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Cursed
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ayumukatsuchia
Cursed
The Cityscape
The cityscape of Vale seems to have a type of build similar to modern cities like New York and San Francisco. However, Vale appears to have very narrow roads, suggesting that the city is old enough to formerly have traditional roads.
It is divided into multiple sectors, having an upper-class district, a commercial district, an industrial district, an agricultural district and a residential district.
Vale has a large port area where passenger and cargo ships dock. The cargo docks include large-scale container handling facilities, indicating that the port handles large quantities of goods on a frequent basis. This is shown to include very large quantities of Dust, shipping in from overseas locations such as Atlas.
To the southeast lies an area teaming with wild forests and deep caves, but is also known to contain the ruins of Mountain Glenn, a failed attempt by the kingdom to extend the city's borders. The location was eventually overrun by Grimm and had to be fenced off from the rest of the city.
Students with the aspiration to become Hunters, whose duty is to keep the peace within the world, strive to attend Beacon.
Students
Students of Beacon Academy
Beacon Academy is a residential/boarding-type school, with its students residing in dormitories on the campus. The school seems to provide all living facilities, including hygiene, food, and laundry. However, students are not restricted to the campus outside lessons, and frequently spend their weekends in Vale.
In order to be accepted into Beacon, students typically go to combat schools, such as Signal Academy, in order to prepare for the Academy's rigorous entrance exam. Some candidates, like Ruby Rose, may be invited to the school after showing exceptional skill. However, attending previous combat schools does not seem to be a prerequisite, as some entrants are talented enough to pass the exam without them (such as Blake Belladonna). Students are generally admitted at around age 17, although Ruby was one exception, being admitted at age 15.
In the lead-up to the Vytal Festival, Beacon also participates in an exchange program with the academies of the other three kingdoms of Atlas, Vacuo, and Mistral (Haven Academy). Exchange students may participate in some activities, such as sparring matches, and attend events such as the Beacon Dance.
Dress Code
Examples of the male and female uniforms
Beacon has a uniform that students may wear. The males wear black suits lined with gold, accompanied by a blue vest and a white shirt with a red tie. The females wear long stockings as an optional component, a red plaid skirt, and a brown jacket with a tan vest and white shirt.
Students are given the freedom to customize their attire, as Ruby also wears her hood with her uniform. The dress code doesn't seem to be upheld very strictly, as students are often seen in casual attire during classes, assemblies, and field trips. Students tend to avoid wearing their uniforms during combat practice.
Curriculum
Students attend lectures on a variety of topics
In "The First Step," Ozpin stated that his new students will be in their selectedteams for four years. This strongly suggests that this is the length of the education at the academy.
After being accepted into Beacon, new students have to go through an initiation, after which they are placed into teams.
Students attend lectures, given by staff members such as Peter Port, on various topics intended to prepare them for their jobs, such as the different kinds of monsters they may encounter.
Practical exercises appear to be a significant part of the courses; of these, some are held in the Emerald Forest. Other out-of-campus activities include field trips to locations such as Forever Fall.
In "The Badge and The Burden, Pt.2," Weiss Schnee also fights a Boarbatusk in Port's Grimm Studies class. In addition, the curriculum includes sparring matches that pit students' skills against each other in a controlled environment.
Students are also sent on missions as part of their time at the academy. First-year students are generally limited to lower-risk missions, such as accompanying detectives into the city, and must be accompanied by a professional Huntsman or Huntress on their first mission. Upperclassmen are known to go on higher-risk missions.
Location
Roman's map of Vale with Beacon circled and labeled
Beacon lies along the east edge of the city of Vale, and has a wide river that runs through part of it. Airships are used to transport new students to the academy.
A port is seen at the bottom of the cliffs next to Beacon Academy, implying that naval transportation is also possible.
Beacon's boundaries appear to extend rather far, including the large Emerald Forest and some surrounding terrain, such as the Beacon Cliffs. The academy also holds field trips in areas such as the Forever Fall forest.
Campus
Main Avenue
The main avenue
After arrival, new Huntsmen and Huntress cadets are deposited on a long, wide avenue leading up to what appears to be the main academy buildings and their large, impressive main doorway, which opens up to a large amphitheater. The avenue is marked with trees and flag-draped light-poles, as well as a number of impressive aqueduct-like features and archways.
At the opposite end of the main avenue to the amphitheater is an impressive cliffside that overlooks the city across the sound. At the top edge of the cliffside are several aerial docking bays, where airships and bullheads can dock and allow their passengers to disembark.
Beacon Tower
The Beacon Tower
The most prominent part of the academy buildings is a large tower. The tower is surmounted by a number of green spheres or lights (possibly the beacon after which the academy was named), as well as an intricate clockwork mechanism consisting of many interlocking cogs and gears. Situated immediately below this is Ozpin's office, which sits high above the clouds and affords an impressive view of the surrounding area.
Academy Gardens
The academy is also shown to have large gardens, apparently at the rear of the buildings. This includes a large pond surrounded by a path, where students are free to wander as they please.
Beacon Academy Statue
Jaune Arc looking up at the statue
The campus of Beacon Academy includes a large statue featuring two figures, one a male and the other a younger-looking female, standing on a rock outcropping. They are both dressed in a robe with hoods over their heads.
The male has a sword in his right hand, raised in a seemingly triumphant gesture. The younger female has a double-edged battle-ax in her left hand and looks off to the side into the distance. Below the two figures is a Beowolf looking in the same direction as the male figure.
The Amphitheater
Students gathered in the amphitheater
The assembly area takes the form of a glass-domed amphitheater with raised bleachers arranged in a circle around a circular stage that has a tall, ornate (possibly wooden) backdrop with blue lights. There is also a large, open area in front of the stage where students can stand.
As well as being used for meetings of the student body, the assembly area can be used for duelling practice, with the raised stage serving as the fighting area, as seen in "Jaunedice" and "Extracurricular." The lighting in this area can be carefully controlled, making it impossible to see the rest of the area, thus giving duelists the illusion of being entirely on their own.
This also appears to be the location from which missions are assigned to students. The missions are displayed three at a time on numerous screens, listing the type of mission, location, and mission start time, among other extra details. Teams assign themselves to missions by selecting one and then entering their team name.
Cross Continental Transmit Tower
The CCT at Beacon
Main article: Cross Continental Transmit
Also known as the CCT, this transmit tower allows for seamless communication between locations within the other kingdoms outside of Vale. The tower is extremely tall, with an elevator in place to take visitors to a level of their choosing.
The interior of the communications room has several video terminals where a holographic AI operator will patch users to the location where they wish to send their messages.
Lecture Hall
A Lecture Hall
Beacon Academy has at least one lecture hall not unlike those found in universities. In "The Badge and The Burden," a lecture hall with (apparently) antique drawings of the various known species of Grimm is shown.
This hall has sufficient space for practical demonstrations in front of the students' desks: The front of the lecture area may be used for combat training as seen in "The Badge and The Burden, Pt.2." In "Jaunedice, Pt.2," one of the classes takes place in a lecture hall rigged for a history lesson; the Remnant world, map overlaid by a complex pattern of notes linked with strings, is displayed on the wall behind the lecturer, Bartholomew Oobleck.
Dorms
Team RWBY's dorm, as decorated by the girls on their second day
All the dorms at Beacon appear to be co-ed dorms, with males and females sleeping in the same room. This allows all members of a team share the same living area, regardless of differing genders. The students note that these rooms are somewhat cramped. However, more organized teams generally find that there is sufficient room to meet all of their needs.
The doors to the dorm rooms are secured using an electronic lock, which can be disengaged using a student's Scroll. It is possible to get locked out if the door closes and a student does not have their Scroll with them.
In "Jaunedice, Pt.2," the blocks containing the dorms are shown to be located in separate buildings some distance from the main academy buildings. Students can be seen running through the Academy Gardens on the way to classes in "The Badge and The Burden."
Dining Hall
The Dining Hall
The Academy includes a large, formal dining room running down the length of a cloister-like hall. The dining room features four long tables running the length of the hall with benches to either side and walking areas located in between. Students are able to sit not only with their teams, but other groups.
Like all parts of the academy buildings, the dining hall is somewhat gothic in appearance. The walls are marked with the academy's crossed-ax logo.
In "Forever Fall, Pt.2," it is established that students are allowed to eat in their dormitories.
Library
The Library
The library is a repository of books and other sources of archived information within the Academy. It is generally meant to be a quiet place for students to read and study, though students often use the area as a gathering place, playing board games and socializing instead.
It can also make transcontinental calls to areas outside of the kingdom of Vale, like the CCT. The library also has access to several holographic computer terminals, which can be freely accessed by the students.
Ballroom
There is also a ballroom that is used in the Beacon Dance. The ballroom also doubles as a living area that new students may sleep in until they are assigned proper quarters, as seen in "The Shining Beacon, Pt.2."
Locker Room
A unisex locker room with washroom facilities is also present. After the initiation, to store weapons and extra armor, each student is assigned a rocket-propelled locker that can be sent to a custom location based on a six-digit code.
Emerald Forest
Beacon Academy uses the Emerald Forest as the location for its initiation. The forest is filled with dangerous wildlife. Students are catapulted into the forest from Beacon Cliffs, on purpose-built launch pads emblazoned with the academy's insignia.
The Emerald Forest serves as the location in which the initiation of new Beacon Academy students takes place. It extends away from the Beacon Cliffs on top of which the academy is situated. Ozpin informs the students that those who enter the forest will meet 'opposition,' which is revealed to be the monsters known asGrimm. In order to monitor the forest and its hostile inhabitants, the school has installed cameras in several locations throughout the woods.
It is unknown exactly how many types of Grimm live in the forest, but it is revealed that Beowolves, Ursai, King Taijitus,Nevermores, and Death Stalkers are among the inhabitants. There is an abandoned temple at the northern end of the forest from which the students have to retrieve relics and bring them back to the cliffs.
According to ancient legends recounted during the opening narration of "Ruby Rose," mankind was fighting a losing struggle with creatures of darkness known as the Grimm. However, through their resourcefulness and ingenuity, humanity managed to discover and harness a source of power they named "Dust" in order to battle the Grimm.
The advent of Dust became the turning point in the war. It would appear that after mankind drove back the Grimm and built civilizations, Dust became integrated into everyday life within Remnant.[1]
Despite its widespread use and prevalence in society, humanity has yet to understand the origins or the implications of their involvement with Dust.[3]
Description
Dust is known as a naturally occurring energy propellant triggered by the Aura of Humans and Faunus. It exists in four basic variations that can be combined both artificially and naturally to form new and stronger types, each with their own unique properties.[3] In "The Shining Beacon," Weiss Schnee also names Water and Energy as potential Dust types. Different colors of Dust appear to correspond to their different natures or effects.
Dust can be found in two discrete states, crystalline and powdered. Both crystalline and powdered Dust are known to be highly explosive. For example, during the Dust store robbery, Roman Torchwick threw a crystal at Ruby Rose's feet and fired at it, causing a sizable explosion. The powdered form appears to be even more volatile, since something as innocuous as a sneeze is enough to detonate a cloud of Dust.
Colors
A case of Dust crystals
Dust comes in numerous colors, such as red, blue, yellow, green, cyan, white, purple, bright orange and dark orange. The four basic colors are red, blue, yellow, and green. Each color has its own unique property.
