BAD END QUEST (Fate universe)

Skarmory · Jul 28, 2016

Welcome to Bad End Quest. "What is Bad End Quest?", you ask.

To put it quite simply...this is a quest where you're going to get a lot of Bad Ends. And I mean a lot of Bad Ends. Death is cheap, because you'll just keep respawning until I get tired of QMing.

It is also a quest set in the greater Fate universe, in which there are no shortage of Bad Ends. Convenient, huh?

So, for the few moments remaining where I have your attention before you go cast your bandwagon vote in Puella Magi Adfligo Systema, switch tabs back to your favorite cult of personality in the Chat Lounge, or watch cat videos on Youtube, here's a bit of what you can expect from this quest:

In every single update of this quest (excepting Pick Your Poison updates), at least one of the listed options will lead to a Bad End or to a Pick Your Poison update.
- Bad Ends will not end the quest; you will instead respawn from a previous decision point and get to choose a different path. However, you may not respawn from before a Pick Your Poison update without resetting the whole quest.
- Bad Ends will usually be hilarious. So that's a thing.
- Bad Ends can hide in the most unexpected places. No vote is safe.
In every single update of this quest, at least one of the listed options will not lead to a Bad End. Just making sure there's actually a reason for you to vote.
In a moment, you will have the option to select various attributes of your character, including your gender, magecraft history, Origin, and servant. None of these options are any better than the others. You will get screwed over no matter what you select, and it will be hilarious.
You may use any and all out of character knowledge you have in this quest, including in-universe to justify the votes your character makes.
Despite what the QM posts in this thread, he does not hate Fate/Stay Night. He thinks the concept of the Fate franchise is amazing, and only hates F/SN's character writing, plot, and setting. Really? A high school? Nasu's a legendary writer/director and a high school is the best he can do? Except for Sakura. Sakura is pretty cool, I guess.
The QM may lie to you in official updates. [100%] The QM may use invisitext as a red herring in order to trick you into voting for options that lead to Bad Ends. [63%] Any sentence where the QM wishes you to know that there is a possibility the QM is lying will be followed by a confidence level as demonstrated here. [2%] This confidence level reflects the likelihood that the previous sentence is true.
No update in this quest will be longer than 500 words, excluding the option select and prior vote. [70%] There will also be no consistent update schedule for this quest; this quest will update whenever the QM damn well feels like it. That could mean multiple updates in one day, or no updates for a week.
Nothing in this quest has been planned whatsoever other than the first four posts in the thread. Speaking of which, please don't post until there are four posts total in the thread, including this one.

Skarmory · Jul 28, 2016

This is a post where the QM will eventually provide details on the character that was created by majority vote, as well as the Servant that they accidentally summon when they trip over their feet and land in a random summoning circle that was left there by their adoptive father. [20%]

The Player

Sex: Female
Alignment: Chaotic Good

Elemental Affinity: Wind/Aether
Origin: Entropy
Mystic Code: None

Magecraft Training: Limited to basic spells like healing, reinforcement, and physical enhancement.
Future Potential: High. Was able to teach self to summon a Servant using limited resources within a week.

The Servant

True Name: Adam Smith
Master: Nora Insigne
Sex: Male
Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Strength: D
Endurance: E
Agility: E
Prana: C
Luck: A
Noble Phantasm: C/B/A++?

Class Skills

Item Creation: C++

Can create moderately complicated modern objects easily and quickly. The effective rank of this skill can be raised by up to two levels if access to skilled labor and machinery is provided.

Territory Creation: B+

Can create large territories that are favorable to the creator in the span of a day, given sufficient prana and funds. The effective rank of this skill can be raised in situations where Capitalist's wealth can be applied to speed construction.

Art of the Deal: B

A skill unique to the Capitalist class that represents the ability to make deals and arrangements with others that are favorable to the servant and their Master. Rank in this skill necessarily varies based on the situation, but in general, the more successful the servant was in life as a business magnate or economist, the higher their rank in this skill.

Personal Skills

Personal skills currently hidden.

Noble Phantasms

The Wealth of Nations - Natural Progress of Opulence
Rank: B | Class: Conceptual/Utility

As a man, Capitalist authored a treatise called An Inquiry into the Nature and Sources of the Wealth of Nations, which made him the virtual founder of the field of economics. Throughout the generations to follow, Capitalist's theories were employed by governments and businesses around the world to bring on a greatly heralded era of new wealth and production.

