Athelney School of Nen and Abilities

**Athelney School of Nen and Abilities**(念と能力のアテルニー学校, *Nen to nōryoku no Aterunī gakkō*), more known simply as **Athelney** (アテルニー, *Aterunī*), is a Nen-teaching school, located in the Sahiro Republic.

## Overview

### Architecture

The school consists in a huge castle and a large part of the area surrounding it, which are the school grounds. There are tall stone walls surrounding all of that. This whole area is invisible to people who have not awakened Nen. On each edge of the stone wall are towers with watchmen that use En to discover invaders.

The actual castle is divided in six parts on the sides, with towers, and the largest central part. Each of the six parts symbolize a Nen type, and belongs to the people of said type. The central part can be used by any student or teacher, and contains spaces such as the cafeteria and the library. All the towers have flags on them, and their color depends on which Nen type it represents. In the towers are located the dormitories, bathrooms, classrooms, etc. The school grounds have many trees, greenhouses, lakes, the gymnasium and the auditorium. Despite not being part of the school itself, it is connected to a very dense forest, called the Lost Forest.

### Uniform and Tower Colors

The regular uniform consists of a long-sleeved dark gray sweater, a black skirt (for girls) or black trousers (for boys), alongside long black robes with a hoodie and a necktie. They also wear dark brown dress shoes and must wear some kind of socks or stockings. The colors of the internal part of the hoodie and the necktie depend on the student's Nen type, it being:

* Green for Enhancers;
* Yellow for Emitters;
* White for Manipulators;
* Purple for Transmuters;
* Red for Conjurers;
* Blue for Specialists.

### Nen Monitors

The Nen Monitors are students who have authority over other students and also more responsibilities, often helping teachers with work. In the first day of a year, the students from a tower that have had the highest performance during their first year(s) are chosen as Nen Monitors, so they need to have spent at least a year in the school for that. However, after the Forest Tournament, the winners are elected as the new ones.

A Nen Monitor can resign or be fired at any given time. However, they can only do that if a reason is provided, and they can only be fired if they break the school rules.

### School Lockdown

Due to its proximity to the Lost Forest, sometimes Magical Beasts end up getting inside the school grounds despite all the protection to prevent that. Most of the time, when this happens, they are harmless and can go back to the forest by themselves or be returned by someone; however, when an aggressive beast appears and a staff member is notified, the school goes into a Lockdown. In this state, all the internal and external gates are closed, nobody can leave no matter what, and students must be on their tower and dormitory. A Lockdown normally does not last much time, and after it is over, everything goes back to normality. People normally avoid talking about Lockdowns.

## History

Athelney was founded around 1000 years before the current time, by six powerful Nen users: Roka Chavanas (Enhancer), Kanashi Kochi (Transmuter), Sio Nori (Conjurer), Dullac Hayak (Emitter), Sana Lamolon (Manipulator) and Risu Sukilo (Specialist). They admitted students in shortly after founding the school, and served as the leaders, and sometimes even teachers, of each tower. The Forest Tournament and the Termination Ball were implemented some time after the creation of the school, too.

Kritch matches and excursions, however, only appeared in Athelney after about three centuries after its founding, when the sport and the cities started to gain more popularity around the world.

## School year

### Arrival and First Week

To be allowed to enter the school, students need to enroll with at least two weeks of antecedence before the start of the classes. One week before, they receive a letter containing the materials that will be needed for the school year.

On the first day of class, the students go to the school. Normally, all of them have opened their aura nodes before coming, but they can be initiated in the entrance if necessary (with an authorization). After coming inside, they are led to the auditorium where they receive a welcoming speech from the headmaster; after that, each one is called on stage to perform the Water Divination and discover which is their Nen type to get sorted into the houses. They then receive their uniform and tower location based on that.

When all the students arrive in their respective towers, they are then sorted in the many dormitories, which house from 3 to 4 students each. They are given half an hour to leave everything they brought in the rooms and arrange them before leaving to the cafeteria, a room with seven big colored tables for each Nen type, and one for the staff. After dinner, they are free to do whatever they want until 9:30 P.M., where they must go back to their rooms.

The first week is dedicated solely for new students to get used to the rest of school year and know the school, so first-years don't have classes in this period.

### Normal Days

Every day, breakfast is served in the cafeteria from 7 A.M. to 7:45 A.M.. After that, students must go to their respective classes, the first one starting at 8 A.M. and so on. Most classes are exclusive to certain Nen types and have only students from the same one, but a few mix students from different types. At noon, they go back to the cafeteria to eat lunch and are free to do whatever they want until 3 P.M., where they have more classes until 5 P.M., and are free for the rest of the day.

