If the additional Social progress (+10 while active) is relevant, then I might include it in the plan. We are at a pretty hefty sanity total, so it's worth burning a few Sleep actions to catch up on Social or Investigation if neccesary.
Been a rough weekend and not much was achieved yesterday, so update may not drop after all. Going to work into the night, but just a little forewarning here.
If it doesn't drop this weekend, it will likely not drop until next--my weekdays are largely fully devoted to RL issues, and fighting for scraps of time is not practical.
The good news is that I am very pleased with what IS done so far, and I believe you will enjoy it on deployment.
It's been a LOOOOOONG time... how have you been? What has happened since I last checked in?
I eventually dropped out of following this quest before it was brought to a stop, and then it started up again with a new system. I was busy elsewhere, but eventually recalled that, oh yes, I had two omakes that weren't rewarded, and then another whose reward had been nullified by the new system. I got in contact with Higure by PM, and he offered rewards for those omakes.
Already claimed, and even if the same rewards were offered, abet updated, I don't think that I would have picked differently. Since Time is the main power of Homura, as well as the possibility of alternate worlds, the Trait aligns perfectly with her power.
(Besides, I believe that this Loop is a different one than the one that I made the omake originally in, meaning that one of the options has expired anyway.)
Epic Battle Magica - Rewarded with 10% Practice Towards "Endless Arsenal Spell." This mechanic is no longer in use, so please choose from the following:
+200 Progress to Development
+200 Progress to Stealth
Prototype: Endless Arsenal (Details Revealed on Choosing)
From what I understand from a casual look-over, Development is used to create new spells, including spells to heal Homura's heart permanently. Until its fixed in each loop, maintenance is going to be a constant buildup of Grief; the sooner her heart is fixed in a loop, the less often she needs to grab a Grief Seed. Although the other options are tempting, I believe that Development is going to be most useful here (and I don't see anything regarding Stealth on the Sheet, either). I've got a couple ideas for a Part 2 that I think I can pull off that might allow access to a new version of Endless Arsenal, anyway.
Trait: Devil Spiter - +3 to Combat Rolls against Homucifer-affiliated Enemies
Prototype: Familiar Summoning Magical Working (Details Revealed on Choosing)
This one I'm less certain about. Magical theory, while useful, pales with the other options provided.
Normally, Devil Spiter would be useless; if Homucifer-affiliated enemies showed up, it would normally be too late. However, I caught a glimpse of Persona-affiliation people and mechanics in the recent update, and, at least in the fourth installment, Persona is about facing yourself. In this case, Devil Spiter bumps up in usefulness; it might still mean that its too late, but it might also be related to Homura's Shadow instead ('You are me, but you are the me of the path that I refuse to follow!'). In that case, it would provide a decent boost to get through that conflict.
Devil Spiter may also be a last resort Trait; if things are going wrong, Homucifer is showing up, and we're almost at a bad end, that Trait might be what's needed for Homura to win, instead of getting shot by herself.
Prototype: Familiar Summoning Magical Working has its details concealed, but based on baseline PMMM, its title, AND its relation to the omake, I can make educated guesses. Where Devil Spiter is moving Homura away from becoming a witch, Familiar Summoning Magical Working is about Homura making steps on becoming one. Or, at the very least, copying one of their tactics, primarily creating familiars. Of course, with the details concealed, I'm (temporarily) opening it up to the thread to discuss to convince me, while I work to catch up and make more informed decisions.
And finally, thank you to Higure for going through with this, and offering rewards. I'll be back shortly.
Well, Random Tale beat me to the punch just a tad, but it works out.
Anyone else who has old Omakes I haven't rewarded, please feel free to contact me via DM, and we'll try to get those rewards handed out. Still planning to actually do a grand purge of all the Omakes I procrastinated on rewarding, but anyone still reading who wants their rewards sooner rather than later need but ask.
@Random Tale
And here's the reward options for Delusion vs. Walpurgisnacht:
+200 Progress towards Combat Analysis
+200 Progress towards Bombmaking
+200 Progress towards Medical Expertise
Simple, but ultimately I couldn't think of something flavorful that didn't have some kind of dramatic downside, lol.
Epic Battle Magica - Rewarded with 10% Practice Towards "Endless Arsenal Spell." This mechanic is no longer in use, so please choose from the following:
+200 Progress to Development
+200 Progress to Stealth
Prototype: Endless Arsenal (Details Revealed on Choosing)
From what I understand from a casual look-over, Development is used to create new spells, including spells to heal Homura's heart permanently. Until its fixed in each loop, maintenance is going to be a constant buildup of Grief; the sooner her heart is fixed in a loop, the less often she needs to grab a Grief Seed. Although the other options are tempting, I believe that Development is going to be most useful here (and I don't see anything regarding Stealth on the Sheet, either). I've got a couple ideas for a Part 2 that I think I can pull off that might allow access to a new version of Endless Arsenal, anyway.
Hm... I can't see Stealth on the sheet? So it's probably a Melee skill... 200 progress on it would boost us up to Rank 9 instantly, with 20 progress out of 45 towards Rank 10. It could help Homura avoid building up Grief by reducing her reliance on Time Stop for going unseen.
+200 progress on Development would put us up to Rank 11 with 11 progress out of 55 towards Rank 12, and considering the DC on our currently known Prototype for creating a new heart for Homura is 100, every little bit helps.
Getting a free Prototype for Endless Arsenal is pretty spicy, especially since it would be outright saving us at least one action from Researching it.
Magical Theory getting 200 progress would put us up to Rank 18, and considering the Magical Theory DC for the Heartcrafter Working is 50, we're already at a 66% chance of success on the Working. While Rank 18 only boosts us up to a 68% chance of success, it is progress.
Devil Spiter seems potentially relevant, seeing as Arcana!Kyouko's appearance correlated with the appearance of Homucifer's Familiars.
