Index [Rwby Alternate] The Beacon Athenaeum

Welcome to Rwby Alternate! This will be a completely different take on the Rwby series and a continuation of the original fanfic with the same name by Jerry Freeman, who quit this project before it could be fully enacted and has allowed anyone to continue his work.

I will be heavily referencing and repeating a lot of his community's ideas into this index. However, these posts are done solely by me, and the same is true with the main story which will be in another thread.

Part 1: Introduction

What is the measure of a soul? Can it be weighed or rounded? Are they dense? Are they meta-physical or physical, or gaseous? How are they born? Are they equal, or are some greater than others? Where do the mind and the soul begin, and where do they end? What is the worth of a human spirit? Can it be created and duplicated? And how can we exploit it?

- Commander Daggoth of the old empire
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The continent of Terria used to house one of the greatest empires to have ever graced the planet. An empire with flying machines and silver cities that covered the land entirely. Generations of scholars have constantly theorized on the sudden disappearance of such an Empire but have found very little in return.



However, it is generally accepted that the Empire's collapse coincided with the greatest natural disaster in recorded human history, the fall.



The fall is the cataclysmic event that led to the moon's fracturing and the ocean waves' subsequent turbulence. With the fall came the emergence of dark creatures called Grimm.



These...Creatures can also be traced to the event of the fall; however, currently, it is impossible to determine what role they played in correlation to the Empire's disappearance and the cataclysm. Many studies have been done on these creatures to the point where each seen variation of these abominations can be placed into different categories. However, all that is for a different entry; what is important to know now is that these beasts prevent humanity from traveling further into the continent of Terria. As to why one only needs to look at the graphic below.



"Grimm are hazardous creatures. They cannot be bargained with, and they cannot be controlled. They are each a nation unto themselves and will try everything they can to kill. They do not abide by the balance of nature, and as such, they pose an existential threat to both humankind and Terria. If they cannot find humans or animals to feed on, Grimm are known to absorb darkness literally and tend to do so in dark caves that span the entire continent."- Professor Oobleck, tactics professor at Beacon academy.

The red area marks where Grimm concentration is the highest, orange is near-constant, yellow is moderate, and green is light. Suffice to say; the green area is where humanity resides. A sad reality considering that there is evidence that humanity used to control all of Terria once upon a time. The small area of Terria that humanity inhabits is called Remnant for ironic reasons, as it is literally a remnant of Humanity's glory.



Remnant is home to many different human kingdoms and settlements. The most notable of the settlements,
Torinth, Baradin-Assan, The Borro Principalities, the Kingdom of Gaillas, the People’s Republic of Mistral, the Free Banks, Kellibrir, and the kingdom of Atlas. These nations and their history and geographies will also be covered another time.

However, this will do for the introductions of the world of Terria, come back and we'll see what our next discussion will be. - Professor Ozpin headmaster of Beacon academy

 

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Oh, hello there! You must be the one Professor Ozpin was talking about. He talks very highly of you. Who am I? I'm professor Glynda Goodwitch, head of Geography and cultures here at Beacon academy, glad to make your acquaintance!

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Where's Professor Ozpin? Well, he's off overseeing the school; of course, he is the overseer after all. But nevermind that now, I've been assigned to regale you with the history Remnant so relax and listen as regale you with our countries tale.

Part 2: Remnant​

This small piece of the continent of Terria is actually called Marathon; however, old scholars like Ozpin like to call it Remnant for obvious and morose reasons. I can't entirely agree with it as it only spreads pessimism and doom; I'm much more of a positive thinker. But enough of that; instead, the focus shall be placed on the countries themselves.

Torinth began as a contiguous confederation of city-states and minor nations, not unalike Borro or the Free Banks. It wasn’t until the last century that the ambitious proto-state of Torinth began swallowing its neighbors whole with its professional, disciplined army and its effective use of industrialization and militarization. It’s become something of a threat to the surrounding countries and a force to be reckoned with. Its military is probably the greatest globally, and the region’s never known a better time in its history. And yet, Marathon conspires to see its downfall.

Beyond anyone’s interest is the southern Imeret kingdom of Baradin-Assan. Imerets are ancient knight's orders that elect an Inquisitor (or in this case, an Uruban and a Crusadine) to lead them. Hence, their policies reflect that of their beliefs. They are the only human kingdom that fights on the Frontier without the Hunters' exclusive aid — and oddly enough, they are also older than the Hunters themselves. They even use Dust as a currency.

The Free Banks; the richer, more developed younger brother of Borro. Their success is in the land; the cities line up against a great river's deltas, “Caeros,” which lead from the Borro mountains into the sea. This location gives the Free Banks a geographical advantage; the river’s fingers, so to speak, act as a natural barrier against invading armies. The rich soil makes for great agricultural products. That, and its central location on the eastern shore, makes it the wealthiest and most developed region in all of Marathon. In fact, its overall population just barely exceeds that of Mistral, which geographically is three times the Banks’ collective size. For centuries it has lived under the influence of Atlas, with insurrectionist cells thriving ever since the Fall of Havil in the 10th century AE.


