Back in the Bone Plane
Edon nods in acknowledgement. "Brute power is not everything. Sometimes, it is the weaker warrior who has the greatest advantage. As for myself, I possess the common capabilities of the Dragons of this multiverse. I can claim Territory as my own, making it subject to my Influence, I can Weave enchantments upon objects that are within my Territory or very close to my physical location, and unweave the same as laid by any opposing Dragons or their Wyrms, and generate Wyrms proportionate to the Territory held. Only from within my Territory, however. Additionally, I can actually leave my own Territory, a feat impossible for most, if not all other Dragons, and have acquired a few other Quirks, the unique powers of individual Dragons, from slaying their prior owners. One such Quirk allows me to command the Jight, including Zirtash and Wotash here."
Wotash speaks up then. "If we are covering our contributions, my role in my emperor's forces is that of both shield and sword, so to speak. All Jight command Daemons, push Mythic Narratives, possess the ability to form a body, lay down Taint, as the proper term is for our equivalent ability to claim Territory. In battle, my body is a tool, and you should not risk yourselves to protect me in any condition: merely destroying my physical form will not kill me, and even should the enemy destroy my actual self I can be restored again and again. Therefore, it would be senseless to trade your life for my body. Moreover, I am meant to hold against Maldurion himself, and so it is unlikely any threat that could kill me would be survived by you. Other powers we Jight collectively hold are the ability to manifest the nature of our Myth within our Taint, both passively and by Daemonic magic through our Daemons, changing the laws of physics and enforcing effects. Perhaps most fearsomely, we can elevate beings to the status of Hero, binding them to our Myth forevermore, and raising their abilities to grander heights. They do, however, need to be closely affiliated with us, willing, and worthy of the title. "
Wotash pauses for a moment, before saying "The Jarrow and Jyre are similar in capabilities, but the Jarrow lack Daemons entirely, working solely through mortal retinues instead, and the Jyre lack the apparent ability to form a body. In turn, I am reliably informed that we Jight lack the normally incredible natural senses of other Jind." Wotash glances at Edon as she says that last bit. Then she continues, saying "It is my place in the overall composition of our war host to produce soldiers that can hold the line against the greatest of enemy soldiers, both basic foot soldiers and essential supporting elements to handle assorted problems."
Zirtash then speaks up. "For myself, by contrast sister Zirtash, I am the smith and weapons master of our emperor. I make arms and armor of the highest quality, and also serve as our general means of interplanar transport, for which I was first configured. My Daemons, in turn, are tools more often than warriors. On a basic level, I share the same powers, of course, but it is the Myth that creates unique and powerful variation."
Edon nods. "Aside the Jight, I possess the Quirk of Ninjutsu, claimed from killing its original owner. Due to the nature of the Quirk, I have favored enhancing it, in general. It is flexible and difficult to counter."
Shirou's eyes light up at the description of Zirtash's role and abilities. Not only did he take the form of a sword, but he was also a master weaponsmith to boot. As someone whose power essentially centered around analyzing and recreating weapons, he had a feeling that the two of them would have plenty to talk about. For the moment though, he held himself back from that line of thought, as there were other matters that needed to be discussed.
"I notice the term 'Daemon' has been used alot. On my world, they usually refer to malevolent supernatural creatures, but here it sounds more like a specific class of spirit entity. Admittedly, I'm not sure if I'm on the mark there," Shirou commented.
"That actually brings me to my next point. I myself am a mortal human, nothing special there aside from my Magic Circuits and the abilities they provide. But Lancer is different," he says, gesturing to Karna. "He is what Mages refer to as a Servant, a physical manifestation of a Heroic Spirit, famous heroes and legendary figures from mankind's history whose stories became so well known that they ascended to a higher plane of existence. Servants are given physical form by a special summoning ritual that is usually tied to a Holy Grail War. That in itself is an entire story all of its own, but essentially, Servants are outright superhuman beings with powerful abilities shaped by their respective legends. It's normally impossible for a Magus to summon a Servant outside of a Grail War or some other very powerful magic ritual, as their very existence borders on miraculous. At least, that's the way it is in my day and age."
