Kabuto Academy Info

History and Background
Kabuto Academy is one of the three Academies founded in order to combat the growing threat of the monsters. While it originally taught and was home to the Reapers, one of the three Izanagi Psuedo-Monsters, at some point in the past they rebelled and fled Rus, the continent the academy is charged to guard. The Headmaster, Susanoo, in fear that the monsters would overtake the country without the army of the school, enlisted the humans of the continent, teaching them the Arts of Soul Residue.

Its previous student body, the Reapers, were disputably the most powerful of the three Izanagi Psuedo-Monsters. They possessed both an ability and a monster form, making them some of the more able and terrifying opponents of the Lights World.

After introducing humans to the school, Susanoo began this own "experimentation" with Soul Residue, although it wasn't close to the extent that Izanami took her own research. As well, Susanoo's "research" yielded results much quicker, with much less experimentation and with little drawbacks from obtaining the information. Using the Izanagi Psuedos as models, Susanoo was able to mold the abilities of the humans to mimic that of the Conquista, Reapers, and Maidens, putting them on equal footing with the Monsters they were expected to combat.

The results of his research were the Hunters and the Scholars. The Hunters, pulling information from both the Conquista and the Reapers, were weapon-users, possessing both combat weapons and abilities. The Scholars, pulling information from the Maidens, were spellcasters. In both cases, Susanoo found a way to manipulate the already-primed Soul Residue from Monsters into power for the humans. The form it took, be it a weapon or pure energy, was dependant upon both the particular Soul Residue and the Human in which it was implanted.


Uniform
For boys, the uniform of Kabuto is a thin, black trench coat, stopping at the waist-line, bring worn more like a shirt than an actual coat. Underneath, most students wear a plain black undershirt, made of the same thin material as the psuedo-trench coat. Their pants are simple and black, giving the overall student body a rather depressing color scheme, bring clothed in the darkest possible clothes. However, this could be reminiscent of the old uniform from the time of the Reapers, which was a simple black, hooded cloak. Just as well, when the students go on missions, they are given a similar, brown cloak to wear, for protection against the elements.

For girls, the uniform looks rather stereotypical. They are given either a black or white skirt, which usually turns out to be white, to give some differentiation to the bland colors of the school. They wear a black shirt similar to what the boys wear under their coats, and it is worn under other clothing for the girls as well. However, the "coat" the girls wear is usually something more light and, for lack of a better word, girly. Bows are a common thing to find on their clothing, being worn in their hair, around their necks, or even as sock accessories.

Given that the student body is divided into Scholars and Hunters, and each sect isn't divided by gender, the school has developed a system to differentiate the two. While its obvious enough, given Hunters are placed in a variety of combat courses, while Scholars delve into research on Monsters and Soul Residue, Susanoo still felt the need to "customize" the uniforms in such a way. As such, each student is required to wear an armband to signify what group they belong to. The rules "require" it to be worn on the right arm, but the students have developed a variety of ways to sport it. Armbands are white, with the symbol for the designated group in black.


Grounds
Kabuto Academy is positioned on top of a large mountain, built right on the cliff. While this leaves it far from civilization, its actually for the best. "Overdoses" of Soul Residue can effect normal humans, which may actually cause more Monster to be born. The secluded area the school is located in also helps to deter "unwanted" visitors, be it wandering human children or stray Monsters. The terrain surrounding the school makes it nearly impossible for anyone unfamiliar with it to successfully navigate their way to the school; they either die, get lost, or simply turn around. This being said, the secret path to the school is nailed into the minds of every Kabuto Student before they are allowed to leave for their missions, and their Survival Class takes them on many "camping trips" to get the path into their heads.

Almost coincidentally, the valley which Kabuto overlooks is the valley that the Fukakai Stronghold is located, placing the defenders of the land extremely close to the bulk of its human population. While this is rather convenient, it would also leave them vulnerable to a large attack, but it is a well-known fact that the Monsters are incapable of wuch a thing.


