Blear

A small, insignificant city was it not for its housing the School of Dark Magic. According to outsiders, Blear has been cursed by the place. it's cold stone walls cradle, its air poisoned by the ominous fumes that the chimneys of the school emit and its citizens are far beyond saving, their destinies surely shackled to the horrors of the school’s grim reputation. It is no secret that Blear is itself surrounded by treacherous terrain, from a collection of ponds with alarmingly high acidity to its west and a rather peculiar location to its south, from where strange and dangerous creatures seem to emerge. There is no particular change in the landscape there, but the notable amount of monsters has certainly piqued the interest of many both within the city and outside of it - for differing reasons.

Though the school in Blear’s center is usually its main attraction, there are a few locations within it that draw people in, both figuratively and literally. Most notably is an old stone wall in the eastern part of the city, surrounded by barren walls of houses that dare not have windows facing in its direction, let alone any doors. It is the belief of those living in Blear that the long dried-up well holds, at its very bottom, the remnants of an ancient, malicious potion. Some even assume it to be the very same one that casts the Spirit of Alchemy into ruin, though any evidence that supports this claim seems to disappear as often as it surfaces, almost as though it is a secret not meant to be figured out. In any case, the well itself most certainly houses a liquid of some kind that is detrimental to those who dare investigate it up close, only unable to reach the entirety of the city due to its prison deep beneath the earth, the only entrance being the opening of the well itself. Thus, adults and children alike avoid the general area of where the well is located, both out of unfounded prejudice and very real fear of its effects.

The second and perhaps more curious location within Blear’s walls is the walls themselves, for they are by far not ordinary in their arrangement and composition. Even an ordinary person can tell by their odd, ever-shifting hue that there is a certain kind of magic involved within them, though it often tends to look like somebody had spilled oil all over the stone base. Indeed, the walls are not only cold to the touch at all times, but also leave behind a sticky, hard to wash off substance similar to tree sap that emits poisonous gas. Among the citizens of Blear, this oily, sap-like substance is considered the ‘blood of the walls’ and serves not only to catch unsuspecting newcomers off guard but also has its purposes as a high-grade alchemy ingredient. What exactly it is useful for and how it is obtained without any impurities from the ancient rock that it coats is a mystery reserved for the school in the center of the city. Though, on occasion, one will hear of a rookie student that had attempted to tamper with the blood and promptly lost their life as a result - after which the walls always seem to be of a darker color than usual.

The people of Blear are shady folk, though more so in their mannerisms and secrecy than their personality. A secret made in Blear will stay in Blear, for the people living there either never leave its arguably safe embrace, or they place great value in keeping their secrets. It has become a tradition of sorts to never speak of confidential information by yourself - one must trade one secret for another as if to maintain an invisible power balance between two citizens, though it is fairly obvious to many that not everyone in Blear is created equal. Why, then, is such value placed upon the trade of secrets? For better or worse, only those who have refused such equal trades will know. What lies in the surface of the City and its surroundings are known to many, but what lies in the shadows of its streets is known to very few, and to those few, their life depends on their tongue.

Southpoint
''Towards the southern parts of the city, there lies a Tavern with a grim reputation. Travelers from near and far come to fill, not only their belly but also their ears. The Tavern is called the “Lapda” and it is where loose information is often spoken. Some make money by trading valuable information and some only tell lies, and because of this, often a fight would break loose, someone will be poisoned or assassinated and some would be burned into ashes. It is said that the spirits of the slain still walk inside the Tavern speaking false information to those who have brittle ears.''

Northpoint
''In the North West of the city is where the Citadel of the Dead can be found. It is rumored that the ashes of the fallen beings from the previous cataclysm were used to erect the very foundation of the citadel. Some say that there is a hidden door somewhere inside, where it leads, no one knows, but the cries of the being echo from its doors.''

The West Nest
''The City of Blear is never short of things to be terrified of. To the West part of the City, lies a collection of highly acidic ponds, the people of the City keep away from it because of its health hazards but the Thieves saw this as a home. Underneath the landmass of the edge of the pond lies their Training grounds for new skilled recruits and there is where they also sleep, hide and operate basic operations.''

The East Nest
''Underneath the East part of the City lies the “East Nest” and this is where advanced operations of the Veh-Loks are planned, tracked, and performed. The size of this Nest is unknown but members speculate that it is 3 times the size of the “West Nest”. The specific location of the entrance is only known to the highest-ranked member and will only allow ascended trainees with a blindfold. Trainees who enter here are kept and trained further and will not get out until they are fully ready mentally, physically, and devoid of conscience.''

