STATUS:
I sound like a broken record, but only 2 months left till I'm done teaching. Not sure what's next, but it feels like anything would pay more and be less stressful lol
1 mo ago
Current
I sound like a broken record, but only 2 months left till I'm done teaching. Not sure what's next, but it feels like anything would pay more and be less stressful lol
5
likes
4 mos ago
Only 6 more months till the school years over. If I renew my contract, someone kill me lmao.
3
likes
1 yr ago
Teacher update: I feel like a villain from a cartoon. The laughter of teenagers gives me migraines, and I no longer feel guilt when giving bad grades to kids that sleep through my lessons.
10
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1 yr ago
First day as a Biology Teacher tomorrow - hopefully the kids will be able to read my handwriting.
10
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1 yr ago
Oh boy, Thanksgiving - my second favorite holiday! Only one I like more is Cheapass Halloween, the day after regular halloween when all the candy is half off
Kind of barebones, but wanted to get something out before I get swamped this weekend.
Father Frank Buckner
β 56 β MALE β 5'11 βΊ
"Hallelujah, motherfucker. C'mon King, let's get a drink."
P R O F I L E Frank is gruff and has a poor temper, quick to lash out at those that get on his bad side. He does what he needs to as efficiently as possible, only talking when spoken to - and even then, usually only in sarcastic quips or brief statements. In most situations, Frank seems quite apathetic and disinterested, and when off the clock, he can almost always be found engaging in self-destructive behavior like drinking or gambling. The only time Frank seems to be alive is when he is confronted with the supernatural, of which he has an intense hatred thanks to a vampire having drained his daughter. His line of work and losing many people close to him have left Frank very difficult to get close to - the reason he has joined a newly formed Hunter Cell is because he wants to avoid forming personal attachments to those he worked with previously.
Frank has a notable reputation among Hunters for his seemingly suicidal tactics - or rather, the fact he has survived for so long despite them. Running at werewolves with only a knife or a pistol, dousing his fists in holy water and boxing a vampire in an abandoned house, setting his own church on fire because a changeling was inside, and all manner of insane maneuvers have been pulled by Frank, with him barely surviving each one. While many believe that Frank takes so many unnecessary risks in order to guarantee the death of his opponent, the real reason is that Frank has suicidal tendencies and doesn't have the courage to take his life while sober.
D A Y S - G O N E Born and raised in Charlottesville, Virginia, Frank spent most of his formative years watching films - he was especially fond of horror. He lived a quiet life, joining the high school football team and eventually graduating as a solid B student. Rather than continue his education at University like many of his peers, Frank would join the police force out of a desire to better his community. He became quite the rising star for the next decade or so, rising quickly through the ranks - and even catching the eye of a Forensic Scientist he worked with. They would quickly marry and have a daughter.
This was the happiest time of Frank's life. But unfortunately, it couldn't last forever.
While investigating a particularly gruesome homicide, Frank uncovered the culprit behind them was a Vampire, who had just moved to the region. Frank barely managed to escape this confrontation with his life and humanity - but the vampire was able to track down his home, and devoured Frank's 12-year-old daughter. Frank flew into a rage, shouting about how the supernatural was real and was responsible for the death of his daughter and civilians in the city - only to be looked at with pity and sympathy, no one believing him.
Frank's wife would take her own life only a month later, the death of her daughter and the ravings of her Husband being too much to bear.
Faced with two losses in such quick succession, Frank was psychologically devastated. He resigned from his post and spend several weeks in a deep depression, smothering his perception with narcotics and alcohol. It was only when watching the horror movies of his youth that he realized the cause of his terrible life - and the spark that lighted a fire in his heart. Frank would move on to gain priesthood, and despite all of his knowledge of the supernatural coming from movies and pop culture, he became a Hunter.
Frank would travel all across the East Coast, moving between Hunter Cells in search of the Vampire that took his family from him - but as he grows older, the fire in him is beginning to die out. He spends most of his free time at whatever bar serves the cheapest booze, and often takes unnecessary risks - even playing Russian Roulette alone, just to see how long he'll last.