The Borro Principalities are not entirely united as they are prone to alliances. They’re not as developed as the Free Banks, and they’re not as powerful as them either. So smaller parts like Auroria are practically helpless if the Principalities, alongside any other allies, refuse to join their cause. But the reason why no one has bothered uniting this region is because the land itself is surprisingly hard to take. Borro is a mountain range with very few passes that only skilled messengers know. It nearly took Torinth’s entire army to make it to the capital of Auroria — if the city had held out for a few more months, they would have single-handedly beaten the strongest nation in Marathon.

Kellibrir is mining country. The resource-heavy mountains that line its northern border are a rich source of gold, silver, and many other compounds like Dust and salt. Perhaps more interestingly, Kellibrir is the only democracy in Terria. It happened because they had a certain dynasty on the throne for nearly a thousand years, and suddenly the last member died out. So they were just like, “dang, we should elect someone.” And that’s basically how representative democracy started in Remnant. They even have Faunus senators. Politically, however, they are a very passive country and seldom interfere in the southern folk's affairs. If another nation tries to attack them, they can hide in the mountains until the invading armies starve in the barren hills.

Atlas is the absolutist monarch state, with a rigid ruling class of nobles and kings and a lower class of peasants and plebiscites. It’s by far the most traditional monarchic kingdom in all of Marathon and attests to the “purity” of a royal bloodline. Absurd amounts of money are used to construct palaces and build armies, and almost none of it goes to the peasantry. Atlas, the last remnant (pun intended) of the old Empire, is currently going through terrible economic straits due to a failed war in the Borros.

Mistral was once a kingdom like the others, but when its kings began modernizing and industrializing, the backward economies and practices of the Mistren people ultimately led to a socialist revolution. Now, everyone is treated (and paid) mostly the same, the government has a strong influence on the press and the media, and most projects within its borders are government-mandated, but there’s still a strict caste system lingering throughout its society, there’s rudimentary a free market, and some jobs pay higher than others for no other reason than the employer's more valuable. It's basically China today – the whole “commune” angle is just an excuse for higher government control, which is another reason why Torinth is such a threat.

Gaillas’ monarch is ceremonial, but much like Britain’s monarchy today, there are certain legislative and absolutist powers that the monarch can reserve, such as temporarily disbanding Congress. Out of all the countries in Marathon, Gaillas is the most industrialized, with factories and textile manufacturers all along its borders. Much like Atlas, there’s a rigid ruling class, a peasantry, and an emerging middle-class, but all that’s really different is how power is concentrated. The Minister of Gaillas probably has more direct control than the monarch, and if any country were to evolve into a democracy like Kellibrir, it would probably be Gaillas.

Some other smaller countries and communities litter Marathon, for the record, but none of them are really that important. The only one that really deserves mention is Hensmere. Hensmere is a tiny rural county that lives in a particularly fertile area of the Golden Delta, just outside the Free Banks. They’re a vassal of Gaillas and provide a lot of crops and livestock in addition to a small monetary tribute. It's peaceful, and the air is fairer here. This is where the legendary Summer Rose and her children are from.

So Who is Summer rose? Really you don't know her?! Well, that's a story for another time. I...can't really do the topic justice. Ozpin will be sure to send someone who can. Anyway, mull over our topic for today and reflect on it. Ta ta~

 

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Hello, howdy, how do you do? My name is Professor Port the theology professor here at Beacon. In this academy, we encourage free thinkers and allow religions of any kind to be practiced here. So with that out of the way lets get right down to buisness.

Part 3: Religion​

The Empire worshipped the Sun and the Moon, and they found the Moon more effeminate in nature. That same culture persists when those two celestial bodies are in question; Amos and Ani, the two governing wills of the sky, just as men and women were the two governing souls of Terria.

The beliefs of the old Empire has long since been forgotten, but out of its fall came a variety of beliefs:

The mourning of Ani’s “death” during the Fall devolved into her becoming a monotheistic entity, and although people still mention Amos by name, Anicism and its later denominations essentially became a culture of mourning and guilt around Ani’s death. Church processions are more akin to funerals and wakes than they are masses, and disrespecting her memory by killing her children of the night, the Grimm was akin to sacrilege. It wasn’t until Avanism rolled up out of the Southern tribes (initially called the Heresy of the Sun) that Marathon seriously considered pushing back the Grimm further away from the Borros.

Anicism states that the fall of the Empire was the result of a massive war between Ani (God) and the Empire, and that the Grimm are Ani’s creatures. As a result, the Empire was destroyed, and the Moon – Ani – was mortally wounded. This discouraged its followers from reusing Imperial tech – part of why the faith came into being was out of fear of repeating the past, whatever it was.

Circa 600 AE, Atlas’ Hunters, as well as a few village militias, finally pushed back the Grimm out of Marathon, and then after that — nothing. Anicism was really taking off and a large part of its doctrine said that the Grimm were basically the children of Ani, and that humankind was banished to this one enclave of Terria. There were countless debates on whether or not the Hunters should even push the Grimm out of Marathon, but with or without religion, the roads needed to be safe, and merchants didn’t want the Grimm endangering the countries’ economies. Like, what’s more important; repenting to a dead God, or not starving?

It wasn’t until rogue scholars in Salar-Assan started propagating that the Grimm were the reason the Empire fell and that humankind was Ani’s children all along, that Avanism started being popular. This conflicted pretty badly with Anicist countries, especially Atlas. This is ironic seeing how they were the reason Hunters even existed.

