Krion was hard-pressed to keep his calm when his character sheet appeared in a status window in front of him. To say there were some ges was an uatement.
Name: Krion von SturmwachtRace: Human (Noresyn)Css: TBD - Level 1 (Free Points = 30)Profession(s): TBDEssence(s): TBD
Fa: Treverorum Empire - House BckswordRank: S - UnndedAura: -Majesty: -Eminence: -
Strength: 24 => 54Dexterity: 19 => 49Vitality: 35 => 65Endurance: 43 => 73Intelligence: 27 => 57Wisdom: 17 => 47Charisma: 10 => 40Luck: 6 => 16
Traits: Greater Soul Oath (Unknown - Hidden)Skills: N/AAbilities: N/A
Acc to how much his stats had grown, the ceremony had led to him gaining slightly more than seven levels worth of stat points. That was an insane number of stats for his level, given what Alesin and Rolfun had expio him. While he did not feel that different, Kriohat he would o engage in some serious trainio make sure he had a handle on his neabilities. But he would have to set that aside for now.
The Lord Sentinel lifted a gaued hand from the hilt of his greatsword to gesture at the crystal altar. A low chime, pleasant to the ear, echoed throughout the amphitheater as the green fme over the altar flickered and faded from sight. A faint crag came as the crystal altar began to shimmer, its solid form unraveling into thousands of tiny hards that hung suspended in the air, glinting like stars. With a sweep of his hand, the shards coalesced into a swirling vortex, then vanished entirely, leaving only ay spot oage where the altar had previously stood.
With the attention of most of the ss of nobility fixed on the Lord Sentinel, Krion turned his attention back to his status window, fog ohree additions to his character sheet. While he had a general idea of what Aura, Majesty, and Eminence meant as words ba Earth, that did not mean they would mean the same thing uhe System. Mentally, he selected ea turn, asking for additional information. Thanking, three pop-ups appeared that crified a few of his questions but did not fully address how each worked in practice.
Aura
The maion of your physical and martial presence. Aura influehose weaker than you, pelling awe, fear, or submission. Wielded actively in bat or intimidation, Aura allows you to project overwhelming force without needing to lift a finger. It make even the fai gesture with a on carry an air of undefinable dominance.
Majesty
The intangible power of resped fortuhat flows to and from your nds, people, and position. Majesty governs the respect you and as a noble and the prosperity you bestow upon your domains. It affects how others perceive your authority and inspires loyalty in followers. Majesty be employed as a charm-like force, persuading or calming those weaker than you. Its influenhances your ability to sway individuals and govern effectively.
Eminence
The enduriation and renown of your ation. Eminence represents yad the weight of your passively enhahe bes and gifts grao you by others, as well as your overall standing in the social and political spheres. Eminence does not require active use; instead, it ensures preferential treatment, better opportunities, aened respe dealings with peers and subordinates alike.
While he wao look more into each, Krion’s attention ulled back to the stage as the Lord Sentinel moved to the edge to address the gathered ss. Krion leaned forward in his seat, doing his best to make sure he missed nothing.
“My si gratutions to you all for successfully unlog the bes io those of the nobility who have sworn loyalty,” The Lord Sentinel’s voice was tinged with pride. “We now turn to the phase of your indu into the Imperial Academy as first-year udents. I present to you, Vice-cellor Thaddeus.”
A figure stepped forward from the shadows along the back of the stage. Moving with slow, deliberate steps, the figure was gradually revealed to be an old man. His face was marked by deep lines and scars; his skin was weathered as though it had been carved of old leather. Though frail in appearance, he wore a dark, tattered cloak with the insignia of the Imperial Academy embzoned upon his chest. The Vice-cellor’s eyes were pierg, a cold grey that seemed to see through the very souls of those he looked at. This was a very dangerous man.
Vice-cellor Thaddeus stepped forward to the edge of the stage, his presenanding the attention of the entire amphitheater. His scarred, weathered face looked out over the sea of first-year nobility, many of them still reeling from the vents of the ceremony, their expressions a mixture of awe, nervousness, and uainty. His pierg grey eyes swept over them slowly, assessing their every movement, their every expression. The sileretched as he took his time, letting the tension build, before finally breaking it with a deep, rumbling voice that carried across the vast chamber.
“Young ss of the Empire, my gratutions to you all for passing your first test,” the Vice-cellor said, his voice calm yet imbued with an undeniable authority that immediately drew every eye. “You are now all officially first-year students of this Imperial Academy.”
Krion raised his hands to cp, as that was what generally was given in respoo gratutions like the ohey had just received. Apparently, that was only a thing that happened oh, as no one else moved to do so after Vice-cellor Thaddeus paused. Krion awkwardly lowered his hands, gd no one else had seen what he had been about to do. Thankfully, the Vice-cellor chose to tinue his orientation speech at that moment.
“The Imperial Academy is not merely a pce of learning,” Thaddeus tinued. “It is the crucible through which the future leaders, warriors, and schors of the Empire are fed. Each of you is here today because of your dest from those who succeeded in fulfilling these roles in the past. The potential you possess through your bloodlines will either be nurtured to greatness or crushed beh the weight of your own inadequacies.”
