There's a revival that I'm excited to see- mainly because it's going to be uprooting practically everything. Yes, everything. Chaldea's internal politics get hit with an immersion blender part 2: electric boogaloo.
His backstory being retold/revealed will be another shitshow! As will be unlocking Marisbury's files! As will be Ritsuka, Kadoc and Ophelia getting closer to him! As will be Matthew's reaction to the former! As will be Caenis in general! As will be whatever the fuck is going on with his relationship with Olga! As will be the Kirsch and Ritsuka sitcom! As will- well, you get the idea. And I don't know if you're going to bother incorporating any of LB5's Greek Mythology elements into Okeanos- (coughcoughmachinegodscoughcough) but considering that Morgan mentioned increasing the whole "ancient Greece" aspect of the place... even if I'm wrong, Okeanos is shaping up to be a ride. And that's not even considering however it's gonna affect Kirsch's magecraft.
And we've still recieved no clue as to what Beryl's gonna be getting up to in the Singularities, but... If Celenike's whole thing is self-indulgent desire, then Crowley and Beryl would fit right in, no?
...It seems this has once again gotten way longer than I intended. Shit.
I forget the specifics, but Viy is an older slavic spirit linked to the Romanovs in fgo and nasuverse lore. Pretty much an elder imp of the family, who's current iteration of the name could be linked to Gogol. Take with a grain or ten of salt
I've been dithering how to break it to my readers, but I'll be upfront and spoil it rather than make it a surprise. It isn't a content warning, it's me being upfront on how I'm going to handle a character.
I will be having Kirsch summon him as Caeneus, the warlord he was in the prime of his life - in other words, full BoyMode. He will be addressed as Caeneus, have a masculine physique, etcetera. That's the physical and social difference.
In terms of power... this is Caeneus at the height of his strength, full-on tyrant king go. It'd be the difference between a four-star and five-star unit. It makes more sense for him to be summoned this way, especially with the heightened stakes I have planned throughout the story. (Don't know if they're higher than Cosmos in the Lostbelt, but they definitely surpass Time Temple.)
The personality shift will be minimal. He'd be like... five percent less of an asshat at the start with the rest of his personality (his better aspects) continuing to be revealed as time went on.
There are plenty of other reasons for this decision, but those are the ones most pertinent to the thread. To that end, I wanted to be upfront and not surprise the readers that I was deviating from Nasu/FGO/DelightWorks' portrayal of the character.
Its why the artists typically depict Caeneus pre transition (or how Caeneus pops in FGO), to play onto the gender role inversion and thus the joke was born. There is plenty of fan art depicting the joke.
It will be fun when they heal Kirsch and Matthew goes offline when he realizes Kirsch's aspiration in life pretty much amounts to him being a super sentai and that someone should just shove a henshin pen at him and let him go fight evil.
The dead eyed look Matthew would have after that realization would be hilarious.
From what we see, the stakes are higher here, because as you stated in the story, multiple realities are being affected here. And the implication was already there considering how timelines work in the Nasuverse. If Goetia's plan had been succesful, every timeline would have ceased to exist at once, except for Goetia's timeline for his new Humanity. Beast VII's invasion of Earth seems to be as of now, localized into the singular timeline of FGO, but we still don't know her Plan, so this could change.
And your interpretation of the Singularities is showing a Difficulty Spike reminiscent of the Lostbelt Arc, and with the added twists and turns, I'd say that yes, Stakes are definitely higher.
Original work is a web novel (can be found translated [quality varies] online)
then there is a Loghtnovel, just started getting out in english
the manga
and the Anime (recommend this one)
I'll make the jokes, but I do plan for Kirsch/Ophelia endgame (monogamous). Caeneus... well, I honestly haven't thought about it and we'll get to it when/if we get there.
I...liked watching the sea. A long time ago. But, on that day, on the beach...no, it's nothing. I, the woman of Thessaly, Caenis, have surely died that day, and the one who the legends sometimes call a tyrant and sometimes a hero, Caeneus, was born. So, just why did I materialize in this state, with the name of Caenis...
Huh? I was like a woman? Me? You must be mistaken. Hahaha, you say some funny things. ...Say that one more time. I'll send your head flying before you open your lips. ...Hm? You weren't joking? I see. In that case, those were the vestiges of Caenis or something. Well, my True Name is Caenis now too though. Good grief, what a pain in the ass, seriously. ...What's with that face, hey. Hey, you bastard. You can go prying and making guesses all you want, but don't give me your sympathy, Master. If you were to do so, I'll end up thoughtlessly killing you.
I will be having Kirsch summon him as Caeneus, the warlord he was in the prime of his life - in other words, full BoyMode. He will be addressed as Caeneus, have a masculine physique, etcetera. That's the physical and social difference.
Well, Caenis/Caenus mentions something about power:
! Look at this. Poseidon's trident. It's the real thing. The golden armor that materializes my divine protection and this trident! Together with these, I am! The genuine immortal Divine Spirit, Caenis-sama!!
