Lore | Worldofremnantrp

Aura

Aura is the manifestation of one's soul in the World of Remnant (WoR) universe, and can be used for a wide range of abilities. The specific abilities and their strengths differ from individual to individual and are dependent on a number of factors, such as experience, training, and innate skill.

Aura is an ability that all those with a soul can use, at least with enough practice. A person with a strong Aura may radiate bright colours when using it. Because Aura is the manifestation of the soul, it can appear very differently depending on who is using it. For example, the colour of Aura differs from person to person: Cyan's is turquoise and Onyx's is red.

It is mentioned that anything with a soul has an Aura, including Humans and Faunus; even synthetic persons with souls (robots, AI) can generate an Aura. The Creatures of Grimm, being soulless, are the only known form of life that does not have Aura.

Skilled users of Aura can create their own barriers or even increase their own abilities in some way. Weapons and armour can also act as a conduit for Aura, allowing for an even wider range of offensive and defensive capabilities.

It has been shown that the strength of an Aura degrades with continual use. This limits the applications of Aura in combat as, with time or heavy use, a person's Aura will decay to the point where they are left weakened or even incapacitated. Aura being completely depleted is visually represented as a coloured sheen glowing along the length of a person's body, indicating that they can now be physically injured. Aura tends to flicker when it is close to being depleted.

Aura can be recharged and the time that is required to recharge is different between each person.

Aura also can vary between individuals in terms of innate quantity of energy that can be used.

It appears that Aura is able to manifest in different ways when in use and takes on the colour of one's inner energy. It appears as a slight glow around the body.

It has been stated that the activation of an Aura requires training and willpower, though someone with considerable training can unlock the Aura of another person.

Aura is a necessary energy source for all Huntsmen, being a powerful ally in battle. It is also required in order to trigger the use of Dust. Aura, as demonstrated by various characters, has the ability to do the following:

Defense; While users of Aura will not be hurt as long as their Aura is up, they can still feel sensations such as pain and heat. It requires training to always subconsciously have a cloak of Aura on.

Offense; Demonstrated by Ren in the forest, as he sends a shock wave of force propelling a fang through the snake's head, causing it to explode. Fox Alistair demonstrated a similar ability during the fight at the Breach, where a shock wave from his fist blew up an Ursa Major. Additionally Pyrrha has stated that all tools and equipment are conduits for a person's Aura.

Unlock Aura; One's Aura can be used to 'unlock' the Aura of someone else. Doing this appears to take a toll on the user however.

Healing; It also seems that those with a strong enough Aura can heal minor wounds. However it appears that the healing is automatic and not caused at will.

Dust

Dust is a source of energy in Remnant. The physical properties of Dust make it incredibly useful for a variety of purposes, particularly in the weapons of many characters in the series.

The name "Dust" is implied to be a reference to the primordial state from which mankind was born. As a natural resource, it is sometimes poetically referred to as "Nature's Wrath", or more prosaically as an energy propellant.

According to ancient legends recounted during the opening narration of "Ruby Rose", mankind was fighting a losing struggle against creatures of darkness known as the Grimm. However, through their resourcefulness and ingenuity, humanity managed to discover and harness a source of power they named "Dust" in order to battle the Grimm.

The advent of Dust became the turning point in the war. It would appear that after mankind drove back the Grimm and built civilizations, Dust became integrated into everyday life within Remnant.

Despite its widespread use and prevalence in society, humanity has yet to understand the origins or the implications of their involvement with Dust.

Dust is known as a naturally occurring, crystallized energy propellant triggered by the Aura of Humans and Faunus. For unknown reasons, Dust does not function outside of the atmosphere of Remnant, precluding the possibility of space flight.

Dust can be found in four basic types. These four types can be combined both artificially and naturally to form other types of Dust, each with their own unique properties. Different colours of Dust appear to correspond to their different natures or effects.

