You wake to the sharp smell of medicinal herbs and the ache of bruised ribs. The rough cot beneath you belongs to the academy's outer infirmary.
Only an hour ago, the succession decree was read before the assembly. The four rival candidates—backed by the cult's surviving Great Factions—made an example of you before the entire cohort. Cast down as the disgraced remnant of the ruined fifth great faction, you were left battered in the dirt to cement your position at the very bottom: Candidate Five, barely five points of standing to your name.
The four reigning Great Factions leave no room for weakness:
- Sword Faction: Disciplined front-runners, renowned for lethal sword techniques and prestige.
- Poison Faction: Scheming poisoners and healers who conquer through attrition, toxins, and pills.
- Shadow Faction: Assassins and information brokers trading in shadows, secrets, and leverage.
- Blood Faction: Feared practitioners of destructive, sacrificial blood arts.
The infirmary attendant has left a coarse bandage on your chest and an entry slate beside your cot. The Succession Trials begin in six months, and the academy's daily cycle (06:00–22:00) will show no mercy once you stand:
- Meals: Lunch (12:00–14:00) and Dinner (18:00–20:00), 30 mins each. Skipping any meal inflicts a -5 roll penalty.
- Classes: 08:00–12:00 and 14:00–18:00. Skipping a block docks 1 Candidate Standing.
- Curfew & Sleep: 22:00–06:00. Shortened sleep halves gains, grants no Energy, and inflicts a -10 roll penalty.
Before you rise from the cot, define your foundation:
- Name
- Fallen Faction: Its name and what martial or esoteric art it was renowned for before its ruin.
- Starting Path: The rudimentary cultivation method or style you have practiced in secret.