Prologue

"It is over, it is done, but was it all worth it? Was this really what we wanted? I can't count my brothers and sisters, of both humans and faunus, among the bodies, among those who I saw buried. Their bodies not in the caskets but lost on the battlefield. It didn't matter if it was Vacuo, or Vale, Mistral or Mantle, I visited them all. Good men, sons, daughters, fathers and mothers I saw laid to rest. Too early in their lives were they taken from us, too late was I to fix the mistakes taken by my predecessor. I begged him time and time again to cease his foolhardiness and just accept his loss, but all that did was land me in a cell. His majesty thought of me like a convict, like the scum he vowed to protect his people from. For years I sat in my cage continually writing and sending out messages of hope to the outside world, or at least the outside of Mantle. Then, one day I'm told it's all over, from one view I understand that we lost, from the other point of view though I think I won. Time will only tell if this new path we all walk upon will be worth it, if his majesty of the southern land knows what he is doing. I am but a simple historian, so I cannot look into the future, it is not my job, I can only say I have never seen what is being done from the past."

-Excerpt from a former advisor to the King of Mantle, shortly after Mantle's formal declaration of surrender

The landscape of Vale was different than Carbine had remembered being told from his buddies who fought in The War, the two years that it had been since the Vytal Accords had allowed the supposed dirt mounds and holes from cannon fire to become natural pots and homes for the flowers to sit in and enjoy the sun. The sky didn't seem so dirty and unclean, like he had been told, no smoke pillars and no stench of blood that filled and plugged the nostrils. No wretched smell of Dust from rifles or infused weapons, with it being a flat land with no trees or major mountains he could see for miles. He stepped forward to hear the soft folding of grass beneath his dark grey militaristic boots, when he stepped he felt something hard and unyielding crease into the sole of his foot, moving the dirt revealed a piece of armor. It looked like a shoulder pad, the grass and dirt leaving it in a messy state. It was probably a shining metal at one point, but whenever the soldier who wore it fell in battle it was forgotten like so many other things in the war. This was his first time in Vale, for Carbine it was, this is where The War started. Obviously he wasn't that far out near the coast but it was the idea of the continent and the kingdom he was standing that he thought more on. Here it was the his brethren and enemies spilled each other's blood and, at times when the grimm came, fought alongside one another. Carbine found it a titch odd when he asked about that provision. To fight alongside your enemies only to fight against them right after. One of his buddies said he met this girl from Vacuo he was fighting and had it been a different time in a different place he would have asked her out. But she didn't even make it out of the grimm incursion.

Inspecting the armor piece again, it appeared a gunmetal grey, which coincidentally matched the coloring of the jacket he had been wearing. While predominantly white in, starting from the shoulders down the sleeves in a straight line were these dark grey lines. His jacket was well worn in some places, the cuffs on the sleeves were the best example while the hood that had once been there was no completely ripped off. It made an odd lopsided collar for him that descended from his right shoulder to his left. His white hair was kept short but spiked in the front, the sides shaven to a miniscule height in case he was to be called into service. Never happened though, how was he supposed to know he signed up in the last three months of The War?

After a few tries he eventually found a way to mount the armor piece onto his left shoulder, he thought it went perfect with his worn white jacket and grey camo pants that were tucked into his combat boots. As he finished fidgeting with the armor piece he had to reorient his shoulders and get a better grip on his weapon that rested on his right shoulder. A bayonet with the wood painted white, small flecks of the paint have been stripped away showing the brown wood. The metal lining the barrel and all the parts for functioning were a dark grey metal that give off the feel of a grimy and industrial home. The blade of his bayonet though was inches from the barrels going in the opposite direction for common sense, at the length and that far back wouldn't even stab a insect. Defective it seemed, but the barrely was marked with the obvious soot of live fire.

