<div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=193343.msg9392625#msg9392625">Quote from: TheHangedMan on 01-01-2014, 17:51:07</a></div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">Information may be updated over the next few days. <br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button"> About the world of RWBY</div><div class="spoiler_body"></div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">World Map (Eis circled)</div><div class="spoiler_body">(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c195/TheOneTheOnlyTheShane/RemnantWorldMap_zps0d86b7be.jpg)<br/></div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">About Eis</div><div class="spoiler_body">This game is set in the world of RWBY, but we are taking certain liberties with it. Some of these liberties may not fully mesh with the canonical lore, especially Eis.  If you're a big fan of the show, like me, then just bear this in mind throughout. Things are likely to be in a darker shade than the otherwise bright and cheery show.<br/><br/>The world of Remnant is home most prominently to four regions. These are known as Vale, Mistral, Atlas, and Vacuo. However, these four kingdoms, while being some of the strongest, and largest, are not the only ones to exist in the world of Remnant.<br/><br/>Our story will be set on a moderately large island that is known as Eis. Eis is covered in snow year round, and those pockets not occupied by civilization are home to large forests of giant evergreens; wood is actually one of the biggest exports the city-state has. The prepared wood is both beautiful, resilient, and has natural insulating properties. <br/><br/>There aren't too many sights to see in Eis; it's not a tourist-y place. It's a realm where the inhabitants scrimp, and save, and work themselves to the bone to earn their daily bread. The colony itself has its origins as being a penal colony; however, it hasn't been used as such for well over two hundred years. Despite this, the people of Eis have a sometimes undeserved reputation as being ruffians and ne'er-do-wells.  Unsurprisingly, the people of this island tend to have a grim sense of chilling humor.<br/><br/>There are two locales of true significance in Eis. One is the Avalanche Academy, a combat school that trains some exceptionally sturdy and robust Hunters and Huntresses. The other is a full service air-ship doc and traditional port, combined into one sort of mega-structure. It sees a plentiful amount of activity year round, as merchants come and depart from Great Bay, where the port is built.<br/><br/>Besides the usual problems that one might expect of such a relatively small place (there are just over a thousand people living in Eis, according to the last census taken), there is one that is unique. Mist. About ten years ago, this strange mist began to arise in a realm that had never seen fog before. The mist seems to flow as it wishes, but wherever it appears, misfortune and calamity follow suit. The mist seems to drive the Grimm insane with a rage that is unknown, even amongst the more violent types; it also seems to fill them with strength, making them far deadlier and resilient than they ought to be.<br/><br/>When mist appears, so do the Grimm. And yet, when it falters and retreats, the Grimm, too, become reluctant to stay; they retreat with it. At this point, there is no doubting the correlation between the two.  However, many questions go unexplained. Where did the mist come from? How can it be stopped? To this end, Avalanche Academy has begun sending out some of its best students to "lost" areas--former villages and the like that are eternally covered in mist-- searching for some unknown origin, or better understanding of this strange phenomena.<br/><br/>This is in addition to the call to arms that Avalanche Academy so commonly gets. Though their is an active police force, and many people in recent years have taken to forming militias and practicing a bit,  the mist-fueled Grimm attacks almost always result in a large number of casualties. Eis seems to be fighting a losing battle; but the people are sturdy, tough, not willing to give up. Not yet. It may be an uphill battle, but the people of Eis are stubborn and tough. <br/><br/>Meanwhile, rumors exist of a cult promising salvation through their beliefs...but not many know, or are willing to speak, of such things. Not yet, at any rate...<br/></div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button"> Settlements of Eis</div><div class="spoiler_body">Eis is home to only three primary settlements now.  In the past, there were more villages, but the appearance of the mist and the increased Grimm attacks has resulted in many of these smaller villages being slaughtered. <br/><br/><strong>Eis:</strong> The capital. Home to about 600 people, give or take. Avalanche Academy, as well as the Great Bay (and the dock) can be found in Eis.  Eis grows its own food, mainly arctic potatoes; recent years, however, has seen the construction of elaborate, Dust powered greenhouses growing other vegetables and fruits. A sizable amount of food comes from fishing in the Great Bay, as well.  