Fate/Descending Flames [Fate/Grand Order AU]
- Thread starter Arkanian
- Start date
- Location
- Hearst Castle
Since it's a close vote, that means a tally! Current standings are two votes for using magic to assist Noah and trip up the lion, one vote for engaging it with motorcycle punch-jousting, and three votes for Jesus Christ it's a lion get in the car fleeing on the bike.
Voting will close when I get home in about two hours.
Voting will close when I get home in about two hours.
[X] Noah's attacks hurt it, you can still win this.
--[X] Get Noah on your bike for extra mobility.
--[X] Get Noah on your bike for extra mobility.
F1: Continue
- Location
- Hearst Castle
[X]You have to get out of here; you can't win.
--[X]Get everyone on the bike, then run.
You floor it.
"Noah!" you shout. "Prepare to disengage and get on the bike! We're getting out of here!"
Noah makes a sound you take as an affirmation, but you've already shifted your focus to Sengo. It takes seconds to get to him and you don't stop once you do, tilting your bike just enough to scoop him up as you pass. He's wrapping his right hand around his left forearm in an attempt to staunch the bleeding, but he has enough presence of mind to stop long enough to wrap his arms around you and stabilize himself on the bike. "Got him, Noah! Now let's get out of here!"
There's a massive explosion in response, blasting the lioness one way and Noah in the other. Said blast flips Noah through the air at just the right angle to land her on the bike without you needing to stop. But you barely get fifty feet before the lioness is back on its feet and in hot pursuit.
You're certain that the lioness is faster than your bike. Fortunately, you have a plan. A few quick muttered words to Noah, and you put it into action just as the Monster is about to catch up.
First is a leap with your bike up to the top of the planters that line the boulevard. They're odd things, ten foot tall metal cubes with trees on top of them.... but trees are just what you need, really. When the lioness leaps up to the planter, it comes face to face with an entire uprooted tree. Given that Noah is swinging it as hard as she can though, it isn't face to face with it for long.
While Noah's clubbing the lioness in the face, you're busy too. A few words of mangled Spanish, and a massive cloud of smoke begins flooding the boulevard. While the lioness can't be damaged by anything created by humans... you're fairly certain it doesn't have other sorts of immunity, like being able to see through artificial smokescreens. It'll probably still be able to smell you through it either way though, so you'll need to clear some distance as quickly as possible.
Noah has you covered there too, though. One burst-enhanced bike leap later, and you manage to reach your destination: the hole Noah punched in the boulevard when you left your hideout earlier. By the time the smoke clears, you're nowhere to be seen.
*****
Less than a minute after you get into the tunnels, you feel the ground shake.
"And that would be Shielder, yeah?" Noah says. "Pull over there. There's a side room where you can patch us up."
"Are you sure... it's safe to stop already?" Sengo asks with a pained hiss.
"Lions aren't endurance predators," Noah replies as you pull into the room. "Once they lose their prey, they'll stop pursuing."
"...Lions aren't stalking predators," Sengo shoots back. "But I'm less certain the same can be said for any of the other creatures it seems to be."
You help Sengo off the bike and into a seated position against the wall. His injury isn't quite as bad as you'd feared; his left radius is nicked, but somehow not actually broken. You begin healing the damage right away. Sengo and Noah keep talking, but you tune it out.
It takes a minute or so, but you manage to fix everything crippling or life-threatening. You release Sengo's arm.
"You've been awfully quiet, Cal" Noah says. "Something wrong?"
Both of your companions jump in surprise as your fist lashes out, denting the wall as you punch it in frustration.
"Stephen..." Sengo says, picking up on the source of your frustration right away.
"Oh. Right," Noah says. "That. Cal, he was an asshole. You--"
"That doesn't mean he had to die!" you snap. You may not have cared much for him as an individual -- may not have been able too -- but he was an ally, a comrade. Allowing a comrade to die on your watch... no matter who it was, it makes your skin crawl. You avert your gaze as you feel tears start to well up in your eyes.
"So he is dead, then," Sengo says softly. "I didn't see it very well, but... I'd hoped..." His voice trails off for a moment. "He's right, Noah. We should at least be respectful of his death. Even if we didn't like him..."
"...He still fought alongside us," you finish.
There's a moment of silence. Then Noah sighs. "Yeah. I suppose you're right."
You rub your eyes to clear them, then turn to face Noah. "N-" you start, then pause. You didn't get a clear look at it earlier, but...
What the hell is she wearing under her armor?
"What?"
You shake your head. "Let me check you for injuries."
*****
After healing a few of the deeper gashes Noah received, it takes about twenty more minutes to get back up to your rooms. The view from the windows of the palace en route is quite the site though. Just like Da Vinci said, someone really did crash a massive vehicle into the boulevard. It's even still on fire.
There's no sign of Shielder or the lioness though, so your journey back is uneventful.
Avenger is waiting for you once you return of course, and you fill him in on everything that happened.
"Well... that's one enemy down, at least," Avenger says once you finish. You get the feeling that he's not particularly fazed by Stephen's death, but also doesn't want to show that fact. Even if you dislike the attitude, you appreciate the respect it shows toward your feelings on the matter.
