Since I'm that sort of person who frequently has at least three different settings going at once, don't be surprised in the future if I have multiple threads running for each of them. Well, on to my idea then, I guess; this is the setting for a series of screenplays and possibly a roleplaying game I'd be running with my group, so I wanted to see what the general opinion on it is.
With a long and bloodstained history running back to its origins in Tudor England as a college for training rogues for King Henry VII's service, Crucibles Academy for Assassination and Arts-Most-Foul is the premier school of the sort in Europe and one of only six such institutes currently around dedicated to turning young recruits into some of the finest hitmen and mercenaries in the world. The very existence of the school is an extraordinarily-secretive matter; it is kept so, and extremely well-funded, by a series of longstanding agreements with and codified death-threats against the British Parliment and Royal Family.
Crucibles' campus is built on the sprawling grounds of a Medieval Scottish manor-castle nestled away in the Lowlands. The castle, actually made up of three such buildings, features living and housing arrangements for the faculty and student body, extensive training grounds and equippment, and enough luxuries to keep more than the minimum number of assassins-to-be from burning-out or snapping under the pressure. Beyond that, the campus features a number of lakes, outdoor obstacle-courses, and a private forrest with all the dread and mystery that might be expected.
The student body of Crucibles numbers around a few thousand at any one time and is attended to by about one-hundred faculty members and an equally-large maintenance staff. How exactly the school aquires new students varies; most are drawn from "legacy families" with a history of alumni, but there are also "recruiters" spread throughout both the Isles and Continental Europe to pick out the sort of young people with the potential to make excellent assassins. Students begin their first year between the ages of twelve and fourteen, with those who make it graduating after six years of study. The faculty, being made up of mostly alumni themselves, have as hard a time at Crucibles as their charges do; being a school for murderer and espionage, the fastest way to ascend the academic ladder is to eliminate your higher-ups. The headmaster or mistress of the school might very weel be one of the most lethal people in the world, seeing as they have not only taken out their predecessor, but any competition for the seat as well.
Obviously, Crucibles cirriculum is focused on training and conditioning the students physically, mentally, and emotionally for the job of killing another human being. They are taught armed, unarmed, and firearms-based combat as well as stealth and survival techniques, acting, offensive and defensive driving, how to handle poisons and explosives, and other useful skills. Beyond that, they also recieve a crash-course in the "traditional" arts and sciences so that they can function normally in society after graduation. As they progress, students might be put on different tracks within the school if they show expectional potential in specific areas; the sixth-year classes taken by a girl who might become a master sniper would be different from those taken by a boy with a preternatural talen for poisoning.
Crucibles Academy is, as mentioned, not the only training-ground for assassins in the world; rival institutes with histories just as long and colorful, if not more so, exist in South Africa, the American Rockies, India, and Egypt. Competition is fierce, but typically not bloody; there is a tradition of not actively trying to eliminate rival students or faculty members, though if alumni from opposing schools encounter each other after graduation, all bets are off.
Well, that's the long-and-short of, I guess. In terms of comments, beyond opinions and critiques, I was wondering if anyone might have some ideas for the sort of classes that would be offered at Crucibles, faculty members, campus locations, and possibly names and/or histories for the rival schools.
Thank you, as always.
What Harry Potter should have been :D
Nah, just kidding. Although this looks promising. Of course the whole assassin thing has been used many times before, but that's simply because assassins are damn awesome. And now also brits which does in no way make them less awesome, although you should perhaps be careful to distance yourself from James Bond/007 and his fellow government assassin-spies.
Talking of government, are these guys simply just for hire? Are they as likely to accept a contract to kill Gordon Brown as they are to assassinate a russian arms dealer if the money is right? That would seem to blur the reasons for national rivalry a good deal.
As for cultural origins of other schools, the indians could be descendants of the thuggees (stranglers extraordinaire). Egypt could be a forgotten chapter of middle-eastern hashashins and the americans could be rumored to have had something to do with the grassy knoll and JFK and might be Men in Black-ish.
How do the institutes compete if not through bloodshed? Do they brag about their most prestigious contracts and most intricate murder plots?
Teaching big stoic assassins acting sounds like fun to watch. What happens after they graduate? are they hired by outside groups, or do they stay in the service of the school? How exactly do they acquire students; I'm pretty sure most parents wouldn't want to have their children train to become assassins.
Are the assassins in your world flashy or discrete? Is this an art to them, or merely a matter of practicality? Does this have most in common with the assassins of "Wanted", "Leon" or "Ace of Spades"?
I can imagine them taking lessons in culture, etiquette, how to impersonate government officials/ambassadors/members of high society, electronics, jury-rigging, swimming, stunt driving, piloting, demolition, planning/strategy, distractions, stealth, geography, architecture, conversations, interrogation, Urban navigation, climbing, breaking'n'entering and a score of other things (here aiming for a Jack of All Trades, and not the more specialized assassin you hinted at with your examples of sixth-year students).