The Prototype for the Familiar Summoning Magical Working feels like it could be very interesting.
Overall, I'm in favor of the Prototypes and/or Devil Spiter myself, but my priorities are somewhat skewed by giving us more options to use for our future actions. We'll have to train Medical Expertise either way to make use of our current Prototypes. Speaking of which, @Higure, I can't actually find Heartcrafter on our list of Prototypes.
1. Trait: EMIYA Affinity - +20 to Socialize Rolls with EMIYA.
2. Prototype: Accel
3. Trait: Hellwalker - +5 to Socialize Rolls with others who have also lived in a personal "Hell."
Since the EMIYA trait specifies EMIYA, it's hard to say. Typically, EMIYA, in all caps like that, refers to Archer, the original from Fate/Stay Night. In such a scenario, it would only help when we're socializing with Sayaka's sword, something Homura hasn't really done nor does she or us actually know if she's capable of it. Presuming it only works on version of Archer and we are unable to actually communicate with the sword directly then it's a useless trait until we can actually summon a Servant ourselves. And even then there's no guarantee we'll get Archer or be on friendly terms with him when he does show up as someone else's Servant.
Prototype: Accel I'm unsure on what it could be. It might be the beginnings of a Haste spell, could be somehow connected to Accel World where only her mental capabilities and perception are accelerated and not her actual speed. Could be something else entirely. And that presumes these "Prototype" rewards Higure is giving actually are spells.
Hellwalker is potentially the most immediately useful of the traits and possibly the rewards, though it does depend on what qualifies as a personal hell. Since Kyubey's magical girl system is set up to essentially emotionally break the girls that are part of it, all of them could easily qualify for the +5 for social with them this trait gives. And most entertainment tends to like putting their protagonists and other characters through some rather tough times in order to keep them interesting, thus any character that shows up that's from another series in the real world could potentially qualify as well.
Which doesn't really alter my own ideas on what it does? The Haste spell from final fantasy speeds up the character's actions, allowing them to take more in a given length of time than they could without the spell having been cast on them. This is the same as Kiritsugu's time manipulation abilities in Fate/Zero.
My other musings were for potential meanings for the name that didn't involve speeding up Homura's own time.
Which doesn't really alter my own ideas on what it does? The Haste spell from final fantasy speeds up the character's actions, allowing them to take more in a given length of time than they could without the spell having been cast on them. This is the same as Kiritsugu's time manipulation abilities in Fate/Zero.
My other musings were for potential meanings for the name that didn't involve speeding up Homura's own time.
Doesn't that depend on which depiction of Haste you're looking at? IIRC some of them work like you said and directly increase your action speed, but others increase the character's internal tick rate to get that result and cause buffs/debuffs to speed up as well. From what I remember Kiritsugu's ability works like the latter, but your posts read like you're implying the former all the way up until the last line.
There's...not really a difference that I see. If you're increasing your own time, you're naturally increasing both your action speed and your internal tick rate. I could go into more detail about how Haste works, but a: I don't have the mechanics of how each game calculates turn order or ATB fill, and (more importantly) b: I don't want to derail the thread. But to the best of my knowledge, the only games were a character's internal ticks didn't tie into how fast their ATB increases and thus how often you can perform actions, are the ones that are completely undeniably turn based, ie the ones before ATB where you input commands for the entire party and then saw what order those actions were performed. Maybe Final Fantasy XIV with its cool downs for individual abilities as well.
Regardless of what Random Tale and Macros pick for Omake Rewards, I continue to be excited for what Higure has prepared when the update does drop. On the mechanics side, it will be interesting to see much Social Link we get with Kallen, Agravain (if any), and King Arthur (if any).
You know, a random thought occurred to me while I was at work. This call to the Palace happened when we leveled up False Memories' rank. That added to other hints that Homura's Welsh ancestor has ties to Camelot means that this just might be a family matter for the King. I figure the odds of such are low, but it's not actually out of the realm of possibility.
Epic Battle Magica - Rewarded with 10% Practice Towards "Endless Arsenal Spell." This mechanic is no longer in use, so please choose from the following:
+200 Progress to Development
+200 Progress to Stealth
Prototype: Endless Arsenal (Details Revealed on Choosing)
I was originally leaning towards +200 Progress for Development, but if its not too late, I'd like to change my mind. Let's instead get Stealth onto the character sheet, so Homura doesn't have to rely on Time Stop to sneak around as much.
Development IS still important, but its more likely for us to choose actions that increase it, rather than Stealth. A failed Stealth check could really screw Homura over into an unprepared fight, while a failed Development check is just time lost.
If too late to change, no matter. Development is still useful.
Now that I've caught up, I can see more of a need for the offered trait. Those kinds of enemies are going to be a bit more common than I originally anticipated, and every bit helps, especially if another version of Homura tries to shoot this version.
Homura is decent with making bombs, and what she misses with Combat Analysis might be able to be made up with voter observation (to a degree). Medical Expertise, however, is something she desperately needs, not only for her own heart, but also for injuries allies take, as Sayaka demonstrated.
Wait, Accel's a quarter of the cost of Time Stop on a per round basis, and it has a fairly low Development DC as well (97% chance of success w/Akemi Madness, 87% w/out). Accel is definitely worth spending a Creative Action on to develop ASAP.
You know, a random thought occurred to me while I was at work. This call to the Palace happened when we leveled up False Memories' rank. That added to other hints that Homura's Welsh ancestor has ties to Camelot means that this just might be a family matter for the King. I figure the odds of such are low, but it's not actually out of the realm of possibility.
The next morning, you find yourself and Kyouko led by a very nervous butler to what he tells you is the "Chinese Dining Room," to share breakfast with "Sir Agravain." You have chosen to go ahead and put on your formalwear--you suspect you should put your best foot forward for this conversation.
