RWBY AU: Kingdoms, Academies, Relics, and Maidens
Time for me to explain possibly the most important part of my AU.
In Canon, there are 4 of each.
In my AU, there's 8. I did this in order to have Menagerie as a Kingdom, as well as so many other various characters.
For each, I will list Kingdom (along with the continent it sits on), the main Academy, the four Combat Schools, the Headmaster, the Initiation testing zone, the Relic (with powers and spirit), and the Maiden.
(Also the Relics and their spirits would match the colors of each kingdom instead of all being cyan and gold)
First the Canon 4, with some additional info
Continent: Sanus, specifically the eastern half, mostly forests
Combat Schools: Signal, Pharos, Radar, and Landmark, fitting a theme of navigation and finding your way
Headmaster: Ozcharius Pinoak, AKA Ozpin
Initiation location: Emerald Forest, a lush forest that remains green throughout the year, filled with life as much as it is Grimm
Relic Powers: shows its wearer all possible futures of any decision. The downside is that it shows ALL possible futures of ANY decision.
Relic Spirit: Orthrus (she/her), a two-headed anthropomorphic canine, personifying wisdom, insight, and complex guidance, ultimately honoring free will and accepting that all choices bear consequences great and small (based on Greek mythology)
Continent: Anima, spread across the whole giant continent
Combat Schools: Sanctum, Refuge, Oasis, and Shelter, fitting a theme of safety and peace
Headmaster: Leonardo Lionheart
Initiation location: Turquoise Maze, an ever-shifting labyrinth (Maze Runner fans might enjoy)
Relic Powers: answers 3 questions every year (I felt having it be a century was too much of a downside for what equates to a glorified search engine, a year is more balanced)
Relic Spirit: Jinn (she/her), a seductive genie who delights in trickery and enigmatism (based on Arabic folklore)
Continent: Solitas, mostly at the southern region of this north pole continent, though some villages go further north
Combat Schools: Meridian, Pathway, Legend, and Compass, fitting a theme of cartography and journey
Headmaster: James Ironwood
Initiation location: Diamond Lake, an incredibly durable lake with a surface that changes over time
Relic Powers: can make any one thing so long as the wielder provides blueprints and matter to work with, even if it must be changed into other matter
Relic Spirit: Ambrosius (he/him), a playful artist, bursting with imagination and inspiration (based on Arthurian mythology)
Continent: Sanus, specifically the western half, mostly deserts
Combat Schools: Oscuro, Umbra, Tenebros, and Zalam, fitting a theme of darkness (including translations of similar terms in Spanish, Latin, and Arabic)
Headmaster: Theodore Toto
Initiation location: Jasper Wastes, a convoluted wasteland of sand and rock that many get lost in as they fight Grimm (basically deserts from Pokemon games)
Relic: Sword of Destruction
Relic Powers: consumes nearby matter indiscriminately in order to emit destructive energy
Relic Spirit: Shiva (he/him), a relentless and awe-inspiring warrior who sees destruction as necessary for renewal and rebirth rather than mere annihilation (based on Hinduism)
Main color: purple/violet
Continent: Armentum (Latin for "herd"), across the whole equatorial island
Combat Schools: Reef, Savanna, Dune, and Jungle, fitting a theme of natural biomes and ecosystems
Headmaster: Kali Belladonna
Initiation location: Iolite Islands, a small atoll of glimmering dark beaches
Relic Powers: whoever wears it can permanently change their appearance, basically using the mask as an IRL character editor
Relic Spirit: Curupira (they/them), a trickster and illusionist, playful and cunning, reflecting the fluidity and ambiguity of identity (based on Brazilian folklore)
Maiden: Highsun (the time of heat and sunlight at the end of summer and start of fall)
Continent: Somnox, known as the dark dragon continent
Combat Schools: Fang, Wing, Claw, and Tail, fitting a theme of draconic anatomy
Headmaster: Garsea Arturo (adapted from https://www.tumblr.com/collective-remnants-rwby/710659802534117376/since-my-first-team-ask-went-so-well-how-about?source=share)
Initiation location: Garnet Plains, a mostly flat landscape with red grass
Relic Powers: makes people obey the user's commands, not via mind control but by imbuing them with trust towards the user. The strong-willed might be able to fight back.
Relic Spirit: Xiezhi (he/him), a leonine humanoid with a twisting conical horn, he embodies unwavering moral clarity and honor, with an austere yet noble personality, commanding but just (based on Chinese mythology)
Maiden: Greentide (the time of plentiful greenery at the end of spring and start of summer)
Continent: Aureola (from Latin "gold"), a large torus (not circle) shaped continent further south, consisting mostly of forests, beaches, and mountains, with some scattered deserts, swamps, and tundras. (essentially a bunch of Halo maps)
Combat Schools: Aegis, Bulwark, Convoy, and Safeguard, fitting a theme of defense and protection
Headmaster: Mason Wu, AKA Siris (from season 14 of RvB, here as a faunus with komodo fangs)
Initiation location: Heliodor Hills, a sprawling mass of golden mounds
Relic: Gauntlet of Combat
Relic Powers: grants the wearer enough strength to fight even the strongest opponents. The downside is that is doesn't discriminate, using the same amount of force to kill a fly as it would to take down a Leviathan.
Relic Spirit: Tyr (he/him), a bombastic warrior of old, often lost in tales of fighters who lived with honor and died with glory, an embodiment of the willingness to face insurmountable odds, valuing fight for righteous causes, courage under pressure, and disciplined heroism (based on Norse mythology, with some touches of Reinhardt from Overwatch)
Maiden: Harvesttide (the time of collecting the harvest at the end of fall and start of winter)
Morada Academy (from the Spanish word for "abode")
Continent: Chorus (yup Red vs Blue fans rejoice), a small continent in the middle of the Aureola ocean (it's not the south pole, that's technically in part of the ocean between Chorus and Aureola)
Combat Schools: Ekhaya, Muskan, Katei, and Bolig, fitting a theme of home (being translations of abode/dwelling/household in Zulu, Arabic, Japanese, and Danish respectively)
Headmaster: Santa Chorodia (yes this is Santa from RvB, here as a faunus with salamander skin)
Initiation location: Sapphire Valley, a canyon as blue as the water that runs through it
Relic: Armor of Compassion (appearing as the torso armor)
Relic Powers: grants complete invincibility to the wearer so long as they are protecting another person
Relic Spirit: Ptesáŋwiŋ (she/her), a buffalo-horned woman who nurtures strength and empathy, centered of selfless care, patient and gentle yet steadfast, a guardian whose power is fueled by love and selflessness (based on Lakota religion)
Maiden: Thawen (the time of snow melting so life can return at the end of winter and start of spring)
Thoughts? I put a lot of thought into each of these. Also, if anyone were interested in making designs for stuff like the Emblems or Relics of my additional four kingdoms, I would enjoy it greatly.
