OP
ZerbanDaGreat
Daemon Noble of D E M O G R A P H I C S
- Pronouns
- They/them
The Great War, the War To End All Wars. The unwashed mundane masses ascribe this name to the first World War, the churning quagmire of cold mud and colder death machines that consumed some forty million lives. Well-bred magi, considering such a figure a drop in the proverbial bucket, ascribe it to the Third Holy Grail War of 1934. A war between not just the three great founding houses, but four representatives of outside families as well. A grand battle royale between mages, and familiars drawn from the image of ancient heroes, over the grand prize of a wish. Few understood the truth of the matter. Fewer still survived. The Lesser Grail was destroyed untouched, its power recycled into its greater half. The Greater Grail was exhumed and stolen, transported far from Fuyuki's shores. The knowledge required to replicate it, even as a shallow imitation, propagated across the world. The moonlit world was in an uproar. Who would dare steal such a powerful relic, such a sacred relic, from beneath their very noses?
As war erupted once more across Europe, the thief's identity was revealed, forcing the magi to consider the world around them - for if a figure so public as the Fuhrer were to subvert the Grail's power so openly and blatantly, then how could the security and stability of their way of life be preserved? Magi were forced to concern themselves with the affairs of mundanes, and even fight by their side. A furious Grail War was fought in the heart of Nazi Germany in 1944, only narrowly sparing the world the consequences it may have unleashed. Once again the Lesser Grail was destroyed, once again the Greater vanished. The Axis struggled to hold on, but in their cruelty and depravity they had left themselves standing on feet of clay.
There would be peace in only the most fleeting, fragile sense. The world was divided - East and West, moonlit and mundane. A long, cold war began for them all. Enforcers scoured the globe, hunting far and wide for some sign of where the Greater Grail had been taken - knowing that their time was short, knowing now that with the destruction of the Lesser they had only ten years to find it before the next War. It was eventually tracked to East Germany, contained and studied in an old Nazi research base by Soviet scientists and aligned magic-users. Another Grail War took place, another shadowy conflict with heavy losses on both sides. Another near-complete failure as the Greater Grail sank back into the shadows.
That has finally ended. The year is 1964, and the Grail has resurfaced. Reports have left Switzerland of large-scale magic at work, of a group that can only be NATO working on studying the artefact in secret, and of what must be all seven Servants working together in a concealed facility somewhere in the vicinity of Engelburg. Disheartening news indeed, for in the previous two incidents enough places in these desperate Wars were secured for the Association to at least have a fighting chance. Surely now their only hope is to activate the Great Grail War failsafe and summon their own allied faction, burning out the heart of the Grail so that no one else may claim it?
Not so. With the help of an experienced Church liaison, and a certain expert from the Clock Tower, a loophole has been found. By triggering the failsafe without fully manifesting the allied Servants, the Grail's core can be preserved for future use. These half-manifested Heroic Spirits will be placed into special Mystic Codes known as Class Cards, so that their skills and abilities can be called upon at will. With these cards, an elite team of combat-capable Magi will be sent to strike deep into the heart of enemy territory, uncover what they intend from the Grail, and destroy them with extreme prejudice.
TEMPLATES
Each ingame day phase and night phase will last precisely seven days from the moment I call for a change-over, albeit with special allowances should real-life circumstances somehow interfere. This will keep momentum even if I have to fly to all your houses and beat you with jumper cables myself.
As this is a strictly cooperative PvE effort, sheets can be posted publically in the thread so that everyone's sure they can work well with each other. All those who don't eventually get in, I cordially invite you to stick around and use this thread as a peanut gallery instead - actual 'OOC' talk will take place chiefly on the Discord server, leaving plenty of room for you to hopefully enjoy this RP just as much as you would one of my other projects.
RED TEAM
Saber: @Icarus
Archer: @LupineVolt
Lancer: @Dekutulla
Rider: @Wade Garrett
Caster: @RexHeller
Assassin: @Havocfett
Berserker: @Squirtodyle
Avenger: @TenfoldShields
As war erupted once more across Europe, the thief's identity was revealed, forcing the magi to consider the world around them - for if a figure so public as the Fuhrer were to subvert the Grail's power so openly and blatantly, then how could the security and stability of their way of life be preserved? Magi were forced to concern themselves with the affairs of mundanes, and even fight by their side. A furious Grail War was fought in the heart of Nazi Germany in 1944, only narrowly sparing the world the consequences it may have unleashed. Once again the Lesser Grail was destroyed, once again the Greater vanished. The Axis struggled to hold on, but in their cruelty and depravity they had left themselves standing on feet of clay.
There would be peace in only the most fleeting, fragile sense. The world was divided - East and West, moonlit and mundane. A long, cold war began for them all. Enforcers scoured the globe, hunting far and wide for some sign of where the Greater Grail had been taken - knowing that their time was short, knowing now that with the destruction of the Lesser they had only ten years to find it before the next War. It was eventually tracked to East Germany, contained and studied in an old Nazi research base by Soviet scientists and aligned magic-users. Another Grail War took place, another shadowy conflict with heavy losses on both sides. Another near-complete failure as the Greater Grail sank back into the shadows.
That has finally ended. The year is 1964, and the Grail has resurfaced. Reports have left Switzerland of large-scale magic at work, of a group that can only be NATO working on studying the artefact in secret, and of what must be all seven Servants working together in a concealed facility somewhere in the vicinity of Engelburg. Disheartening news indeed, for in the previous two incidents enough places in these desperate Wars were secured for the Association to at least have a fighting chance. Surely now their only hope is to activate the Great Grail War failsafe and summon their own allied faction, burning out the heart of the Grail so that no one else may claim it?
Not so. With the help of an experienced Church liaison, and a certain expert from the Clock Tower, a loophole has been found. By triggering the failsafe without fully manifesting the allied Servants, the Grail's core can be preserved for future use. These half-manifested Heroic Spirits will be placed into special Mystic Codes known as Class Cards, so that their skills and abilities can be called upon at will. With these cards, an elite team of combat-capable Magi will be sent to strike deep into the heart of enemy territory, uncover what they intend from the Grail, and destroy them with extreme prejudice.
TEMPLATES
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Element:
Origin:
Description:
Magecraft:
Family History:
Mystic Code (if applicable):
Age:
Gender:
Element:
Origin:
Description:
Magecraft:
Family History:
Mystic Code (if applicable):
Class:
True Name:
Gender:
Alignment/Traits:
Cultural Sphere:
Strength:
Endurance:
Agility:
Magic:
Luck:
Class Skills:
Personal Skills:
Noble Phantasms:
Biography:
Include: [This is where you define what will happen when you merge your chosen Class Card with whatever Mystic Code you're using. Your time limit when using this mode is determined by the rank/overall potency of the chosen weapon or Noble Phantasm - Excalibur would burn out relatively quickly but just turning it into Kojirou's katana would last basically as long as you want. Depending on the spirit in your Card you can choose to have Include mode be entirely useless akin to Archer's bow in Prillya, which means a little more leeway with your Install timer. There is a cooldown period, again determined by the potency of the item being reproduced.]
Install: [This is where you define what happens to you when you merge with your chosen Class Card. Your time limit in this mode (and corresponding cooldown) is determined by the overall power of the spirit, taking into account stats and skills and Noble Phantasm quantity-quality. You will burn out the card quicker by expending more energy (Mana Bursting, firing off Invisible Air, etc etc), and achieving greater synchronisation with the spirit will reward you with a longer timer/shorter cooldown/both.]
I get final say as to when either mode times out, but sufficiently policing yourselves in that regard will make me very agreeable. Extra Classes are permitted within reason.
True Name:
Gender:
Alignment/Traits:
Cultural Sphere:
Strength:
Endurance:
Agility:
Magic:
Luck:
Class Skills:
Personal Skills:
Noble Phantasms:
Biography:
Include: [This is where you define what will happen when you merge your chosen Class Card with whatever Mystic Code you're using. Your time limit when using this mode is determined by the rank/overall potency of the chosen weapon or Noble Phantasm - Excalibur would burn out relatively quickly but just turning it into Kojirou's katana would last basically as long as you want. Depending on the spirit in your Card you can choose to have Include mode be entirely useless akin to Archer's bow in Prillya, which means a little more leeway with your Install timer. There is a cooldown period, again determined by the potency of the item being reproduced.]
Install: [This is where you define what happens to you when you merge with your chosen Class Card. Your time limit in this mode (and corresponding cooldown) is determined by the overall power of the spirit, taking into account stats and skills and Noble Phantasm quantity-quality. You will burn out the card quicker by expending more energy (Mana Bursting, firing off Invisible Air, etc etc), and achieving greater synchronisation with the spirit will reward you with a longer timer/shorter cooldown/both.]
I get final say as to when either mode times out, but sufficiently policing yourselves in that regard will make me very agreeable. Extra Classes are permitted within reason.
Each ingame day phase and night phase will last precisely seven days from the moment I call for a change-over, albeit with special allowances should real-life circumstances somehow interfere. This will keep momentum even if I have to fly to all your houses and beat you with jumper cables myself.
As this is a strictly cooperative PvE effort, sheets can be posted publically in the thread so that everyone's sure they can work well with each other. All those who don't eventually get in, I cordially invite you to stick around and use this thread as a peanut gallery instead - actual 'OOC' talk will take place chiefly on the Discord server, leaving plenty of room for you to hopefully enjoy this RP just as much as you would one of my other projects.
RED TEAM
Saber: @Icarus
Name: Huh Hyun-suk
Age: 19
Gender: Female
Element: Fire
Origin: Vessel
Description:
The "Liberation War" shattered the very identity of the Korean people, who had survived as a unified society for over a thousand years. Eleven years after the abortive end of the conflict, the scars are still visible. Burned out villages surrounded by unexploded shells and minefields line the newly formed Korean Demilitarized Zone, and the first generation of Koreans raised on the divided peninsula are taking their first steps into adulthood.
Huh Hyun-suk is one such child, stolen from her family home on the outskirts of Daegu in Southern Korea and 'adopted' into the family of a Northern government minister in the opening months of the war. Originally seeking a powerful mage to contribute in the study of the Greater Grail, The Korean People's Army instead found a potential vessel for the Lesser Grail.
History, however, had other plans for Hyun-suk. With the disappearance of the Greater Grail, Hyun-suk was indoctrinated and trained as an intelligence agent of the Democratic People's Republic, and prepared as a candidate for the next Grail War.
Eleven years later, Hyun-suk would appear the ideal picture of a stalinist military official. Her olive green uniform, though baggy and ill-fitting, is obsessively pressed and detailed abundantly with the red frills and orders of the Worker's Party. Her hair, cut short to the same mercilessly bland style of every other woman in the country, is topped with a green beret. A black armband has the numbers "124" inked in red.
Hyun-suk is characterized by a cold demeanor and bouts of psychosis, exacerbated by the paranoia of her line of work. Unfriendly to her peers and outright hostile to strangers, its unclear how much of her failure to communicate is her social dysfunction and how much is a legitimate language barrier. Dark circles under her eyes and a permanent scowl betray an irritability likely compounded by sleeplessness.
Magecraft:
Witchcraft: As a practitioner of Korean shamanism, Hyun-suk has access to a variety of ritual curses and blessings involving the control of local spirits.
Shinmyeong: Korean shamans gain their strength from channelling the spirits around them. This 'divine wind' can manifest itself in many ways depending on the nature of the spirit, but will generally involve the spirit possessing the shaman's body, granting them awareness over their domain and magecraft relevant to their nature at the expense of self-control and bouts of physical pain and psychosis in extreme cases.
Family History: Though Hyun-suk's original name and family have been lost to her, her lineage can be traced back to the early founders of civilisation on the Korean peninsula. Though shamans place little stock in the concept of a 'pure' bloodline, and don't value inheritance in the way of western mages, shaman families take fierce pride in their royal and often divine lineage.
Mystic Code:
Gangshin-Bujeok: Though shamans practice most of their craft through personal rites, the application of talismans enhances the manipulation of benevolent and evil spirits alike without the need for significant preparation.
Hyun-suk's talisman, gifted to her by her birth mother, allows her to capture and store spirits in a cooperative hive mind that can be channelled by the wearer in emergency situations.
The side-effects of possession are only heightened with the strength and number of spirits stored in the talisman, and the risk of circuit overload can kill the user or just as easily drive them insane.
Consulting the spirits for information, while a less dangerous alternative, still risks the chance of the spirits' bleeding into the wearer's behavior and personality.
Age: 19
Gender: Female
Element: Fire
Origin: Vessel
Description:
The "Liberation War" shattered the very identity of the Korean people, who had survived as a unified society for over a thousand years. Eleven years after the abortive end of the conflict, the scars are still visible. Burned out villages surrounded by unexploded shells and minefields line the newly formed Korean Demilitarized Zone, and the first generation of Koreans raised on the divided peninsula are taking their first steps into adulthood.
Huh Hyun-suk is one such child, stolen from her family home on the outskirts of Daegu in Southern Korea and 'adopted' into the family of a Northern government minister in the opening months of the war. Originally seeking a powerful mage to contribute in the study of the Greater Grail, The Korean People's Army instead found a potential vessel for the Lesser Grail.
History, however, had other plans for Hyun-suk. With the disappearance of the Greater Grail, Hyun-suk was indoctrinated and trained as an intelligence agent of the Democratic People's Republic, and prepared as a candidate for the next Grail War.
Eleven years later, Hyun-suk would appear the ideal picture of a stalinist military official. Her olive green uniform, though baggy and ill-fitting, is obsessively pressed and detailed abundantly with the red frills and orders of the Worker's Party. Her hair, cut short to the same mercilessly bland style of every other woman in the country, is topped with a green beret. A black armband has the numbers "124" inked in red.
Hyun-suk is characterized by a cold demeanor and bouts of psychosis, exacerbated by the paranoia of her line of work. Unfriendly to her peers and outright hostile to strangers, its unclear how much of her failure to communicate is her social dysfunction and how much is a legitimate language barrier. Dark circles under her eyes and a permanent scowl betray an irritability likely compounded by sleeplessness.
Magecraft:
Witchcraft: As a practitioner of Korean shamanism, Hyun-suk has access to a variety of ritual curses and blessings involving the control of local spirits.
Shinmyeong: Korean shamans gain their strength from channelling the spirits around them. This 'divine wind' can manifest itself in many ways depending on the nature of the spirit, but will generally involve the spirit possessing the shaman's body, granting them awareness over their domain and magecraft relevant to their nature at the expense of self-control and bouts of physical pain and psychosis in extreme cases.
Family History: Though Hyun-suk's original name and family have been lost to her, her lineage can be traced back to the early founders of civilisation on the Korean peninsula. Though shamans place little stock in the concept of a 'pure' bloodline, and don't value inheritance in the way of western mages, shaman families take fierce pride in their royal and often divine lineage.
Mystic Code:
Gangshin-Bujeok: Though shamans practice most of their craft through personal rites, the application of talismans enhances the manipulation of benevolent and evil spirits alike without the need for significant preparation.
Hyun-suk's talisman, gifted to her by her birth mother, allows her to capture and store spirits in a cooperative hive mind that can be channelled by the wearer in emergency situations.
The side-effects of possession are only heightened with the strength and number of spirits stored in the talisman, and the risk of circuit overload can kill the user or just as easily drive them insane.
Consulting the spirits for information, while a less dangerous alternative, still risks the chance of the spirits' bleeding into the wearer's behavior and personality.
Class: Saber
True Name: Yagyuu Tajima-no-Kami Munenori
Gender: Male
Alignment/Traits: Lawful Neutral. Machiavellian, dispassionate, rational.
Cultural Sphere: Japanese
Strength: B
Endurance: D
Agility: A++
Magic: E
Luck: B
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance C: Cancel spells with a chant below two verses. Cannot defend against magecraft on the level of High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals.
Riding B: Most vehicles and animals can be handled with above average skill, even vehicles that did not exist in the time period one was alive in, for they are no exception. However, cannot ride the likes of Phantasmal Species
Personal Skills:
Shinkage-ryū A++: Munenori possesses not only the comprehensive knowledge of the sword techniques of the Shinkage-ryū, but also resistance to mental attacks. As an expert of the Shinkage-ryu, Munenori has the ability to recognize and avoid many of the same deceptions employed in his own fighting style.
Nothingness B: "No-mind"is the highest order a swordsman can attain. Freed of all thought and worry, a swordsman reaches their pinnacle when the mind is empty. When the mind has nothing, only then can it See. And if one is nothing, they are thus invincible.
No-Sword Capture A: 'Beat the grass and scare up the snake'. No-Sword is a technique based on surprising your opponent to cause their mind to become agitated. Whether its being blinded by the sun or distracted by a cast pebble, deception and surprise are the keys to achieving victory when disarmed. If you have attained mastery of swordlessness, you will never be without a sword.
Noble Phantasms:
Kenjutsu Musō A: The concept of "no mind" is the foundation of all teachings of the Shinkage-ryū. Thinking of nothing gives you the ability to judge matters rationally, and looking at nothing gives you the ability to see everything.
Just so, the Kenjutsu Musō is not so much a single technique as a state of being, freeing the user from worldly thoughts and allowing them to perceive their opponent without distraction.
The user becomes aware of every opening or advantage available in combat, and can apply it into a killing blow. There may be a hundred stances and sword positions available, but you win with just one.
Biography:
A man titled by his pupils as "Peerless in Swordsmanship", Munenori achieved the ultimate practice of The Way without the use of a blade in one's hand. As a strategist and politician during the earliest days of the Edo period, Munenori instructed the second and third Tokugawa shoguns with an almost machiavellian sense of statesmanship along with the arts of the sword. His teachings in the style of the Shinkage-ryū spread throughout Japan, and became a formative experience to the young samurai who would go on to lead the nation in lasting time of peace.