Student Relations
While the Hunters and the Scholars are all students in the same school, the distance between the two groups is astounding. There is an air in the school that is apparent to all new recruits, forcing them to immediately choose sides. While both groups may be nice and friendly to them at first, once they recieve their Soul Residue, one group utterly shuns them. Its not that there is hatred between the two social classes, but as the two rarely interact, the divide is only natural.

Aside from basic, required courses such as Survival Class and History, and Philosophy for the more scholarly Hunters, or Combat for the more stirr-crazy Scholars, the two groups are separated in every class. Courses Hunters take are all focused around combat training and heightening their skill with their weapons, as well as achieving higher levels of their abilities. Scholars, on the other hand, take classes that focus more on sharpening the efficiency of their spells and, a Scholar's main purpose, information gathering and history recording.

Hunters tend to see Scholars are "wimpy", incapable of holding their own in a one-on-one fight with a "real" Monster. Scholars, on the other hand, tend to view Hunters as stupid and less educated, consisting of little more than fight-happy brutes. The stereotypes aren't taken too seriously most of the time, unless there is a personal quarrel between a Scholar and a Hunter, and the relationship between the two groups is more akin to competition than anything.

Hunters

Hunters are one of the two groups of students that reside in Kabuto Academy, being the replacements for the Reapers that once resided there. They live on campus, are trained there, take their lessons there, and overall their lives revolve around the building. Their only true chances to see the outside world, what little of it there is, is during missions, when they are sent out to dispose of Monsters around the continent.

Hunters are characterized by three things:
1) Their armband. As students of Kabuto Academy, they are required to wear the article of clothing to distinguish themselves from the Scholars. It is a plain, white armband that bears the symbol of the Hunters in a black design.

2) Their attitudes. Generally, Hunters take on a jock-like attitude, having been trained and taught to fight to survive. Their courses at school consist mostly of combat classes, teaching them how to fight and expanding on that knowledge. Of course, there are "nerdy" Hunters, labeled as such by their peers because they choose to enroll in one or two philosophical classes, mostly to learn more about Monsters.

3) Their Soul Residue. Unlike races that are able to actually produce the substance, Hunters utilize the leftover Residue of the Monsters they slay. By taking the Residue and sealing it into their bodies, they are able to subdue it and partially control it, being trained to give it the form of a weapon. The weapon itself is the manifestation of their Soul Residue, born of the Monster that was slain to make it. Its form and abilities usually resemble said Monster quite a lot, taking on many of the characteristics.

To obtain the Soul Residue utilized to make their weapons, Susanoo, the Headmaster of Kabuto Academy, has developed a special object and method to extract the substance. It takes the form of a white porcelain Ramune bottle, sealed off in the usual fashion with a ball wedged into the top. A special pestle-like object is required to dislodge the ball, which releases a powerful sucking wind, creating a vacuum force. However, the bottle does not suck in physical objects, only effecting Soul Residue-based things. This is used after a successful Monster kill, which drains the Soul Residue out of the body, leaving nothing by bones. After the process is complete, it bottle re-seals itself.

After a successful hunt, the Hunter would then return to Kabuto, and the Soul Residue would be extracted from the bottle through an unknown process. It is assumed that the Residue is kept inside the bottle until a Hunter is found for it to be sealed inside of. However, once sealed, the process is permenant: Through any known means, it is impossible to remove implanted Soul Residue. On top of that, it is impossible to wield more than one weapon, as that would mean controlling more than one Soul Residue. As Hunters are simple Humans, the power of Soul Residue is already overwhelming, and implanting it into the soul of the Human is even more dangerous. It is a constant struggle for the Hunters to suppress the overwhelming force of the Soul Residue. If they took on more than one, the forces would completely take them over and turn them into a Monster even more hideous and disfigured than a normal one.

The Hunters' Weapons, like the Monsters they come from, can take many forms. No two weapons are similar, and if they are, their unleashed potential is certainly different. There are esstentially three stages to the weapons the Hunters utilize, but only two are readily available to them:
1) The "Normal" Form. This is the form the weapon takes when it is initially manifested. It can be just about any weapon, ranging from simple throwing stars to intricate shields.

