Lore Questions

Alright, so I'm going to try and make it a priority of mine to do that one lore topic I've been blabbing about forever, but since I know me - and I'll probably get distracted explaining obscure things instead of hitting things people would like to know about meanwhile - if there's any specific questions about things you'd wanna go into, post 'em here and I'll delve into what I can. Or go ahead and post headcanon of yourself and we can compare/contrast/maybe even mix a few things in once it's all finished. c:

The main things I want to cover would be Gifted History (i.e. bloodlines, biology, echo's fieldday, etc.), Beata History, Sofia History, and Argona's Force (Which won't give away everything, because they're still our main plot point, but point objectives and what-not will be laid out).

Okey? Okey. If ya'll have anything, lay it on meh.

I guess I have a few. Here goes nothin'.

1)How did gifts stay hidden from mankind through all these years?
2)Do you have any cannon places where gifted people have contributed to mankind using their powers?
3)When did gifts first develop?

• In terms of technological advances, what widespread new inventions are now considered part of the norm for the world? (considering that the school's technology is stuck 20 years in the past) What are phones like? Do we get flying cars yet?
  
• Is AF considerably more advanced in technology compared to the rest of the world or are they only slightly more ahead?
  
• Why haven't AF attacked the academies yet? They seem to consider the schools a threat and have clearly have the strength to overpower them yet resort to very discrete and non-direct actions (ex. harming students or kidnapping people to decrease Beata's manpower but not actually going up and destroying the school). How much more powerful is AF compared to the students? Twice as strong? Thrice? Ten times?
  
• How extensive is gift-related research? What devices are in the works and what subjects are generally focused upon regarding it? How often do third-parties get involved with gifted research?
  
• How big is AF? Is there a specific ranking system or hierarchy involved (outside Argona's words being absolute)? Who decides whose a higher rank compared to the rest? How are possible prospects decided and how are they approached? What is the procedure for recruitment? How are traitors dealt with? What roles are found within AF and what does said role do? etc.
  
• How many people are generally gifted in terms of percentage?
  
• Sofia is often depicted as being very picky and "best of the best" sort of academy - what exactly is the criteria/standards for getting in? Are there exams that students must pass or is based on gift aptitude?
  
• How do gifted communities/schools work outside of North America and Europe? Are there more academies like Sofia and Beata or do they have different systems?
  
• What is Rosebury's population size? What is the general size of the town in comparison to other towns/cities?
  
• Beata is noted to be hidden, so how exactly do people arrive at the school? Are they given a map on how to navigate the area to reach it or is there a different method?
  

Can't think of that many off the top of my head currently, but I'll probably add more as I go on.

Fuck it, just gonna drop this all here.
Try not to ramble on into too much detail and drag this on forever.

1. How did gifts stay hidden from mankind through all these years?
   - Different reasons. Gifts are extremely rare as they are. I imagine the total number of active gifted in the world are surely less than 1% of the global population. For the longest of times, as gifts were genetic, they were kept secret through families and closely-knitted villages. Whatever leaked out is where our mythologies and urban legends come from.
   In more modern times, where close knit gifted families are much less of a likeliness, it's less of a reality. Sofia has a slight Ministry of Magic type system in effect, and I imagine it's on Nate's to-do list, but for the most part the secret keeps itself.
   "hey, look at this vid of a dude firebending" "nah that's just some mad CG bro faaaaaaaaaake"
   Another thing to consider is that even though a gift may or may not show in someone, it doesn't always mean it'll come to flourish in a huge part of their lives. Without proper awareness or training, like that might come with a family or a school, it could be forgotten or looked past.
   
   You could look at all the messes that Argona's Force does, but they have it in their mind to keep everything a secret as well.
   Think about it, even with super powers, if you're a tiny population of the world - how are you going to stand up against the rest of the world's combined military power? What's the average gifted going to do when a fat boy comes flying at your face? They keep things on the down low, much like the rest of the world.
   
   
2. Do you have any canon places where gifted people have contributed to mankind using their powers?
   - Canon-wise, not officially, but it's fun to imagine. I still like the idea of Queen Elizabeth controlling the weather, but that's just me.
   
   
3. When did gifts first develop?
   - Again, in canon, no one can say for sure. As far as time can look back in humanity's perspective. I'll let you in on a little secret and say that the source of powers most likely not from just simple human evolution themselves, but from portals, like the one in Beata's backyard they host the tournaments in. I like to imagine they opened up some time B.C. and humanity found themselves blessed ever since.
   
   
4. In terms of technological advances, what widespread new inventions are now considered part of the norm for the world?
   - In the more poor populations, the world is about the same. In richer areas, I like to imagine some Academy City shit. One thing to take into consideration is exactly how quick technology progresses in reality, and how quick we're willing to let it develop. 2.0 is only set twenty years into the future. Look at how we were in the 90s. We're not the Jetsons. We don't have hoverboards like Back to the Future promised.
   Phones will be undoubtedly more advanced and slicker. Gasoline ground cars will most definitely still be a thing. (Although ideally, electric cars are booming by then, and green otherwise... But it probably won't happen.)
   