Quote from: Cataclysmic CrowAnd now also brits which does in no way make them less awesome, although you should perhaps be careful to distance yourself from James Bond/007 and his fellow government assassin-spies.
Actually, the whole thing started off as a grim jab at Harry Potter. And I understand the risk of associating to heavily with James Bond, but seeing as the characters are not limited to one specific European country, I think I can dilute the British-vibe a little bit.
Quote from: Cataclysmic CrowTalking of government, are these guys simply just for hire? Are they as likely to accept a contract to kill Gordon Brown as they are to assassinate a russian arms dealer if the money is right? That would seem to blur the reasons for national rivalry a good deal.
Well, strictly-speaking, the students at Crucibles do not actually carry out any contracts themselves. Post-graduation, they are free to do whatever their hearts desire, but until then the, school doesn't generally hire them out.
Quote from: Cataclysmic CrowHow do the institutes compete if not through bloodshed? Do they brag about their most prestigious contracts and most intricate murder plots?
A fair bit of it is just geographical; the American school is far less likely to attract Middle Eastern students than the one in Egypt. Beyond that, they like to compare student and campus quality and will frequently take bragging rights from particularly impressive jobs pulled off by their alumni and the like, much like real-world colleges do.
Quote from: Cataclysmic CrowTeaching big stoic assassins acting sounds like fun to watch. What happens after they graduate? are they hired by outside groups, or do they stay in the service of the school? How exactly do they acquire students; I'm pretty sure most parents wouldn't want to have their children train to become assassins.
The majority of students are either from the "legacy families" with a fair bit of standing within the underworld community or similarly-inclined ones, such as Mafia or Yakuza families. Otherwise, many of them are either from broken or foster homes, orphanages, or other environments likely to produce prematurely jaded, hardened children.
Quote from: Cataclysmic CrowAre the assassins in your world flashy or discrete? Is this an art to them, or merely a matter of practicality? Does this have most in common with the assassins of "Wanted", "Leon" or "Ace of Spades"?
A lot of that depends on the individual student. While I generally tries to stay realistic, I'm not above isolated instances of over-the-top action.
I think I need to see a bit more before I really get "the vibe".
But why does anybody want to spend their time training potential (and probably ungrateful) competitors?
Apprenticeship/mentoring seems like a more likely approach for the often solitary existence of assassins. So how does your world find place for the existence of such institutions?
This looks really interesting. I should have some time to read over it in depth sometime in the next two weeks- If I don't- remind me... So if you come back then you'll have more feedback. On first skim, this looks inventive. Welcome to the site! :)
>>The student body of Crucibles numbers around a few thousand at any one time and is attended to by about one-hundred faculty members and an equally-large maintenance staff. How exactly the school aquires new students varies; most are drawn from "legacy families" with a history of alumni, but there are also "recruiters" spread throughout both the Isles and Continental Europe to pick out the sort of young people with the potential to make excellent assassins. Students begin their first year between the ages of twelve and fourteen, with those who make it graduating after six years of study. The faculty, being made up of mostly alumni themselves, have as hard a time at Crucibles as their charges do; being a school for murderer and espionage, the fastest way to ascend the academic ladder is to eliminate your higher-ups. The headmaster or mistress of the school might very weel be one of the most lethal people in the world, seeing as they have not only taken out their predecessor, but any competition for the seat as well.
Hm. So can characters be recruiters or are they required to stay close to the school?
I'm seeing several character concept options
Student (various kinds)
Professor
Dean
Recruiter
>>Well, that's the long-and-short of, I guess. In terms of comments, beyond opinions and critiques, I was wondering if anyone might have some ideas for the sort of classes that would be offered at Crucibles, faculty members, campus locations, and possibly names and/or histories for the rival schools.
I would think that the largest rivals would be organizations opposed to assassination. This seems to be taking place in a semi-real-world; so why don't you distort one of the human rights groups- like Amnesty International into a force that opposes political assassination and goes about preventing it by training ninjas who are skilled in disabling people; or make them like cult de-programmers (perhaps the better route) who occasionally raid the schools?
Just an idea.
The schools may also need an international sports league and a sports league governing body to evaluate the "best of the best" which determines the school's international rankings. Someone who graduates from Crucibles is obviously going to be better than someone who graduates from St. John's, for example.
>>Well, strictly-speaking, the students at Crucibles do not actually carry out any contracts themselves. Post-graduation, they are free to do whatever their hearts desire, but until then the, school doesn't generally hire them out.
Is there a career services or placement office? Are there any organizations that recruit these fellows? Are they hired say by MI-5; Mossad; Al-Qaeda; CIA; etc.? Do they have recruiters hanging around on Career Day (possibility for quarrels on campus, or campus intrigue, etc) are any organizations favored over any other-- the school cannot possibly be neutral toward all organizations; and professors must have favorites.
Are there any campus buildings funded by donations from successful assassins?