Entering the room, you see why--the decor certainly includes a number of Chinese elements; you find it a bit gaudy, honestly, but Buckhingham has proven to be ostentatious if it's anything. You are a far cry from poor, but you were a tad uncomfortable with the sheer number of incredibly valuable objects in the bedroom they have you in. Such as that table, which currently has a hole in it.
Perhaps you'll try to fix that yourself tonight.
"Nice place! Kinda a weird design choice, considering, but definitely very fancy!" Kyouko pipes up, almost as if she's actively trying to provoke the man at the breakfast table up ahead.
You, however, barely keep yourself from freezing as you approach the young man you assume to be Sir Agravain, where he sits with Kallen at his side.
"Greetings, Akemi-san. Allow me to, at last, formally welcome you to the Royal Palace!" His tone is trying to be warm and inviting, but seems to boom in spite of that, an underlying tone of menace carried along in the process. Yet, you do not get the impression of malice--if anything, it seems strangely familiar. A compulsive affectation, rather than an attempt to intimidate, most likely.
It makes your blood stir, as if in answer. You try to fight it down, to maintain your façade of calm rationality, but ultimately something in his eye demands a response you cannot deny, and you feel Kyouko stiffen beside you as you smile, taking a seat across from Agravain and leaning towards him slightly.
"A fine welcome, if late. I'd expected to receive such a thing upon arrival, yet was smuggled in silently in the dead of night. Some machination, or was I just not worthy of it?" Your tone is mocking, you know, but he smiles in return, as if pleased.
"Oh, nothing of the sort, Akemi-san. Or, do Akemi-dono? Lady Akemi? Or…well, that's a matter for our King, I suppose." He hints at secrets you would very much like to have in your hands, but you let them pass--if it's a matter for the King, then you will get it from the King.
"Akemi-dono will do, for the moment. I am not, last I checked, a Noblewoman at all. Unless the King aims to change that." You feel your lips curl up until a smirk, and Agravain chuckles in return.
"Oh, now that's not for a mere Knight such as me to decide. Regardless, I am very pleased to finally make your acquaintance. Clovis haes always spoken well of you, which I frankly took as a condemnation, but you seem to be far more than he claimed."
You bridle a little at that, "Clovis may not be a master of politics--or many things, really--but he has been a friend to me, however distant, for many years." You defend the blond, but move, as the reality of the matter is obvious, "Of course, to have such disdain for him, you must be the brother he spoke of. I had not expected you to hold so high an office, considering Clovis' ignorance of Magical Girl affairs."
The butler, seeming very nervous, arrives with four Full English breakfasts, as well as orange juice and, for Agravain, pitch black coffee, before making a hasty retreat. "Good stuff! I'm starving! Thanks Alfred!"
You idly note that Kyouko is present--already devouring her food--and that Kallen is still at the table, seemingly preparing to do the same. "Please don't. They work really hard here. Basic respect is a minimum for staff."
You do not bother, for the moment. There are more important things to deal with--as Agravain apparently agrees, leaving his own meal untouched as well as he answers, waving a hand dismissively, "Of course. Clovis is far from the worst of my siblings--though also far from the best--but affairs such as these must be reserved for only the most trusted. Not least because the Incubator would likely grow overzealous in his memory erasures, if information flowed too far from the Round Table." "Fair, not used to talking to normies, though."
Kallen nudges him, and he reluctantly takes a sip from his coffee, closing his eye momentarily to savor the bitter beverage. You've never terribly understood how one can enjoy something intended as a warning sign against poison, but you suppose chemical dependence will do that to you. "Normies? What, a butler can't watch anime?"
You accept his explanation, regardless, and sip your juice slightly in that moment of stillness--it's very good, if not what you're used to--before proceeding on to the next matter, "If you are Clovis' brother, and you've chosen to meet me at this time, I assume you mean to grant his request an assist me in some manner?" "Nah, I mean normies. You know, people who aren't rocks, or looking to become rocks. Anyway, is he always like this?"
Agravain smirks again, slowly spreading his hands open-palmed before him in a dramatic shrug, "In all honesty, I had little intention of doing so, beyond making sure you arrived and departed safely, but you have earned my interest, Akemi-dono. Allow me to present to you the lay of the land, so-to-speak." "Yeah, pretty much. She is too, I take it?
"Please do." I entreat, setting my drink down gently on its coaster. "On and off. She has her moments. They don't even know we're here, do they?"
"The Round Table is composed of--of course--the Knights of the Round, and King Arthur herself. Each of the Knights I permitted a retinue of up to four people that may be informed as to the full nature and affairs of the Round Table, and as many uninformed subordinates as they please. My own retinue consists of Kallen, Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald, my half-sister Euphemia, and a researcher by the name of Harumi Kiyama. If you encounter any of them, you may feel to discuss affairs of Magic with them without concern. I will not trouble you with listing my other subordinates, as it would take quite some time." "He knows, he's just messing with us. Probably. Fifty-fifty. Her?"
His tone doesn't really intend to hide anything, conveying clearly that he is holding those identities in reserve, "I see--I do wonder what you have up your sleeve, but I won't pry further for the moment. What about the others?" "Eighty-twenty she's forgotten we're here. If not, she's just oblivious to us talking. You get used to it.
"I am unsure about most of them. While we Knights are permitted to interact freely, many of my peers remain quite cagey about their identities--indeed, even I myself have taken steps, though less so than many of the others. This is likely more to shelter their civilian identities from prying eyes, as anything else. Many of them are also Magi, and likely wish to shelter family from politics." He pauses for a long moment, giving you the chance to speak up, but you forego it, for the moment, gesturing for him to go on. Asking again would only make you seem impatient, after all. "For Heaven's sake, Homura, you can just ask questions. Everyone's on the same side here."
He smiles slightly as he proceeds, "Well, I can tell you what I know of Galahad, for certain. She alone fully forgoes any sort of privacy--reasonable, seeing as she does not seem to have any life beyond her service as a Knight any longer." He pauses to sip from his coffee, putting on a relaxed façade. "Trust me, she's in there with the champion. I swear, he doesn't know how to just talk."