"Ruler's minions made up most of the enemy numbers, from the sound of it," Noah muses. "We should start preparing to push the advantage. They'll be scrambling to recover from the loss, I'm sure."
You sit down on one of the couches and give Noah a Look. "This sort of thing should wait until tomorrow, when we've rested," you say. "And when..." When things are less fresh in your mind.
Noah sits down opposite you, crossing her arms. "It's not like we're charging into battle again right off the bat, you know," she replies. "I'll need a new sword before we do anything. New armor, too."
You scowl. "Tomorrow."
"Hey, who exactly died and put you in charge?" Noah snaps. "It certainly wasn't Steve, 'cause he wasn't in charge of dick!"
"Noah...!" you snarl, taking a step out of your seat.
"Oh sit down, you know I'm right," Noah says. "I'm the one here with actual command experience. I--"
"Camlann doesn't count," Avenger cuts in. "'Cause as I recall, you fucking died at the end of it."
Noah freezes.
"Yeah, I know who you are, Mordred," Avenger continues. "So I'm pretty sure you and Cal here are about even where 'command experience' is concerned. Each of you has one battle where you killed the guy you were after but lost someone really important on their own side." He pauses. "Well, assuming Cal wasn't a commander in his previous life, anyway."
...Avenger doesn't seem to realize that Noah is panicking. "Relax, Noah, no one cares about your identity," you say. "So calm down."
Noah does relax slightly. "I..."
"Muramasa over there is remembered as an 'evil swordsmith,' and you don't get to be an Avenger by being a nice guy," Avenger adds. "So you're in good company. Just sit the fuck down, nobody cares."
Noah sighs, and slumps down in her seat. "Alright." Her helmet slides away with a hiss, the hole in the front of her armor openly displaying the mechanisms that pull the halves inside. It's a rather fascinating sight... though you quickly look away when you realize how easily your examination could be misinterpreted.
"We can talk about this in the morning, when we've all rested," you say. "Give us some time to cool our heads."
"Still want my sword, though..." Noah mutters. Sengo looks torn on the subject.
[ ]Ask Sengo to forge a proper sword for Noah tonight.
[ ]Go to sleep... and by extension, wake up.
[ ]Finish that conversation that was interrupted earlier.
[ ]Check in with Da Vinci.
[ ]Write-in
A/N: Urgh... sorry for the hiatus on this one, folks. I actually wrote up an update pretty quickly after the last one... and then, right when I finished, my computer ate it. It took quite some time after that for me to work up the motivation to re-write it, and the end result was pretty abbreviated as well, just so I could get it done with as quickly as I could. We should be able to get back to a semi-normal schedule after this though.
Normally when one of my quests goes into an unannounced hiatus, I make up for it with a special interlude once I get back. People have generally seemed disinterested in the interludes here, though -- and the out-of-character information they provide is significantly more problematic -- so I'm rather at a loss as to what, if anything, I should do in that regard. Let me know if you have any ideas.
--[X]Get everyone on the bike, then run.
You floor it.
"Noah!" you shout. "Prepare to disengage and get on the bike! We're getting out of here!"
Noah makes a sound you take as an affirmation, but you've already shifted your focus to Sengo. It takes seconds to get to him and you don't stop once you do, tilting your bike just enough to scoop him up as you pass. He's wrapping his right hand around his left forearm in an attempt to staunch the bleeding, but he has enough presence of mind to stop long enough to wrap his arms around you and stabilize himself on the bike. "Got him, Noah! Now let's get out of here!"
There's a massive explosion in response, blasting the lioness one way and Noah in the other. Said blast flips Noah through the air at just the right angle to land her on the bike without you needing to stop. But you barely get fifty feet before the lioness is back on its feet and in hot pursuit.
You're certain that the lioness is faster than your bike. Fortunately, you have a plan. A few quick muttered words to Noah, and you put it into action just as the Monster is about to catch up.
First is a leap with your bike up to the top of the planters that line the boulevard. They're odd things, ten foot tall metal cubes with trees on top of them.... but trees are just what you need, really. When the lioness leaps up to the planter, it comes face to face with an entire uprooted tree. Given that Noah is swinging it as hard as she can though, it isn't face to face with it for long.
While Noah's clubbing the lioness in the face, you're busy too. A few words of mangled Spanish, and a massive cloud of smoke begins flooding the boulevard. While the lioness can't be damaged by anything created by humans... you're fairly certain it doesn't have other sorts of immunity, like being able to see through artificial smokescreens. It'll probably still be able to smell you through it either way though, so you'll need to clear some distance as quickly as possible.
Noah has you covered there too, though. One burst-enhanced bike leap later, and you manage to reach your destination: the hole Noah punched in the boulevard when you left your hideout earlier. By the time the smoke clears, you're nowhere to be seen.
*****
Less than a minute after you get into the tunnels, you feel the ground shake.
"And that would be Shielder, yeah?" Noah says. "Pull over there. There's a side room where you can patch us up."
"Are you sure... it's safe to stop already?" Sengo asks with a pained hiss.
"Lions aren't endurance predators," Noah replies as you pull into the room. "Once they lose their prey, they'll stop pursuing."