Avanism emerged out of an Imeret that eventually became Baradin-Assan as an inter-religious reform of Anicism. It states that the massive war was actually between God and the Grimm, and the Empire just got in the middle of it all. Not only does this justify using Dust as a power source, but it's also what started the Hunter societies en masse. Naturally, the very first ones were religious orders.

Avanism — is a belief in and of itself, but also opened the way for a number of other sects. For example, our Church of Beacon subscribes to the Gaetri belief, which is a sect of Avanism that states a human person is separated into two spheres – the “Aura” and the body. Animals, plants, and Grimm, by this definition, have no soul. There are some who believe that the Faunus have no soul and are inherently inferior, however, this belief is shunned upon here as we are an academy that promotes diversity and equality.

Avanism was founded in Gaillas and spread to the surrounding countries. There are Gaetri majorities in Atlas and the Free Banks, and a sizeable minority in Borro. At the heart of Gaetri’s doctrine is the betterment of the soul; how one can achieve enlightenment through experience and the enrichment of one’s Aura. And so a lot of this is put into practice at places like Beacon. Specific to the Gaetric offshoot of Avanism, the 4 Sisters, are each responsible for holding up a basic principle or pillar of the Gaetric faith, acting as icons which to pray to and to focus energy into individual aspects of the religion. Instead of being physical people, they would just be featured as part of the iconography of the religion, being widely known and fairly mutable between regions. However, they generally fall under the same 4 tenements to the faith:



Spring: Representing rebirth, bravery, and courage. In some regions a symbol of youth, in others maternity. Displayed generally as an icon of peace.



Summer: Strength in all its forms; Strength of body, the strength of mind, and strength of will. Commonly called upon on battlefields, or called upon in training as an exemplar of fortitude.



Fall: Temperance, balance. Generally exemplifies moderation in life and the control of the self when facing larger threats. Commonly displayed in temples and around confessional booths, her iconography is generally muted in color and design.



Winter: Sacrifice, persistence. An icon resembling not death, but rather representing the greater good of the whole of humanity. An icon generally reserved for funerals and representative of becoming one with Ani and is seen as a guardian of the soul in the face of Grimm.



In this sense, to be told you embody a maiden would be a sign of ultimate respect rather than a source of actual power, basically being told you were saint-like in your actions and seen as a paragon of the faith. And also randomly, these are common baby names. With the rise of industry in Marathon, and the absence of religious doctrine in everyday life, there are a small few clinging to the good Avanist way of life that seems to be crumbling away — a sort of religious awakening, where powerful figures attempt to reintegrate religion into an ever-modern world, to little success. Our Church of Beacon is one such example.

Well that's all for today young one, your next lesson will be about the hunters and the Grimm, both will be taught by Professor Oobleck.

 

Nicely immersive and effective with the illustrations, well done.

 

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Welcome, welcome young one!! My name is Professor Oobleck, your combat, and tactics professor here in Beacon academy! I could teach you many things such as dust or the difference between each academy that is located within different regions, or maybe about Sembalances and Aura so you can learn how to fight like a real huntsman! But Alas I have limited time today and all I've been assigned to teach you about Hunters and the Grimm, so let's get started!

Part 4: Hunters and Grimm​

( A hunter leads an army to war)​

HUNTERS



Hunters are an elite force of warriors that train to fight Grimm and protect the dominion of man. Ironically, they are often contracted by the ruling class to do more than just fight the “shapeless devils”; in times of war, Hunters are sometimes brought onto the battlefield to fight the country’s enemies, and otherwise, they can be hired as bodyguards for nobility. Either way, they are a force to be reckoned with, and becoming one is seen by many as a means of social mobility, a la samurai or knights. Some Hunters exclusively fight on the Frontier, and vice versa.




Hunters equip a variety of weapons depending on their fighting style. These armaments tend to rely on Imperial tech quite a bit, so the heavier-duty weapons use Dust as their main source of ammunition and power. Without going into too much detail, the smithies of the Free Banks are masters of lightweight weaponry, so the more ambitious Hunters love to commission obtuse, complex, and large weapons for their arsenal ). These weapons range from small firearms and “martial augmenters” to longswords and gallant scythes, with colorful and distinct designs that help Hunters stand out among the crowd. Due to technological limitations, these “masterpiece” weapons are not capable of rapid-fire riflery.




Being a Hunter is extremely lucrative. They can make mad bank as one, with the trade-off that most missions they’re assigned to are almost always treacherous. Obviously, the choice of what they apply their skills to is up to the Hunter themself; they can fight on the Frontier, they can enlist as officers in armies, they can do both, it's entirely up to them. In the case of Hunter Societies like Imperia, where they’re funded almost exclusively by the Torian government, students are taught to fight for their country both at home and abroad. Joining an army or group opposed to Torinth is considered treason. So there are ideological barriers to what you can and can’t do — but being a Hunter is profitable nonetheless.




Hunters are also regularly contracted to venture deep into the wilds for coin and country, finding artifacts and resources that are otherwise nonexistent in the east, including the Dust cultivated from the corpses of Grimm. These jobs vary widely from escorts and fetch quests to full-on sieges of dead cities. Either way, the Frontier is pushed farther west with each operation.