In the World of Remnant episode, "Dust", the four basic colours are shown to be red, blue, yellow, and green. Other known colours include dark blue, cyan, white, purple, bright orange, dark orange and pale blue. Each colour has its own unique property. During Volume 2, green was said to correspond to wind, but it appears that wind may have been changed to white Dust in Volume 3. Red is known to correspond to fire, and yellow has been shown to generate lightning. It is unclear what property blue corresponds to, but since both steam and ice Dust are "secondary" types of Dust partially consisting of water Dust, it follows that water Dust may be a "primary" Dust type.

Wind or Air - A "primary" type of Dust, said to correspond to the green crescent shape in the World of Remnant episode, "Dust". However, as of Volume 3, it appears that wind may have been changed to white Dust.
Fire or Burn - Miles states that red is fire Dust in the RWBYVolume 3 Live Stream. Miles also specifically informs the RWBY wiki in the Volume 1 Directors Commentary that these are called Burn Dust crystals.
Water - Mentioned by Weiss in "The Shining Beacon" and mentioned by Miles as a type used to make steam and ice Dust. It is represented by a blue crystal in the World of Remnant episode, "Dust".
Lightning - Mentioned by Weiss in "The Shining Beacon". Yellow Dust has been shown to generate lightning.
Ice - A "secondary" type of Dust, formed by the combination of Water and Air Dust. In "The Shining Beacon", dark blue Dust is shown to be ice, as Ruby sneezes on red, dark blue and yellow Dust, resulting in fire, ice and lightning.
Steam - A "secondary" type of Dust, formed by the combination of Water and Fire Dust.
Gravity - First shown when Ruby uses Gravity Dust ammo in the "Red" Trailer. Gravity appears to have the colours black and purple in its released energy, as seen in "Reloading", the 3rd episode of RWBY Chibi. Gravity Dust crystals are black and can cause the pieces of land they form in to levitate, creating floating islands, such as the ones floating above Lake Matsu in Anima.
Earth - First shown when Blake makes a rock clone in "No Brakes". Through process of elimination, the only Dust colour that could have been responsible for the rock clone is white. However, as of Volume 3, air Dust has been changed to white, leaving earth as an unknown colour.
Bright orange-coloured - This type of Dust is sewn into the designs on two of Cinder Fall's outfits, and crystals are seen in the volcanic biome in Amity Colosseum. Examples of its use include launching a fiery projectile that splatters to the ground when blocked, creating explosive eruptions, making weaponry out of obsidian and generating heat to melt ice.
Cyan-coloured - This colour's type is unknown, and it has been seen in the pipes of a train engine in Mistral.[18] There are multiple instances of Dust use resulting in cyan-coloured effects, but it is unknown if this particular type of Dust is responsible. These instances include Weiss firing cyan lasers after spinning Myrtenaster's revolver,[19] barriers generated by both Amity Colosseum and Weiss and temporary weapons produced by Velvet's camera.

Dust can be found in two distinct states, crystalline and powdered. Both crystalline and powdered Dust are known to be highly explosive. The powdered form appears to be even more volatile since something as innocuous as a sneeze is enough to detonate a cloud of Dust.

Both powdered and crystalline Dust can presumably be activated by Aura.

Dust serves as a power source for the majority of technology in Remnant, from airships to androids, though some alternative technologies do exist. One example of even mundane technology being powered by Dust is the stove in "Known by its Song". As the stove's burner heats up, Dust's signature "shimmering" sound effect can be heard.

Dust can still be used without the aid of weapons or machines and can be unleashed in its raw form such as lightning.

Technology powered by Dust is known to glow.

The people of Remnant attempted to achieve spaceflight and space-based communications with Dust as propellant fuel, but its inability to operate outside of Remnant's atmosphere hindered these endeavours.

The discovery of Dust was instrumental to humanity's initial defeat of the Grimm, and Dust continues to be used extensively in combat. Dust can be harnessed in a variety of ways, but when used in its raw form, its full potential requires both an Aura and the intelligence to use it, meaning Humans, Faunus, and certain artificial beings, are the only ones who are able to effectively use it for combat.