Pulling a hand up to shield his brown eyes from the sun, it wasn't unbearable by normal standards, but those from Mantle find this kind of heat to be miserable. He was glad the King's letter asked to come to Vale and not Vacuo, he heard all about that place, the 'Sand Pit' as he heard it referred to by his buddies. They always complained about the way the sand always managed to get in places that shouldn't have been possible. As Carbine thought more about them, the more he wished they were here, but he knew why they couldn't come. He knew why some didn't want to come, for some the wounds haven't healed yet. His wounds hadn't really healed yet either, but he had to be strong for her, she would be ashamed if Carbine didn't take this chance. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out an ornate piece of parchment with the seal of the King of Vale emblazoned on it, the letter had been opened and read several times, his eyes and mind still having a hard time trying to comprehend the heavy handed messages. It was never mentioned what this 'Beacon Academy' was going to be used for or what he was supposed to do when he got there. It was his first time out of the kingdom, no one else he knew could come so he was walking around blind. Sure the port offered a direct route to the capitol but he needed to see this place once, he needed to see it with his own eyes. Even if he never came back to it, he would have ate himself alive for not doing this at least one time. Finding a mound of dirt he removed his rifle from his shoulder and set it to the ground. His meticulous nature put the safety on naturally, he didn't need to go shooting himself in the foot. That would make the trip even worse than what it was already going to be.

He took a breath as a breeze licked his face, "Hey." Carbine's voice had always been deep, a small gravel element present, "It's me, Jeremiah, I was told you'd be here" There was no response, just a gentle breeze, "Yeah, yeah, I know, you told me not to worry about you but I can't help it. You knew I was a worry wart growing up. The parents are doing fine, dad didn't want me to come down here, I don't think he'll ever change. Speaking of which, you're probably wondering why I'm down here." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a light brown envelope with small creases and folds on the edges. "Well I got this letter from the King of Vale, weird I know, told me to come down here on the date inscribed. It came about a while ago, I don't know if he misjudged the amount of time it would take for a letter to get to Mantle but it said to be here by next week." The wind around him picked up shaking the grass about leaving an almost hypnotic look in Carbine's face. "I don't know what I'm getting into, and frankly I'd like to have you here with me…"

His eyes fell to the ground and the corner of his mouth tugged until it formed a frown, "I'm sorry I couldn't do anything, if I could have trade places I would. It just wasn't fair what happened, part of me thinks that's why dad didn't want me coming here in the first place, can't lose another one of us. He misses you, we all do, but dad much more so than anyone else. I'm not sure if it's because he thinks he failed to protect you or that you grew up so fast and had to make a decision none of us were ready for. You hated fighting, so why'd you do it? Now that I look back, you never did answer me that, I was so angry the last time that you slammed your door on me. Do you know why?" Nothing but silence filled the air as Jeremiah waited, "Same here, I don't know why I'm doing this thing. If you asked me four years ago what I would do if I came to Vale, I would have answered with shooting the enemy on sight, now I don't know. We're in peace, but will it really be that easy? We've managed far, but if what I think is going to happen at this Beacon Academy, it's going to be rough. But hey, I have the old rifle with me," a tap on the old rifle shaking it in the grass as he looked onward and he couldn't help but give a tired sigh, "I miss you so much, I never even got to say goodbye. So let me do it here." Carbine stood up, grabbed his rifle and gave a salute, "Thank you for what you did, for what you fought for, who you fought for. For me."

Carbine began to walk into the grassfield, a dirt road was close where to traversed off the main path, he had to get back on if he wanted to be on time.

"Goodbye sister."

-The town of Vale, three days later-

Oro had never seen such tall buildings, he had never seen buildings made out of stone or brick that looked so pristine, and now that he thought about it he had never seen buildings that weren't destroyed within a few weeks. Everything here was so...clean, orderly although it had a chaos to its own. A uniqueness that he had never seen. People walking through the streets with such hurry and vigor, odd machines on four wheels sparsely going over the cobblestone roads. These must have been the automobiles he had been told about when he was younger. A breeze of wind threatened to take his hat away, a wide conical hat made out of straw he had made himself to protect him from the sun. Once he rescued it he had to dust off his tattered tan cloak which, with it on, made him look slightly overweight. The sound of metal softly clanging against itself could be heard if you really tried to listen. He still stood at the front gates, feeling a bit daunted by their immense height, the two armored guards shifting glances towards each other and shrugging.