The Wealth of Nations is a conceptual Noble Phantasm that represents the sheer quantity of wealth Capitalist produced throughout the world, even though he never saw any of it in life. Using his Noble Phantasm, Capitalist can draw upon any of the legal tender of modern governments, creating a near-limitless flow of cash and coins. He can also dispel the money he creates at will; any money created by Capitalist but not dispelled before his death will remain in existence, safe from the crushing pressure of the World.

The Wealth of Nations - Invisible Hand
Rank: C (A++?) | Class: Conceptual/Anti-Unit

The Wealth of Nations contained another central concept that would become gospel throughout the world: the idea that numerous people, all acting in their individual self interest, can produce a net good for the world as a whole. This idea was known as the Invisible Hand, reflecting the infinite possibilities Capitalist viewed in a properly regulated free market.

Over time, though, misconceptions of Capitalist's ideas by the citizenry caused the Invisible Hand to become a misnomer and bogeyman, the phrase twisted and warped away from its original meaning in Capitalist's writing. This corruption has caused Invisible Hand to manifest as a literal invisible hand, a powerful magical telekinesis that can strike and pound foes with the user's net worth. It is a mere shadow of its true self in this regard, but with the aid of a Command Seal, Capitalist may be able to unleash the power of Invisible Hand's original meaning.

Other Noble Phantasms hidden.

Regular Servants

True Name: ???
Master: Bazett Fraga McRemitz
Sex: ???
Alignment: ???

Stats currently unavailable.

Class Skills

Magic Resistance: ???

Personal Skills

Personal skills currently unavailable.

Noble Phantasms

Noble phantasms currently unavailable.

True Name: ???
Master: Tokiomi Tohsaka
Sex: Male
Alignment: ???

Strength: B
Endurance: B
Agility: B
Prana: A
Luck: A
Noble Phantasm: EX

Class Skills:

Independent Action: A
Magic Resistance: C

Personal Skills:

Currently unavailable.

Noble Phantasms:

Gate of Babylon - King's Treasure

A portal that connects Archer to the vast treasury he collected in life, allowing him to conjure and use anything held within. Deeper description requires witnessing the Noble Phantasm in use without being killed.

Other Noble Phantasms currently unavailable.

True Name: Iskandar/Alexander the Great, King of Conquerors
Master: Waver Velvet
Sex: Male
Alignment: Neutral Good

Strength: B
Endurance: A
Agility: D
Prana: C
Luck: A+
Noble Phantasm: ???

Class Skills:

Magic Resistance: D
Riding: A

Personal Skills:

Currently unavailable.

Noble Phantasms:

Currently unavailable.

True Name: ???
Master: Kariya Matou
Sex: Male
Alignment: ???

Strength: A
Endurance: A
Agility: A+
Prana: C
Luck: B
Noble Phantasm: A

Class Skills:

Mad Enhancement: C

Personal Skills:

Currently unavailable.

Noble Phantasms:

Currently unavailable.

True Name: Simo Hayha?
Master: ???
Sex: Male?
Alignment: Neutral Good?

Stats currently unavailable.

Class Skills

Presence Concealment: ???, likely at least B rank. If your guess of Assassin's identity is correct, it is likely that this skill's rank is improved in winter conditions.

Personal Skills

If your guess of Assassin's identity is correct, it is likely that he possesses the following skills as well:

Battle Continuation: C?
Independent Action: B+ or more?

Other personal skills currently unavailable.

Noble Phantasms

Valkoinen Kuolema: White Death of the Russian Front?
Rank: ??? | Class: Bounded Field/Utility

If your guess of Assassin's identity is correct, his Noble Phantasm is likely this.

A Bounded Field that recreates the snowy conditions under which Assassin terrorized Russian soldiers in life. Within the field, visibility and temperatures plummet rapidly, but can be restored to normal by destruction of the Field. Other properties of the field remain unknown.

Team Kayneth

True Name: Diarmuid ua Duibhne
Master: Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi
Sex: Male
Alignment: Lawful Good

Strength: B
Endurance: C
Agility: A+
Prana: D
Luck: E
Noble Phantasm: B

Class Skills:

Magic Resistance: B

Personal Skills:

Currently unavailable.

Noble Phantasms:

Currently unavailable.

True Name: ???
Master: Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi
Sex: Male
Alignment: ???