Uses
Dust serves as a power source for all facets of technology in Remnant, from airships to androids. However, Dust can still be used without the aid of weapons or machines and unleashed in its raw form, such as lightning.
Technology powered by Dust is known to glow.[5]
Combat
Myrtenaster and Dust
The discovery of Dust was instrumental to humanity's initial defeat of the Grimm, and Dust continues to be used extensively in combat. Dust can be harnessed in a variety of ways, but when used in its raw form, its full potential requires both an Aura and the intelligence to use it, meaning Humans, Faunus, and certain artificial beings, such as Penny, are the only ones who are able to effectively use it for combat.
Dust bullets, however, are much simpler to use, merely requiring the user to pull the trigger. Ruby's weapon, Crescent Rose, has also been mentioned to use rounds containing different kinds of Dust.[6] Torchwick also makes reference to Dust rounds as being amongst the merchandise he stole, in the episode "Best Day Ever." It is mentioned that such rounds come in several different sizes and cartridges to be used for any given situation.
While this form is the most common and easiest way to use Dust in battle, it can also be used in its raw form, which is described as being "elegant, yet destructive" in nature and requiring a certain level of discipline to maintain control over. More archaic uses for Dust as a weapon include weaving it into clothes or directly implanting it into the wielder's body.[3]
Weiss using a glyph with ice Dust in "No Brakes."
One prominent example of raw Dust usage is Weiss Schnee's Multi-Action Dust Rapier, Myrtenaster, which contains vials of numerous colors of powdered Dust in its revolving chamber. She can allow Dust to flow from an exhaust port[7] onto Myrtenaster's blade to augment her attacks, such as casting fire from her blade.[8]She can also use her glyphs to manipulate how Dust flows and manifests. She has demonstrated this ability numerous times with ice Dust by manipulating what shape the ice would take.[9][10][11][12]
In "Field Trip," it is also speculated by Ironwood that Cinder Fall utilizes Dust, which glows orange, woven into her clothing as a weapon. Cinder's use of dust also seems to allow her to generate dual black glass swords, which can be converted into a bow as well.
Blake using Dust alongside her Semblance.
Another novel usage of Dust is in the episode "No Brakes," where Blake Belladonna inserts Dust vials into her main weapon, Gambol Shroud, and uses it in conjunction with her Semblance. While normally her Shadow images are simply evanescent copies of her, with Dust they take on the properties of an element, such as stone statues, ice sculptures, or explosive fiery apparitions.
During the combat tournament of the Vytal Festival, Dust crystals are said to be scattered throughout the arena for combatants to use.[13]
Production and Distribution
The emblem of the Schnee Dust Company
The Schnee Dust Company is one of the largest producers of Dust in the world. Dust is mined from the Schnee Quarry, purified, and transported by railway lines[14]or by sea[15] to distributors. Dust is then sold to the public by Dust shops such asFrom Dust Till Dawn.
Crystalline Dust is apparently safe enough to leave out on display openly, whereas powdered Dust is dispensed from tubes on the wall and stored in portable cylindrical canisters. Bags that have been seen on store shelves have the same bright hues as the tubes and their Dust, but whether they contain Dust themselves is unknown.
Much like real world resources, Dust has been said to be a limited resource.
Aura is an ability that all those with a soul can use, at least with enough practice. A person with a strong Aura may radiate bright colors when using it. Because Aura is the manifestation of the soul, it can appear very differently depending on who is using it. For example, the color of Aura differs from person to person: Pyrrha's looks red, Jaune's looks white, and Ren's appears to be a shade of purple.
It is mentioned that anything with a soul has an Aura, but Humans and Faunus seem to be the only beings able to weaponize it for their own protection. However, this fact has been recently subverted with the introduction of the first synthetic person able to generate an Aura in Penny. Skilled users of Aura can create their own barriers or even increase their own abilities in some way. Weapons and armor can also act as a conduit for Aura, allowing for an even wider range of offensive and defensive capabilities.
It has been shown that the strength of an Aura degrades with continual use. This limits the applications of Aura in combat as, with time or heavy use, a person's Aura will decay to the point where they are left weakened or even incapacitated. This has been witnessed several times in the show:
AbilitiesEditt
Ren using his Aura as a defense mechanism
Ren using his Aura offensively, to pierce the Taijitu's eyes
Aura is a necessary energy source for all Hunters, being a powerful ally in battle. It is also required in order to trigger the use of Dust. Aura, as demonstrated by various characters, has the ability to do the following:
Other specific abilities, known as Semblances, appear to be unique to certain individuals. According to "Aura," the fourth installment of RWBY: World of Remnant, Semblance is the projection of Aura into a more tangible form. In "Extracurricular," it is learned that when a person uses their Aura, they can discover their Semblance afterwards.
Activation
It appears that Aura is able to manifest in different ways when in use and takes on the color of one's inner energy. It appears as a slight glow around the body.
It has been stated that the activation of an Aura requires training and willpower, though someone with considerable training can unlock the Aura of another person.
Tournaments
Jaune and Cardin duel in a Tournament style match
In the episode "Jaunedice," it is revealed that Aura strength, as a proportion of maximum potential, can be electronically monitored and displayed on a scroll. This has enabled the development of a competitive sport amongst Hunters and others.
Because Aura can protect its user against some of the force of physical blows, it is possible to duel using fully combat-ready weapons without risking death or serious injury. Such tournaments are closely monitored by a referee and, should a combatant's Aura strength fall below a certain red-line where they may no longer be sufficient to protect their users, the match is automatically halted and the combatant with the highest Aura percentile remaining is declared the winner.
The duel between Jaune and Cardin proves that Aura does not provide 100% protection against concussive blows as Jaune is visibly hurt and left winded by a blow to the abdomen from his opponent's mace. However, Glynda Goodwitchhalts the match before Cardin can strike again, indicating that Jaune's Aura at about 20% power would not stop another full-strength blow.
There is at least one known major international competitive tournament, the Vytal Festival, at which students at Beacon Academy are permitted to compete as representatives of the region of Vale. It is possible that the Mistral regional tournament, won by Pyrrha four years in a row, is another Tournament but this has not yet been explicitly confirmed on-screen.
Semblance is the manifestation of one's innate and personal power as an ability unique to each individual, with the effects varying greatly from user to user. The nature of one's Semblance is noted as representing an aspect of their character. However, a person's Semblance can be similar to the Semblances of their parents.[1]
According to "Aura," the fourth installment of RWBY: World of Remnant, Semblance is a more tangible projection of one'sAura. Pyrrha Nikos implied this connection when she told Jaune Arc that the use of Aura can help him to discover his Semblance.
Those that use Semblance are able to manipulate certain physical phenomena according to the nature of their power. Some individuals, such as Weiss Schnee, are able to use their Semblance to create glyphs that generate some desired effect. Ruby Rose is able to move at incredible speeds, while Pyrrha can manipulate magnetic forces.
Using Dust, certain individuals can modify their Semblances with elements, such as Weiss using Myrtenaster to change her glyphs and Blake inserting dust vials into Gambol Shroud to make her Shadow clones take on elemental properties.
Overuse of one's Semblance for prolonged periods may adversely affect its user at certain times. This was demonstrated by Weiss on one occasion after using a series of glyphs in rapid succession to assist Ruby, subsequently collapsing afterwards.
Those who wish to become Huntsmen or Huntresses often first attend facilities like Sanctum or Signal Academy, which are designed to show new students the fundamentals of combat, weapon crafting and the applications of Dust and Aura in the battlefield. Those who have honed their skills on their own however can skip this step and apply directly, an example being Blake Belladonna.
Potential applicants must then pass a rigorous entrance exam, and those that pass can attend schools such as Beacon Academy or Haven Academy, whose sole purpose is to train the next generation of Huntsmen and Huntresses who will in turn live and die to defend the four kingdoms and the lifestyles they have become accustomed to.
Faunus are similar to the Humans of Remnant, except for the fact that they share certain traits with animals. Some types of Faunus are more common than others, with some being extremely rare.[1] Faunus with mammalian traits in general seem to be quite common.
Some, such as Blake Belladonna and Velvet Scarlatina, have been shown to have animal ears (in these cases, those of a cat and a rabbit, respectively); Faunus with animal ears also appear to have a set of Human ears. Other Faunus in the background have been shown to have horns protruding from their heads. Some Faunus, such as Sun Wukong, may have prehensile tails. In some cases, a Faunus may have a trait that is not immediately apparent, such as Tukson's retractable claws.
In addition, Faunus may also share more subtle physical similarities to animals, such as Blake's eyes, which are amber in color and tilted upwards at the corners (two common characteristics of cat eyes), though it is unknown if a Faunus can show two or more apparent animal traits (e.g.: ears and tail). It has also been stated that most Faunus have remarkable night vision, a trait that they use to great effect in combat.
In addition, Faunus have been shown on multiple occasions to possess other non-physical traits of the animals that they're based on. One such example is food preference, such as how Sun is shown eating bananas and Ruby notes that Blake "does like tuna a lot."
Faunus have had at least one major conflict with Humans in recent history. In particular, the Faunus Rights Revolutionwas an attempt by Faunus to gain rights through violence. The revolution is said to have stemmed chiefly from Humans' attempts to confine the Faunus to an area of Remnant known as Menagerie. Given that Faunus are seen living amongst Humans in the present day, it can be deduced that the Faunus were at least successful in preventing this confinement. While still being able to live within the human kingdoms, it has been noted that some Faunus have lived outside of their borders.
In spite of any gains they made during the revolution, Faunus still tend to be treated like animals or second-class citizens by some Humans, and are shown as still trying to gain equality.
This discrimination is exemplified by Cardin Winchester tormenting Velvet. Children are allowed to attend at least some schools with members of other races, but may be at risk of bullying from their non-Faunus peers. Thus, Faunus still seem to suffer from racism and discrimination in the present day.
Bartholomew Oobleck attributes the continuing racial tensions between Humans and the Faunus to the discrimination they have faced, also believing it to be the cause of ongoing conflicts in the present. A group of Faunus known as theWhite Fang have been in bloody conflict with the Schnee Dust Company for the past three generations of the company's leadership. Because of this conflict, Weiss Schnee holds a great deal of animosity towards the Faunus in general. Weiss also claims that White Fang's objective is the eradication of mankind, but this may be an exaggeration.
The day after arriving at Beacon Academy, first-year students (such as Ruby Rose, Jaune Arc, etc.) are gathered at the edge of the Beacon Cliffs overlooking the Emerald Forest, where Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch stand before them and explain the procedure of the Beacon Academy Initiation that they will soon undergo. After being launched from the Cliff and landing in the forest below, the first pair of students to make eye contact with each other are partners for the rest of their time at Beacon, which consists of four years.
To complete the team of four, as seen in "Players and Pieces," the two pairs of students who pick matching relics found at the abandoned temple are combined to form a team, with the leader being chosen by Ozpin based on who displays the best leadership skills during the initiation.
As of "The Badge and The Burden," the team members of each respective team share a dorm. Even Team JNPR, a co-ed team, share a single dorm.
It appears to be a requirement for team members to be tested against other teams in one-on-one sparring matches. This was seen in "Jaunedice," where Cardin Winchester and Jaune duel.
Some teams also seem to share certain personalities that make them different from one another, such as Team CRDL consisting of bullies.
