anthegenia

"I am not allowed to leave the cage, sir," said the girl calmly as Albion reached out to touch the door handle. She rose to her feet, watching him intently, curiously, without fear or confusion at his presence. "Besides, you've not deactivated the containment field. It would be dangerous to touch it, and would surely disrupt that shield you hold."

The Chief Evaluator raised an eyebrow, but withdrew his hand. He did not drop his focus, preferring its consistent, comforting hum in the back of his mind, anchoring his identity. Still, her relentless gaze both unnerved and intrigued him; she was obviously quite perceptive and intelligent, despite her complacence in confinement. Yet the intensity of her prayer were proof enough that she shunned the philosophy of her creators--if, indeed, she understood its meaning.

"Mother had the key. Why is she not here with you? You are not like the other specialists that come to see me." Frowning, the blonde stared brazenly at his uniform white, the garb of an Inquisitor on overt duty, and settled on the insignia of his badge. She clearly recognized the Caduceus, as her expression changed to one of surprise, then unabashed awe. "You... wear the symbol of the Sophists." Solemnly she raised her palms to him, and implored him with wide-eyed innocence. "Hand of the Goddess, are you my savior?"

The story of Silver Grove falls somewhere in the middle of the Anthegenian Cycle, set in an era similar in technology level to the mid 1980s. The main story focuses on six teenagers, all of whom possess varying degrees of supernatural power through their divine souls (Ytherian - star-born, or Zundeeni - earth-born). Unfortunately, they come of age in an era where supernaturals are seen as unpredictable heretics to be feared, shunned and--in extreme cases--killed. The predominant religion of the era, Sophistry, is a bastardization of early worship of Sophia Anthegenia, the Ytherian Creator-Soul of Eskarne, and ironically condemns Ytherians as dangerous and deviant. The Sophist Church at this time rules in all but name, advising an imperial family that has been ineffectual for decades.

The six teens are sent by their parents to attend Silver Grove, a prestigious boarding school--in some cases, simply to put their children as far away from them as possible. Though they do not know it immediately, Silver Grove is currently under evaluation by the Sophist Church's intelligence branch. Chief Evaluator Re Albion demanded to serve as Headmaster for the term, given he outranks all other faculty by a fair amount. In fact, several members of the faculty also have ties to this 'Inquisition', including Re Albion's personal assistant, Iria Winterlance. What is little known is that their assignment is specifically to watch over the young protagonists of the story, to ensure that they do not pose a threat to the country. If they do, the teens must be eliminated.