The Great Hall, also known as the ballroom, begins on the third floor of the main structure and rises up to the fourth.

A string of natural caves travels from the mountain cliffs to the bottom at the lake and rivers. Those visiting the institute typically need to travel by airship or traverse through the dense landscape.

## Structure

The academy's main structure comprises of 11 total floors.

11th Floor - Headmaster's Office

Located just under the apex of the cliff, Headmaster Desmond Chance's office is located here. It's the smallest floor in terms of size, but its height gives a view of both the entire campus and the landscape.
10th Floor - Administration

8th Floor -

7th Floor - Infirmary

The entire floor comprises of a great hospital-like infirmary.
6th Floor - Library, Classrooms,

5th Floor - Library, Classrooms

4th Floor - Library and Classrooms

Founders Library begins here and stretches up two more floors to the 5th and 6th floors as well.
3rd Floor - Main Level

Connected to the "ground level" paths that lead to Entrium Hall, the primary auditorium of the campus, and the student dorms. The Great Hall is also located in the main structure's portion of the floor used as event space for special occasions. It stretches to a portion of the 4th Floor.
2nd Floor - Sparring Rooms and Exercise Halls

1st Floor - Arrivals

The largest floor in terms of size due to a customs-like entrance from four large landing platforms for ships.
## Staff

#### Headmaster

Desmond Chance

Headmaster Chance is the third to take up the seat of the Academy. Always calm and pleasant in the presence of his students, Desmond Chance thoroughly enjoys watching the next generation learn and grow. He's often considered to be too lenient towards some of the more troubleworthy students.
#### Professors

Remulus Stilts

Remulus is a grumbly middle-aged man, easily frustrated with life but dedicated to his profession. Once young and full of drive, he now has a constant look of being disgruntled and putting on pounds, much to his dismay. Though currently starting to bald, students are often left in awe at his handsome figure in photos years ago. He is based on Rumpelstiltskin.
Wallace Gingerman

Wallace is a tall individual of charm and professionalism. He has many connections within and outside of Ardent, giving himself a great gateway to Remnant's darker areas. Wallace is personally connected with some of his students, and often a recruiter for those he sees fit. Despite his seemingly basic status as a professor in Ardent, he takes autonomy to do as he needs. He is based on the Gingerbread Man.
Madrid Grayback

A loud and ferocious man who enjoys fighting and inspiring the same flames in his students, Madrid comes off as a boisterous instructor. Laid back and with a fervent disregard for protocol, he enjoys taking matters into his own hands when it comes to teaching. He is based on the Big Bad Wolf.
Jean Gosling

Despite being a well-renowned huntress with a great record, Jean is often in a state of disarray and anxiousness. She cares deeply for her students to the point of being overprotective. She is based on the Golden Goose.
## Initiation

Students are divided into groups of 24, each overseen by two Professors, and sent into River Rise when the Initiation begins. There are a multitude of ways these groups are introduced to the battlegrounds. Some of the known ones are:

* Launched off the cliff side
* Diving into open waters
* Scattered through mountainside tunnels
* Sprinting into the woods below

Though students launched with their groups are nearer and thus more likely to partner with each other, inter-group partnering is a very common occurence.

For all 240 students, teams of 4 will be formed from pairs that meet in the grounds of the Initiation leading to a total of 60 teams. Each pair retrieves half of a relic and are combined with another pair that has retrieved the matching other half. As such, there are a total of 60 relics with 120 half-pieces.

The relics themselves are large coins emblazoned with the 15 Seladiac creatures

* Kirin

* Tiger

* Betta

* Deer

* Snake

* Wolf

* Owl

* Rabbit

* Fox

* Shark

* Cat

* Raven

* Horse

* Tortoise

* Spider

There are 4 of each relic in the colored frames of Black, White, Gold, and Silver.

Different strategies are often utilized for the Initiation. Some headed straight for the relics knowing the fastest and strongest would arrive there first. Others attempted to meet up in the environment first, ensuring their partnership. There are even "pre-made" teams who would rush to the center to reserve the two matching relics for the others. The Initation ceremony afterwards went in order announcing the first teams to make it back until the last teams.

## Student Teams

### Freshman Teams

Team CRVN (Corvine): Silver Deer
- Celina Cavell, Aurelia Riore, Vesper Alice, Nyx Astraea

Team PVRL (Pearl): Black Tortoise
- Perseus Lucille, Verona Scarlett, Rivern Haust, Lucia Silverbell

Team APBL (Apple): Gold Kirin
- Albus Riviere, Perdine Grace, Bruno Lawson, Lance Amora

Team PYTN (Python): White Shark
- Price, Y, Triton, Nami

Team RSMY (Rosemary): White Fox
- Rajah Effil, Saige Effil, Marygold, Ylisse Aberforth

Team SINW (Sinnew): Black Spider
- Scalara, Ienso, Nilbon, Wryman

Team DZRT (Desert): White Wolf
- Dally Bishop, Zephryn Hollow, Rosemary Green, Talia

Team SHMK (Shamrock): Silver Horse
- Sonia, Halder, Mash, Karador

Team NCTR (Nectar): Gold Tortoise - Nami, Coral, Tethis, Ran

Team ZFYR (Zephyr): Black Tiger - Zolt, Freija, Yanno, Raifel

Team PLIT (Pallet): Gold Snake
- Plynth, Landon, Irma, Talia

Team EINQ (Ink): Silver Cat - Edelman, Ivy, Nels, Q