"...Lions aren't stalking predators," Sengo shoots back. "But I'm less certain the same can be said for any of the other creatures it seems to be."
You help Sengo off the bike and into a seated position against the wall. His injury isn't quite as bad as you'd feared; his left radius is nicked, but somehow not actually broken. You begin healing the damage right away. Sengo and Noah keep talking, but you tune it out.
It takes a minute or so, but you manage to fix everything crippling or life-threatening. You release Sengo's arm.
"You've been awfully quiet, Cal" Noah says. "Something wrong?"
Both of your companions jump in surprise as your fist lashes out, denting the wall as you punch it in frustration.
"Stephen..." Sengo says, picking up on the source of your frustration right away.
"Oh. Right," Noah says. "That. Cal, he was an asshole. You--"
"That doesn't mean he had to die!" you snap. You may not have cared much for him as an individual -- may not have been able too -- but he was an ally, a comrade. Allowing a comrade to die on your watch... no matter who it was, it makes your skin crawl. You avert your gaze as you feel tears start to well up in your eyes.
"So he is dead, then," Sengo says softly. "I didn't see it very well, but... I'd hoped..." His voice trails off for a moment. "He's right, Noah. We should at least be respectful of his death. Even if we didn't like him..."
"...He still fought alongside us," you finish.
There's a moment of silence. Then Noah sighs. "Yeah. I suppose you're right."
You rub your eyes to clear them, then turn to face Noah. "N-" you start, then pause. You didn't get a clear look at it earlier, but...
What the hell is she wearing under her armor?
"What?"
You shake your head. "Let me check you for injuries."
*****
After healing a few of the deeper gashes Noah received, it takes about twenty more minutes to get back up to your rooms. The view from the windows of the palace en route is quite the site though. Just like Da Vinci said, someone really did crash a massive vehicle into the boulevard. It's even still on fire.
There's no sign of Shielder or the lioness though, so your journey back is uneventful.
Avenger is waiting for you once you return of course, and you fill him in on everything that happened.
"Well... that's one enemy down, at least," Avenger says once you finish. You get the feeling that he's not particularly fazed by Stephen's death, but also doesn't want to show that fact. Even if you dislike the attitude, you appreciate the respect it shows toward your feelings on the matter.
"Ruler's minions made up most of the enemy numbers, from the sound of it," Noah muses. "We should start preparing to push the advantage. They'll be scrambling to recover from the loss, I'm sure."
You sit down on one of the couches and give Noah a Look. "This sort of thing should wait until tomorrow, when we've rested," you say. "And when..." When things are less fresh in your mind.
Noah sits down opposite you, crossing her arms. "It's not like we're charging into battle again right off the bat, you know," she replies. "I'll need a new sword before we do anything. New armor, too."
You scowl. "Tomorrow."
"Hey, who exactly died and put you in charge?" Noah snaps. "It certainly wasn't Steve, 'cause he wasn't in charge of dick!"
"Noah...!" you snarl, taking a step out of your seat.
"Oh sit down, you know I'm right," Noah says. "I'm the one here with actual command experience. I--"
"Camlann doesn't count," Avenger cuts in. "'Cause as I recall, you fucking died at the end of it."
Noah freezes.
"Yeah, I know who you are, Mordred," Avenger continues. "So I'm pretty sure you and Cal here are about even where 'command experience' is concerned. Each of you has one battle where you killed the guy you were after but lost someone really important on their own side." He pauses. "Well, assuming Cal wasn't a commander in his previous life, anyway."
...Avenger doesn't seem to realize that Noah is panicking. "Relax, Noah, no one cares about your identity," you say. "So calm down."
Noah does relax slightly. "I..."
"Muramasa over there is remembered as an 'evil swordsmith,' and you don't get to be an Avenger by being a nice guy," Avenger adds. "So you're in good company. Just sit the fuck down, nobody cares."
Noah sighs, and slumps down in her seat. "Alright." Her helmet slides away with a hiss, the hole in the front of her armor openly displaying the mechanisms that pull the halves inside. It's a rather fascinating sight... though you quickly look away when you realize how easily your examination could be misinterpreted.
"We can talk about this in the morning, when we've all rested," you say. "Give us some time to cool our heads."
"Still want my sword, though..." Noah mutters. Sengo looks torn on the subject.
[ ]Ask Sengo to forge a proper sword for Noah tonight.
[ ]Go to sleep... and by extension, wake up.
[ ]Finish that conversation that was interrupted earlier.
[ ]Check in with Da Vinci.
[ ]Write-in
A/N: Urgh... sorry for the hiatus on this one, folks. I actually wrote up an update pretty quickly after the last one... and then, right when I finished, my computer ate it. It took quite some time after that for me to work up the motivation to re-write it, and the end result was pretty abbreviated as well, just so I could get it done with as quickly as I could. We should be able to get back to a semi-normal schedule after this though.
Normally when one of my quests goes into an unannounced hiatus, I make up for it with a special interlude once I get back. People have generally seemed disinterested in the interludes here, though -- and the out-of-character information they provide is significantly more problematic -- so I'm rather at a loss as to what, if anything, I should do in that regard. Let me know if you have any ideas.