Despite the name, relics are simply items used as a goal for students participating in the Beacon Academy's initiation. They are placed at the abandoned temple in the Emerald Forest during the initiation that Ruby Rose and the others in their first year at Beacon participated in.
Teams of two are required to recover these relics and return them to the Beacon Cliffs in order to complete the initiation. The students are watched and graded on their performance along the way, but the professors will not interfere.
Relics are chosen by Professor Ozpin every year, and therefore vary from year to year. The relics that Ozpin chose on the year that Ruby and the others arrived were black and gold chess pieces, albeit with only one pair of pawns in each color.
In "Field Trip", the War is elaborated upon by Professor Ozpin during a speech to an assembly of students from all four kingdoms. The War is stated to have been the largest conflict in recorded history, and was fought for "countless reasons," though chief amongst them was the concept of individualism. The outbreak of war is attributed to the suppression of self-expression and the destruction of art.
Ultimately, those in favour of the preservation of individualism prevailed, and Remnant currently enjoys peace and "unity through diversity." This diversity is celebrated in cultural events such as the Vytal Festival.
Those who opposed the destruction of individualism made it a part of their legacy by naming their children after the fundamental aspect of art, color, to demonstrate that they and future generations would always oppose oppression, a trend that continues into the present era.
Jaune Arc reveals in "The Shining Beacon", that his sword and shield, Crocea Mors, was passed down from his great-great-grandfather, who used it to fight in "the War." The simplistic design of Crocea Mors in comparison to other weapons seen in the series may give some clues as to the nature of the weaponry used in the war.
In "A Minor Hiccup", Weiss Schnee explains that in the aftermath of "the Great War," the Kingdom of Atlas developed and shared the Cross Continental Transmitsystem in order to allow the four kingdoms to communicate with one another more effectively.
Not much has been disclosed about the Faunus War, although it is known that it was a fairly large-scale conflict that lasted at least three years. The cause of the war is attributed to the Humans' attempts to confine Faunus to an area of Remnantknown as Menagerie. Given that Faunus are seen living among Human populations in the present, it can be deduced that the war was successful at least in preventing this confinement.
Although little information is available regarding the actual chronology of the war, the Battle of Fort Castle in the third year of the war is widely regarded as the turning point. The inexperienced leader of the Human forces, General Lagune, attempted to catch the enemy off-guard in a nocturnal attack. However, the Faunus were able to leverage their advantage of near-perfect night vision and soundly defeated the larger army.
In spite of whatever material gains the Faunus achieved during the war, they remain a subject of discrimination, as exemplified by Team CRDL taunting Velvet Scarlatina for having rabbit ears. Fortunately, based on Bartholomew Oobleck's reaction to Velvet confirming that she was a victim of this discrimination, and the reactions of Teams RWBYand JNPR to how Team CRDL has treated her, it does appear to be a less common attitude than in the past. Regardless, efforts to counteract this discrimination continue, and an active civil rights movement is known to hold a Faunus Civil Rights Protest in Vale.
Some time after the war, the White Fang organization was set up and intended to serve as a prospective "symbol of peace and unity between Humans and the Faunus." However, this idea was evidently abandoned in the face of continuing discrimination.
The current militancy of the White Fang can be seen as a direct consequence of the failure of both the Human and Faunus leadership to resolve the racist creeds, and general interracial tensions that originally sparked the war. It remains to be seen if reason will ultimately prevail, or if the White Fang's terrorist campaign may ignite another phase of wider and more general interracial violence similar to the first Faunus War.
The scroll is clearly more advanced, in some ways, than contemporary handheld devices. Visibly, they are nothing more than a translucent, touch-sensitive panel between two solid end grips; the interlocking design of these grips allows the unit to be collapsible, much like a scroll of paper, hence the name.
Each scroll has a yellow, diamond-shaped button in its center when the device is in its closed state. The user presses this button to unlock the two grips and deploy the screen. This button also flashes when the scroll gives an audible alert, such as when a new message has been received.
They are shown to have a range of sensory and interfacing functions, such as relaying information from surveillance devices in real time and monitoring the health of multiple people at once. Several icons at the top right of the display hint at Internet-style browsing functions, such as 'Home', 'Search', and 'Mail'. There are also 'folder' icons, indicating that the device can be used to store data.
The 'mail' function has been shown to access voice messages as well as displaying short text-only messages, similar to the real-world SMS system. Scrolls also seem to function as keys, seen when Ruby asks Jaune if he locked himself out of his room and he denies it, showing her his Scroll as proof. Whilst in voice message mode, Jaune's scroll is also showing an audio pattern analyzer window. It isn't clear if this is a standard part of the audio playback software or if it's a individual preference setting used by Jaune.
Two distinctly different types of Scroll have been seen so far. Teachers at Beacon Academy have units with screens similar in size to a piece of standard letter paper and with charcoal-gray hand grips.
Students are issued slightly smaller, white units with white hand grips that can deploy to a pocket notepad size or a size closer to a medium-sized tablet PC. It is not clear if scrolls at Beacon Academy are standalone devices, or mobile terminals for a larger, fixed computer system that serves all the students and faculty.
During his battle with the Ursa in "Forever Fall, Pt.2," Jaune's scroll showing his Aura gauge appears to be attached to his shield. This suggests scrolls can be mounted onto other objects depending on the user's needs.
It was shown in "A Minor Hiccup" that scrolls can also be used as methods of identification and as mobile data storage devices. Both functions are used by Weiss at the Cross Continental Transmit Tower. It was also revealed that the Scroll can potentially take pictures, as Ruby pulled it out after she said she was going to take one of the CCT Tower. The camera lens of Weiss Schnee's scroll can be seen on the back of the right-hand handgrip when she uses the device's ID function in a lift at the CCT Tower.
The Grimm are said to have appeared soon after the dawn of mankind. They have targeted early Humans for as long as can be remembered, seeking to destroy them and all of their creations. At first, it seemed as though they would succeed, as Humans did not have the strength to fight them. However, Humans discovered the power of Dust; and with it, the Grimm were driven back. During this time, Humans enjoyed a time of peace and soon formed their own kingdoms, which grew to survive and prosper. This time will not last forever, however.
While Grimm are initially mindless and heedless of risk during their youths, to where they will simply attack any humans on sight, some Grimm are so powerful that they have survived to live for hundreds of years; and in that time they have evolved and learned from their experiences fighting humanity. In doing so, they have exhibited restraint and the patience to avoid taking unnecessary causalities in futile conflicts. Instead, they stay close to humanity's borders, waiting for the opportunity to come where they can finally strike; and thus mankind is in ever present danger, even in times of apparent peace. This was stated by Dr. Oobleck in the episode "Search and Destroy," when he tells Ruby on how intelligent some species, such as the Goliaths, have become over the years.
Additionally, the Grimm appear to be the predominant species in the world of Remnant as humans and Faunus appear to be limited to four primary pocket settlements referred to as Kingdoms, which are guarded by Hunters; as well as several villages with mixed success. Attempts by the Kingdoms to expand beyond their borders are often met with resistance, and even failure, as the loss of an entire sector of the city of Vale overrun by the Grimm can attest to.
Biology
The origins of the Creatures of Grimm are unknown. Ancient human cultures believed the Grimm were animals possessed by evil spirits, or even the tortured spirits of animals themselves. Further study has disproved this theory over time however, due in part to the discovery of even more horrific misshapen species of Grimm which have no animal counterparts (such as Creeps). With the discovery of new types of Grimm every day, scientists are left with more questions then answers.
Grimm come in a variety of shapes and sizes; the latter appears to be a factor of age. They are said to be the only creatures without souls, thus being deprived of the use of Aura, but making up for this with strength and savagery. Grimm are stated to be attracted to generally negative feelings such as sadness, hostility, anger, fear, etc.; and even congregate to areas that, although humanity has long since abandoned, still hold residual traces of these feelings.
This behavior will even lead to them to join in on an attack in progress if the humans being attacked begin to panic. Grimm typically form packs or other types of large groupings with other members of their own specific species. While some lone Grimm may stray from the pack for hours or even months, they will inevitably rejoin their group to continue their instinctive drive to hunt the people of Remnant and destroy any artificial creations associated with them.
The longer a Grimm lives, the larger it becomes, with species such as the Nevermore ranging from the size of an average bird of prey to massive pterosaur-sized beasts after hundreds of years. Although Grimm have a more reckless nature during their youth, older Grimm who have managed to survive their battles have the tendency to learn from their experiences. While sometimes requiring hundreds of years, the Grimm's accumulated experiences over the course of surviving their battles with man can cause them to begin exercising caution.
This perverse form of self-preservation can even lead them to avoiding unnecessary conflicts altogether. Yet, despite this ability to learn, their instinctual hostility still remains, as shown by their preference to patrol the borders of Kingdoms for any weaknesses they might someday exploit. This demonstrates that for all their apparent intelligence, older Grimm simply use it as a means to become more effective in their singular drive and purpose, to kill.
Grimm display no enmity towards normal animals, and they only clash during territorial disputes. Humans and Faunus are the only races they attack on sight. Grimm can also choose not to eat and it is commonly believed that they do not require sustenance. When Grimm die, their corporeal form evaporates, preventing detailed anatomical or biological studies. This also means that Huntsmen that kill for sport cannot stuff and mount Grimm bodies as trophies (making do with replicas instead).
Also of interesting note is that Grimm usually die off when in captivity (if they cannot kill their captors or escape first), implying that they cannot be kept alive by normal means. If the theory of Grimm not needing to feed is true, it is entirely possible that they survive on negative emotions or the act of killing in itself.
RWBY
Beacon Academy initiation
The Beowolves Ruby and Weiss face
As part of Beacon Academy's initiation, new students must team up in the Emerald Forest and fight their way to a temple, encountering several different types of Grimm in the process. Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee are attacked by a large pack of Beowolves, but are forced to flee when Weiss' attack causes a fire due to Ruby's accidental interruption.
Yang Xiao Long is also attacked, but by two Ursi that only manage to sever a strand of her hair, sending her into a blind rage as she defeats one of the Ursi, as the other is killed in one strike by Blake Belladonna before Yang can finish it off. Likewise, Lie Ren is attacked by a King Taijitu, which he defeated through the use of his Aura.
While searching for the abandoned temple, Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos find a cave which they confuse for the temple. While exploring, Jaune grabs on to the stinger of a Death Stalker, believing it to be one of the relics. Pyrrha then flees the cave; and its resident, a Death Stalker, follows her out, breaking down some rocks covering the entrance as it does so. Once outside, it flings Jaune (who is still hanging onto the supposed "relic") into the air and Pyrrha flees from the Death Stalker.
The Death Stalker chases Pyrrha to the temple while Ruby and Weiss are carried there by a Nevermore. Upon arrival, they meet up with Yang, Blake, Nora Valkyrie, and Ren, the latter two arriving at the temple via Ursa. The two Grimm chase the eight students to a larger part of the temple, where Team JNPR are able to kill the Death Stalker by hacking off its stinger and then hammering it into the creature's head.
Meanwhile, Team RWBY were able to defeat the Nevermore by using Gambol Shroud as a giant slingshot to launch Ruby at the Nevermore. Using Myrtenaster'sDust capabilities and the recoil of Crescent Rose to propel herself, Ruby successfully beheads the creature after dragging it up the face of a cliff. The defeat of the particularly fearsome Grimm using the plans of Jaune and Ruby is possibly what led to them being made the leaders of their respective teams.
