![[12SaintsN3C.png | 350]] *Twelve Saints #2 cover by UndercoverUwu.* ***Battle Royale*** is the third issue of the *Twelve Saints* comic series. ## Quick Facts --- | Credits | ![[12SaintsN3P0.jpg \| 400]] | | -------- | ---------------------------- | | Title | Battle Royale | | Pages | 20 | | Arc | Apostle Exams | | Next | [[Twelve Saints No. 4]] | | Previous | [[Twelve Saints No. 2]] | ## Summary --- [[Zeila Newton]] completes her exam first, and returns to the main hall. There, she meets and talks with [[René Adelaide]] about the upcoming practical exam. She is joined by two candidates who also finished early: [[Decapre]] and [[Maxine Faraday]]. Faraday and Newton initially argue but soon reconcile and introduce themselves, before being interrupted by [[Tini Charre]], who has also joined them. Decapre and Charre also butt heads, but their banter belies a sense of ease to Adelaide, who is surprised at how early they have finished the written test. At the Lumen's Reach Arena, the Twelve Saints are present to watch the practical exams, [[Isaac]] is there first and is joined by [[Alice d'Arnaud]], who flirts with him before [[Robin Reyes]] interrupts. A few of their bishops are also in attendance and two of them⸺ [[Curie]] and [[William Sterling]]⸺ watch from the roof. Curie reveals she won the 19th [[Apostle Exams]] but was rejected by the [[Church of Water]] because her flux was unrecognized. Isaac, however, claimed to understand its true nature and invited her to the Darkness instead. The Saints react to the candidates from the written exams, as the top fifty alone will participate in this round. [[Juno Soleil]] is surprised to learn Tini Charre is among the candidates, and the other Saints question her motives in joining. Prompted for his input, Isaac tells Saint d'Arnaud that the top four being made up of first-time participants is notable. Saint [[Marie Adonai]] then announces that instead of a tournament bracket of 1v1 duels, this exam will be a free-for-all battle royale, to the surprise of both her colleagues and the participants. ## Datapage --- ![[12SaintsN3P11d.jpg | 350]] ### DECLASSIFIED INFORMATION: ENTRY 245: APOSTLE EXAMS `THE APOSTLE EXAMS WERE CREATED TWO YEARS AFTER THE END OF THE` `TRANSELMAN CIVIL WAR, AS A WAY TO FORMALIZE PEACETIME RECRUITMENT` `INTO THE CHURCH OF SAINTS. THE FIRST EXAMS WERE HELD IN SYLENS, AND` `ALL EXAMS SINCE THEN HAVE ROTATED THROUGH EACH DIOCESE YEAR AFTER` `YEAR.` `THE APOSTLE EXAMS CONSIST OF TWO PHASES: A WRITTEN EXAMINATION AND A` `PRACTICAL EXAMINATION. THE WRITTEN EXAMINATION TESTS CANDIDATES ON` `THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF ALTERATION THEORY, AS WELL AS QUANTITATIVE AND` `LOGICAL REASONING. THE PRACTICAL EXAMINATION IS HELD LATER IN THE DAY,` `WHERE THE TOP FIFTY GRADED CANDIDATES FROM THE FIRST PHASE ADVANCE` `TO THE ARENA, AND PARTICIPATE IN AN EVENT THAT TAKES DIFFERENT FORMS` `FROM YEAR TO YEAR BUT USUALLT INVOLVES SINGLE COMBAT WHEREIN THE` `LOSER IS ELIMINATED: THE LAST CANDIDATE STANDING IS DECLARED THE` `WINNER.` `THE WINNING CANDIDATE EARNS THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE WHICH OF THE TWELVE` `CHURCHES THEY WISH TO JOIN AS AN APOSTLE. THIS IS A FORMALITY, AS THE` `SAINTS ARE USUALLY EAGER TO TAKE IN THE BEST-PERFORMING CANDIDATES OF` `EACH YEAR'S CLASS. HOWEVER, EACH CHURCH ALSO RESERVES THE RIGHT TO` `REJECT THE WINNER'S CHOICE, AS THE FINAL SAY ON ACCEPTING NEW` `APOSTLES ULTIMATELY STILL LIES WITH THE SAINTS ALONE. AFTER THE` `WINNING CHOICE IS MADE, THE SAINTS ARE FREE TO EXTEND INVITATIONS TO` `EACH OF THE REMAINING CANDIDATES, STARTING WITH THE RUNNER-UP AND` `FOLLOWING ELIMINATION ORDER. WHILE IT IS POSSIBLE FOR EVERY CANDIDATE` `TO RECEIVE AN INVITATION TO BECOME AN APOSTLE, ONLY ABOUT XV NEW` `APOSTLES ARE CHOSEN PER YEAR.` `THERE IS NO AGE LIMIT TO TAKING THE APOSTLE EXAMS, BUT MOST CANDIDATES` `WAIT UNTIL COMPLETING SECONDARY EDUCATION (AROUND AGE XIV-XVI) TO` `PARTICIPATE. THE EXAMS REMAIN OPEN TO ANYONE YET TO RECEIVE AN` `INVITATION FROM A CHURCH.` `PAST APOSTLE EXAMS` `I.LIGHT II.FIRE III.WATER IV.STONE V.WIND VI.LIGHTNING VII.GREEN VIII.GRAVITY` `IX.POLES X.TIME XI.SPACE XII.LIGHT XIII.FIRE XIV.WATER XV.STONE XVI.WIND` `XVII.LIGHTNING XVIII.GREEN XIX.POLES XX.GRAVITY XXI.TIME` `XXII.SPACE XXIII.DARKNESS [XXIV.LIGHT]` ## Characters (in order of appearance) --- - [[Zeila Newton]] - [[Jara Dumfries]] - [[René Adelaide]] - [[Decapre]] (debut) - [[Maxine Faraday]] (debut) - [[Tini Charre]] - [[Isaac]] - [[Alice d'Arnaud]] - [[Robin Reyes]] - [[Curie]] - [[William Sterling]] - [[Marie Adonai]] - [[Kristof Nikola]] - [[Andrea Tommasi]] - [[Gordon Alastair]] - [[Juno Soleil]] - [[Alice d'Arnaud]] - [[Lucia Pao]] - [[Temi Fayowa]] - [[Rhoda Sakhir]]