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Volume 53: Basics of Mers Academy

Frostsch

Awake and Bursting with Energy
Joined
May 14, 2015
Location
Illinois
Volume 53: Basics of Mers Academy

[Under construction]

pmOVIQd.jpg

The contents of this book explain the basics needed to become a hero in Mers Academy. While the field work of a hero is indeed invaluable, so is one's understanding of what had created the hero occupation. Becoming a hero is a daunting task, as it requires one to sacrifice themselves for the development and survivorship of mankind. To ensure that heroes and hero-students do not fall to despair, they must understand the history of humanity, as well as why the hero occupation was established. These few chapters will briefly highlight important concepts that all heroes must understand.

Index
Chapter 1: Origins of the World
Chapter 2: Humans and Bestia
Chapter 3: Equipment and Sub-occupations
Chapter 4: The City of Mers
Chapter 5: Mers Academy for Heroes
Chapter 6: Other Human Settlements
Chapter 7: Photoperiods
Chapter 8: The Twin Moons
Chapter 9: The Continents

Chapter 1: Origins of the World

Torr, the planet in which we reside, is believed to have formed billions of years ago from debris surrounding the sun. As the proto-planet formed, it pulled two smaller collections of rock into its orbit. These two smaller collections would eventually become known as the twin moons, Xeoria and Yevis. Continued bombardment of Torr would bring oceans to the proto-planet, effectively cooling it down. As the conditions of the planet settled, the first forms of microbial life formed. As life evolved, the first intelligent species was born: the Giants. Or, simply put, Gods. The Gods ruled over Torr using god mana, a magical essence gifted to them from the planet itself. They used their innate abilities to settle disputes among one another.

It is unknown what dispute triggered the end of the Gods' Era. After the battle stopped, there only remained three Gods to watch over Torr - Frostsch, Beelz, and Paradis. After seeing the havoc that they'd brought upon their own kind, the three gods went into a deep sleep and allowed mother Torr to recover from its wounds. As the planet healed, it brought forth another form of intelligent life, known as the humans. Humans were smaller than gods and lived relatively short life spans. They were not gifted the same mana as the gods. Instead, their mana-less characteristics would force them to invent tools.

Fortunately for the humans, they would receive their own taste of magic. A small group of humans unveiled a meteor crash site and were immediately infected by its contents. Mana began to flow through them, creating new vessels unique to mana. With mana in hand, humans dominated Torr and constructed entire cities to fit their needs.

Chapter 2: Humans and Bestia

There has been much debate as to the origins of bestia and what their connection is with humanity. Throughout Mers history, two theories have persisted. The first theory states that humanity and bestia have existed alongside each other throughout time. The second theory states that humans originated on the Earth first, leisurely enjoying millions of years without the threat of bestia. This text provides proof for the latter.

From recent hero exhibitions, we have discovered a destroyed culture littered around all four directions (The North, The South, The West, and The East). This destroyed culture bears a striking resemblance to our own. It is suggested that our Mers culture is actually the surviving remnant from this ancient civilization. While there is no definite proof, some believe that the ancient civilization was destroyed by the bestia. After witnessing the destructive influence of bestia, it would be a valid assumption to say that bestia would've quickly been able to subdue this ancient civilization as soon as the two made contact. If that is the case, then we could cointegrate the destruction of the old culture with the arrival of bestia.

As for the method of "arrival" for bestia, not much is known. Some theories propose that bestia were born from an evolutionary development akin to rapid cladogenesis. However, rapid cladogenesis requires an ancestor species - which has yet to be found. Another set of theories proposes that bestia are extraterrestrial beings. The life history of bestia has already been proven to be very parasitic, and unlikely to develop given the climate history of Torr. It would be much easier to assume that bestia evolved elsewhere, then arrived on Torr. Likewise, this theory has its faults. The suggestion of bestia being extraterrestrial falls short when scientists have failed to explain how they arrived on Torr.

Humans and bestia have been natural adversaries since the invention of written history. Not much is known as to why humans and bestia are engaged in a trans-historical conflict. According to ancient records by Prometheus, the bestia were originally animals who had become "cursed by the stars themselves." Bestia, Prometheus claims, have stark similarities to animals. Upon examination of a bestia corpse, Prometheus discovered that the morphological structure of the bestia greatly resembles that of an animal, however with key distinctions. The individual tissues of bestia contained a violet, crystal-like lattice which exhibited superior tensile strength and faster axon-firing velocity. These unique tissues provided superior locomotion and cognitive processing than the bestia's animal counterparts. While the structural similarities suggest a casual relationship between bestia and animals, no conclusive statement could be drawn.