I did say I'm a Divine Spirit. ...Haha, so you've raised me to such heights. Seems like we have a huge weirdo here. In the beginning, I thought you were a dumbass who liked offering things, but...taking your stupidity this far is quite the feat in itself. I like that. Take care of me from now on too, Master.
Haaah!? I told you I'm the Divine Spirit, Caenis. ...Huh? "The tyrant Caenis from the legends wasn't a god"? Well, that's true. I claimed to be a king, but I never called myself a god. So why, you ask? that's simple. By the way, don't you have any alcohol or meat?
Phew~...alcohol from the modern age's pretty decent. So, what were we talking about? Aah, about me being a Divine Spirit. That's simple. I've received a shitty blessing from that shithead sea bastard, Sea God Poseidon. The power of a god. Moreover, that guy gave me a part of himself too. His trident. The Sea God's three-pronged spear that's akin to Poseidon's symbol. Possessing that, while it annoys the hell out of me, makes me a real god of the sea. Hahaha, that's how it is!
You have wiggle room, the best argument I can think off is that due to the events of the olympic lostbelt, wodime summoned Caeneus after their legend had concluded (the centaur incident that dropped Caeneus to the underworld also undid Posiedon's change, so the gender got changed from male, to female) and its how it got registered in Chaldeas's database. Without the LB Caeneus is still a thing. Albeit, I'd suggest preserving this happy "Idgaf" attitude Caeneus/Caenis has.
From what I understood, Caeneus saw his summoning in his Caenis body as a form of defiance against Poseidon, because it meant not embracing the change he brought to his body, not accepting Poseidon. At least it ihis the reason brought up in the From Lostbelt Manga, and granted the full canonicity of the manga's content can be up to debate on certain points (it does sound like a bit at odds with Caeneus' behavior in his game lines for instance):
I'm aware of the From Lostbelt chapter in question, and I've read Caenis' character materials. I do appreciate them being brought up, but like Duncan pointed out: I do have some wiggle room.
The canon iteration appears to draw on aspects from Vergil which apply after death - I decided on Caeneus from his living prime, before the tree trunk burial.
All that aside, I did tag this story 'canon what canon'. While it doesn't mean I'll disregard rules and characterization and whatnot wholesale, it does mean I'll cherry-pick what I ultimately do and don't use (within reason).
The 'alternate' form of Galahad, appropriated by Mash through taking up his shield. Fundamentally, she is the same person. Her mind and soul have not changed, and neither has her body. Much. Rather than a 'dig her heels in and block' variant of protection, this form favors 'mobility and deflection'. While the form which utilizes Lord Camelot is capable of such tactics, the form utilizing Evalach excels at it. Further, rather than relying on a mixture of passive and active defenses, offensive options have become available.
While Lord Camelot and its assorted gifts are available, their use requires ceding control to the spirit within her - which can be done and undone in a matter of seconds. Think of it as alternating between defense and attack mode.
Also she has a Archangel-gone-Divine-Spirit following her around now, so there's that.
I'm shaped like a friend!
Parameters:
STR: B
END: B++
AGI: B
MAN: B
LUK: C+
NP: A++
Skills:
Magic Resistance (A)
Riding (C)
Self-Field Defense (Angelic) (C): Fundamentally the same as the standard Self-Field Defense, but in addition to a resistance to poison it exhibits a resistance to curses as well. While not an 'immunity', the Master is still bestowed with a resistance to a specific subset of harmful magecraft.
Angelic Attendant (EX): Hi! Hi! Hi! I'm Raphael, but you can call me Raphie! I'm small, cute, and not at all threatening! I definitely don't have any sort of serious alternate form that would have to say boring things like BE NOT AFRAID,or sedate humans so they don't run and I can heal and or talk to them, or be bitter about aaaaaany of it! I'm the Archangel of Healing, and I accompanied Gally through his quest for the Grail and the Lance and alll of that! The knights I met were pretty neat, but he was my favorite! He's so stalwart, if he met a 'scary angel', he wouldn't even flinch!
...ahem. The spirit within Evalach's Shield, the Archangel Raphael is a repository of knowledge and strength. With an intimate familiarity with the functions of the human body and all the ways it can be mended, they excel at healing. To call it 'magecraft' would be a mis-categorization. The true form of such things is closer to the Church's Sacraments than anything else. Further, they retain knowledge and means to deal with demonic entities. With knowledge of Sacraments to nullify magecraft, exorcise the Dead, and weaken those classified as Demons, Raphael is far from harmless. In Islamic traditions, they are known as Israfil - a master of music who can speak any language. In those same traditions they are the one who will blow the trumpet that heralds the Day of Resurrection. There are a multitude of other facets they bear, but essentially... this skill represents a contract with this august personage.
Kyrie Eleison, ayup!
Rotation of the Shield (B): The ability to cede control to Galahad, and access the skills associated with Lord Camelot. Also the ability to revert to this form. The parameters change to those of Galahad, and skills exclusive to this form are sealed with those utilized alongside Lord Camelot enacted. The process takes less than a minute, but leaves Mash vulnerable - requiring either an ally to cover her or to be outside of combat in the first place.