Strength: C
Endurance: B
Agility: C
Prana: C
Luck: A
Noble Phantasm: ???

Class Skills:

Independent Action: ???

Personal Skills:

Currently unavailable.

Noble Phantasms:

Currently unavailable.

True Name: Kamehameha I, King of the Hawaiian Islands
Master: Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi
Sex: Male
Alignment: Neutral Good

Strength: A+
Endurance: C
Agility: C
Prana: C
Luck: C
Noble Phantasm: D+ / A

Class Skills:

Magic Resistance: C
Riding: B

Personal Skills:

Currently unavailable.

Noble Phantasms:

Fleet of the King - The Outrigger Canoe
Rank: D+ | Class: Vehicle/Anti-Personnel

A beautiful, ornate sailing canoe like those Rider used to cross the oceans in life, Fleet of the King is the representation of the fleet that was so essential to the successes of both Rider and the islands he ruled. While each canoe individually is a poor excuse for a Noble Phantasm outside the water, barely registering on the Noble Phantasm scale, their true strength comes from their vast numbers. Even if a single canoe is destroyed, Rider can immediately summon a new one so long as he possesses sufficient prana.

As Fleet of the King is a primarily water-based Noble Phantasm, it gains an effective rank boost when it is actually deployed in a body of water. In water, Fleet of the King not only consumes significantly less Prana to manifest and use, it also gains increased durability and faster travel velocity.

Pele Honua Mea - Eternal Fire of Kilauea
Rank: A | Class: Conceptual/Anti-Personnel

Creates a massive flow of lava outwards from Rider's location that is incredibly lethal to personnel. Deeper description requires witnessing the Noble Phantasm and surviving it.

Skarmory · Jul 28, 2016

This is a post where the QM will mercilessly mock you for every occasion where you perished in search of the Unholy Grail, that mythical embodiment of the Hell's Feel ritual that seeks to create a portal directly to Hell so that we can toss Kirei Kotomine into it. [42%]

Bad End 0: Multiple Choice Backstory (the next post)
Bad End 1: The Ruins
Bad End 2: Unlimited Cash Works
Bad End 3: Pele Honua Mea
Bad End 4: The Loyal Knight
Bad End 5: Hell Hath No Fury
Bad End 6: Soon to come...

Skarmory · Jul 28, 2016

At some point in the infinite timeline, there was a boy without an identity, forged in a fire that burned an entire city. Forged by the man who took him in as one final reason to live on, despite the utter repudiation of everything the man had fought for in his life.

The boy grew up wanting to be a hero like his father. Wanting to become a magus, but not a normal cheerfully sadistic spellcaster. A heroic mage, one who would protect others even at great personal cost.

That boy died uncermoniously when he was killed by a Servant after agreeing to clean the Archery room at his high school. [100%] Without a real family or friends to mourn him, he will not be missed. [100%]

[BAD END]

This quest is not his story.

Instead, it's your story. Whatever your story happens to be, at any rate.

Because, at this moment, there's any number of possible explanations for how you ended up here, the sound of clashing magical weapons echoing down the hallways behind you as you frantically run for your life.

A Servant is trying to kill you. What weapon are they wielding?

[ ] A shining sword of legend. Except maybe not. It might be a battle axe or a pole arm. It might even be a bow.
[ ] A spear. Seriously, who uses a fucking spear anymore? Everyone knows real heroes use swords.
[ ] A bow, which means they're probably not an Archer. You've watched a lot of Fate material and you've never seen an Archer that uses a bow.
[ ] Some other random weapon that goes along with that thing they're riding in.
[ ] FUCKING MAGIC BECAUSE REASONS
[ ] You don't know because you can't see them. Not their weapon, the Servant. They're fucking invisible or some shit.
[ ] The roaring sound of the Servant's voice. Or at least you think that's their weapon, judging by how often they use it.
[ ] An Avenger. It doesn't matter what weapon it's wielding because it doesn't stand a chance against a real Servant.
[ ] A Ruler. It doesn't matter what weapon it's wielding because your Servant is totally fucked.

What Servant answered your summoning?

[ ] Saber
[ ] Lancer
[ ] Archer
[ ] Rider
[ ] Caster
[ ] Assassin
[ ] Berserker
[ ] A stupid, contrived class that only exists to justify more spinoffs. IT PRINTS MONEY!

Where are you, and how did you get here?