Cunning and honest to a fault, Munenori proved indispensable as an advisor to the early Tokugawa Shogunate and raised his clan to the heights of power in the land through merit and long years of service. Even as a single samurai, Munenori's feats have become legend. By cutting down seven warriors in an instant during the Siege of Osaka, Munenori protected the future Shogun Hidetada and arguably preserved the peace of the nation for decades to come.
In accordance with his own teachings, Yagyu Munenori demonstrated that swordsmanship was the art of killing the evil of one man to give life to ten thousand.
Include: The merger of Huh's talisman and Munenori's mushin state allows for the shaman to ward off the risk of psychic overload when channeling her talisman for a few minutes at a time.
Failure to conclude channeling before the Include fails could result in an even more catastrophic overload than under normal circumstances, up to and including permanent possession and death.
Install: In addition to Munenori's sword skills, the Class Card Install also grants Hyun-suk an advantage to the channeling and manipulation of local spirits due to the latent effects of the "Nothingness" skills. As long as she doesn't mind the additional voice in her head.
True Name: Yagyuu Tajima-no-Kami Munenori
Gender: Male
Alignment/Traits: Lawful Neutral. Machiavellian, dispassionate, rational.
Cultural Sphere: Japanese
Strength: B
Endurance: D
Agility: A++
Magic: E
Luck: B
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance C: Cancel spells with a chant below two verses. Cannot defend against magecraft on the level of High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals.
Riding B: Most vehicles and animals can be handled with above average skill, even vehicles that did not exist in the time period one was alive in, for they are no exception. However, cannot ride the likes of Phantasmal Species
Personal Skills:
Shinkage-ryū A++: Munenori possesses not only the comprehensive knowledge of the sword techniques of the Shinkage-ryū, but also resistance to mental attacks. As an expert of the Shinkage-ryu, Munenori has the ability to recognize and avoid many of the same deceptions employed in his own fighting style.
Nothingness B: "No-mind"is the highest order a swordsman can attain. Freed of all thought and worry, a swordsman reaches their pinnacle when the mind is empty. When the mind has nothing, only then can it See. And if one is nothing, they are thus invincible.
No-Sword Capture A: 'Beat the grass and scare up the snake'. No-Sword is a technique based on surprising your opponent to cause their mind to become agitated. Whether its being blinded by the sun or distracted by a cast pebble, deception and surprise are the keys to achieving victory when disarmed. If you have attained mastery of swordlessness, you will never be without a sword.
Noble Phantasms:
Kenjutsu Musō A: The concept of "no mind" is the foundation of all teachings of the Shinkage-ryū. Thinking of nothing gives you the ability to judge matters rationally, and looking at nothing gives you the ability to see everything.
Just so, the Kenjutsu Musō is not so much a single technique as a state of being, freeing the user from worldly thoughts and allowing them to perceive their opponent without distraction.
The user becomes aware of every opening or advantage available in combat, and can apply it into a killing blow. There may be a hundred stances and sword positions available, but you win with just one.
Biography:
A man titled by his pupils as "Peerless in Swordsmanship", Munenori achieved the ultimate practice of The Way without the use of a blade in one's hand. As a strategist and politician during the earliest days of the Edo period, Munenori instructed the second and third Tokugawa shoguns with an almost machiavellian sense of statesmanship along with the arts of the sword. His teachings in the style of the Shinkage-ryū spread throughout Japan, and became a formative experience to the young samurai who would go on to lead the nation in lasting time of peace.
Cunning and honest to a fault, Munenori proved indispensable as an advisor to the early Tokugawa Shogunate and raised his clan to the heights of power in the land through merit and long years of service. Even as a single samurai, Munenori's feats have become legend. By cutting down seven warriors in an instant during the Siege of Osaka, Munenori protected the future Shogun Hidetada and arguably preserved the peace of the nation for decades to come.
In accordance with his own teachings, Yagyu Munenori demonstrated that swordsmanship was the art of killing the evil of one man to give life to ten thousand.
Include: The merger of Huh's talisman and Munenori's mushin state allows for the shaman to ward off the risk of psychic overload when channeling her talisman for a few minutes at a time.
Failure to conclude channeling before the Include fails could result in an even more catastrophic overload than under normal circumstances, up to and including permanent possession and death.
Install: In addition to Munenori's sword skills, the Class Card Install also grants Hyun-suk an advantage to the channeling and manipulation of local spirits due to the latent effects of the "Nothingness" skills. As long as she doesn't mind the additional voice in her head.
Archer: @LupineVolt
Name: Bertrice Widogast Yggdmillennia
Age: 27
Gender: Female
Element: Earth
Origin: Isolation
Description: A young woman who wears the familiar sigils of the young Yggdmillennia 'family', with a white buttoned uniform and black slacks. Over that, however, she wears a dark green trenchcoat made of leather, from which a single, white flower protrudes from the sleeve at her left wrist. Her brunette hair is kept in a messy high ponytail, and she wears a pair of horn-rimmed glasses over her green eyes. She is roughly 5'3, with caucasian skin and a slight build.
Magecraft: Botany. The Widogast family, before their slide into irrelevance, owed their roots to a circle of germanic druids. They often used their own bodies as vectors to create and adapt to various plantlife.
Bertrice may accelerate the growth of plant life, reinforce plant matter, and control it as a familiar. She may also cause mutations in the plantlifs she touches. She also has developed an immunity to plant derived toxins.
Family History: The house of Widogast traces their roots back to the druidic circles of the ostrogoths. Through the history of Europe, they cultivated and made a fortune off of their groves and orchards, both mundane and magical. Many mages seeking reagents had no choice but to come to them.
Then the war came. During the conflict, the family had sided with the Clock Tower, supplying their agents in mainland Europe. This was noticed by mages to their native Germany, and the Widogast lands were seized and razed.
After the war, the Widogast family was on the brink of destruction following the loss of their land and resources. Other botanical mages saw a niche opening and entered business, leaving the monopoly broken. Bertrude was born after the fall of the house of Widogast, and when she was young, her mother and father signed their allegiance to the house of Yggdmillennia.
Mystic Code (if applicable): Juwel des Schwarzwaldes: Once, the house of Widogast protected a Grove in the dark forest with a great dryad blessing. Their most prized possession was a great and magical plant that could produce new forms of plantlife on demand. During the destruction of the Widogast lands, only a cutting could be saved before the original was burned. This plant is kept in a special jacket, and feeds off of Bertrice's blood as opposed to regular soil and water. Typically, only one blossom will be visible protruding from her jacket's wrist. The another one appears at the back of the neck of her jacket, a third one hidden within her right jacket pocket, and a third at the base of her spine.
The plant is sentient and recognizes it's master and protector, often pleading for attention whenever she removes the jacket and sets it aside. The vine is strong enough to ensnare anyone who is foolish enough to get close without it's masters permission. The vine extends to six feet long from root to tip. When commanded, the plant may produce a seed of any earthly origin. Or a seed for a plant with the characteristics of multiple mundane plants. Such as a blueberry seed that produces berries tainted with yew poison, or luminsecent rose bushes. These seeds may be produced from any of its four flowering blossoms, which temporarilly close before disgorging the desired seed.
Age: 27
Gender: Female
Element: Earth
Origin: Isolation
Description: A young woman who wears the familiar sigils of the young Yggdmillennia 'family', with a white buttoned uniform and black slacks. Over that, however, she wears a dark green trenchcoat made of leather, from which a single, white flower protrudes from the sleeve at her left wrist. Her brunette hair is kept in a messy high ponytail, and she wears a pair of horn-rimmed glasses over her green eyes. She is roughly 5'3, with caucasian skin and a slight build.
Magecraft: Botany. The Widogast family, before their slide into irrelevance, owed their roots to a circle of germanic druids. They often used their own bodies as vectors to create and adapt to various plantlife.
Bertrice may accelerate the growth of plant life, reinforce plant matter, and control it as a familiar. She may also cause mutations in the plantlifs she touches. She also has developed an immunity to plant derived toxins.
Family History: The house of Widogast traces their roots back to the druidic circles of the ostrogoths. Through the history of Europe, they cultivated and made a fortune off of their groves and orchards, both mundane and magical. Many mages seeking reagents had no choice but to come to them.
Then the war came. During the conflict, the family had sided with the Clock Tower, supplying their agents in mainland Europe. This was noticed by mages to their native Germany, and the Widogast lands were seized and razed.
After the war, the Widogast family was on the brink of destruction following the loss of their land and resources. Other botanical mages saw a niche opening and entered business, leaving the monopoly broken. Bertrude was born after the fall of the house of Widogast, and when she was young, her mother and father signed their allegiance to the house of Yggdmillennia.
Mystic Code (if applicable): Juwel des Schwarzwaldes: Once, the house of Widogast protected a Grove in the dark forest with a great dryad blessing. Their most prized possession was a great and magical plant that could produce new forms of plantlife on demand. During the destruction of the Widogast lands, only a cutting could be saved before the original was burned. This plant is kept in a special jacket, and feeds off of Bertrice's blood as opposed to regular soil and water. Typically, only one blossom will be visible protruding from her jacket's wrist. The another one appears at the back of the neck of her jacket, a third one hidden within her right jacket pocket, and a third at the base of her spine.
The plant is sentient and recognizes it's master and protector, often pleading for attention whenever she removes the jacket and sets it aside. The vine is strong enough to ensnare anyone who is foolish enough to get close without it's masters permission. The vine extends to six feet long from root to tip. When commanded, the plant may produce a seed of any earthly origin. Or a seed for a plant with the characteristics of multiple mundane plants. Such as a blueberry seed that produces berries tainted with yew poison, or luminsecent rose bushes. These seeds may be produced from any of its four flowering blossoms, which temporarilly close before disgorging the desired seed.
Class: Archer
True Name: Robin Hood
Gender: Male
Alignment/Traits: Neutral Good, Anti-Hero, Fae touched, druidic magic, ginger
Cultural Sphere: England
Strength: C
Endurance: C
Agility: B
Magic: B
Luck: B
Class Skills:
Independant Action: A
The ability to remain manifest without a master. As a heroic spirit, Robin Hood could maintain himself without a mana supply for up to a week. The effects of this with class cards has yet to be explored.
Magic Resistance: D
The ability to resist magical workings. Robin Hood encountered very little in the way of sorcery in his adventures, so this largely is an addition of the servant container. This blunts the damage taken by magical based attacks.
Personal Skills:
Sabotage: A
A master of guerilla warfare, Robin Hood could disable up to 60% of an opposing enemy force given enough preperation time.
Golden Rule: E
The capacity for one to gather and use wealth. Robin may draw mana by spending material value.
Noble Phantasms:
No Face May King: The Faceless King
B Ranked Personal Noble Phantasm
The cloak of the one known as The Faceless King, this mantle is worn by all who take up the name Robin Hood. It allows one to pass unseen, acting in the manner of a Presence Concealment skill. It does not hide magical energy, but it does fool the eye and nose. While enemies may detect that they are being attacked by Robin Hood, locating him is a more difficult matter.
Yew Bow: The Bow of Prayer
D Ranked Anti-Person Noble Phantasm
A bow carved from the Yew Tree, sacred to the druids that this incarnation of Robin Hood was once raised by. The arrows of this crossbow are tipped with the poison of the yew tree, though that is not their true power.
When the bow's name is announced, it disables the mantle of the Faceless King for a short time. All toxins within the target's blood stream are amplified and purged with force, to devastating effect, akin to an explosion.
Biography: There were many who held the title of Robin Hood, the fearless leader of the noble outlaws of Sherwood Forest. This one was a loner by nature, admittedly. The son of a druid, raised and taught by the faeries, the village people didn't trust the young man. But still, he fought for their sake, protecting them from the corrupt officials who ruled their land. In the end the young man was betrayed and hung, and his body was laid to rest beneath a yew tree, where his final arrow had landed.
Include: When included, the blossom protruding from Bertrice's right sleeve takes on the appearance of The Yew Bow, a crossbow painted in deep green. The blossom poking out of the back of the neck of her outfit becomes the quiver, which automatically generates crossbow bolts.
Install: Bertrice's jacket takes on the appearance of No Face May King, the magical cloak of Robin Hood, and the Yew Bow is mounted in place on her left wrist. Her Yggdmillennia uniform changes to a deep green/blue color, and her slacks change from black to dark green. Muffled rap music plays in the distance as bluebirds begin to flutter around her head.
True Name: Robin Hood
Gender: Male
Alignment/Traits: Neutral Good, Anti-Hero, Fae touched, druidic magic, ginger
Cultural Sphere: England
Strength: C
Endurance: C
Agility: B
Magic: B
Luck: B
Class Skills:
Independant Action: A
The ability to remain manifest without a master. As a heroic spirit, Robin Hood could maintain himself without a mana supply for up to a week. The effects of this with class cards has yet to be explored.
Magic Resistance: D
The ability to resist magical workings. Robin Hood encountered very little in the way of sorcery in his adventures, so this largely is an addition of the servant container. This blunts the damage taken by magical based attacks.
Personal Skills:
Sabotage: A
A master of guerilla warfare, Robin Hood could disable up to 60% of an opposing enemy force given enough preperation time.
Golden Rule: E
The capacity for one to gather and use wealth. Robin may draw mana by spending material value.
Noble Phantasms:
No Face May King: The Faceless King
B Ranked Personal Noble Phantasm
The cloak of the one known as The Faceless King, this mantle is worn by all who take up the name Robin Hood. It allows one to pass unseen, acting in the manner of a Presence Concealment skill. It does not hide magical energy, but it does fool the eye and nose. While enemies may detect that they are being attacked by Robin Hood, locating him is a more difficult matter.
Yew Bow: The Bow of Prayer
D Ranked Anti-Person Noble Phantasm
A bow carved from the Yew Tree, sacred to the druids that this incarnation of Robin Hood was once raised by. The arrows of this crossbow are tipped with the poison of the yew tree, though that is not their true power.
When the bow's name is announced, it disables the mantle of the Faceless King for a short time. All toxins within the target's blood stream are amplified and purged with force, to devastating effect, akin to an explosion.
Biography: There were many who held the title of Robin Hood, the fearless leader of the noble outlaws of Sherwood Forest. This one was a loner by nature, admittedly. The son of a druid, raised and taught by the faeries, the village people didn't trust the young man. But still, he fought for their sake, protecting them from the corrupt officials who ruled their land. In the end the young man was betrayed and hung, and his body was laid to rest beneath a yew tree, where his final arrow had landed.
Include: When included, the blossom protruding from Bertrice's right sleeve takes on the appearance of The Yew Bow, a crossbow painted in deep green. The blossom poking out of the back of the neck of her outfit becomes the quiver, which automatically generates crossbow bolts.
Install: Bertrice's jacket takes on the appearance of No Face May King, the magical cloak of Robin Hood, and the Yew Bow is mounted in place on her left wrist. Her Yggdmillennia uniform changes to a deep green/blue color, and her slacks change from black to dark green. Muffled rap music plays in the distance as bluebirds begin to flutter around her head.
Lancer: @Dekutulla
Name: Marianna Engel-Yeyi Ocelotl
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Element: Wind
Origin: Lust
Description:
A short, muscular woman, Marianna stands out from the typical magus woman. While most magi, man or woman, use magecraft to enhance their bodies and their fighting capabilities - to the extent that even the most petite of girls might be mistaken as having 'rippling muscles' - Marianna gained her strength from hard labor and consistent exercise. Brusque and short-tempered, Marianna has little patience for negotiations or diplomacy - if intimidation doesn't get immediate results, she'd rather just use force to get what she wants than to waste time with useless talking. Poor interpersonal skills aside, she is a dedicated researcher, and while not particularly friendly about it does appreciate the opportunity to discuss her work with others who understand its value.
Magecraft:
Blood Magic - Marianna was taught the basic forms of ritualistic bloodletting by her mother, both inflicted on others and on oneself. Given time and a small space, she can perform rites to the Mexica pantheon, gaining slight boons in exchange for blood. These enhancements are as varied as they are useful, but none are particularly flashy. A prayer to Huitzilopacthli can sharpen her blades, to Tlazolteotl can cure ailments, and so on. The one god she cannot recieve from is Quetzalcoatl, for his distaste of blood sours the tribute.
Woad Familiar - A somewhat less impressive gift from her father, Marianna is capable of creating small, earthen familiars from moist earth. These tiny mudmen are capable of swimming through the ground within a certain range of Marianna, and of performing basic functions. Oftentimes, clumps of soft dirt can be found around her study while she delves into her research, the familiars performing the menial tasks she herself is too busy for.
Family History:
Marianna's paternal family has no particular prestige among the clocktower, but neither are they exceedingly poor in talent or wealth. A German magus family specializing in golems which dated back some couple hundred years, they had stayed unnoticed aside from their contributions to the clocktower's (literal) dirty work. Her mother, on the other hand, descended from a long line of Mexica priests, as old as the Empire's founding itself. Though more pragmatic relatives assumed her father's marriage was simply to reinvigorate the family's inheritance, by all accounts their meeting in Brazil was true love at first site. It is a source of some embarrassment for Marianna that her parents seem to go off on romantic world tours as often as they spend time actually studying the magecraft of the Americas.
Mystic Code:
Māctepoztli - A Mystic Code unique to Marianna, the Māctepoztli is a heavily modified chainsaw, usable in one hand when idle or two when activated. The saw is useless for cutting wood, it's teeth having been replaced by custom ceramic blades, each enchanted to cut through magical defenses. The guidebar is is engraved with various tributes to the gods, and embedded with jade. The engine of the saw has been compacted as much as possible, and rebalanced so as to be held in a grip aligned to the center of the blade rather than an overhand grip. As such, the Māctepoztli can effectively be used as a Mācuahuitl when turned off. The weapon is incredibly dangerous when turned on, especially for magi expecting to be hit by magecraft or enhanced martial arts, rather than rows of blades moving a mile a minute.