"Sir Galahad's real name is Kyrie Lux--an orphan, as far as I know. She was formerly associated with the Vatican, although the details of her time working with them are wholly unknown to me, bud cut ties with them and joined the Anglican Church as an Exorcist at the age of fifteen, before appearing as Sir Galahad two years later. She continues to operate in the public eye as Exorcist Kyrie Lux, and has become something of a minor celebrity as a face for the Church among young people--albeit one that deviates strongly from their usual routine. Other than that, she primarily operates as Arthur's right hand and bodyguard, as much as Arthur needs such a thing. She, like most of the Magi serving the King, wears her Regalia at all times within the palace--it looks much like one would expect from a Magical Girl variation on black plate armor." "Oh, he's not talking about her combat options, huh? Or yours, either. Guess we're still in the "might kill each other next week" phase of things, huh?"
You nod, accepting that--it's not as if you've revealed your own capabilities, and Galahad is his ally, so further details about her Magic would not be likely to be given, "I see, interesting. Does King Arthur have some association with the Anglican Church, beyond being the King of England?" "Pretty much. No offense, but we're not entirely sure why you're here, even now. The King plays things close to the chest, sometimes."
He sighs, in what you read as a genuine expression of frustration, for once, "I wish I knew. Perhaps the King will be more willing to answer your question. I would greatly appreciate information on the front, if she does. Otherwise, you can ask Galahad if you want to know about the Church itself--they have some involvement with Magical matters, but I'm far from an expert on their activities." "I mean, I'm not happy about it, but I'm not really surprised, either. Mmm…this sausage is really good! Hey, wait, what was that?"
A fist slams hard into the fine table, catching you off guard as you look at the source--Kyouko, who's looking at Agravain with an angry, wide-eyed expression, "No seriously, what was that!? The Church knows!?"
Kallen, sitting across from her, looks wide-eyed from Kyouko to Agravain--who, to his credit, only slightly widens his eye in surprise before regaining his composure, "Yes, that is correct. Dealing with the consequences of the Magical Girls and Witches has been one of their main concerns for a very long time; you will recall that there's no biblical instance of the Devil dealing in Contracts and Souls. Yet, that idea perpetuates. The reason is obvious, I would think."
Kyouko sighs, "Yeah, I figured Kyubey originated most of that, but the Church actively says that it's impossible to sell your Soul to the Adversary, so it's not like they're warning people about Kyubey."
"There is a very great difference between official statements and allowing misinformation to flourish. They could be far more vocal about shutting down that notion, but they are not--they want young girls to be wary. Unfortunately, outing Kyubey directly would only lead him to silence them and erase memories on a grand scale, so this is the middle ground." He takes a bite from his eggs, humming his appreciation slightly.
"My father was a priest, and he didn't know. He thought I had made a deal with the Devil and become a witch." Kyouko's making a good attempt at looking like she's okay, but you can see the hysteria beginning to bubble beneath the surface; you have little doubt that Agravain can, as well.
He finishes chewing, then sets his fork down to answer, "Your father was a Heretic, correct? Do you know what led to his excommunication?"
Kyouko frowns, then shakes her head, "He preached a good number of things that the Church disagreed with, but I don't know what specifically it was, if that's what you mean. Church Unification, maybe?"
Agravain shakes his head slowly, "No. I looked into the matter when I found out about you, and it appears that your father became aware of what we call Witches, but did not find out the full details of the matter. He was excommunicated to discredit him, in order to avoid the need for him to be silenced by other means. I was not able to determine the full extent of his information--you might search his property for any records, when you return home--but it's possible he misunderstood the matter, and believed that there was no difference between Magical Girls and Witches, if that's what he called you. He very likely did not find out the truth of Kyubey's existence, as that is far more secret than even the knowledge of Magical Girls."
The rage seems to seep out of Kyouko, "…So…it was a misunderstanding? Everyone died because he had some bad information and…"
Agravain nods slowly, "That is my suspicion, but it is only that. You should look into the matter more thoroughly yourself--perhaps I am wrong."
"Fuck. FUCK!" You hear faint choir song in the back of your mind, but it's stifled a moment later, before anything unfortunate can happen in the physical world, "I…we need to look into it, if she doesn't. There was always something wrong, back then, but I never really dug into it. I didn't want to find out. If there was more to it, though…" There's a long pause, and you get the impression Kyouko's steeling herself, "I have to know."
You nod slightly, then raise an arm to touch the physical Kyouko's shoulder, trying to comfort her to some degree. She just stares down at her food, and you can see tear drops.
Agravain pointedly looks away, focusing on Kallen in order to give you a semblance of privacy.
'Sorry, Ribbons. Wasn't ready for this. Just give me a sec, and I'll get myself back together.' Kyouko says, through the privacy of telepathy.
'It is fine, Kyouko. Your emotions are a thing to be prized--wield them well, and do not blame yourself too greatly when they run wild.' You feel like, perhaps, you have said the wrong thing, as a faint feeling of confusion comes back to you, but you're uncertain. To be safe, you stroke her shoulder slightly, trying to comfort her as best as you can.
After about a minute of quiet crying, Kyouko wipes her eyes and raises her gaze, looking calm again, although you don't believe it for a second.
"Sorry about that. Anyway, uh…you said Galahad knows more about the Church?" She asks Agravain, who looks over as if he had forgotten she was there--likely just a kindness. Kallen, meanwhile, smiles weakly at Kyouko as she looks back at her.
"Yes, she does. She can likely provide more answers than anyone else on the Round Table." He says it calmly, almost reassuringly, and Kyouko nods her satisfaction, returning to her food silently.
With that, and a brief moment to taste your own food, you return to business, "What of King Arthur?"