Dinner is served at 7 P.M., and the curfew remains at 9:30 P.M.. At night, most students go to the library or their dormitories to do their homework. Occasionally, there are exams with grades for each class. During weekends and holidays, there are no classes. Students are strictly forbidden from leaving the school grounds unless in cases of emergency.

### Forest Tournament

In the middle of the school year, an event called Forest Tournament starts. It consists of a competition where a few students from each Nen type are sent to the Lost Forest and try to survive against each other, being allowed to use all the techniques they have learned to defend or attack. In the past, this tournament used to be much more violent, and due to the high death toll, the rules were changed: before coming inside, each participant receives a handkerchief with the color of their Nen type, and, when they find themselves in a dangerous situation that could lead to their deaths, they can simply drop the handkerchief and they will be teleported back to the castle. Normally, to eliminate competition, students simply steal another's handkerchief and drop it.

The school considers it a student's obligation to realize when they are in risk of death considering the classes they took until the time, and it doesn't take responsibility in any accident. If by any chance a student's handkerchief gets ripped, it will be rendered completely useless.

The process of the selection of students is assigned to all the teachers of each Nen type, and once selected, they have no choice but to go on with the decision unless something happens to prevent them from going. As the students are selected by their grades, there must be at least one "excellent" student, one "average" student and one "bad" student. Those are chosen one week before the day of the tournament and do not need to attend classes, being free to spend their day training.

The tournament starts at 9 P.M. and last 8 hours, ending only at 5 A.M. of the following day, as soon as the sun starts rising. The students who remain are chosen as winners and elected as Nen Monitors of their towers.

### Athelney Kritch Cup

Most players join the team of their towers in the start of the year, and practice until the date of the Kritch Cup. During this tournament, the teams have scheduled days to compete against each other, and in the end, the team that wins earns a trophy for their tower. Due to the nature of their abilities, the Manipulators frequently win the prize, being the tower that has the biggest win record.

### Termination Ball

The Termination Ball is an event that happens the penultimate day of a school year. It is a celebration to formally "close" the year, where all students are able to attend, as long as they have a dance partner. The champions of the Forest Tournament are required to attend, and traditionally, open the dance.

The ball is announced one week before the day it happens, and as preparation, the students also have daily dance classes. On the day of the ball, there are no classes, and it starts in the gymnasium at 8 P.M., lasting until midnight, when all the students need to go back to their dormitories.

### Last Day

In the last day, there are no classes. This day is just reserved for the students to pack up all their things and leave the school, to come back only the next year.

## Exams and Grades

Teachers normally assign homework to the students after class, whether it is practical or theoretical. Later, the homework is graded depending on the student's performance. This system also applies to the tests they have as the school year progresses.

The Ordinary Tests, normally abbreviated as OTs, are the normal exams the students have to complete. The dates those exams will take place depend on the teachers; the OTs can be either written or practical. The Special Tests, abbreviated as STs, are optional exams only for the best students, made only in the very end of the last year, taken only by the ones who wish to become Hunters in the future. The exam was made with questions that help the student realize which Hunter type would be the better one for them.

The last OT of the last year is known to be the hardest one of the entire school, and it can determine whether a student will be able to go to the Special Tests or not.

The grading system in the school is as follows:

* O - Outstanding. This is the highest level a student can achieve, and, if one has this as their last grade, they will always be able to go to the STs.
* A - Ace. This is the second highest level a student can achieve, and if one has this as their last grade, they will, most of the time, be able to go to the STs.
* R - Regular. This is the most average grade a student can achieve, and, if one has this as their last grade, they will rarely be able to go to the STs.
* P - Poor. This is the second worst grade a student can achieve, and, if one has this as their last grade, they will never be able to go to the STs, and, sometimes, even have to repeat the whole year.
* T - Terrible. This is the worst grade a student can achieve, and, if one has this as their last grade, they will never be able to go to the STs, and even have to repeat the whole year.

## School Rules

Those are a set of rules that the students must follow during the time they are in the school. If broken, it normally results in a punishment or detention, but depending on the severity or the number of times the same student broke them, it may end up resulting in a suspension or expulsion.