Last edited:
- Location
- US
[X ]Ask Sengo to forge a proper sword for Noah tonight.
[X] Ask Sengo to forge a proper sword for Noah tonight.
R.I.P. Vladface Stephen. You were the king of cool zealots. ;-;
R.I.P. Vladface Stephen. You were the king of cool zealots. ;-;
I'm just glad this quest is continued honestly! Maybe something like a what-if scenario for the rewards? It's not really necessary though, even if it'd be nice; you writing this is already reward enough I think.
[X]Check in with Da Vinci.
I'm torn between this one and the conversation vote, but we should probably tell da Vinci about what happened, if only so she knows we took out an enemy and tell us about any new developments. So Avenger knows who we are, huh? Will he be telling us Cal any time soon? I'm honestly curious.
[X]Check in with Da Vinci.
I'm torn between this one and the conversation vote, but we should probably tell da Vinci about what happened, if only so she knows we took out an enemy and tell us about any new developments. So Avenger knows who we are, huh? Will he be telling us Cal any time soon? I'm honestly curious.
- Location
- Hearst Castle
Well, 'a what-if scenario' isn't particularly specific... I could certainly do something like that if there was interest, or if there was something in particular that people wanted to see.
Avenger knows who Mordred is (Thanks to seeing her in Saber's memory-dreams during the fourth and fifth wars), but he doesn't have any clue as to Cal's identity. If I put something in there that gives the impression otherwise, it was unintentional (And probably needs to be edited).
Ah, I might have misread this part:
And assumed that the battle Avenger was talking about referred to one in Cal's previous life, instead of this recent one.
And assumed that the battle Avenger was talking about referred to one in Cal's previous life, instead of this recent one.
- Location
- Hearst Castle
Ah, fair enough. I edited to be a bit more clear on that point.
ChildishChimera
A umbran summon
- Location
- New York
[X]Check in with Da Vinci.
- Location
- Should be a bit higher
Glad this is back. Damn those computers and their sudden unexpected betrayals...
What's wrong with Mordred's impeccable and unimpeachable taste in apparel Cal? Hmm?
[X] Ask Sengo to forge a proper sword for Noah tonight.
The thing with Da Vinci and Chaldea is that we actually have another window to get into contact with them during the day. While with Noah who knows if we'll have a chance tomorrow night to get kitted up first. She got trashed.
It depends on what sort of heat the White Faction brings down on Capricorn now that one of their number just got wasted here.
What's wrong with Mordred's impeccable and unimpeachable taste in apparel Cal? Hmm?
[X] Ask Sengo to forge a proper sword for Noah tonight.
The thing with Da Vinci and Chaldea is that we actually have another window to get into contact with them during the day. While with Noah who knows if we'll have a chance tomorrow night to get kitted up first. She got trashed.
It depends on what sort of heat the White Faction brings down on Capricorn now that one of their number just got wasted here.
Ultramandalore
Errant Quester
- Location
- just south of Parts Unknown
[X] Ask Sengo to forge a proper sword for Noah tonight.
- Location
- singapore
[X] Ask Sengo to forge a proper sword for Noah tonight.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
'fazed'?
[X] Ask Sengo to forge a proper sword for Noah tonight.
Strange choices. We give Sengo a task for the next few hours... but are we required to help? If not, what will we be doing?
What are our short- and mid-time goals, again? Besides hiding from White Saber and his clique, I mean?
- Location
- Hearst Castle
Forgot those two words were spelled differently. Fixed now.
Remember how I said that the first draft of the previous update arguably ended worse than the final version? Well, originally it ended with Noa sliced open and definitely going to die without a clever write-in. Continuing to stand and fight probably would have ended up similarly (I don't always know how a fight will end up before I write it, due to how I write them. Sometimes a character will end up surprising me). That said, it was unlikely to end well. Even a weakened version of Noa's NP leaves her a bit weakened, and she picked up some significant injuries before figuring out to fight back. The odds of her coming out alright were pretty bad.
Cal will likely stick around for at least some of it, simply because everyone else is if nothing else (Since Noa won't be going to bed until the sword's done, and Avenger isn't going anywhere either way). Most likely he'll talk with Noa and Avenger a bit, though it likely won't be a long scene.
Finding out why the world's about to end and how to stop it.
Ultimately, even Cal is a bit lost on what his own long-term goals are, here, if only because there are so few leads on the whole end-of-the-world thing so far. The only concrete thing he knows (Or at least suspects) at this point is that the ritual circle in Ophiucus is a part of it somehow, so leaving it under the White Faction's control probably isn't a great idea. Admittedly this hasn't really been talked about all that much in-character so far, but there's a reason I've been including "sit down and share what you know" as a vote option from time to time.
F1: A Bit of Forgery
- Location
- Hearst Castle
[X]Ask Sengo to forge a proper sword for Noah tonight.
You sigh. "That... may not be a bad idea, actually. Making the sword tonight, I mean," you say. Sengo looks at you in shock at that, so you explain. "Having something to work on will help take your mind off of things, won't it? And we don't know when the White Faction will retaliate for Ruler's death. We may not get another chance."