After intelligence is uncovered about a White Fang base in the ruined Southeastern block of Vale, Mountain Glenn; Team RWBY, alongside veteran Hunter Bartholomew Oobleck, is dispatched to the Grimm-infested area in preparation for a full-scale invasion to confirm the White Fang's base.
Before departing, RWBY encounter Team CFVY, who report that the number of Grimm outside the city are increasing, backing up an earlier warning from Ozpin. The headmaster reminded Team RWBY before they left on their mission that, normally, students as young as they would not be permitted to confront such large concentrations of Grimm.
The Grimm living in the area seem limited to Beowolves, small Nevermores, and Goliaths. The latter seem to prefer roaming the wilderness outside of the ruins. While the girls occupy themselves by slaughtering the Grimm, Bartholomew seems to prefer to spend his time studying the ruins, the plant life, and the Grimm, when possible. A Beowolf is briefly seen during Ruby's watch of their encampment. Later, Oobleck mentions subterranean Grimm as well.
Finally, in "No Brakes," the plan of the White Fang is revealed: loading the Dust they've been stockpiling onto a train in Mountain Glenn, where they rig each train car to separate and explode at timed locations, leading to Grimm flooding the subways. The last of the train cars is set to blow a hole directly into the City of Vale, thereby allowing the Grimm to enter the city and slaughter thousands. In spite of Team RWBY's best efforts, the plan goes through, leading to the Grimm attacking Vale.
During this situation, a new species of Grimm was seen, known as a Creep: a bipedal, stub-nosed Grimm; one that lacked arms, and seemed to run in a manner much like a prehistoric theropod.
In spite of the massive resources and time sunk into the plan it is ultimately a failure, due to the combined forces of teams RWBY, JNPR, and CFVY; the Beacon Academy teachers Peter Port, Glynda Goodwitch, Oobleck; and theAtlesian Knight-200s.
However, it's implied near the end of the episode that the plot is still underway. Roman is seen smiling and laughing towards the end of the episode, and Cinder's program still hasn't come into play, showing that their plan can still be salvaged.
Species of Grimm
Name Attacks Features
Beowolf Beowolf Lunges, claws strikes, bites Black fur and bonelike spines
Boarbatusk Boarbatusk Charges, tusks, body rolls White bone plates, four eyes, and large tusks
Creep Creep Ramming, bites Bonelike spines, two-legged
Death Stalker Death Stalker Claw grabs, stinger strikes, bites Black exoskeleton with white bone plates and a glowing stinger
Goliath Goliath Unknown Black skin, bonelike spines along its body, giant tusks
King Taijitu King Taijitu Lunges, fang bites, constriction Bone-like spines with Grimm markings
Nevermore Nevermore Head-butt charge, throwing spear-like feather quills Black plumage, wing claws and crested white bonelike head-piece
Ursa Ursa Lunges, claw swing, bites Black fur and bonelike spines
The Temple seems to mostly consist of the broken ruins of a rotunda. Three of the columns are broken and lying around the area in pieces. There are five stone columns still standing that hold up a circle of stones.
The floor of the structure bears a symmetrical design. Behind the Temple there are additional ruins, consisting of a long stone pillar-lined walkway leading to a steeple in a chasm.
Relics
The relics stored at the temple for the two-person teams to collect are personally chosen by Ozpin. The relics are changed every year and in the year of Team RWBY's initiation, it contains gold and black chess pieces.
After the Faunus Rights Revolution, the White Fang was founded as a symbol of peace and unity between the Faunus and Humans. However, Humankind continued to discriminate the Faunus, prompting the White Fang to become the voice of the Faunus.
Initially, they took the classical forms of nonviolent political protest with such tactics as mass rallies and boycotts of organizations that discriminated against Faunus in any way.
Then, approximately five years before the present day, after fruitless attempts to be accepted by the Humans as equals, the leader of the White Fang stepped down and was replaced by a new leadership who didn't share the same belief in nonviolent protest. Under this new leadership, the White Fang adopted its current violent and more aggressive behavior. Amongst the direct actions organized were the firebombing of stores that refused to serve Faunus and the theft or sabotage of cargo trains originating from organizations that used Faunus labor.
Under its new leadership, the White Fang retaliated against the people and organizations who once treated them as lesser beings and slaves. Ironically, in an attempt to gain equality and make the Faunus race free from fear, the White Fang itself has become a cause of fear and hatred amongst Humans and Faunus alike. Sun Wukong reveals in "Black and White" that the White Fang's barbaric actions have made them unpopular even among Faunus, with the more moderate and open-minded members of the species seeing them as insane obstacles to true peace between the races. If some Humans now treat Faunus as equals, it is not out of any true respect, but only from their fear of the actions of the White Fang.
The Schnee Dust Company is a particular recent target of White Fang. In "The Shining Beacon," Blake Belladonnacriticized the company, claiming it was notorious for its "controversial labor forces" and "questionable business partners." Weiss confirms in "Mountain Glenn" that her father's company is now morally gray.
In a speech to the Vale cell of White Fang, the human criminal Roman Torchwick identified the current aims of the organization to be the complete destruction of human-dominated society with humans either 'locked away' (an obvious reference to the attempted exile of all Faunus to Menagerie that triggered the Faunus Rights Revolution) or exterminated. This would be achieved by destroying the three pillars of human society - the governments, the military, and the schools that train Hunters.
Activities
A group of White Fang members
Prior to the leadership change, the White Fang was a peaceful organization, organizing and participating in peaceful protests. After the change, the group became a terrorist organization. Among the known crimes committed by the White Fang has been the murder of several SDC executives and the theft of an entire train car full of Dust. Additionally, White Fang is stated to have "disrupted" more peaceful Faunus rights activities, causing them to turn violent. The organization has committed arson, targeting shops that refuse to serve Faunus, stolen cargo from companies that use Faunus labor, and orchestrated other organized attacks.
During "Black and White," it is revealed that the White Fang and Roman have what Roman calls a "joint business venture." Despite Roman's and White Fang's prejudices against each other's species, they have decided to work together by providing each other with manpower and weapons. However, knowingly or unknowingly, the organization is, in fact, following the agenda of the mysterious Cinder Fall and her associates. When Roman's association with the group was formally revealed to their general membership during a rally, he is initially met with skepticism and outright anger, but he manages to win them over by pointing out their mutual enemies among the hierarchies of power within the Kingdoms and his associates' ability to provide them with the weapons they need to further their cause.
The attempted Dust heist in "Black and White" also demonstrates the degree to which White Fang has developed as a powerful paramilitary organization in the five years since it has begun openly espousing a military solution to the issue of Faunus discrimination. Even the organization's Vale cell has at least five Bullheads available, enough to transport numerous troops and several heavy containers of Dust.
Unlike the normal civilian models, at least three of these aircraft were equipped with a fast-firing cannon under the nose. Additionally, each aircraft carried a dismount squad of at least five fighters, trained in airborne assault tactics and equipped with rifle-like weapons and swords. These demonstrate the organization's significant non-governmental military power.
Their first big move was a massive attack on Vale, which started with a slew of Dust robberies happening over several months. Cinder Fall uploaded a program to the Cross Continental Transmit in Vale to help with the plan. In "No Brakes," the stolen Dust was revealed to have been loaded onto a train, which would be purposely blown up in the tunnels ofMountain Glenn to provide openings for the Grimm to enter Vale, ending in the train destroying the barricade to the city and the Grimm hordes infesting the city. Though the plot was not executed completely due to team RWBY having the train leave a few days before Cinder's program activates, Roman's behavior suggests that he allowed himself to fail on purpose to salvage the plan, and that it is still underway.
Members
The militant White Fang leadership
Blake is known to be a former member of White Fang. It is logical to assume thatAdam Taurus is also a member given that the two were involved together in an attempt to destroy a SDC cargo train. Adam himself states that the White Fang will listen to his directives even if they may be apprehensive on further cooperation with Cinder and her associates.
Blake was clearly disturbed at the thought of murdering the train's crew, but still fought to prevent the shipment from reaching its destination. She cut it loose from its locomotive so that the cargo could be stolen, but left it soon after.
Blake later told Weiss that she regarded the White Fang's members as "misguided." Although she clearly still espouses the movement's core beliefs, it is also clear that she no longer agrees with the methods it is using to achieve its ends, and would prefer to gain equality through other means that don't require violence.
It is revealed that the White Fang's former leader advocated peaceful protests and rallies, but the new leader had a new way of thinking and replaced the protests with organized attacks, which was the main reason Blake left.
In "Best Day Ever," it is revealed by Emerald Sustrai that the White Fang is disappointed in Tukson's abandoning of the organization, suggesting that leaving the organization is punishable by death.
As a symbol of how humanity has chosen to make monsters out of the Faunus members of the White Fang don the faces of actual monsters in the form of Grimm Masks.
Weaponry and Abilities
White Fang members in uniform
Certain members such as the likes of Adam Taurus and Blake Belladonna are shown to be extremely skilled operatives with unique weaponry. The movement's ordinary fighters are armed with pistols, rifles and swords and do not seem to be a match for a skilled Huntsman or Huntress.
However, they are seen to be able to acrobatically deploy from Bullhead VTOLs and land on their feet, suggesting that they are quite agile and are trained in low-altitude airborne deployment. They also have acquired access to Atlesian Paladin-290 mech-suits, presumably captured by Roman Torchwick and his associates at some point, and large-scale electronic bombs.
The cityscape of Vale seems to have a type of build similar to modern cities like New York and San Francisco. However, Vale appears to have very narrow roads, suggesting that the city is old enough to formerly have traditional roads.
It is divided into multiple sectors, having an upper-class district, a commercial district, an industrial district, an agricultural district and a residential district.
Vale has a large port area where passenger and cargo ships dock. The cargo docks include large-scale container handling facilities, indicating that the port handles large quantities of goods on a frequent basis. This is shown to include very large quantities of Dust, shipping in from overseas locations such as Atlas.
To the southeast lies an area teaming with wild forests and deep caves, but is also known to contain the ruins of Mountain Glenn, a failed attempt by the kingdom to extend the city's borders. The location was eventually overrun by Grimm and had to be fenced off from the rest of the city.
Students with the aspiration to become Hunters, whose duty is to keep the peace within the world, strive to attend Beacon.
Students
Students of Beacon Academy
Beacon Academy is a residential/boarding-type school, with its students residing in dormitories on the campus. The school seems to provide all living facilities, including hygiene, food, and laundry. However, students are not restricted to the campus outside lessons, and frequently spend their weekends in Vale.
In order to be accepted into Beacon, students typically go to combat schools, such as Signal Academy, in order to prepare for the Academy's rigorous entrance exam. Some candidates, like Ruby Rose, may be invited to the school after showing exceptional skill. However, attending previous combat schools does not seem to be a prerequisite, as some entrants are talented enough to pass the exam without them (such as Blake Belladonna). Students are generally admitted at around age 17, although Ruby was one exception, being admitted at age 15.
In the lead-up to the Vytal Festival, Beacon also participates in an exchange program with the academies of the other three kingdoms of Atlas, Vacuo, and Mistral (Haven Academy). Exchange students may participate in some activities, such as sparring matches, and attend events such as the Beacon Dance.
