OOC Thread: https://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/167011-arcane-orphanage/ooc

Heroes aren't born, they are made. Usually, this means a reasonably normal family life cut short when tragedy intervenes. You know them; Batman's parents were gunned down, Spider-Man's uncle was killed by a crook he chose not to stop earlier, Luke's aunt and uncle were killed by the Empire, Superman's planet blew up, etc. But what about those whose family dies when they are too young to go adventuring? They may dream of greatness, but realistically, they cannot go adventuring at age 10 or 12. While anything can happen in a fantasy story, there are certain breaks from realism which should be avoided. A knight slaying a dragon after years of training is one thing; an eight year old killing the same beast is just plain stupid and breaks the suspension of disbelief. How then do we avoid this conundrum? How can we have young would-be heroes portrayed in a fantasy world with at least some element of realism and responsibility in the picture?

Enter the Arcane Orphanage. In a darkening world, people need heroes, and children need someone to look after them. In an age where empires have fallen, safety is a rare commodity, and endemic warfare stalks the lands. As with any war of great scale, the unending conflicts have left countless orphans in their wake. To deal with this problem, a group of retired adventurers have established a facility to care for those without a family. Here, young sentient humanoids of every race are welcome to care and hospitality, be they human or halfling, elf or dwarf, goblin or kobold, it doesn't matter. Practically unique in this era of war and strife, the orphanage represents not only an oasis of calm, but a bastion of tolerance for all races.

But it is not a place for the lazy or foolish. Indeed, the Arcane Orphanage runs on a strict schedule, complete with education, exercise, training, and rules which are to be carefully observed. For the orphanage doesn't just care for the young, it does its best to prepare them for the challenges which are sure to come, giving them all at least some physical training as adventurers themselves, with the option to learn a craft if the life of a fighter, mage, or "rogue" (although not a criminal!) doesn't appeal to them. Very young orphans (under age six) would be cared for separately in a nursery owned by the staff but outside of the orphanage itself, to simplify matters of having to deal with very young characters. It would be a separate building, not really relevant to the RP unless we decide otherwise later. 

The RP is going to need at least two players, with at least one character for each category: staff and students. One can play as many characters as one can handle, but I would recommend one or two main characters plus a small number of side characters if one wants to have them. Staff include (among others) teachers, trainers, and the headmaster, plus some miscellaneous workers. The orphanage comes equipped with separate dorms for the young males and females, some storage spaces, private rooms for the staff, a school with classrooms and a library, a mess hall which doubles as a meeting hall, some training rooms, a chapel, grounds outside for playing around, and a few other rooms. We can work out specifics later if we have to. I'm also working out the schedule and dress code, although the latter may vary a bit for some species. 

Classes taught at the orphanage would cover the same range as the orphanage: ages 6-18. At first, they would learn how to read, write, and do basic math, along with some history and very basic magic for those interested in it. As teenagers, they would pursue advanced studies which would divide them along their chosen paths: fighter, mage, rogue, and vocational tracks. Fighters would engage in more physical training, including weapons, strength-building, running, etc. Mages would choose which paths of magic to pursue, although much of their training would have to be handled as adults in apprenticeships arranged with mage guilds outside of the orphanage when the orphan turns 18. Those training for the rogue path would not be taught actual thieving skills, but they would learn about stealth, gymnastics, scouting techniques, and how to evade capture. Vocational training is simply learning how to work in a trade, such as blacksmithing or carpentry. Not sure if we will have any players go down those paths, but they are open to those who don't want to train their student characters for the life of an adventurer. 

There are no restrictions on races, but it would probably be best if we only had one or two of a given race per each category (student or teacher). I suppose that I'll be the headmaster and a student, but the former will only play a hands-on role when he has to, to give me a way of keeping things in order in-story without resorting to arbitrary methods ("rocks fall, everyone dies"). There can be trips away from the orphanage at times, but they have to be cleared by the headmaster, who is responsible for their safety. As this is in a public forum, I ask that you keep it all decent. Tasteful romance is fine (although not the real point of the RP), but please be mindful of what you post, especially since this involves characters under 18. I would imagine that most of these characters would be teenagers or getting close to it. Sort of like Teen Titans, if that helps. 

Finally, this RP is a sort of remake of private one I had earlier with someone from this forum. As such, I will respect her wishes not to reuse certain elements or characters (or reuse them with minor tweaks). Specific rules (dress codes, conduct, consequences, etc) can be worked out before we begin the RP, as can anything else I missed here. With all that said, any takers?