"That's true..." Sengo admits, his voice somewhat weary. "I suppose something to work on is just what I need right now."
*****
Sengo's "forge" is set up in its own little circle, a set of bounded fields largely intended to keep heat, steam, and other possible byproducts of a forge from interfering with the rest of the workshop. You hadn't had time for much else, but it's better than nothing.
And "nothing" is more or less what would otherwise be there, since there wasn't really much in the way of equipment to be found up here. Sengo had set up a small chair and a sturdy-looking table at the appropriate heights, but other than that....
It seems to be enough for him however, and Sengo gets to work on Noah's sword there, quickly getting lost in his work the way you'd expected him to. 'Single Mindedness' is a skill on his sheet for a reason, after all.
"So... Noah," you end up being the one to break the silence here, after a few minutes of the three of you watching him work. "What are--" you start to ask, before cutting yourself off.
"What are what?" Noah asks, somewhat irately.
"I think I could make some replacement armor for you," you reply, rephrasing what you'd been about to say a moment ago. "It won't be as good as the original obviously, but it'd be better than what's there now. And I could probably make the gauntlets retract, for if we fight the lion again."
"You can do that?" Noah asks, eyebrow raised. "Didn't take you for the sort."
"I made that motorcycle myself," you say. "Mystic codes are my specialty."
"Mystic...?" Noah says in mild confusion. "Wait, you made that motorcycle? As in, in your current life? Isn't it your Noble Phantasm?"
You shake your head. "No. It seems a bit too modern for that sort of thing anyway. I don't know what my actual Noble Phantasm is, just like I don't know my past life's identity. But I can move my mystic codes between my workshop and the city, so I made due with that instead."
"I... see," Noah says, still blatantly confused but trying to hide it. "Any clues?"
"There's so much overlap between what I can do awake and asleep for me to tell which comes from which," you reply. "I honestly have no idea."
"Well that sucks," Noah commiserates. "What about you, Avenger? You know who you are?"
"Would you believe me if I said no?"
"Probably not."
"Well too bad."
...You decide not to call him on that one.
"Though speaking of which," you cut in. "Noah... do you want us to still call you Noah? Now that we know your true name and everything."
"It's not my true anything," Noah hisses. Then she rolls her eyes. "Noa's fine. I've been called Noah longer than I've been called Mordred anyway, so I'm actually more used to it."
"Plus calling her Mordred would kind of give the game away," Avenger points out.
Noah shrugs. "That too."
"Isn't Noah a guy's name though?" Avenger asks, curious. "Did reincarnation swap your gender or something?"
""I--!" Noah starts, then sighs. "No, it didn't. Noah's only a guy's name if there's an 'h' on the end. Mine's three letters, N-O-A."
Avenger grunts something vaguely understanding at Noa.
"...Anyway," you say, getting back to what you were asking before. "If I'm going to make replacement armor, I'll need to know the measurements."
Noa grunts in response. "Oh, right. Suppose you'd need that." She starts taking off what's left of the armor on her upper body. "Here, take a look."
You spend some time getting the exact sizes you'll need for Noa's armor, but after that it returns to awkward silence for a while.
"So what do we do once we have my sword?" Noa asks after about an hour. "Go on the offensive?"
"Prepare to be defensive, more likely," you reply. "The White Faction aren't likely to take Ruler's death lying down."
"True," Noa concedes. "So all four of 'em are going to come to Capricorn sooner or later to smoke us out."
"Rider may stay in place," you reply. "Their movements didn't change during their city-wide search today, and they didn't disappear for a day after I rescued Avenger like the other three did. In fact, Da Vinci says she hasn't changed her pattern at all for the past week."
"It's pretty optimistic to assume that Ruler's Monsters are just gonna just go away now that he's dead," Avenger points out.
"Do they have anyone else who can talk to animals?" Noa asks.
"We don't know that they don't," Avenger replies. "Or that they won't figure out who killed 'em and come after us for revenge on their own. You never know."
"Well, Da Vinci should be able to give us a heads-up for most of them," you say. "From the sound of it, she has hidden cameras monitoring traffic through the central plaza. And until the White Faction figure that out, they won't have much incentive not to travel to Capricorn the normal way. One of Ruler's Monsters apparently has Presence Concealment, but other than that we should have advance warning."
"...We'll probably need to split them up," Noa says with a somewhat pained expression. "I don't think I can take that Berserker alone. He took my full Noble Phantasm point blank without damage, and did it again even when I broke it... and those were the only two times he didn't manage to dodge me entirely."
Your eyebrows raise. "So that's how your sword broke." Breaking a Noble Phantasm drastically increases its strength, at the cost of... well, breaking it afterward. Given how powerful even the weakened version of Noa's Noble Phantasm is, Berserker's defensive power must be ridiculous. Unless, of course, he somehow countered it with a Noble Phantasm of his own.
"Yeah," Noa growls. "I have no idea what it would take to beat him."
"Well. we'll figure it out."
"Mmhm."