The Māctepoztli can be refueled with regular unleaded, diesel, or consecrated blood. The carrying case is quite nice and a righteous pain to keep clean.
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Element: Wind
Origin: Lust
Description:
A short, muscular woman, Marianna stands out from the typical magus woman. While most magi, man or woman, use magecraft to enhance their bodies and their fighting capabilities - to the extent that even the most petite of girls might be mistaken as having 'rippling muscles' - Marianna gained her strength from hard labor and consistent exercise. Brusque and short-tempered, Marianna has little patience for negotiations or diplomacy - if intimidation doesn't get immediate results, she'd rather just use force to get what she wants than to waste time with useless talking. Poor interpersonal skills aside, she is a dedicated researcher, and while not particularly friendly about it does appreciate the opportunity to discuss her work with others who understand its value.
Magecraft:
Blood Magic - Marianna was taught the basic forms of ritualistic bloodletting by her mother, both inflicted on others and on oneself. Given time and a small space, she can perform rites to the Mexica pantheon, gaining slight boons in exchange for blood. These enhancements are as varied as they are useful, but none are particularly flashy. A prayer to Huitzilopacthli can sharpen her blades, to Tlazolteotl can cure ailments, and so on. The one god she cannot recieve from is Quetzalcoatl, for his distaste of blood sours the tribute.
Woad Familiar - A somewhat less impressive gift from her father, Marianna is capable of creating small, earthen familiars from moist earth. These tiny mudmen are capable of swimming through the ground within a certain range of Marianna, and of performing basic functions. Oftentimes, clumps of soft dirt can be found around her study while she delves into her research, the familiars performing the menial tasks she herself is too busy for.
Family History:
Marianna's paternal family has no particular prestige among the clocktower, but neither are they exceedingly poor in talent or wealth. A German magus family specializing in golems which dated back some couple hundred years, they had stayed unnoticed aside from their contributions to the clocktower's (literal) dirty work. Her mother, on the other hand, descended from a long line of Mexica priests, as old as the Empire's founding itself. Though more pragmatic relatives assumed her father's marriage was simply to reinvigorate the family's inheritance, by all accounts their meeting in Brazil was true love at first site. It is a source of some embarrassment for Marianna that her parents seem to go off on romantic world tours as often as they spend time actually studying the magecraft of the Americas.
Mystic Code:
Māctepoztli - A Mystic Code unique to Marianna, the Māctepoztli is a heavily modified chainsaw, usable in one hand when idle or two when activated. The saw is useless for cutting wood, it's teeth having been replaced by custom ceramic blades, each enchanted to cut through magical defenses. The guidebar is is engraved with various tributes to the gods, and embedded with jade. The engine of the saw has been compacted as much as possible, and rebalanced so as to be held in a grip aligned to the center of the blade rather than an overhand grip. As such, the Māctepoztli can effectively be used as a Mācuahuitl when turned off. The weapon is incredibly dangerous when turned on, especially for magi expecting to be hit by magecraft or enhanced martial arts, rather than rows of blades moving a mile a minute.
The Māctepoztli can be refueled with regular unleaded, diesel, or consecrated blood. The carrying case is quite nice and a righteous pain to keep clean.
Class: Lancer
True Name: Huitzilopochtli
Gender: Male
Alignment/Traits: The Fifth Sun, Eternal Warrior, Last Line of Defense
Cultural Sphere: Mexico
Strength: A
Endurance: A
Agility: B
Magic: D
Luck: D
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance B - A level of resistance to magic and magecraft capable of repelling any spell below three verses. Even High Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals have difficulty penetrating this level of resistance.
Personal Skills:
Divinity A - A symbol of one's heritage as a divine being. As an incarnation of a god, Lancer certainly qualifies. Having pursued his four hundred brothers across the sky since the beginning of the fifth age, Lancer never tires and never ceases his goal - his tenacity has no equal.
Instinct A - The greatest of the gods of war, Lancer's skills in combat are preternatural. In battle, Lancer's natural instincts verge on the prescient. Anything less would be a mark of shame.
Mana Burst (Flames) C - The ability to infuse one's weapons and self with mana in the form of flames. As god of the fifth sun, and wielder of the Xiuhcoatl, Lancer can surround wreathe himself in flames, as well as using the fire to propel his spears. When pursuing - but only when pursuing - Lancer can propel himself forward on a stream of flame, the sun arcing across the sky to banish the stars once more.
Noble Phantasms:
Xiuhcoatl - Blue-Green Serpent of the Flame: C
Anti-Unit
10-15m
Behold the mighty Xiuhcoatl, great serpent of the flame. Its turquoise scales belie the heat that rumbles within its belly, the cauldron of the sun and the molten earth and the boiling sea. With its mighty bolts of flaming passion, Lancer slew his sister and terrified his brothers, still dripping with the water of the womb. Let no one who toils beneath the sun forget the power Lancer wields, and let all make proper tribute. For with no sacrifice, there can be no pursuit, and with no pursuit, the stars shall slay the sun and the darkness of the moon shall reign eternal.
The Xiuhcoatl is a large serpent, the length of Lancer's arm and half again. No mere weapon, the snake possesses a mind of its own, though it always serves Lancer when the need arises. Though a creature bearing a powerful bite in its own right, the Xiuhcoatl serves best when Lancer uses it as an atlatl. A spear-throwing device of the divine, it is no mere dart that the Xiuhcoatl propels, but lances of pure sunlight itself.
Biography:
Huitzilopochtli, great war god of the Aztec Empire, and he who cast the beating heart of Copil to the land where Tenochtitlan would arise. When his mother Coatlicue was impregnated by an orb of hummingbird feathers, his sister Coyolxauhqui grew ashamed at her mother's lost dignity, and endeavored to slay her and the child she bore. When she and her four hundred brothers, the Centzonhuitznahua, cornered their mother, Huitzilopochtli cut his way from her belly, fully armored. With the spearthrower Xiuhcoatl, Huitzilopochtli slew his sister, then dismembered her corpse and threw her head into the sky. There, it became the moon, and would bring joy to his mother every night, when she could look upon her beloved daughters face once more. With the Centzonhuitznahua defeated, but not slain, Huitzilopochtli pursued them to the ends of the earth and beyond. In the skies, his fiery passion lights the daytime skies, while their meager forms twinkle in the evening as stars.
Include:
When Lancer's Class Card is Included into the Master's mystic code, it becomes one of the fiery lances that Xiuhcoatl flings from afar. Burning hot to all but its wielder, the spear of flame lacks the serpent to send it flying, but remains a potent weapon.
Install: Awaken
True Name: Huitzilopochtli
Gender: Male
Alignment/Traits: The Fifth Sun, Eternal Warrior, Last Line of Defense
Cultural Sphere: Mexico
Strength: A
Endurance: A
Agility: B
Magic: D
Luck: D
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance B - A level of resistance to magic and magecraft capable of repelling any spell below three verses. Even High Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals have difficulty penetrating this level of resistance.
Personal Skills:
Divinity A - A symbol of one's heritage as a divine being. As an incarnation of a god, Lancer certainly qualifies. Having pursued his four hundred brothers across the sky since the beginning of the fifth age, Lancer never tires and never ceases his goal - his tenacity has no equal.
Instinct A - The greatest of the gods of war, Lancer's skills in combat are preternatural. In battle, Lancer's natural instincts verge on the prescient. Anything less would be a mark of shame.
Mana Burst (Flames) C - The ability to infuse one's weapons and self with mana in the form of flames. As god of the fifth sun, and wielder of the Xiuhcoatl, Lancer can surround wreathe himself in flames, as well as using the fire to propel his spears. When pursuing - but only when pursuing - Lancer can propel himself forward on a stream of flame, the sun arcing across the sky to banish the stars once more.
Noble Phantasms:
Xiuhcoatl - Blue-Green Serpent of the Flame: C
Anti-Unit
10-15m
Behold the mighty Xiuhcoatl, great serpent of the flame. Its turquoise scales belie the heat that rumbles within its belly, the cauldron of the sun and the molten earth and the boiling sea. With its mighty bolts of flaming passion, Lancer slew his sister and terrified his brothers, still dripping with the water of the womb. Let no one who toils beneath the sun forget the power Lancer wields, and let all make proper tribute. For with no sacrifice, there can be no pursuit, and with no pursuit, the stars shall slay the sun and the darkness of the moon shall reign eternal.
The Xiuhcoatl is a large serpent, the length of Lancer's arm and half again. No mere weapon, the snake possesses a mind of its own, though it always serves Lancer when the need arises. Though a creature bearing a powerful bite in its own right, the Xiuhcoatl serves best when Lancer uses it as an atlatl. A spear-throwing device of the divine, it is no mere dart that the Xiuhcoatl propels, but lances of pure sunlight itself.
Biography:
Huitzilopochtli, great war god of the Aztec Empire, and he who cast the beating heart of Copil to the land where Tenochtitlan would arise. When his mother Coatlicue was impregnated by an orb of hummingbird feathers, his sister Coyolxauhqui grew ashamed at her mother's lost dignity, and endeavored to slay her and the child she bore. When she and her four hundred brothers, the Centzonhuitznahua, cornered their mother, Huitzilopochtli cut his way from her belly, fully armored. With the spearthrower Xiuhcoatl, Huitzilopochtli slew his sister, then dismembered her corpse and threw her head into the sky. There, it became the moon, and would bring joy to his mother every night, when she could look upon her beloved daughters face once more. With the Centzonhuitznahua defeated, but not slain, Huitzilopochtli pursued them to the ends of the earth and beyond. In the skies, his fiery passion lights the daytime skies, while their meager forms twinkle in the evening as stars.
Include:
When Lancer's Class Card is Included into the Master's mystic code, it becomes one of the fiery lances that Xiuhcoatl flings from afar. Burning hot to all but its wielder, the spear of flame lacks the serpent to send it flying, but remains a potent weapon.
Install: Awaken
Rider: @Wade Garrett
Name: Jin-Ae Cash (formerly Jin-Ae Han)
Age: 29
Gender: Female
Element: Water
Origin: Hearth
Description:
A tall, willowy woman with a lean, athletic build and grace of a dancer...hardly surprising given her former vocation and the particulars of her Magecraft. A native of Korea who journeyed to America after its civil war, aside from being very obviously not from Switzerland, the most distinctive aspect of her appearance is the patch she wears over her left eye.
Magecraft:
The Mask Dance
A tradition of Magecraft drawn from the rituals of ancient shamans. By donning a ritual mask and performing an elaborate sequence of movements, a practitioner is able to emulate the abilities of the supernatural being they have garbed themselves as, such as the feral battle prowess of a juji spirit beast or a jangjamari's power to bless plants and animals. To cast, a Magus of this school must acquire or create an appropriate mask (generally requiring exotic reagents including parts of the being to be mimicked) and have sufficient space to perform their dances.
Due to the intensely physical nature of their incanting, Mask Dancers must be highly proficient at Reinforcement for the impossible feats of acrobatics their rituals require.
History:
Officially the Magus Association and its affiliated organizations have withdrawn to a stance of strict neutrality in the wake of the Second World War, refraining from any interference in the struggle between East and West.
The reality is considerably more complicated. Freelancers are happy to offer their skills to whichever side meets their price, the heads of the Old Families regard even global superpowers as potentially useful tools for in their own intrigues (and vice versa), and where the so called Cold War burns hot, even Magi must choose sides.
When the war came to Korea, the Han family of Kaesong vowed to defend the city that had been their home for centuries, and combined their efforts with the Freelancers and spellcasters of the American expeditionary force. Magi clashed in the shadows even as armies ground against each other in the field, but the Chinese intervention placed the Southern forces in dire straits. In desperation, the American commander Douglas MacArthur suggested deploying nuclear weaponry to turn the tide...and when that was denied, other options were considered.
In his frantic search for a means to halt the Chinese advance, MacArthur authorized the creation and deployment of Aswangs against the enemy. Unwilling to countenance the militarization of Dead Apostle breeds, the Association intervened, and Jin-Ae was part of the team which destroyed MacArthur's secret facility, its staff, and its creations.
And by doing so she sealed her family's fate. The war ended in a stalemate, but Kaesong, along with the Han estates and research, fell into the hands of the North.
She tried to move on, marrying one of the Freelancers who assisted in the Aswang army's destruction and making a new life in America...but she still mourns for the home and life she lost.
Mystic Code
Effigy of Eopsin
One of the few family heirlooms Jin-Ae managed to retain, a high quality familiar in the image of the serpent goddess of wealth and preservation. By coiling around its masters body, it can render them undetectable to most forms of mystical tracking and scrying and highly resistant to Magecraft based in "disease" or "corruption", but its true value is in securing a Workshop.
With the proper offerings of rice, coin, and gaudy trinkets the effigy will transform a suitable structure into a secure haven for its owner, creating defensive Bounded Fields and sorcerous traps from its own internal mana supply and allowing the master to devote their time to other matters.
Age: 29
Gender: Female
Element: Water
Origin: Hearth
Description:
A tall, willowy woman with a lean, athletic build and grace of a dancer...hardly surprising given her former vocation and the particulars of her Magecraft. A native of Korea who journeyed to America after its civil war, aside from being very obviously not from Switzerland, the most distinctive aspect of her appearance is the patch she wears over her left eye.
Magecraft:
The Mask Dance
A tradition of Magecraft drawn from the rituals of ancient shamans. By donning a ritual mask and performing an elaborate sequence of movements, a practitioner is able to emulate the abilities of the supernatural being they have garbed themselves as, such as the feral battle prowess of a juji spirit beast or a jangjamari's power to bless plants and animals. To cast, a Magus of this school must acquire or create an appropriate mask (generally requiring exotic reagents including parts of the being to be mimicked) and have sufficient space to perform their dances.
Due to the intensely physical nature of their incanting, Mask Dancers must be highly proficient at Reinforcement for the impossible feats of acrobatics their rituals require.
History:
Officially the Magus Association and its affiliated organizations have withdrawn to a stance of strict neutrality in the wake of the Second World War, refraining from any interference in the struggle between East and West.
The reality is considerably more complicated. Freelancers are happy to offer their skills to whichever side meets their price, the heads of the Old Families regard even global superpowers as potentially useful tools for in their own intrigues (and vice versa), and where the so called Cold War burns hot, even Magi must choose sides.
When the war came to Korea, the Han family of Kaesong vowed to defend the city that had been their home for centuries, and combined their efforts with the Freelancers and spellcasters of the American expeditionary force. Magi clashed in the shadows even as armies ground against each other in the field, but the Chinese intervention placed the Southern forces in dire straits. In desperation, the American commander Douglas MacArthur suggested deploying nuclear weaponry to turn the tide...and when that was denied, other options were considered.
In his frantic search for a means to halt the Chinese advance, MacArthur authorized the creation and deployment of Aswangs against the enemy. Unwilling to countenance the militarization of Dead Apostle breeds, the Association intervened, and Jin-Ae was part of the team which destroyed MacArthur's secret facility, its staff, and its creations.
And by doing so she sealed her family's fate. The war ended in a stalemate, but Kaesong, along with the Han estates and research, fell into the hands of the North.
She tried to move on, marrying one of the Freelancers who assisted in the Aswang army's destruction and making a new life in America...but she still mourns for the home and life she lost.
Mystic Code
Effigy of Eopsin
One of the few family heirlooms Jin-Ae managed to retain, a high quality familiar in the image of the serpent goddess of wealth and preservation. By coiling around its masters body, it can render them undetectable to most forms of mystical tracking and scrying and highly resistant to Magecraft based in "disease" or "corruption", but its true value is in securing a Workshop.
With the proper offerings of rice, coin, and gaudy trinkets the effigy will transform a suitable structure into a secure haven for its owner, creating defensive Bounded Fields and sorcerous traps from its own internal mana supply and allowing the master to devote their time to other matters.
Class: Rider
True Name: Cesare Borgia
Gender: Female
Attributes: Neutral Evil
Cultural Sphere: Europe (Italy & Spain)
Parameters
Strength: C
Endurance: C
Agility: B
Mana: D
Luck: A
Class Skills:
Riding B
Enables one to handle most vehicles and mundane mounts with great skill. A rank befitting a skilled horseman and cavalry commander.
Magic Resistance D (A+)
Protection intrinsic to the Rider Class Container, sufficient to cancel single line incarnations. Due to the nature of this Servant's legend and her secondary Noble Phantasm, ranks up dramatically against Church Sacraments and Baptismal Rites.
Personal Skills:
Profligate Pillager A+
A Skill possessed by Heroes renowned for massive expenditures of wealth, allowing them to generate mana by plundering material treasures. In conjunction with her primary Noble Phantasm, Rider may amass considerably greater mana stores than her D Rank Parameter should allow.
Military Tactics C
A Skill possesed by tacticians and battlefield commanders. Grants bonuses in mass combat and deploying (or defending against) Anti-Army Noble Phantasms.
Charisma C+
A rank denoting a forceful personality capable of inspiring and charming others, befitting one who was counted among the most feared and respected princes of their era.
Noble Phantasms
Vae Victus ~ The Golden Bull of Conquest
D~B+ Rank, Anti-Army
The symbol of Rider's family and her victories manifested as a war beast, conceptually linked to the first Emperor of her adopted homeland and the false idol which drew the Children of Israel away from God.
Holding aloft her banner and crying out her Phantasm's name brings it forth, a Spanish fighting bull formed from gold and precious stones leaping from the cloth folds, trampling all who stand before it and leaving a trail of ash and cinders in its wake. The greater Rider's stockpile of hoarded mana is, the more destructive power her pet will posses, although enhancing it in such a way will swiftly burn through her reserves.