Agravain raises his eyebrow, "Oh? Do you really think I'll tell you of my own King?"
"I do. I think you value Clovis more than you let on. I also do not believe King Arthur would have invited me here if she believed we would be enemies--and I suspect you believe the same. Finally, I think you are interesting, and I do not think a person like you would waste the opportunity to establish my expectations of the King prior to our interaction--for good or ill, you have more to gain through words than silence." You do your best to bore your way into his soul with your eyes, trying to apply pressure to the cogs of his mind with your words and expression, just so as to shift his internal mechanisms to your desire.
You are perhaps successful, at least in some measure.
Agravain shakes his head, smirking in bemusement, "Well, you are not wrong. Very well, I'll tell you a little about our King. She has formally been Ruler of London for roughly three years--that is, every Magical Girl in this city answered to her and obeyed her laws: No Magical Girl may slay mundane human without absolute necessity--a judgement determined in a formal hearing from the King. Londoner Magical Girls must intercede in the defense of the citizenry from each other, Magical Girls, Witches, and all other threats, including Familiars. Londoner Magical Girls must swear fealty to King Arthur and serve in the defense of London against foreign threats." He pauses briefly, "In return, Londoner Magical Girls are provided Grief Seeds in times of desperation. The source of those Seeds is still unknown, but some believe they were hunted by the King herself in times long past."
He takes a sip from his coffee, allowing that to sink in, "Then, about a year ago, she began to gather the Round--I was approached fairly early in that process. Together, we managed to effectively consolidate power, bringing many of the nations leaders to heel. Once those who might oppose us were on the brink of ruination, the King simply had a meeting with Queen Elizabeth, and suddenly the Windsors were out of our way, doing what was needed to maintain the illusion of position while King Arthur Pendragon rules in truth. She made it seem simple." He sounds bemused and a bit exasperated at that, shaking his head ruefully.
You frown at that, "Why? Why would you so casually agree to take part in a coup? Even assuming the other Knights had some problem with the status quo, the Britannias were in an excellent position before this."
He seems to consider your question for a moment, then answers somberly, holding your gaze, "Our leaders only cared about themselves. They saw the people as something to be pacified, so that those they elected could remain in luxury. Every ounce of good they did for Britain was carefully parceled out to keep the people complacent, and they had no morals themselves--if the people cried out for evil, their leaders would grant it. If the people asked for short-sighted, reckless choices, that was fine too. The future of the country, and the world, was unimportant. They only cared for themselves. King Arthur promised to do what she thought was best for Great Britain and the world--not to satisfy the demands of those who know no better, nor to line her pockets, but to create a bright future no matter what it took. Even if there's a risk, even if she may make mistakes, I believe she will genuinely strive for that, and that's far better than those who came before--a King that works for the good of her people, rather than a Parliament that works for their own greed." "Okay, that sounds great, but it's definitely putting a LOT of trust in this King. Like, the beauty of democracy is that you end up with only moderately shitty leaders, on average, rather than getting true tyrants."
"You have such faith in her? You don't seem the type." You criticize, trying to read him as he answers. "You also never have truly good leaders, either. The best you can hope for is someone well-intentioned fighting to do something in spite of the rest of them. King Arthur is a good leader, and a good person."
As he gazes into your eyes and answers, you're almost certain he's telling the truth as he says, "I'm gambling on her. I can't know, but I'm choosing to take the risk. If she fails, then I will have to find a solution at that point, but I do not think she will." "Well, shit. I hope you're right, Kallen.
You regard him for a long moment, then nod, "Very well, Agravain. I look forward to meeting her. Shall we eat, before this grows cold?" You offer a small smile, trying to end the tension for now.
He reciprocates, smiling with a surprising gentleness, "Yes, let us."
Setting to work on your laptop, you do some searches for this "Sherlock Holmes," quickly turning up a series of murders he's been investigating, which have been headlining recently. It seems this will be simple.
"Would you mind doing the footwork here, Kyouko? I'll guide you from here." You ask your companion, who chuckles in response.
"Oh, trying the Computer Girl bit? Sure, why not, I'll poke around town. My English is a bit rough, but it's not like I'm gonna be chatting much."
You discuss the information you've found with her over telepathy, as she travels towards the first crime scene, "We're looking at a family of three, murdered under mysterious circumstances in their beds. No clear point of entry. No signs of suicide--each died in their own beds at roughly the same time, with no sign of struggle. A bullet wound was found in each of their skulls. How none of them awoke as their family members were murdered remains unknown."
"Huh, sounds tricky. Could we just be looking at multiple killers, with a good lock pick? They enter together, hiding evidence of entry, then shoot all three victims simultaneously?" Kyouko posits.
You consider that, "Likely. Holmes claims this is the work of a serial killer, though--that he will strike again soon."
"Huh, well, let me poke around. This one's old, right? I can just walk in, by now."
A few minutes pass before you get a response again, "Yep, simple case. Signs of lockpicking on the front door--I'd know, I've done it a good bit over the years, to get a Witch in someone's house--and very slightly different sized footprints leading from the door. Three people coordinating the shooting. Probably not even trying to hide it as much as just avoid letting the victims put up a fight. No idea about motive, though."
You frown, "But Holmes--"
"Is making stuff up. Nothing vaguely serial-killeresque about this. You sure you get the right guy?"
You go back over your research, then dig a bit deeper, trying to figure out if the article may have been wrong, or something, and find your answer quickly enough.
article
"Private Detective Sherlock Holmes--borne James Mockwood--has been investigating the case, but the Police have largely dismissed his claims, in light of the evidence. We can't speak for everyone, but this Sherlock may be best left unhired. Meanwhile, the other Sherlock Holmes--the one that's managed to get an apartment on Baker Street--has been quiet lately. We suspect he'll appear with some great crime solved soon, much like the fictional character he was presumably named for."
You sigh, feeling your face flush in spite of yourself, "Come back Kyouko. It's the wrong Sherlock. We'll need to try again some other time."
