A brief summary of the storyline of the Academy RPG, the first place RPG in the first ever RPG Contest. This short-lived but highly successful RPG was later merged into the overarching BZPRPG continuity.
Academy Intro
The various big players are introduced. Zyrul, the strict but benign Headmaster, runs a tight ship in the Academy. He is aided by his Right Hand, Kyshim, leader of the Enforcers (the Elite students of the Academy). Beneath Zyrul's austere exterior, however, are ulterior motives that only a few of his prized students even suspect.
A few of these students are VMN, a reckless Toa of Fire; Pohaka, a friendly Toa of Electricity; Dwin, a skillful Toa of Fire; Rahkar, a sarcastic Toa of Acid; Lazok, a taciturn Toa of Earth; and Seshu, a timid Toa of Density.
Zyrul is aware of these quiet suspicious rumors of his fraudulence, and puts in motion two plans to deal with them. The first is the commission of a new type of drone, similar but superior to the Vahki of old. The other is arranged for and occurs the next day.
A sudden attack by what seem to be Dark Hunters arrives in the morning, and the students fight valiantly, displaying their various skills. After the Hunters are driven away, it is revealed that the battle was a test, to determine which students qualified for the Elite, and more importantly, which of them would be loyal to Zyrul. Zyrul selects two out of the group: Razekiel, a cold and calculating Toa of Air and archer; and Seshu, who Zyrul believes can be bent to his will.
The minority of students who distrust Zyrul finally confront the Headmaster in his own office. The resultant standoff ends badly for the students, with many of them injured as a 'lesson' for their disobedience. Razekiel calmly takes down several of his own classmates for the Headmaster, while Seshu is forced to choose sides, eventually siding with Zyrul against his friends.
The "rebels" are let off with no more than shallow injuries and a verbal warning, however. Zyrul does not see them as big enough of a threat for greater action.
Mutant Battle
The "Rebel" students regroup, discussing their failure and their certainty that Zyrul is up to something.
Seshu, anguishing over his 'betrayal' of his friends, finds a note in the Academy grounds: a message to Zyrul from...the Dark Hunters!?
Zyrul and Kyshim discuss the two potential 'recruits', Razekiel and Seshu. Kyshim notes that Seshu displays reluctance to conform to Zyrul's way of thinking, but Zyrul responds that they will 'teach' Seshu soon enough. Kyshim informs Zyrul of a band of Mutant mercenaries he has recruited to do the Academy's underground work, and that they will attack the Academy as a test of their competence. Zyrul is annoyed that Kyshim has made the deal without telling him first, but before he can do anything about it, there is a report of an attack...from not one, but two mutant groups. One of them is the one Kyshim hired, but the other is an enemy.
The Academy students quickly rush out to meet the second invasion in days. Seshu is wounded in a battle with a Mutant, and Lazok, Rebel Toa of Earth, chooses to save him for their friendship, despite Seshu having betrayed the Rebels. Likewise, when Lazok is in danger, Razekiel, the Loyalist, saves him.
The battle is cut short with the arrival of the drones Zyrul commissioned (see Academy Intro). The new drones are modeled after Rahkshi, and manipulate electricity. With this fearsome and effective new force, both squads of mutants are driven out.
In the aftermath of the battle, Seshu recognizes the venom on a dead Mutant to be similar to something he's seen in textbooks...Visorak venom. Visoraks are what mutated the beasts, but the insect Rahi have been thought extinct for centuries. But if so, where did the venom come from, and how did these Mutants come to be in the first place?
The Visorak Nest
New students Tommi and Alta meet, beginning a friendship that is destined to become much more.
Seshu and the Rebels follow up on Seshu's theory, deducing that if Visorak were still extant, they would be living in the Onu-Metru underground. Following that line of reasoning, the students journey deep into the Archives and run into wild Rahi, broken-down Vahki, and finally not just a few Visorak but a whole nest of them, confirming Seshu's theory. After a fierce battle the students manage to escape. Alta gets lost from the rest of the group and finds a strange suit of golden armor before escaping the Archives as well.
Meanwhile, Zyrul muses about how he has killed his past Right Hands, and how Kyshim's time will soon come.
Kyshim likewise reflects on his own secret treacherous intentions -- to usurp Zyrul and take control of the Academy.
Reprieve
Seshu is captured by a pair of Mutants but quickly rescued by other Academy Toa...not before the Mutants let slip some info, however.
The students arrive back at the Academy, where they recuperate and reminisce about their pasts.
A Toa of Animation named Saeras is introduced.
Zyrul interrogates Seshu of what he learned about the Mutants, and asks the student if the Mutants mentioned a 'Mythias'. Seshu answers in the negative, but Zyrul nevertheless is left musing about the man who the name belongs to.
With the help of an old textbook, Rahkar makes the frightening conclusion that Zyrul was once affiliated with the Brotherhood of Makuta.
VMN finally snaps, confronting Zyrul head on, accusing him of villainy, and making a dramatic exit to escape from the Academy. Unimpressed, Zyrul sends a mysterious phantom-like being to track VMN and kill him if necessary.
The Search
Zyrul goes on leave from the Academy, his goals unknown to even Kyshim, who nevertheless plans to make the best of Zyrul's leave to plan his future usurpation.
The Rebels, who have learned about VMN's escape, go after him to try to find him. They end up in the Archives again, finding VMN in the Visorak nest. A second battle ensues in the nest, even fiercer than the previous one, and several Toa are wounded. The fight causes a cave in.