2) The "Unleashed" Form. For particularly tough Monster battles, Hunters possess the unique ability to unleash a hidden power their weapons possess. This utilizes the Soul Residue to its fullest potential, either changing the form of the weapon or granting it an amazing power. Like its normal form, the powers the weapon possesses can be almost anything; One Hunter could be able to mentally control their weapon, while another's shield hardens and becomes bigger, and yet another's allows them to cut with the very wind. The possibilities of a Hunter's weapon's power is endless, but it essentially limited to only one power.

The first two forms are the only ones available to every Hunter, and are usually all they need to complete their missions. These forms resemble the powers of Conquista, which also utilize weapons. However, if the Hunter wishes to take on stronger opponents, like Reapers or Riders, the first two forms aren't nearly enough. Luckily, there is another, higher form of weapon utilization:

3) The "Armor" Form. Usually, the Soul Residue the Hunters use for the weapons are overwhelming, and it takes all they have to suppress it. However, the more powerful they become, and the more they use their weapon, the easier it is for them to suppress the Residue. Under normal circumstances, the process for sealing their weapon back into their soul is to seal its unleashed form, if they unleashed it, and then seal away the normal form. If a Hunter tried to seal their weapon in its unleashed form, the Soul Residue would be impossible to suppress and it would overtake them, deforming them into something even more hideous than a Monster.

However, when a Hunter is sufficiently powerful enough, they are able to resist the Soul Residue if they seal it in its unleashed form. In doing so, they are drawn into their mind, confronting the Soul Residue in a "resurrected" form, something resembling a large, intelligent Monster. Upon defeating it, they are in complete control of their Soul Residue, and have achieve "Armor."

In their Armor Form, their entire body is coated in Soul Residue, forming a protective coating over their body, hence the name of the form. Their body is strengthened to the point that it rivals a Monsters, as that is essentially what they have become in this form, allowing the Soul Residue of their weapon to overtake their body, but not their soul. They also unlock a multitude of abilities that are reminiscent of their original Weapon's power, but amplified. This form resembles the Reapers' Monster Forms, and rivals them in power, it being the strongest form a Hunter can achieve.

Scholars

Scholars, like the Hunters, are residents at Kabuto Academy. While their role in replacing the Reapers is minimal, their role in the new school is rather large. Scholars, by nature, are not combatants, at least in the sense that Hunters are. Like their name suggests, they are scholars, people of the books and of knowledge. Their cares revolve around learning, not fighting.

Thats not to say that they're helpless. Of course, by use of the Scholar Paths they are perfectly capable of dealing with Monster on their own. However, their combat capability is limited by their experience, which is very small. Scholars are usually found in learning courses, such as the History of Rus, Anatomy of a Monster, Soul Residue 101, and classes of the sort. While there are some Combat training Classes open to Scholars, they generally don't go into the same depths as the Hunters' courses.

There are three defining features that signify a Scholar:
1) Their Armband. Like the Hunters, Scholars are reequired to wear armbands that signify their status as Scholars. The armbands are plain and white, the only thing on them being the Scholar's symbol, which is in black.

2) Their Attitudes. While the Hunters resemble more of the Jocks, with their brute strength and tactics, Scholars resemble more of the "nerds". They aren't exactly nerds, in the sense we know of, but the Hunters view them as such, as they focus on learning rather than fighting and training.

3) Their abilities. If up against an opponent who has a sense for Soul Residue, they would notice a key different between Hunters and Scholars: On Hunters, there would be a highly concentrated area of Soul Residue on a a part of their body, usually their hand. However, in a Scholar, the Soul Residue is dispersed throughout their body, spread too thin to be used as a manifested weapon. Because of this phenomenon, Susanoo developed the Scholar Paths, which mimic the abilities of the Maidens.

The main offensive abilities of the Scholars are the Scholar Paths, which are four categories of spells, bringing them to a total of twenty, with five spells per Path. The effects of each spell differs, but they tend to focus around one, main ability of the Path. Each path focuses on a different aspect of combat. While the Scholars lack the raw power of the Hunters, their numerous abilities make them much more versatile in battle.