[ ] The Veteran
-[ ] Write in family magecraft specialty
-[ ] Write in your personal Origin (Sword is forbidden)

You are an experienced adult Magus, trained in the ways of magic since your early childhood and blessed with a family Crest five generations deep. Educated first by your family, and then by the Clock Tower Academy in London, you're no supermage, but you've got something that's sorely lacking in most Grail Wars: competence.

You have a loving spouse and two children, all of whom you abandoned to jump at the Holy Grail's call. Sure, your kids will be disappointed that you left them, but when they attend the Clock Tower and see the plaque with your name on it that describes your rediscovery of the Third Magic, they'll forgive you. [0%]

Right now, you're in one of the Einzberns' numerous safehouses, trying to off their master before the war even begins. Sure, their family's specialty isn't very combat relevant, but you don't want to deal with a literal tyke bomb with more magical circuits than your entire ancestral line combined. That, and you hate kids. Can't stand 'em. If it wasn't for the need to pass down your magical heritage you wouldn't have married in the first place.

[ ] The Prodigy
-[x] Your family didn't think it was worth their time to teach you their magecraft.
-[ ] Write in your Origin (Sword is forbidden)

You are a naive third child of a magus family, and in most universes, you would never have even been taught magecraft. Instead, you would have been married off to some other magus family to play the dual roles of trophy spouse and breeding stock the moment you reached adulthood.

What changed that was your unique ability, an ability so rare and powerful that if the Magus Association ever heard about it, they would have served you with a Sealing Designation before the day was out. You accidentally displayed it one time in the yard, a few weeks before the Command Seals appeared on your hand, and it was enough for your parents to lock you in your room for days, afraid you would kill or injure them with your ability.

Having listened in on the tales your parents told your oldest sibling about the Grail War for all of your young life, you snuck out of your room, stole all your parents' books about Servant summoning, and summoned your very own Servant in your room. When your parents saw your accomplishment, they shipped you off to the Grail War without delay. You get the feeling they're glad to be rid of you.

Right now, you're in a warehouse somewhere in god knows where, already under attack by a Servant.

[ ] The Hedge Mage
-[ ] Write in family magecraft specialty
-[x] Origin? What's an Origin?

You are the first child of a single magus mother who raised you in a remote location, far from the world of mages. As you grew, she taught you arithmetic and magic in equal measure, although you know now that the magic you learned from her at the age of 10 was taught to children of 'real' magus families when they were in diapers. But even so, you're proud of the magic you know, and you were prouder still when you were accepted to the Clock Tower Academy. Your mother waved you goodbye as she dropped you off, and gave you the meager Magic Crest she possessed as a final gift.

The Academy crushed your dreams. Your training simply wasn't enough to keep up with that of seventh generation mages, with circuit counts that dwarfed yours by an order of magnitude. They mocked you for your weakness, for your traditional values, and for the hours you spent poring over textbooks learning skills they had mastered in grade school. Even the seals of the Holy Grail appearing on your hand in the middle of class weren't enough to stop the teasing.

Over the phone, your mother begged you not to fight in the War-to transfer your Seals to another student, to preserve your life above all else. It tore your heart in two to tell her no, to tell her that if you threw away this opportunity, you'd be the joke of your classmates for good. A pariah reduced to carrying textbooks for and cleaning up after the 'real' mages. Then the choice was taken out of your hands, when one of your classmates acquired Seals of their own, and went on the offensive. For better or for worse, you're in this War now...and you're going to win.

[ ] The Mundane
-[x] My family was pretty ordinary, actually…
-[x] Origin? Like EA's shitty distribution software?

You don't know what magic is, only that your hand has some random tattoo on it and a legendary hero is fighting another legendary hero in the room back there and what is going on

please help

And finally...where is this Grail War taking place?

[ ] Fuyuki City, home of the Einzbern ritual for centuries.
-[ ] The Fourth War
-[ ] The Fifth War
-[ ] The Sixth War (???)

[ ] London, home of the Clock Tower Academy. The professors at the academy tried to replicate the Third Magic and ended up with another grail war on their hands. Their greatest disappointment? That none of them were selected as Masters. [50%]

[ ] A meaningless, magicless backwater slum, where magic is spread thin and the powers of old are lost forever.
-[ ] New York City
-[ ] San Francisco
-[ ] Chicago

[ ] Write in

Oh yeah...and what's your gender? I can't tell from looking at you.