(Beacon Academy)

HUNTER SOCIETIES



Hunter societies/monasteries congregate at the edge of the Frontier. Each Hunter society has its own code of law. Some are lenient, and some are strict; ultimately they are all unique, with their own dress codes, disciplines, code of law, code of honor, prerequisites, exams, and so on. The more lenient ones are much more like academies and schools, while the more strict ones function exclusively as monasteries with ranks analogous to actual churches and inquisitions. Case in point, the Church of Beacon.




These Hunter groups are entitled to their own beliefs, and many of them stem from actual religions found in Marathon, like the Gaetri beliefs of the Church of Beacon aka Beacon academy. Haven’s Light is another such society. Not all societies are religious, however, and some even lambast Haven's Light for its extremist ideologies regarding Faunus and its Tier system.




Before enlisting to go on expeditions, Hunters are trained extensively at their respective societies, learning how to fight the Grimm as best they can. If they are deemed unworthy or inept by their peers at the end of their education, those Hunters will not receive the necessary identification to travel west until they really earn them. These papers vary with each society - Beacon uses the standardized Hunter’s license, while a school such as the Torinth-funded Imperia Academy likes to just hand students a bunch of papers when they graduate.




Prospective applicants to these societies are often expected to have some kind of education in combat. This can include military service or a degree from a trade school such as Signal Academy, located in the Free Banks. Anyone of any nation can apply, given they abide by the society’s entry requirements and have an appropriate background. Citizens above 30 need not apply, however; the kind of physical training found in Hunter societies demand commitment at a young age, where bodies are still developing and can be honed to a specific degree.




Fireteams exist mainly for protection: while experienced hunters should have no problem facing the average Dark Two, initiates and acolytes might not be so lucky. So Hunter societies tend to pair students up in groups of 4. Some of these teams bond so well they stay together well into their adult years, like STRQ; most, however, just split after graduation, the composition of the team is entirely up to the academy. The naming of these fireteams are purely for convenience’s sake and they can be changed.



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HUNTER APPRENTICESHIPS



The Hunter societies of Marathon are among the best and most intuitive places for an up-and-coming Hunter to be educated. This being said, not all are embraced into the fold of these prestigious and grand institutions. Sometimes, students are left behind for being weak in soul or body, incapable of the vigor that these schools expect from their students.


These academies also sport highly eccentric teachers. Given the nature of a Hunter’s education, most of these teachers forego books or lectures and tend to rely on practical experience that gives their students a fair taste of what to expect in battle. This is Marathon's greatest strength, as every student adopts a different and unique style from their masters and their peers, rather than learning uniformly and at the same pace.


It is also very common for a master to “adopt” a student (or occasionally a promising outsider) and train them personally, rather than in a classroom setting. This is known as an “apprenticeship”, and many civilians wishing to enter the Hunter strata with little experience in combat tend to seek out Guilds and Masters to receive such an education because not everyone has the opportunity or the budget to attend a combat school like Signal or Imperia. Some Hunter societies, with the sole interest of expanding the Hunter caste in mind, ban this sort of favoritism among their teachers; Beacon is not one of them.









GRIMM

The Grimm are demons that wander the dark west. The word “Grimm” is a colloquialism of the Imperial words “GREE” and “EMIR”, which roughly translate to “shapeless devils”. these Grimm have a much large variety of forms. Some take on the shape of an animal, some imitate inanimate objects like rocks or sand, and some can even take on a form of spacious gas, analogous to darkness, shadow, and pestilence. The deeper travelers wander into the west, the more dangerous the Grimm appears.


Grimm are extremely dangerous creatures. They cannot be bargained with, and they cannot be controlled. They are each a nation unto themselves and will try everything they can to kill. They do not abide by the balance of nature, and as such, they pose an existential threat to both humankind and Terria. If they cannot find humans or animals to feed on, Grimm are known to literally absorb darkness and tend to do so in dark caves that span the entire continent. Non-Hunters avoid caves like crazy for this very reason, and ore mines have since been converted to open-pits, which is why Kellibrir has entire hillsides covered in big holes.


Grimm are almost always found past the Frontier-line, but sometimes lingering spirits wander the dark places of the east. There’s no real guarantee that a Grimm isn’t waiting in the shadows. Because of this, Hunters see plenty of action on both sides of the line, so to speak. Grimm love being in dark places; so much so, in fact, that Grimm left in darkness usually grow/age faster with the rarest Grimm developing strange traits. Additionally, at night, Grimm receive a buff to their abilities since night is pretty much just a shadow in and of itself.


In 1126 AE, a group of Mistren scholars created a system of measuring Grimm by threat level:


Dark 1 are generally weak Grimm and are incapable of thought. They run purely on instinct; not usually a threat to any hunter. Grimm in this class also appear the most similar to standard fauna, like predators.


Dark 2 are strong Grimm that could give a Hunter a challenge. These are more unique Grimm, in terms of appearance. Approach with caution. At this tier, Grimm deviate from the standard fauna and begin to display traits not found in animal kingdom analogues – or, in the very least, share similarities with multiple creatures.


Dark 3 are challenging Grimm that often require more than one Hunter to take down. At this level, Grimm are capable of basic pack tactics and exhibit major deviations from the Animal Kingdom, possessing abilities beyond that of any normal creatures (intangibility, invisibility, telekinesis). A simple intelligence comparable to most animal predators also appears at this level. Approach with extreme caution.