"Can we help you sir?" One of them said.

"Oh no, no, no, I'm quite fine I'm just trying to...uh…" Oro's word came fast at first before he looked back up to the large buildings, "do people walk up the entirety of those buildings?" Just looking at them made his breath quicken and his face pale.

"What those? Well some, we have a lift system in some of the newer ones."

"Uh-huh," he nodded with two disjointed syllables.

"Is there something you need help with sir?" They asked again, snapping Oro out of his trance.

"Ah yes, yes," his red eyes shot down while he fidgeted the inside and his speech turned quick again, "Oh I swear to the gods above I keep on misplacing that damn letter. Last time it was in my bag, I swear this never happens guardsmen." While his hands kept searching for whatever it was this letter was for, he had to itch his neck. His fingers scraped against hard scales as the side of neck was covered in lizard-like scales that went all the way down his slightly sunkissed skin. One of the guards tensed up momentarily but a quick glance from the other eased it. "Ah ha!" He yelled pulling out a once white letter that had turned slightly darker from the time it was kept. The seal on it, the red wax pressed in by an ornate seal slightly decayed with the weakest end falling off and cracked.

The soldier's eyes widened at the sight of this kid, no older than maybe seventeen, not because he appeared to be a faunus. But because the insignia on the letter matched that of the symbol on their shields and chest plates. The crest of Vale, two axes crossed surrounded by a laurel wreath. They looked to each other and scrambled, the older of the two spoke, "Take this man to the castle, inform Finley of this."

"But are you sure the king would want...him?" The other shrugged his shield in Oro's direction. Oro hadn't so much as moved and kept that same position of his hand stretched out, his face in blank confusion.

"He has the letter," the senior growled, "as per his majesty's orders he is to be taken to the castle."

"I know it says a few days from now, but I wasn't sure how long the trip was going to take, getting here from the border of Vacuo and Vale didn't take as long as I thought," Oro's tone seemed to be apologetic.

"Wait, you came all the way from there?"

"Yes," his confusion came back, "the soldiers down there told me to go to the capitol. I couldn't believe they just gave me the general direction of this fine town. 'Take the road two miles west, shouldn't miss it', jeez as if I know cardinal directions."

"You walked all the way from Fort Sandtrap?"

"Yes, I was in a hurry."

"That's like a five day walk!" The soldier stood there flabbergasted.

"Not for me, it's like three days, maybe two and a half," Oro calmly argued. "Anybody could make that trip much shorter, just have to know the shortcuts."

"But the heat-"

"Ah, that's what you're worried about, but that is no problem for me," he announced and whipped back his cloak, the soldiers on reaction readied their lances and but eased as his stance relaxed. With his tan cloak to the side, now more like a ragged and heavy cape revealed four or five round canteens that sloshed around his deep red clothing, bits of gold armor on his shoulder and elbows which were slightly scuffed up from use over the years. The dark grey clothing on his legs looked worn around the cuffs with small strands frayed, the gold armor on his knees looked much more damaged than that up top. "I am more than capable to traverse through the lands, it is how I grew up." He clasped his hands together, "But I now how have a more important questions that needs answering. Where can I get something to eat?"

Sitting at a stall in the main street of Vale, Oro slurped up some noodles as if he was struggling to breathe. They practically touched his mouth and then were inhaled only to be replaced by more. When he finished another took his place as he wiped his lips of the broth and then when back to hungrily devouring the noodles. He had chased the other patrons, as few there were, away from the stall. Now what he couldn't decide was if it was due to his eating habits or the armed guard to his side. It wasn't because he was a faunus, no way would that be the case. Putting the final ceramic bowl to the side he let out a hefty sigh and slapped his stomach clanking some of the hidden canitines under his ratty cloak.

"Okay, I'm good, now where off to next?" Oro asked looking to the guard.

"Well," the man half growled in annoyance, we were going to the castle, but somebody wanted to stop at a noodle cart."