Bestia have been recorded to sleep for a duration equal to, or longer than their animal counterparts. Bestia are seen to hunt animals and humans most commonly, and will occasionally consume plants. Bestia do not share diets with their animal counterparts. Their primary consumption appears to be meat - regardless of the diet of their herbivore animal equivalent. Bestia predation is most likely the result of high energy demands from the bestia's biochemical processes.

Chapter 3: Equipment and Sub-occupations
While much of a hero's equipment can vary, there are particular equipment that every hero must carry with them at all times when exploring the Outside. The list of equipment includes: a portable first aid kit, a combat knife, a lighter, a flare, a compass, and a dog tag. (Reminder to show this to Beelz)

The following are sub-occupations that a hero can take on:
  1. Swordsman
    1. Traditional
    2. Two-handed swordsman
    3. Berserker
    4. Buchaneer
    5. Samurai
  2. Warrior
    1. Traditional
    2. Dancer
  3. Lancers
    1. Traditional
    2. Cavalier
  4. Mage
    1. Traditional
    2. Alchemist
    3. White Mage
  5. Rogue
    1. Traditional
    2. Ninja
    3. Assassin
  6. Archers
    1. Traditional
    2. Arbalist
  7. Tamers
    1. Traditional
  8. Mechanics
    1. Traditional
    2. Gunslingers
    3. Magi snipers
Chapter 6: Other Human Settlements

Human settlements outside of Mers isn't uncommon. Mers shares an intimate relationship with these smaller communities and will often offer protection and resources for services. Recently, distant communities have been discovered near the borders of the currently explored world. These communities appear to vary immensely in culture, and are often isolated. Bestia have prevented these distant communities from interacting, and have also prevented Mers from discovering them. However, nominal progress has been made in territory exploration and has allowed Mers to rapidly expand their known world map.

Territory outside of Mers is simply referred to as 'The Outside', while inhabitants there are referred to as "Outsiders". Despite not being Mersian, the Mers government openly accepts Outsiders into the city. Outsiders are treated as equals.

Chapter 7: Photoperiod
A day in Torr has been equally divided into twenty-four hours, which is further sub-categorized into ante meridiem (AM) and post meridiem (PM). While this division has been sufficient for some, others prefer to sub-categorize time by the six unique appearances of the sky:

  1. Twilight is characterized by subtle light hugging the horizon against the dark sky.
  2. Dawn is characterized by the sun appearing over the horizon at a set point on Torr. The sunrise is usually accompanied with a hazy orange and pink hue rising up against the blackness of the sky.
  3. Daytime has a typically uniform blue color.
  4. Sunset has a similar hue as dawn. Streaks of orange, red, and violet spread through the sky.
  5. Second Twilight occurs shortly after a sunset, where any light in the sky has been refracted from the sun beneath the horizon. The sky appears violet and casts a violet hue down on Torr.
  6. Nighttime has a mix of black and dark blue in the sky, which mixes together like brushes of a paintbrush. On low-illuminated areas outside of Mers, stars, supernovas, and even the center of the galaxy can be easily seen.
Chapter 8: The Twin Moons

There are two moons which orbit around each other, and ultimately around Mers. Xeoria is considered the main moon because it is prevalent during most nights. So, Yevis, the secondary moon, only appears on occasion. Most of the time, Yevis is seen to be either completely or partially eclipsed by Xeoria. In the rare occasions that Yevis appears in front of Xeoria, the reflective properties of Yevis turns the night sky on Torr into a deep violet color. On these occasions, bestia have also been known to exhibit strange behaviors. (Content discussed on Pg. 14 of PM... must continue writing later)

Chapter 9: Continents

Torr is home to six continents: Latos, Onith, Kalum, Vehone, Geadall, and Ilaeus.

Vehone's climate tends to be mostly humid. The continent is known for its jungles, thus possessing a wide range of wildlife. Interestingly enough, there exists bestia with an equal amount of variety within Vehone.

Notes

The notes section is a set of blank sheets that can be used for students to add in additional notes.