This is somewhat mitigated by the fact that the ashes and cinders the Bull scatters in its wake act as a vector for a magical curse. While barely an annoyance to a Servant and easily dispelled by a halfway competent Magus, mundanes who come in contact with them will have their life force drained to power this Noble Phantasm. By 'infecting' large numbers, Rider may sustain her creature without drawing on her own reserves, albeit at ruinous cost to the civilian populace.
Traje De Luces ~ Garb of The Great Prince
C-rank, Anti-Unit (Self)
A crystalizaion of Rider's greatest and most infamous feat, transforming a faith into a mere tool for her own personal advancement. In its passive mode, it appears as the armor of a Knight of St. John, offering protection against rankless Servant weapons and greatly enhancing Rider's resistance to Magecraft rooted in the Church's mysteries.
When activated, Rider's armor becomes a gilded panoply whose opulence would shame even a Roman Emperor, coated in elaborate engravings, ornate decoration, and a feathered cloak. And it begins to erode away at all mysteries rooted in divinity in its vicinity, leeching away the power of divine blessings and even Noble Phantasms to enhance Rider. By draining sufficient energy it can heal her wounds, banish fatigue, and even provide Parameter Boosts.
Legend:
The bastard child of Pope Alexander VI, who rejected her father's attempts to force her into the clergy and sought to carve her own kingdom out of the Papal States. A savage warlord who was also a patron of Leonardo da Vinci, who had honors heaped upon her by the kings of France and Spain, it could well be said that Rider embodied all the worst (and a little of the best) of Renassisnce Italy.
Include:
Eopsin's effigy transforms into the Golden Bull in a burst of golden light and ominous Latin chanting.
Install:
Jin-Ae is encased in Rider's signature armor, with her eyepatch becoming Cesare's red satin facemask.
True Name: Cesare Borgia
Gender: Female
Attributes: Neutral Evil
Cultural Sphere: Europe (Italy & Spain)
Parameters
Strength: C
Endurance: C
Agility: B
Mana: D
Luck: A
Class Skills:
Riding B
Enables one to handle most vehicles and mundane mounts with great skill. A rank befitting a skilled horseman and cavalry commander.
Magic Resistance D (A+)
Protection intrinsic to the Rider Class Container, sufficient to cancel single line incarnations. Due to the nature of this Servant's legend and her secondary Noble Phantasm, ranks up dramatically against Church Sacraments and Baptismal Rites.
Personal Skills:
Profligate Pillager A+
A Skill possessed by Heroes renowned for massive expenditures of wealth, allowing them to generate mana by plundering material treasures. In conjunction with her primary Noble Phantasm, Rider may amass considerably greater mana stores than her D Rank Parameter should allow.
Military Tactics C
A Skill possesed by tacticians and battlefield commanders. Grants bonuses in mass combat and deploying (or defending against) Anti-Army Noble Phantasms.
Charisma C+
A rank denoting a forceful personality capable of inspiring and charming others, befitting one who was counted among the most feared and respected princes of their era.
Noble Phantasms
Vae Victus ~ The Golden Bull of Conquest
D~B+ Rank, Anti-Army
The symbol of Rider's family and her victories manifested as a war beast, conceptually linked to the first Emperor of her adopted homeland and the false idol which drew the Children of Israel away from God.
Holding aloft her banner and crying out her Phantasm's name brings it forth, a Spanish fighting bull formed from gold and precious stones leaping from the cloth folds, trampling all who stand before it and leaving a trail of ash and cinders in its wake. The greater Rider's stockpile of hoarded mana is, the more destructive power her pet will posses, although enhancing it in such a way will swiftly burn through her reserves.
This is somewhat mitigated by the fact that the ashes and cinders the Bull scatters in its wake act as a vector for a magical curse. While barely an annoyance to a Servant and easily dispelled by a halfway competent Magus, mundanes who come in contact with them will have their life force drained to power this Noble Phantasm. By 'infecting' large numbers, Rider may sustain her creature without drawing on her own reserves, albeit at ruinous cost to the civilian populace.
Traje De Luces ~ Garb of The Great Prince
C-rank, Anti-Unit (Self)
A crystalizaion of Rider's greatest and most infamous feat, transforming a faith into a mere tool for her own personal advancement. In its passive mode, it appears as the armor of a Knight of St. John, offering protection against rankless Servant weapons and greatly enhancing Rider's resistance to Magecraft rooted in the Church's mysteries.
When activated, Rider's armor becomes a gilded panoply whose opulence would shame even a Roman Emperor, coated in elaborate engravings, ornate decoration, and a feathered cloak. And it begins to erode away at all mysteries rooted in divinity in its vicinity, leeching away the power of divine blessings and even Noble Phantasms to enhance Rider. By draining sufficient energy it can heal her wounds, banish fatigue, and even provide Parameter Boosts.
Legend:
The bastard child of Pope Alexander VI, who rejected her father's attempts to force her into the clergy and sought to carve her own kingdom out of the Papal States. A savage warlord who was also a patron of Leonardo da Vinci, who had honors heaped upon her by the kings of France and Spain, it could well be said that Rider embodied all the worst (and a little of the best) of Renassisnce Italy.
Include:
Eopsin's effigy transforms into the Golden Bull in a burst of golden light and ominous Latin chanting.
Install:
Jin-Ae is encased in Rider's signature armor, with her eyepatch becoming Cesare's red satin facemask.
Caster: @RexHeller
Name: Mary McArtair
Age: 27
Gender: Female
Element: Air
Origin: Care
Description: A young woman of mixed Irish and Scottish decent, Mary possesses both beauty and kindness. Tall, with a 'fertile' body type, Mary's green eyes sparkle with mirth and her long red hair cascades down her back in waves. Her most attractive feature though is her smile. Brilliant and kind, soft and caring, it's enough to ease the burdens of any who look on it, if only for a short while. Unfortunately, the stress of living in the Moonlit world, even if she isn't a true 'Magus', has left her with little to smile about.
Nevertheless, Mary continues to be courteous and compassionate to everyone she can. She'll go out of her way to help anybody in need that she lays eyes on, and it breaks her heart to hear about people that can't be helped. Her soft nature is both her greatest strength and her greatest weakness. Stemming from her kindness, Mary detests conflict of all kinds and will seek to deescalate any hostile situations she's a part of. This usually means backing down, keeping quiet and following orders. While this isn't in and of itself a bad thing, Mary secretly considers herself a coward because of it. However, perhaps there's a strength buried deep in her soul that not even Mary is aware of... or perhaps not. If there was, it would require something particularly dire to draw it out.
Magecraft: Mary, who detests violence and hurting others, knows precisely zero offensive magics. She knows various small cantrips that aid in house keeping, the basic spells of Reinforcement, Projection and Alteration, a workable knowledge in Bounded Fields and a few weak defensive spells, shield barriers and such. However, her main utility in a Grail War would be her great knowledge of healing spells. While the majority of her healing magic have their origin in druidic rituals that would call upon the nature spirits that lived in the Scottish Highlands, Mary's library medical knowledge extends beyond that. She's studied Greek, Germanic and even Oriental healing magecraft, granting her a wide range of options when it comes to treating injuries and dispelling curses.
Family History: Mary is the sole daughter of a branch family of a prominent Dynasty in the Mage's Association. While the main branch would pursue research towards the Root at the Clocktower as proper mages, it was the job of the branch family to maintain and protect the ancestral home, a castle in the Scottish Highlands. In this way, Mary and her family could be considered Magic Users, rather than Mages, even though their efforts contribute to the discovery of the Root. Mary, a single child, grew up alone in a large castle, with naught but a strict mother, quiet grandmother and the occasional visit of a main branch member for company. Her father had died early in her life. She was trained in all the methods of house keeping and practical magic she was expected to, with the exception of offensive spells needed to defend the castle. This inability earned her mother's disappointment, but since she had knowledge of how the castle's Bounded Fields worked and her great talent with healing spells, it was eventually decided that it was fine and Mary could continue in her duties.
Her life was not entirely bereft of bright spots however. The children of the local village all loved her, always anticipating her regular visits to shop for supplies and groceries, and her young nephew absolutely adored her. Caring for the children, bringing smiles to their faces, that was all that Mary ever wanted in life.
The turning point in Mary's story came with her marriage and birth of her child. As she was not a member of the main branch, and thus not responsible for continuing the dynasty and passing on the Magic Crest, the family could afford to be a little more risky with her marriage in the hopes of discovering something interesting in the resulting children. As such, Mary underwent an arranged marriage to a mage with an unusual ability. Despite being a loveless marriage, Mary still did her best to care to her husbands needs as that was her nature. However, the mage had only agreed to the marriage to gain access to the family's wealth and resources. He quickly was discovered to be a wasteful drunk and when one night he went to far and struck Mary in anger, the entire family, both main and branch families, were unanimous in their decision to be rid of him. Mary was quickly divorced, with her ex-husband kicked firmly out of the family. The support of her family who, with the exception of her nephew, had typically treated her coldly, warmed her heart.
Before the divorce, however, Mary had given birth to a child, a beautiful, happy child named Millicent. In this, the family's 'experiment' had proven very successful, although they wouldn't know it until long after Mary's husband was long gone. In the meantime, Mary's heart belonged to little Milli. She doted on the child and in a reflection of her strained relationship with her own mother, Mary and Milli were practically the perfect mother and daughter pair. In contrast to her own childhood, Mary filled the castle with love as she raised her daughter.
Unfortunately, this wasn't meant to last. Soon after her ninth birthday, Milli began to demonstrate highly unusual abilities. Naturally, the main branch of the family took her to London to study her abilities, promising Mary that Milli would be returned to her when the research was done and would be allowed to visit frequently in the meantime. Unfortunately, the research proved that Milli's abilities were much, much stranger than anybody had originally thought and she received a Sealing Designation. She was to be locked up in the depths of the Clocktower, poked and prodded by various mages, unable to leave for the rest of her natural life. Worst of all, Mary would not be allowed to see her, never again. No visits, no letters, nothing. When Mary learned this, she was sitting in the family's London apartment, sitting with Milli in her lap, holding her tight. She heard the news, understood what it meant, saw the future in the moment... and did nothing. Rather than fight or run, she let them take her baby away from her. She's regretted that decision ever since.
Soon after, news of the resurfaced grail reached the Mage's Association and a draft went out. As one of the more prominent families, Mary's relatives were approached and history repeated. Rather than risk the main line and their Magic Crest, Mary was chosen to go. Mary agreed to go to war only because she desperately wished to have her daughter back. She hopes that if the grail is retrieved, the Mage's Association will be grateful enough to let her be with her daughter... or perhaps the grail itself can grant her wish.
Mystic Code (if applicable): Azoth Sword. The most basic of all a mage's possible tools, Mary's Azoth Sword nonetheless serves its purpose well. The standard abilities are intact, storing magical energy and enhancing all spells. Mary, as a natural pacifist, possess no training or talent for using the Sword as a physical weapon.
Age: 27
Gender: Female
Element: Air
Origin: Care
Description: A young woman of mixed Irish and Scottish decent, Mary possesses both beauty and kindness. Tall, with a 'fertile' body type, Mary's green eyes sparkle with mirth and her long red hair cascades down her back in waves. Her most attractive feature though is her smile. Brilliant and kind, soft and caring, it's enough to ease the burdens of any who look on it, if only for a short while. Unfortunately, the stress of living in the Moonlit world, even if she isn't a true 'Magus', has left her with little to smile about.
Nevertheless, Mary continues to be courteous and compassionate to everyone she can. She'll go out of her way to help anybody in need that she lays eyes on, and it breaks her heart to hear about people that can't be helped. Her soft nature is both her greatest strength and her greatest weakness. Stemming from her kindness, Mary detests conflict of all kinds and will seek to deescalate any hostile situations she's a part of. This usually means backing down, keeping quiet and following orders. While this isn't in and of itself a bad thing, Mary secretly considers herself a coward because of it. However, perhaps there's a strength buried deep in her soul that not even Mary is aware of... or perhaps not. If there was, it would require something particularly dire to draw it out.
Magecraft: Mary, who detests violence and hurting others, knows precisely zero offensive magics. She knows various small cantrips that aid in house keeping, the basic spells of Reinforcement, Projection and Alteration, a workable knowledge in Bounded Fields and a few weak defensive spells, shield barriers and such. However, her main utility in a Grail War would be her great knowledge of healing spells. While the majority of her healing magic have their origin in druidic rituals that would call upon the nature spirits that lived in the Scottish Highlands, Mary's library medical knowledge extends beyond that. She's studied Greek, Germanic and even Oriental healing magecraft, granting her a wide range of options when it comes to treating injuries and dispelling curses.
Family History: Mary is the sole daughter of a branch family of a prominent Dynasty in the Mage's Association. While the main branch would pursue research towards the Root at the Clocktower as proper mages, it was the job of the branch family to maintain and protect the ancestral home, a castle in the Scottish Highlands. In this way, Mary and her family could be considered Magic Users, rather than Mages, even though their efforts contribute to the discovery of the Root. Mary, a single child, grew up alone in a large castle, with naught but a strict mother, quiet grandmother and the occasional visit of a main branch member for company. Her father had died early in her life. She was trained in all the methods of house keeping and practical magic she was expected to, with the exception of offensive spells needed to defend the castle. This inability earned her mother's disappointment, but since she had knowledge of how the castle's Bounded Fields worked and her great talent with healing spells, it was eventually decided that it was fine and Mary could continue in her duties.
Her life was not entirely bereft of bright spots however. The children of the local village all loved her, always anticipating her regular visits to shop for supplies and groceries, and her young nephew absolutely adored her. Caring for the children, bringing smiles to their faces, that was all that Mary ever wanted in life.
The turning point in Mary's story came with her marriage and birth of her child. As she was not a member of the main branch, and thus not responsible for continuing the dynasty and passing on the Magic Crest, the family could afford to be a little more risky with her marriage in the hopes of discovering something interesting in the resulting children. As such, Mary underwent an arranged marriage to a mage with an unusual ability. Despite being a loveless marriage, Mary still did her best to care to her husbands needs as that was her nature. However, the mage had only agreed to the marriage to gain access to the family's wealth and resources. He quickly was discovered to be a wasteful drunk and when one night he went to far and struck Mary in anger, the entire family, both main and branch families, were unanimous in their decision to be rid of him. Mary was quickly divorced, with her ex-husband kicked firmly out of the family. The support of her family who, with the exception of her nephew, had typically treated her coldly, warmed her heart.
Before the divorce, however, Mary had given birth to a child, a beautiful, happy child named Millicent. In this, the family's 'experiment' had proven very successful, although they wouldn't know it until long after Mary's husband was long gone. In the meantime, Mary's heart belonged to little Milli. She doted on the child and in a reflection of her strained relationship with her own mother, Mary and Milli were practically the perfect mother and daughter pair. In contrast to her own childhood, Mary filled the castle with love as she raised her daughter.
Unfortunately, this wasn't meant to last. Soon after her ninth birthday, Milli began to demonstrate highly unusual abilities. Naturally, the main branch of the family took her to London to study her abilities, promising Mary that Milli would be returned to her when the research was done and would be allowed to visit frequently in the meantime. Unfortunately, the research proved that Milli's abilities were much, much stranger than anybody had originally thought and she received a Sealing Designation. She was to be locked up in the depths of the Clocktower, poked and prodded by various mages, unable to leave for the rest of her natural life. Worst of all, Mary would not be allowed to see her, never again. No visits, no letters, nothing. When Mary learned this, she was sitting in the family's London apartment, sitting with Milli in her lap, holding her tight. She heard the news, understood what it meant, saw the future in the moment... and did nothing. Rather than fight or run, she let them take her baby away from her. She's regretted that decision ever since.
Soon after, news of the resurfaced grail reached the Mage's Association and a draft went out. As one of the more prominent families, Mary's relatives were approached and history repeated. Rather than risk the main line and their Magic Crest, Mary was chosen to go. Mary agreed to go to war only because she desperately wished to have her daughter back. She hopes that if the grail is retrieved, the Mage's Association will be grateful enough to let her be with her daughter... or perhaps the grail itself can grant her wish.
Mystic Code (if applicable): Azoth Sword. The most basic of all a mage's possible tools, Mary's Azoth Sword nonetheless serves its purpose well. The standard abilities are intact, storing magical energy and enhancing all spells. Mary, as a natural pacifist, possess no training or talent for using the Sword as a physical weapon.
Class: Caster
True Name: Arturia Pendragon
Gender: Female
Alignment/Traits: Lawful Good - Mother, Dragon, Knight, King of Mages
Cultural Sphere: Alternate Universe Arthurian Legend
Strength: C
Endurance: D
Agility: C
Magic: A+
Luck: B
Class Skills:
Item Construction – B: The ability to create magical items. Use of this skill requires materials and time. In life, Caster created numerous magical items, including enchanted blades and armor for her knights and potions capable of a variety of effects.
Territory Creation – B: The ability to create a special terrain that contains advantages for a mage, such as mana collection and material generation. At this level, creation of a "Workshop" is possible.
Personal Skills:
Charisma – B: A measurement of a person's natural charm, as well as their ability to lead an army or country. This is the rank required to successfully lead a nation as King/Queen.
Riding – C+: The ability to use mounts. All mundane mounts, whether animal or vehicle, maybe be handled with a the same skill as B-rank, so long as Caster does not attempt to engage in combat or other distractions while riding. Spell casting is an exception to this rule.
Mana Burst (Spellcraft) – A+: The typical use of Mana Burst is to infuse greats amounts of mana into the body and physical weapons, increasing their durability and causing them to strike as if jet-propelled. Caster is far from typical. Using the great amount of mana available to her thanks to her draconic core, Caster pumps her offensive spells full of mana, increasing their destructive potential exponentially. This method is inherently unstable, potentially causing overcharged spells to harm the user if not enough care is used while casting. In addition, the additional mana would disrupt any rituals attempted and damage any materials that one might attempt to enchant. This skill is not for use in delicate work, but rather in creating the biggest explosions possible. Even the most basic of fireballs can be enhanced to the point of being the equivalent of a Noble Phantasm.