Dust bullets, however, are much simpler to use, merely requiring the user to pull the trigger. Ruby's weapon, Crescent Rose, has also been mentioned to use rounds containing different kinds of Dust. It is mentioned that such rounds come in several different sizes and cartridges to be used for any given situation.

While this form is the most common and easiest way to use Dust in battle, it can also be used in its raw form, which is described as being "elegant, yet destructive" in nature and requiring a certain level of discipline to maintain control over.

Apparently, there is a limit to how much raw Dust an ordinary person is capable of metabolizing at a time. A prime example of this is how Hazel Rainart is only capable of utilizing as much Dust as he does due to his Semblance rendering him impervious to the sensation of pain that is inferred to incapacitate or kill anyone else trying to attempt a similar feat.

The Schnee Dust Company is one of the largest producers of Dust in the world. Dust is mined from the Schnee Quarry, purified, and transported by railway lines or by sea to distributors. Dust is then sold to the public by Dust shops such as From Dust Till Dawn.

Crystalline Dust is apparently safe enough to leave out on display openly, whereas powdered Dust is dispensed from tubes on the wall and stored in portable cylindrical canisters. Bags that have been seen on store shelves have the same bright hues as the tubes and their Dust, but whether they contain Dust themselves is unknown.

Faunus

Faunus (singular Faunus) are one of the two intelligent races that inhabit Remnant, the other race being the Humans. While Faunus resemble Humans, they're often easily distinguishable from the latter in that they possess the traits of animals.

Faunus are similar to Humans, except for the fact that they share certain traits with animals. Some types of Faunus are more common than others, with some being extremely rare. Faunus with mammalian traits, in general, seem to be quite common.

In general, wings and mermaid-like fish tails are rather rare, and in the case of mermaid-like Faunus, the trait can be a disability by making it hard to walk. Thus, the Shallow Sea makes life manageable for mermaid-like Faunus.

Faunus can only have a single physical trait in common with their animal. It has been stated that most Faunus have remarkable night vision, a trait that they use to great effect in combat.

In addition, Faunus have been shown on multiple occasions to possess other non-physical traits of the animals that they are based on. (Like, food preference.)

Faunus have existed for as long as Humanity has, if not longer, though very little is known of their origins. Scientists still currently struggle to discover or understand anything about them.

Humans' discrimination toward Faunus began early, due to how startling Humans found it that Faunus looked and acted like them but had animalistic features that were sometimes frightening, such as fangs. This discrimination only grew through rumors and stories that spread fear and suspicion. It was not uncommon for Humans to chase Faunus out of their villages or even hunt them down and kill them.

At some point in history, a village in Sanus fell under attack, and its survival was thanks solely to the fact that Humans and Faunus worked together to defeat the invading Grimm. After this event, Humans grew to realize that Faunus were not that different from them after all. However, rather than treating them equally, Humans used the Faunus' differences from them to exploit and continue to discriminate against them.

After the end of the Great War, the Faunus were given equal rights and the continent of Menagerie as compensation for previous treatment. Some saw the gift of Menagerie as fair and just, while others saw it as a slap in the face from sore losers. Over time, it became apparent that Humanity was adamant about centralizing all Faunus there.

In recent history, Humans began countermanding the equal rights won by the Faunus in the Great War and attempted to confine all Faunus to Menagerie. The Faunus began to revolt against this, and thus the Faunus Rights Revolution began. Given that Faunus live amongst the Humans in the present day, it can be deduced that the Faunus were at least successful in both reclaiming their rights and preventing their confinement at Menagerie. While still being able to live anywhere on Remnant, including the four kingdoms, there are Faunus who still live on Menagerie, seeing it as a safe haven.