Dark 4 are extremely powerful Grimm that will take a team of Hunters to kill. These Grimm have some capability of thought and are much more dangerous than any of the other tiers. Some Grimm within this category have even been seen vocalizing and communicating with others. The rank of “Dark 4” is generally reserved for some of the strongest Grimm; they have a fascination with human culture and processes, and seem to try everything they can to destroy them. When in larger groups, they seem to take command when lesser-ranked Grimm are involved. In this role, they are even capable of complex battle strategy. Eliminate at any cost.


While Dark 3 and 4 Grimm share little to no similarities with one another, that uniqueness doesn’t necessarily apply to most Dark 1 and 2 Grimm. This is because Swarm and Pack Grimm exist among those ranks. A single “Swarm” Grimm isn’t threatening; just like a lonesome ant, however, strength comes in numbers. Swarms can build hives, create tunnel systems, and hunt prey much larger themselves, all through working together. For a group of Grimm to be classified as a Swarm, all (if not most) individual creatures of that Swarm must be at the most a Dark 2, sharing similar shapes and abilities.


Pack Grimm are demons that work together to hunt prey. The primary quality that sets them apart from Swarms is that packs use more clever hunting strategies to outmaneuver their prey. Packs are analogous to wolves, lions, and even hyenas. For a group of Grimm to be classified as a Pack, all participating subjects must be at least measured as a Dark 2 and share somewhat similar features.


While both Swarms and Packs don’t necessarily have “individual” Grimm within their ranks, the groups themselves tend to be unique in and of themselves.


Leading a Swarm or a Pack could be a Dark 3 Grimm: a Hive Queen or an Alpha respectively. Their abilities are probably the same as the rest of their groups with the only addition being able to control those members


According to the various myths of Marathon, there are two Grimm exist above all others – two warring gods to whom the rest of the world is inconsequential. All we know about them is shrouded in inaccuracy, and the “truths” of their existence are often contradictory. But for all intents and purposes, let’s pretend we know: the Brothers are two immensely colossal Grimm. They each possess a mental aura that radiates out, fully dominating lesser grimm, with the added side effect of occasionally leaking into the minds of men. This has caused them to unconsciously produce emissaries who see them and the Grimm as deities and create many underground cults throughout the land. They may even imitate the very Huntsman who come to hunt them – being able to speak and think intelligently, as well as using advanced tools and weapons.


The Grimm also have a strange connection to elemental Dust; when Grimm chew Dust, they gain that elemental focus. If they swallow it, its refined in their belly over time. They can also chew/smallow synthetic Dust compounds. This makes them extremely valuable to kill in the Frontier.


Grimm find Dust “tasty” and have a minor ‘dust sense’ (with varying effectiveness) so Dust Deposits almost always have Grimm around them. This also attracts Grimm to the edge of the Frontier, making fighting near unending at the walls. As a Grimm decomposes, it produces whatever Dust it consumed. If it chewed elemental dust in its lifetime, it produces dust of that type; otherwise the product is completely random.


When Grimm die, they dissolve into ash and leave behind any traces of Dust that they may have ingested within their lifetime. Because the Frontier is so vast and unknown, no one knows if Grimm reproduce or if they are simply immortal.




GRIMMIFICATION

There is something wrong with the Grimm and the Frontier. Once you’re out there, there’s this corrupting force that changes a person’s mind and body. The closer you are to the Grimm and their domain, the more susceptible you are to their change and mutation; this is known as Grimmification, the more commonly-used term for Sarah-Nak, which roughly translates to Black-Blood. Coined by Atlen doctors who first documented their findings in the Frontier long ago, it’s when the essence of Grimm (whether that's in general or a direct effect of the Brothers is entirely up in the air) enters the body and slowly alters one's physical and mental form.


The tell-tale signs of Grimmification are animalistic traits, similar to that of the Faunus: cat ears, sharpened teeth, a tail… all signs of mutation. Some vary in severity, but most that get infected with Grimmification act fairly normal – some, however, ultimately succumb to their new traits and allow themselves to become the “monster” within them.


As cheap as it sounds, willpower is what one needs to defend against the growing cancer within. Additionally, The stronger someone's aura, the stronger their resistance is — which would explain why Hunters more regularly travel deeper into the Frontier than say soldiers, frontiersmen, and settlers. It acts like a deep-sea pressure suit. The stronger the aura, the deeper they can go and fight.


The closer Hunters are to the Grimm and their domain; the more they are likely to change. There is no turning back. There is no cure. It's just the way things are.


There are some ways to protect yourself from the effects of Grimmification. One of the more popular methods is to wear the sigil of Ani, whether that be a banner, a tabard, a necklace, a talisman, whatever. Whether or not it truly works is still up for debate. Some Frontier fort-towns place large sigils around their homes to act as a barrier to protect against the Grimm. Again, varying effectiveness.


Grimmification, alongside the physical presence of Grimm, operates as a containment protocol meant to keep humans from expanding outside Marathon. Its not literally a containment protocol, but you get the idea. It functions like radiation; a little is fine, and not a lot will happen, but prolonged exposure will lead to very adverse side effects, like death. For a lack of research into the Frontier given its adversity, Grimmification is just Marathon’s version of radiation poisoning. Too much poisoning, and you could die. Your body might go through a physiological change from being exposed for too long, hence the nomenclature’s comparison to Grimm, but for the most part if you’re out there for too long you’ll either get really, really sick or straight-up die.