You can feel her irritation, "You sent me on a wild goose chase for the wrong Sherlock Holmes!? I was hyped for this, Ribbons!"
"Just," You pause, sighing, "Just come back, Kyouko."
"Kallen." You speak to the girl where she lounges in one of the Drawing Rooms, staring at her phone.
She looks up, eyes widening, "Oh! Umm…hey, Homura? You seem calm."
You nod, taking a seat across from her, "Yes, my blood has mostly died down." You feel your lips twitch slightly, but suppress the urge to tease her, "I was just wondering about you. I got a fairly good read on Agravain, today--at least, at the surface level--but we didn't really speak much, so I'm curious about you. How did you end up here?" You wave your hand, indicating the palace.
She gives you a searching look, "Not sure if you're asking because you actually care, or if it's just politics, but…ah, what the hell? I owe Agravain a lot. I'm half-Japanese, you see."
You lean towards her a bit, tilting your head slightly as you try to find any sign of Japanese ancestry, before stating bluntly, "You don't look it. Irish, maybe, but not Japanese."
She sighs at that, "Yeah, that's the way of it. Anyway, we used to live there, and my brother and I kinda fell in with a Japanese nationalist group. Nothing bad, but some of the other people in that group went a bit crazy. You heard of the JRI?"
You frown, searching your memories, and determine they only existed as of this loop--another "False" memory, "The Japanese Revival Initiative. A terrorist organization dedicated to restoring Japanese as a world military power. You were affiliated?"
She blushes at that, turning her head away, "Yeah. Like, they weren't blowing buildings up back then, but we did some sketchy stuff. We were angry that we couldn't have our own armies; as we saw it, Japan was basically at everyone else's mercy, and everyone was ignoring it. I know it's not that simple, but we were just kids back then."
Her hand grips the fine wooden arm of her chair, fingers white from pressure, "Anyway, I made a dumb Wish, and we almost started an actual war in Japan. Realized what was happening too late to stop it. Went online to some of the Magical Girl groups and started asking for help--didn't get any from them, but did get a message from Le--from Agravain. He said he could fix the problem, if we just did as he said."
She shrugs, "He did. Saved my family, saved the country, somehow it all worked out."
You nod, considering, "I'm surprised. I didn't expect this much up front." You look in her eyes, trying to understand her reasons, or at least how she's feeling.
She grimaces, "It's not a secret. You'd find out sooner or later, if you just searched my name. In the end, I was credited with stopping that rebellion, even though I was the reason it happened. Kinda unfair, but I'll take it, I guess. Better than being imprisoned or executed. Signed up with Agravain, after, since he seemed to know what he was doing better than everyone else. Anyway…uh, chess?"
She indicates a board on a nearby table, and you nod, accepting the diversion and settling in to relax with her for a little while.
It is, at a glance, little changed from Elizabeth's Reign--still done in the same brilliant red and gold. Still gorgeous and decadent and imposing. Still a thing ultimately crafted of mortal hands.
Yet, it is also not, any longer. For the throne that sits at the end of the hall is not one of the ornate chairs Elizabeth favored, nor is it truly like anything of mortal history, as far as I know. No, the towering silver and alabaster behemoth, formed with artistic curves and angelic wings that arch up to overshadow the breadth of the room, is not something a mortal would choose to sit upon.
After all, anyone who sat there, in that seat that towers high to the ceiling, would feel small, and no King wishes to feel small.
Yet, there King Arthur Pendragon sits, and she is of a scale with it, in spite of her petite form. The moment I step foot in the Throne Room, it is as if a weight has fallen upon me, demanding my fealty--as if I stand before not a Magical Girl, but a living god.
The King stands from her throne to look down upon you, and you stand tall even as Kyouko falls to one knee at your side.
"Welcome home, Emrys. I have long awaited your arrival." Her voice is hard and heavy as steel, nearly devoid of humanity, and yet you can almost believe you hear some semblance of warmth in her welcome.
Your mind whirls, trying to grasp what she means by that name--and you recall Clovis' reading of her letter to you.
'Homura Akemi, Immortal, you are hereby invited to Buckhinham Palace. That's what he said, but he was speaking in Welsh. Immortal, in Welsh, is Emrys, Merlin's surname, so that would mean…'
'It was literally lost in translation. She was trying to tell you were descended from Merlin--Homura Akemi, Emrys--and it was lost In translation. Also, holy cow my best friend is descended from Merlin!'
You take a deep breath, glad for centuries of self control at this moment, "It is an honor to stand before you, King Arthur Pendragon. I am afraid I was not aware of my family's connection to you until very recently. Why have you summoned me here?"
Too blunt. Too blunt by half. Maybe if your blood had been boiling you, you would have been better suited for this, but you also may have overstepped yourself badly, in that case.
"Merlin warned me it would be such. That your name would be removed from his until no memory remained, and that your legacy would be divided from his own. He warned me that the link between you was fragile and unreal, though I do not know what exactly he meant by that. He also asked me to wait until this time, and to call you home when the time was right, that you might receive my aid."
The King descends her throne to stand before you, and lays a heavy, gauntleted hand upon your shoulder, gleaming emerald eyes meeting your own.
"Camelot is here between us Homura Akemi. The time where I am most needed--by Britain, by the universe, and by you--has come, and I have returned as promised. Welcome home." With those words, the King smiles, and you see humanity within her for the first time.
You stare, feeling yourself shaking slightly as a feeling of palpable relief flows over you, as if you're seeing sunlight after a hurricane. It's almost like somewhere, deep inside your old, weathered Soul, some fragment of you is crying tears of joy.
"I-I don't know what to say, your Majesty." You pause, trying to get your wits together, but merely shake your head in the end, at a loss for words.
The King merely holds her smile for a moment before going on, "How about you take the rest of the day to work through things, and we speak again tomorrow. There is much to discuss, but you've received a great amount of news already."