1. Students must never use Nen to harm anyone else (unless it is the Forest Tournament).
2. Any detected bloodlust will immediately result in a punishment.
3. Students are strictly forbidden from entering the Lost Forest unless it is the Forest Tournament. The ones who weren't chosen must not come inside either.
4. Using Nen during exams is forbidden.
5. Students must head to their respective towers and rooms after the curfew.
6. Students must not miss classes or leave the school unless it is an urgent situation.
7. If a Magical Beast is spotted in the school grounds, students must never get near or touch it. Instead, they should inform a teacher.
8. During lessons and events, students should always be wearing the uniform.
9. If a student is carrying a forbidden object or something that may put their and the other students' lives on danger, it must be confiscated.

When a student breaks a rule for the first time and/or it is not a severe mistake, they are usually given detention. The length of the punishment, the location and what it is about depends on the teacher administering it. The most common forms of detention are cleaning certain areas of the school and helping teachers with tasks. In the case of Nen Monitors, breaking rules remove their privileges; and Nen Monitors can also place students in detention with a teacher's permission. In case a detention falls on the same day of events, such as the Forest Tournament or the Termination Ball, the student would be forced to miss those and attend the detention.

A student can be suspended for some time if they have committed a more severe crime or a light one multiple times. If they are underage, their guardians are them contacted and can come to pick them up as soon as possible; on the contrary, they can just leave. The cases where students have actually been forbidden to come back to Athelney ever again are actually very rare, being reserved only in intolerable situations, mainly when the students commit horrendous crimes. In the past, killing other students during the Forest Tournament was not seen as an offense, but currently, it is illegal and will lead to expulsion.

## Student years

### First Year

A first year student is one that is new to Athelney. Due to that, they are allowed to take their first week off, as long as they dedicate it to learning about the rules and subjects, and trying to memorize the locations of everything. As most first years are also of a very young age, they possess restrictions that aren't present on the other school years; some other students, however, say that the first year is the best one, as most teachers "go easy on them". At least some of the restrictions of the first years are not being able to apply for the Nen Monitor position (unless they win the Forest Tournament) and not being able to create a Hatsu just yet (as they should focus on learning the categories of Nen first). They also have no extracurricular activities.

### Second Year

A second year student is a student who is in their second year of Nen study at Athelney. Compared to first years, second years have more freedom, but slowly begin receiving more responsibilities, too. The second years who have had the best grades of their tower on their first year are chosen to be Nen Monitors, having the choice to accept or refuse the position. Just like first years, second years have no extracurricular activities outside the school, however, they are allowed to create a Hatsu, though it is not recommended as the subject still won't be approached in the classes.

### Third Year

A third year student is a student who is in their third year of Nen study at Athelney. The third year is said to be important in an Athelney student's course, as this is the first year where they are allowed to have extracurricular activities: those consist of a few trips around Sahiro Republic to study its culture as the year passes. The most commonly visited place is Jaisper City, as it is at the same time entertaining to the students and full of tradition to be studied. To take part on those activities, a student needs a signed permission from their guardian if they are underage. Despite the leisure trips, this year is said to be very hard due to the proximity of the last OTs and pressure by part of the teachers. In classes, teachers start focusing a lot more on the subject of Hatsu, and it is preferable for the students to start developing theirs around this time.

### Fourth Year

A fourth year student is a student who is in their fourth year of Nen study at Athelney. This being the last year, it is noted to be extremely stressful for most people. Just like in the third year, fourth years can go on extracurricular activities around Sahiro in certain dates. At some point in this year, it is mandatory for every fourth year student to have a unique Hatsu of their own, as not doing so will result in a penalty on their report card and make it likely for them to obtain bad grades. The last OTs of this year are very tough, and students with a good performance who want to be Hunters can do the STs to discover which Hunter type would be suited for them. After this, they graduate and are free to leave the school and do whatever they want.

## Staff Members

### Teachers

* Samon (All subjects)
* Merlinna McGinn
* Stane

## Locations

### Inside the Castle

The castle has been said to harbor many secret rooms and passages; however, most students avoid talking about this subject due to fear of being punished. It is said that, to be able to enter those, first a person needs to find a secret area and then discover how to open it, which is extremely difficult.