Command of the Strategist - A+: A skill granted to exceptional military leaders, enhancing the abilities of allied units. A gifted strategist and general in life, Caster's charisma, genius strategies and magical power gave her armies unwavering confidence. When she is the one issuing commands, Caster can increase the parameters of her allies and herself by singular ranks and even grant mortals the ability to fight as though they are Servants with E rank in all stats.
Noble Phantasms:
Clarent – Royal and Brilliant Silver Sword: C
The sword of royal authority, Clarent is a dazzling silver and white blade. Although said to be equal to Caliburn in worth, in truth, Clarent is a symbol first and weapon second. Any person that sees Caster holding the blade will know that she is the Rightful King, feeling the full weight of her "Royal Aura of the King". They will kneel before her and swear loyalty, following her commands without question. However, beings with extremely high egos or will power, or Servants with skills that block mental effects (Bravery, Mental Pollution, etc) may prove to be immune. Other than that, it has no special abilities besides being a sturdy, if decorative, blade. Caster dislikes the blade due to it being overly large but prefers it to Caliburn, which Merlin said would cause her to no longer be human, and Excalibur, the blade whose mysteries remained out of reach to her, insulting her ability as a mage and researcher.
Camelot – Utopia Returning: A++
Hailed as the once and future king that would return Camelot to its golden age, Caster carry's the weight of Camelot's hopes and dreams wherever she goes, no matter how much she may hate it. Caster can summon Reality Marble containing Camelot as it was at its peak, including phantasms of all its citizens, from the lowest serf to the Knights of the Round themselves. Normally a Reality Marble originates from the distorted mind of the owner, but in this case, the Reality Marble originates from the distorted wishes of the people of Camelot and those wishes are forced upon Caster for her to carry. By recreating the Round Table physically, Caster can tie the Reality Marble to the Table as an anchor, extending the time before the Reality Marble collapses. By finding companions worthy of filling the seats of the Round Table, Caster can continue to extend Camelot's time limit for every seat filled. When all thirteen seats are filled, Caster can continue the Reality Marble indefinitely.
Biography: Caster is a version of Arturia Pendragon from a timeline where she took a interest in magecraft from a young age. She learned magic from Merlin, used her spells for the majority of her kingship instead of her swords, accepted Mordred as her daughter and the end of her legend is different, although still tragic. I'm redacting the full background due to spoilers for Arturia Quest, but I've shown Zerban the full story in a private message. Have a summery of her personality instead.
Caster's personality is, in general, professional and intelligent. When required of her, she dons her 'kingly mask' and deals with business as quickly and efficiently as possible. However, Caster much prefers to relax and pursue her research. She maintained close friendships with her Knights of the Round Table and Merlin. Most of all however, she is a loving Mother. She loved Mordred with all her heart and if she encounters other young folk in need of guidance, she will become a kind, caring, slightly teasing mother to them as well. Other than that, Caster's passion is her magic, particularly her offensive spells. She once claimed that the pride she felt as a knight when defeating a worth opponent was equal to the pride she felt as a mage when she created a particularly large explosion.
Include: Mary's Azoth Sword turns into Clarent, including the Aura of Kingship. True, Mary cannot wield the Clarent with any semblance of skill and in fact needs to reinforce her body in order to even swing it at a target, but combat was never Clarent's purpose. As long as Mary holds Clarent, those around her will see her as king and follow her orders.
Install: Mary's outfit transforms into a blue and gold full-length dress, with sleeves and a large hole in the front to show off her huge... 'tracts of land' ahem, as well as a heavy blue, fur-lined cloak with a hood and a small golden crown. During the Install, Mary gains access to Caster's wide arsenal of offensive spells, as well as her Draconic Core and Mana Burst (Spellcaft) skill. While the Install is active, Mary can fire off as many Anti-Army level spells as she likes, and she very much does like since she gains Caster's love for large explosions.
True Name: Arturia Pendragon
Gender: Female
Alignment/Traits: Lawful Good - Mother, Dragon, Knight, King of Mages
Cultural Sphere: Alternate Universe Arthurian Legend
Strength: C
Endurance: D
Agility: C
Magic: A+
Luck: B
Class Skills:
Item Construction – B: The ability to create magical items. Use of this skill requires materials and time. In life, Caster created numerous magical items, including enchanted blades and armor for her knights and potions capable of a variety of effects.
Territory Creation – B: The ability to create a special terrain that contains advantages for a mage, such as mana collection and material generation. At this level, creation of a "Workshop" is possible.
Personal Skills:
Charisma – B: A measurement of a person's natural charm, as well as their ability to lead an army or country. This is the rank required to successfully lead a nation as King/Queen.
Riding – C+: The ability to use mounts. All mundane mounts, whether animal or vehicle, maybe be handled with a the same skill as B-rank, so long as Caster does not attempt to engage in combat or other distractions while riding. Spell casting is an exception to this rule.
Mana Burst (Spellcraft) – A+: The typical use of Mana Burst is to infuse greats amounts of mana into the body and physical weapons, increasing their durability and causing them to strike as if jet-propelled. Caster is far from typical. Using the great amount of mana available to her thanks to her draconic core, Caster pumps her offensive spells full of mana, increasing their destructive potential exponentially. This method is inherently unstable, potentially causing overcharged spells to harm the user if not enough care is used while casting. In addition, the additional mana would disrupt any rituals attempted and damage any materials that one might attempt to enchant. This skill is not for use in delicate work, but rather in creating the biggest explosions possible. Even the most basic of fireballs can be enhanced to the point of being the equivalent of a Noble Phantasm.
Command of the Strategist - A+: A skill granted to exceptional military leaders, enhancing the abilities of allied units. A gifted strategist and general in life, Caster's charisma, genius strategies and magical power gave her armies unwavering confidence. When she is the one issuing commands, Caster can increase the parameters of her allies and herself by singular ranks and even grant mortals the ability to fight as though they are Servants with E rank in all stats.
Noble Phantasms:
Clarent – Royal and Brilliant Silver Sword: C
The sword of royal authority, Clarent is a dazzling silver and white blade. Although said to be equal to Caliburn in worth, in truth, Clarent is a symbol first and weapon second. Any person that sees Caster holding the blade will know that she is the Rightful King, feeling the full weight of her "Royal Aura of the King". They will kneel before her and swear loyalty, following her commands without question. However, beings with extremely high egos or will power, or Servants with skills that block mental effects (Bravery, Mental Pollution, etc) may prove to be immune. Other than that, it has no special abilities besides being a sturdy, if decorative, blade. Caster dislikes the blade due to it being overly large but prefers it to Caliburn, which Merlin said would cause her to no longer be human, and Excalibur, the blade whose mysteries remained out of reach to her, insulting her ability as a mage and researcher.
Camelot – Utopia Returning: A++
Hailed as the once and future king that would return Camelot to its golden age, Caster carry's the weight of Camelot's hopes and dreams wherever she goes, no matter how much she may hate it. Caster can summon Reality Marble containing Camelot as it was at its peak, including phantasms of all its citizens, from the lowest serf to the Knights of the Round themselves. Normally a Reality Marble originates from the distorted mind of the owner, but in this case, the Reality Marble originates from the distorted wishes of the people of Camelot and those wishes are forced upon Caster for her to carry. By recreating the Round Table physically, Caster can tie the Reality Marble to the Table as an anchor, extending the time before the Reality Marble collapses. By finding companions worthy of filling the seats of the Round Table, Caster can continue to extend Camelot's time limit for every seat filled. When all thirteen seats are filled, Caster can continue the Reality Marble indefinitely.
Biography: Caster is a version of Arturia Pendragon from a timeline where she took a interest in magecraft from a young age. She learned magic from Merlin, used her spells for the majority of her kingship instead of her swords, accepted Mordred as her daughter and the end of her legend is different, although still tragic. I'm redacting the full background due to spoilers for Arturia Quest, but I've shown Zerban the full story in a private message. Have a summery of her personality instead.
Caster's personality is, in general, professional and intelligent. When required of her, she dons her 'kingly mask' and deals with business as quickly and efficiently as possible. However, Caster much prefers to relax and pursue her research. She maintained close friendships with her Knights of the Round Table and Merlin. Most of all however, she is a loving Mother. She loved Mordred with all her heart and if she encounters other young folk in need of guidance, she will become a kind, caring, slightly teasing mother to them as well. Other than that, Caster's passion is her magic, particularly her offensive spells. She once claimed that the pride she felt as a knight when defeating a worth opponent was equal to the pride she felt as a mage when she created a particularly large explosion.
Include: Mary's Azoth Sword turns into Clarent, including the Aura of Kingship. True, Mary cannot wield the Clarent with any semblance of skill and in fact needs to reinforce her body in order to even swing it at a target, but combat was never Clarent's purpose. As long as Mary holds Clarent, those around her will see her as king and follow her orders.
Install: Mary's outfit transforms into a blue and gold full-length dress, with sleeves and a large hole in the front to show off her huge... 'tracts of land' ahem, as well as a heavy blue, fur-lined cloak with a hood and a small golden crown. During the Install, Mary gains access to Caster's wide arsenal of offensive spells, as well as her Draconic Core and Mana Burst (Spellcaft) skill. While the Install is active, Mary can fire off as many Anti-Army level spells as she likes, and she very much does like since she gains Caster's love for large explosions.
Assassin: @Havocfett
Name: Ali Nasr ed-Din
Age: 31
Gender: Male
Element: Fire
Origin: Truth
Description: Vagrants aren't...common, among mages of the clocktower. Magic, the resources of a long and established family, a network of other mages who could probably at least use your talents, all serve as a buffer away from homelessness and its associated behaviors. As a result, it is genuinely bizarre for a Mage to choose or be reduced to such circumstances.
For Ali, vagrancy came after he quit the army in disgust after Mossadegh was overthrown, returned to his family home in England, dropped most of his possessions in his living room, and then set the rest on fire on the sidewalk.
This was not a fit of madness, but a purposeful decision. Ali had come upon his Origin, and with it, a renewed dedication to sufi mysticism and decided disregard for the worldly. He became a vagrant, working enough to keep himself fed but otherwise largely disdaining physical goods and dedicating himself to learning, theology, and religion. And, occasionally, delving into clearly dangerous but intriguingly mysterious situations and committing wanton arson.
At current time Ali couch-surfs between friends, contacts, and family members, primarily working as a detective and personal instructor for the magical community. He is, however, certified as a combat-mage by the Association and for good reason.
Magecraft:
Incinerate:
Detonates explosives or burns objects to ash. Primarily used on things Ali owns. Occasionally used on people!
Moth To The Flame:
Truth is the pursuit of all humans, yet Truth will destroy any human who truly reaches it. Navigating this paradox is an ancient lesson of the Sufis, and many and exalted are those consumed by the fires of Truth. This spell allows for a practitioner to interpret meaningless minutiae to divine the Truths about a person or situation, but the caster must beware for neither they nor their compatriots are protected from it. Its primary weakness is that it does not reveal people who are hiding from others, so while a powerful investigative tool it fails to save one from ambush.
This also alters his use of Reinforcement, making it trend to showing things true, esoteric nature. As perceived by a philosophy that sees indulgence as corruption, pain as redemptive and healing, and the spiritual as all-important. Money becomes rot, alcohol becomes poison, stinging nettles becomes balms to mind and body.
Protection of Faith: This is a servant skill. This shouldn't be here. Why is this he-
Ali. Why are you performing wudhu in the blood of the dead.
"the blood of the martyr is the purest of all substances, and as such is the best substance with which to do wudhu"
Ali. Why did you set your amenities budget and house on fire.
"This life is a bridge, one travels it. To build a house upon it is purest folly."
I correct myself, this one stays. This one stays right fucking here.
Family History: The Nasr ed-Dins were a respected muslim family of mages since before the middle ages, steeped in a tradition utterly alien to the Mage's Association. They immigrated to england as part of a deal with a minor English mage family, one which they swiftly and quietly subsumed over the next generation, and swiftly became a normal part of the Clocktower's society. Though their specific magics are a bit odd due to their foreign origin, their magic crest specializes in Djinn-control and personal augmentation and each of their children learns a bevy of old, esoteric, sufi magics.
Ali is the second child of the family, born after Mariam Nasr ed-Din, and so has not been implanted with the family crest. He has, however, taken to their esoteric teachings well.
Mystic Code (if applicable):
Areadbhar:
Let us be perfectly clear, Ali does not own Areadbhar. It is under his safekeeping on behalf of Mariam Nasr ed-Din, his older sister. Yes, no-one expects him to return it, and yes, he's had it for six years without a break at this point, but it is not his. This is because Mariam understands that if it was his he would promptly chuck it under a bridge or set it on fire as a luxury, and that would be the destruction of a priceless and powerful magical artifact that she hopes to see returned to Persia once the Communists are in power.
With that out of the way, Areadbhar is an ancient spear, supposedly extorted by the Irish god Lugh from a king of Persia. It is an excellent augmentor of fire-element magic and a fearsome weapon in its own right, capable of superheating itself to melt through armor and, ah, people. It responds to the name 'slaughterer', and extracts mana from death and destruction. This has lead to a very common feedback loop for Ali, in which he destroys his own things to generate mana to accomplish his goals, a representation of the basic cycle of all life.
Age: 31
Gender: Male
Element: Fire
Origin: Truth
Description: Vagrants aren't...common, among mages of the clocktower. Magic, the resources of a long and established family, a network of other mages who could probably at least use your talents, all serve as a buffer away from homelessness and its associated behaviors. As a result, it is genuinely bizarre for a Mage to choose or be reduced to such circumstances.
For Ali, vagrancy came after he quit the army in disgust after Mossadegh was overthrown, returned to his family home in England, dropped most of his possessions in his living room, and then set the rest on fire on the sidewalk.
This was not a fit of madness, but a purposeful decision. Ali had come upon his Origin, and with it, a renewed dedication to sufi mysticism and decided disregard for the worldly. He became a vagrant, working enough to keep himself fed but otherwise largely disdaining physical goods and dedicating himself to learning, theology, and religion. And, occasionally, delving into clearly dangerous but intriguingly mysterious situations and committing wanton arson.
At current time Ali couch-surfs between friends, contacts, and family members, primarily working as a detective and personal instructor for the magical community. He is, however, certified as a combat-mage by the Association and for good reason.
Magecraft:
Incinerate:
Detonates explosives or burns objects to ash. Primarily used on things Ali owns. Occasionally used on people!
Moth To The Flame:
Truth is the pursuit of all humans, yet Truth will destroy any human who truly reaches it. Navigating this paradox is an ancient lesson of the Sufis, and many and exalted are those consumed by the fires of Truth. This spell allows for a practitioner to interpret meaningless minutiae to divine the Truths about a person or situation, but the caster must beware for neither they nor their compatriots are protected from it. Its primary weakness is that it does not reveal people who are hiding from others, so while a powerful investigative tool it fails to save one from ambush.
This also alters his use of Reinforcement, making it trend to showing things true, esoteric nature. As perceived by a philosophy that sees indulgence as corruption, pain as redemptive and healing, and the spiritual as all-important. Money becomes rot, alcohol becomes poison, stinging nettles becomes balms to mind and body.
Protection of Faith: This is a servant skill. This shouldn't be here. Why is this he-
Ali. Why are you performing wudhu in the blood of the dead.
"the blood of the martyr is the purest of all substances, and as such is the best substance with which to do wudhu"
Ali. Why did you set your amenities budget and house on fire.
"This life is a bridge, one travels it. To build a house upon it is purest folly."
I correct myself, this one stays. This one stays right fucking here.
Family History: The Nasr ed-Dins were a respected muslim family of mages since before the middle ages, steeped in a tradition utterly alien to the Mage's Association. They immigrated to england as part of a deal with a minor English mage family, one which they swiftly and quietly subsumed over the next generation, and swiftly became a normal part of the Clocktower's society. Though their specific magics are a bit odd due to their foreign origin, their magic crest specializes in Djinn-control and personal augmentation and each of their children learns a bevy of old, esoteric, sufi magics.
Ali is the second child of the family, born after Mariam Nasr ed-Din, and so has not been implanted with the family crest. He has, however, taken to their esoteric teachings well.
Mystic Code (if applicable):
Areadbhar:
Let us be perfectly clear, Ali does not own Areadbhar. It is under his safekeeping on behalf of Mariam Nasr ed-Din, his older sister. Yes, no-one expects him to return it, and yes, he's had it for six years without a break at this point, but it is not his. This is because Mariam understands that if it was his he would promptly chuck it under a bridge or set it on fire as a luxury, and that would be the destruction of a priceless and powerful magical artifact that she hopes to see returned to Persia once the Communists are in power.
With that out of the way, Areadbhar is an ancient spear, supposedly extorted by the Irish god Lugh from a king of Persia. It is an excellent augmentor of fire-element magic and a fearsome weapon in its own right, capable of superheating itself to melt through armor and, ah, people. It responds to the name 'slaughterer', and extracts mana from death and destruction. This has lead to a very common feedback loop for Ali, in which he destroys his own things to generate mana to accomplish his goals, a representation of the basic cycle of all life.
Class: Grand Assassin
True Name: Hassan e Sabah
Gender: Male
Alignment/Traits: Lawful Neutral, Religious Extremist, Polymath, The First Hassan
Cultural Sphere: Middle-East
Strength: B
Endurance: A
Agility: B
Magic: E
Luck: E
Class Skills:
Presence Concealment A (Inapplicable):
Hassan was the first and greatest of the Assassins, capable of stalking a target without fail. But as judge of other assassins, and as missionary and founder of the Fedayeen, he was a public figure and those he opposed knew exactly who was coming for them. When he executed a Hassan for failure, they saw the skull mask. When he tricked the Emir of the Alamut into giving him the fortress, he was entirely up front about his means. As such, his Presence Concealment is completely nonfunctional against his target. In addition, the sound of funerary chants in arabic, farsi, and the languages known to the listeners, can be heard about him where he goes, even when hidden.