Even the local evergreens have provided a source of food; the needles are harvested and boiled in water, producing a slightly bitter tea that, at the very least, helps to warm the body. Pine seeds are harvested from the cones, as well, and these are blanched, then ground into powder and baked into nutty-tasting bread. <br/><br/>Eis is located along the northwest-most part of the island.<br/><br/><strong>Schwarz:</strong> The village of Schwarz is home to 200 hardy souls, and is located more along the central area of Eis. The village here serves primarily as a large logging camp. The families of the lumberjacks live close by, and Avalanche Academy maintains a small outpost with professional Huntsmen and Huntresses' stationed there. They serve to keep the loggers safe, to track the movements of Grimm, and keep a watch out for the deadly mist. <br/><br/><strong>Feur:</strong> Located on the easternmost tip of Eis, Feur has remain cut off from Eis by land routes, though they do manage to keep a ferry running. The ferry sticks fairly close to the coast, and it takes nearly a full day and night to make the trip from Feur to Eis. Feur's import lies in the Dust quarry they are situated near, and much like Schwarz, the 200 or so people that call this village home exist primarily as either miners, or the family of them. There is also a small section of the population that are fishers, providing the main source of food for the miners; the evergreen seed bread is another part of their diet.<br/><br/><strong>Pridefall:</strong> Located a days march northeast from Schwarz, pridefall was a village of Faunus. When the mist first appeared, Pridefall was one of the first settlements to be permanently engulfed by it. A mere handful of the hundreds of residents made it to Schwarz, with the vast majority of the occupants of this once beautiful village being slaughtered by Grimm. It now sits in the mist, the snow slowly reclaiming it.<br/><br/><strong>Blut:</strong> About a days travel from Pridefall, and almost two days from Feur. They used to grow arctic potatoes quite plentifully here. Now, travelers say that Blut met with the same fat as Pridefall: everyone was butchered, without mercy. Travelers these days say that the mist seems to be especially thick near Blut, to the point where it is considered impossible to travel through it.<br/><br/><strong>Dirge:</strong> Situated south of Eis. Dirge was abandoned due to Grimm attacks, though thankfully, most of its occupants were able to be saved by Hunters and the militia. Many of the Dirge survivors have since gone on to train; either in the militia, or more formally, their kids have attended Avalanche. <br/><br/><strong>Timberfall</strong> About a days travel south of Schwarz. This was another logging village, but the  mist first showed itself here. Barely a handful of people escaped from here; some times, travelers still stumble upon the frozen corpses of survivors that never made it to Schwarz. The mist is incredibly thick here, and the local Hunters have sighted a massive, winged Grimm in the area. <br/></div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Ice Wells and Fire Stones</div><div class="spoiler_body">The frigid cold of Eis makes traditional wells almost impossible to maintain; they freeze over.  That's just fine, though, because humans are nothing, if not inventive creatures. Ice Wells are a common sight, the older ones frozen solid; but the ones seeing constant use have a Fire Stone. The Wells have glyphs etched into them, and there are specially designed Dust crystals called Fire Stones that are designed to operate in sync with the Ice Well.<br/><br/>When a Fire Stone--a cut fire crystal, shaped into a small sphere-- is inserted into the receptacle in an Ice Well, the magic of the crystal is activated, and it thaws the water. It keeps the water just warm enough to keep it from freezing.  Fire Stones are often carried by travelers, because the roads throughout Eis are dotted with Ice Wells; and dehydration is as much a killer as the cold.<br/></div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Burial Towers</div><div class="spoiler_body">Because of the cold climate of Eis, the ground is always exceedingly tough and difficult to dig up. Thus, conventional graveyards have never been a real possibility. There are some who, in modern days, opt to be cremated after death, but by and large, many still choose the traditional 'burial' of Eis: being entombed in a Burial Tower.<br/><br/>Burial Towers are pretty much exactly what they sound like. It's a crypt, with recesses in the walls for the placing of corpses.  When a new body is 'buried', a plaque is placed above their spot, with their name, and epitaph.  They are also usually buried with some trinket or possession of theirs that held significance in their life; a Hunter, traditionally, is buried with their weapon, for instance.  A jeweler might be buried with his tools and lenses, a chef with his beloved chef's knife, so on, so forth.