Dress Code
Examples of the male and female uniforms
Beacon has a uniform that students may wear. The males wear black suits lined with gold, accompanied by a blue vest and a white shirt with a red tie. The females wear long stockings as an optional component, a red plaid skirt, and a brown jacket with a tan vest and white shirt.
Students are given the freedom to customize their attire, as Ruby also wears her hood with her uniform. The dress code doesn't seem to be upheld very strictly, as students are often seen in casual attire during classes, assemblies, and field trips. Students tend to avoid wearing their uniforms during combat practice.
Curriculum
Students attend lectures on a variety of topics
In "The First Step," Ozpin stated that his new students will be in their selectedteams for four years. This strongly suggests that this is the length of the education at the academy.
After being accepted into Beacon, new students have to go through an initiation, after which they are placed into teams.
Students attend lectures, given by staff members such as Peter Port, on various topics intended to prepare them for their jobs, such as the different kinds of monsters they may encounter.
Practical exercises appear to be a significant part of the courses; of these, some are held in the Emerald Forest. Other out-of-campus activities include field trips to locations such as Forever Fall.
In "The Badge and The Burden, Pt.2," Weiss Schnee also fights a Boarbatusk in Port's Grimm Studies class. In addition, the curriculum includes sparring matches that pit students' skills against each other in a controlled environment.
Students are also sent on missions as part of their time at the academy. First-year students are generally limited to lower-risk missions, such as accompanying detectives into the city, and must be accompanied by a professional Huntsman or Huntress on their first mission. Upperclassmen are known to go on higher-risk missions.
Location
Roman's map of Vale with Beacon circled and labeled
Beacon lies along the east edge of the city of Vale, and has a wide river that runs through part of it. Airships are used to transport new students to the academy.
A port is seen at the bottom of the cliffs next to Beacon Academy, implying that naval transportation is also possible.
Beacon's boundaries appear to extend rather far, including the large Emerald Forest and some surrounding terrain, such as the Beacon Cliffs. The academy also holds field trips in areas such as the Forever Fall forest.
Campus
Main Avenue
The main avenue
After arrival, new Huntsmen and Huntress cadets are deposited on a long, wide avenue leading up to what appears to be the main academy buildings and their large, impressive main doorway, which opens up to a large amphitheater. The avenue is marked with trees and flag-draped light-poles, as well as a number of impressive aqueduct-like features and archways.
At the opposite end of the main avenue to the amphitheater is an impressive cliffside that overlooks the city across the sound. At the top edge of the cliffside are several aerial docking bays, where airships and bullheads can dock and allow their passengers to disembark.
Beacon Tower
The Beacon Tower
The most prominent part of the academy buildings is a large tower. The tower is surmounted by a number of green spheres or lights (possibly the beacon after which the academy was named), as well as an intricate clockwork mechanism consisting of many interlocking cogs and gears. Situated immediately below this is Ozpin's office, which sits high above the clouds and affords an impressive view of the surrounding area.
Academy Gardens
The academy is also shown to have large gardens, apparently at the rear of the buildings. This includes a large pond surrounded by a path, where students are free to wander as they please.
Beacon Academy Statue
Jaune Arc looking up at the statue
The campus of Beacon Academy includes a large statue featuring two figures, one a male and the other a younger-looking female, standing on a rock outcropping. They are both dressed in a robe with hoods over their heads.
The male has a sword in his right hand, raised in a seemingly triumphant gesture. The younger female has a double-edged battle-ax in her left hand and looks off to the side into the distance. Below the two figures is a Beowolf looking in the same direction as the male figure.
The Amphitheater
Students gathered in the amphitheater
The assembly area takes the form of a glass-domed amphitheater with raised bleachers arranged in a circle around a circular stage that has a tall, ornate (possibly wooden) backdrop with blue lights. There is also a large, open area in front of the stage where students can stand.
As well as being used for meetings of the student body, the assembly area can be used for duelling practice, with the raised stage serving as the fighting area, as seen in "Jaunedice" and "Extracurricular." The lighting in this area can be carefully controlled, making it impossible to see the rest of the area, thus giving duelists the illusion of being entirely on their own.
This also appears to be the location from which missions are assigned to students. The missions are displayed three at a time on numerous screens, listing the type of mission, location, and mission start time, among other extra details. Teams assign themselves to missions by selecting one and then entering their team name.
Cross Continental Transmit Tower
The CCT at Beacon
Main article: Cross Continental Transmit
Also known as the CCT, this transmit tower allows for seamless communication between locations within the other kingdoms outside of Vale. The tower is extremely tall, with an elevator in place to take visitors to a level of their choosing.
The interior of the communications room has several video terminals where a holographic AI operator will patch users to the location where they wish to send their messages.
Lecture Hall
A Lecture Hall
Beacon Academy has at least one lecture hall not unlike those found in universities. In "The Badge and The Burden," a lecture hall with (apparently) antique drawings of the various known species of Grimm is shown.
This hall has sufficient space for practical demonstrations in front of the students' desks: The front of the lecture area may be used for combat training as seen in "The Badge and The Burden, Pt.2." In "Jaunedice, Pt.2," one of the classes takes place in a lecture hall rigged for a history lesson; the Remnant world, map overlaid by a complex pattern of notes linked with strings, is displayed on the wall behind the lecturer, Bartholomew Oobleck.
Dorms
Team RWBY's dorm, as decorated by the girls on their second day
All the dorms at Beacon appear to be co-ed dorms, with males and females sleeping in the same room. This allows all members of a team share the same living area, regardless of differing genders. The students note that these rooms are somewhat cramped. However, more organized teams generally find that there is sufficient room to meet all of their needs.
The doors to the dorm rooms are secured using an electronic lock, which can be disengaged using a student's Scroll. It is possible to get locked out if the door closes and a student does not have their Scroll with them.
In "Jaunedice, Pt.2," the blocks containing the dorms are shown to be located in separate buildings some distance from the main academy buildings. Students can be seen running through the Academy Gardens on the way to classes in "The Badge and The Burden."
Dining Hall
The Dining Hall
The Academy includes a large, formal dining room running down the length of a cloister-like hall. The dining room features four long tables running the length of the hall with benches to either side and walking areas located in between. Students are able to sit not only with their teams, but other groups.
Like all parts of the academy buildings, the dining hall is somewhat gothic in appearance. The walls are marked with the academy's crossed-ax logo.
In "Forever Fall, Pt.2," it is established that students are allowed to eat in their dormitories.
Library
The Library
The library is a repository of books and other sources of archived information within the Academy. It is generally meant to be a quiet place for students to read and study, though students often use the area as a gathering place, playing board games and socializing instead.
It can also make transcontinental calls to areas outside of the kingdom of Vale, like the CCT. The library also has access to several holographic computer terminals, which can be freely accessed by the students.
Ballroom
There is also a ballroom that is used in the Beacon Dance. The ballroom also doubles as a living area that new students may sleep in until they are assigned proper quarters, as seen in "The Shining Beacon, Pt.2."
Locker Room
A unisex locker room with washroom facilities is also present. After the initiation, to store weapons and extra armor, each student is assigned a rocket-propelled locker that can be sent to a custom location based on a six-digit code.
Emerald Forest
Beacon Academy uses the Emerald Forest as the location for its initiation. The forest is filled with dangerous wildlife. Students are catapulted into the forest from Beacon Cliffs, on purpose-built launch pads emblazoned with the academy's insignia.
The Emerald Forest serves as the location in which the initiation of new Beacon Academy students takes place. It extends away from the Beacon Cliffs on top of which the academy is situated. Ozpin informs the students that those who enter the forest will meet 'opposition,' which is revealed to be the monsters known asGrimm. In order to monitor the forest and its hostile inhabitants, the school has installed cameras in several locations throughout the woods.
It is unknown exactly how many types of Grimm live in the forest, but it is revealed that Beowolves, Ursai, King Taijitus,Nevermores, and Death Stalkers are among the inhabitants. There is an abandoned temple at the northern end of the forest from which the students have to retrieve relics and bring them back to the cliffs.
According to ancient legends recounted during the opening narration of "Ruby Rose," mankind was fighting a losing struggle with creatures of darkness known as the Grimm. However, through their resourcefulness and ingenuity, humanity managed to discover and harness a source of power they named "Dust" in order to battle the Grimm.
The advent of Dust became the turning point in the war. It would appear that after mankind drove back the Grimm and built civilizations, Dust became integrated into everyday life within Remnant.[1]
Despite its widespread use and prevalence in society, humanity has yet to understand the origins or the implications of their involvement with Dust.[3]
Description
Dust is known as a naturally occurring energy propellant triggered by the Aura of Humans and Faunus. It exists in four basic variations that can be combined both artificially and naturally to form new and stronger types, each with their own unique properties.[3] In "The Shining Beacon," Weiss Schnee also names Water and Energy as potential Dust types. Different colors of Dust appear to correspond to their different natures or effects.
Dust can be found in two discrete states, crystalline and powdered. Both crystalline and powdered Dust are known to be highly explosive. For example, during the Dust store robbery, Roman Torchwick threw a crystal at Ruby Rose's feet and fired at it, causing a sizable explosion. The powdered form appears to be even more volatile, since something as innocuous as a sneeze is enough to detonate a cloud of Dust.
Colors
A case of Dust crystals
Dust comes in numerous colors, such as red, blue, yellow, green, cyan, white, purple, bright orange and dark orange. The four basic colors are red, blue, yellow, and green. Each color has its own unique property.
- Red = Fire
- Dark Blue = Ice
- Yellow = Lightning
- Green = Wind[4]
- Bright Orange = Lava
Uses
Dust serves as a power source for all facets of technology in Remnant, from airships to androids. However, Dust can still be used without the aid of weapons or machines and unleashed in its raw form, such as lightning.
Technology powered by Dust is known to glow.[5]
Combat
Myrtenaster and Dust
The discovery of Dust was instrumental to humanity's initial defeat of the Grimm, and Dust continues to be used extensively in combat. Dust can be harnessed in a variety of ways, but when used in its raw form, its full potential requires both an Aura and the intelligence to use it, meaning Humans, Faunus, and certain artificial beings, such as Penny, are the only ones who are able to effectively use it for combat.
Dust bullets, however, are much simpler to use, merely requiring the user to pull the trigger. Ruby's weapon, Crescent Rose, has also been mentioned to use rounds containing different kinds of Dust.[6] Torchwick also makes reference to Dust rounds as being amongst the merchandise he stole, in the episode "Best Day Ever." It is mentioned that such rounds come in several different sizes and cartridges to be used for any given situation.
While this form is the most common and easiest way to use Dust in battle, it can also be used in its raw form, which is described as being "elegant, yet destructive" in nature and requiring a certain level of discipline to maintain control over. More archaic uses for Dust as a weapon include weaving it into clothes or directly implanting it into the wielder's body.[3]
Weiss using a glyph with ice Dust in "No Brakes."
One prominent example of raw Dust usage is Weiss Schnee's Multi-Action Dust Rapier, Myrtenaster, which contains vials of numerous colors of powdered Dust in its revolving chamber. She can allow Dust to flow from an exhaust port[7] onto Myrtenaster's blade to augment her attacks, such as casting fire from her blade.[8]She can also use her glyphs to manipulate how Dust flows and manifests. She has demonstrated this ability numerous times with ice Dust by manipulating what shape the ice would take.[9][10][11][12]
In "Field Trip," it is also speculated by Ironwood that Cinder Fall utilizes Dust, which glows orange, woven into her clothing as a weapon. Cinder's use of dust also seems to allow her to generate dual black glass swords, which can be converted into a bow as well.