There are cases of Frontiersmen contracting this sickness, and undergoing a change in their physiology, but somehow managing to build an immunity to Grimmification’s more adverse effects. Its cases like these convince groups like the Frontier’s Finest to push the Grimm further and further away from Marathon, despite Grimmification affecting every square mile past the Borro Mountains.


The strength of one’s Aura determines just how resilient the body is to this poisoning. Tier 3 Hunters, as rare as they are, can withstand almost a month in this place, while average civilians would probably start getting sick after a few days.

So now you know about Grimm and Hunters! Since you were such a good listener I'll even give you a lesson about Semblances and Aura!

 

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"Hello, hello, hello! Welcome, welcome, welcome! Back for another lesson, are you? You're such an apt learner; I'm impressed. So without further ado, let's get right onto the topic at hand!"

Part 5: AURA AND SEMBLANCE


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Aura is an actual, quantifiable quality of every humanoid on Terria. Humans, Graif, Faunus, all of them have it, and depending on who you’re learning from, it's either what separates humanity from the thralls of natural antiquity or the reason why Grimm, and the natural world, are infinitely superior. To the Cult of Salem, and perhaps even to the Brothers Grimm, Aura is corruption within the earth that multiplies like cancer. It's what makes humans such an inherent threat to the natural world.


When developed (as in, not readily available to every man, woman, and child under the sun), it gives humanoids basic buffs like a faster immune system, better speed, more adept thinking, stronger reflexes, skeletal density, and overall pristine health. It has its limits, though – limbs cut off will stay cut off. Severed fingers won’t magically grow back. You’ll heal faster and form stumps quicker, but that’s about it. If you don’t develop it for a couple of years, it tends to degenerate back to a person’s baseline — for civilians, this Aura will degenerate completely, and for Hunters, this will vary. Humans with a strong Aura tend to build an immunity to Grimmification in the Frontier, which explains some Frontiersmen building an immunity to it without a Semblance. This is also why Hunters are trained to develop both their Semblance and their Aura. A Semblance makes you a Hunter, but an Aura keeps you alive. More on that later.



The nature of Aura is that it can actually develop. Soldiers and civilians don’t get the chance to exercise this development very often; even though it “builds” ineffectiveness through combat, it only ever accumulates faster than the degeneration rate when in combat with creatures that have what is theorized to be an “anti-Aura.” More specifically: Grimm. This almost vampiric quality gives Hunters and Frontiersmen a growing endurance within them whenever they take down a Grimm. Fighting other humans, Graif or Faunus, doesn’t build your Aura. With the Frontier being pushed further and further west, there’s a lesser need and a lesser opportunity for developed Auras. Only Hunters ever really get the chance to unlock that latent energy.

Followers of Anicism ironically believed that Aura was a curse and that going out of one’s way to strike down the children of Ani, the Grimm, and develop it was not only sinful but also wrongfully inheriting the spirit of Ani and bastardizing her power.

Semblance is measured on an individual basis. For all intents and purposes, we can decide what’s overpowered and what isn’t, but Hunters exhibit a specialization in their combat roles when developing their semblance. Think of it as a specialization tree; it's what makes them stand out among their own kind and gives them special abilities specific to that one individual. For example, an Aura would function as a health regen buff, while your Semblance would allow you to perform special attacks and combos.

Like before — and I need to clarify, this is Gaetric understanding of Semblance and does not reflect the objective nature of it whatsoever — Semblances are measured into 3 Tiers, which are more like milestones than anything else, but still separate the various levels of development of one’s Semblance. Unlike Aura, Semblance can be developed through a variety of means; there is no surefire way of achieving Tier 1 or 2. However: it is improbable for anyone to achieve any Tier of Semblance without first developing their Aura. A random soldier undergoing torture by the enemy will not spontaneously awaken; he is neither fighting Grimm continuously nor is he undergoing that physical trauma through combat. And I doubt “Ani’s Grace” would bless anyone willing to kill their own kind, so neither an Aura nor a Semblance would appear in that scenario.

Hunters at their respective societies are expected to develop both; the Church of Beacon is obviously all about those tiers but in terms of Aura, it's kind of “every man for himself” there. Although there are physical education and an arena where Grimm are regularly imported for what is essentially target practice, there’s no actual program built around developing one’s Aura. It's just assumed you build on it throughout your education. This is why the experience at combat schools like Imperia or Signal is paramount in the screening process — you want to hit the ground running, and students with zero experience in combat whatsoever are probably the sole few that aren’t accepted into this relatively new society. It is better to start developing your Aura with experience in combat than doing so with no experience at all, regardless of whether you’ve fought Grimm in the past.

Achieving Tier 1, 2 and 3 at Beacon is, for all intents and purposes, complex. The specific process is as follows; the Church believes that Semblance is a measure of faith and that to build one’s Semblance is to build one’s devotion to Ani as a spiritual warrior. So developing any of these Tiers tends to require students at Beacon, or just Gaetric Hunters, in general, utilize a specific combination of meditation and physical endurance — a measure of how far someone is willing to stress their three forms (physical, mental, spiritual) to serve Ani; no matter the pain or the trauma, to freely give of one’s flesh and bone and mind and spirit in the name of the night. Imagine undergoing tremendous physical harm and trying not to give in to the pain. No tears, no screams, no pleas for mercy, nothing. You fight for Ani; you are giving yourself unto her. She accepts nothing less than total devotion, and if you falter, you will fail.