Slowly, you nod, "Yes, that might be best. Thank you, your Majesty." You bow slightly, and pull Kyouko gently to her feet, leading her from the Throne Room as the King returns to her Throne.
King Arthur (0/100) > Rolled ((73) + 16) > (45/100)
Base "Time Stop" Research DC: 15
Ambition DC Increase: 25
Research DC: 40
Rolled 57 + 12 = 69 | Success!
Prototype - Traceless Time Stop
School: Puella Magus
5 Magic/Hour
Out of Combat: Over the course of a minute, Homura fully disjoins herself from Time and Causality, entering a far more limited variation of Time Stop.
The world is fully immobilized in this state, and objects cannot be brought into Time Stop that Homura was not carrying with her upon casting Traceless Time Stop.
Any actions other than Homura's own movement, thought, and observation taken within the world of stopped time will be undone after the Spell is ended (such as placing objects in the world or casting spells).
Other individuals cannot be brought into Traceless Time Stop.
Development DC: 65
[QM Note: Remember, performing the Research Action multiple times with the same Objective can result in different Prototypes. Homura doesn't mindlessly repeat the same research each time.]
[Texts and Emails]
[Madoka]
Homura: "Apparently, I'm descended from Merlin."
Madoka: "Does your life ever get more normal?"
Homura: "No. I'm meeting with King Arthur tomorrow to discuss further. I feel like the world's gone mad, Madoka."
Madoka: "Nanoha's in town, Homura. All bets are off, I think. Do you think you were related to him before this loop?"
Homura: "I don't know at this point. I…I'm going to bed."
Madoka: "Sleep well!"
[Snow]
Snow: "How's England?"
Homura: "Arthur's been a good host, but things are suddenly very complicated."
Snow: "Sounds like politics. Well, let me know if you need advice. I might not be great at making friends, but I know a thing or two about dealing with political rivals."
Homura: "Thank you."
[Arcana Magi, Requests, and Akemi Madness]
If you wish to perform an Action as a different Arcana Magi (Kyouko, for now), simply add the following subvote to the action:
-[ ] Arcana - Kyouko
If you wish to Request help from another character(s) for an action, add the following subvote to the action:
-[ ] Request - (Character Names)
If you wish to use Akemi Madness for an action, add the following subvote to the action:
-[ ] Akemi Madness
[Available Characters]
The following characters you can contact for Requests. Keep in mind that Alllies will expect a Favor in return, while Friends will help as long as they have time and are willing. You do not get information on willingness and availability prior to the vote, due to the amount of complexity this would add to the process. Social Links values are listed here--multiply these by 10 to determine the size of the die they will roll when assisting with an Action.
Keep in mind some characters may not be suitable for some Actions--Homura will simply not involve a mundane individual in magical combat, for example, unless there are extraordinary circumstances. If you really feel the need to involve someone in something they normally should not be (like involving Miho Miki in a Witch Hunt, or anything Magical), please include a justification as a subvote, for mine and Homura's consideration.
Friends
Madoka Kaname : 10
Sayaka Miki : 5
Kyouko Sakura : 4
Mami Tomoe : 3
Ruki Shironome : 4
Miho Miki : 3
Yuma Chitose : 1
Junko Kaname : 2
Nagisa : 1
Hououin Kyouma : 2
Allies
Nanoha Takamachi : 2
Rose : 1
Freya : 1
Akane : 1
Oriko : 3
Kirika : 2
Snow : 2
Clovis Britannia : 2
Kallen Stadtfield: 2
King Arthur: 1
Agravain: 1
[Investigative Actions: 2] Mysteries
[ ] Friends? (613/2000) [Madoka]
"Igor claims there are 14 special friends I need to find. I should try to find more of them…and maybe find out how they're my friends if I don't know them."
"I did experience a strange connection to Nagisa when I met her, and she's apparently "The Death."
"I have a strange memory of Matoko, which led me to her Barrier. She was clearly older--in her late teens, I'd say--and I'd swear I was the same age, in that moment. It's impossible, but the memory remains."
"I encountered Yuma Chitose, and she has appeared among the list of Arcana Magi in the Velvet Room, as the Wheel of Fortune."
[ ] Igor's Contract (Progress 0/1000)
"I don't remember signing any Contract with Igor, but he insists I did."
[ ] False Memories (121/200)
"I have doubled memories of my first meeting with Weiss. I'm sure there are probably others I haven't noticed yet, too. Maybe if I can recognize them, I can figure out more about this strange timeline?"
"I got in touch with Clovis Britannia, apparently a childhood friend as well. His family's background seems to mesh poorly with the rest of history, suggesting he is an artificial addition, rather than someone that's supposed to be in this timeline."
[ ] A Missing Memory (0/1000)
"When I was talking to Igor, there was a memory that I couldn't find. It was something about selfishness? The Devil? What could have happened?"
[ ] Akemi Madness (500/500) (Breakthrough Ready!)
"There's a strange inherited insanity in our family. It's always been a fact of life before, but others seem scared by it. Maybe I should try to find out more? Looking into our family's history should be a good place to start."
"My Father apparently knows something about this. Meeting with him might help me make some headway, too." (You can spend a Social Action with Takeshi Akemi for a Clue)
[ ] Detective Agency (0/100)
[ ] Britannia Family (0/100)
City
[ ] London
Known Locations
[ ] Buckingham Palace (152/300)
[ ] Big Ben (91/100)
[ ] The Tower of London
[Mission Actions: 1]
[ ] Go Shopping
-[ ] Shopping List
[ ] Go Thieving
-[ ] Thieving List
-[ ] Target Location
[ ] Meet with King Arthur
[ ] Write-In (Subject to QM Approval, Cannot Overlap with other Action Types.)
[Creative Actions: 1] Applicable available resources will be used automatically.