[ ] Male
[ ] Female
[ ] Write in (???)

If it wasn't clear, you can post and vote now.

Skarmory · Jul 28, 2016

The Servant attacking you:

[X] The roaring sound of the Servant's voice. Or at least you think that's their weapon, judging by how often they use it. (Berserker class)

The Servant you summoned:

[X] A stupid, contrived class that only exists to justify more spinoffs. IT PRINTS MONEY! (Capitalist class)

Your magical background:

[X] The Prodigy
-[X] Your family didn't think it was worth their time to teach you their magecraft.
-[X] Origin: Entropy

The Location:

[x] Fuyuki City
-[x] Fourth Holy Grail War

Your Gender:

[x] Female

You run away down the hall, glancing behind you at regular intervals. Your servant backtracks into the hallway, fending off the Berserker's savage blows with the cane held between his hands. "I have money, you know!" your servant cries. "We can come to an agreement!" The Berserker roars in response, launching two wild strikes with his sword that smash two massive holes in the drywall lining the hallway.

"I don't think he wants to chat!" you yell back, grabbing your servant by the collar and yanking him through a conveniently placed door to your right, before slamming the portal shut behind you. Almost too late, you notice that your Servant is becoming drained on prana, and rapidly release the ornately dressed man, increasing your prana contribution to compensate.

"What manner of sorcery is this?" your servant demands, conjuring a massive pile of money to barricade the door with as you move on. You hear roaring and sounds of violence from behind the door. "You nearly drained all of my reserve prana there, you stupid girl!"

"I'm sorry!" you yell, running through the warehouse's main floor, ducking in between matte grey shelving units with various goods stacked high upon them. "It's my Origin! The inevitable progression of time-the inexorable increase in disorder!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Capitalist yells back, sidestepping a forklift that's hoisting an unmarked crate ten feet in the air.

"If I'm not consciously suppressing my Origin, just the touch of my hands will convert prana into heat that disperses into the surrounding air, wasting it!" you pant, turning another corner as you follow the exit signs to the front of the building. "If I have a Mystic Code...like that one time I accidentally found my father's in the backyard...I can--shit!"

You stop dead in your tracks as a white haired man in a grey hoodie steps around the corner, clutching his left arm as if he's badly injured. His face is deeply scarred on one side, with a milky, useless looking eye on the right side.

[ ] Have Capitalist attempt to buy the man off. Money can't create happiness, but it can come pretty damn close.

[ ] Ask the man if he would be willing to consider an alliance in the Grail War.

[ ] Order Capitalist to attack the man.

[ ] Keep running away.

Skarmory · Jul 29, 2016

Votes got tied up while I was midway through writing the update, but I think this solution will be worthwhile for everyone anyways.

Also, a partial Servant status sheet is up for Capitalist back on the first page. Head over there and take a look sometime.

[x] Ask the man if he would be willing to consider an alliance in the Grail War.

"Excuse me!" you call. "You're a Master, right? Master of Berserker?"

"I might be," the man says noncommittally. His jacket sleeve slips, clearly revealing the Command Seals on his hand.

"We don't have to fight," you say. "My servant Capitalist obviously has massive resources at his disposal. With your magecraft and Servant backed by our funding, we could make a formidable team." Capitalist nods, and conjures a large pile of yen bills as proof. The man takes the money and looks it over, turning it over in his hands.

"You would ally with a broken man like me?" the man says. "I suppose I am intrigued by your proposal...although money is of no value to me. [30%]"

"Money is but a tool of exchange; it has no value on its own," Capitalist agrees. "But with money, you could acquire many things that could make your task easier-and I have unlimited money at my disposal. It might even be possible for you to accomplish the wish you desire from the Grail with yen rather than the Grail itself, if you ally with us."

As Capitalist finishes, Berserker catches up with you, roaring with rage. You prepare to defend yourself, but the man raises his hands, and Berserker stops, chest heaving.

"There is only one thing that is of value to me now..." the man says. "A young girl named Sakura, imprisoned in the worm-infested basement of the Matou family. You are aware of the name, I assume?"

You nod. You'd come across the name when reading up on the Grail Wars in your room. As one of the originators of the Grail War, the Matou family had been a participant in every war since the beginning, but had never been a serious contender despite their storied magical history and mastery of familiar magecraft.

