Mitheral
"Growf!"
Set in the near future (2039), B.I.O. - By Invitation Only is about a high school club of socially awkward teens (freshmen) who find themselves invited to join an exclusive club at their boarding school - DaVinci Academy. B.I.O. is a closed invitation club sponsored by one of the art teachers, Elizabeth Greyson. She is assisted by Dr Sybil Shepard, Dr Matthew Channing and a few others.
Unbeknownst to all but a very select few, B.I.O. is also part of a secret plan to prepare a group of children for great powers. It is no accident that these children were selected. It is no accident that the three teachers mentioned are the sponsors. And these teachers are terrified of their own plan and disaster it may bring if they fail to execute it properly.
DaVinci Academy
The Academy is built on an island based largely on the one in Jurassic World located on one of a group of islands (Rhand Islands) located halfway between Hawaii and Midway Islands. (I wanted the Academy to be remote, but have plenty of space and an absolutely beautiful climate. Yes, I have Google Map coordinates.) However, rather than dinosaurs, we’ll have equestrian activities. Of course, the teachers will hint at feeding their students to dinosaurs from time to time. The facilities took 6 years to construct, beginning in 2030 and reaching completion in 2036. Because of international politics, this is the first year of attendance.
The Rhand Islands are an independent nation. English is the official language. They have very close ties to the USA and are recognized by the UN.
DaVinci Academy has a very large campus, and a sports oriented social culture. This is a boarding school. No uniforms. The island is a community unto itself.
Big classes. Wide variety. Lots of clubs. Lots of sports. Plenty of bullying.
Bullying. This group will be largely composed of kids who are either bullied, or too invisible to get bullied. At this school bullies are a plague. They come in every form. Most come from wealthier families and think they are better than others. There are, however, a number of students who attend on a Vanguard Scholarship. These are gifted students only.
The RP begins a couple weeks before school starts as new students arrive and are assigned rooms. One small blessing - freshmen have roommates. But those will be freshmen as well.
Each Hall (192 freshmen) will be assigned a small group of mentors (Juniors for the freshmen; Seniors for Sophomores). The mentors will be monitored by guidance counselors. There are a LOT of Halls (about 10 just for the freshmen). There are 60 more halls. Each graduating class is nearly 2000 students.
Every student is required to have a laptop, with specifications provided. If they have none, one can be provided. They will all be state of the art for the current year. Backup of data is required.
All students are issued chips. These are NOT implants, but are biometric specific. (The chip can tell if the wrong kid has it. It literally changes color.) These provide medical data and gps location. They are for your safety. Really. Of course, they have the added advantage of telling the Staff when you are in the wrong dorm area at the wrong times. Or … when you are drunk. Only a very select few adults have access to the data though and often only under specific conditions. For example, the school’s medic can initiate GPS tracking in the event the chip detects a serious medical situation.
Course loads are highly individualized, but tailored to parent specifications. If your parents don’t care it defaults to provide competitive education. You must pass all courses to graduate. The Staff is tough in their grading. That’s what your parents pay for.
Parents may be flown to and from the island as part of a complimentary service on weekends. There are temporary quarters for them, and a helipad and dock.
You won’t find alcohol on the island unless you steal it from a teacher, the Vault, or make it yourself (for which you can get your hands spanked hard). Some WILL be provided at certain functions using alcoholic beverages that would cost a month or two of salary for an average person per bottle. That’s right, they teach proper dining etiquette here.
Pets are not allowed in the dorms. There is, however, a zoological habitat. Talk about spoiled brats?
Getting around on the island is an experience unto itself. Sure you can walk. But for longer distances, there are other modes of transport. Among these are:
Horses - not allowed in the general academic area.
Monorail - runs only for classes on weekdays. But serves as a shuttle to visit various parts of the island on the weekend or after classes.
Sailboats - some restrictions apply. (There is a paramilitary force guarding the island, though you will rarely ever see them.)
ATV’s restricted travel - beaches are pretty open though. The restrictions are all about the environment.