"Not my fault I was taken aback by food that was on a moving cart, I must experience all Vale has to offer," the reptilian faunus defended.

"If that letter is the real deal, then you will get to be in Vale for a long time, now come on, we can't keep waiting all this time," the soldier got up, grabbed his lance and hastily made his way through the streets, Oro following him.

"Is there a festival going on?" He inquisitively asked, moving in out of so many people it was almost dizzying to him. Stalls and buildings lined the street, reaching his hand out he grabbed a newspaper, the texture felt odd to him, but he enjoyed the pixelated images.

"What? No, it's like this everyday," came the response from Oro's guide, "you really aren't from around here?"

"What reason would I lie about being a wanderer?" A question to answer a question, a common thing with the faunus the soldier was finding, "But if you want a hard answer, then yes I come from outside the kingdoms, I was raised in a nomadic group."

"Got any family?"

"We considered the whole group our family," leaning over he took a errant fruit from a wooden crate, taking a bite out of it, recoiling at the taste, and tossing it away after spitting out a pit, "I never knew which one were my parents."

"Couldn't you tell because you know...you're a…" the soldier stopped and turned, having trouble trying to come up with the right words.

"A faunus."

Oro's bluntness stopped the soldier cold, the soldier looked guilty of a crime or something, and the lizard faunus' unassuming face didn't help the situation.

He continued, this time walking past the guard, "About half of the tribe I grew up with were faunus, that makes for a wide pool of about thirty individuals. When you move from place to place, sometimes losing people along the way, it helps not knowing who your birth parents are."

"That's kind of a sick way of looking at it," the soldier responding.

"And so is fighting a war when your settlements and villages burn to the ground, either by bandits or the grimm," Oro turned with a frank and disappointed smile, "I've seen a lot for one person to handle, charred bodies, collapsed towers, and grimm feeding by the dozens. And you think I have a sick twisted view of the world? My dear soldier friend, I was shown the colors of the world when it was splashed with red and black. So when I get to see green grass again, I'm going to rejoice to the heavens."

Quietly, off to the side the soldier grumbled, "I don't get paid enough for this. Okay, so a few things to know about when we get to the castle."

"Go ahead," came the quick interruption, the eyes of the faunus still traversing.

"Don't talk out loud, don't say anything, and don't make any sudden movements. Finley doesn't like surprises."

"If I'm not allowed to talk then do you really need to tell me to not talk aloud."

The soldier paused, the words confusing him to the point of exasperation, "Listen, Commander Finley is a little high strung these days. Don't say anything, we'll give him your letter, and then you can do whatever is so important about these letters."

"You don't know?"

"I don't know, the public doesn't know, even some of the King's closest advisors don't know what's inside the letters. Only those who have them know what is written in them, all we know is that if we see one to take the person holding them to the castle. So shut up until we get there."

"Seems a little rude, but lead the way," Oro said looking around this truly magnificent town.

-X-

Far off a cliffside, overlooking the lush green top of the Emerald forest stood a man tall and straight. His blue tailcoat prim and properly ironed, not a single crease or out of place ruffle. The red buttons on one side left open leaving a white dress shirt and vest to match, his scruffy and bushy brown beard lined his slightly tanned skin. His head practically bald with maybe the last remnants of his hair fading away. His eyes fell down to below the cliffside where a remarkable structure stood, concrete and cobblestone with marble could be seen on the other side of the forest.

When the man heard footsteps he turned his back.

"Sir," came a worker's voice, covered in dust and grime, tired and dreary, "we've finished the last of the work."

"Excellent," his voice was deep and growled at the end of his breath, "I trust that you sent one to light the lantern as instructed by his majesty?"

"Yes sir, we're doing that now."

True to the worker's words, at the very top of the tallest tower, in the middle of the structure, a green light became visible. Even in the midday sun it could be seen for miles, what would the public think when the night came would be a mystery. One that he really didn't have time for.

