World of Remnant, Volume 1) Beacon Academy and Huntsmen Licensing
A/N: For maximum immersion, imagine Shannon McCormick is reading this to you in his Ozpin voice.
Huntsmen and Huntresses.
Beacons of hope and strength who have dedicated their lives to the protection of Remnant and its people, these brave individuals stand head and shoulders above the rest. Wielding their weapons as extensions of their own bodies, channelling their Auras in ways few others could ever hope to accomplish, and with skills honed to near perfection, it would be no exaggeration to say that these warriors represent the very best of the best.
Unlike officers of the law, who are limited to their own jurisdiction in where they can operate, Huntsmen and Huntresses are free to operate across all of Remnant without restriction. Their licenses act as both passport and badge, allowing them to bypass all travel restrictions and border controls. A Huntsman needs only their licence and the cost of a ticket to travel anywhere on the planet.
Of course, a Huntsman's licence is more than just a means of identification. Active Huntsmen and Huntresses have a great deal of authority afforded to them to aid in their role of defending the people of Remnant, and from more than just the Creatures of Grimm. A Huntsman has the power to arrest suspected criminals and level charges against them. They also have the explicit permission of the leaders of wherever they find themselves to requisition resources in times of great need, within reason.
Huntsmen and Huntresses may also issue orders to others, although this is one aspect where things can vary from Kingdom to Kingdom, depending on the rules laid out by the governing Councils. In Vale for instance, Huntsmen may demand access to evidence from law enforcement and gain access to investigations, but they can not countermand orders issued by the Vale Defence Force. In Atlas meanwhile, Huntsmen have no authority in police matters, but they do hold a rank equivalent of Captain in the military chain of command.
Huntsmen even have the authority to enact justice on individuals who cannot or will not be so easily detained, up to and including the use of lethal force.
Such power and authority of course comes with a great deal of responsibility, and those who would abuse that power in an irresponsible manner would soon find their authority stripped from them by the Academy who issued it to them in the first place.
Abuse of power is not tolerated in this line of work, and it is expected that Huntsmen and Huntresses cooperate with those who serve the Kingdoms in other capacities as well. True heroes do not use their power for themselves, but for the sake of others.
But even the greatest of heroes must start somewhere. Despite what… certain individuals may claim, no-one is born great. True greatness must be earned through hard work, determination and no small amount of courage. This is as true for Huntsmen and Huntresses as it is for any profession, and like any profession one wishes to pursue, you must learn all that you can before you are able to step up to the task.
In decades past, those who trained to fight the Creatures of Grimm as Hunters did so independently, honing their craft in their own way wherever they could. And while it is true that some of Remnant's greatest heroes were forged in these times, it is also true that many more would overreach in their efforts to improve before they were ready, their lives cut tragically short as a result.
So, in the years following the Great War, the leaders of the Four Kingdoms worked to develop a better alternative. A way to train generations of heroes in a safer way.
And so, under the direction of the last King of Vale, the Four Great Huntsman Academies were founded. And the first of these great establishments to be completed and opened was the Academy of Vale: Beacon.
Lucis pharus dispellere tenebras.
With more than fifty proud years of history etched into its heart and soul, Beacon Academy has trained some of Remnant's finest. The Professors, accomplished Huntsmen and Huntresses in their own right, provide the training and guidance required to transform students into their best selves.
Admittance into this prestigious establishment is selective and competitive. Prospective students who wish to enrol must first meet the requirements for consideration. In most cases, references from previous combat schools in the form of transcripts serve as an initial indication as to a student's potential, which is further evaluated in a rigorous entrance examination designed to test the limits of each individual.
Once accepted, initiates must then complete the initiation examination, which also serves the purpose of establishing partnerships and teams.
Simul fortior.
From then on, students begin their four-year education at the Academy, with each year being built around helping students develop and excel, while also allowing them to acclimate to their new lives as defenders of Remnant.
First-year students spend their entire year training within Beacon itself and the surrounding areas, under the watchful eye and careful instruction of their Professors. Classes include both theoretical and practical instruction, covering a broad range of areas. From weapon crafting and upkeep to Grimm studies, from sparring to history, a first-year student's education lays the groundwork for what comes next. In their second semester, students have the opportunity to shadow qualified Huntsmen out in the field in order to get a first-hand sense of what to expect, and the year closes out with a final examination that determines whether or not they advance to the next stage of their training.
Second-years spend more time away from campus, devoting a portion of each semester to placement activities that allow them to develop more autonomy and confidence in their work. It is at this stage that students can truly be called Huntsmen-in-training, as they actively take part in the defence of the people. By the end of the year, with experience under their belt and skills honed to a sharp edge, they are ready to undertake the examinations for their Provisional Huntsman Licenses, allowing them to operate without direct supervision during their third year.