-Future train mission
-Quinn uses more and more of her powers, slowly causing a "bestia-ification" of herself
-Quinn gets monstrous desires to kill as she overuses her abilities; she also sometimes feels a bit "monstrous" towards Ryo
-Ryo and his master story (+Quinn vs. master)
-Quinn origin story?
-Ryo and Quinn meet a fellow student that's leagues above them. Even when they see his weaknesses, he continually improves. This student looks like a great ally for them, until it turns out he ends up being their enemy (traitor? Bestia-weapon too much for him? He joins an opposing faction?)
-Upperclassmen who graduate rebel against the Mers government, viewing Mers-weapons as evil (if our guys fight their old upperclassmen, it would be a wonderful experience vs. power battle)
-Exploring more of the world
-Olivia origin story?
-Since the bestia attacks, humankind has become fragmented across the world. There is some communication between nearby settlements, but dangerous bestia roaming the area prevents most people from venturing out too far
-On the map, the Eastern-most continents will probably be the last to be found. These two continents were originally connected by a land bridge. However, the meteor that spread the bestia microbe had destroyed the land bridge, thus separating the two continents.
-Transfer students to Mers
-Need to make separate section for Volume 57: Mers Revelations (includes Ixions, new regions, character logs)
-Dictator will eventually send Beaststalkers to a mission in the Research Sector. The research sector is walled off from the rest of the city. Although the peripheral focuses on more public works, the deeper portion of the sector contains captured bestia which are being experimented with. Some are being used to mold into Ixions, while others are being used to create mind-controlled bestia (idea for cybernetic monkey). Beaststalkers sent on this mission to fight against bestia that have been set free
-In Onith, two civilizations are fighting against one another. One side possesses a valkyrie with no name (no one knows her name - the valkyrie even discarded her own name to rid herself of her humanity). She had been trained as a super-soldier as well, however by accident. The girl has fought against entire armies almost by herself, meaning that she needed to have relentless stamina and fight abilities that puts her foes on defense - though not for long after she kills them. The girl is easily able to outclass Ryo and Quinn, and that's without a ixion. If Ryo and Quinn are on the same side as the Valkyrie, then they'll have to 2 vs. 1 the Valkyrie. If they can prove themselves to the Valkyrie, then she'll help their cause
-Idea (not yet shared with Beelz): General Ny - He's known as the artillery master - capable of commanding strategic artillery shots to decimate enemies on the battlefield. Using a "complete defense" method of fighting, he trains the front guards of his army to tank damage, as well as magic-nullifying mages in the rear.
-Idea (not yet shared with Beelz): A plot involving awakening a bestia that was, according to legends, thrown into lava. Eventually, the bestia, which was formerly a dragon, emerges from the ground and appears black in color along with some fresh orange lava outlining its shape. The dragon has lost everything but its serpentine body and dragon head, resembling a dragon-snake more than anything else.
-Idea (not yet shared with Beelz): A sacred lantern and scepter were stored away for ages and believed to have been blessed by the gods. The antagonist of this arc wants to raise a continent long sunken beneath the sea - even if it means sinking the entire continent of Vehone as a consequence.
-Idea (not yet shared with Beelz): Large island South of Geadall and Ilaeus are the theoretical home of the gods. On the peninsula of Geadall, there lies a giant stone balance beam meant to keep the two continents (Geadall and Islaeus) in order. Need to expand more on this idea.
-Underground labyrinth (beneath the world map itself)
-Jet stream that carries airships from Kalum to Geadall to Latos
-Grand canyon-esque landscape: specifically climbing on the sides through (large) ledges sounds cool. Shadows cover almost every part of the canyon, but it's a light shadow so everything is still visible
-Smokey mountain + snow + frozen river + stone pillars lit with fire, inspired by this image
-Mayan-like civilization, filled with stone pyramids, bridges forming over a river that eventually becomes a waterfall
-Magical civilization - city built on crater with chunks of levitating land and bridges connecting the floating land pieces; land elevated by some form of floating magic?
-Another cool pic for possible inspiration
-Idea: old pharaoh rises from the dead (haven't decided how yet) and hopes to reclaim old lands? Werewolf monster from Egyptian past? IDEA: Incorporate god mana in either the pharaoh or the werewolf.
-The Savage Six: Confident and quirky group of six fighters fighting for the Rebellion group (Inspired by Archie - Back Again)
-"Plague doctors" ruling unfairly over town infested by a virus from an undead dragon corpse
-Slime bestia?
-Mage who is an empath?
-Idea for scenic image: bubbles
-Thalia, who called Ryo a monster, had previously rejected his original role. After Caeligo and Ryo left Thalia, the unsightly world began to unravel before her. It was only when Caeligo returned by himself and picked Thalia up that she began to accept the more violent lifestyle. While she no longer considers Ryo a monster, she understands that her last interaction with Ryo ended badly.
-Ryo shows signs of transformation after his fight with Quinn.
-Blocking of mana capillaries coming from a survival technique by resistance
-Human mana is actually parasitic - but presents itself in another way (microorganism?) - have never discussed what happens if you use too much mana
-airplane hangar bestia fight scene "what the hell is that?"
-using ruins as camping grounds
-concept of needing complete destruction to move forward (the wall, ruins, relationships)
-Ryo and Quinn fighting a trained assassin that will mercilessly hunt them down
-Using an amplifier in fights (i.e. a church Bell for an auditory attack)
 
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Volume 54: Mersian History
-Include synopsis here

Index
Chapter 1: The First Mersian Generation
Chapter 2: Construction of the Wall
Chapter 3: Turmoil of Diversity
Chapter 4: A Dictator Rises
Chapter 5: An Era of Heroes
Chapter 6: The Quinn Rebellion (Other names???)

