Been working on stuff and trying to finalize what characters I want to use, and I was wondering if I should add in a third sub-plot for those who want to have the option for a character that doesn't join the Secret Arena or the Battlemancer League? One idea I have for that is something similar to Care for Magical Creatures from Harry Potter or the non-combat side of Pokemon, wherein students learn the biology of various magical creatures, how to breed, raise, and care for them, what environments they thrive in, etc. Perhaps at some point the students in that class are given special magical eggs that they have to care for, and when they hatch, an ectoplasm-based creature is born, who then morphs into an animal familiar for the Magi who cared for it. The exact creature each familiar turns into various from Magi to Magi, so for anyone wanting to use this option, just pick whatever. You can even use an actual Pokemon if you want, and we can just say the familiar took form based on the personality and memories of it's keeper. 

So, if we go with that, then we would have three sub-plots that would feed into one main plot at the beginning:

The Main Story: Volume I - Progressing through the school year, experiencing various holidays and events, and facing the growing threat of the Cult of Tiamat and the increasing presence of the Paladins of Bahamut at the Academy. 

Side Story: Stormhawks - The students who join the Qrowdell Stormhawks and participate in the Battlemancer League. 

Side Story: Monster Club - The students who enroll in the elective class Aedrazoology, also affectionately referred to by the students as Monster Club, which teaches the study of various creatures who have natural affinities to the Aetherscape. 

Side Story: Dark Acolytes - The students who join the Secret Arena and learn dark magic from members of the Cult of Tiamat. 

If we do that, then I'm thinking each Side Story will sort of "unlock" a separate aspect for those characters.

Stormhawks: They gain influence, fame, and glory as a result of their public League matches.
Monster Club: They gain the foundations for pursuing a career as an Aedrazoologist or similar field. 
Dark Acolytes: They gain access to Infernal Magic and the less-ethical side of Cosmic Magic. 

I will probably play three student characters, one for each Side Story. Everyone can feel free to do the same. 

My Stormhawk guy will be attuned to the Elemental Plane of Air and similar to Izuku Midoriya from My Hero Academia, using green lightning, superspeed, and powered-up physical attacks. 

My Monster Club guy will be attuned to the Elemental Plane of Earth and focus on speaking with animals and controlling plants. 

My Dark Acolyte guy will be attuned to the Elemental Plane of Fire and focus on destructive blasts and effects. Since he is the son of secret Cultists and from a long line of dark fire wizards, his Aura and flames are naturally dark purple with black wisps. However, to avoid drawing suspicious glances from people, he was trained from a young age to suppress his dark nature when in public. Because of that, he can shift his Aura and flames from their darker forms into a brighter, happier purple when in the presence of teachers or non-villains. 

What does everyone think?