Valerie
A woman in her early thirties, often described by townsfolk as a “true witch”. Her potion-making skills are second to none and she prides herself very much in her profession. She is easily bored by new students who do not seem to show outstanding potential and instead has a tendency for favoritism among those who do. If you can get on her good side, she will most certainly aid you in your endeavors and even look the other way when it comes to the few rules of the school - but bore or otherwise inconvenience her, and you may just wake up to find your morning beverage replaced with a replica that will most certainly kill you within the first sip. Outside of her workplace, she is almost an entirely different person, enjoying the most mundane things in life such as reading books and stargazing; though any good Alchemist will tell you that she is most likely just using them for an ulterior motive beyond other’s comprehension.

She seems to have an odd relationship with Magnum, often treating him like her own son despite having no children. He, too, denies being related to her - through the grin that often adorns his face as he says so suggests there may be more to that statement than he wishes to let on.

Relith
A man who seems to be in his late twenties. Relith seldom shows any particular interest in his students, even those who attempt to impress him. This is not because of his lack of interest entirely - he just has a terrible case of apathy for anything remotely human. His passionate side only begins to show itself when he is among the machinery and other such devices, allowing him to pour all of his energy into the creation of his automatons. Some even say that Relith himself is replaced by one of his machines every once in a while and that they are so perfectly made that nobody can tell the difference.

Magnum
A young student who seems to be perpetually stuck in the school, despite attending various classes and taking exams. Magnum has the appearance of a young teenager, though his mannerisms and speech alike suggest that he is far older. He is almost always present when major events arise, though never participates himself if they are physical. Few students will notice that he never graduates or that he is not directly involved with the school at all save for lingering in classes he does not belong in - most are killed before they can get suspicious, and the rest graduate and never return to the school. He does not speak of any family, merely keeping a somewhat close relationship with Valerie, who seems to be aware of what he is. Pressing her about it will only earn you pain, however.

Still, Magnum’s true origins can be figured by those with an observant eye and a desire to dig deeper - which simultaneously makes him the ultimate test for aspiring Alchemists. Those who do find out about his real nature are seen as chosen by him and the school itself; it is clear that he does not trust just anyone with his secrets.

Hordin
''A 31-Year old man. Born on the poor side of Blear, he did not have an easy time growing up. His mother and father were nice folks but due to their situation in life and his love for his parents, he was forced to adapt to his environment. At the age of 8, he started to pick pocketing. Though he got caught plenty of times and has gotten beaten up for it, he did not stop. On the days he got beat up, he would stay wherever and sleep in the dark alleys for days so that his parents wouldn’t see his scars and bruises. Little by little, he developed his system and he started making tools and planning intricate schemes to trick his next victim. By the age of 11, he met a man by the name of Hordin, who saw him perform his routine and saw his potential. That very day, Hordin talked to him and offered to train him in the arts of Trapping and took him in the Veh-Loks. Being the hardened boy that he is, he didn’t have a hard time to excel and climb the ranks of the Guild. By the age of 16, Hordin and the other mentors of the guild believed that Khalil was ready and they sent him to the School of Dark Magic. At the age of 26, he became the Youngest Trapper Master in recorded history, but he didn’t stop there as every year, a new master is decided, and every year, he proves himself to be the only one fit to be at the top. To this day, at the age of 31, he remains the Master Trapper.''

Maribelle
''A very sweet woman in her early thirties, cousin of Relith. From the outside, she is a very loving and caring woman. Every morning she feeds Homeless kids and stray animals that she sees on the streets with what food she can muster up. No one knows that she is a senior member of the Veh-Loks and is one of the skilled fighters that ascended to the West Nest recognized by mentors and is now a trainer within the Guild. She grew up in the East side of Blear and her family lived a modest way of living. When she was young, she accidentally wandered to the acidic ponds of the West where she almost died if not because of an unknown Thief who saved her by giving her a potion that clears the effects of the poisonous fumes of the acidic ponds.''

Genivieve
''A Professor in the School of Dark Magic in her mid-forties. She is full of mysteries as she doesn’t talk to anyone outside of work and doesn’t speak after teaching her class. Students would also see her walk to her room and not come out for hours and hours and they would sometimes hear faint ominous noises coming from her room. People who knew her often speak highly of her and her achievements but nothing else. The closest to her and the only 2 people who are believed she spoke with are Khalil and a man that travels back and forth from Blear to ____.''