Despite whatever material gains the Faunus achieved during the revolution, they remain a subject of discrimination, as exemplified by Blake's mention of Human shops refusing to serve Faunus shortly prior to the start of the series. The treatment they receive varies from place to place, but locations like Beacon Academy and Vacuo appear to be host to less discrimination than others.

Since the White Fang's turn to violence five years prior to the events of Volume 1, the Faunus have begun receiving better treatment. However, some people (including other Faunus) criticize and dislike the methods through which the White Fang achieved this, due to it being through fear rather than respect. These violent tactics have also established conflict between the White Fang and the Schnee Dust Company.

Grimm

Grimm, or the Creatures of Grimm, are the universal antagonists, inhabiting various parts of Remnant.

They are described as "creatures of destruction" and lack a soul; hence, they are unable to use Aura. They are also drawn to feelings of negativity- such as envy, sadness, loneliness, and hatred- often congregating towards the source of these emotions.

At one point, ancient cultures believed that Grimm were animals possessed by evil spirits or were the spirits of once tortured animals.

The Grimm were created by the god of darkness in order to destroy his older brother's creations of life. Eventually the brothers ended their feud and both created Humanity. But despite the younger god's involvement in creating Humanity, the Grimm were still left to roam Remnant and prey on them.

They have targeted Humans for as long as can be remembered, seeking to destroy them and all of their creations. At first, it seemed as though they would succeed, as Humans did not have the strength to fight them. However, Humans discovered the power of Dust, and with it, the Grimm were driven back. During this time, Humans enjoyed a time of peace and soon formed their own Kingdoms, which grew to survive and prosper. However, this time would not last indefinitely.

While Grimm are initially mindless and heedless of risk during their youths, leading them to simply attack any humans on sight, some Grimm are so powerful that they have survived to live for hundreds of years. In that time, they have evolved and learned from their experiences fighting humanity. This leads them to exhibit restraint and the patience to avoid taking unnecessary casualties in futile conflicts; instead, they stay close to humanity's borders, waiting for the opportunity to come where they can finally strike. Because of this, mankind is in ever present danger, even in times of apparent peace.

The Grimm have also, for many years, disrupted land-based travel and communications between Kingdoms. After the Great War of Remnant eighty years before the series begins, the invention and production of the CCT towers replace futile land-based communication systems with instantaneous wireless electronic messaging capabilities.

Additionally, the Grimm appear to be the predominant species in the world of Remnant as humans and Faunus appear to be limited to four primary pocket settlements referred to as Kingdoms, which are guarded by Huntsmen, as well as several villages with mixed success. Attempts by the Kingdoms to expand beyond their borders are often met with resistance, and even failure, as the loss of an entire sector of the city of Vale overrun by the Grimm can attest to.

In the episode "The Next Step" the births of Grimm are depicted as Beowolves emerging from black pools in Salem's Domain. However, most of humanity is unaware of the origins of Grimm. Ancient human cultures believed the Grimm were animals possessed by evil spirits or even the tortured spirits of animals themselves. Further study has disproved this theory over time, however, due in part to the discovery of even more horrific misshapen species of Grimm which have no animal counterparts (such as Creeps). With the discovery of new types of Grimm every day, scientists are left with more questions than answers.

Grimm come in a variety of shapes and sizes; the latter appears to be a factor of age. Grimm are very biodiverse as different individuals may be born with more or less size, armour, spikes, etc. They are said to be the only creatures without souls, thus being deprived of the use of Aura, but they make up for this with strength, durability, and savagery. Some Grimm even have special abilities such as possession or usage of lightning. Grimm are stated to be attracted to generally negative feelings such as sadness, hostility, anger, fear, etc.; and even congregate in areas that, although humanity has long since abandoned, still hold residual traces of these feelings.

This behaviour will even lead to them to join in on an attack in progress if the humans being attacked begin to panic. Grimm typically form packs or other types of large groupings with other members of their own specific species. While some lone Grimm may stray from the pack for hours or even months, they will inevitably rejoin their group to continue their instinctive drive to hunt the people of Remnant and destroy any artificial creations associated with them.