The awkward silence resumes after that, and it ends up taking two more hours before Sengo stops working. "There," he says, straightening up in his chair. "Not as sturdy as I could make it, but it won't fade away, and it should survive using your Noble Phantasm. Though I'll probably need to re-forge it after each use just in case." He gets up to hand it to Noa, and you notice the table slowly collapsing into slag behind him as he walks over. "I can make it even sturdier later, but..."
"We only have so much time right now," you finish. "Thank you, Sengo."
"Yeah," Noa says absently, turning the invisble weapon over in her hands. "Thanks."
"Of course"
*****
Once again, you find yourself waking up at your usual time. Dawn, precisely. Yesterday, your guests woke up about two hours after you did, so you have some time to spend on your own before discussing the previous night's events. The parrot seems tto still be asleep, too.
[ ]Get to work on Noa's replacement armor
--[ ]Something simple (Will take more than two hours, but will not take up a significant portion of the day)
--[ ]Something more useful (Will take up most of the day)
[ ]Do some of your morning exercises.
[ ]Do some of your reading.
[ ]Borrow your Uncle's computer for some internet access.
[ ]Start working on a sidecar for your Bike (Will take up most of the day)
[ ]Write-in
A/N: I never did talk about White Ruler's identity. I made a decision that the full data for deceased characters would only be revealed at the end of the Flame they died in, but I can make an exception here as the "reward" (Read: apology) for the hiatus, since no one expressed any interest in any particular option.
I'm not going to post a sheet (unless you guys really want one), since about half of the "sheets" in my notes are just summaries of what the Servant is capable of, with me only doing the actual write-up once it becomes relevant in-quest.
You sigh. "That... may not be a bad idea, actually. Making the sword tonight, I mean," you say. Sengo looks at you in shock at that, so you explain. "Having something to work on will help take your mind off of things, won't it? And we don't know when the White Faction will retaliate for Ruler's death. We may not get another chance."
"That's true..." Sengo admits, his voice somewhat weary. "I suppose something to work on is just what I need right now."
*****
Sengo's "forge" is set up in its own little circle, a set of bounded fields largely intended to keep heat, steam, and other possible byproducts of a forge from interfering with the rest of the workshop. You hadn't had time for much else, but it's better than nothing.
And "nothing" is more or less what would otherwise be there, since there wasn't really much in the way of equipment to be found up here. Sengo had set up a small chair and a sturdy-looking table at the appropriate heights, but other than that....
It seems to be enough for him however, and Sengo gets to work on Noah's sword there, quickly getting lost in his work the way you'd expected him to. 'Single Mindedness' is a skill on his sheet for a reason, after all.
"So... Noah," you end up being the one to break the silence here, after a few minutes of the three of you watching him work. "What are--" you start to ask, before cutting yourself off.
"What are what?" Noah asks, somewhat irately.
"I think I could make some replacement armor for you," you reply, rephrasing what you'd been about to say a moment ago. "It won't be as good as the original obviously, but it'd be better than what's there now. And I could probably make the gauntlets retract, for if we fight the lion again."
"You can do that?" Noah asks, eyebrow raised. "Didn't take you for the sort."
"I made that motorcycle myself," you say. "Mystic codes are my specialty."
"Mystic...?" Noah says in mild confusion. "Wait, you made that motorcycle? As in, in your current life? Isn't it your Noble Phantasm?"
You shake your head. "No. It seems a bit too modern for that sort of thing anyway. I don't know what my actual Noble Phantasm is, just like I don't know my past life's identity. But I can move my mystic codes between my workshop and the city, so I made due with that instead."
"I... see," Noah says, still blatantly confused but trying to hide it. "Any clues?"
"There's so much overlap between what I can do awake and asleep for me to tell which comes from which," you reply. "I honestly have no idea."
"Well that sucks," Noah commiserates. "What about you, Avenger? You know who you are?"
"Would you believe me if I said no?"
"Probably not."
"Well too bad."
...You decide not to call him on that one.
"Though speaking of which," you cut in. "Noah... do you want us to still call you Noah? Now that we know your true name and everything."
"It's not my true anything," Noah hisses. Then she rolls her eyes. "Noa's fine. I've been called Noah longer than I've been called Mordred anyway, so I'm actually more used to it."
"Plus calling her Mordred would kind of give the game away," Avenger points out.
Noah shrugs. "That too."
"Isn't Noah a guy's name though?" Avenger asks, curious. "Did reincarnation swap your gender or something?"
""I--!" Noah starts, then sighs. "No, it didn't. Noah's only a guy's name if there's an 'h' on the end. Mine's three letters, N-O-A."
Avenger grunts something vaguely understanding at Noa.
"...Anyway," you say, getting back to what you were asking before. "If I'm going to make replacement armor, I'll need to know the measurements."
Noa grunts in response. "Oh, right. Suppose you'd need that." She starts taking off what's left of the armor on her upper body. "Here, take a look."
You spend some time getting the exact sizes you'll need for Noa's armor, but after that it returns to awkward silence for a while.
"So what do we do once we have my sword?" Noa asks after about an hour. "Go on the offensive?"
"Prepare to be defensive, more likely," you reply. "The White Faction aren't likely to take Ruler's death lying down."
