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Name: Koltir Ashfalm
Age: 18
Sex: Male
Path: Path of the Hero
Rank: Hero Apprentice

Stats:
HP: 75
MP: 25
Att: 30
Def: 25
M. Att: 10
M. Def: 10
Spd: 25

Skills:
None

Abilities:
None

Equipment:
Hero Crest

Wearing a crest, etched with a waterdrop on your clothes, as a symbol that you've been accepted as a Journeyman of the Hero Path, you enter the doors to the greeting hall of the Journeyman Academy, along with several hundred others who have been accepted. In each corner of the rather large room, there is a platform, each with a person standing on them. They each have a banner overhead with the same pattern as one of the four path crests, A waterdrop for the Hero path, a flame for the Arcane path, A stone for the Blessed Path, and a breeze for the Rogue Path.

The people on the platforms, you recognize as masters, all once great heroes. You know to head over to the platform with the Stone over it, as that will be your master until you reach the next stage of the Academy.

When everyone is settled down before there appropriate platforms, your new master begins to speak.

"Greetings to all of you, who have chosen the Path of Heroes. You shall learn to become excellent and courageous warriors and become great Heroes, excellent with a variety of weapons, armor and other equipment. It's a path that requires a lot of rigorous physical training, and a lot of knowledge of weapons, even ones you don't use.

I am your instructor for the short time you will be Hero Apprentices. My name is Cyrus Irontorrent

As long as you wish to learn from this academy you will be given free room here. You may take lessons whenever wish, and have free time to do what you will. A favorite activity of students is the dueling arena, to test your skills against your fellow students. You are also free to leave and explore the outside world to test your skills in a real life experience.

Lessons may be taken at any time, and will teach you new skills and improve existing ones. As you complete lessons, New options will open up. Lessons related to your path cost nothing, however, extra lessons cost money.

Equipment for the path you have chosen is free for loan, you'll often have 3-4 options for each kind of equipment, and you can switch between them by visitng your Path Treasury. You can buy extra equipment from merchants that visit our academy frequently, out of your own pocket.

Now, I'd like to take a quick measure of your philosophy. Listen to each short speech I give, and after it I'll point to a spot. Choose which one best fits you, and go to where I pointed for the one that fits you best.

"I take up arms for others. My blade is to protect and to serve others. I only raise arms against those that threaten peace, of friends, family or countrymen." He points to the right side of the stage.

"I take up arms for protection. If I don't someone else might attack me, and I can't let that happen. Even though its to protect myself, I'll also protect those I care for, if need be, unless it endangers my life." He points to the right corner of the stage.

"I take up arms for betterment of myself. Through training in arms, I shall acheieve betterment or perfection of myself, through training, in both mind and body." He points to the middle of the stage.

"I take up arms for glory. Through my blade, I can create a name for myself, win great battles, earn great treasures and become someone important." He points to the left corner of the stage.

"I take up arms for might. The one with the quickest or strongest blade rules. With might, I can do what I want, when I want, how I want and no one will be able to do anything about it." He points to the left side of the stage.

Where do you go?

Center stage.

"Very well, you've chosen the beginning of your path, its now up to you to advance in your own way. You are free to use the grounds as you wish. I shall tell you what there is, and leave it up to you to explore or take lessons.

Lessons: Take a lesson to improve stats or learn new skills and abilities.

Treasury: Borrow equipment based on your current skill and rank.

Merchants: Buy equipment from travelling merchants.

Greeting Hall: You can always return here, and start on a new path, retaining what you already know.

Work: You can get a job doing various duties. It works on a when needed basis. If you need money, you can do a job and get paid. No responsibility. You do however, need to have certain skill levels in things to get hired for certain duty.

Arena: Duel other students with what you know.
Rooms: Get a room here. You can use your room to store your equipment, and rest when tired (usually after travelling)
Leave: You can leave the academy to explore. You can always return. When away from the academy, its often dangerous. Wounds do not heal in between fights outside of the academy.