Blake using Dust alongside her Semblance.
Another novel usage of Dust is in the episode "No Brakes," where Blake Belladonna inserts Dust vials into her main weapon, Gambol Shroud, and uses it in conjunction with her Semblance. While normally her Shadow images are simply evanescent copies of her, with Dust they take on the properties of an element, such as stone statues, ice sculptures, or explosive fiery apparitions.
During the combat tournament of the Vytal Festival, Dust crystals are said to be scattered throughout the arena for combatants to use.[13]
Production and Distribution
The emblem of the Schnee Dust Company
The Schnee Dust Company is one of the largest producers of Dust in the world. Dust is mined from the Schnee Quarry, purified, and transported by railway lines[14]or by sea[15] to distributors. Dust is then sold to the public by Dust shops such asFrom Dust Till Dawn.
Crystalline Dust is apparently safe enough to leave out on display openly, whereas powdered Dust is dispensed from tubes on the wall and stored in portable cylindrical canisters. Bags that have been seen on store shelves have the same bright hues as the tubes and their Dust, but whether they contain Dust themselves is unknown.
Much like real world resources, Dust has been said to be a limited resource.
Aura is an ability that all those with a soul can use, at least with enough practice. A person with a strong Aura may radiate bright colors when using it. Because Aura is the manifestation of the soul, it can appear very differently depending on who is using it. For example, the color of Aura differs from person to person: Pyrrha's looks red, Jaune's looks white, and Ren's appears to be a shade of purple.
It is mentioned that anything with a soul has an Aura, but Humans and Faunus seem to be the only beings able to weaponize it for their own protection. However, this fact has been recently subverted with the introduction of the first synthetic person able to generate an Aura in Penny. Skilled users of Aura can create their own barriers or even increase their own abilities in some way. Weapons and armor can also act as a conduit for Aura, allowing for an even wider range of offensive and defensive capabilities.
It has been shown that the strength of an Aura degrades with continual use. This limits the applications of Aura in combat as, with time or heavy use, a person's Aura will decay to the point where they are left weakened or even incapacitated. This has been witnessed several times in the show:
- When Pyrrha Nikos unlocked Jaune Arc's Aura in "The Emerald Forest."
- When Jaune lost a duel with Cardin Winchester in "Jaunedice."
- When Weiss Schnee conjures multiple glyphs up a cliff face in "Players and Pieces."
- When Ruby Rose was carrying Penny in "A Minor Hiccup"
AbilitiesEditt
Ren using his Aura as a defense mechanism
Ren using his Aura offensively, to pierce the Taijitu's eyes
Aura is a necessary energy source for all Hunters, being a powerful ally in battle. It is also required in order to trigger the use of Dust. Aura, as demonstrated by various characters, has the ability to do the following:
- Defense: Demonstrated by Ren in the Emerald Forest, and explained by Pyrrha. Aura is mainly used for defensive purposes. Ren used his to block the fangs of a King Taijitu that was attacking him.
- Offense: Demonstrated by Ren in the forest, as he sends a shock wave of force propelling a fang through the snake's head, causing it to explode. Additionally Pyrrha has stated that all tools and equipment are conduits for a person's Aura.
- Unlock Aura: One's Aura can be used to 'unlock' the Aura of someone else; as shown by Pyrrha, who unlocks Jaune's Aura. Doing this appears to take a toll on the user however.
- Healing: It also seems that those with a strong enough Aura can heal minor wounds. Jaune used this directly on a small cut after having his Aura unlocked. However it appears that the healing is automatic and not caused at will. It also seems to wear off after engaging in combat, as Jaune's injuries returned post-battle with an Ursa.
Other specific abilities, known as Semblances, appear to be unique to certain individuals. According to "Aura," the fourth installment of RWBY: World of Remnant, Semblance is the projection of Aura into a more tangible form. In "Extracurricular," it is learned that when a person uses their Aura, they can discover their Semblance afterwards.
Activation
It appears that Aura is able to manifest in different ways when in use and takes on the color of one's inner energy. It appears as a slight glow around the body.
It has been stated that the activation of an Aura requires training and willpower, though someone with considerable training can unlock the Aura of another person.
Tournaments
Jaune and Cardin duel in a Tournament style match
In the episode "Jaunedice," it is revealed that Aura strength, as a proportion of maximum potential, can be electronically monitored and displayed on a scroll. This has enabled the development of a competitive sport amongst Hunters and others.
Because Aura can protect its user against some of the force of physical blows, it is possible to duel using fully combat-ready weapons without risking death or serious injury. Such tournaments are closely monitored by a referee and, should a combatant's Aura strength fall below a certain red-line where they may no longer be sufficient to protect their users, the match is automatically halted and the combatant with the highest Aura percentile remaining is declared the winner.
The duel between Jaune and Cardin proves that Aura does not provide 100% protection against concussive blows as Jaune is visibly hurt and left winded by a blow to the abdomen from his opponent's mace. However, Glynda Goodwitchhalts the match before Cardin can strike again, indicating that Jaune's Aura at about 20% power would not stop another full-strength blow.
There is at least one known major international competitive tournament, the Vytal Festival, at which students at Beacon Academy are permitted to compete as representatives of the region of Vale. It is possible that the Mistral regional tournament, won by Pyrrha four years in a row, is another Tournament but this has not yet been explicitly confirmed on-screen.
Semblance is the manifestation of one's innate and personal power as an ability unique to each individual, with the effects varying greatly from user to user. The nature of one's Semblance is noted as representing an aspect of their character. However, a person's Semblance can be similar to the Semblances of their parents.[1]
According to "Aura," the fourth installment of RWBY: World of Remnant, Semblance is a more tangible projection of one'sAura. Pyrrha Nikos implied this connection when she told Jaune Arc that the use of Aura can help him to discover his Semblance.
Those that use Semblance are able to manipulate certain physical phenomena according to the nature of their power. Some individuals, such as Weiss Schnee, are able to use their Semblance to create glyphs that generate some desired effect. Ruby Rose is able to move at incredible speeds, while Pyrrha can manipulate magnetic forces.
Using Dust, certain individuals can modify their Semblances with elements, such as Weiss using Myrtenaster to change her glyphs and Blake inserting dust vials into Gambol Shroud to make her Shadow clones take on elemental properties.
Overuse of one's Semblance for prolonged periods may adversely affect its user at certain times. This was demonstrated by Weiss on one occasion after using a series of glyphs in rapid succession to assist Ruby, subsequently collapsing afterwards.
Those who wish to become Huntsmen or Huntresses often first attend facilities like Sanctum or Signal Academy, which are designed to show new students the fundamentals of combat, weapon crafting and the applications of Dust and Aura in the battlefield. Those who have honed their skills on their own however can skip this step and apply directly, an example being Blake Belladonna.
Potential applicants must then pass a rigorous entrance exam, and those that pass can attend schools such as Beacon Academy or Haven Academy, whose sole purpose is to train the next generation of Huntsmen and Huntresses who will in turn live and die to defend the four kingdoms and the lifestyles they have become accustomed to.
Faunus are similar to the Humans of Remnant, except for the fact that they share certain traits with animals. Some types of Faunus are more common than others, with some being extremely rare.[1] Faunus with mammalian traits in general seem to be quite common.
Some, such as Blake Belladonna and Velvet Scarlatina, have been shown to have animal ears (in these cases, those of a cat and a rabbit, respectively); Faunus with animal ears also appear to have a set of Human ears. Other Faunus in the background have been shown to have horns protruding from their heads. Some Faunus, such as Sun Wukong, may have prehensile tails. In some cases, a Faunus may have a trait that is not immediately apparent, such as Tukson's retractable claws.
In addition, Faunus may also share more subtle physical similarities to animals, such as Blake's eyes, which are amber in color and tilted upwards at the corners (two common characteristics of cat eyes), though it is unknown if a Faunus can show two or more apparent animal traits (e.g.: ears and tail). It has also been stated that most Faunus have remarkable night vision, a trait that they use to great effect in combat.
In addition, Faunus have been shown on multiple occasions to possess other non-physical traits of the animals that they're based on. One such example is food preference, such as how Sun is shown eating bananas and Ruby notes that Blake "does like tuna a lot."
Faunus have had at least one major conflict with Humans in recent history. In particular, the Faunus Rights Revolutionwas an attempt by Faunus to gain rights through violence. The revolution is said to have stemmed chiefly from Humans' attempts to confine the Faunus to an area of Remnant known as Menagerie. Given that Faunus are seen living amongst Humans in the present day, it can be deduced that the Faunus were at least successful in preventing this confinement. While still being able to live within the human kingdoms, it has been noted that some Faunus have lived outside of their borders.
In spite of any gains they made during the revolution, Faunus still tend to be treated like animals or second-class citizens by some Humans, and are shown as still trying to gain equality.
This discrimination is exemplified by Cardin Winchester tormenting Velvet. Children are allowed to attend at least some schools with members of other races, but may be at risk of bullying from their non-Faunus peers. Thus, Faunus still seem to suffer from racism and discrimination in the present day.
Bartholomew Oobleck attributes the continuing racial tensions between Humans and the Faunus to the discrimination they have faced, also believing it to be the cause of ongoing conflicts in the present. A group of Faunus known as theWhite Fang have been in bloody conflict with the Schnee Dust Company for the past three generations of the company's leadership. Because of this conflict, Weiss Schnee holds a great deal of animosity towards the Faunus in general. Weiss also claims that White Fang's objective is the eradication of mankind, but this may be an exaggeration.
The day after arriving at Beacon Academy, first-year students (such as Ruby Rose, Jaune Arc, etc.) are gathered at the edge of the Beacon Cliffs overlooking the Emerald Forest, where Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch stand before them and explain the procedure of the Beacon Academy Initiation that they will soon undergo. After being launched from the Cliff and landing in the forest below, the first pair of students to make eye contact with each other are partners for the rest of their time at Beacon, which consists of four years.
To complete the team of four, as seen in "Players and Pieces," the two pairs of students who pick matching relics found at the abandoned temple are combined to form a team, with the leader being chosen by Ozpin based on who displays the best leadership skills during the initiation.
As of "The Badge and The Burden," the team members of each respective team share a dorm. Even Team JNPR, a co-ed team, share a single dorm.
It appears to be a requirement for team members to be tested against other teams in one-on-one sparring matches. This was seen in "Jaunedice," where Cardin Winchester and Jaune duel.
Some teams also seem to share certain personalities that make them different from one another, such as Team CRDL consisting of bullies.
Despite the name, relics are simply items used as a goal for students participating in the Beacon Academy's initiation. They are placed at the abandoned temple in the Emerald Forest during the initiation that Ruby Rose and the others in their first year at Beacon participated in.
Teams of two are required to recover these relics and return them to the Beacon Cliffs in order to complete the initiation. The students are watched and graded on their performance along the way, but the professors will not interfere.
Relics are chosen by Professor Ozpin every year, and therefore vary from year to year. The relics that Ozpin chose on the year that Ruby and the others arrived were black and gold chess pieces, albeit with only one pair of pawns in each color.