"If your money can accomplish great deeds...then I beg of you: rescue Sakura Tohsaka from my father Zouken Matou, and return her to her true family." The man coughs for a moment, and you detect a faint whiff of blood in the air. "If you do...I will have no use for the Grail myself. Then I, Kariya Matou, will serve at your side until my body finally fails me." [50%] The man turns around, walking away into the warehouse. "Come, Berserker."

---

Several minutes later, you escape the warehouse, heading out onto the streets of Fuyuki City. It's a long cry from the town where you grew up in Germany, but it's still a very charming place.

"So, are we going to assist the poor man?" Capitalist asks you. "I'd hate to think that we were negotiating in bad faith."

[ ] Go to the Matou manor.
-[ ] Attempt to enter the manner stealthily and rescue Sakura.
-[ ] Knock on the door, and attempt to buy Sakura's freedom with Capitalist's funds.
-[ ] Crush the house under a giant pile of money. (???)

[ ] You should rest before you decide. It's been a long trip to Fuyuki and a long chase by Berserker, and you need to regroup.
-[ ] Have Capitalist rent the two of you a hotel room.
-[ ] Have Capitalist buy the hotel.
-[ ] Write in

[ ] Despite the long trip to Fuyuki, you're full of energy! You want to go out and do more Grail War things!
-[ ] Scout the city and get your bearings.
-[ ] Search for other Masters and Servants to fight.

[ ] Write in

Skarmory · Jul 29, 2016

Since half of the 'bribe' camp supported crushing Zouken with money if the bribe didn't work, I figured this was the optimal way to break the tie.

[X] Go to the Matou manor.
-[X] Crush the house under a giant pile of money. (???)

"This man Zouken sounds rather distasteful," you say to Capitalist, walking off down the street. "Let's go pay him a visit."

Capitalist nods, and the two of you set off through the streets of Fuyuki City towards the Matou mansion.

Of course, that's what you would do if you knew where the Matou mansion was. But you don't. So instead, you have to go to the library and look around for a bit.

It's not quite as romantic as just knowing where to go would be, but that's life.

-----

By the time you've arrived at the Matou residence, the sun is starting to go down, and you're chomping at the bit to kick a legendary 200-year old mage's ass. You snap your fingers, calling Capitalist out of spirit form.

Capitalist concentrates for a moment, slowly building up power. Then he releases it with a roar, utterly burying the Matou mansion in a deluge of yen and dollar bills. The structure groans briefly, before collapsing inward on itself amid the weight of all the cash.

Capitalist dissolves the bills a moment later, leaving the wreckage of the house. You make your way into the wreckage of the home, searching through the creaking remains of a once-great home.

"Sakura!" you call out. "Sakura!"

There's no response, nor indeed any other person in the house. Well, nobody alive, at least.

You find Sakura in the basement, nestled in a pile of oddly shaped magical worms. Swatting away the worms feeding on her with the help of your Origin, you notice that the girl's neck is bent at an odd angle, her skull is halfway caved in by the rock next to her body, and she's not breathing.

"Damn!" You curse, hoisting the body onto your shoulders. It only takes you a few minutes to head back out the way you came in, but the whole way you're wondering if you made the right choice.

The man in the white hoodie and his Servant are waiting for you when you emerge.

"What did you do to her?!" Kariya demands, eyes blazing with fury. "What did she ever do to you? To anyone?" The white-haired man holds his hand up, the red sigil tattoos glowing. "By my Command Seals...kill both of them, Berserker! Rip them to shreds until there's not a scrap left to bury!"

[BAD END]

[ ] Respawn from the previous update.

[ ] Respawn from 'Entropy' (two updates ago)

[ ] Respawn from 'Multiple Choice Backstory' (the first update)

[ ] Restart the quest entirely.

Skarmory · Jul 29, 2016

[X] Respawn from the previous update.

But before your regularly scheduled respawn...

[RIN DOJO 1]

A small twintailed girl stands in front of you, wagging her finger. Even as a eight year old, she still wears the stockings and skirt combo that will make her infamous one day.

"Did you just kill my sister?" the girl yells at you. She's got a surprisingly loud and intimidating voice for an eight year old. "You and your servant are richer than my daddy! Richer than my daddy's daddy! And they throw gems at people to cast their spells, so they're pretty rich. And the best thing you can do with it is drop a house on my sister?

For some reason, you find yourself completely unable to respond.