#### Central Area

* Cafeteria: A very large room with 7 tables for the students and teachers. It's where they eat their meals.
* Kitchen: It's a room linked to the cafeteria where the kitchen staff prepares the food. Students are forbidden from entering during the preparation of meals.
* Library: The library is very big and contains lots of books, mainly about the general categories of Nen. It also has tables where the students can stay to do their homework. They can also borrow books from here.
* Bathrooms: There are some bathrooms on the corridors.
* Leisure room: This is a large room similar to a living room, with sofas, a fireplace, tables, etc. Students can come here to relax or do their homework. During the weekends, it's quite full of people.
* Detention room: A classroom that is open for misbehaving students to be put at when in detention.
* Hospital wing: An infirmary where students are taken to when suffering from an illness or injuries.
* Laundry: A room full of washing machines where students can leave their uniforms to be washed. There are also spare uniforms that can be borrowed in certain cases.
* Teachers' office: A place where the teachers stay when they are not in class, to grade homework and exams, talk about students, etc.
* Headmaster's office: The place where the Headmaster stays. Students and staff are forbidden from coming in unless summoned by the Headmaster himself.

#### Enhancers' Tower

* Dormitories: There are corridors with many doors where the dormitories are located. Each room can house from 3 to 4 students.
* Bathrooms: There are some bathrooms on the corridors.
* Library: There is a library with many shelves of books, most of them focusing on Enhancement.
* Classrooms: The classrooms are used during class time for the teachers to teach the students about the subjects. There are classes for all years.
* Training room: There is a training room dedicated for the students to practice their abilities and spar against each other.

#### Emitters' Tower

* Dormitories: There are corridors with many doors where the dormitories are located. Each room can house from 3 to 4 students.
* Bathrooms: There are some bathrooms on the corridors.
* Library: There is a library with many shelves of books, most of them focusing on Emission.
* Classrooms: The classrooms are used during class time for the teachers to teach the students about the subjects. There are classes for all years.
* Gym room: In their free time, students usually go to the gym room so they can practice their Emission abilities.

#### Manipulators' Tower

* Dormitories: There are corridors with many doors where the dormitories are located. Each room can house from 3 to 4 students.
* Bathrooms: There are some bathrooms on the corridors.
* Library: There is a library with many shelves of books, most of them focusing on Manipulation.
* Classrooms: The classrooms are used during class time for the teachers to teach the students about the subjects. There are classes for all years.
* Subject room: This is a room containing many kinds of items of different weights where the students can train their abilities by trying to manipulate their movements.

#### Transmuters' Tower

* Dormitories: There are corridors with many doors where the dormitories are located. Each room can house from 3 to 4 students.
* Bathrooms: There are some bathrooms on the corridors.
* Library: There is a library with many shelves of books, most of them focusing on Transmutation.
* Classrooms: The classrooms are used during class time for the teachers to teach the students about the subjects. There are classes for all years.
* Texture room: This is a room with many types of objects with different textures; the students can touch them and try to memorize their consistency to train their abilities.

#### Conjurers' Tower

* Dormitories: There are corridors with many doors where the dormitories are located. Each room can house from 3 to 4 students.
* Bathrooms: There are some bathrooms on the corridors.
* Library: There is a library with many shelves of books, most of them focusing on Conjuration.
* Classrooms: The classrooms are used during class time for the teachers to teach the students about the subjects. There are classes for all years.
* Item room: In this room, there are many objects, mostly weapons. By analyzing them, the students can discover their texture, weight, smell and sound and be near them, and so, train their Conjuration abilities.

#### Specialists' Tower

* Dormitories: There are corridors with many doors where the dormitories are located. Each room can house from 3 to 4 students.
* Bathrooms: There are some bathrooms on the corridors.
* Library: There is a library with many shelves of books, most of them focusing on Conjuration.
* Classrooms: The classrooms are used during class time for the teachers to teach the students about the subjects. There are classes for all years.
* Special room: Differently from the other towers, this room is not mainly focused on training; instead, it is an empty room where the students can do whatever they want. In the end, this ends up boosting their creativity and helping them create an unique Specialization ability.

### Outside the Castle

* Auditorium: It is a large building near the castle, but separated from it. It has many chairs on each side, leaving an aisle in the middle. There is also a big stage that can be used for presentations or speeches.
* Gymnasium: A building where the students can play sports with their Nen abilities. It is used in a few classes, and this way, the students can simultaneously have fun and train.
* School grounds: A lively and natural area where the castle, auditorium and gymnasium are build at. There are many trees around, as well as other small buildings such as greenhouses, toolsheds, etc. There are also some lakes.
* Lost Forest: Despite not being a proper part of the school, it is located right next to it; in the wall around the school, there are gates that lead to the forest, though those are left locked the whole year and open only during the Forest Tournament.
* Kritch Fields: There is a Kritch field in which players can practice at. It is also used during the Kritch Cup.

## Trivia

* In real life, there is a place called Athelney, in England.