<br/><br/>Robbing from Burial Towers usually doesn't happen, because rarely are the items of true worth and value. However, the traditional punishment for robbing the graves is death by hanging; usually carried out at the very top of these Burial Towers. Some of the old ones still have supports on the top, with still hanging ropes, a grisly reminder of the brutal history of this frigid country.<br/><br/>Burial Towers are known for, and easily identified, by two things: exterior engravings of death symbols, which are not seen as macabre, but rather befitting of such a locale. The other noticeable thing is how the towers have a thick base, and gradually taper the higher they rise. Usually, people of great importance are entombed at the top.<br/><br/>Burial Towers also have square holes cut into the masonry, providing large windows that have no glass or other things to shut or shutter them. The towers, thus, tend to be alarmingly frigid, and this leads to the stored bodies being mummified in some ways.<br/></div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">More about Avalanche Academy</div><div class="spoiler_body">The Academy of Eis is home to four towers, each placed to a cardinal direction. The eastern and western towers are meant for student lodging, and stand quite proud and tall. The south tower is home to faculty dwellings. The strange north tower, however, also known as The Thunderstruck Tower, is home only to the headmaster of the academy. The entire top half of the tower, at some point in history, was knocked away; stones tossed and cast aside as if by some angry child. Nobody is quite sure why this is the case.<br/><br/>What is known, however, is that the top-most sections of the tower are frequently struck during storms. The marble, once white as snow, is charred and pockmarked from the untamed fury of storms.  <br/><br/>Meanwhile, the castle-like academy has several other areas. There is a reception hall, and office area near the front entrance, which handles guest visitors, enrolling new students, and various other things that help keep the school running day-to-day. The lobby area has a large projector screen that typically has the local news playing. <br/><br/>Further into the interior, there is a large kitchen that handles preparing meals for the students at the appointed times (Breakfast is 7-8AM, lunch 11AM-1PM, dinner 6-7PM). The kitchen always has a well-stocked larder; when the real snowstorms come, it's not uncommon for people to be stuck indoors for days at a time.<br/><br/>Adjacent to the kitchen is the dining hall, which is quite Spartan in design. Designed to seat 200, it usually does not ever see its max capacity filled.  The walls are decorated with the occasional banner, but otherwise, it's quite a Spartan affair, with the large wooden tables and benches made of local wood, and slowly showing its age.  The dining hall occasionally serves as an impromptu auditorium. <br/><br/>Lastly, on the first floor, is the infirmary and sick bay. There's nothing particularly special about it. Needless to say, most students hope they don't end up here.<br/><br/>There are classrooms throughout the second floor of the school; one for each of the teachers.  Most rooms have specific equipment relevant to the class taught there; the science and alchemy lab has specialized equipment, the history class is full of maps and globes, the combat class is home to charts and tomes full of specific information about the variety of Grimm found on Eis; so on, so forth.<br/><br/>Additionally on the second floor is the library, which mostly houses tomes on alchemy, history, and the Grimm. However, there is a small selection of fiction books that has shown up in recent years. <br/><br/>Access to the towers is on the second floor. Each tower is three stories high, save for the north tower, which has had the top-most two levels blasted away. <br/><br/>Student dorms are in the East and West towers. On each floor is six rooms, each one leading to a bedroom shared by four people; Avalanche Academy uses the four-person team that is commonly seen in other combat academies. Additionally on each floor is a small community room, with a smaller projector screen showing the news,  a couch and loveseat, a coffee table, and snack and drink vending machines. <br/><br/>The south tower is home to faculty housing, with each of the faculty members getting their own small, studio apartment like rooms. <br/></div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Academy Dorm Rooms (for Students) (With thanks to Thrasius!)</div><div class="spoiler_body">(http://i.imgur.com/QlalfGf.png)<br/><br/>(http://i.imgur.com/EGjcxiy.png)<br/></div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Character Sheet</div><div class="spoiler_body"><div class="codeheader">Code: <a class="codeoperation" href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="return smfSelectText(this);">[Select]</a></div><pre style="margin: 0; padding: 0;"><code class="bbc_code">[b]Name:[/b] First and last<br/>[b]Age: [/b]All applicants must be 18 years of age or older to apply for the Academy.