Craft Actions
[ ] Craft Something (Appropriate Craft Roll Required)
-[ ] Product Type (Clock, Gun, Etcetera)
--[ ] Ambition (1-20; Higher Ambition produces a better product, but sets a higher DC.)
--[ ] Rough Description
-[ ] Special Product
--[ ] Exact Product Description. (Ambition will be decided by QM. Some products may fail automatically.)
Magic Actions
[ ] Spell Development (Development Roll Required)
-[ ] Existing Prototype Name or Spell Description (Broader descriptions are more likely to produce easily developed Spells.)
[ ] Spell Usage
-[ ] Spell(s)
-[ ] Action.
-[ ] Reason for action.
[ ] Attempt to perform a Magical Working. (Magical Theory Roll Required)
-[ ] Working Objective. (Ambition will be decided by QM. Some workings may fail automatically.)
Research Actions
[ ] Research a Theoretical Crafting Product
-[ ] Product Type (Clock, Gun, Etcetera)
--[ ] Ambition (1-20; Higher Ambition produces a better product, but sets a higher DC.)
--[ ] Rough Description.
-[ ] Special Product
--[ ] Exact Product Description.
[ ] Research a Theoretical Spell
-[ ] Spell Purpose
-[ ] Ambition (1-20; Higher Ambition produces a better product, but sets a higher DC.)
[ ] Research a Theoretical Magical Working
-[ ] Working Objective.
Grand Undertakings [ ] The Restoration of the Yamato (200/500) [Ruki]
[Training Actions: 1] Applicable available resources will be used automatically. Students may refuse lessons if they are busy, or don't know you well.
[ ] Train a Skill
-[ ] Skill
[ ] Train someone else in a Skill.
-[ ] Skill
-[ ] Student
[Sleep Actions: 4]
[ ] Sleep (Gain 20 + Modifiers Sanity)
[ ] Write-In Action of another Type (Cost: 20 Sanity)
It is 3 am. I have work. I will update the character sheet tomorrow.
Please enjoy. I sometimes wonder if I'm not as insane as Homura for some of the things that happen in this quest, but clearly people are here for it, so I guess I'll just keep charging blindly down this rabbit hole.
"Our leaders only cared about themselves. They saw the people as something to be pacified, so that those they elected could remain in luxury. Every ounce of good they did for Britain was carefully parceled out to keep the people complacent, and they had no morals themselves--if the people cried out for evil, their leaders would grant it. If the people asked for short-sighted, reckless choices, that was fine too. The future of the country, and the world, was unimportant. They only cared for themselves. King Arthur promised to do what she thought was best for Great Britain and the world--not to satisfy the demands of those who know no better, nor to line her pockets, but to create a bright future no matter what it took. Even if there's a risk, even if she may make mistakes, I believe she will genuinely strive for that, and that's far better than those who came before--a King that works for the good of her people, rather than a Parliament that works for their own greed." "Okay, that sounds great, but it's definitely putting a LOT of trust in this King. Like, the beauty of democracy is that you end up with only moderately shitty leaders, on average, rather than getting true tyrants."
"You have such faith in her? You don't seem the type." You criticize, trying to read him as he answers. "You also never good truly good leaders, either. The best you can hope for is someone well-intentioned fighting to do something in spite of the rest of them. King Arthur is a good leader, and a good person."
As he gazes into your eyes and answers, you're almost certain he's telling the truth as he says, "I'm gambling on her. I can't know, but I'm choosing to take the risk. If she fails, then I will have to find a solution at that point, but I do not think she will." "Well, shit. I hope you're right, Kallen.
You regard him for a long moment, then nod, "Very well, Agravain. I look forward to meeting her. Shall we eat, before this grows cold?" You offer a small smile, trying to end the tension for now.
[ ] Akemi Madness (500/500) (Breakthrough Ready!)
"There's a strange inherited insanity in our family. It's always been a fact of life before, but others seem scared by it. Maybe I should try to find out more? Looking into our family's history should be a good place to start."
"My Father apparently knows something about this. Meeting with him might help me make some headway, too." (You can spend a Social Action with Takeshi Akemi for a Clue)
Agreed, we likely won't be back in Britain for quite some time so we should take the opportunity to gather as much information on local story beats as possible instead of doing things we can handle in Japan.
Second stab at the detective agency I'd say is a given but what to do for a second action? I do want to up our SL with King Arthur for obvious reasons.
[X] Plan No Stone Left Unturned [Investigative Actions: 2]
[ ] Big Ben (91/100)
-[ ] with Kallen
[ ] Detective Agency (0/100)
-[ ] with Kyouko [Social Actions: 1]
[ ] King Arthur (89/100)
-[ ] with Kyouko [Home Actions: 2]
[ ] Investigation: Arthur (41/200)
-[ ] with Kyouko
[ ] Investigation: Buckingham Palace (152/300)
-[ ] with Kallen [Mission Actions: 1]
[ ] Meet with King Arthur
-[ ] with Kyouko [Creative Actions: 1]
[ ] Spell Development (Development Roll Required)
-[ ] Prototype: Accel
--[ ]using Akemi Madness [Training Actions: 1]
[ ] Train a Skill
-[ ] Development [Sleep Actions: 4]
[ ] Sleep (Gain 20 + Modifiers Sanity)
[ ] Sleep (Gain 20 + Modifiers Sanity)
[ ] Investigative action
-[ ] Galahad
--[ ] with Kyouko
[ ] Train a Skill
-[ ] Medical Expertise
Still trying to explore London far and wide, with an investigation on Galahad on top of what we did before. Doubling down on Arthur, with an Investigation, Social and Mission action. Usual rule of thumb this time is to bring Kyouko for people and Kallen for places.
Figured that given its low development roll, might as well try to get Prototype Accel straight away. Keep training development because we need it, and medical expertise I'm less sure of, so if you think something is more urgent, I'm fine with switching it.