Path of the Human: General Spells/Setup Spells

• Push - A generic spell that summons Soul Residue to the palms of the caster's hands, releasing a concussive blast in the direction the palms are pointed, sending anything in their range skidding away from the caster. This spell becomes less effective the higher the opponent's strength stat is, and is nearly useless if the enemy's strength surpasses the caster's. Use of this spell costs 1 Mana
  
• Telekinesis - A more advanced level of Push, which spreads the caster's Soul Residue into the area surrounding them. This allows them to manipulate objects in the environment as if they were using telekinesis. While any force generated by this spell is minimal, it allows for more subtle movements, and allows the caster to manipulate things in a way impossible with just the pushing force generated by Push. It cannot be used on humans or Monsters, at least directly, and heavier objects are much harder to move. This spell costs 3 Mana.
  
• Slam - Soul Residue is gathered at the caster's hands, causing them to glow with an awe-inspiring light. The energy gathered there increases the caster's strength exponentially, allowing them to physically move things, almost like a combination between Push and Telekinesis. The mana required for this spell varies, with every 1 Mana put into the spell converting into 2 Strength.
  
• Track - The caster expells a mass of Soul Residue into the surrounding area, which transmutes information back to them. This provides almost an omniscient view of the area effected, which is a huge advantage in a stealth-based battle, or any battle in general. This spell costs 10 Mana
  
• Heal - By focusing their Soul Residue at one point, the caster is able to invoke its healing potential. This is by far the strongest and most powerful spell of the Human Path, being able to heal virtually any wound. The spell cannot invoke regeneration, such as re-creating an arm, but if the dismembered limb is in their possession, the caster can re-attach it with little trouble. Heal cannot restore lost energy, such as used up Soul Residue. This spell costs 15 Mana to use, and it CANNOT be used on the caster.
  

Path of the Scholar - Sealing Spells

• Paralysis - The caster injects their Soul Residue into their opponent at point-blank range, distorting their mind's control over their body for a short period of time. This causes a case of paralysis in the victim, at least for a short amount of time. The effects of the spell last for 2 of the opponent's posts, allowing ample setup time for the caster to perform another, more powerful spell. This spell costs 2 Mana to use.
  
• Net - The caster weaves their Soul Residue into a net, which is then thrown onto the opponent. This subdues them for 2 posts, as well as tangling them inside the net, which is a very annoying feeling. The spell costs 3 Mana to use.
  
• Mummify - Soul Residue is expelled in bands, which wrap themselves around the target, essentially mummifying them. The spell can be used partially, usually manifesting a single strand of the bandages to be used as a whip or spare string. It subdues the opponent for 3 of their posts, and costs 5 Mana to use.
  
• Snap - The caster draws a circle in the ground with their Soul Residue, although more skilled casters are able to stay stationary and create the circle from one spot, rather than having to physically draw it. When the opponent enters the circle, jaws formed from the circumference snap shut on the opponent, piercing their waist, leg, or whatever part of their body the jaws happen to clamp on. This not only causes them pain, but the spell remains in effect for 4 of the opponent's posts. While they can still move their body, they are stuck stationary in the jaw's clutches. This spell costs 7 Mana to use.
  
• Coffin - This spell converts Soul Residue into a physical coffin, which encases the opponent. They are completely sealed off, inside the coffin, for a whopping 5 posts, leaving them with little more to do than wait. While it is a great advantage, and an even greater disadvantage for the opponent, the spell costs 20 Mana to cast.
  

The beauty of the Scholar Path is that the spells can all be used in conjunction, providing even greater sealing potential. However, out of respect for the RPers on this site, the longest time someone can be continuously sealed is 7 posts, and after that we ask that you please refrain from spamming more seals, to give your opponent a chance to RP as well.

