The Setting:
A
high fantasy world with strong cross dimensional ties which often
leave stranded travelers and long term vistors. Magic is strong here
but is only useable by the trained AND naturally gifted(must be both
to use magic). Gods are present but do not interfere except to warn
or advise.
Above the land, moving in stately slow motion are
a series of floating islands. Most of them move slowly above the land
in a fixed pattern. The islands hold scattered ruins, with the
occasional modern building to be seen. Most of the structures and
ruins on the floating islands are very archaic looking, somewhat
similar in design to mysterious ruins dotted across the land below.
There are no records of what these buildings originally were, though
everyone has their own pet theory based on what they have seen.
The
floating islands are home to large numbers of fantastical flying
creatures. Many students like to watch their aerial displays, and
some even befriend them.
Odd things sometimes happen on the
islands. These occurances are strange, but annoying rather than
dangerous, like the time when all the staff at both schools talked
backwards for a day. No-one knows what causes these events, but they
are considered to be an eccentricity of the schools.
The
Schools:
*Resting on a large high-flying island, Magical Girl
Academy is a picture of beauty with a wide range of athletic and
training grounds. It rests at the base of a tall extinct volcano that
looks like Mt. Fuji. There are rumored to be hidden caves under the
mountain. The school looks directly out onto a broad meadow. The
meadow has a huge deep lake to the side for swimming and other
athletic events. From the lake, two streams run towards the main
academy , then fall to either side in huge waterfalls.
*At MGA's
"bow" there are two smaller islands, which each have
watchtowers on them. The left tower is in ruins and the island lists
39deg to the left. It is rumored to be haunted.
*10% of MGA's
students are transformed males. Of these, 1% are transdimensonal
exchange students. The remainder of the ex-males are members of royal
and noble houses serving their family's interests. Daughters are
easier to marry off than sons, and why not give them a little
defensive training while they're away? MGA has quota's of
students enrolled to meet. 10% of BAH's students are transformed
females, for much the same reasons.
* MGA has a skydock on the
edge of the island where the admin, faculty housing, and maintenance
buildings are located.
* MGA's school uniform looks like
Sentaiga's concept sketchs.
* MGA's school seifuku is
blue and white.
On a neighboring flying island, the Boys
Academy for Heroes represents the opposite end of the spectrum. It
often competes with the MGA over feats of daring-do and heroic
actions.
Both schools maintain a small fleet of flying
sailboats, which carry supplies, people and cargo here and there for
the schools.
Between the MGA and BAH, there is an island
which is often used as a battle ground for competitions and true
conflicts between the two schools. There is a lake in the middle of
the island , and in the middle of the lake is an island with a temple
on it. Under the temple a powerful artifact, The Creation Tear
is hidden. The artifact's secondary effects are powerful enough to
cover most of the island, except the very ends nearest each school's
island, and cause a random effect whenever someone casts magic. Even
the unpredictableness is unpredictable. (Sometimes the magic works
the right way). Several streams lead from the lake, spilling over the
sides as waterfalls. The lake has a small gateway to the Plane of
Water to help refill it. The trio of islands can be "steered"
from the temple in an emergency. Once each year the two schools meet
here for the "Cup of Heroes" tournament.
On one of
the islands in the local cluster an experimental learning school has
been set up. The new school is not directly connected to either MGA
or BAH, and is running a program that involves both BAH and MGA's
students in the same classes. As there are only two classes being
taught at the new school, the program is still small and there are
only two teachers currently. Though the new school's facility's are
good, and the range of terrain on the island is excellent, (thick
forest and the ruins of a town) the school's prospects are bleak,
since both BAH and MGA wish to discredit and disband the new program.
As such, both schools are sending their misfits and rejects to the
program in the hopes of letting it fade away naturally.
Unfortunately, neither of the schools wishes to give this appearance,
so both are pretending that the new program is a wonderful idea, at
least openly. This has lead to the strange fact that each school is
trying to discredit the other by destroying a program neither of them
want! The skyboats service the island and provide transport to and
from it.
On another nearby flying island, there are the ruins
of a town. The roofs of the ruin are long gone, but the lower floors
remain intact. The island lists 30deg to the side.
MGA and
BAH share a science teacher.
Once during the year, MGA and
BAH have a formal dance and dinner together.