<br/>[b]Gender &amp; Sexuality:[/b] No explanation needed<br/>[b]Year:[/b] All PC Hunters are first years. The Academy goes for three years.<br/>[b]Team:[/b] To be assigned by staff. The Academy insists upon four-person teams.<br/><br/>[b]Appearance:[/b]  What do they look like? Pictures are more than welcome, but if you'd like to make a note of some difference, or if you prefer to go pictureless, this is the spot where you write it out.<br/><br/>[b]Weapon:[/b] Most weapons in RWBY are both projectile and melee weapons, such as Ruby's Crescent Rose, which is a scythe and high velocity sniper rifle, or Yang's Ember Celica, which are shotgun-gauntlets.  Weapons may change between shapes and forms (like Ruby's), or stay the same (Yang's). Projectiles should be noted as either using Dust capsules for ammunition (like Yang's), or fueled by Aura. Take note that Aura using weapons do put a drain on their user. If Dust is used, keep in mind that Dust capsules are explosives, and do have weight. They can also run out. Ultimately, both Aura and Dust weapons have their pros and cons.<br/><br/>[b]Fighting Style:[/b] fast and furious? Slow and ponderous? How does your character handle violent confrontations, especially against the Grimm?<br/><br/>[b]Aura Color &amp; Intensity:[/b]  Those with stronger Auras tend to be better with magic, and using their Aura. Those with weaker Auras tend to be physically robust and powerful. Keep in mind what sort of character you are aiming to play as. Color is determined predominantly by the personality of the person. Please refer to [url=http://zacjohnson.com/the-emotions-of-color-in-marketing/]this[/url] article to help you decide on an appropriate color. Also note, that some characters may have a 'mixed' Aura, usually indicating a more complex attitude towards life.<br/><br/>[b]Semblance:[/b] Not everyone in the world has a Semblance, though the player characters, being a cut above the average person, do.  A Semblance is a unique skill or ability. Please refer to [url=http://rwby.wikia.com/wiki/Semblance]This[/url] article when coming up with your own, unique Semblance. And remember, using a Semblance does take a toll on its user.<br/><br/>[b]Biography:[/b] A brief bit about the characters history.  Where have they been, what have they done, what experiences in life have pushed them to pursue the career of Huntsman or Huntress?<br/><br/>[b]Personality:[/b] A few sentences about the characters state of mind.  Are they happy? Energetic? Mopey? So on, so forth. <br/></code></pre></div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button"> Eis and its Militias</div><div class="spoiler_body">Ever since Eis stopped being a penal colony, there's been a need to replace the old guards that maintained a semblance of law and order. Eis accomplished this with militias. The militias take the place of police, with several being "full time" members of the militias, and with other people, with other jobs, serving part time, or as needed.<br/><br/>Eis does not maintain a standing army, as it has always been viewed as not a necessity. If ever another nation invaded, the militias could pretty easily be organized into a rudimentary military; that's the logic behind that. <br/><br/>Nowadays, almost all healthy adults are part time militia members.  They're usually only so-so in a fight, wielding whatever traditional weapons and makeshift armor they can cobble together, although militia leaders tend to have genuine armor. <br/><br/>Each of the militias for each town had its own name, and a symbol to mark the members. <br/><br/>In <strong>the capital</strong>, the militia is known as <strong>The Irregulars</strong>. A significant number of them use tridents, and other maritime weaponry, as a great deal of them are also fishermen and women. Their emblem is a white eye on dark red background. <br/><br/><strong>Schwarz's</strong> militia are known as the <strong>Yeti's</strong>, and they mainly use axes; being lumberjacks, they are quite familiar with the weapon as a tool. They are fairly robust, and of all the militias, the second most well-trained. Their symbol is two crossed axes; white on a blue background.<br/><br/>The militia in <strong>Feur</strong> are known as the <strong>Mountain Men</strong>. They've adopted the picks used in mining as improvised weapons of great destructive potential. As far as militias go, they are single-handedly the best armed, armored, and trained. Mind you, they're still ordinary people, many without an Aura or Semblance to bolster their strength.  The 'general' of the Mountain Men is a man named Conrad, who is a former Hunter. Their emblem is a hand holding Dust; bright red on a black background.<br/><br/><strong>Pridefall's</strong> former militia were known as the <strong>Spirits</strong>. Their banner was a black lion's head on a white background. The Spirits were almost entirely killed off when pridefall was destroyed; remnants merged with the Irregulars, Yeti's, and Mountain Men.