"Every Servant wields a Noble Phantasm, a crystallized Mystery that transcends the normal limits of Magecraft. They usually take the form of the signature weapon from a Heroic Spirit's legend, though sometimes they can be sublimated into a special power or ability inherent to the Servant. They are not just powerful, but are also conceptual in nature, allowing them to override reality to an extent in order to enforce their effects. This makes Noble Phantasms one of the only class of abilities that can kill other Servants, as they are spiritual beings who cannot be killed by mundane means. Even most Magecraft is less effective against them, and there are some Servants who are outright resistant to it."
"But all of this power comes at a cost. Normally, Servants require a contract with a human Master, who acts as a magical lifeline to refuel their abilities and maintain their physical body. A Master's Command Seals are proof of this contract," Shirou explains, raising his hand to show the red sunburst crest emblazoned on the back of it. "As the name suggests, they can be used to issue binding commands to a Servant, forcing them to obey. But more more importantly, they can be used to bolster a Servant's actions, amplifying the power of an attack or defensive action. To my understanding, all Masters are given three Command Seals to start with, and this case appears to be no different. Once they are consumed, they cannot be regained except under special circumstances."
"Finally, Servants are generally divided into seven classes, each with their own strengths and weaknesses: Saber, Lancer, Archer, Rider, Berserker, Caster, and Assassin. Their roles are largely self-explanatory, and honestly, the specific details of each class aren't likely to matter as much here unless we come across other Servants."
"There's one other thing...normally, Servants are summoned to fight other Servants, and thus keep their True Names hidden from everyone except their Master, and sometimes even from them. After all, if an enemy learns of a Servant's true identity and legend, they can also glean the Servant's weaknesses from it."
Shirou then turned to Karna, meeting his gaze directly. "But our circumstances are different this time, Lancer. I know that this is asking a great deal of you...but I think we should let everyone here know your true identity and abilities, so that we can formulate a strategy against Maldurion. At the same time, I know how sensitive a Servant's identity is, so ultimately, its your decision."
Karna nodded with understanding. "I understand your logic, Master. I do have reservations about revealing all of my abilities at this time, but in deference to your judgement, I shall reveal my True Name and a summary of my nature," he replied before turning to the others. A golden spear with a front array of spikes in the shape of a sunburst manifested in his hand, which he planted in the ground next to him like a walking staff.
"My origin lies on planet Earth, in the land of ancient India. My story is woven into the Mahabharata, an old epic of two heroes fated by destiny to clash against one another. My True Name is Karna, and I am the child of the mortal Kunti and the Sun God Surya. It is a pleasure to meet you all," he greeted with a bow.
To anyone who had been assessing Karna's potential abilities, their initial assessment of the quality of his armor and weapon, as well as his overall martial ability and other attributes, suddenly jumped up by a notable margin after he revealed his True Name.
"In my past life, I received several gifts that make up my current abilities. As a full-fledged demigod who ascended to the heavens after my death, I possess a significant Divinity ranking, which gives my abilities an extra degree of conceptual Authority. I possess a good degree of Magic Resistance, and I have great skill in Riding, allowing me to proficiently commandeer all but the most legendary of mounts. I am able to see through any mundane deception, and can discern the intent and tactics of those who I interact with in combat, be they friend or foe. Because of my solar heritage, I have a special affinity for fire, and can summon and control flames for both attack and defense. And as I'm sure some of you have noticed, I have a special ability that conceals the true extent of my power and skills from those who don't know my True Name. That being said, it can only conceal those attributes which I choose not to push to their limit."
"My first Noble Phantasm is Kavacha and Kundala, the armor and earring I currently bear. I was born with this armor in my legend, and it grants me protection from all attacks, even those of a conceptual nature, reducing the damage to a tenth of what they would normally inflict. That's in addition to the immense durability I possess innately as a Servant. Finally, by invoking the name of my spear, Brahmastra Kundala, I can inbue it with divine fire and launch it at my foe. It then becomes an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, capable of incinerating entire swaths of lands in a single blow."
Shirou couldn't helped but stare wide-eyed at Karna as he summarized his legend and abilities. Saber was certainly a powerful Servant, but Karna sounded like he was closer to the likes of Heracles or Gilgamesh.
