Lone Pine Grove

Monsters are real, and everybody knows it.   No one knows where they came from, and no one knows why they are here.   All anyone knows is that humanity was doomed by the appearance of monsters, referred to as The Others -- that is, until a group of protectors appeared. They called themselves Monster Hunters.   These Monster Hunters were simply humans who refused to let The Others win. Through their resiliency and ingenuity, humanity was able to claw itself back from the brink of destruction.   These days, humanity has reached a stable position. Through the efforts of the Monster Hunters, fewer people fall victim to The Others than ever before. Still -- everyone knows someone who knows someone who has lost in the fight against things that go bump in the night.   Generations have come and gone since the days when the original Monster Hunters rose to the occasion. Monster Hunting has become the most prestigious profession in the world, but due to the high demands of the job and the high mortality seen among even the best of the Hunters, many find themselves unsuited for the hazards that come with the title of Monster Hunter.   For those brave enough, determined enough, or simply foolish enough to risk their lives in the never-ending fight against The Others, there is only one place to turn: a Monster Hunting Academy. Few and far between, these Academies were formed by accomplished Monster Hunters who were entering their twilight years, in an effort to pass on their knowledge to those generations that would come after them. It was their hope that someone would eventually be able to put an end to the greatest threat that humanity had ever faced.   Of the few notable Academies that exist throughout the world, there is one that every would-be Monster Hunter dreams of attending: the world-famous Winterburn Academy. With a lauded history and a long list of notable alumni, Winterburn is considered by many to be the be-all and end-all in regards to authority on the fundamentals and advancement of Monster Hunting techniques.   As such, admission to the Academy is both highly sought after, and highly selective. Only a fraction of those hoping to attend the Academy are deemed promising enough to enter its illustrious halls, and those lucky enough to graduate from Winterburn are in high demand by those in need of assistance.   This is the story of a band of adventurers who are in training to protect humanity.
The students of Winterburn Academy.   Will they succeed?   Are they able to protect humanity from its greatest threat?   Will they be the ones to uncover the truth behind what caused The Others to appear in this world?   Only time will tell.