This Cell is just the most recent in a long string, and while Frank can do his job, dealing with him during his downtime is a full-time career.
M E M O R I E S King: Frank's dog. A three-year-old Boxer, it would not be an understatement to say that King is the most important thing in Frank's life. While the dog is perfectly capable of handling himself, his death would almost certainly destroy Frank.
More TBA
C R E E D Faithful
D R I V E π ππππππππ
E D G E S & P E R K S Beast Whisperer -Complex Commands Repel the Unnatural
The dark skies seemed to stretch on forever as Iris stared from her balcony. Over the last few weeks she had spent in Japan, she had grown quite accustomed to the lack of sunlight. If this nation wasnβt such a backwater for magecraft, Iris would expect Dead Apostles to have started flocking here. But even though the skies were dark and barren, the buildings and streets far below were alive with light and activity.
Fuyuki City. Normally Iris would never arrive at a place like this, not without hearing rumors of Mystic Eyes. But this depressing city was apparently the host of a grand ritual, the likes of which Iris had only learned about during her time in the Clocktower.
Iris turned her head back, looking into the penthouse behind her. The room that was once immaculate was now completely wrecked, graffiti sprayed across nearly every inch of the walls and a giant summoning circle dominating the center of the room. It had cost quite a pretty penny to rent such a luxurious room in the Hyatt Hotel - but for a Master like Iris, the expense was well worth it. While not as bustling as it was before the eruption, the hotel still hosted dozens or even hundreds of patrons - scientists who have come to study the eruptions' influences, travelers who wished to see the devastation, and even a few diplomats who have come to discuss foreign aid.
They would serve as excellent shields, barriers to prevent other Masters from reaching Iris and her Servant. The woman turned back to the devastated city, calling out to her Servant as she did so.
βArcher - tonight is the beginning of the war. As a conqueror, how do you suggest we start?β
The servant chuckled at the words of his so-called master. It was a soft but noticeable sound, one that traveled clearly along the midnight breeze. It wasnβt often that he found himself consulted like this. Upon being summoned, he was almost certain heβd be met with a master not to his liking. Needless to say, he was pleasantly surprised by their current arrangement. Archer found his hands reaching up to meet his chin, stroking it in a manner that showed he was deep in thought.
There were multiple things to consider in a situation such as this. He had no doubt that he wasnβt the first to be called into this new era. That thought unnerved him, if only slightly but was what allowed him to respond suitably.
βWe already have a nice place set up, a base of operations. My first thought, since that is complete, would be to survey the area and get a feel for just what weβre up against. To beat an enemy, we first have to know them.β
Archerβs brows knitted themselves together, worry was written on his face. His hands seemed to cling onto the railings with even more vigor, all while his head geared itself toward the sky. Now facing the moon, his features were on full display. Sun-kissed skin was illuminated by the faint light of the sunβs other half. With how lively and full of vitality he looked, you could almost say he looked human, but how far from the truth that was. More accurately, he was a conqueror, a beast whose only purpose was to decimate the battlefield. How fitting, he found it that he was again to be used as a tool of war.
βMay the games begin.β
He muttered the words under his breath, a small smile snaking its way onto his face. Things would soon get far more interesting than he could even imagine.
@TheNoCoKid Fall classes just started up for me, so it took a bit longer than I would have liked. Here's my application for Sloth.
"I don't care if I must spend centuries with you, demon. You won't put any more souls in Lucifer's hands while I live!" -Romanos Cypselos Moriades.
"Eugh, fuck - left Holy Water in the flask. Anyone got some whiskey? ... God, I need a nap..." - Roman Mordel
Name: Original: Romanos Cypselos Moriades Current: Roman Mordel
Age: 27
Appearance: Roman has several scars from supernatural studies he performed early on in his immortality, mostly across his chest. His frame is lithe and weak looking, a reflection of his incredibly non-physical lifestyle that he tries to cover up with thick jackets and coats.