ULEV Hybrids - Ultralight Electric Vehicles. These are fully automated with pre programmed destinations. They only run on specific pathways, but they have a surprisingly long range and are always self recharging or can be plugged in at high speed recharging stations.
There are also special Halls that are dedicated to clubs much like fraternities. These MUST be sponsored. And you can only get into them by being accepted into their club. This is pretty much the only way a freshman gets a private room. And this is where the members of B.I.O. will find themselves quartered.
This was a schematic for a ski lodge. But it converts very nicely. The Lobby becomes a Common area with a theater type entertainment center (soundproofing added). Private king size rooms - all with biometric security. The image shows 10 suites, but is easily quadrupled with the Lobby area and Entertainment area becoming two floors high. No, the bar does NOT serve alcohol. (See below.) The lower level becomes kitchen and game rooms. The Upper level becomes another common area. The Lower level has the kitchen and exercise rooms. Those two Retail areas become game rooms, with all those cubby holes serving as VR rooms. State of the Art - spared no expense.
In every school there is that group of students that are socially awkward. It is just a fact of life. Maybe they weren’t born with great looks. Or their parents are poor, so they don’t have the designer clothes or latest electronic gadgets. Maybe they are the late bloomers. You know, still 5’3” while everyone else in their grade is 6’. Maybe they are the runts because they skipped a grade or two. These are only some of the reasons you might be socially awkward.
I’ll need a good, well-written and detailed CS. Limit the pics in size and numbers!!!!! (Please NO animated gif’s.) Pics slow a page’s loading speed to the point that I won’t be able to open them. If that happens, I will have to ask the Mod’s to remove it. (The Covid-19 business in my area has slowed the internet considerably.) Your CS should include information about family. (ie could your family afford a boarding school? Or did they need financial assistance. Why send you to a boarding school?)
Please note that a CS is not a guarantee of acceptance. It is an application. The student needs to meet the criteria for the school. So you may be asked to edit your CS. Mainly I am looking for:
Wealth (a scholarship will suffice, but that requires a VERY Gifted student)
Mental Stability. Sorry but severe psychological problems will NOT be acceptable.
No illegal substance use. Other students might use it, but not group members.
Think about it. The group members are about to be granted superhuman abilities. They WILL be screened carefully first. Even then, the student will be tested first.
You may also have extra characters, such as a younger sibling. This is a K-12 Academy. But BIO is for high school ages. You may also create some antagonists, but these should be purely NPC’s. I may even suggest that some be made Open for anyone to bunny. But I do ask that a decent CS be provided.
Elizabeth Greyson - Art
Dr Sybil Shepard - Physics
Dr Matthew Channing - Biology
Dr Kassandra Soleil - English
Dr Sean Reed - Auto Shop
Janice Rand - Librarian
James Braxton - Phys Ed
Other Staff
Now one of the tags I placed on this RP was Superpowers. Powers are going to be assigned as the RP progresses. Superpowered humans first became publicly known back in late 2027. Most proved to be highly unstable and were soon hunted down by the government and other superhumans. The first known superhuman was Jake Scott, who adopted a costume similar to the one worn by Captain America in the movie First Avenger. But he soon proved to be unstable and violent like Homelander of the Netflix series, The Boys. He was captured by the superhero, Vanguard, for whom the scholarship is named after.
In 2036 World War III erupted and tried to end in a nuclear armageddon. But something or someone intervened. The truth is even more strange as there wasn’t even a war, even though nuclear debris rained down all over the globe. Supervolcanoes erupted - though not as severely as predicted. Tsunamis wreaked havoc on coastlines around the world. Tens of millions perished. And the Earth is still suffering from the effects of the nuclear winter in the wake of the “war”. There are dozens of conspiracy theories. But shortly after the war peace was declared at the Dubai Accords of 2036. (The Accords took two years to be accepted by all nations.)
The first phase of the RP will be about character interaction. School stuff. Romance, sports, homework, etc. No powers; don’t waste time asking about them. It is more about dealing with their social awkwardness and helping them to fit in better, partly by realizing they are not alone.
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