<br/><br/><strong>Blut's</strong> former militia was known as <strong>The Blooded</strong>. Their was no commonly used weapon amongst this small militia. The former emblem for them was two crossed swords; yellow on a blue background. None of The Blooded survived the destruction of Blut.<br/><br/><strong>The Laughing Skulls</strong> was the name of the militia from <strong>Dirge</strong>, and as one might expect, skulls featured quite prominently as their emblem; a yellow-white skull on black background. The militia was known to predominantly favor the use of two weapons: staves, and maces. Since most of the people from Dirge managed to survive and flee their settlement, the remaining members of The Laughing Skulls were gradually absorbed into the Eis Irregulars.<br/><br/><strong>Timberfall,</strong> like all the others, had its own militia; and like Blut and Pridefall, they were massacred, by Grimm or the unforgiving weather of Eis. They were originally known as the <strong>Timberfall Hounds</strong>, and like the Yeti's, favored axes. The emblem they used was a pitbull's head, burnt orange in color, on a red background.  <br/></div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button"> About Yamu</div><div class="spoiler_body">Yamu is the name of a tropical jungle island in the northern parts of the world.  Though rich in Dust, and other natural resources, it is exceedingly difficult to cultivate any of it, due to not only the terrain, but an overabundance of Grimm and poisonous animals.  Yamu is also the name of the nomadic tribes that live in the jungle.<br/><br/>The Yamu are made up of five tribes, who move between various campgrounds throughout the year. The five tribes are known as  Tigre (Tiger), Grúa (Crane), Leopardo (Leopard), Serpiente (Snake), and Dragón (Dragon). (Professor T comes from the Serpiente tribe). While each tribe has their own set of customs and beliefs, the majority of it overlaps; for instance, the reason they are nomads is because of a deep-seated belief that settling in one spot permanently will anchor their souls to the world, and prevent them from passing on to Heaven at death.<br/><br/>Other common customs invite the Rite of Ascension, where a child becomes an adult. In all tribes, this begins as training at the age of 10. At the age of 13, the child is sent out into the jungle, alone, at night. They must hunt, and kill, a Grimm, and bring back a trophy, before morning. Some kids do not survive; those who do, but don't make it back before first light, are exiled.  It's a rather extreme form of Darwinism, but it's practiced out of a strong desire to keep the tribes small but strong. <br/><br/>Those that survive are branded with a tattoo made of a combination of ink, venom, crushed Dust powder, and a few other hallucinogenic compounds. This triggers a sort of drug-induced "spirit quest"; although rare, some times it will kill the child undergoing it. Others come back from it, but a bit... touched in the head. "Ravers" are kept in the tribe, and are allowed to live out their lives, but don't get to mate or do much of anything. This is, again, seen as a good thing; weeding out the weak. Weakness is an abject sin to the Yamu. "Better to die, than be weak." These savages are known for their resilience, and not much else.<br/><br/>Once a child has passed through the spirit quest, they are left with two tattoos. One is a tattoo of the Grimm they killed; the other, is a tribal band.  After that, the child is considered an adult in the Yamu culture, and undergoes training in a practical skill (in T's case, it was being a Wise Woman/Medicine Man). After seven years of training, they receive another band tattoo, and then set out on a journey into the world. This is called World-walking. <br/><br/>The Yamu are fatalistic to a fault. <strong>Everything</strong> happens for a reason, and this grand reason is known as the Wheel (although other people might think of it as Fate or Karma). World-walking is meant to enlighten the Walker, and teach them about their place in the Wheel of Life.  Once they have World-walked for a sufficient period of time (there is no exact period. "You know when you have completed the Walk"), they return to their tribe, to share their wisdom and knowledge with the next generation, to serve their tribe, and eventually help give birth to a  new generation.<br/><br/>Each tribe also practices in its own forms of enlightenment. These are collectively referred to as Spokes On The Wheel. Just as a wheel traditionally has five spokes, there are five levels of each 'path'. Each time they complete a spoke, they get another band tattoo (for a grand total of 7 to indicate a fully enlightened person). <br/><br/>For the Serpiente, the first Spoke of the wheel is Mithradatism.  It's the willing ingestion of small doses of poison, in order to raise the body's natural resistance to toxins; some times, to the point of total immunity. <br/><br/>The Second Spoke is known as The Slippery Mind.  It's about "outside the box" thinking, about not getting trapped by emotions <em>or</em> logic, and to hone your mind. Only by freeing yourself from conventional thought, can you begin to even grasp the Turning of the Wheel.