"True," Noa concedes. "So all four of 'em are going to come to Capricorn sooner or later to smoke us out."
"Rider may stay in place," you reply. "Their movements didn't change during their city-wide search today, and they didn't disappear for a day after I rescued Avenger like the other three did. In fact, Da Vinci says she hasn't changed her pattern at all for the past week."
"It's pretty optimistic to assume that Ruler's Monsters are just gonna just go away now that he's dead," Avenger points out.
"Do they have anyone else who can talk to animals?" Noa asks.
"We don't know that they don't," Avenger replies. "Or that they won't figure out who killed 'em and come after us for revenge on their own. You never know."
"Well, Da Vinci should be able to give us a heads-up for most of them," you say. "From the sound of it, she has hidden cameras monitoring traffic through the central plaza. And until the White Faction figure that out, they won't have much incentive not to travel to Capricorn the normal way. One of Ruler's Monsters apparently has Presence Concealment, but other than that we should have advance warning."
"...We'll probably need to split them up," Noa says with a somewhat pained expression. "I don't think I can take that Berserker alone. He took my full Noble Phantasm point blank without damage, and did it again even when I broke it... and those were the only two times he didn't manage to dodge me entirely."
Your eyebrows raise. "So that's how your sword broke." Breaking a Noble Phantasm drastically increases its strength, at the cost of... well, breaking it afterward. Given how powerful even the weakened version of Noa's Noble Phantasm is, Berserker's defensive power must be ridiculous. Unless, of course, he somehow countered it with a Noble Phantasm of his own.
"Yeah," Noa growls. "I have no idea what it would take to beat him."
"Well. we'll figure it out."
"Mmhm."
The awkward silence resumes after that, and it ends up taking two more hours before Sengo stops working. "There," he says, straightening up in his chair. "Not as sturdy as I could make it, but it won't fade away, and it should survive using your Noble Phantasm. Though I'll probably need to re-forge it after each use just in case." He gets up to hand it to Noa, and you notice the table slowly collapsing into slag behind him as he walks over. "I can make it even sturdier later, but..."
"We only have so much time right now," you finish. "Thank you, Sengo."
"Yeah," Noa says absently, turning the invisble weapon over in her hands. "Thanks."
"Of course"
Clear Blood Arthur -- Rebellion Against the Wind King: B-, Anti-Army
While the blade Mordred uses for this technique is a proper Noble Phantasm, it is not as sturdy as the true Clarent. As such, for every use past the first during a single battle, a luck check is necessary for her to use the technique without the blade breaking. It is technically possible for this to happen with even the first use, but the chances are relatively low.
While the blade Mordred uses for this technique is a proper Noble Phantasm, it is not as sturdy as the true Clarent. As such, for every use past the first during a single battle, a luck check is necessary for her to use the technique without the blade breaking. It is technically possible for this to happen with even the first use, but the chances are relatively low.
*****
Once again, you find yourself waking up at your usual time. Dawn, precisely. Yesterday, your guests woke up about two hours after you did, so you have some time to spend on your own before discussing the previous night's events. The parrot seems tto still be asleep, too.
[ ]Get to work on Noa's replacement armor
--[ ]Something simple (Will take more than two hours, but will not take up a significant portion of the day)
--[ ]Something more useful (Will take up most of the day)
[ ]Do some of your morning exercises.
[ ]Do some of your reading.
[ ]Borrow your Uncle's computer for some internet access.
[ ]Start working on a sidecar for your Bike (Will take up most of the day)
[ ]Write-in
A/N: I never did talk about White Ruler's identity. I made a decision that the full data for deceased characters would only be revealed at the end of the Flame they died in, but I can make an exception here as the "reward" (Read: apology) for the hiatus, since no one expressed any interest in any particular option.
I'm not going to post a sheet (unless you guys really want one), since about half of the "sheets" in my notes are just summaries of what the Servant is capable of, with me only doing the actual write-up once it becomes relevant in-quest.
Anyway, White Ruler's identity was, in fact, Lycaon. Thing is, while most people associate Lycaon with the cannibalism myth, that's not the only legend about him, and he isn't even universally depicted as a villain. So while a Berserker version of him might be based off of Lycaon as a Filicide, a Ruler version would be based off of Lycaon as the founder of Lycosura and the Lycaen Games... and by extension, the originator of Lycosura's mystery cults.
Three things about the Lycosura mystery cults popped out at me during my research: performing its ritual sacrifices through ritualized amputation rather than burnt offerings, the large number of statues of man/animal hybrids in their temple, and the fact that their god's name was only written down as "the mistress," with her real name only spoken and thus lost to time. Combined with the "Lykaia" rites on Mount Lykaion, where those who ate human flesh turned into wolves for nine years, and you end up with Ruler as he's shown here.
In this case, he was a sociopath who nevertheless tried to be a good king due to it being drilled into his head from a young age. However, he found his grip on the throne to be tenuous due to his own nature. Of course the foremost quality necessary for being a king is to actually be the king, so he found himself taking extreme measures to remain in control, eventually turning to a mysterious goddess who gave him the mystery rites. He used them first to turn his sons into wolves to demonstrate this power to the people, and once they were thus impressed, began applying a lesser version to others. First his soldiers were turned into half-man half-beast hybrids, ostensibly to make Lycosura's army mighty enough to contend with the neighboring city-states. Which it did, but that was just the excuse. The true reason was that it made their minds much more beast-like in nature, and while Lycaon had little talent forr inspiring men, he was very different when it came to animals. These new hybrids followed him faithfully, as loyal subjects should, solidifying his previously tenuous grip on the city.