Black Keys (C): The ability to produce the Church's vaunted weaponry as an off-hand armament. The rank denotes the skill with which they can be wielded. The strength of such things is not comparable to a Noble Phantasm, so their production and use is relegated to a skill. However, they are not without their uses as a distraction or weapon against certain phantasmals or spirits.
Protection of the Faith (Angelic) (B): Functioning as Protection of the Faith, but lacking mental interference or even a real religious dedication. In essence, Raphael's prayers serve as faith's shield for Mash, allowing use of this skill by virtue of their presence.
Noble Phantasms
Evalach Raphael (On Angel's Wings I Strike Thee Down) (A++): An anti-unit offensive Noble Phantasm. In practice, a very elaborate shield-bash with stacking 'plus' modifiers against: evil, demons, dead, and threats to humanity. The more qualifiers are checked off, the more damage is dealt. Invoking the remnants of Raphael's power and Galahad's history of exorcism and victory, Mash is temporarily gifted the Archangel's wings and performs a charge attack to discharge gathered power into the target. As a note, Raphael seems to almost hold a grudge against Demon Pillars in particular.
If YOURS TRULYhas to be stuck in a SHIELD while YOU GUYS get to run around and muck with those poor humans, you better BELIEVE I'm gonna make you pay through the NOSE for it, ayup!
Mending From Arimathea (Joseph's Gift Unto Evalach) (B): A defensive use of the Shield of Evalach. It engages an area barrier which nullifies any magical effect of 'B' or lower, and reduces further damage based on a similar scaling. Physical effects of 'B' or lower suffer similar effects. Creating a bubble of light, the defense is a secondary effect. The primary effect is to stimulate healing. Given sufficient time, all but death can be reversed - but that assumes that sufficient mana can be provided to fuel that healing and that said amount of time can be feasibly spent maintaining the Noble Phantasm. When healing a spiritual being such as a Servant, it enhances any natural regeneration and accelerates it. An anti-encampment Noble Phantasm.
If YOURS TRULYhas to be stuck in a SHIELD while YOU GUYS get to run around and muck with those poor humans, you better BELIEVE I'm gonna make you pay through the NOSE for it, ayup!
Look at it this way; except for Beezelbub and old Nick himself, most folks don't even know any of the names of Solomon's demons (except DxD fans like myself) while you're still a popular name to use in fiction, as well as a known archangel. Granted, a lot of those names are based off the painter, but then again, you are a patron of the arts.
Okay, why is it 'anti-encampment?' Doesn't it make an awesome camp? For that matter, why do all Noble Phantasms use the Anti-something lingo as their descriptor?
Black Keys (C): The ability to produce the Church's vaunted weaponry as an off-hand armament. The rank denotes the skill with which they can be wielded. The strength of such things is not comparable to a Noble Phantasm, so their production and use is relegated to a skill. However, they are not without their uses as a distraction or weapon against certain phantasmals or spirits.
Addendum: Possession of this skill enables Shielder's Master to unleash a Noble Phantasm of their own:
Article:
Black Key Hell - Despair of Gacha
Type: Anti-Army
Rank: E-C
Opens a gate to Gudako's storage and fires Black Keys (C-rank) at her enemies. Contrary to its name, it can also fire a multitude of other items derived from low ranking Craft Essences besides Black Keys. Includes, but not limited to: runestones, Azoth Swords, the concept of a leyline (somehow), miniature replicas of the Clock Tower, dragon fire, Matou Shinji, and other bizarre and inane objects. The power of this Noble Phantasm increases in proportion to Gudako's current level of despair. Totally not a rip-off of Gate of Babylon™.
I definitely don't have any sort of serious alternate form that would have to say boring things like BE NOT AFRAID,or sedate humans so they don't run and I can heal and or talk to them, or be bitter about aaaaaany of it!
Raphael is very loosely based on Timcanpy (the gold ball with wings) from D. Gray-Man. Think that minus the tail, with six wings. And volleyball-sized. They don't have a face, but instead have their name in 'Enochian' (in this case a catch-all for angel script).
Raphael would definitely be able to zero in on the ring, and since they have a surprising degree of autonomy? I'm looking forward to Raphael cornering Roman and-
WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE CREATOR WERE YOU THINKING!?
...it's gonna be a fun conversation. And it'll actually be a little more complex than 'Roman did a dumb by turning human'.
It was supposed to be a vacation, give the man a break!
Now, granted, his creations have gone bugnuts since he's been gone, but really, he was only human when he created them. How was he to know this would happen?
It was supposed to be a vacation, give the man a break!
Now, granted, his creations have gone bugnuts since he's been gone, but really, he was only human when he created them. How was he to know this would happen?
I've always thought there had to be limits to that sort of thing. Otherwise, guys like that would never lose... or never do anything, one or the other. I suspect that this particular scenario was something of only a 2 or 3% chance, and Solomon decided it was worth the risk.