I'll take a lesson.

Lessons available to Hero Apprentices.

Combat Basics: An overview of combat, followed by a trial battle.

Choosing your equipment. Goes over types of equipment. Learn a weapon and Armor skill from this, then test it in a trial battle. You may keep test battling until you pick a weapon and armor skill if you wish.

Choosing a fighting style: Goes over means of attack and defense. You learn one Attack Ability and one defense ability. Followed by a trial battle.

Each lesson may or may not unlock more lessons.

Combat Basics sounds good.

You enter the arena, where the lesson is supposed to take place. Its taught by Cyrus, and there are 24 others in this particualar lesson with you.

"Combat comes in a variety of forms. From Duels and arena fights, which are usually real, but not fatal, to actual fighting, such as war and versus hostile monsters. Of course, the point is to make your opponent not capable of fighting any longer, whether or not they're dead, incapactiated or however.

Combat in the Academy is done in arenas, in rounds of a few seconds. You are allowed to do any offensive or defensive action you wish, and you may move anywhere in the arena you can get to. Other actions you can do are using equipment, casting spells or using skills. There is no standard rules on what kinds of actions you have to do, and you get three actions per turn, combat in the academy is meant to simulate real combat, and thus you can do anything you would normally do in a fight.

In terms of actions, attacking, parrying, taking out or putting away an item, using an item, using a skill or spell is an action (sometimes more than one) Moving (in any shape is an action) You can also declare Trigger actions, which allow you to do an action later if a condition is met, or on your next turn.

Actions are compared in order given, based on speed. The faster person will usually have an advantage. Also, the more description given, the more successful it'll probably be, especially if it would logically win over an opponent's action.

Attacks are based off the weapon you use and your Attack Stat. Your attack stat does not say how much damage you do, it just shows how successful you're attack is likely to be. Defenses, and magical attacks and defenses are the same way.

Damage is done through the weapon and form of attack you used. It can be improved on by the success of the attack. Damage from a weapon must beat the opponent's Armor Class (AC) in order to successfuly deal damage. All weapons are capable of dealing damage, and will do minimal damage on a successful hit, even if it doesn't beat the AC normally.

Skills are things you have learned that allow you to use something (magic, weapons, armor) competently.

Abilities are actions that allow you to do something special, often magical (magical abilities are called spells). Most abilities require MP in some amount, even if they don't use the Magic stats.

Spells are based off the Magic stats, M. Att and M. Def.

Movement and Action timing is based off of speed. Higher speed allows you to act faster, giving you in advantage in a lot of things. It won't be much of an advantage unless significantly faster.

Battles within the academy allow for free healing of wounds right afterwords, even ressurection, in case of death.

You may carry whatever equipment you want with you, but you must have somewhere to store it on person. Pouches allow for free access for small items, and backpacks allow for good storage, but usally require an action to find an item. Carrying excess equipment tends to slow you down anyway.

Any questions, or are you ready for the trial fight? It'll be unarmed combat since you have no equipment yet."

No questions. Ready for the trial.

Right away, most of them pair up. Only about five, besides you aren't paired.

A girl your age, short, but carries herself with some confidence. You'd guess she's pretty quick, but not very strong.

A guy your age, tall, well built, looks extremely strong and confident, looks like a good match.

A guy about 20 years older than you, but incredibly muscular, and probably almost half a foot taller. You could probably run circles around him though.

A young girl, half a foot shorter than you, probably two years younger than you as well. She seems to be a bit nervous about everything. She's defintely not as strong as you, but you can't really tell anything else about her.

A guy that doesn't look very strong or quick, and he's not as tall as you. He seems to be studying everyone, and has a deep piercing look, for the brief few seconds you make eye contact. He seems to be highly intelligent.

(btw, this is all assuming you're somewhere in the 5'10-6'2 range.

I'll ask the last guy to fight.