Dance Through The Mirror
This is a wiki for Dance Through The Mirror. Campaign synopsis: High school kids in a dance club of an international boarding school in Britain discover an access to a parallel world where they possess mystic abilities - and that something nasty resides there and is reaching for their world. And then they need to balance school life with thwarting otherworldly evils.
Background[edit]
In the Victorian era, Moonbridge Academy was a prestigious upper class boarding school for boys in the countryside, on the estate of Baronet Bloodworth, where young gentlemen could receive education far from the bustle and temptations of London. The academy closed its doors at the end of the 19th century, when Bloodworths emigrated to United States. Rumors speak of a scandal and the family falling out of favor with the court, but no one really knows the reason.
The Bloodworths never let go of their ancestral lands though. Staff hired through a fund kept maintaining the buildings and grounds for over a century. And then, a few years ago, Baronet Edward Bloodworth, the current holder of the hereditary title, emigrated back to United Kingdom. The reasons for the return are not much better known than those of the departure, but soon after Sir Bloodworth started working on restoring the prestige of the family name that had largely faded into obscurity during their long absence. One of his acts was restarting the academy, although modernized.
The modern Moonbridge Academy has no class or gender restrictions. And while once it was far away from London, now the capital is only a relatively short rail ride away. And the nearby hamlet of Hexville has grown into a small town. The area is still rather rural compared to London, and having recently returned himself. Sir Bloodworth saw a niche. Moonbridge International Academy advertises not just to local people but also to foreign businesspeople and diplomats who are staying in London with their families. They also have several scholarship programs, as another attempt by Sir Bloodworth to earn prestige. And there are also places earmarked for Hexville residents in an attempt to foster relations with the town.
The town also has its own secondary school of Hexville Abbey School. The students there have had rather mixed feelings about Moonbridge Academy opening its doors, and there is a bit of a budding rivalry between the schools.
Academy Grounds[edit]
The large 4 stories plus attic main building is where most of the classrooms are. There are two dormitory wings, one for girls and one for boys. Behind the main building is a sports field, and beyond that is the Practice Building that has an indoors gym and a theatre that also functions as a place for school gatherings. Some outbuildings hold specialized classes, such as various crafts. The academy also has its own garden and is borderded by fields. Except in the direction to Hexville, where the estate is borderd by the small river of Witchbrook. Crossing the river is a stone bridge that is reputed to be older than the school building itself, and supposedly where the school name comes from. The bridge is for foot traffic only, so the parking area is actually on the other side of the bridge. There are no vehicles on the school grounds.
The Attic Studio[edit]
During the reconstruction prior to reopening, something was discovered in the attic. Beyond an ornate set of double doors was a room with large windows on the right wall, facing the rear of the building, and on the left wall a massive mirror with a heavy frame, covering almost the entire wall.
Such a mirror would be expensive even today, back in the Victorian era it must have cost a fortune. People were at first a bit perplexed but concluded that the room must have been used to teach something where the class benefited from seeing their own movements. Perhaps fencing. Sir Bloodworth wanted to put such an impressive piece of furniture to use, and a room with such a massive mirror would also make a great dance studio. That was the cause of forming the Moonbridge Academy Dance Club, and the support the club gets from school. Including keys to access the room after school hours. Only club members have access to the room. Even among the faculty, only the headmaster and PE teachers have the keys. Sir Bloodworth wants to see the mirror in use, but he also does not wish to risk damage to it.
The library[edit]
The original Victorian era library is today a mix of modern and old. Tables for laptops and free wifi among massive bookshelves holding textbooks for studying and fiction for leisure, and even the historical section containing books left over from the academy's Victorian era days. The librarian won't allow the old books to be checked out, and you had better not let her see you being careless with them.
Faculty[edit]
Principal Edmund Butler[edit]
"Principal" to his face. "Edbut" behind his back. Principal Butler is balding, overweight and in his late middle age. Genuinely nice guy who has zero tolerance on bullying, bigotry, and harassment. Firm believer in soft methods when it comes to discipline. Tries to connect with his students by being hip and cool - but his late middle age attempts often end up being just awkward.
John "Big John" Cannon, PE teacher[edit]
Big, loud, massive beard. Really strong former weight lifter. Strict and demanding with little tolerance of slacking or goofing off during his classes.
Pearl "Black Pearl" Blackwood, PE teacher[edit]
With her dark skin and her name, the nickname was unavoidable. She is a former Olympic gymnast and still in such good form that it is hard to keep up with her. She is also openly gay. And pretends not to notice the stares.
Megan Payne, school nurse[edit]
Do not call her Mega-Pain to her face if you know what is good for you! This gruff, buff middle aged woman is a former army nurse, and while she is really good at dealing with various injuries and ailments, she has all the bedside manner of a T-Rex. "This will only hurt a bit. Well, maybe more than a bit. Stop screaming in my ear, it is really distracting."
Agatha Drummond, the librarian[edit]
A stern middle aged woman with glasses, she is actually the history teacher, but also maintains the academy's library and prefers that title. The academy has a large and extensive library, with the oldest books dating back to the Victorian era. Ms. Drummond can turn absolutely ghastly if she even suspects someone of mistreating the oldest books. She is also possibly the most tech-savvy person in the faculty, and has a pet project of trying to scan the academy's book collection to digital format. Which is why she can often be found working in the library well after school hours.
Charles Oakley, the janitor[edit]
Charlie started working in the academy grounds as one of the groundskeepers when he was still a young man, decades before the academy reopened. He is now approaching sixty and has been working in the grounds for most of his life, knowing them inside and out. He also happens to be highly introverted and is still trying to cope with the fact that the formerly peaceful and quiet place is now full of teenagers. He also comes off as rather superstitious, judging from the fact that he appears nearly terrified of the academy's other long time resident, Black Tom the cat.
Black Tom, Academy Cat[edit]
One-eyed tomcat with jet black fur, Black Tom seems to have made the main building's attic his residence at some point when the building was not in use, and sees no reason to move just because humans moved in. The few attempts to oust the feline by force have ended up in either embarrassment or injuries. Black Tom knows every nook and cranny of the building, and tends to appear and disappear to and from the most unlikely places. Classrooms with the class in session, kitchen, library, dormitories, bathrooms. The cat almost seems to get a kick out of startling students and faculy. And can be absolutely vicious with his claws if someone attempts to grab him. The faculty has pretty much resolved to just endure the cat's presence.
More to be added
Places to see in Hexville[edit]
The Saloon[edit]
Hexville is not that big a place, and while it has minor venues, it has only one big restaurant/bar. The Saloon is western themed, and family friendly until 7 pm. They do not serve alcohol before that, so you won't get carded. After that you do get carded, and the proprietor, William Burrows, is really good with faces, so showing up with a fake ID would only end up in embarrassment. Which is a bit of a pity, because after 7 PM, the Saloon goes wild - not just because they start serving alcohol. After that, there is an entrance fee that gets waived if you arrive in costume. So it is not strange to see grown ups in Wild West costumes during evenings.
