Almost seventy-five years ago, the Grand War of the Races ended with an armistice imposed by the New Gods and a plague that decimated what few nation states that made it out of the war mostly intact. The continent of Akar was left half in ruin. To safeguard against another war the gods founded a new city state, Cyluria, and declared that its ruling body of twelve would represent the interests of all peoples and all nations on the continent. The Royal Academy of old Xylur was rebuilt as the First Royal Academy of Cyluria and the city flourished under the attentions of not just the Gods but academics and artists of most all species. Renowned for its magic curriculum, the Academy now draws students from hundreds of races and kinds, even those who would be each other’s natural enemies can thrive together in an academic environment that does its best to cater to the individual needs of each and every student. Beneath it all, though, lies a festering class system with Greater Races and Nobles at the top and “Squishies” at the bottom. Dragons, Magnos Lycans, Kitsune, (and many more) the Greater Races command the respect of demigods. Most other races fall under the middle-class category of Arkaniks, gifted with substantial magic, these include high elves, werewolves, nymphs, vampires, pixies, sphinxes, most magical races. At the bottom, the races with barely any magic are branded mere Squishies. It’s a hierarchy even the Gods, Old or New, haven’t been able to erase. And one that is about to be obliterated by an outside threat: the Abhorrent. For all of known history the Rifts have appeared and disappeared without warning. Some are small and last minutes; others span miles and exist for decades before gradually closing. All these cracks lead to other worlds. Sometimes something steps through. Only this time the Rifts are not random. Hellish beasts called the Abhorrent are now opening them intentionally and pouring in through the gaps. Fed by fear and by despair, fueled by vicious cunning, Abhorrent are creatures of wanton destruction. Suffering unending is their crop: and a race and class divided Akar is fertile ground. Hope still remains though. A handful of people are chosen as Guardians of Hope are given the power to fight back. If Akar’s magic is not enough to combat the Abhorrent, then the Hopefuls will draw on magic and technology from beyond the Rifts. The only problem? It is not the Gods who are selecting these “Hopefuls” …-----------The Eltritch Hope is a story that is equal parts Arcane Academia and Magical Girl shenanigans with an undercurrent of eldritch horror. There is an unconventional time loop, most major characters are in on it. The story plays with time and the idea that the future can decide the past. We switch between two main protagonists experiencing different points in time: Grey – A feeble human among his Arkanik and Greater Race classmates. His superpower? Mental illness. Or the consumption of his soul by an unfathomable intelligence that would eat HP Lovecraft’s Outer Gods for breakfast. It is really not clear which he is dealing with and he’s not all that sure either. Izel – An Obsidian Butterfly “girl?” (it is a bit hard to choose a gender when your race reproduces psychically) with tomboyish nature. Born to a Noble family, she quietly loathes both her cruel father and Arkanik society’s bigotry towards less magical races. She takes solace in her passion for music and yearns for the day she might be able to use her position as a Noble to enact real change. First though, she has to contend with the relationship drama that’s consumed her life these past few weeks… PS: Spelling of "Eltritch" is intentional.