There may be many different methods of unlocking one’s “Semblance,” but as far as the Gaetric faith is concerned, this is the truest, most altruistic way.

We're going to have a special guest next time, and you should definitely stop by! We'll be discussing all the different types of people you might meet here in Marathon!

 

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A bird flies sporadically and erratically around the office. It's as if it was inebriated, that or maybe it was plain stupid. The bird eventually spots you and nose dives behind a desk where a tall black-haired man stands to his feet. You began to look around the room, trying to spot where exactly the avian went off to and how it could've possibly escaped your sight.

​

The man observes you inquisitively and pulls out a flask from his shirt, taking a swing from the metallic container.


"You must be that new student everyone is talking about. You're making quite the impression I might add, I hope you'll be able to handle being overshadowed. I don't mean that in a mean way, you're the first student of this batch of students to arrive here, and your inquisitive and passionate drive for knowledge has impressed, even me. But kiddo let me tell you, soon there will be some real monsters coming to this school including my....."

The man looks down on the floor for a second as if he was pondering or maybe reminiscing, however one thing you can definitely tell is that this man has a mysterious vibe, a past that remains shrouded. After a brief introspection, the man makes eye contact with you again, continuing from his previous line of thought, unconcerned about your thoughts on the odd moment that just occurred.

"My nieces are attending here soon, Yang Xiao Long and Ruby Rose. Their families are legends here at beacon academy. I should know I'm one of them,"

The man pauses to let that sink in.

"My name is Qrow Branwen, one of the founders of this academy and a member of team STRQ. So don't feel too bad once they inevitably take all the limelight from you."

Qrow proceeds to take a swig of his flask again, as he does that you eye him, he may be handsome but for a legend he definitely doesn't seem to look the part nor carry himself like it. After finishing his second swig Qrow continues.

"Anyways I was told to teach you all about dust by all the other professors so here you go."

Part 6: Dust​

Dust is a powdery substance that, given the right circumstances, produces an effect based on its inherent elemental structure and physical state. In a solid/crystalized form, the effect can be harnessed and controlled. In its powdery form, Dust is far more volatile and harder to control. There are seven types of Dust, including a clear Dust which functions as a synthesizing agent, providing a bond to which the other types of dust may attach. The most valuable Dust types are Infernas and Kinetas. They are the easiest to activate and have the highest power output; the others are often referred to as “Exotic” Dust aren’t readily available in Marathon’s economy. Dust is measured in Purity, or “PI,” which is how much of the compound is purely Dust and how much is a mixture of water, dirt, etc., and measures the exact effect that compound will have.​

Infernas

​

Infernas Dust is a measure of combustion and ignition. Natural Infernas are prone to starting fires and outright exploding, which is why natural Infernas are better used for grenades and bombs. Its crystallized form is used like gunpowder in bullets, propelling a hard yet malleable shell at the butt and leading with a frame composed primarily by Infernas crystals, creating explosive rounds. Its also used like coal in fueling furnaces and engines that rely on a hard resource to function. Like most Dust, Infernas activates upon exposure to rapid and extreme pressure or exposure to a rapid increase in temperature. If an Infernas bullet impacts a hard enough surface, extreme pressure will crunch the crystals into themselves and ignite the compound. Some grades tend to be more explosive, depending on the Dust’s purity. The same goes for landmines.

Kinetas​

​

Kinetas is the transfer of magnetically charged electrons through a medium (electricity) and is usually activated upon standard combustion. Heat exercises the valence electrons out of their shells and hurries them along with any adjacent conductor. Natural Kinetas, in its powder form, does not conduct electricity — crystallized Kinetas Dust functions almost exclusively as a battery, although occasionally being used in various ways on the battlefield. Its primary use is in powering Imperial tech from before the Fall and any technology based on Imperial tech. Again, “emeralds.” are what Atlens call Imperial motherboards, and they tend to make for great conductors. The purity (PI) of Kinetas measures how much “power” can be harnessed from it relative to its size.

Cyclas​

​

Cyclas is the pressure of wind stuck within a crystal and is activated upon crushing or standard combustion. Activation of Cyclas results in high-pressure winds erupting from its crystal shell, akin to either mild gale or tornado-like power. Due to the inconsistent nature of the crystal, Cyclas is the least used out of all the other forms of dust, but special circumstances have their uses, such as warfare purposes. Raiders use this to confuse enemies that outnumber them to prepare for ambushes or cause enough distraction for a hasty retreat.

Hydras

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Hydras are the fusion of hydrogen and oxygen molecules trapped within this crystallized form. Hydras releases either droplets of water upon activation via pressure for an extended period of time, simulating rain or an instant geyser of water. This all depends on the concentration and potency of the dust crystal itself. Another use of Hydras is to activate it via ignition, which causes huge amounts of steam to appear.

Geluas
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Geluas is the rarest and potentially the most fatal of all the variations of dust. This crystal is entirely composed of liquid nitrogen; thusly once significant pressure is added to the gem, it flash freezes anything within 1 foot of the initial impact. Attempts to activate this crystal via ignition have rendered the crystal impotent.