Path of the Hunter - Assault Spells

• Pistol Shot - The caster makes the shape of a pistol with their fingers, gathering Soul Residue at the tip of their index finger. Firing it off like a gun, the Soul Residue is treated exactly like a bullet, with an extremely high level of stopping power. It costs 1 Mana per bullet to use.
  
• Spike - By taking an object the user has in their possession and infusing it with Soul Residue, the object is transfigured into a spear-like form, which is then thrown. The javelin lasts for one throw, disappearing after the opponent has either been hit or dodges. The object used to create the weapon is destroyed in the process, and the spell cannot be cast if the user runs out of objects to use as mediums. It costs 3 Mana to create a javelin.
  
• Sword - Like the Spike Spell, Sword requires an object to be used as a medium to create the weapon. However, unlike Spike, Sword stays active for much longer, as it is an assault weapon rather than a one-shot throw. Once used up, the object is destroyed. The spell costs 5 Mana to use, the sword stays active for 5 posts before dissipating. As an added effect, the caster can input Additional Mana, and increase their strength by 2 for each additional mana put into the spell, although the extra power doesn't prolong the spells' life.
  
• Shield - Just like the previous two spells, Shield requires a medium to be activated. It is a much stronger and more difficult technique, due to having to take numerous hits that a shield would normally recieve. For any combatant, the difference between hitting and getting hit is huge, and the difference in the spells shows it. This spell costs 7 Mana to use, and it stays active for 7 posts, significantly reducing the damage the caster recieves. Like its brother spells, after the spell wears off, the object used to create it is destroyed. Like Sword, this spell increases the caster's stats for each additional mana put into the spell; in this case, each additonal mana put into the spell results in a +2 defense.
  
• Pierce - Although it has no direct impact, the strength of this spell lies is its support abilities, being able to be used in conjunction with every other Path, and in its passive ability: significantly increasing the penetrating and stopping power of the caster's spells. This spell essentially doubles the power of any spells it is used in conjunction with. For example, if this spell is used with Sword, with 1 additional mana put into the spell, the strength increase would be 4 instead of 2. While this seems like an amazing increase, it is balanced by the fact that this spell requires 7 Mana per post to use.
  

Path of the Monster - Finisher Spells/Bodily Enhancer Spells

• Bite - Soul Residue is gathered at the caster's teeth, hardening, sharpening and lengthening them to combat-ready potential. While biting the enemy isn't the most efficient form of combat, it makes sense that this spell is one of the lower ones of the path. It costs 3 Mana to use.
  
• Claws - The caster gathers Soul Residue at their hands, encasing them in the substance. Unlike Slam, the Soul Residue in this spell solidifies instead of appearing as a glow. Rather than increasing the caster's strength, it drastically sharpens their claws, cutting nearly anything they touch. This spell costs 5 Mana to use.
  
• Wings - The caster gathers their Soul Residue on their back, releasing it into the form of large wings. The spell allows them to take flight, use the wings as temporary sheilds, or use them to knock their opponent away. This is a very versatile spell, with the wings varying in sizes and shapes unique to the users. This spell costs 10 Mana to use.
  
• Scales - The caster releases a multitude of Soul Residue, pouring it out of their body, encasing themselves in it. This creates a coating of protective armor around the caster, manifesting itself as innumerable scales on their body. Their defense doubles with the activation of this spell, and due to its hard and heavy nature, their speed is reduced by 10, but their strength increases by 10. This spell costs 15 Mana to use, and 2 Mana per additional post to keep active.
  
• Berserk - Arguably the most powerful spell in a Scholar's arsenal, it is by far the most dangerous. By activating this spell, the caster submits to the constant influence of their Soul Residue, allowing it to take over. Upon activation of this spell all stats are doubled, but the caster loses their mind. They fight as little more than Monsters which, upon allowing their Soul Residue to take over, is all they essentially are. This spell costs 20 Mana to activate, and an additional 10 Mana per additional post to keep active. However, the one drawback of this spell is that the caster cannot deactivate it. The spell, once activated, will continue to go on until the caster runs out of mana, which causes every active spell to deactivate. However, the reduction of mana to 0 means that no other spells can be activated for the remainder of the fight, either.
  