Of course, another quality of a good king is the loyalty of his subjects, so eventually Lycaon began attempting to turn all of Lycosura's citizenry into beastmen. However, one of his sons disagreed, and tried to stop him. Rather than doing so himself however, he tried to call upon Zeus to intercede, going to the cave beneath Mount Lykaion where Zeus was supposedly raised in order to do so. He was caught just as he arrived, and was ritually sacrificed and devoured by his family to empower them further; however, killing someone seeking sanctuary in one of Zeus' holy places and killing him as an offering to a god who wasn't Zeus ended up having predictable results, and Lycaon and his sons were struck down. Afterward, the citizens of Lycosura re-dedicated their rituals to Zeus in order to appease him, hence the Lykaia festival practiced by the city in later eras. And of course, this sequence of events was later warped into the tale of Lycosura most people are familiar with.
Three things about the Lycosura mystery cults popped out at me during my research: performing its ritual sacrifices through ritualized amputation rather than burnt offerings, the large number of statues of man/animal hybrids in their temple, and the fact that their god's name was only written down as "the mistress," with her real name only spoken and thus lost to time. Combined with the "Lykaia" rites on Mount Lykaion, where those who ate human flesh turned into wolves for nine years, and you end up with Ruler as he's shown here.
In this case, he was a sociopath who nevertheless tried to be a good king due to it being drilled into his head from a young age. However, he found his grip on the throne to be tenuous due to his own nature. Of course the foremost quality necessary for being a king is to actually be the king, so he found himself taking extreme measures to remain in control, eventually turning to a mysterious goddess who gave him the mystery rites. He used them first to turn his sons into wolves to demonstrate this power to the people, and once they were thus impressed, began applying a lesser version to others. First his soldiers were turned into half-man half-beast hybrids, ostensibly to make Lycosura's army mighty enough to contend with the neighboring city-states. Which it did, but that was just the excuse. The true reason was that it made their minds much more beast-like in nature, and while Lycaon had little talent forr inspiring men, he was very different when it came to animals. These new hybrids followed him faithfully, as loyal subjects should, solidifying his previously tenuous grip on the city.
Of course, another quality of a good king is the loyalty of his subjects, so eventually Lycaon began attempting to turn all of Lycosura's citizenry into beastmen. However, one of his sons disagreed, and tried to stop him. Rather than doing so himself however, he tried to call upon Zeus to intercede, going to the cave beneath Mount Lykaion where Zeus was supposedly raised in order to do so. He was caught just as he arrived, and was ritually sacrificed and devoured by his family to empower them further; however, killing someone seeking sanctuary in one of Zeus' holy places and killing him as an offering to a god who wasn't Zeus ended up having predictable results, and Lycaon and his sons were struck down. Afterward, the citizens of Lycosura re-dedicated their rituals to Zeus in order to appease him, hence the Lykaia festival practiced by the city in later eras. And of course, this sequence of events was later warped into the tale of Lycosura most people are familiar with.
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- Location
- Should be a bit higher
That Luck check though...
Didn't know about the amputation sacrifice or the Chthonic Goddess worship. Interesting.
Yeah so Filicide Lycaon simply never clicked for me and I just sort of dismissed him.
[X]Get to work on Noa's replacement armor
--[X]Something more useful (Will take up most of the day)
Well since we already promised...
...but can we poke the parrot awake just to say hello first?
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- Location
- Hearst Castle
If a figure is particularly well known, I usually at least try to do something unusual or unexpected with them. It's just that I haven't gotten much chance to show that off.
I originally was just going to have Cal think to himself that he could probably make some armor for her, and leave it up to you guys... but then I realized Cal wouldn't be able to make something like that properly by just eyeballing it. Hence that section.
That said, I'll almost certainly be including a vote once Ritsuka and Mash wake up and Cal talks to them, so you'll have the opportunity to change what you're doing today, take some time to talk with the parrot, etc. etc.
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Ultramandalore
Errant Quester
- Location
- just south of Parts Unknown
[X]Get to work on Noa's replacement armor
--[X]Something more useful (Will take up most of the day)
--[X]Something more useful (Will take up most of the day)
- Location
- St. Petersburg
[X]Get to work on Noa's replacement armor
--[X]Something more useful (Will take up most of the day)
--[X]Something more useful (Will take up most of the day)
What do we read usually?
What would we want to find on the Internet?
ChildishChimera
A umbran summon
- Location
- New York
[X]Get to work on Noa's replacement armor
--[X]Something more useful (Will take up most of the day)
Dang it I'm sad I didn't know any of that extra stuff still glad to be surprised tho
--[X]Something more useful (Will take up most of the day)
Dang it I'm sad I didn't know any of that extra stuff still glad to be surprised tho