In "Field Trip", the War is elaborated upon by Professor Ozpin during a speech to an assembly of students from all four kingdoms. The War is stated to have been the largest conflict in recorded history, and was fought for "countless reasons," though chief amongst them was the concept of individualism. The outbreak of war is attributed to the suppression of self-expression and the destruction of art.
Ultimately, those in favour of the preservation of individualism prevailed, and Remnant currently enjoys peace and "unity through diversity." This diversity is celebrated in cultural events such as the Vytal Festival.
Those who opposed the destruction of individualism made it a part of their legacy by naming their children after the fundamental aspect of art, color, to demonstrate that they and future generations would always oppose oppression, a trend that continues into the present era.
Jaune Arc reveals in "The Shining Beacon", that his sword and shield, Crocea Mors, was passed down from his great-great-grandfather, who used it to fight in "the War." The simplistic design of Crocea Mors in comparison to other weapons seen in the series may give some clues as to the nature of the weaponry used in the war.
In "A Minor Hiccup", Weiss Schnee explains that in the aftermath of "the Great War," the Kingdom of Atlas developed and shared the Cross Continental Transmitsystem in order to allow the four kingdoms to communicate with one another more effectively.
Not much has been disclosed about the Faunus War, although it is known that it was a fairly large-scale conflict that lasted at least three years. The cause of the war is attributed to the Humans' attempts to confine Faunus to an area of Remnantknown as Menagerie. Given that Faunus are seen living among Human populations in the present, it can be deduced that the war was successful at least in preventing this confinement.
Although little information is available regarding the actual chronology of the war, the Battle of Fort Castle in the third year of the war is widely regarded as the turning point. The inexperienced leader of the Human forces, General Lagune, attempted to catch the enemy off-guard in a nocturnal attack. However, the Faunus were able to leverage their advantage of near-perfect night vision and soundly defeated the larger army.
In spite of whatever material gains the Faunus achieved during the war, they remain a subject of discrimination, as exemplified by Team CRDL taunting Velvet Scarlatina for having rabbit ears. Fortunately, based on Bartholomew Oobleck's reaction to Velvet confirming that she was a victim of this discrimination, and the reactions of Teams RWBYand JNPR to how Team CRDL has treated her, it does appear to be a less common attitude than in the past. Regardless, efforts to counteract this discrimination continue, and an active civil rights movement is known to hold a Faunus Civil Rights Protest in Vale.
Some time after the war, the White Fang organization was set up and intended to serve as a prospective "symbol of peace and unity between Humans and the Faunus." However, this idea was evidently abandoned in the face of continuing discrimination.
The current militancy of the White Fang can be seen as a direct consequence of the failure of both the Human and Faunus leadership to resolve the racist creeds, and general interracial tensions that originally sparked the war. It remains to be seen if reason will ultimately prevail, or if the White Fang's terrorist campaign may ignite another phase of wider and more general interracial violence similar to the first Faunus War.
The scroll is clearly more advanced, in some ways, than contemporary handheld devices. Visibly, they are nothing more than a translucent, touch-sensitive panel between two solid end grips; the interlocking design of these grips allows the unit to be collapsible, much like a scroll of paper, hence the name.
Each scroll has a yellow, diamond-shaped button in its center when the device is in its closed state. The user presses this button to unlock the two grips and deploy the screen. This button also flashes when the scroll gives an audible alert, such as when a new message has been received.
They are shown to have a range of sensory and interfacing functions, such as relaying information from surveillance devices in real time and monitoring the health of multiple people at once. Several icons at the top right of the display hint at Internet-style browsing functions, such as 'Home', 'Search', and 'Mail'. There are also 'folder' icons, indicating that the device can be used to store data.
The 'mail' function has been shown to access voice messages as well as displaying short text-only messages, similar to the real-world SMS system. Scrolls also seem to function as keys, seen when Ruby asks Jaune if he locked himself out of his room and he denies it, showing her his Scroll as proof. Whilst in voice message mode, Jaune's scroll is also showing an audio pattern analyzer window. It isn't clear if this is a standard part of the audio playback software or if it's a individual preference setting used by Jaune.
Two distinctly different types of Scroll have been seen so far. Teachers at Beacon Academy have units with screens similar in size to a piece of standard letter paper and with charcoal-gray hand grips.
Students are issued slightly smaller, white units with white hand grips that can deploy to a pocket notepad size or a size closer to a medium-sized tablet PC. It is not clear if scrolls at Beacon Academy are standalone devices, or mobile terminals for a larger, fixed computer system that serves all the students and faculty.
During his battle with the Ursa in "Forever Fall, Pt.2," Jaune's scroll showing his Aura gauge appears to be attached to his shield. This suggests scrolls can be mounted onto other objects depending on the user's needs.
It was shown in "A Minor Hiccup" that scrolls can also be used as methods of identification and as mobile data storage devices. Both functions are used by Weiss at the Cross Continental Transmit Tower. It was also revealed that the Scroll can potentially take pictures, as Ruby pulled it out after she said she was going to take one of the CCT Tower. The camera lens of Weiss Schnee's scroll can be seen on the back of the right-hand handgrip when she uses the device's ID function in a lift at the CCT Tower.
The Grimm are said to have appeared soon after the dawn of mankind. They have targeted early Humans for as long as can be remembered, seeking to destroy them and all of their creations. At first, it seemed as though they would succeed, as Humans did not have the strength to fight them. However, Humans discovered the power of Dust; and with it, the Grimm were driven back. During this time, Humans enjoyed a time of peace and soon formed their own kingdoms, which grew to survive and prosper. This time will not last forever, however.
While Grimm are initially mindless and heedless of risk during their youths, to where they will simply attack any humans on sight, some Grimm are so powerful that they have survived to live for hundreds of years; and in that time they have evolved and learned from their experiences fighting humanity. In doing so, they have exhibited restraint and the patience to avoid taking unnecessary causalities in futile conflicts. Instead, they stay close to humanity's borders, waiting for the opportunity to come where they can finally strike; and thus mankind is in ever present danger, even in times of apparent peace. This was stated by Dr. Oobleck in the episode "Search and Destroy," when he tells Ruby on how intelligent some species, such as the Goliaths, have become over the years.
Additionally, the Grimm appear to be the predominant species in the world of Remnant as humans and Faunus appear to be limited to four primary pocket settlements referred to as Kingdoms, which are guarded by Hunters; as well as several villages with mixed success. Attempts by the Kingdoms to expand beyond their borders are often met with resistance, and even failure, as the loss of an entire sector of the city of Vale overrun by the Grimm can attest to.
Biology
The origins of the Creatures of Grimm are unknown. Ancient human cultures believed the Grimm were animals possessed by evil spirits, or even the tortured spirits of animals themselves. Further study has disproved this theory over time however, due in part to the discovery of even more horrific misshapen species of Grimm which have no animal counterparts (such as Creeps). With the discovery of new types of Grimm every day, scientists are left with more questions then answers.
Grimm come in a variety of shapes and sizes; the latter appears to be a factor of age. They are said to be the only creatures without souls, thus being deprived of the use of Aura, but making up for this with strength and savagery. Grimm are stated to be attracted to generally negative feelings such as sadness, hostility, anger, fear, etc.; and even congregate to areas that, although humanity has long since abandoned, still hold residual traces of these feelings.
This behavior will even lead to them to join in on an attack in progress if the humans being attacked begin to panic. Grimm typically form packs or other types of large groupings with other members of their own specific species. While some lone Grimm may stray from the pack for hours or even months, they will inevitably rejoin their group to continue their instinctive drive to hunt the people of Remnant and destroy any artificial creations associated with them.
The longer a Grimm lives, the larger it becomes, with species such as the Nevermore ranging from the size of an average bird of prey to massive pterosaur-sized beasts after hundreds of years. Although Grimm have a more reckless nature during their youth, older Grimm who have managed to survive their battles have the tendency to learn from their experiences. While sometimes requiring hundreds of years, the Grimm's accumulated experiences over the course of surviving their battles with man can cause them to begin exercising caution.
This perverse form of self-preservation can even lead them to avoiding unnecessary conflicts altogether. Yet, despite this ability to learn, their instinctual hostility still remains, as shown by their preference to patrol the borders of Kingdoms for any weaknesses they might someday exploit. This demonstrates that for all their apparent intelligence, older Grimm simply use it as a means to become more effective in their singular drive and purpose, to kill.
Grimm display no enmity towards normal animals, and they only clash during territorial disputes. Humans and Faunus are the only races they attack on sight. Grimm can also choose not to eat and it is commonly believed that they do not require sustenance. When Grimm die, their corporeal form evaporates, preventing detailed anatomical or biological studies. This also means that Huntsmen that kill for sport cannot stuff and mount Grimm bodies as trophies (making do with replicas instead).
Also of interesting note is that Grimm usually die off when in captivity (if they cannot kill their captors or escape first), implying that they cannot be kept alive by normal means. If the theory of Grimm not needing to feed is true, it is entirely possible that they survive on negative emotions or the act of killing in itself.
RWBY
Beacon Academy initiation
The Beowolves Ruby and Weiss face
As part of Beacon Academy's initiation, new students must team up in the Emerald Forest and fight their way to a temple, encountering several different types of Grimm in the process. Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee are attacked by a large pack of Beowolves, but are forced to flee when Weiss' attack causes a fire due to Ruby's accidental interruption.
Yang Xiao Long is also attacked, but by two Ursi that only manage to sever a strand of her hair, sending her into a blind rage as she defeats one of the Ursi, as the other is killed in one strike by Blake Belladonna before Yang can finish it off. Likewise, Lie Ren is attacked by a King Taijitu, which he defeated through the use of his Aura.
While searching for the abandoned temple, Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos find a cave which they confuse for the temple. While exploring, Jaune grabs on to the stinger of a Death Stalker, believing it to be one of the relics. Pyrrha then flees the cave; and its resident, a Death Stalker, follows her out, breaking down some rocks covering the entrance as it does so. Once outside, it flings Jaune (who is still hanging onto the supposed "relic") into the air and Pyrrha flees from the Death Stalker.
The Death Stalker chases Pyrrha to the temple while Ruby and Weiss are carried there by a Nevermore. Upon arrival, they meet up with Yang, Blake, Nora Valkyrie, and Ren, the latter two arriving at the temple via Ursa. The two Grimm chase the eight students to a larger part of the temple, where Team JNPR are able to kill the Death Stalker by hacking off its stinger and then hammering it into the creature's head.
Meanwhile, Team RWBY were able to defeat the Nevermore by using Gambol Shroud as a giant slingshot to launch Ruby at the Nevermore. Using Myrtenaster'sDust capabilities and the recoil of Crescent Rose to propel herself, Ruby successfully beheads the creature after dragging it up the face of a cliff. The defeat of the particularly fearsome Grimm using the plans of Jaune and Ruby is possibly what led to them being made the leaders of their respective teams.
After intelligence is uncovered about a White Fang base in the ruined Southeastern block of Vale, Mountain Glenn; Team RWBY, alongside veteran Hunter Bartholomew Oobleck, is dispatched to the Grimm-infested area in preparation for a full-scale invasion to confirm the White Fang's base.
Before departing, RWBY encounter Team CFVY, who report that the number of Grimm outside the city are increasing, backing up an earlier warning from Ozpin. The headmaster reminded Team RWBY before they left on their mission that, normally, students as young as they would not be permitted to confront such large concentrations of Grimm.
