[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/X13ORQS.jpg[/img][/center]

The city of Chernyy Ushchel'ye.

Those traveling through and to the city would oft note the tranquility of the far flung city in the eastern part of Russia. Snow piled upon snow, lending the quiet city an otherworldly look, almost as if the city was frozen in the past. The large church overlooking the city from a hill nearby served only to solidify the illusion, a tall brooding building that seemed to have jumped out of some old medieval painting.

Beneath that peaceful facade however, the civil war between the Mages raged on.

Magecraft against magecraft, families against families, each clash of power hidden from public eyes served to push the balance of power in the city ever so slightly.Even during lulls in the battles for control over territory, sharp minds clashed against each other, pushing tactics and counter tactics, making maneuvers and counter maneuvers, battle plans and retreat plans, deciding battles almost before they begin. But ultimately, all sides were unable to push each other back. If one gains an advantage, the others were quick to suppress it, leading to a vicious cycle of breaking and keeping the power balance. 

However, when the Command Seals started appearing, the mages started getting into a frenzy again. It was something one could have never calculated, the appearance of the Grail in the city. If one were to have even one Servant on their side, the power balance would be tipped considerably, and a real chance of breaking the stalemate with total victory would appear.

And as such, both the Magus Civil War and the Holy Grail War begun anew.
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[center][h3]Day 1 of the War[/h3][/center]

He paced back and forth, his weathered face creased deep in thought as he stroked his mane of a beard. The assembly of Executors, the church's heretic hunters, stood straight on each side of the large stone room, though for the uninitiated in the church's ways would see only a line of solemn priests and nuns. All except one, who was standing nervously on the raised platform in the middle, lightly touching the emblem on the back of her hand as she stared into the magic circle drawn on the platform. The musty air this early in the morning wasn't doing her nervousness any good.

"Brothers!" The man with the mane of a beard spoke suddenly, his booming voice reverberating through the stone room. "And sisters, we stand today to witness, that the Lord indeed moves in mysterious ways. Why else would one of our numbers be blessed with such a gift, if not to wield it in His name?"

Marie Anderson clasped her hands together and closed her eyes, listening intently to Gabriel Mayers, the most senior priest of them all, speaking. She had come here as an entourage to protect him when he supervised the war, but had instead suddenly gained a Command Seal, placing her securely as a contestant in the Grail War. She wondered briefly what sort of servant would come through that circle. Gabriel himself had drawn the circle, and taught her what words to use.

His hand rested on her shoulders, as he came to stand beside her.

"You may begin."

With that, she spread out her arms and chanted, each word reverberating through the room, as the circle finally started to shine.