The words ing from the Vice-cellor hit Krion hard. The weight of expectation pressed heavily on him already, and here was one of the leaders of the Imperial Academy saying on day one, before csses had even started, that there was a very real possibility that he might not make it. F himself to set those ing words aside, Krion focused on the fact that the green fmes had judged him worthy and, the strangeness of the other messages of the System aside, had unlocked his access to the bes of being nobility within the Empire. Yes, that was how he o think about it. If the Imperial Academy was a crucible, Krion would just o exert every effort he could to emerge from it as tempered steel — stronger, sharper, and ready to prove himself worthy of participating in whatever was ing for Earth in its looming iion into the System.
“The Empire spans not just worlds but entire realms of existe faces challenges from tless hostile races, emerging threats, and cataclysmic events across the multiverse. This Imperial Academy’s mission is to prepare you, the geion, to front and overe these dangers. Here, you will learn to master your access to the System, to wield your skills and abilities as ons, and even earn special traits, all to sharpen your capacity to defeat those who seek to destroy the Empire. By the time you leave this Imperial Academy — if you survive the training — you will no longer be the same person who entered. You will be stronger, faster, more capable, and — above all — indispensable to the Empire’s future.”
With a sweeping motion of his gnarled hand, Vice-cellor Thaddeus jured a massive sigil that glowed faintly in the air over the ter of the stage. In a twisting motion with his fingers curling, he spun his hand, causing the sigil to shift into a floating, semi-transparent board. A final snap of his fingers sent words rag across its surface. As words were structed into sentences, it began to bee clear that what the Vice-cellor had called into being was a detailed list of rules and expectations for first-year students at the Imperial Academy. As the words finished appearing, the Vice-cellor tinued speaking.
“Let me make ohing abundantly clear: the Imperial Academy does not tolerate failure, weakness, or insubordination. Each of you is expected to adhere to the rules aions of this institution, and infras will not be met with leniency,” Thaddeus’ gaze settled on those who sat he stage, in the seats set aside for those of the Archducal houses, “regardless of your rank.”
Thaddeus gestured above and behind himself at the board that remained h in the air. Words shifted to simple animated figures, which began to act out the various rules. Krion would have beeertained, but for the fact that what the Vice-cellor was c was so important to his future at the Imperial Academy.
“When an instructor, professor, or Dean gives you a and, you will follow it without hesitation,” Thaddeus said firmly. “Defiance will lead to swift disciplinary a.”
The figures shifted on the board to show one clearly giving a rge box to another in the uniform of a student. As soon as the student received the box, anure dressed like a Sentinel appeared on the board to take it.
“The Imperial Academy is about pushing its students to excel uheir ows and efforts. No outside assistance will be tolerated.”
The figures shifted again, this time into two clearly wearing armor and wielding swords. They began to csh as anure looking like what Krion assumed to be a professor stood nearby.
“Dueliween students is allowed but must be ducted in designated arenas with proper supervision.” Thaddeus’ face took on a grim expression. “Unauthorized bat on the grounds of the Imperial Academy will result in immediate punishment, up to expulsion or worse.”
With a perfunctory wave of his hands, the glowing board of rules hovered for a moment longer before dissipating into streams of golden light. His sharp eyes sed the crowd of assembled first-years, lingering briefly here and there for reasons Krion was not able to determine. He was just thankful that he had not beehat attracted the extra attention of the Vice-cellor.
“Though there are others you will learn of in the months ahead, these are the most important rules by which you will abide,” Thaddeus stated, his gravelly voice again eg through the amphitheater. “I will reiterate: fail to follow them, and the sequences will be swift, severe, and inescapable. Yet, for those who adhere to them and excel, the rewards you will find here are boundless. Know always that the Imperial Academy is a meritocracy, but merit is not just about your power or abilities. It’s about discipline, respect, and responsibility. ”
It was at that moment that the Vice-cellor turned grim, and the lighting of the amphitheater almost seemed to dim as he spoke again. “Not all of you will make it through the first year. Some will fail to keep up with their csses; others will break uhe pressure or worse. Do not take your time here lightly.”
“Now. There is one final thing you, as new first-year students, o be aware of: the Imperial Academy Exge.” The Vice-cellrim expressiouro a more ral one, and the amphitheater seemed thten again. Raising his gnarled hands high, his sleeves slid down his bony arms to reveal intricate tattoos of shapes and whorls interspersed between words and symbols that Krion could not make out the meaning of. Thaddeus’ hands began to move in rapid motion before ing to a sudden halt when he smmed both fists together in a burst of green light that fshed across the amphitheater. Without warning, a System windoeared before Krion.
Imperial Academy Exge
Vice-cellor Thaddeus has granted you acces to the Imperial Academy Exge. An internal currency trag system, as a student you are now able to earn special seals and s via the pletion of assigs or activities that you exge for special items, training, opportunities, bonds, and more! Just remember: the Imperial Academy is always watg.