Chapter 1: The First Mersian Generation

The first Mersian generation was a collective of different peoples. Once bestia had successfully invaded major human cities, peoples of all cultures were forced to retreat to Central Latos. Once there, the people began the construction of the last human stronghold. Those from Kalum reported that bestia were especially susceptible to mana-based attacks. The military abandoned their guns and utilized simple spears and swords in combat. To their amazement, the bestia were successfully repelled. At this time, the first Mersian generation was divided into three great classes: the military, the gatherers, and the builders. The military would continue to defend the local area and even venture outward to clear areas. The gatherers would collect food and building materials. These people could travel alongside the military or decide to stay close to the Mersian camp and create farms. Meanwhile, the builders were focused on constructing a city. Without the available use of machinery, the builders too relied on their mana. It wasn't long before mana became the undisputed champion that had saved humanity.


Chapter 2: Construction of the Wall

As the camp transformed into a town, people became more dispersed. It was no longer viable to have the military watch over all corners of the camp. So, the military was assigned another task by the Mersian leaders - they were tasked with guarding and helping the builders construct a giant wall. [To be continued]

Chapter 3: Turmoil of Diversity

Chapter 4: A Dictator Rises

Chapter 5: An Era of Heroes

Will include content here
 
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Volume 65: Notable Historical Figures

Also under construction

Character List
The Beaststalker Guild
Freshmen

Ryo
Quinn
Olivia
Audrey
Barret
Nori
Clare
Taylor
Mason
Ben

Sophomores
Abel
Gabrielle
Kurt
Heather

Juniors
Erek
Blake
Claude
Edgar
Mila

Seniors
Zeus
Tara
Sam
Alice

The Ravensclaw Guild
Cecil
Valerie
Jun

The Glacius Guild
Eda
Lucille
Hudson
Layla

The Fearhawk Guild
Thomas
Fredrick

Mers Government
Dictator
Doctor Reid

The Bandits
Kaitlyn - Masked samurai and captain of the bandits. She was defeated by Zeus and the others while attempting to smuggle ixions to The South.
Vulmar
Bremmi - Spell nullifer
Ga'vos - Near middle-aged man
Nuufir
Imra

Outsiders
Jolin
The Sheriff (of Arney's Ranch)
Caeligo - long straight black hair, black beard
Anva and Kerlo
Valkyrie
Cole, Larissa, and Caleb Claremont
Harris and Emilia Ingram
Theron
Amadeo
Gilford III
 
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Volume 999: Prophecy of the Gods

This volume is ever changing to fit the needs of either the gods of Torrs or beings of even higher power. As such, this volume must never fall into the hands of a mortal.