<br/><br/>The Third Spoke is Fangs and Rattlers. It's about learning about who you are, what you can and can't do. It's a journey towards self-actualization and understanding. The name is a reference to a Serpiente saying "The smart snake knows what to use his fangs for, and what to use his rattler for." <br/><br/>The Fourth Spoke is Transmutation. Turning venom into medicine; antidotes to poisons are commonly concocted from the same source as the poison itself.  It's also, on the more cerebral side of things, about learning to turn bad situations into good, enemies into friends, and generally, changing the state of affairs in your sphere of influence for the "better". <br/><br/>The Fifth Spoke is Sharing The Fruit of Knowledge. At this point, there is only one real thing for someone to do: return to the tribe, and enrich and enlighten the next generation. At this point, Serpiente's become tribal leaders, recorders of history, teachers, etc. The fifth band is only tattooed onto the skin after death, and only if it is believed they have truly shared the "Fruit of Knowledge". <br/><br/>Professor T, for those curious, is on the Third Spoke, on the cusp of the Fourth. <br/><br/></div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Weather in Eis</div><div class="spoiler_body">Eis is snow-bound year round. The actual ground is rarely seen, and even major thoroughfares are simply tramped down, compacted snow. During the warmer months, there is some thawing and melting on some days; the temperature, during the day time, can reach high's in the 40's (F), rarely peaking at 50 degrees (that's pretty much a heat wave).  For Winter and Fall time, though, temperatures are consistently below freezing. In the dead of winter, at night, temperatures can get as cold as -20's, and seldom drop down into the -30's. Those nights, it's better to just stay huddled up inside, near the fire. <br/><br/>Day time in Winter typically fluctuates between 0-10 degrees. Day time in Summer and Spring is usually 20-40, but mostly hovers around 30 (So yes, spring weather it's still usually freezing). <br/><br/>People in Eis are well-adapted to the cold climate, but only to a certain extent. Negative temperatures will still kill the unprepared. <br/><br/>On a somewhat related note, the school is usually kept heated in the high 40's. In the kitchen, boiler room, and other select places where you'd expect it to be hot, it can be in the 50's. <br/></div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button"> Cuisine of Eis</div><div class="spoiler_body">Eis has always had good luck with fishing, so salt water fish are a common source of protein. It is ground into paste, boiled, smoked, kippered, as sushi... there are dozens of ways of preparing fish, from small anchovies, to larger sea bream, even the occasional shark or octopus finds its way into the kitchen. Caviar, which is an export, is also fairly commonly used in cooking, or enjoyed as a snack. Expensive in other regions, caviar is easily cultivated by the fisher-people of Eis.<br/><br/>In addition to fish, other sources of meat on the island comes in the form of venison, from the plentiful reindeer, and snowshoe hare's. (As an aside, hare fur and reindeer leather hides are used in clothes manufacturing). Salted reindeer fat, called Salo, is often part of trail rations, as it lasts long, and provides a calorie-dense, lightweight food item.  It is, however, an acquired taste.<br/><br/>In terms of non-meat, Eis does not grow much locally. Seeds extracted from the pine cones of the ever-abundant evergreens, are blanched and ground into a sort of flour. Flatbread is baked from this, some times with sugar and spices added to make it a sweet treat. This flour is also used in making pancakes, as well as just about any other baked good. Sap can be gathered from the evergreens as well, and boiled into syrup. Although not as sweet as maple, it's still something heavily enjoyed.  Even the needle-like leaves of the evergreens are gathered and boiled into a tea that, while not being particularly tasty, still contains a chunk of daily required minerals and vitamins. <br/><br/>A single fruit, and a single vegetable are home to Eis. Arctic potatoes have thick, pure-white skins, and actually can grow in the snow itself; a feat not accomplished by any other root vegetable in the world. These potatoes form a staple crop, as they are filling, and quite flavorful. Other vegetables are imported from other countries, chief amongst them being red cabbage, carrots, parsnip, celery, and onion. <br/><br/>Red berries grow on Eis, along a strange form of creeping ivy that tends to cling to trees. These berries start off as a blood red in color, but when ready to eat, are bright red. The berries are a super-food, packed with vitamins A, C, D, and E, and are also the sweetest thing one can find on Eis. They are usually eaten on their own, or made into jam or fruit preserves, and smeared onto bread. Other fruits are also imported to Eis, this