"That's because this is my dojo. This is where I, Rin Tohsaka, tell you where you screwed up, so when you go back and do it over again, you can get it right! And here's what you did wrong: you killed my sister! Not only is she the cutest girl that ever lived, not only is it my duty to protect her like snow atop flowers, but the QM really likes her! So next time, try not doing that! You got it?!"

You don't understand what the 'QM' has to do with any of this. Actually, who is the QM, anyways?

"Hmm...I actually don't know," Rin says. "But yeah, leave my sister alone, you big meanie!"

[RESPAWN]

You escape the warehouse, heading out onto the streets of Fuyuki City. It's a far cry from the town where you grew up in Germany, but it's still a very charming place.

"So, are we going to assist the poor man?" Capitalist asks you. "I'd hate to think that we were negotiating in bad faith."

[ ] Go to the Matou manor.
-[ ] Attempt to enter the manor stealthily and rescue Sakura.
-[ ] Knock on the door, and attempt to buy Sakura's freedom with Capitalist's funds.
-[x] Crush the house under a giant pile of money. (BAD END 1)

[ ] You should rest before you decide. It's been a long trip to Fuyuki and a long chase by Berserker, and you need to regroup.
-[ ] Have Capitalist rent the two of you a hotel room.
-[ ] Have Capitalist buy the hotel.
-[ ] Write in

[ ] Despite the long trip to Fuyuki, you're full of energy! You want to go out and do more Grail War things!
-[ ] Scout the city and get your bearings.
-[ ] Search for other Masters and Servants to fight.

[ ] Write in

Skarmory · Jul 30, 2016

[X] Go to the Matou manor.
-[X] Knock on the door, and attempt to buy Sakura's freedom with Capitalist's funds.

"Capitalist, have you ever met a man who couldn't be bought for the right price?" Your familiar gives you a polite smile, knowing where you're going with this.

"Only one," Capitalist replies. "And he died long ago." With that, the two of you set off through the streets of Fuyuki City towards the Matou mansion.

Of course, that's what you would do if you knew where the Matou mansion was. But you don't. So instead, you have to go to the library and look around for a bit.

It's not quite as romantic as just knowing where to go would be, but that's life.

-----

By the time you've arrived at the Matou residence, the sun is starting to go down. Nervously looking around for signs of magecraft, you don't spot anything that could be dangerous. Oh, there's plenty of bounded fields, obvious familiars, and expensive-looking granite statues around, but nothing that would kill you, so long as you're careful.

You make your way down the front walk, gravel crunching under your feet. Capitalist follows, his cane marking a fairly nervous tap-tap on the ground behind you. Somewhat hesitantly, you knock on the front door.

Nobody answers the door at first. All of the familiars on the manor, in the forms of worms, hummingbirds, koi, and at least a few shrikes inch closer to you. A minute of awkward waiting later, an old, wrinkly man answers the door.

"Who is it?" he demands. "I want you damn kids off my lawn!"

"I'm---"

[ ] Write in a name

"--and I heard your lawn is off limits to kids," you continue, silently gesturing for Capitalist to step closer to you in case the old man attacks. He doesn't look too threatening right now, but you know this is one of the most storied magus families in the world you're dealing with right now. Better not to take any chance. "You prefer keeping them in your basement."

The old man's eyes narrow, and you notice all of the familiars getting even closer to you. You continue, "I know about Sakura Tohsaka. If word of what you're doing to her got out, things could get ugly."

"Are you threatening me, foolish girl?" Zouken growls. "I'm the greatest familiar magus in the last millenium, and you're a stripling with a Servant in a vessel more unstable than the Einzbern servant in the Third War. I could consume you--"

"I'm not threatening you, sir. Instead, I have a proposition for you," you say, snapping your fingers. Capitalist conjures a small mound of bills. "As you can no doubt tell, my servant may not have a chance at winning the War, but he can create limitless amounts of currency. And my family is in the market for an heir as well, given my...lack of suitability in that regard. We would be willing to offer you any amount of money you ask in exchange for the girl."

Zouken just stares at you for a moment, the various familiars around the garden skittering around. Finally, he says, "Get out. Be grateful I'm letting you leave here with your life."

You try to interrupt, to get in another offer, but Zouken slams the door behind him, and you hear several mundane and magical locks clicking shut.