Personality: Romanos was originally a man of responsibility and duty, willing to sacrifice his eternal soul in order to restrain one of Lucifer's Generals. While he never sought out work and hardship and was often quite lazy, he would always rise up to the occasion in order to help those around him. His simple upbringing and lifestyle made it hard for him to understand the world around him, but he took things in stride and always tried to look at the positive parts of life.
If he didn't look the same, few people would believe Roman is that same man. Millenia of exhaustion, frustration, and corruption from his demon has left him an apathetic and cynical shell of his old self. He spends most days in a stupor - either from alcohol or from drowsiness. Worst of all, his years of study and learning have left him thinking that he is the smartest person in the room (and admittedly, he usually is). He keeps this unlikable persona in order to avoid getting close to any mortals, because he is terrified of losing more people that he cares about. The only thing that remained is that, no matter how much he denies it, Roman will take a bullet if it means someone else won't have to.
Biography: Romanos, much like his name implies, lived his mortal life in the Roman empire. He lived as the son of a street vendor, selling salted lupin beans, beef, and even fried fish. His life was very meager and simple, and while Romanos was often situated outside the Coliseum to hawk his wares, he only ever saw the inside after becoming a Host. To pass the time he mostly fished, lazing about and giving whatever he managed to catch to his father. The days passed peacefully, and while he lacked most comforts, Romanos was happy. Eventually, his father passed away from a heart attack, and Romanos inherited the responsibilities involved in the family business - though, without the experience and work ethic of his father, Romanos quickly floundered and began accruing debt. Only a year after his father's passing, Romanos was conscripted into the military to pay off his debts, and he would soon experience Lucifer's army firsthand.
Romanos would serve as a soldier for 3 years, him and his peers mostly acting as a distraction while monks performed the sealing of whatever demons they were facing. Romanos doubted he would live out the full 6 years of service required of him, and this acceptance of his mortality allowed him to perform his job much more effectively than those around him. One day, when the Roman army had pushed back Lucifer's army to the point that they reached one of the Generals - Sloth.
Romanos is still not sure how it happened - he had lived for so long, and the event was millennia ago after all. Maybe the original Host candidate was killed in the battle, or there was an error in the sealing, or Sloth simply preferred Romanos as a host. It doesn't matter too much, really. At the end of the day, Romanos was the new Host to Sloth. The few surviving Monks would retrieve his battered body, and bring him to a monastery to recover.
Romanos' body rapidly degraded with the lack of exercise, and the physical exhaustion he experienced from simple tasks made his job as a vendor an impossibility. His status as an immortal and his immunity to physical trauma meant that he had little means of harming himself to end his suffering - and when he brought up the topic, the monks had adamantly warned him of the severity of releasing a Sin back into the world. So instead, Romanos stayed in the monastery - over the next three decades, he would learn a variety of topics from the monks. Literacy, Greek, History, Religion, Lucifer and his Demons, and more. All Romanos could do was study and talk, and when he had absorbed everything he could learn from the monks, he commissioned a cart and left.
Romanos traveled the world over the coming centuries, constantly refreshing what he has learned and spreading it freely. In the beginning, he was quite optimistic - immortality had given him a chance at taking whatever he wanted from life for as long as he wanted. Eventually, Romanos took on students - one of whom he would fall in love with. Jin Lo came to study under Romanos to perfect his alchemical research, and the men fell for one another as the years went by. But no matter what kinds of alchemy or medicine the pair studied, Jin was destined to die as a human. In the later years of Jin's life, Romanos would commission a voyage to search for a demon that could be sealed within Jin to lengthen his life, just like Sloth had done for Romanos.
The search lasted 10 years and was unsuccessful. By the time Romanos had returned, Jin was long dead. He had passed from a heart attack, like Romanos' father.
Three days later, Genghis Khan along with a small army of demons invaded and captured Beijing. Romanos barely escaped with his life, and Sloth only bothered to reveal the reason behind their failed search in a dream that night. Lucifer had purposefully told his demons to be scarce so that Jin would die, and Romanos would kill himself - thus freeing Sloth.