Future plot flow:
Freshman Year, Spring Semester
1. Return from desert mission
- Ryo tells Quinn about his master's involvement
- Ryo is honest with Audrey when she decides to speak with him
- The Doctor arrives to diagnose and calm down Quinn; Quinn gets readmitted and is able to go on missions again
- Eda's guild had a few members fall ill. Her guild requests for help from other guilds; she calls for Jun, Valerie, Ryo, Quinn, and the twins
2. Creek mission
- Creek used to extract water and make beer for a local town has been blocked; no more water supply
- The group goes upstream and discovers that there's a giant rock blocking it
- Ryo and Quinn try to break it; they get attacked by a floating jellyfish bestia that steals their memories
- The group tries to clean the rubble while "everyday" lovebirds Ryo and Quinn fall for each other
- Ryo and Quinn kiss and regain their memory
3. Ancient City
- After returning home, Ryo confronts Quinn about her relationship with Jun
- The Beaststalkers' next mission is to explore an ancient city found in The West; they are to explore the city for information while casually defeating bestia
- Quinn's "heat" transformation takes place; she freaks out when she first transforms
- Quinn's transformation is revealed to the Beaststalkers; Zeus calms them down with a speech
- Quinn and Ryo strike a deal that he won't take advantage of her while in the "heat"
- By the end of the mission, the Beaststalkers will have learned: Mers formed from the ashes of the ancient civilization, there are 6 continents (instead of 4), and that there were two meteors that crashed on Torr (one that give humans mana, and the other that introduced bestia)
- Quinn confronts Ryo about her uncontrollable heat; they agree that Ryo can't touch her when she's like that; she also learns that Ryo likes her
4. Interlude
- Shower scene with the boys; the boys see the hickeys and tease Ryo about it
- Ryo and Quinn meet with Doctor Reid to discuss her heat
- The freshmen leisurely relax outside the Chateau; Ryo and Quinn get smoothies (Quinn shows photos of Cole) while the other Beaststalkers rehash their bet
5. The Marlon Gang Mission
- Beaststalkers arrive in the town being terrorized by the Marlon Gang; Ryo explains the town's history with the gang
- Beaststalkers defend the town from bestia + gang raid
- Beaststalkers go on a hunt to locate the Maron Gang's hideout
- They find the hideout and put an end to the gang (capture them?)
6. Bestia Hunt
- Bestia are creating a disturbance near The South Wall of Mers. Beaststalkers are sent out, only to find that the bestia are actually the bandits who have completely transformed
- Clare is killed by one of the bestia-humans; Ryo tries to save her but Quinn holds him back
- Doctor Reid checkup with Ryo and Quinn; he injects them with something that's supposed to slow their transformation process
- The survivors, Kaitlyn and Ga'vos, take refugee in Alir
7. Senior Ball
- Zeus and Erek have a talk about the successor after Erek
- The seniors discuss what they'll be doing after graduation at the ball

Freshman Year, Summer
1. Alir
- Ryo, Quinn, and friends return to Alir for some summertime fun
- The group settles in at Quinn's place (The Big House)
- Quinn asks for armor / Ryo makes cookies for Quinn
- Quinn/Ryo sparring match (Caeligo and Thalia stop the fight)
- Gossip scene (Nori/Taylor ask Audrey, Audrey asks Ryo, Nori/Taylor asks Quinn, Quinn asks Ryo)
- Ryo and Quinn take Cole on an adventure
- Caeligo surprise visit
- Olivia confesses to Audrey
- Voyeurism scene
- Quinn and Ryo fall asleep with Cole between them (can be moved anywhere)
- Ryo asks Quinn if he can sleep near her for the rest of the trip (she sleeps on bed, he sleeps in sleeping bag)
- Ryo's Bestiaification symptoms start acting up, he asks Quinn for advice
2. Don't be such a Beach!
- The freshmen visit the beach
- Truth or Dare game
3. The Request
- Ryo requests... something from Caeligo
- Ryo is more passive after his transformation - even within his fighting style
- Caeligo has Ryo fight his new assistant, who will overwhelm and beat Ryo in battle, showing how scruffy a fighter he was and incompetent

Sophomore Year, Fall
#. Experiment Gone Right
- Quinn's first heat of the semester results in Ryo escorting her to the medical bay. Before they can reach the medical bay, the two best friends end up in a closet and a 'petting session' begins
- Successive heats cause Quinn to flee to her room in the Chateau; by the third time, Erek and the others estimate the times that Quinn will go through the heat
- Ryo decides to give Quinn over to Jun to satisfy her heat
#. Loch Ness Monster Mission
- Beaststalkers travel to a Bell Tower with canoes and a relaxing riverwalk
-

Sophomore Year, Spring
#. Vehone
- The Beaststalkers head to Vehone; they rescue a native princess/prince from the poachers
- Caeligo has been found to be working with the poachers

Sophomore Year, Summer
???

Junior/Senior Year
#. Onith
- The Beaststalkers head to Onith, a continent home to two warring nations
- The Beaststalkers side with one side
- "The Valkyrie" is on one side (not explicitly known if Beaststalkers will join the same side or not as the Valkyrie); No one knows Valkyrie's true name; she has been blessed by the gods
- If they are on the same side after the conflict is resolved, The Valkyrie will pledge to aid Ryo and Quinn if they can impress her
#. Subterranean Labyrinth
- The walls underneath Port De'lia have connections to a labyrinth
- Underground civilization using crystals - also has the Hall of Crystals
- Magma dragon bestia
#. Lab Bestia Mission
- Beaststalkers head into the research sector of Mers for the first time
- They must defeat a cybernetic gorilla bestia on the loose!
 
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Volume 997: The Curious Life of Two Humans

In a small town called Alir, a young male named Ryo promises his best friend, Quinn, that he will someday become a hero. Years later, Ryo and Quinn unexpectedly meet at the entrance exam for Mers Academy for Heroes.
 
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