Magic Resistance (Subsumed by Protection of the Faith)
Independent Action (Subsumed by Battle Continuation)
Personal Skills:
Protection of the Faith A+++
Hassan e Sabah was engaged in religious debate at 17, a preacher before 18, had memorized the Qur'an, was fluent in philosophy, was single handedly responsible for the spread of the Nizari sect throughout much of the Muslim world, a published biographer and legal scholar, a polyglot, astrologer, mathematician, and was fluent in every science of his time. His faith in god was unshakeable and guided him throughout his entire life, unceasing, till the day he died.
What is a spell against such a mind? What illusion, what delusion, what trick of the world could find purchase against such self-assured, mad faith?
Battle Continuation EX:
The King of Assassins cannot be bargained with. He cannot be reasoned with. He will not stop, ever, until you are dead.
To God We Return EX:
Hassan e Sabah is not merely a harbinger of death, but its progenitor. He crafted the oldest, greatest, most famous organization of assassins in history. He organized subterfuge, murder, and revolution across countries in the name of his cause. And in his legend, in death, he has become synonymous with that most hallowed and dreaded of phrases.
Inna lillahi wa inna ilailhi raji'un
From god we come. To him we return.
Hassan can manipulate and enforce death akin to one with the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, cutting strings of fate with his grand blade, and is immune to such manipulation in turn.
Noble Phantasms:
Ism e Azam: The Greatest Name
Rank B Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm
Once, Moses asked Allah (SWT) the greatest of His names. Allah (SWT) instead revealed his name unto a mountain, which caused the mountain to be violently reduced to Ash. As a mere Servant, Hassan cannot hope to contain His greatest name, but as any religious muslim he is cognizant of the lesser ones. By reciting a selection of the names of Allah (SWT), he allows the tiniest fraction of the truth of the Greatest Name to be unleashed upon the world, unleashing grand, instantaneous devastation upon a single, discrete object or person.
Biography: Hassan-e-Sabah was a religious scholar, accomplished missionary, respected imam, and polymath. He had been freed of prison by the spontaneous destruction of a minaret, proved able to debate with scholars far more experienced than him on an even level, and had written both biography and philosophy texts. Then, his legend began.
He tricked an Emir into giving him a fortress, converted the populace, and founded the order of Assassins. He started religious revolts in multiple countries, and caused untold people to swear themselves to God as Fedayeen. He secluded himself in his fortress for thirty five years, studying, praying, bettering himself as a servant of Allah (SWT), taking but two breaks to gaze upon the night sky in sheer wonder at his creation. His order would, itself, generate many who would claim the title of Servant. And, unlike so many great and storied heroes, he died old, happy, and content. Sitting upon a legacy that would outlive him lifetimes over.
Whether Hassan is the Grand Assassin himself, the Executioner of Assassins, dedicated to ensuring the purity of the organization, or has merely taken the mantle in the circumstances of his ersatz summoning, is something only the servant himself knows.
Include: Areadbhar elongates into a great executioner's blade, the death-dealing implement of Hassan. It provides access to a greatly lessened version of Funeral Rites EX and Presence Concealment A (Inapplicable).
Install:HASSAN E SABAH COMES FOR YOU IN THE FLESH. DEATH IS IMMINENT.
FOR THE NEXT FIVE TO FIFTEEN SECONDS.
True Name: Hassan e Sabah
Gender: Male
Alignment/Traits: Lawful Neutral, Religious Extremist, Polymath, The First Hassan
Cultural Sphere: Middle-East
Strength: B
Endurance: A
Agility: B
Magic: E
Luck: E
Class Skills:
Presence Concealment A (Inapplicable):
Hassan was the first and greatest of the Assassins, capable of stalking a target without fail. But as judge of other assassins, and as missionary and founder of the Fedayeen, he was a public figure and those he opposed knew exactly who was coming for them. When he executed a Hassan for failure, they saw the skull mask. When he tricked the Emir of the Alamut into giving him the fortress, he was entirely up front about his means. As such, his Presence Concealment is completely nonfunctional against his target. In addition, the sound of funerary chants in arabic, farsi, and the languages known to the listeners, can be heard about him where he goes, even when hidden.
Magic Resistance (Subsumed by Protection of the Faith)
Independent Action (Subsumed by Battle Continuation)
Personal Skills:
Protection of the Faith A+++
Hassan e Sabah was engaged in religious debate at 17, a preacher before 18, had memorized the Qur'an, was fluent in philosophy, was single handedly responsible for the spread of the Nizari sect throughout much of the Muslim world, a published biographer and legal scholar, a polyglot, astrologer, mathematician, and was fluent in every science of his time. His faith in god was unshakeable and guided him throughout his entire life, unceasing, till the day he died.
What is a spell against such a mind? What illusion, what delusion, what trick of the world could find purchase against such self-assured, mad faith?
Battle Continuation EX:
The King of Assassins cannot be bargained with. He cannot be reasoned with. He will not stop, ever, until you are dead.
To God We Return EX:
Hassan e Sabah is not merely a harbinger of death, but its progenitor. He crafted the oldest, greatest, most famous organization of assassins in history. He organized subterfuge, murder, and revolution across countries in the name of his cause. And in his legend, in death, he has become synonymous with that most hallowed and dreaded of phrases.
Inna lillahi wa inna ilailhi raji'un
From god we come. To him we return.
Hassan can manipulate and enforce death akin to one with the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, cutting strings of fate with his grand blade, and is immune to such manipulation in turn.
Noble Phantasms:
Ism e Azam: The Greatest Name
Rank B Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm
Once, Moses asked Allah (SWT) the greatest of His names. Allah (SWT) instead revealed his name unto a mountain, which caused the mountain to be violently reduced to Ash. As a mere Servant, Hassan cannot hope to contain His greatest name, but as any religious muslim he is cognizant of the lesser ones. By reciting a selection of the names of Allah (SWT), he allows the tiniest fraction of the truth of the Greatest Name to be unleashed upon the world, unleashing grand, instantaneous devastation upon a single, discrete object or person.
Biography: Hassan-e-Sabah was a religious scholar, accomplished missionary, respected imam, and polymath. He had been freed of prison by the spontaneous destruction of a minaret, proved able to debate with scholars far more experienced than him on an even level, and had written both biography and philosophy texts. Then, his legend began.
He tricked an Emir into giving him a fortress, converted the populace, and founded the order of Assassins. He started religious revolts in multiple countries, and caused untold people to swear themselves to God as Fedayeen. He secluded himself in his fortress for thirty five years, studying, praying, bettering himself as a servant of Allah (SWT), taking but two breaks to gaze upon the night sky in sheer wonder at his creation. His order would, itself, generate many who would claim the title of Servant. And, unlike so many great and storied heroes, he died old, happy, and content. Sitting upon a legacy that would outlive him lifetimes over.
Whether Hassan is the Grand Assassin himself, the Executioner of Assassins, dedicated to ensuring the purity of the organization, or has merely taken the mantle in the circumstances of his ersatz summoning, is something only the servant himself knows.
Include: Areadbhar elongates into a great executioner's blade, the death-dealing implement of Hassan. It provides access to a greatly lessened version of Funeral Rites EX and Presence Concealment A (Inapplicable).
Install:HASSAN E SABAH COMES FOR YOU IN THE FLESH. DEATH IS IMMINENT.
FOR THE NEXT FIVE TO FIFTEEN SECONDS.
Berserker: @Squirtodyle
Name: Edward Dempsey (Edward Ó Díomasaigh)
Age: 32
Gender: Male
Element: Wind/Earth
Origin: Binding
Description: A tall, handsome man with a wiry build that's almost always kept hidden under his long black coat, with red hair that would stand out in any country in the world as being quite unusual. Almost always with a smile on his face, the kind that makes you wonder if he knows something you don't. Always fiddling with the sleeves of his coat, and it's not hard to see the outline of a pack of cigarettes in one of his pockets. All in all, a charming looking man, if a little mysterious.
Magecraft: Edward rejected the notions of continuing on his family's magecraft as a simple researcher, and as such turned his studies towards the more practical applications of magecraft which would serve him better as an Enforcer. He maintains moderate competence in most "simple" areas of magecraft, such as Reinforcement and simple control of his elemental affinities, and ultimately has no true area of expertise or specialization. Among the skills he chose to learn, he has studied Runes as simple and effective way of enhancing his Mystic Code and his physical body, though he is no true master of the art, and as a result of his family's tendency towards studying magecraft to captivate, beguile, and control, he boasts rather potent hypnotic magecraft. In practice, Edward prefers to focus on his Mystic Code when necessary, with other skills such as Reinforcement, Runes, manipulating the elements, familiars, Bounded Fields etc. being secondary and supplementary.
Family History: The Ó Díomasaigh clan date back hundreds, if not thousands of years, back to when Ireland was a cradle of magic and mystery, where faeries walked the earth and monsters and men fought for supremacy. Though there were many branches and dead ends, the main clan has survived all this time, albeit not without complications. While their Crest was lost once, an event that nearly destroyed any hope of the magus clan continuing, they managed to endure and prosper again, thanks to a unique blessing they possessed.
Whether it was a reward for services rendered, a curse that became a benefit, or perhaps even simple interbreeding between man and myth, the Ó Díomasaigh clan were once touched by the Aes Sídhe, and that touch will very rarely manifest itself. A child with pointed ears was born in the clan's greatest hour of need, and with their miraculous ability as a magus, magnificent Magic Circuits, and their innate abilities as an existence close to one of the fair folk, they allowed the clan to continue, even prosper. Another child of the fae wouldn't be born for several more generations, but this second miracle child was as wondrous as the first, and soon the clan's worries were swept away completely. In 1932, another child with pointed ears was born, and the entire clan rejoiced.
Almost as an afterthought, her twin brother was born a few minutes later.
Edward Dempsey, as he chooses to be called, was raised knowing that he was simply a "spare". He was their backup plan, in case the unthinkable happened and his sister Niamh were to be slain before she could produce an heir herself. Despite being a relatively good magus in his own right, with a useful Origin and rare dual affinity, he had no hope of surpassing a child of the fae. He grew up being treated the same way he had been when he was born, an afterthought. Eventually, Edward's irritation and dissatisfaction with constantly being considered nothing but a backup reached its peak, and he made a choice. On his 21st birthday, rather than choose to continue quietly studying the family's magecraft until he died, he chose to become one of the Sealing Designation Enforcers of the Mage's Association.
Naturally, for a traditional family like his, his parents were furious. Despite their faith in Niamh, they didn't want to leave anything to chance, but couldn't stop Edward from walking out and moving to London. He made a name for himself over the years, never quite managing to apprehend anyone that would make him famous within the Clock Tower, but never being slain by a rogue Magus or Dead Apostle either. As a result of his eleven years of experience, he was selected by the Mage's Association for their delicate operation in Switzerland, and received the Berserker Class Card.
Mystic Code (if applicable): Origin Chains: Slabhra de na Sídhe
The armament that Edward believed to be the natural evolution of both his talents at manipulating things, and his Origin. In its first iteration, it was no more than a Reinforced chain composed of hundreds of small links, which he controlled using the wind. Over time, he began refining it into a true Mystic Code, discarding his original armament and forging one anew from the very beginning. He extracted two of his ribs and mixed the powdered bone into the molten metal as he began the process, and cooled each individual link that he forged in a vat of his own blood. His objective was twofold, both to imbue the chain with the ability to actualize his Origin as necessary, and to create a spiritual link between himself and the physical chain links.
Each link is carved with several small runes, designed to amplify Edward's natural control of them through the manipulation of wind and earth, and at each end of the chain, he has forged and affixed a flat blade carved with those same runes. As a result, with no more effort than a small activation of his Circuits and a thought, the chain comes alive, capable of being used to manoeuvre himself and allies, attack, defend, and manipulate the environment. Typically concealed underneath his coat as it wraps around his chest and arms, Edward generally prefers to keep it hidden, only exposing it if absolutely necessary. Should Edward manage to pierce a target with the blades at the ends of the chain, he is capable of actualizing his Origin of "binding" within them, forcibly seizing control of their limbs as though they were bound tightly in chains of their own. Should his blades continue to pierce the victim, he gradually begins to bind them in a more esoteric sense, their mind and soul being subdued and forced to act according to his will as they become a pseudo-familiar. Unfortunately, this process takes a prohibitively long period of time to reach completion when used on anything sapient, and is only truly useful in the quick conversion of local wildlife to loyal familiars, as those without a sufficient level of intelligence can be subverted in a matter of minutes, if not seconds.
Age: 32
Gender: Male
Element: Wind/Earth
Origin: Binding
Description: A tall, handsome man with a wiry build that's almost always kept hidden under his long black coat, with red hair that would stand out in any country in the world as being quite unusual. Almost always with a smile on his face, the kind that makes you wonder if he knows something you don't. Always fiddling with the sleeves of his coat, and it's not hard to see the outline of a pack of cigarettes in one of his pockets. All in all, a charming looking man, if a little mysterious.
Magecraft: Edward rejected the notions of continuing on his family's magecraft as a simple researcher, and as such turned his studies towards the more practical applications of magecraft which would serve him better as an Enforcer. He maintains moderate competence in most "simple" areas of magecraft, such as Reinforcement and simple control of his elemental affinities, and ultimately has no true area of expertise or specialization. Among the skills he chose to learn, he has studied Runes as simple and effective way of enhancing his Mystic Code and his physical body, though he is no true master of the art, and as a result of his family's tendency towards studying magecraft to captivate, beguile, and control, he boasts rather potent hypnotic magecraft. In practice, Edward prefers to focus on his Mystic Code when necessary, with other skills such as Reinforcement, Runes, manipulating the elements, familiars, Bounded Fields etc. being secondary and supplementary.
Family History: The Ó Díomasaigh clan date back hundreds, if not thousands of years, back to when Ireland was a cradle of magic and mystery, where faeries walked the earth and monsters and men fought for supremacy. Though there were many branches and dead ends, the main clan has survived all this time, albeit not without complications. While their Crest was lost once, an event that nearly destroyed any hope of the magus clan continuing, they managed to endure and prosper again, thanks to a unique blessing they possessed.
Whether it was a reward for services rendered, a curse that became a benefit, or perhaps even simple interbreeding between man and myth, the Ó Díomasaigh clan were once touched by the Aes Sídhe, and that touch will very rarely manifest itself. A child with pointed ears was born in the clan's greatest hour of need, and with their miraculous ability as a magus, magnificent Magic Circuits, and their innate abilities as an existence close to one of the fair folk, they allowed the clan to continue, even prosper. Another child of the fae wouldn't be born for several more generations, but this second miracle child was as wondrous as the first, and soon the clan's worries were swept away completely. In 1932, another child with pointed ears was born, and the entire clan rejoiced.
Almost as an afterthought, her twin brother was born a few minutes later.
Edward Dempsey, as he chooses to be called, was raised knowing that he was simply a "spare". He was their backup plan, in case the unthinkable happened and his sister Niamh were to be slain before she could produce an heir herself. Despite being a relatively good magus in his own right, with a useful Origin and rare dual affinity, he had no hope of surpassing a child of the fae. He grew up being treated the same way he had been when he was born, an afterthought. Eventually, Edward's irritation and dissatisfaction with constantly being considered nothing but a backup reached its peak, and he made a choice. On his 21st birthday, rather than choose to continue quietly studying the family's magecraft until he died, he chose to become one of the Sealing Designation Enforcers of the Mage's Association.
Naturally, for a traditional family like his, his parents were furious. Despite their faith in Niamh, they didn't want to leave anything to chance, but couldn't stop Edward from walking out and moving to London. He made a name for himself over the years, never quite managing to apprehend anyone that would make him famous within the Clock Tower, but never being slain by a rogue Magus or Dead Apostle either. As a result of his eleven years of experience, he was selected by the Mage's Association for their delicate operation in Switzerland, and received the Berserker Class Card.
Mystic Code (if applicable): Origin Chains: Slabhra de na Sídhe
The armament that Edward believed to be the natural evolution of both his talents at manipulating things, and his Origin. In its first iteration, it was no more than a Reinforced chain composed of hundreds of small links, which he controlled using the wind. Over time, he began refining it into a true Mystic Code, discarding his original armament and forging one anew from the very beginning. He extracted two of his ribs and mixed the powdered bone into the molten metal as he began the process, and cooled each individual link that he forged in a vat of his own blood. His objective was twofold, both to imbue the chain with the ability to actualize his Origin as necessary, and to create a spiritual link between himself and the physical chain links.
Each link is carved with several small runes, designed to amplify Edward's natural control of them through the manipulation of wind and earth, and at each end of the chain, he has forged and affixed a flat blade carved with those same runes. As a result, with no more effort than a small activation of his Circuits and a thought, the chain comes alive, capable of being used to manoeuvre himself and allies, attack, defend, and manipulate the environment. Typically concealed underneath his coat as it wraps around his chest and arms, Edward generally prefers to keep it hidden, only exposing it if absolutely necessary. Should Edward manage to pierce a target with the blades at the ends of the chain, he is capable of actualizing his Origin of "binding" within them, forcibly seizing control of their limbs as though they were bound tightly in chains of their own. Should his blades continue to pierce the victim, he gradually begins to bind them in a more esoteric sense, their mind and soul being subdued and forced to act according to his will as they become a pseudo-familiar. Unfortunately, this process takes a prohibitively long period of time to reach completion when used on anything sapient, and is only truly useful in the quick conversion of local wildlife to loyal familiars, as those without a sufficient level of intelligence can be subverted in a matter of minutes, if not seconds.