The longer a Grimm lives, the larger it becomes, with species such as the Nevermore ranging from the size of an average bird of prey to massive pterosaur-sized beasts after hundreds of years. Although Grimm have a more reckless nature during their youth, older Grimm who have managed to survive their battles have the tendency to learn from their experiences. While sometimes requiring hundreds of years, the Grimm's accumulated experiences over the course of surviving their battles with man can cause them to begin exercising caution.

This perverse form of self-preservation can even lead them to avoid unnecessary conflicts altogether. Yet, despite this ability to learn, their instinctual hostility still remains, as shown by their preference to patrol the borders of Kingdoms for any weaknesses they might someday exploit. This demonstrates that for all their apparent intelligence, older Grimm simply use it as a means to become more effective in their singular drive and purpose of killing.

Grimm display no enmity towards normal animals, and they only clash during territorial disputes. Humans and Faunus are the only races they attack on sight. Grimm can also choose not to eat, and it is commonly believed that they do not require sustenance. When Grimm die, their corporeal form evaporates, preventing detailed anatomical or biological studies. This also means that Huntsmen that kill for sport cannot stuff and mount Grimm bodies as trophies (making replicas instead).

Also of interesting note is that Grimm usually die off when in captivity (if they cannot kill their captors or escape first), implying that they cannot be kept alive by normal means. If the theory of Grimm not needing to feed is true, it is entirely possible that they survive on negative emotions or the act of killing in itself.

Apparently there is an as of yet-unknown method for grafting Grimm anatomy to a human body, as seen with Cinder Fall's left arm. However, there are two critical weaknesses to those who undergo such a process. First, the Grimm component cannot be protected by Aura due to retaining the Grimm's soulless nature. Second, the prosthesis user is vulnerable to the power of the Silver-Eyed warriors, due to the Grimm's weakness to their power. On the other hand, such a prosthesis user is afforded several abilities as well. One such ability is the power to forcibly absorb and potentially assimilate the powers of a Maiden. Another is the power of elasticity, as Cinder Fall was able to extend her Grimm prosthetic left arm several meters while still appearing to maintain the same degree of physical strength at no cost from the increased distance.

Huntsmen

Huntsmen and Huntresses are licensed elite warriors dedicated to slaying the creatures of Grimm and whose duty is to "uphold the peace" of their world.

Following the Great War's conclusion on the island of Vytal, the occupation of Huntsman was created alongside the Huntsman academies. These academies were charged to train the elite warriors whose role was to safeguard mankind's future.

Those who wish to become Huntsmen or Huntresses often first attend primary combat schools like Sanctum Academy (of Mistral) or Signal Academy (located in Patch), which are designed to show new students the fundamentals of combat, weapon crafting and the applications of Dust and Aura in the battlefield. Those who have honed their skills on their own however can skip this step and apply directly, an example being Blake Belladonna.

Potential applicants must then pass a rigorous entrance exam, and those that pass can attend Huntsman Academies, whose sole purpose is to train the next generation of Huntsmen and Huntresses who will in turn live and die to defend the four kingdoms and the lifestyles they have become accustomed to.

The Huntsman academies and the Kingdoms they correspond to are:

Vale - Beacon Academy
Mistral - Haven Academy
Vacuo - Shade Academy
Atlas (formerly Mantle) - Atlas Academy (formerly Alsius)

Trainees are generally admitted at age 17 and complete a 4-year course before graduating, however, some students, are admitted as young as 15.

Trainees are grouped into teams of four, with the intention of fostering empathy and teamwork, as well as lasting bonds, between team members – qualities considered of great importance for future Huntsmen and Huntresses. These teams may stay intact after graduation, but teams are also known to disband as their members pursue solo careers.