   
5. Why haven't AF attacked the academies yet?
   - Better question: what would there be to gain from that? Large gifted communities like Beata must be extremely hard to come by, especially in North America - which is already considered the only school of it's kind between the US and Canada combined. Argona has no desires in wasting a good chunk of a population that's already so low numbered compared to the rest of the world. Beata goes out of it's way to find gifted, train gifted, and keep them for safe keeping - which only grows their 'race' and potentially becomes a farm for her more members in the long run.
   It's only a pool of kids, that lost their only real form of protection against her when Mr. Shield was shanked, friendly reminder. If the fear of People in Black keeps Rosebury in line, there's no need to go after them. The only issue otherwise is if some random pleb student gets in their way. And the only real threat poised by the school as a whole is Nathanial and his growing number of Guardians, who are smaller in number compared to her army. When the time comes, when the school is strong enough and she has an actual reason to worry, she'll do something about Beata itself.
   To put frankly, she got better shit to do.
   
   
6. How much more powerful is AF compared to the students? Twice as strong? Thrice? Ten times?
   - Depends. Argona's Force has a lot of grunts on a full spectrum, just like the school. It's a mixed bag. Think of all those random people in black that have been butchered by students. Think of elevator murder. The average AF member and the average Beata student are most likely on the same level. There are obviously those crazy strong, who have zero boundaries, and are our beloved babs closer to the top of the food chain. I can't give you an exact lovely multiple for those of you who need the math in your life, but currently, they have their great strength in numbers - both of grunts and OP maniacs.
   
   
7. How extensive is gift-related research?
   - Not very. Gifted research is a delicate thing. Think of how easily information leaks in the world now-a-days. Now think of how juicy gifted research intelligence would be. It's extremely underground, extremely difficult to fund, and extremely difficult to find victims tester-oonies. The original headmaster came from a big gifted family with plenty of old money and did his experiments on himself and his family. Most cases would be like this.
   
   
8. What devices are in the works and what subjects are generally focused upon regarding it?
   - I know what you people are thinking. Don't be shy about it.
   The three amigos: Power Amplification, Power Negation, Power Implantation
   Aka. How do we become level 6, how do we suppress our gifts, how can we get moar / play God?
   As far as these things go: Power Amplification is a reality, however a very narrow one, and the method is extremely unstable, addicting, and can lead to death from even small dosage.
   Same with Power Negation.
   As for implantation, only one person has ever succeeded before with this, that is our genius former Headmaster Rivers; which turned him straight up insane. All his research was destroyed. A perfect recreation isn't going to happen any-time soon.
   
   
9. How often do third-parties get involved with gifted research?
   - Hardly ever. Only people who have the money and ability to fund these projects, and the power to cover it all up if things go south, is Argona's Force.
   
   
10. How big is AF?
    - Like six big.
    
    
11. Is there a specific ranking system or hierarchy involved (outside Argona's words being absolute)? Who decides whose a higher rank compared to the rest? How are possible prospects decided and how are they approached? What is the procedure for recruitment? How are traitors dealt with? What roles are found within AF and what does said role do? etc.
    - There is no specific ranking system as of right now, sorry. There's Argona. There's the few closest to Argona. There's the more powerful ones in the inner circle. There's the less powerful ones that are close to the most powerful ones. Then there's the grunts. Considering the large number of people in the force, a more formal system should be in order once we get more non-NPC AF'ers, but as things stand now, there's just a few tough guys gathering up who they want to and going around doing their jobs.
    Direct orders are given by Argona. Any other things necessary are decided by those given the order who take what they need and carry it out accordingly.
    If someone used their influence to do something that Argona didn't like, they'd best pray she didn't find out.
    
    "Nohrian law is blunt on the subject of traitors. There is only one punishment...
    The sentence is death."
    
    
    
12. How many people are generally gifted in terms of percentage?
    See #1.
    
    
13. is often depicted as being very picky and "best of the best" sort of academy - what exactly is the criteria/standards for getting in? Are there exams that students must pass or is based on gift aptitude?
    - Contrary to what you might believe, they aren't the "best of the best" sort of academy. They have their good and their bad students, much like Beata. They probably intentionally give off that feeling, as they hold a rather prestigious appearance as one of the eldest gifted establishments in the world, but it's all for image; for reasons I won't delve into quite just yet because it would take an entire post just to explain.
    
    
14. How do gifted communities/schools work outside of North America and Europe? Are there more academies like Sofia and Beata or do they have different systems?
    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
    In the rest of the world, I imagine there's a lot more smaller and more localized schools or villages. Anything as global as the two Academies shouldn't be said for certain quite yet.
    
    
15. What is Rosebury's population size? What is the general size of the town in comparison to other towns/cities?
    Small. I'd say, with both students and residents, around the 500 mark and growing. They don't even have enough children yet for a proper elementary. The majority of the population remains in the academy. Once all these guardians and residents start settling in and making babies, however, things will start changing drastically.
    
    
16. Beata is noted to be hidden, so how exactly do people arrive at the school? Are they given a map on how to navigate the area to reach it or is there a different method?
    Train. We're Hogwarts up in this bitch.
    There's roads here and there about Rosebury, but cars are not a common thing and it's probably easier to walk wherever you go.