Class: Berserker
True Name: Duryodhana
Gender: Male
Alignment/Traits: True Neutral
Cultural Sphere: India
Strength: C (B) (A)
Endurance: C (B) (A)
Agility: B (A) (A+)
Magic: B (A)
Luck: B+ (A+)
Class Skills:
Mad Enhancement: E+
The Class Skill of the Berserker Class, which raises basic parameters and physical power in exchange for destroying the sanity of the Servant. As Berserker's connection to the Class is tenuous at best, he qualifies only for the lowest rank, receiving no benefits besides a dulling of pain in exchange for no penalties save becoming slightly rougher. However, in the case of entering into combat with one of those Berserker despised in life, the rank effectively becomes equal to C, conferring a rank up to all physical stats and reducing his sanity until he can no longer speak and think properly.
Personal Skills:
Charisma: B
A composite Skill consisting of a person's charm as well as the natural talent to command or unify an army or country. At this rank, it is possible for one to truthfully call themselves a king, and the morale of forces under their control will be extremely high. Despite his flaws, Berserker was truly suited to the position of being a king, and he strove to be the best he could regardless of his fate.
Battle Continuation: B
A Skill that allows for the continuation of combat after sustaining mortal wounds. It will also reduce mortality rate from injury. Despite suffering mortal wounds from his bout with the second of the Pandavas, Berserker is said to have survived long enough to enact his final vengeance upon them, sending Ashwatthama and two others to slaughter the victorious army for the crime of having dishonourably slain Ashwatthama's father. Berserker is capable of fighting on for some time with deadly injuries, and requires a decisively fatal blow to be slain.
Proof of Friendship: EX
A Skill to suppress an enemy Servant's fighting spirit to a certain extent, where then a dialogue can begin. However, the enemy Servant must not possess a Mental Pollution Skill. With regards to a Holy Grail War, an advantageous check can be obtained when constructing temporary alliances. Berserker's rank in this skill comes from his legendarily strong friendship with the Hero of Charity, whose death caused him to weep uncontrollably even after shedding not a single tear for his hundred fallen brothers, inspiring tales of Duryodhana and Karna walking hand in hand to heaven together. At such a high rank, the benefits of Karna's friendship remain even when he is not with Berserker, the memories of their time together providing just as strong an effect. Berserker's connection to the apocalyptic demon of Hindu legend is suppressed, and can be channelled for a limited time using his second Noble Phantasm without ill effects. While this would allow for an all but irresistible compulsion to engage in a dialogue with Berserker in most circumstances, it is naturally sealed away when he activates his second Noble Phantasm.
Noble Phantasms:
Gandhari's Gaze: Blessings of the Blind Mother: Anti-Unit (Self) (B)
Despite his superior skill with a mace, Berserker knew he would be no match for Bhima, second of the Pandavas, whose strength was renowned throughout the world. As such, his mother, who had willingly blindfolded herself so as to be equal to her blind husband, decided to lift her blindfold for the first time in decades so as to pour her power and blessings upon her eldest son, making his body invulnerable save for his groin, which Berserker was tricked into covering up. This later led to his death, as Bhima crushed his thighs during their duel. Berserker's skin is as armor, impenetrable to almost all attacks, save for the area around his groin and thighs which remain as vulnerable as ever. Additionally, as a result of being slain by a demigod, the defense has weakened, allowing those with C rank Divinity or above to negate it entirely.
Kali Yuga: He Who Brings All Evil Into This World: Anti-Unit (Self): (A+)
While Berserker aspired to be a great king, his wish was tainted and doomed from the beginning, his birth cursed with ill omens and unnatural phenomena. The reason for this was that Berserker was unknowingly an incarnation of the demon Kali, the root of all evils in Hindu lore, prophesied to rule over the final stage of the cycle of the world, where sin and depravity ran rampant. While ordinarily Berserker's ignorance and denial of his nature would seal this Noble Phantasm away, his Proof of Friendship Skill allows him to activate it at will, Karna's acceptance of his true nature inspiring Berserker to do the same. Due to Kali's connection to madness, depravity, and corruption, it allows Berserker to just barely qualify for this class despite never having flown into an insane rage in life.
Upon activation of this Noble Phantasm, Berserker's form distorts, becoming more demonic and reminiscent of another incarnation of Kali, the demon Ravana. He grows two new pairs of arms, a mace or sword in each hand, and all his stats are Ranked Up. Additionally, he gains access to a variety of skills at B~A rank, including Natural Demon, Monstrous Strength, Mana Burst (Poison), and Illusionism. Berserker also gains access to the skill Shapeshift at the same rank, however, choosing to change his form in any way removes the protection of his first Noble Phantasm until he has reverted to his "base" form.
This power is dangerous to Berserker, and he can only remain in this state for a brief period of time. In ordinary circumstances, three minutes is the absolute limit before he must wait a day for its influence to fade. Should he ignore this limit, Berserker becomes unable to revert back, his transformation continuing as he begins to emit waves of corruptive miasma, the true form of Kali leaking out of his Servant Container. This is naturally an event that would shatter the Saint Graph of almost any Servant, but there is a more terrifying possibility. Should Duryodhana somehow endure the stress of Kali's existence subverting his own, it would be possible for the great demon to truly manifest, unleashing upon mankind an evil for which they would be sorely under prepared.
Biography:
Duryodhana's birth was the first sign of his unnatural nature, and all but the most accepting could see that it was a mistake to bring him into the world. Unfortunately, his loving father and mother, King Dhritarashtra and Queen Gandhari, were accepting to the point of willful ignorance, and so Duryodhana and his siblings came into this world. Their mother had been pregnant for an unusually long time, and having learned that the wife of her husband's younger brother had given birth already, she pounded her stomach in frustration. What she produced was nothing more than a small, grey lump, which the sage Vyasa then divided into one hundred and one equal parts, before leaving these parts in earthen pots filled with ghee to incubate properly. The first child born of the artificial wombs was Duryodhana, and though his parents rejoiced at finally being blessed with a child, those wiser than them were worried. An unnatural birth to begin with, it had been marred further by the screeching of donkeys and other such omens, and those such as Bhishma and Vyasa begged the ruling couple to kill Duryodhana, foreseeing that he would bring destruction upon their land. Naturally, the king and queen rejected this, and so Duryodhana was born into the world, followed by ninety nine brothers and one single sister.
Despite being brought up alongside the Pandavas as their cousin, a deep dislike of them began to worm its way into Duryodhana's heart. His father had first been forced to pass up the throne for his younger brother Pandu, for no greater crime than being a blind man, and when Pandu had found himself cursed and renounced the kingship that his elder brother took up, in Duryodhana's eyes, he had renounced the claim of his children to the throne. However, despite being the eldest son of the ruling king with a just and righteous claim to that throne, the eldest child of Pandu and Kunti, Yudhisthira, was a few days older than him, with an equal claim to the throne in the eyes of the law. This insult nestled into his heart as he realised that his birthright may be stolen away by the child of a man that abandoned the throne, and it proved to be the first spark that lit the flame of hatred that he and others fueled throughout his life. Between his cousin Bhima's ruthless bullying of him and his brothers, and his uncle Shakuni's poisonous words and schemes enacted for the sole purpose of selfish revenge against the Kuru family, that spark became a roaring bonfire, and regardless of his genuine desire to be a good man and good king, he was never truly able to let go of his hatred.
Many things happened in Duryodhana's life, most important among them his meeting with Karna. Despite having wished to use him as a weapon at first, Duryodhana quickly forged a true bond with the supposed peasant, and by the time of their deaths, they loved each other more fiercely than could be put into words, each the most important person in the other's life. Of almost equal importance was the fateful dice game that his uncle had arranged, wherein Duryodhana used magical dice that would ensure his victory. Had it not been for the kindness of his father Dhritarashtra, he would have taken the Pandavas and their wife Draupadi as his slaves, and ruled the kingdom completely unchallenged after humiliating the cousins that he despised in front of many, many kings. Instead, they were merely exiled for thirteen years, and while Duryodhana sought to enjoy himself over those years, he always knew that the Pandavas would return, and sought to conquer the world before they revealed themselves again.
Return they did, and war was the inevitable result of challenging a man who truly, honestly believed himself to be the rightful king. Eighteen days of terrible, terrible war raged on between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, and both sides experienced terrible tragedy as their loved ones were slain, the rules of warfare abandoned for the sake of victory. At the end of that conflict, when Duryodhana lay dying in a pool of water after having been dishonourably defeated by Bhima in a duel, he cursed and mocked the Pandavas on his deathbed, inviting them to live in the unhappy, death-filled world that they had created as punishment for their cheating and dishonour, while he had experienced every joy the world had to offer in his thirteen years of rule and would continue to experience joy in heaven now that he was dying, the gods raining flowers down upon him as if to nod in agreement at his words. As a final act of vengeance, Duryodhana held onto his life long enough to instruct the warrior Ashwatthama and two others to kill the Pandavas as they celebrated, an act that Ashwatthama willingly went through with due to the Pandavas having cheated to kill his father. While they were unsuccessful at slaying everyone, they reported back to the dying Duryodhana that they had slain their children, and satisfied that he had contributed all he could to wiping out their line forever, Duryodhana lay his head back and passed on, and the world was saved from the influence of an early apocalypse, called forth by an ignorant man who did not wish to believe that he was a demon.
Include: A simple mace, albeit several times larger than a "normal" one, and more ornate as well. Duryodhana dedicated himself to mastering the mace in life, and by the time of the Kurukshetra War, was said to be so skilled that even Bhima's supernatural strength fell short when they dueled. However, this skill was Duryodhana's and nothing else's, and as such the mace is merely a mace. Due to its size, some form of Reinforcement or other strength-enhancing method would be required to wield it, but thanks to its mundanity, it's capable of lasting a very long time.
Install: Merging with Duryodhana's Class Card immediately triggers his second Noble Phantasm, and as such it is an extremely costly decision to make. The potential to kill the user or worse through Kali's influence isn't a concern, but only because manifesting two powerful Noble Phantasms at once reduces the time that this can be used for from a maximum of three minutes to far, far less. While the destructive power of Kali Yuga and the defensive power of Gandhari's Gaze cannot be underestimated, neither can their truly enormous drain of mana. As if to mirror the extremely cheap Include, it would be nearly a miracle to ever reach the true time limit of Duryodhana's second Noble Phantasm while using this card.
True Name: Duryodhana
Gender: Male
Alignment/Traits: True Neutral
Cultural Sphere: India
Strength: C (B) (A)
Endurance: C (B) (A)
Agility: B (A) (A+)
Magic: B (A)
Luck: B+ (A+)
Class Skills:
Mad Enhancement: E+
The Class Skill of the Berserker Class, which raises basic parameters and physical power in exchange for destroying the sanity of the Servant. As Berserker's connection to the Class is tenuous at best, he qualifies only for the lowest rank, receiving no benefits besides a dulling of pain in exchange for no penalties save becoming slightly rougher. However, in the case of entering into combat with one of those Berserker despised in life, the rank effectively becomes equal to C, conferring a rank up to all physical stats and reducing his sanity until he can no longer speak and think properly.
Personal Skills:
Charisma: B
A composite Skill consisting of a person's charm as well as the natural talent to command or unify an army or country. At this rank, it is possible for one to truthfully call themselves a king, and the morale of forces under their control will be extremely high. Despite his flaws, Berserker was truly suited to the position of being a king, and he strove to be the best he could regardless of his fate.
Battle Continuation: B
A Skill that allows for the continuation of combat after sustaining mortal wounds. It will also reduce mortality rate from injury. Despite suffering mortal wounds from his bout with the second of the Pandavas, Berserker is said to have survived long enough to enact his final vengeance upon them, sending Ashwatthama and two others to slaughter the victorious army for the crime of having dishonourably slain Ashwatthama's father. Berserker is capable of fighting on for some time with deadly injuries, and requires a decisively fatal blow to be slain.
Proof of Friendship: EX
A Skill to suppress an enemy Servant's fighting spirit to a certain extent, where then a dialogue can begin. However, the enemy Servant must not possess a Mental Pollution Skill. With regards to a Holy Grail War, an advantageous check can be obtained when constructing temporary alliances. Berserker's rank in this skill comes from his legendarily strong friendship with the Hero of Charity, whose death caused him to weep uncontrollably even after shedding not a single tear for his hundred fallen brothers, inspiring tales of Duryodhana and Karna walking hand in hand to heaven together. At such a high rank, the benefits of Karna's friendship remain even when he is not with Berserker, the memories of their time together providing just as strong an effect. Berserker's connection to the apocalyptic demon of Hindu legend is suppressed, and can be channelled for a limited time using his second Noble Phantasm without ill effects. While this would allow for an all but irresistible compulsion to engage in a dialogue with Berserker in most circumstances, it is naturally sealed away when he activates his second Noble Phantasm.
Noble Phantasms:
Gandhari's Gaze: Blessings of the Blind Mother: Anti-Unit (Self) (B)
Despite his superior skill with a mace, Berserker knew he would be no match for Bhima, second of the Pandavas, whose strength was renowned throughout the world. As such, his mother, who had willingly blindfolded herself so as to be equal to her blind husband, decided to lift her blindfold for the first time in decades so as to pour her power and blessings upon her eldest son, making his body invulnerable save for his groin, which Berserker was tricked into covering up. This later led to his death, as Bhima crushed his thighs during their duel. Berserker's skin is as armor, impenetrable to almost all attacks, save for the area around his groin and thighs which remain as vulnerable as ever. Additionally, as a result of being slain by a demigod, the defense has weakened, allowing those with C rank Divinity or above to negate it entirely.
Kali Yuga: He Who Brings All Evil Into This World: Anti-Unit (Self): (A+)
While Berserker aspired to be a great king, his wish was tainted and doomed from the beginning, his birth cursed with ill omens and unnatural phenomena. The reason for this was that Berserker was unknowingly an incarnation of the demon Kali, the root of all evils in Hindu lore, prophesied to rule over the final stage of the cycle of the world, where sin and depravity ran rampant. While ordinarily Berserker's ignorance and denial of his nature would seal this Noble Phantasm away, his Proof of Friendship Skill allows him to activate it at will, Karna's acceptance of his true nature inspiring Berserker to do the same. Due to Kali's connection to madness, depravity, and corruption, it allows Berserker to just barely qualify for this class despite never having flown into an insane rage in life.
Upon activation of this Noble Phantasm, Berserker's form distorts, becoming more demonic and reminiscent of another incarnation of Kali, the demon Ravana. He grows two new pairs of arms, a mace or sword in each hand, and all his stats are Ranked Up. Additionally, he gains access to a variety of skills at B~A rank, including Natural Demon, Monstrous Strength, Mana Burst (Poison), and Illusionism. Berserker also gains access to the skill Shapeshift at the same rank, however, choosing to change his form in any way removes the protection of his first Noble Phantasm until he has reverted to his "base" form.
This power is dangerous to Berserker, and he can only remain in this state for a brief period of time. In ordinary circumstances, three minutes is the absolute limit before he must wait a day for its influence to fade. Should he ignore this limit, Berserker becomes unable to revert back, his transformation continuing as he begins to emit waves of corruptive miasma, the true form of Kali leaking out of his Servant Container. This is naturally an event that would shatter the Saint Graph of almost any Servant, but there is a more terrifying possibility. Should Duryodhana somehow endure the stress of Kali's existence subverting his own, it would be possible for the great demon to truly manifest, unleashing upon mankind an evil for which they would be sorely under prepared.
Biography:
Duryodhana's birth was the first sign of his unnatural nature, and all but the most accepting could see that it was a mistake to bring him into the world. Unfortunately, his loving father and mother, King Dhritarashtra and Queen Gandhari, were accepting to the point of willful ignorance, and so Duryodhana and his siblings came into this world. Their mother had been pregnant for an unusually long time, and having learned that the wife of her husband's younger brother had given birth already, she pounded her stomach in frustration. What she produced was nothing more than a small, grey lump, which the sage Vyasa then divided into one hundred and one equal parts, before leaving these parts in earthen pots filled with ghee to incubate properly. The first child born of the artificial wombs was Duryodhana, and though his parents rejoiced at finally being blessed with a child, those wiser than them were worried. An unnatural birth to begin with, it had been marred further by the screeching of donkeys and other such omens, and those such as Bhishma and Vyasa begged the ruling couple to kill Duryodhana, foreseeing that he would bring destruction upon their land. Naturally, the king and queen rejected this, and so Duryodhana was born into the world, followed by ninety nine brothers and one single sister.
Despite being brought up alongside the Pandavas as their cousin, a deep dislike of them began to worm its way into Duryodhana's heart. His father had first been forced to pass up the throne for his younger brother Pandu, for no greater crime than being a blind man, and when Pandu had found himself cursed and renounced the kingship that his elder brother took up, in Duryodhana's eyes, he had renounced the claim of his children to the throne. However, despite being the eldest son of the ruling king with a just and righteous claim to that throne, the eldest child of Pandu and Kunti, Yudhisthira, was a few days older than him, with an equal claim to the throne in the eyes of the law. This insult nestled into his heart as he realised that his birthright may be stolen away by the child of a man that abandoned the throne, and it proved to be the first spark that lit the flame of hatred that he and others fueled throughout his life. Between his cousin Bhima's ruthless bullying of him and his brothers, and his uncle Shakuni's poisonous words and schemes enacted for the sole purpose of selfish revenge against the Kuru family, that spark became a roaring bonfire, and regardless of his genuine desire to be a good man and good king, he was never truly able to let go of his hatred.
