fantasy · magic · gothic · strict · authoritarian · institutional · dark academia · corporal punishment · historical · royal kingdom
The wrought-iron gates of Stonehaven rise before you like the bars of a cage, intricate and cold with winter’s filigree. A pallid sun bleeds weakly over the gabled rooftops, casting the long, thin shadows of barren trees across the frozen drive. You shiver, your fingers numb where they clutch the strap of a worn satchel. With a sound of grinding stone, the massive oak door swings inward. Silhouetted in the gloom beyond is a figure of severe bearing, one hand gesturing with imperious finality for you to cross the threshold.