| abstract | - A fan-created Alternate Continuity to the Dept Heaven series, usually referred to simply as "Apocrypha". This uniquely-told and unabashedly bizarre creation is a (mostly) linear narrative constructed through an online roleplay... or wait, maybe it's the other way around, just an online roleplay that's wound up creating a mostly linear narrative. Whichever the case, the story has been going for a year now and is still continuing strong. The basic premise is that characters from any and all Dept Heaven games arrive as students of, or teachers at, a vast interdimensional school that accepts talented students from the ages of six to twenty-six. This school, the Collegium Caelum as it's formally called, has been producing excellent warriors, mages, healers, and scholars from time immemorial, and its many students are watched over by its two headmasters, Ursula and Hector. Due to the nature of the medium, the cast tends to fluctuate a little, and in order to keep the continuity from collapsing in on itself, many characters are Not as You Know Them. Apocrypha also finds itself flirting with near-constant Development Hell, as inevitably something will be interfering with one or another of its creators' lives and putting one or another of the plot threads on hold. This is balanced out, however, by the fact that the creators are all quite good writers, many of whom also happen to be tropers fond of placing lampshades on their own actions. As of this writing, the story's main characters are:
* Nessiah, a prickly transfer student struggling to acclimate to the school despite new disabilities and a slew of progressively more disturbing and horrific secrets. One of the central characters of the story's first and third arcs.
* Milanor, a backwater thief sent to Apocrypha unwillingly to get some formal education. The experience is proving to be more of an eye-opener than he first expected.
* Kylier, Milanor's long-standing girlfriend and emotional support--although maybe their relationship isn't as healthy as it appears to be. Recently she's been having trouble keeping her foot out of her mouth.
* Ledah, the taciturn president of the Student Council. It's common gossip in the school that he's not on good terms with his family.
* Fia, a young girl from Riviera who is displaying unprecedented power in her holy magic--and is having trouble controlling that power. The central character of the second arc.
* Seth, the headmistress' cheery younger sister, for whom Apocrypha is her first taste of the world... among other things. Has a reputation as a troublemaker.
* Monica, a village girl with big dreams. She's close friends with Fia, Seth, and Ein, and tries to help them with their problems. She has a planned storyline... that has been repeatedly postponed and will only start after the conclusion of the current plot and Nessiah's next event.
* Meria, a well-traveled mercenary sent to Apocrypha because of family problems. She has connections to many different stories within the school.
* And as of late September, Ein, an amnesiac, wingless angel who--unbeknown even to himself--once had a connection to Ledah. His arrival should bring Ledah's plot out of Development Hell. There are several other characters as well, and new cast members are always welcomed, for anyone that wishes to get involved. An up-to-date backlog of the story thus far can be found here. Just be warned that the subject material can get mature in every fashion. A Character Page is under development.
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