"Excellent, you and your crew may leave," with the workman gone the man gave a sigh and shook his head. "Your majesty I don't know what you're leading us into, but I wish you were here to lead it, the public are growing restless, they want answers that you ordered me to keep silent. As your servant I will do everything in my power to accommodate your requests, but I can o

nly do so much. Let's hope this plan of yours will be enough to stop her." Turning around, a brown prehensile tail flipped to his side a flicked, "All of your work has paid off, I have no idea how to run a school. Guess it will be a learning experience for me as well."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Beacon Academy for Huntsmen and Huntresses is now accepting students."

"I, as the King of Vale, am ordering an annexation of land several miles north of the Emerald Forest and several miles wide for the construction of Beacon Academy. This will be a project that will take years to complete but in time we will expand the other kingdoms of Remnant. If you are receiving this message than I wish for you to come and visit what will be the turning point for our world. Even though we a few years years, I hope you keep this letter in mind as recognition of your combat prowess and progressive ways. Whether you fought in the war or not, whether you are a member of the kingdoms or you live outside the walls, I ask you to join me in my quest to prevent a war as heartbreaking as this. I understand if some of you have hostility towards Vale or Vacuo, or towards Mantle or Mistral, but we must begin anew in hopes to further peace. If you wish to push that goal forward then come to the capitol in the Kingdom of Vale on the date inscribed on this letter. I hope to see you on the grand opening of what will be the door of the future. Bring this letter on the day marked and you will be granted entrance."

-Letter of Admission for Beacon Academy, dated three weeks after the end of the Great War.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Name: (Self Explanatory, try to lean off the edge on these. Since we don't know when the 'Color Revolution/Naming Tradition' came into effect I'm gonna say it's optional, but I know some people like to do it.)

Age: (17-20)

Gender:

Species: (Human or Faunus)

Kingdom of Birth: (Can be of the usual 4 or live outside the kingdoms),.

Appearance: (Be creative, have fun. Include physical and clothing descriptions)

Personality: (We don't need twenty five thousand edge lords here, not everything is dark and grey)

Background: (Since this is taking place in the past, groups such as the White Fang do not exist as of yet, so that common avenue will be closed. Keep that in mind along with the fact this is the first year for the academy, have a small explanation as to why you think your character would receive an invitation)

Semblance: (Try not to copy the established cast's, if it is along the same lines like a clone semblance but is different I'm not gonna cry too much foul.)

Weapon: (So here is the issue and the pain of putting this so far in the past. There are to be no complicated, mechashift weapons, it pains me but because this was eighty years ago from the canon timeline. I cannot in good faith think there would be the tech capable for things like Scythe/Sniper Rifles. The only example is Crocea Mors which is a basic sword and shield combo, I'll accept things like. Simple things that make sense)

Skills: (Can be anything. Combat skills, domestic skills, whatever you think would help flesh out your character, do it. But not too many)

Weaknesses: (Like skills, but for negative attributes, again can be anything. Not too many either. A one for one ratio of Skills to Weaknesses is a decent model for this)

Notes: (Anything else I need to know?)

Final Remarks

Appearance, Personality, and Background will be the big three components I judge your character on. Put your focus into those three things and craft a character with that in mind and I may be willing to overlook some things that if you're character didn't have those three done well would get them denied. Make them stand out

While mentioned before that I don't want twenty thousand edgelords, I do want a full range of characters. Can we have one or two… maybe, just follow Note #1 and you'll be good.

Do I expect characters with tragic pasts? Yes, this has just come after a war, some people will most definitely have that. I'm not gonna shout at you if you want to include one.

Once a character is submitted to me, that's all after that. You will have no say or influence on my decision. Now, that does not mean I am not willing to work with you. If I think we can iron out a few details, change some things around a little, then I will try to make it a priority before accepting other characters so I can fairly compare them.

PM only, no characters will be taken from the review section.

I'm gonna say one character per author, but that may change overtime, they're are a limited number of spots available so I would like as many participants as possible.

When submitting please title your PM as RWBY SYOC- *Character Name*. For example if I were to do it would go like this: RWBY SYOC-Jeremiah Carbine.

Perhaps down the road, I will open up a villain and teacher/side character form, but that is still up in the air.