[ ] Attempt to get Zouken Matou to reconsider his decision.
-[ ] Have Capitalist crush something with money.
--[ ] A statue.
--[ ] A single room.
--[x] The entire house (BAD END 1)
-[ ] Write in

[ ] You don't think Zouken Matou will budge for money. It's time to get someone else involved.
-[ ] Attempt to contact the civilian police. Surely Fuyuki City has some form of child protective service.
-[ ] Attempt to contact another Master or Servant. You're confident that at least one magus will find Zouken's behavior repulsive.
-[ ] Attempt to contact the Magus Association. You wouldn't want one of the founders of the Holy Grail War to give all magi a bad name if his activities are discovered. Better to handle this quietly.

[ ] You tried, but you weren't successful. It's time to focus on preparing for the actual Grail War.
-[ ] Find a location to use as a home base. Capitalist can buy you whatever land and buildings you need.
--[ ] (write in location characteristics)
-[ ] Attempt to surveil other Masters and Servants to discover their identities.
-[ ] Ask your own Servant about his identity.

Skarmory · Jul 31, 2016

I really feel like I captured the full scope of Kirei Kotomine's incredibly original and interesting character in one paragraph here.

[X] Nora Insigne
[X] You don't think Zouken Matou will budge for money. It's time to get someone else involved.
-[X] Attempt to contact another Master or Servant. You're confident that at least one magus will find Zouken's behavior repulsive.

You leave in a huff, Capitalist trailing behind you. "Master?" he asks.

"What the hell are we supposed to do to someone like him?" you rage. "He's untouchable. Even if I was a powerful enough magus to take him on, or you were a powerful enough servant, we wouldn't be the first."

"But there are magi powerful enough to fight Mr. Matou," your servant replies, scratching his chin. "In fact, I do believe there was supposed to be a gathering of such mages in the town this week. I believe there was something said about a war?"

"Right," you said. "So do we even know where to find these other mages?"

"I can find out," Capitalist says, before disappearing into spirit form. You sigh and begin to walk through the streets of Fuyuki.

---

The first Master you find is holed up in an incredibly ostentatious mansion surrounded by a multilayered bounded field. You have to expend quite a bit of Prana on your Origin to break through the defenses, but you eventually manage to make your way to the front door and knock.

A few minutes pass before a man in a fancy-looking red suit opens the door, gem-topped scepter in hand. He just looks at you and your servant for a moment, before sighing.

"I'm having trouble believing that any magus in the Grail War would be stupid enough to neutralize all of my defenses as if they were planning an attack, then just walk up and knock on the front door."

"Hello! My name is Nora Insigne!" you say, offering your hand to shake. The man doesn't reciprocate."I'm here to talk about the Matou family. Apparently their Master is only in the war to save a young girl named Sakura from the abusive family patriarch. Now, if you and I were to form an alliance against--"

"I sent Sakura to the Matou family," the man says, stiffening. "It was in the best interests of both Sakura and the family bloodline. After all, a magus family can only afford to give training to one child."

"That's what my family said too," you snap back. "But my family didn't ship me off to be tortured by a 200 year old vampire! I'd rather be happy but barren of magic than a slave with powerful magecraft." As you finish, another man, this one clad in the black robes of the Church, appears behind the Tohsaka patriarch.

"Mmm...suffering..." he says, nearly licking his lips at the thought of Sakura being...whatever it was Zouken does. He glares at the Tohsaka man as if he has every intention of stabbing him in the back at the first opportunity.

"Anyways, I find myself having little interest in your proposition," the Tohsaka man says. "Next time we meet, it will be as enemies. Now away with you, before I have Archer expel you by force."

Outside the Tohsaka mansion, you flop back against the outer wall of the mansion. "What now?" you ask.

[ ] The Tohsaka guy is an asshat, and his 'apprentice' is the second most overtly evil person you've ever met, after Zouken. Drop a giant pile of money on the mansion.

[ ] Brush it off and move on. There are at least three more masters you could potentially contact. Capitalist even managed to find some of their locations.
-[ ] A fancy hotel in a skyscraper downtown.
-[ ] The fucking medieval castle just outside the city limits.
-[ ] A random house with an elderly couple.

[ ] Give up on this whole thing for now.
-[ ] Go find somewhere to set up a home base.
--[ ] Write in location description
-[ ] Ask Capitalist about his...
--[ ] True identity
--[ ] Abilities
--[ ] Noble Phantasm

[ ] Write in

BAD END QUEST (Fate universe)

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