Crossroads Academy

**Crossroads Academy** is a Heretic school, located in a Pacific island. It takes students from North America and western Europe.

The school is located on a mountain on an island from the Pacific Ocean. Hieronymus Bosch painted the island, enchanted it so that the island itself and its surroundings were taken into that painting. He created a pocket dimension, a separate yet connected world where the real island was drawn, leaving Earth entirely and yet remaining somewhat connected to it through the painting.

## Location

Crossroads Academy consists of the large Main Building and extensive school grounds surrounding it, which includes a beach, and a large dense jungle, several outbuildings, and one of the locations that the Pathmaker Building simultaneously occupies.

The school grounds are surrounded by a force-field that maintains the temperature, muffles the sounds from outside, keeps track of when people leave so the faculty know when someone was off grounds. The shield needs to be recharged every twenty-four hours with power provided by every faculty member.

### Grounds

Professor Dare told Felicity Chambers to think of the school grounds like a clock. The prime academics building stands at twelve o'clock at the top of a grass-covered mountain that overlooks an absolute breathtaking beach. To the left at two o'clock is the athletics building, at four and five o'clock are the male and female dorms, the gate is at six o'clock, the armory is at seven o'clock and the faculty dorms at eight o'clock.

## History

### Early History

Crossroads Academy was founded by a Natural Hangman Heretic: Hieronymus Bosch. Hieronymus created a machine that would grant immunity to the Bystander Effect and allow those it was used on to protect the rest of humanity from Strangers. Hieronymus left behind paintings made with the blood of a Hangman Demon that told the story of how he had come to be a Heretic and his creation of the machine. At some point, the founders of Eden's Garden took the paintings, extracted the blood from the paint and used it to seed a tree in the middle of what became Eden's Garden.

## Administration

The highest position of staff at Crossroads Academy is the Headmaster or Headmistress.

### Heads of Crossroads Academy

Headmaster or Headmistress is the chief administrator of a school. They make all major decisions regarding the safety and the day-to-day functioning of the school.

## Traditions

First year students have orientation one week after second, third and fourth year students start school. Those that are raised outside of the Knowledge are taught what Heretics and then taken through the Heretical Edge while those raised inside the Knowledge are taught about specific school rules and requirements. First year students will also have the opportunity to choose their own weapon with the help of the Self Defense teacher.

At dinner after orientation, the Headmaster or Headmistress will give a welcoming speech, divide first year students into their teams and allow them to pick their own tracks, and give them their class schedules.

Fourth year students don't attend much classes as they're mostly assigned to an adult Heretic on a sort-of apprentice program.

Students are able to change tracks each semester if they choose two.

Students go on hunts once a month in order to gain new powers.

The students wear white shirts, black blazers with the letters CRA on the left front in elaborate lettering, a tie and either pants or skirts. The trim of the blazer at the waist and along the lapels, along with the tie itself, are one of several different colors depending on which track a student is in.

## Rivalry with Eden's Garden

Crossroads Academy has a tense and strained relationship with Eden's Garden.