Romanos was enraged at the revelation, and refused to commit suicide and give Sloth freedom. Of course, this was just what Sloth had wanted - if it truly desired freedom, it would not have informed Romanos of Lucifer's trick.
Romanos would fall into a depression shortly after this event, sleeping for three decades - it was only the intervention of other Hosts that had shaken him from the stupor, and he would eventually continue his studies throughout the world. In the late 1700s, he would adopt the persona of Comte de Saint Germain, and used his charisma to get close to many French nobles. He even had a close friendship with the french writer Voltaire, whose death sent Romanos into another deep depression.
With the death of his friend, Romanos moved to America and never took another student, afraid of being hurt once again. He would continue his studies across various colleges around the country, changing his name and identity every few decades to avoid suspicion. Several patents in the name of false persons (as well as a brief stint playing the stock market) meant that Romanos had little need for money. By the time he had adopted the identity of 'Roman', the only people he meaningfully interacted with were the other Hosts, and Sloth itself.
Sin: The sin of Sloth is that which settles and seeps in. Unlike the Sins of Desire - the Greed, the Lust, the Gluttony - Sloth is not an active pursuit. Instead, it is a sin of omission - of convenience. Sloth is in the student that oversleeps and misses their classes, the employee that coasts on the minimum work necessary, and the king that leaves responsibilities to his advisors and lives a life of leisure. Sloth is delicate in its temptation - another 5 minutes of sleep, which turns to 10, and then an hour. At that point, why even go to work today? While the other Sins are similar in nature, Sloth is the most capable of taking a mile when given an inch.
Sloth is not simply laziness, or not working - it is ignoring your responsibilities, apathy, and coasting on the least effort possible. Sloth does not care for the crippled who cannot work or the homeless who beg on the streets. Escaping Jury duty, pretending to be sick to avoid work, accepting a C instead of studying for an A - that is where Sloth feeds and festers.
As a General of Hell, Sloth (much like their name implies) was one of the least active - not even a single person was directly killed by Sloth, and the sealing of Sloth was less difficult than some minor demons. However, while Sloth lacked direct combat potency, it served as a vanguard that other demons rallied around, attacking humans who were stuck in Sloth's frozen sphere. Quite often, entire armies would simply give up and leave when faced with Sloth, their will to fight drained as soon as they enter the battlefield.
Calling upon the power of Sloth, Roman is able to enforce the stillness and apathy that Sloth embodies. An area is established around Roman, roughly 10 meters in radius, and anything within begins to slow. Fire eventually stills and snuffs itself out, Water begins to chill and freeze, and movement is like trying to wade through molasses. The effect is stronger the closer one is to the center, with bullets freezing about a meter or so from Roman. Even the mental abilities of those within are slowed, people growing more apathetic and less willing to harm Roman the closer they get. While the host can concentrate to lessen the effects on allies in his aura, this drains him faster physically. And Roman himself cannot move around while the aura is established, forced to end the effect if he wishes to relocate.
The only reason Sloth is still within Roman is because it enjoys being sealed. Away from Lucifer, Sloth may rest and do nothing as long as it wishes, never forced to act or do battle. The only thing that awakens it from a peaceful slumber is when Roman calls upon its power. Conversation only occurs while both of them sleep, within a shared dream - though even that is rare. Their relationship is less like that of a trapped demon and a human, and more like two acquaintances who are stuck on the same project at work. If someone looked at them without context, it could even be described as friendly.
Curse: In order to minimize the amount of time that Sloth is called upon while also preventing the Host from killing himself, Roman's curse has been one of exhaustion. Physical effort drains him, to the point where sprinting can knock Roman out faster than anesthetic gas. Even light activities, like walking and holding things, lead to Roman growing so tired and weak that he must sleep for 12 hours a day to function properly. Roman is quite dissatisfied with his life because of this, but the recent inventions in the last century have made a mostly non-physical lifestyle significantly more tolerable.