The Grimm living in the area seem limited to Beowolves, small Nevermores, and Goliaths. The latter seem to prefer roaming the wilderness outside of the ruins. While the girls occupy themselves by slaughtering the Grimm, Bartholomew seems to prefer to spend his time studying the ruins, the plant life, and the Grimm, when possible. A Beowolf is briefly seen during Ruby's watch of their encampment. Later, Oobleck mentions subterranean Grimm as well.
Finally, in "No Brakes," the plan of the White Fang is revealed: loading the Dust they've been stockpiling onto a train in Mountain Glenn, where they rig each train car to separate and explode at timed locations, leading to Grimm flooding the subways. The last of the train cars is set to blow a hole directly into the City of Vale, thereby allowing the Grimm to enter the city and slaughter thousands. In spite of Team RWBY's best efforts, the plan goes through, leading to the Grimm attacking Vale.
During this situation, a new species of Grimm was seen, known as a Creep: a bipedal, stub-nosed Grimm; one that lacked arms, and seemed to run in a manner much like a prehistoric theropod.
In spite of the massive resources and time sunk into the plan it is ultimately a failure, due to the combined forces of teams RWBY, JNPR, and CFVY; the Beacon Academy teachers Peter Port, Glynda Goodwitch, Oobleck; and theAtlesian Knight-200s.
However, it's implied near the end of the episode that the plot is still underway. Roman is seen smiling and laughing towards the end of the episode, and Cinder's program still hasn't come into play, showing that their plan can still be salvaged.
Species of Grimm
Name Attacks Features
Beowolf Beowolf Lunges, claws strikes, bites Black fur and bonelike spines
Boarbatusk Boarbatusk Charges, tusks, body rolls White bone plates, four eyes, and large tusks
Creep Creep Ramming, bites Bonelike spines, two-legged
Death Stalker Death Stalker Claw grabs, stinger strikes, bites Black exoskeleton with white bone plates and a glowing stinger
Goliath Goliath Unknown Black skin, bonelike spines along its body, giant tusks
King Taijitu King Taijitu Lunges, fang bites, constriction Bone-like spines with Grimm markings
Nevermore Nevermore Head-butt charge, throwing spear-like feather quills Black plumage, wing claws and crested white bonelike head-piece
Ursa Ursa Lunges, claw swing, bites Black fur and bonelike spines
The Temple seems to mostly consist of the broken ruins of a rotunda. Three of the columns are broken and lying around the area in pieces. There are five stone columns still standing that hold up a circle of stones.
The floor of the structure bears a symmetrical design. Behind the Temple there are additional ruins, consisting of a long stone pillar-lined walkway leading to a steeple in a chasm.
Relics
The relics stored at the temple for the two-person teams to collect are personally chosen by Ozpin. The relics are changed every year and in the year of Team RWBY's initiation, it contains gold and black chess pieces.
After the Faunus Rights Revolution, the White Fang was founded as a symbol of peace and unity between the Faunus and Humans. However, Humankind continued to discriminate the Faunus, prompting the White Fang to become the voice of the Faunus.
Initially, they took the classical forms of nonviolent political protest with such tactics as mass rallies and boycotts of organizations that discriminated against Faunus in any way.
Then, approximately five years before the present day, after fruitless attempts to be accepted by the Humans as equals, the leader of the White Fang stepped down and was replaced by a new leadership who didn't share the same belief in nonviolent protest. Under this new leadership, the White Fang adopted its current violent and more aggressive behavior. Amongst the direct actions organized were the firebombing of stores that refused to serve Faunus and the theft or sabotage of cargo trains originating from organizations that used Faunus labor.
Under its new leadership, the White Fang retaliated against the people and organizations who once treated them as lesser beings and slaves. Ironically, in an attempt to gain equality and make the Faunus race free from fear, the White Fang itself has become a cause of fear and hatred amongst Humans and Faunus alike. Sun Wukong reveals in "Black and White" that the White Fang's barbaric actions have made them unpopular even among Faunus, with the more moderate and open-minded members of the species seeing them as insane obstacles to true peace between the races. If some Humans now treat Faunus as equals, it is not out of any true respect, but only from their fear of the actions of the White Fang.
The Schnee Dust Company is a particular recent target of White Fang. In "The Shining Beacon," Blake Belladonnacriticized the company, claiming it was notorious for its "controversial labor forces" and "questionable business partners." Weiss confirms in "Mountain Glenn" that her father's company is now morally gray.
In a speech to the Vale cell of White Fang, the human criminal Roman Torchwick identified the current aims of the organization to be the complete destruction of human-dominated society with humans either 'locked away' (an obvious reference to the attempted exile of all Faunus to Menagerie that triggered the Faunus Rights Revolution) or exterminated. This would be achieved by destroying the three pillars of human society - the governments, the military, and the schools that train Hunters.
Activities
A group of White Fang members
Prior to the leadership change, the White Fang was a peaceful organization, organizing and participating in peaceful protests. After the change, the group became a terrorist organization. Among the known crimes committed by the White Fang has been the murder of several SDC executives and the theft of an entire train car full of Dust. Additionally, White Fang is stated to have "disrupted" more peaceful Faunus rights activities, causing them to turn violent. The organization has committed arson, targeting shops that refuse to serve Faunus, stolen cargo from companies that use Faunus labor, and orchestrated other organized attacks.
During "Black and White," it is revealed that the White Fang and Roman have what Roman calls a "joint business venture." Despite Roman's and White Fang's prejudices against each other's species, they have decided to work together by providing each other with manpower and weapons. However, knowingly or unknowingly, the organization is, in fact, following the agenda of the mysterious Cinder Fall and her associates. When Roman's association with the group was formally revealed to their general membership during a rally, he is initially met with skepticism and outright anger, but he manages to win them over by pointing out their mutual enemies among the hierarchies of power within the Kingdoms and his associates' ability to provide them with the weapons they need to further their cause.
The attempted Dust heist in "Black and White" also demonstrates the degree to which White Fang has developed as a powerful paramilitary organization in the five years since it has begun openly espousing a military solution to the issue of Faunus discrimination. Even the organization's Vale cell has at least five Bullheads available, enough to transport numerous troops and several heavy containers of Dust.
Unlike the normal civilian models, at least three of these aircraft were equipped with a fast-firing cannon under the nose. Additionally, each aircraft carried a dismount squad of at least five fighters, trained in airborne assault tactics and equipped with rifle-like weapons and swords. These demonstrate the organization's significant non-governmental military power.
Their first big move was a massive attack on Vale, which started with a slew of Dust robberies happening over several months. Cinder Fall uploaded a program to the Cross Continental Transmit in Vale to help with the plan. In "No Brakes," the stolen Dust was revealed to have been loaded onto a train, which would be purposely blown up in the tunnels ofMountain Glenn to provide openings for the Grimm to enter Vale, ending in the train destroying the barricade to the city and the Grimm hordes infesting the city. Though the plot was not executed completely due to team RWBY having the train leave a few days before Cinder's program activates, Roman's behavior suggests that he allowed himself to fail on purpose to salvage the plan, and that it is still underway.
Members
The militant White Fang leadership
Blake is known to be a former member of White Fang. It is logical to assume thatAdam Taurus is also a member given that the two were involved together in an attempt to destroy a SDC cargo train. Adam himself states that the White Fang will listen to his directives even if they may be apprehensive on further cooperation with Cinder and her associates.
Blake was clearly disturbed at the thought of murdering the train's crew, but still fought to prevent the shipment from reaching its destination. She cut it loose from its locomotive so that the cargo could be stolen, but left it soon after.
Blake later told Weiss that she regarded the White Fang's members as "misguided." Although she clearly still espouses the movement's core beliefs, it is also clear that she no longer agrees with the methods it is using to achieve its ends, and would prefer to gain equality through other means that don't require violence.
It is revealed that the White Fang's former leader advocated peaceful protests and rallies, but the new leader had a new way of thinking and replaced the protests with organized attacks, which was the main reason Blake left.
- Blake Belladonna (former member)
- Adam Taurus
- Tukson (former member)
- White Fang Lieutenant
In "Best Day Ever," it is revealed by Emerald Sustrai that the White Fang is disappointed in Tukson's abandoning of the organization, suggesting that leaving the organization is punishable by death.
As a symbol of how humanity has chosen to make monsters out of the Faunus members of the White Fang don the faces of actual monsters in the form of Grimm Masks.
Weaponry and Abilities
White Fang members in uniform
Certain members such as the likes of Adam Taurus and Blake Belladonna are shown to be extremely skilled operatives with unique weaponry. The movement's ordinary fighters are armed with pistols, rifles and swords and do not seem to be a match for a skilled Huntsman or Huntress.
However, they are seen to be able to acrobatically deploy from Bullhead VTOLs and land on their feet, suggesting that they are quite agile and are trained in low-altitude airborne deployment. They also have acquired access to Atlesian Paladin-290 mech-suits, presumably captured by Roman Torchwick and his associates at some point, and large-scale electronic bombs.
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ayumukatsuchia
Cursed
ozpin was at the beacon tower watching over his school then looked at his assistant which gave her the order to send the transportation planes out to get his new students
stratos was waiting infront of the woods looking around for the plane when it was in sight he threw his grappling hook at the door pulling it open, he pulled himself with great strength up the wire of the grappling hook then entering the plane as it took of he took his seat yawning
stratos was waiting infront of the woods looking around for the plane when it was in sight he threw his grappling hook at the door pulling it open, he pulled himself with great strength up the wire of the grappling hook then entering the plane as it took of he took his seat yawning
SdrawcabDaer
Petite Procrastinator
Iris was sitting in the airship, looking out the window. She saw some blue-haired faunus use a grappling hook to get to the airship. The faunus sat down in the seat besides her.
-You didn't have to do such a spectacle. The airship was going land, she said.
-You didn't have to do such a spectacle. The airship was going land, she said.
ayumukatsuchia
Cursed
stratos shrugged opening a book his mom gave him before, he continued reading the book focused on a part he was in "i couldn't help it"
Azure Blitz
Magic Eight Ball
Grant was sitting far away from everyone,playing a game and when some people tried to make small talk with him he would scare them away. "People just don't know when to stop..."
ayumukatsuchia
Cursed
stratos continued to read his book until the plane got closer to the school "well were almost there" stratos put a mark on his page putting his book in his pocket. stratos slid open the door and jumped out landing in the courtyard waiting for the others
SdrawcabDaer
Petite Procrastinator
Iris waited that the airship had landed before walking to the courtyard. She didn't want any unnecessary injuries the first day. As she got off, she looked at the Beacon Building and was taken by wonder. Amazing! It's huge! she thought. She walked to the bluehaired faunus.
-Still trying to show off? she asked.
-Still trying to show off? she asked.
Azure Blitz
Magic Eight Ball
Grant got off the airship and stopped next to Iris and the Faunus."you think this is big? Looks like a cabin house to me. The mines were bigger than this garbage..." He then continued walking into Beacon.
ayumukatsuchia
Cursed
stratos looked at each of them and entered his name into his scroll so the machine could choose his team for him "well i'll be in the cafeteria" stratos said before walking away with his bags and sleeping bag
SdrawcabDaer
Petite Procrastinator
Iris started walking towards Beacon. She put her name in the machine and went to the cafeteria. It was rather noisy there, with a lot of people talking. She picked up a book from her bag and started reading it.
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