Setting

Poseidon Academy exists, as it always has, as it always will, part of and yet separate from the many worlds it touches. The Academy rests on a nexus, a meeting of places and times from which its denizens come. And people do come, from far and wide, to learn or share their knowledge in the Academy's halls. Some come as instructors. Some come as students. Others come to fill other necessary positions at the academy and in the surrounding towns. Some find themselves at the Academy accidentally and cannot easily find their way home. Others can travel freely through the nexus and back again.

The Academy caters to students of all ages, from primary school straight through graduate studies. Majors from history to business to combat training to magic are part of an extensive and ever-growing curriculum. The Academy itself exists in the old and sturdy stone walls of the castle that makes up much of Poseidon Academy's campus. Other buildings have been constructed over time, some much more modern, others far more traditional. These buildings house classrooms, labs, faculty offices, auditoriums, music halls, libraries, cafeterias, the very essential places of the academy's everyday afairs. Not far from these main academic buildings, the residential quads are laid out. It is here that the students and faculty of the Academy reside, and where much of their time is spent.

To the north and west lies the ocean. Poseidon Academy, as its namesake may suggest, sits within view of the seashore, overlooking both sandy beaches and rocky, treacherous cliffs that hang precariously over the crashing waves. The water is constantly changing, calm, clear and blue on some days, gray, tumultuous and unforgiving on others.

To the south and east, a town spreads out and away from the Academy, which forms the very fringe of this settled area. The town boasts most of the amenities that one would expect -- stores, markets, restaurants, cafes, post offices and many other establishments. The down-town area, within a short walk of the campus, is the most popular place for Academy denizens to shop, eat and spend time in town.

Beyond the town, the land grows more and more rural. Farms speckle the landscape here and there, but even these small hints at civilization are slowly swallowed by a thick and ancient forest, full of trees that have seen lifetimes come and go around them. The forest spans miles, green and thriving and rife with plant and animal life. In the distance, the looming shadows of mountains, wreathed in clouds and accented against the sky, further divide the Academy and its nameless surrounding town from the rest of the world, whatever sort of world the world in which it exists may actually be.

At Poseidon Academy, the seasons come and go as they do most places. The climate is temperate. Summers are warm and sun-filled. The autumns are awash in the brilliant colors of changing leaves, and marked by frosts and chills and brisk breezes. Winters are cold and very often snow-covered. Spring eventually comes as well, melting winter away and replacing it with the pleasant beginnings of green returning. The weather changes often; sun, rain, snow, thunder, lightning, wind, clouds and fog come and go much the same as the seasons.

Life is constantly moving at Poseidon Academy. From a distance, it may seem timeless, and untouchable. It is. Yet, its residents know differently as well. Turmoil is common at the Academy, and although in general it is a place of piece, the Academy is not without its dangers, often brought to it (accidentally or otherwise) by those who come to its old and hallowed halls.