Zyrul arrives on one of the surrounding islets of Metru Nui, and talks to an obese bartender and former Dark Hunter named Shaul, enlisting his services.
The Kohm
Zyrul discusses the man named Mythias with Shaul. Mythias is revealed to be Zyrul's former partner, who developed Toa Metamorphosis and had the idea for the Academy...until Zyrul backstabbed him. Zyrul then returns to the Academy.
The Rebels and Seshu escape from the cave in and return to the Academy.
A Toa of Air named Liro is introduced as a rival to Seshu for Rahkar's affections, though Rahkar is not interested in either of them. A Toa of Fire named Pareh is also introduced.
Zyrul decides he has had enough of the Rebels' running around, and calls upon one of his special forces, a pack of canine hunting Rahi named Kohm. The Kohm, led by the alpha male K-1, are sent to track down and assassinate VMN.
The plan is foiled, however, when four students -- Dwin, Pohaka, Lazok, and Gera -- help VMN drive the Kohm off. Both sides suffer heavy casualties.
Meanwhile, Kyshim meets a stranger named Vizex in the alleys, handing him the blueprints of the Academy and promising him that he will inform him of when to strike.
Tournament
Alta and Lazok go to Ko-Metru to seek Alta's Ko-Matoran friend, Chaza, to see if he knows the identity of the golden armor Alta found in the Archives. Chaza keeps the armor for further study.
Seshu deduces Razekiel's lineage, and when confronted, Razekiel confesses that he is a direct descendant of Nidhiki, and of his fears of becoming like his ancestor.
Saeras and a Toa of Electricity named Komar discover a conspiracy by a group of medics to drug or poison three of the Rebels admitted to the infirmary: Pohaka, Gera, and Saeras himself. Saeras goes into hiding with the help of Komar to avoid being given another dose, and Gera recovers from the virus with the help of a benevolent medic; however, Pohaka does not recover from the poison, remaining delirious.
Zyrul officially unveils the Arrahk to keep the Academy and Metru Nui safe.
Rahkar, Dwin, and Lazok participate in a weapons-fighting tournament, with Rahkar emerging as the winner.
Razekiel is forced to incapitate a pair of Arrahk to save his friend Aoran, who was deemed a threat to Zyrul. Angry at having betrayed Zyrul, Razekiel promises to himself that it won't happen again.
When Alta and Tommi go back to pick up the armor from Chaza, Tommi offers to put on the armor himself, and discovers its true nature: the armor allows the wearer to communicate with one of the spirits of countless deceased Toa, gaining their strength and experiences.
Komar and Saeras realize that Zyrul is training the Academy Toa not to serve the Matoran, as was the Toa's duty, but for a different motive. However, they do not know what that motive could be.
Lightning
Two of the fake medics take Pohaka's unconscious body and dump him deep in the Archives, to fake his death. Pohaka is revived and rescued by none other than his long-lost mentor Mahkaal, whom he thought had met his end in the Archives years ago.
Raze has more trouble with his "Dark Mind", and Seshu gives him support and advice. They realize that they both like Rahkar.
A Toa named Hunter Nuva steals Alta's armor while she isn't looking, and brings it to the library to study. He is attacked by a group of Visorak. When a squad of Arrahk comes to intercept, they confiscate the armor, leaving Hunter Nuva near death in the process. Zyrul recognizes the armor as one of the Armors of Ancient, and keeps it to be used on a worthy Elite. He orders Seshu and Raze, as rookie Elites, to guard against anyone seeking to take the armor.
Alta, realizing that the armor is gone, officially allies herself with the Rebels along with Tommi, and eight of them head to Zyrul's office to reclaim the armor, where they run into Seshu and Razekiel.
Kyshim is asked by one of his outside correspondents to place a device in the center of the Academy to aid with the oncoming invasion. The center room just so happens to be the Kohm's living quarters, however...and despite his efforts at covertness, he is discovered by K-1, who confronts him with the truth that Kyshim is planning to overthrow Zyrul.
Thunder
Lazok, Hak, and Alta fight Seshu, until Lazok convinces Seshu to withdraw.
Razekiel's Dark Mind takes over as he beats Tommi to a pulp, until he sees Rahkar's disappointed expression. Razekiel snaps out of it, and apologiezes before Tommi knocks him out.
The Rebels decide to escape to Ko-Metru until they can plan out a better strategy to retrieve the Armor.
Pohaka returns to the Academy, seeking out VMN and Gera (the only two Rebels who were left behind). The five (including Mahkaal and Kraal) decide to form Operation: Backup, going after the Rebels in Ko-Metru.
The Rebels stay in Chaza's apartment, though two mysterious strangers attack them during the night. Operation: Backup arrives, and Pohaka reveals himself to be very much alive.
Lazok goes ahead to scout out the Academy, though he is intercepted by two Hunters, Ragdoll and his companion. Lazok manages to fight them off.
The Rebels split into two squads to attack the Academy, though their plan is rendered moot when Zyrul himself leaps onto the battlefield, wearing the Armor. He singlehandedly fights off the entire group of Rebels, beating Zezak in particular to within an inch of his death and imprisoning him. Tommi finally takes the armor away with his Matatu, and Alta dons it, managing to wound Zyrul for the first time with the Armor's help.
Tommi is attacked by Raze, and manages to fight him to a standstill before retreating along with the rest of the Rebels.
But although they have reclaimed the armor, they have also realized on somber fact: Zyrul is in control. And he isn't about to let anyone take that authority away from him.