To cast a spell, the following phrase is the accepted "template" for casting: "[spell number] Path of the [path name], [spell name]!"
Ex. "First Path of the Hunter: Pistol Shot!"

The beauty of the Scholar Paths in general is their ability to be used in conjunction with each other. As stated before, the Scholars are much more versatile than Hunters, which is evident in their numerous spells and their ability to combine them to create numerous combos. Perhaps you can use Pierce in conjunction with Mummify to create a bandage you can swing around that had the piercing power of a sword? However, you must keep in mind that once your mana hits zero, any spell you are currently using will dissipate, no matter what, and you won't be able to activate any more spells for the remainder of your fight. Yes, sucks for you. And no, Mana does not regenerate over the course of your topic.

Additionally, in your app, you should have stated which of the four paths you specialized in, and depending on which you chose, you can apply to recieve one of these four items...

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  

Prefects - 270 SP

• 
  
• 
  

All Path Master - 150 SP

3rd Path Master - 100 SP

2nd Path Master - 80 SP

1st Path Master - 60 SP

Recruits - 50 SP

• Hatarou
  
• Akaryu
  

Reapers

The Reapers are the previous residents of Kabuto Academy, being the Izanagi Psuedo-Monsters assigned the the continent. However, some time in the past, their leader, Susanoo, went on a "drunken rampage", during which the population of Reapers decided it was time they rebelled against their "unfit" leader, fleeing the academy and country, going over the Daiyama Mountains. Since, no Reaper has been heard of or seen. It was so long ago that no human in Rus even knows what a Reaper is, and any information on them in the Kabuto Library is sealed off in the forbidden section.

Generally, the only identifying features of Reapers are the fact that, for the most part, they all have very cold and distant personalities, and come off as rather mean, even evil. They certainly don't like the humans, seeing themselves as above such "low level lifeforms", and scoff at the Scholars and Hunters for trying to pretend to be Psuedo-Monsters. Otherwise, it is nearly impossible to tell a Reaper apart from a normal human, aside from the Soul Residue they give off, but that can only be sensed by other beings who can give off Soul Residue, something not even Hunters are capable of.

Power-wise, the Reapers differ greatly from one another. The only link they have is the template of some random ability, a monster form, and an enhanced ability. Unlike Scholars, who all draw from the same list of spells, or Hunters, who all utilize weapons, the Reapers' abilities are far more versatile and variable, leaving you guessing at what a Reaper will throw out until they actually throw it out. The same goes for their monster form, which is capable of taking on virtually any possible form. Once those two have been revealed, its rather easy to guess what direction their enhanced abilities will take, but to what extent they are enhanced is a complete mystery. We also ask that you do NOT make your ability anything like weapon manifestation, as that is one of the main differences between Reapers and Conquista. If you want your ability to turn your body into a weapon, then go apply for Conquista.

Gender-wise, Reapers can be anything. Females aren't any weaker, any stronger, discriminated against, or anything of the sort. Like the other races that inhabit Kabuto Academy, the gender of your character is up to you, as well as they way they act, and their overall personality. The only thing we require of your Reaper is that, as a Reaper, they are evil. We're not trying to limit your creativity (We DID give you super boosts, especially for starters >.>), but Reapers, Riders, and Prototypes are the only evil races on the site. And you don't see Arrancar turning good in Bleach, or Marines helping out pirates in One Piece, do you?

While the other two Kabuto races have a uniform, since the Reapers have defected no such thing is required. However, the species does enjoy wearing black cloaks, which is partly where their title of "Reapers" came from (Like the Grim Reaper, get it?). As well, Reapers have a notoriously long possible lifespan, but only in age. They grow up rather quickly, at the normal rate of a human, but once they hit around 20, they start growing rather slowly. This is their prime, and they naturally stay in it as long as possible. Even Susanoo, who is the original, is around his 40s, but has been alive for ages. However, they aren't anymore immune to injuries than normal humans. Sure, they heal rather quickly, but that doesn't help them in the middle of a fight.