Terras
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Arguably the most useful and underrated of the bunch is Terras. This crystal can generate soil with enough pressure added to the crystal; however, the crystal produces spikes of concrete-like landmass if ignited. This crystal is great for terraforming the environment to suit the needs of the party. It has also helped in producing roads.



Qrow takes another swig of the flask;

"Any questions?"

You mention that Professor Goodwitch mentioned a figure called Summer Rose and that she was a legendary hunter. However, when you brought up that you knew next to nothing about her Goodwitch said that another professor was going to inform you on the subject but none have so far. So now you're wondering if he was here to teach you.

Qrow shakes his head but maintains eye contact.

"I was never informed about this but I could see why Glynda didn't want to talk about the subject nor inform me that you were curious about the topic."

Qrow strokes his chin and looks up at the ceiling. After a brief moment, you swear you could've seen something resembling a smile on his lips. But as fast as it materialized it disappeared just as quickly as Qrow looks back at you.

"Alright, kid, I'll tell you about Summer Rose."

Part 7: Summer Rose​

​

The second wife of her teammate Taiyang and the mother of Ruby Rose, Summer was the oldest, most experienced, and higher-ranking Hunter in fireteam STRQ. Achieving Tier 3 Awakening at a relatively young age, she was well known as a superb fighter and a charismatic, noble leader.

To many, including her children, she was an idol, symbolizing everything that Hunters stood for – even constantly gaining essential victories for humanity pushing the Grimm back on the Frontier and then suddenly, one day, she came back from the fighting and Summer was changed somehow.

Summer was still her chipper self but I always could feel there was something she wasn't telling me. After that, Summer passed away a few months after returning. It's unknown whether she fell prey to a Grimm miasma or an unknown disease, but nevertheless, she left her family just six years after Ruby was born. Ever since then, her legacy – the egalitarian Academy of Beacon has stood tall and ideals have remained, Fanus are free to attend and we promote free-thinking above all else.


After the tale, Qrow tosses you a photo of Summer Rose.

"The next lesson will be the last before school starts kid. So learn it well, because you won't have time to absorb knowledge from your professors like this for a while."

You look up from the picture, only to see that Qrow has vanished, the only thing that's there with you is the bird you saw earlier. You both trade glances and the avian takes flight out the window.

 

​

Ara Ara~

Welcome to your final lesson before the start of the autumn semester. My name is Tigress, and I'm the Faunus representative here at Beacon academy; my primary role is to ensure that all Faunus feel represented and heard. Another role I share here is to ensure that you guys become well adjusted to Faunus and learn to see them as people and not weird abominations. Since the beginning, we may not have existed, but we are still people with our own soul thoughts and feelings.

So let's get started!

*Cracks fingers*

Part 8: The Faunus​

Right after the fall of the Empire, the emergence of Grimm, and the breaking of Ani, humanity underwent an evolution. The exact numbers are unknown, but a significant portion of the population suddenly underwent a dramatic physiological transformation into a human-animal hybrid race known colloquially as the “Faunus.” No one knows where the name comes from, although some have suggested it may have come from the Imperial word “FEUN,” which means “the forgotten” or “the shamed.” But regardless, the Faunus have lived among humans for a very, very long time. Faunus traits are considered a congenital disability by some that tend to pass down in families that share the same defect. There are cases of it happening randomly, though, like Blake Belladonna.

In all their years of populating Marathon, becoming Hunters, and achieving political, social and economic clout, they still face significant persecution across Terria. Even after the reformation of Anicism into Avanism, the religious doctrine still instigates Faunus as a bastard race between humanity and nature, and Gaetri texts go as far as to claim they have no soul.

Self-mutilation isn’t unheard of in Faunus, who grow an additional appendage. Faunus who grow a set of ears can’t remove their traits for obvious reasons - they’d be destroying one of their senses - but some Faunus are so desperate to hide their identity that they will go to extreme lengths to deny being a Faunus.

These days I don't blame those that self-mutilate as much as I used to, considering recent events with Atlas. It's a shame that some places legalize violence against us, Faunus, which has led to a certain sector of our kind militarizing themselves.


The FLA and the White Fang their strategy is one of subversion, fighting for Faunus rights while disrupting, as opposed to contributing to, Atlen Politik. While the FLA (the Faunus Liberation Army) is more concerned with meeting the mob's violence with their own violent retaliation, the White Fang believes in pacifism and uses that as a political strategy, and it's not uncommon to see FLA and White fang members butting heads. Either way, the Faunus have to escape. They’re an underground movement dedicated to smuggling their kind out of the country before things come to a head because, you know, they will. Atlens tend to misconstrue the two as being the same organization.


So yes, that, in summary, is the unfortunate reality we live in today. Sometimes I feel the world is breaking apart at the seams, and we're too busy fighting each other ever properly to fight the Grimm.

A moment of sad contemplation fills the air as both you and Tigress sit in the room, considering the depressing reality of humankind. Tigress gets up from her chair and begins to leave the room; however, she turns back to you;

By the way, what's your name? I never got a chance to ask.

"Emerald Sustrai!" You state with confidence.​

​

Well, Emerald, thank you for being a great listener and student. I wish you well, and if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask. Not as many people are as open-minded as you. School is going to start real soon, so be ready!


Story starts here: https://boards.theforce.net/threads/rwby-alternate.50056026/

 

What a thing to feel you must do ...