The course at Beacon Academy includes history lessons and studies of the Grimm. The more active component includes field trips to potentially dangerous locations, sparring matches with other students, as well as an opportunity to participate in the Vytal Festival Tournament and spar with students from other academies. Students also go on actual missions commensurate to their skill level as part of their training; first-years are accompanied by a professional Huntsman, whilst second years and above may go on high-risk missions alone.

Most, but not all, Huntsmen have discovered their Semblance.

After graduation, the founders of the academies intended that the allegiance of a Huntsman or Huntress would not be tied to a specific Kingdom. With their Huntsmen licenses, graduates are granted the freedom to choose whom they work for as well as the nature of their work. Huntsmen find employment through the use of mission boards. This approach is not without problems, however, as Huntsmen are known to be employed for disreputable purposes on occasion.

This separation of Huntsmen and Kingdom allegiance was intended as a measure to ensure peace. However, the Kingdom of Atlas does not appear to uphold this distinction. Not only does Atlas Academy exist as the same entity as the Kingdom of Atlas' government, but students are heavily pressured into enlisting in the military's Special Operatives unit, which has drawn significant criticism. Winter Schnee is one notable example of a "Specialist" in the Atlesian military.

Mission boards detail the type of mission, a short description of the task, where the task is needed and how soon the mission will start. Mission boards also detail a mission's status after someone accepts it. There are many different types of missions for Huntsmen and Huntresses to undertake. The currently known types of missions available to Huntsmen and Huntresses include:

Search and Rescue - Finding missing person(s) or recovering missing supplies
Search and Destroy - Clearing out Grimm when their infestations grow too large
Perimeter Defense - Fortifying walls and defenses to keep Grimm out of the kingdom and city limits
Village Security - Helping a village (not established as one of four kingdoms) fight off Grimm
Bounty - Capturing wanted criminal(s)
Escort - Helping civilians move through Grimm infested areas

Semblances

Semblance is the manifestation of one's innate and personal power as an ability unique to each individual, with the effects varying greatly from user to user. The nature of one's Semblance is noted as representing an aspect of their character. However, a person's Semblance can be similar to the Semblances of their parents or other family members. For instance, the Schnee family Semblance, summoning glyphs, is completely hereditary. According to Winter Schnee, a Semblance that remains exactly the same between family members is something very rare.

Semblance is a more tangible projection of one's Aura.

Those that use Semblance are able to manipulate certain physical phenomena according to the nature of their power. Some individuals, such as Weiss Schnee, are able to use their Semblance to create "glyphs" that generate some desired effect - the most prominent being sudden disruptions in movement and bursts of momentum. Ruby Rose is able to move at incredible speeds, while Pyrrha could manipulate magnetic forces. Some have Semblances that depend on external factors, such as Nora Valkyrie's ability to convert electricity in the environment into physical strength.

Using Dust, certain individuals can modify their Semblances with elements, such as Weiss using Myrtenaster to change her glyphs and Blake inserting Dust vials into Gambol Shroud to give Shadow clones elemental properties.

Overuse of one's Semblance for prolonged periods may adversely affect its user at certain times. This was demonstrated by Weiss on one occasion after using a series of glyphs in rapid succession to assist Ruby, subsequently collapsing afterwards.

It seems that emotional turmoil or stress can affect one's use of Semblance, as exhibited in "Destiny", where Pyrrha Nikos' Semblance activates while talking to Jaune Arc and accidentally slams him into the stone wall. Later, in "PvP", Pyrrha temporarily warps her weapon and shield for a moment during her tournament round. This phenomenon is exhibited by Weiss in "Tipping Point", when she accidentally summons a Boarbatusk, which then attacks a party guest. The most powerful display is shown in Haven’s Fate, when Emerald Sustrai creates a mental hallucination of an enormous and slightly disfigured version of Salem, affecting everyone in the room, a display of her power on a scale that Emerald has never displayed before. The earliest and most frequent example of this phenomenon is Yang Xiao Long's habit of accidentally activating her Semblance when she is angry.

A user should not be able to still use their Semblance even though their Aura has been depleted.