Many things happened in Duryodhana's life, most important among them his meeting with Karna. Despite having wished to use him as a weapon at first, Duryodhana quickly forged a true bond with the supposed peasant, and by the time of their deaths, they loved each other more fiercely than could be put into words, each the most important person in the other's life. Of almost equal importance was the fateful dice game that his uncle had arranged, wherein Duryodhana used magical dice that would ensure his victory. Had it not been for the kindness of his father Dhritarashtra, he would have taken the Pandavas and their wife Draupadi as his slaves, and ruled the kingdom completely unchallenged after humiliating the cousins that he despised in front of many, many kings. Instead, they were merely exiled for thirteen years, and while Duryodhana sought to enjoy himself over those years, he always knew that the Pandavas would return, and sought to conquer the world before they revealed themselves again.
Return they did, and war was the inevitable result of challenging a man who truly, honestly believed himself to be the rightful king. Eighteen days of terrible, terrible war raged on between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, and both sides experienced terrible tragedy as their loved ones were slain, the rules of warfare abandoned for the sake of victory. At the end of that conflict, when Duryodhana lay dying in a pool of water after having been dishonourably defeated by Bhima in a duel, he cursed and mocked the Pandavas on his deathbed, inviting them to live in the unhappy, death-filled world that they had created as punishment for their cheating and dishonour, while he had experienced every joy the world had to offer in his thirteen years of rule and would continue to experience joy in heaven now that he was dying, the gods raining flowers down upon him as if to nod in agreement at his words. As a final act of vengeance, Duryodhana held onto his life long enough to instruct the warrior Ashwatthama and two others to kill the Pandavas as they celebrated, an act that Ashwatthama willingly went through with due to the Pandavas having cheated to kill his father. While they were unsuccessful at slaying everyone, they reported back to the dying Duryodhana that they had slain their children, and satisfied that he had contributed all he could to wiping out their line forever, Duryodhana lay his head back and passed on, and the world was saved from the influence of an early apocalypse, called forth by an ignorant man who did not wish to believe that he was a demon.
Include: A simple mace, albeit several times larger than a "normal" one, and more ornate as well. Duryodhana dedicated himself to mastering the mace in life, and by the time of the Kurukshetra War, was said to be so skilled that even Bhima's supernatural strength fell short when they dueled. However, this skill was Duryodhana's and nothing else's, and as such the mace is merely a mace. Due to its size, some form of Reinforcement or other strength-enhancing method would be required to wield it, but thanks to its mundanity, it's capable of lasting a very long time.
Install: Merging with Duryodhana's Class Card immediately triggers his second Noble Phantasm, and as such it is an extremely costly decision to make. The potential to kill the user or worse through Kali's influence isn't a concern, but only because manifesting two powerful Noble Phantasms at once reduces the time that this can be used for from a maximum of three minutes to far, far less. While the destructive power of Kali Yuga and the defensive power of Gandhari's Gaze cannot be underestimated, neither can their truly enormous drain of mana. As if to mirror the extremely cheap Include, it would be nearly a miracle to ever reach the true time limit of Duryodhana's second Noble Phantasm while using this card.
Avenger: @TenfoldShields
Name: Arkady Siber
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Element: Water
Origin: Moon
Description:
A lanky, bony man from the depths of the Russian wilderness, his pale skin tanned by the sun and his shaggy hair is snowy white. He always dresses simply and much of his clothing seems to be handmade. Easygoing and more than a little lazy he's content to let others take the lead. And generally has a constant air of faint bewilderment about him, equal parts fascinated and a bit bemused by the modern world around him. All coming together to give the impression that he's either not especially smart or particularly talented. But there's a lean kind of strength to him and a deceptive agility. And when he smiles he shows his teeth: iron grey and subtly sharp, the edges able to pare through flesh like a knife.
Magecraft:
House Familiar: A present from his mother, his aunts, and elder sisters. A handsome piece of luggage, all well worn, elegant leather and metal framing that very well may be gold. Arkady carries it with him always and it is deceptively light. When opened it inverts upon itself, unfolding and unfurling into a small, cozy house with a stove and chimney. And enormous chicken legs. There are bounded fields woven into the structure of the home, enough to allow mortal eyes to slide past the fence of bones and burning skulls and for it to weather some degree of hostile magecraft. But its main function is as a mobile Workshop.
Deep Forest Communion: His are the creatures of the Northern wilds, those depths so far removed from the encroaching, eroding, advance of human civilization that monsters still dwell in seas of endless, softly falling snow. Gods and older, stranger things lurking in the shadow of the trees. Arkady speaks the tongues of beasts and can direct them to action, or take their characteristics for himself. At the crudest level he may simply overwrite himself with their features. But the true application is in consumption. What Arkady eats he integrates and understands.
Family History:
The Baba Yaga are not one, they are many. The Baba Yaga are not human, they are something more. Something other. Something straddling the line between merely mortal and godlike so long have they been separate from the rest of mankind. In character they are elitists of the strangest stripe, shunning the more cosmopolitan Clocktower as having already succumbed to the advance of human inquiry. The path to the Root lays in the Age of the Gods, this is known, when the divine walked and countless possibilities unfolded. To that end they hoard knowledge among themselves and safeguard the elder wilds of Siberia. To that end they send their lesser daughters and the men of the sprawling clan out into the world to do the family's dirty work while the core cabal remains in pristine seclusion, possibly no longer even on Earth. Untainted and untouched, an enigma even to their more junior members. If being a particularly self-aware guard dog and glorified errand boy troubles Arkady he gives no sign. Indeed quite happy in general to spend his days playing with the mutated fauna and primordial beasts of his home environs.
Mystic Code (if applicable):
Iron Teeth of the Baba Yaga - The color of stormclouds, of iron and lead. They come in a little like a shark's, a little like a crocodile's. Losing one hardly hurts and new, freshly sharpened teeth grow in smoothly as older ones are damaged and discarded, systematically cycled out. Fashioned to be used in conjunction with the family's brand of Magecraft it is not only his jaws but Arkady's mouth, tongue, and much of his digestive system that's been enhanced and augmented. Beyond allowing him to bite through concrete or composite alloys it also makes him a bit of an amateur food connoisseur.
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Element: Water
Origin: Moon
Description:
A lanky, bony man from the depths of the Russian wilderness, his pale skin tanned by the sun and his shaggy hair is snowy white. He always dresses simply and much of his clothing seems to be handmade. Easygoing and more than a little lazy he's content to let others take the lead. And generally has a constant air of faint bewilderment about him, equal parts fascinated and a bit bemused by the modern world around him. All coming together to give the impression that he's either not especially smart or particularly talented. But there's a lean kind of strength to him and a deceptive agility. And when he smiles he shows his teeth: iron grey and subtly sharp, the edges able to pare through flesh like a knife.
Magecraft:
House Familiar: A present from his mother, his aunts, and elder sisters. A handsome piece of luggage, all well worn, elegant leather and metal framing that very well may be gold. Arkady carries it with him always and it is deceptively light. When opened it inverts upon itself, unfolding and unfurling into a small, cozy house with a stove and chimney. And enormous chicken legs. There are bounded fields woven into the structure of the home, enough to allow mortal eyes to slide past the fence of bones and burning skulls and for it to weather some degree of hostile magecraft. But its main function is as a mobile Workshop.
Deep Forest Communion: His are the creatures of the Northern wilds, those depths so far removed from the encroaching, eroding, advance of human civilization that monsters still dwell in seas of endless, softly falling snow. Gods and older, stranger things lurking in the shadow of the trees. Arkady speaks the tongues of beasts and can direct them to action, or take their characteristics for himself. At the crudest level he may simply overwrite himself with their features. But the true application is in consumption. What Arkady eats he integrates and understands.
Family History:
The Baba Yaga are not one, they are many. The Baba Yaga are not human, they are something more. Something other. Something straddling the line between merely mortal and godlike so long have they been separate from the rest of mankind. In character they are elitists of the strangest stripe, shunning the more cosmopolitan Clocktower as having already succumbed to the advance of human inquiry. The path to the Root lays in the Age of the Gods, this is known, when the divine walked and countless possibilities unfolded. To that end they hoard knowledge among themselves and safeguard the elder wilds of Siberia. To that end they send their lesser daughters and the men of the sprawling clan out into the world to do the family's dirty work while the core cabal remains in pristine seclusion, possibly no longer even on Earth. Untainted and untouched, an enigma even to their more junior members. If being a particularly self-aware guard dog and glorified errand boy troubles Arkady he gives no sign. Indeed quite happy in general to spend his days playing with the mutated fauna and primordial beasts of his home environs.
Mystic Code (if applicable):
Iron Teeth of the Baba Yaga - The color of stormclouds, of iron and lead. They come in a little like a shark's, a little like a crocodile's. Losing one hardly hurts and new, freshly sharpened teeth grow in smoothly as older ones are damaged and discarded, systematically cycled out. Fashioned to be used in conjunction with the family's brand of Magecraft it is not only his jaws but Arkady's mouth, tongue, and much of his digestive system that's been enhanced and augmented. Beyond allowing him to bite through concrete or composite alloys it also makes him a bit of an amateur food connoisseur.
Class: Avenger
True Name: Fenrir
Gender: Male
Alignment/Traits: Chaotic Neutral
Cultural Sphere: Scandinavia
Strength: A+
Endurance: B
Agility: C
Magic: D
Luck: B
Class Skills:
Avenger B - Avengers cultivate the hatreds of others, gathering their grudges to themselves, becoming figures of fear and loathing in the process. This skill denotes a Servant's proficiency at capitalizing upon this bleak, bloody legacy. Functioning as a kind of "taunt" when facing the enemy in the field, driving them to careless rage. Born to Loki and the giantess Angrboda Fenrir, like his siblings, was prophesied to bring great harm upon the Aesir. Prompting his fettering at the hand of his sole friend Tyr, god of War.
Oblivion Correction C - Avengers emerge from the past to inflict pain upon the present. The shock and violence of their re-emergence proportionate to how far they have passed out of contemporary memory. This skill enhances damage inflicted by an Avenger, the wounds they leave a deeper, bleed more freely, by their very nature they are made to harm. Fenrir's return was terrible but it was known, at the final battle he would devour the Allfather and have his jaws torn asunder by Odin's son, killing him in turn. A grim and terrible fate, but one that is known.
Self-Replenishment A+ - Avengers endure until their task is completed or they perish in the attempt. As Servants this manifests as a spontaneous self-generation of mana, stores of energy steadily replenishing of their own accord allowing for sustained battle. Bound by Gleipnir, and lashed to the great stone Gjöll with a sword pinning his jaws apart, Fenrir would endure until the very end of the world. Until the dying of all things and that last clash at the plains of Vígríðr.
Personal Skills:
Mana Burst (Blood) C - The ability to increase the performance of weapons or one's own body by infusing them with magical energy and instantly expelling it. From his pierced maw flowed forth a mighty river of ichor and drool and beneath his pelt powerful sinews knotted. The blasts created by these strikes are sloppy and wide-ranging, the raging wolf barely able to focus his attention.
Monstrous Strength B++ - Temporarily ranks up a Servant's Strength for a time period dependent upon the rating. Two godly chains did Fenrir snap before finally being subdued by trickery and magic. Leyding snapped in a single kick and a shrug. Dromi, twice as strong, shattered so forcefully that the broken links flew for miles. Fenrir may mitigate the mana cost so long as he is acting for the sake of fame and recognition amongst his peers.
Noble Phantasms:
Gleipnir - Sixfold Silken Ribbon: C
The dwarves made it out of impossible things for nothing less would suffice for a binding impossible to break: a cat's footfall, a woman's beard, the roots of a mountain, the sinews of a bear, a fish's breath and a bird's spittle. These were the ingredients of its construction. Yet even then this is something of a lie, while it is the only thing that can hold Fame-Wolf it will not hold him forever. At the end all things come undone. At the end even Gleipnir snaps. The silken bands of Gleipnir coil around Avenger's body, curling about his limbs and crossing his chest, wrapping about his waist and preserving some small shred of his modesty.
While he would very much prefer not to have it while he wears it it functions as a fine suit of improvised armor (albeit not one with particularly comprehensive coverage) and extra loops can easily be repurposed as whips or throwing-leads for his second Phantasm. In the presence of Gleipnir any other Bounded Field or restraint acting upon Fenrisulf fades and frays. They cannot measure up to it and ultimately not even it can imprison him.
Vanagandr - Wolven Blood Delta: B
From his wounded mouth came forth a mighty river. From his loins a lineage of world-chewing wolves. This Phantasm is both altogether. It is Fenrir's sons who will swallow the Sun and rend the Moon, plunging all the earth into darkness. It is Fenrir's children who prowl the Winter forests, hungry and hateful. In form it is an ancient, blackened blade. The edges chipped and corroded, stained with so much blood the tainted metal gleams with a reddish light. Behind it lies an entire river, in metaphor and literal fact. By calling forth its name Avenger brings forth a raging torrent of monstrous ichor, within which snarl and snap the half-liquid, clotted forms of countless monstrous wolves. Their very presence swallows the light and anything else in their path, heeding only their progenitor's commands.
Biography:
Loki's son, brother to Hel and Jormungandr, raised in the home of the Aesir before being cast out like the rest. As a Servant Avenger takes the form of a shaggy, silver-haired man, skin laced with scars and lips peeled back over too-sharp teeth. He is often angry, short-tempered, and rash and slow to trust. But this stems more from hard experience and ill-healed wounds than ingrained malice.
Include: Arkady draws forth Vanagandr from his mouth, Gleipnir's bonds wrapping around his arm and spreading out from the point of contact.
Install: Full Cosplay Magical Boy Mode + ANGERBORK
True Name: Fenrir
Gender: Male
Alignment/Traits: Chaotic Neutral
Cultural Sphere: Scandinavia
Strength: A+
Endurance: B
Agility: C
Magic: D
Luck: B
Class Skills:
Avenger B - Avengers cultivate the hatreds of others, gathering their grudges to themselves, becoming figures of fear and loathing in the process. This skill denotes a Servant's proficiency at capitalizing upon this bleak, bloody legacy. Functioning as a kind of "taunt" when facing the enemy in the field, driving them to careless rage. Born to Loki and the giantess Angrboda Fenrir, like his siblings, was prophesied to bring great harm upon the Aesir. Prompting his fettering at the hand of his sole friend Tyr, god of War.
Oblivion Correction C - Avengers emerge from the past to inflict pain upon the present. The shock and violence of their re-emergence proportionate to how far they have passed out of contemporary memory. This skill enhances damage inflicted by an Avenger, the wounds they leave a deeper, bleed more freely, by their very nature they are made to harm. Fenrir's return was terrible but it was known, at the final battle he would devour the Allfather and have his jaws torn asunder by Odin's son, killing him in turn. A grim and terrible fate, but one that is known.
Self-Replenishment A+ - Avengers endure until their task is completed or they perish in the attempt. As Servants this manifests as a spontaneous self-generation of mana, stores of energy steadily replenishing of their own accord allowing for sustained battle. Bound by Gleipnir, and lashed to the great stone Gjöll with a sword pinning his jaws apart, Fenrir would endure until the very end of the world. Until the dying of all things and that last clash at the plains of Vígríðr.
Personal Skills:
Mana Burst (Blood) C - The ability to increase the performance of weapons or one's own body by infusing them with magical energy and instantly expelling it. From his pierced maw flowed forth a mighty river of ichor and drool and beneath his pelt powerful sinews knotted. The blasts created by these strikes are sloppy and wide-ranging, the raging wolf barely able to focus his attention.
Monstrous Strength B++ - Temporarily ranks up a Servant's Strength for a time period dependent upon the rating. Two godly chains did Fenrir snap before finally being subdued by trickery and magic. Leyding snapped in a single kick and a shrug. Dromi, twice as strong, shattered so forcefully that the broken links flew for miles. Fenrir may mitigate the mana cost so long as he is acting for the sake of fame and recognition amongst his peers.
Noble Phantasms:
Gleipnir - Sixfold Silken Ribbon: C
The dwarves made it out of impossible things for nothing less would suffice for a binding impossible to break: a cat's footfall, a woman's beard, the roots of a mountain, the sinews of a bear, a fish's breath and a bird's spittle. These were the ingredients of its construction. Yet even then this is something of a lie, while it is the only thing that can hold Fame-Wolf it will not hold him forever. At the end all things come undone. At the end even Gleipnir snaps. The silken bands of Gleipnir coil around Avenger's body, curling about his limbs and crossing his chest, wrapping about his waist and preserving some small shred of his modesty.
While he would very much prefer not to have it while he wears it it functions as a fine suit of improvised armor (albeit not one with particularly comprehensive coverage) and extra loops can easily be repurposed as whips or throwing-leads for his second Phantasm. In the presence of Gleipnir any other Bounded Field or restraint acting upon Fenrisulf fades and frays. They cannot measure up to it and ultimately not even it can imprison him.
Vanagandr - Wolven Blood Delta: B
From his wounded mouth came forth a mighty river. From his loins a lineage of world-chewing wolves. This Phantasm is both altogether. It is Fenrir's sons who will swallow the Sun and rend the Moon, plunging all the earth into darkness. It is Fenrir's children who prowl the Winter forests, hungry and hateful. In form it is an ancient, blackened blade. The edges chipped and corroded, stained with so much blood the tainted metal gleams with a reddish light. Behind it lies an entire river, in metaphor and literal fact. By calling forth its name Avenger brings forth a raging torrent of monstrous ichor, within which snarl and snap the half-liquid, clotted forms of countless monstrous wolves. Their very presence swallows the light and anything else in their path, heeding only their progenitor's commands.
Biography:
Loki's son, brother to Hel and Jormungandr, raised in the home of the Aesir before being cast out like the rest. As a Servant Avenger takes the form of a shaggy, silver-haired man, skin laced with scars and lips peeled back over too-sharp teeth. He is often angry, short-tempered, and rash and slow to trust. But this stems more from hard experience and ill-healed wounds than ingrained malice.
Include: Arkady draws forth Vanagandr from his mouth, Gleipnir's bonds wrapping around his arm and spreading out from the point of contact.
Install: Full Cosplay Magical Boy Mode + ANGERBORK
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