being mostly citrus fruits, as well as apples. <br/><br/>Cooking in Eis is generally straightforward, simple, and favors sea salt, as it is the only naturally produced seasoning they can make. Imported spices and herbs tend to be quite expensive, and when available, are never fresh; the dried and powdered variety lasts much better in the frigid cold. Garlic is pretty popular, so it is by far the cheapest. <br/><br/>Related to food, is the subject of beer. When mankind first started to hunker down and figure out what does what, one of the very first things they came up with was fermentation. The people of Eis like drinking just as much as the rest of the world, although their selection of alcohol is fairly limited. Vodka, made from arctic potatoes, is popular; and a local brewing company makes a sappy, nutty tasting beer from pine needles and seeds. <br/><br/>In the past five years, a winery has actually opened in the capital; the first of its kind. They currently sell expensive imported wines, but also brew "Red River" wine, from the red berries that are native to Eis. <br/></div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button"> School Schedule</div><div class="spoiler_body">6AM: The first bells ring, to awaken the students, and give them time to wake up, shower, and dress. <br/>7-8AM: Breakfast is served. The first bell rings at 8AM on the dot. Any announcements are usually made around 7:30 by the headmaster.<br/>8:05-9AM: First class<br/>9-9:30AM: Break period<br/>9:35-10:35AM: Second class<br/>11AM-1PM: Lunch time. Some students choose to go into Eis City during this time, too. <br/>1:05-2:05PM: Third class<br/>2:05-2:35PM: Break period<br/>2:40-3:40PM: Fourth Class<br/>4:40PM: Free period between this class and dinner.<br/>6-7PM: Dinner<br/>7-9PM: More free time. There is a 9PM curfew. <br/><br/>Also, in general, one should note that the beginning and ending of classes are punctuated by the tolling of a bell; two rings for beginning, one for an end. </div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">The Legend Of The Ice Maiden</div><div class="spoiler_body">Eis was chosen for the fact that it was resource rich, and fairly unwelcoming.  A lot of violent offenders, and big time criminal gangs, would be incarcerated on the island, with no real way off (several revolts over the years were quelled by the well-equipped, well-trained, and well-paid guards). They were more or elss sentenced to hard labor 'til death. <br/><br/>During the first few months, when the plan to deport violent criminals to a penal colony was firmly agreed upon by the four great nations, there were all sorts of trouble in setting up work camps for the prisoners, and more sturdy and warmer buildings for the guards. Grimm attacked, the weather seemed to conspire to slow or halt building.  It turned into something of a boondoggle, initially, but too much was already invested into the idea to give up on it.<br/><br/>It was during these turbulent first few months that an odd thing happened. Guards and prisoners alike reported the presence of a strange woman, her skin as pale white as the snow, and her dress far too lacking to keep her safe from the environs.  Yet, even stranger than her apparent acclamation to the cold, was the flute she played. When Grimm attacked one day, she showed up, and played her flute; and the monsters, as if entranced, stopped their attack at once, and returned to the wilderness. The woman, too, would quickly disappear amongst the snow.<br/><br/>Now, the interesting thing about this legend, is how it ends. Because depending on who you hear it from, the endings are different; some view this as handy evidence that the story is merely legend, and has no basis in reality. <br/><br/>In one ending, she is said to have come to the camp that would later become Feur, and made outrageous demands of money and supplies for her continued protection. When the guards in charge would not pay, it is said she threatened to bring down an entire host of Beowolves. Supposedly, one of the soldiers struck her down for this threat, killing her outright. <br/><br/>Another version of the tale says that one day, she simply never appeared again; that perhaps the Grimm had finally killed her for daring to interfere with them, or that the fickle weather finally tired of her seeming immunity to cold, and buried her alive in the snow.<br/><br/>Others still say she eventually died a natural death, and was laid to rest in an ice cave; this story occurring many years before burial towers were even conceived of, never mind built. <br/><br/>Some say, though, that to this day, she continues to stalk the snowy lands, punishing bad children, or being responsible for deaths in the wild.  <br/><br/>In the end, the truth of these stories is easily disputed. With no evidence of her existence, it would seem that this is merely some form of 'bogeyman' to scare kids into behaving themselves. As such, it is a story most of the people of Eis are familiar with. </div></div><br/><br/><br/><br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div>