Likes: Sleeping: Unlike some of the Hosts, Roman indulges his Sin quite often. He sleeps 12 hours a day on average thanks to his curse, but during the height of his depressive episodes, he would sleep for years at a time, only waking every few days to eat and drink so he wouldn't die. Thankfully, with the advancement of technology and a much better quality of life for the handicapped, Roman is (relatively) happy in the modern day and mostly sleeps to sustain himself.
Movies: Ever since the early 1900s, Roman has been quite a fan of movies. He had grown bored of reading to satiate his boredom, and movies were a much more interesting and cheaper alternative to plays. Roman is especially fond of Westerns, having been one of the many people to set out on the Oregon Trail.
Studying: One of the few things that Roman does to feel productive. To keep himself from falling to his Sin, Roman is diligent in studying new topics and fields as much as he can. History, languages, engineering, and more. He's currently getting into computer programming and is quite a fan.
Music: Roman had attempted delving into various Art forms, and found success in a few (and had even been the artist and author of a few Medieval encyclopedias) - but his passion lies in Music. He is skilled in a wide array of instruments, from harp and lyre to the guitar and piano. Music is both the best way to keep him awake, as well as the best way to put him to sleep.
Dislikes: Sports: Both playing and watching. His Curse makes it so that most physical activities are barred from Roman, so he tries to avoid watching something out of his reach. The only ones he was really into were Gladiator battles and Chariot duels - now those were sports.
Exercise: Roman 'exercises' once a week, doing light weightlifting and a very short jog. Even this is incredibly strenuous for him, however, and he only does so to prevent his body from atrophying. Despite knowing he needs it, he still despises the activity and must do it within the safety of his home.
Connections: After forming several close bonds with mortals throughout his life and being grief-stricken every time they passed, Roman has given up on forming interpersonal bonds with any non-Hosts. As a result, he is scared of becoming close with another person who he will eventually outlive, and his abrasive personality is a defense mechanism to compensate.
Nosey People: Roman prefers staying in his private space, and intruding on that is a quick way to get on his shit list. Of course, there are exceptions - he had spent a few decades in the late 1800s in New York City, and grew quite close to his neighbor who gave him extra meals and pastries that she had cooked.
Quirks: -Roman is capable of lucid dreaming, but he rarely does so. Instead, he prefers the dark emptiness that comes with sleep. -Within the library of his home is a variety of books from the last few thousand years. Roman hasn't read any of them in a while, however - he much prefers PDFs. -Despite knowing how to and it being one of the few activities that he doesn't get exhausted from, Roman refuses to drive. He instead relied on taxis and carriages, and thinks he's an idiot for not coming up with Uber. -Hates sweets. -Gets incredibly aggressive if anyone brings up the scientific inaccuracies of the past. Don't even get him started on the whole 'germ theory' thing- "How the hell was I supposed to know?! YOU CAN'T SEE THEM!!!"
@TheNoCoKid How old are the Hosts on average, considering they are immortal? Trying to get a good idea for personality and history, a guy who's a couple thousand years old would be pretty interesting to play. Might make a Roman boomer or something.
Also I'm gonna go with Sloth, but can switch to something else if someone else is deadset on that.
Name: Iris Macinban Title(s): Deputy Macinban, Retina of the Rail Gender: Female Age: 26 Alignment: Lawful Evil Objective for the Grail: "A Rainbow-Ranked Mystic Eye. That is all I desire."
Command Seal: A simple sphere, tapering off on the side to give an almost crescent moon shape. Two smaller spheres reside within, the larger of the two overlapping the primary sphere. The smallest is the only sphere that doesn't have a break in it. with the massive quantity of tattoos covering her entire body, it is a bit difficult to pinpoint where her Command Seals are located - and with her Tattoo Magecraft, she is more than capable of moving the physical location of her Command Seals on her body.
Appearance: Iris stands at 5'10 and weighs 145 lbs. Her hair is a muted brown, cut short to prevent it from getting in the way during combat. Finding bare flesh that isn't covered in tattoos is difficult, and if you are particularly attentive, one may see the designs slowly shift and move across her body.