Rare Currencies
Seals of Valor (0): Earhrough acts of honor and justice.Seals of ing (0): Earhrough acts of subterfuge and subversion.Seals of Brutality (0): Earhrough acts of ruthlessness and viciousness.Seals of Discovery (0): Earhrough disc secrets and hidden things.Seals of Ara (0): Earhrough tributions of spellcraft and magical study.
on Currencies
s of Knowledge (0): Accumuted through participation in csses, top exam scores, ment, and leadership roles.s of Service (0): Accumuted through the exge of items, loot, and resources at the Hall of Bonds.
Krion’s red-gold eyes quickly skimmed through the details of the Imperial Academy Exge. At first, he was struck by the plexity of the various seals and s, but then he sidered the deeper meaning behind the cssifications. The wide range of possibilities and approaches to oime here at the Imperial Academy, as reflected by the various seals and s, showed him that this was not just a currency system but also a map of pathways to dominance during his time here.
His mind buzzed with the possibilities. A grin tugged at the er of his mouth. He wasn’t yet sure how to go about earning these seals, but he khat he would work as hard as possible to navigate the process successfully so that he could carve out his own pce here. When he shifted his gaze to sider the s, his grin faltered, repced with a thoughtful frown. Knowledge s, tied to academic success and responsibilities, seemed straightforward enough, though the idea of his performance being so openly tracked still uled him somewhat. Service s, oher hand, carried a weight he didn’t fully uand. Items and traini, but the notion of trading resources and loot, whatever those ended up being, for servants at the Hall of Bonds made him uneasy. It suggested that loyalty here was transaal. Apparently, the warnings Alesin and Rolfun had given him about the o focus on loyalty and trust were truer thahought they would be.
His eyes returo the final words at the top portion of the System window: the Imperial Academy is always watg. Givehing he had experienced so far, he did not think those words were anything but literal. He would be judged not just by his professors and instructors, but also by an invisible, om force at the Imperial Academy. Moreover, while he did not expect that he would feel ao viote the rules that the Vice-cellor had touched on, he would still have to be careful. Unfortunately, givehing that had happened in the ceremony, the odds of him being able to float by uhe radar were already much lower. And that was before he evehat he was going to be one amongst only a few dozen associated with an Archducal House, as pared to the literal hundreds of ss ing from the middle and lower nobility.
No, despite the spectacle of his ceremony, his goal of avoiding unnecessary attention still held. While what had happened with the green fme, and his own transformation, had made him a focal point, he still hoped he could attempt to blend into the sea of other first-year noble ss even if it required signifit effort on his part. His own rank pared to so many others was a curse in this regard, but if he could find ways to avoid overt dispys of power or ambition, then it still might be possible to avoid at least some potential enemies.
Then again, given how the lead s of House Ironcw had gred at him right after his own ceremony, his efforts to avoid attention might not even matter. If that was the case, he resolved that he would do everything in his power to get ahead of his potential enemies as soon as possible. Krion dismissed the window, leaning ba his seat, arms crossed. Yes. If the Imperial Academy wae its students through fire and pressure, he would have to meet it head-on.
Vice-cellor Thaddeus remaianding at the edge of the stage, apparently patiently waiting for the remaining students to finish examining what being granted access to the Imperial Academy Exge meant. How he was trag that, Krion had no idea, but it was the only expnation that made sense for why he was still standing there. Thankfully, Krion did not o wait long.
g his hands behind his back, the Vice-cellor’s voied once more across the amphitheater, “Now, our ceremony draws to a close. You will proceed outside where you will be given a campus tour by the Sehat escorted you to this amphitheater. After you familiarize yourself with the grounds, halls of learning, and the residences you will be staying in, you will have the opportunity to engage in various orientatios that will help prepare you for life within the Imperial Academy.”
The Vice-cellan bag up in the dire from which he had emerged onto the stage. “When you retire to your resideonight, you will fiailed informatiarding the courses you have been assigned and your css schedules. Csses begin tomorrow. There will be no leniency for tardiness or ck of preparation, so I ence you to get a good night’s sleep and arrive early.”
Halfway back dowage, the shadows of the far wall reached out tendrils to twist up around the Vice-cellor. While gasps came from many of the gathered first-years, Thaddeus did not react except to smile. Just after the shadows reached his head, they ripped apart to return to the wall, the Vice-cellone like he had never actually been oage.
Given that sometime after the arrival of the Vice-cellor the Lord Sentinel had left the stage, all the first-year students took this as permission to leave the Amphitheater of Indu. The mention of orientatios, which likely included eating and drinking, had clearly seized the attention of the majority, as many were already heading out toward the exits. Relieved to no longer be the target of so much attention, Krio out a slow breath aled in to wait a few mio avoid the rush.
His brief respite was shattered when a whisper came from behind him.
“Wele to the Imperial Academy, Krion.”
I hope you ehe chapter! A slight update: the wo days will be a bit busy for me, but I will have the rest of the week retively free so expect a few more chapters at that point. My pn is to plete the Writathon word requirements by that point. Now, the obligatory:
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Note: While there will eventually be 10+ additional chapters up for those who wish to read ahead, for the duration of the Writathon, all those chapters will be posted directly here instead. For that reason, while I would love the support, I would ence you to wait to pledge until after the Writathon ends.