With Provisional Licenses qualifying them as capable warriors, third-years are free to operate as they see fit within the Kingdom and its surrounding areas, taking missions and further developing their skills in their own ways, while continuing to receive support from the staff at Beacon proper. Teams of Provisional Huntsmen and Huntresses are assigned a mentor, who they continue to report to and meet with on a regular basis.
By the beginning of their fourth and final year at Beacon, provided they have met all the requirements and passed the final examination, students' Provisional Licences are upgraded to Full Licences. These Newly-Qualified-Huntsmen, or NQHs as they are often referred to in the media, remain restricted to operating within the scope of their own Kingdom for one year, during which time they can continue to use the Academy as a base of operations. Once this 'probationary period' has elapsed, the now fully licenced and qualified Huntsmen and Huntresses are free to do as they see fit, wherever they wish to operate.
It is this freedom of operation that serves as one of the core tenets of the Huntsman philosophy.
Servire omnibus, non meis.
To that end, Huntsman take work in the form of missions that they are free to decide for themselves. While missions can of course by taken from anyone, anywhere, and at any time; for ease of access and administration, the Four Kingdoms, as well as other independent settlements, cooperate to manage the Mission Boards, where anyone may post a request for aid from a Huntsman. Missions posted to the Boards are assigned a rank based on numerous factors, including risk, duration and compensation:
Rank-0 missions are the only missions that require no licence of any kind to undertake, as they are deemed low-enough risk to not warrant a Huntsman specifically. Such tasks include simple search-and-recovery missions or low-risk protection details. These tend to be low-pay missions, and they tend to be very common, hence the allocation of unlicenced practitioners to make up for the shortfall.
Rank-1 missions require at least a Provisional License in order to be undertaken. From escort tasks to Grimm exterminations, these sorts of jobs make up the majority of a Huntsman's day-to-day work.
Rank-2 missions require a Full License in order to be undertaken, as they are deemed too dangerous for those who lack the full four years of training and experience. However, there is precedent for allowing NQHs to undertake these missions in times of need.
Rank-3 missions are where things get especially dangerous. Long-term protection of outlying villages, dangerous Grimm slayings, manhunts for wanted fugitives… These missions generally require pairs or even teams of Huntsmen to undertake them, and can often be specifically restricted from solo actors.
Finally, there are the rare Rank-4 missions. Huntsmen have taken to calling these sorts of jobs 'retirement runs' as a rather morbid joke: they are simultaneously so dangerous and expensive that, one way or another, the Huntsman or Huntress in question will not be working again afterwards.
While Huntsmen are free to take as many missions as they see fit, it is expected that they undertake a certain amount of licenced work in order to maintain their position. As such, Full Licences require renewal every four years, which is only granted if the licence-bearer can prove they have provided enough of a public service to warrant their renewal. The issuing, renewal and recognition of Licences is managed by the Academy the Huntsman in question graduated from, and they have the authority to revoke said licenses if they feel it is necessary to do so.
The life of a Huntsman or Huntress is not an easy one to live, and for many, it may wind up being a short one. But for those who are able to stand up and take on the role of Remnant's defenders, there can be no greater reward than knowing that your actions can make a difference, and maybe even inspire others to act as well.
Hello again to those of you who have been here since day one. And to those of you just joining us, nice to meet you. I'm Not Scot.
So we have our first World of Remnant chapter! I wanted to use this as a means of elaborating a bit on some aspects of the world that might have gotten pushed aside in the main story. I personally loved the original WoR mini episodes in the main series, and I've kinda missed them since they stopped. I just love lore and world-building.
So anyway, this should help explain why the Academies always seem so empty despite supposedly having four years' worth of students attending them: my personal head cannon was always that the higher years just spent a lot more time away from campus so we never got to see them, and I've decided to roll with that here.
As for the way I've described the mission system, I assure you there is a reason for that, which will come up when we get to the events of Volume 2.
Speaking of which, when we finally do get there, the Volume 2 WoR chapter will be on Semblances, and will specifically introduce a phenomenon I have dubbed 'Semblance Overclocking'. I'll let you theorise on what that might mean (you'll probably have plenty of time: I imagine we'll be getting to Volume Two quite a few months from now).
As for the actual next chapter, that should be up in the next few days, provided no other unforeseen events waylay me between now and then. As mentioned last time, this will be a Weiss-centric chapter, so if you're a fan of her specifically, look forward to that.
Until next time,
Not Scot.
P.S: If you wanna know what the Latin phrases mean, pop them into Google Translate. Then feel free to tell me my Latin sucks, since its been years since I studied the darn language and I forgot almost all of it.