Her time on the Rail Zeppelin and traveling around Europe seems to have hardened her somewhat to the cool climate of Japan, as she sticks to long sleeve shirts rather than jackets. Formal wear is her preferred style of clothes, but in combat, she sticks to outfits that reveal her skin - this allows her to more easily release her familiars.
Personality: Iris is cheeky and manipulative, quick to push others into positions that benefit her. Loyalty, tradition, honor - none of it has any meaning if it can't be used for her own benefit. She would much rather force or trick someone else into doing the working or fighting for her, only to swoop in after the fact to snatch up the rewards. Because of this and her approach to magecraft, her main combat style is to chip away, use underhanded tricks, and strike when someone least expects it.
Most of Iris' personality stems from her hangup on her own Magic Circuits. Iris has a very traditional view of what a Mage is, and what defines a successful magus: If someone is born with good circuits, they will always be a better magus than someone born with worse circuits. And because she was born to a young family, Iris would never be a good Mage. If she was lucky, her grandchild might be decent - all she'd ever achieve was a small stepping stone in her family's history, inevitably forgotten.
But the Rail Zeppelin, with its ability to transfer Mystic Eyes from one person to another, shined like a beacon of hope to Iris. Even if she couldn't have perfect circuits, she'd at least be able to have something that few other Magi could aspire to possess. This idea led to her obsession with Mystic Eyes - both acquiring them, as well as hoarding them.
Greed and materialism are what drive Iris to action. If you can't attach a price tag to something, then there isn't really that much point in working for it is there? Reaching the Root is meaningless to Iris, as doing so would mean leaving behind everything that a Magi family has worked to gain and hoard over dozens or even hundreds of generations. This outlook is what separates her from the average Mage - while most Mages merely covet wealth in order to progress their research, Iris wishes to have it for the sake of holding onto that wealth and to give her a sense of fulfillment. While Magic Circuits can only be built generationally, a massive amount of Wealth can be generated over an incredibly brief period of time, given the proper conditions.
On most topics she seems to just be along for the ride, throwing out generic responses or whatever she believes will make someone feel a connection to her. Being respected is almost as useful as being feared in the world of magecraft, so Iris is careful to avoid burning bridges unless absolutely necessary. But when frustrated or pushed, she will quickly snap back, her hostile and abrasive nature boiling to the surface.
Iris struggles to build close bonds with those around her - interacting so much with Mages has led her to assume the worst in anyone she meets, and her line of work had seriously crippled her empathy. She isn't a sadist that gets pleasure out of seeing people hurt - she just couldn't be bothered to care. "Why would it matter if someone I don't know gets hurt?" is all she would say.
It is because of this apathetic nature that she is more than happy to accept surrenders or alliances - even if she is aware that an alliance in a Grail War (or in life) is short-lived, the end result will be a single opponent rather than six - much better odds. Of course, if someone could convince her to join their side with something more valuable to her than the grail, they would gain a powerful and 'loyal' ally.
As far as Servants are concerned, Iris is incredibly laissez-faire in their treatment - she rarely gives orders or limits her Servant's actions, only stepping in when they blatantly put her at risk. She views the war as a waiting game - why get into a bunch of fights and burn through her magical energy, when you can just let them kill each other? But just because she is not willing to crack the whip does not mean she is the submissive one in the relationship - she is perfectly happy to waste Command Seals forcing her Servant to obey her rare few requests, and will only restrain herself when brought to her last one. Iris has a fondness for younger Servants and Lilies, and she will reveal a softer and more maternal side to those that remind her of her brother. While she would normally be restricted to very weak Servants thanks to her poor circuits, she is perfectly fine with letting her Servant consume the souls of humans to gain energy, so she functions well with those of an Evil alignment.
Iris' wish for the Grail is simple. Mystic Eyes are all that she cares for, and having a truly unique pair would make her a truly unique Mage. She would need the best Mystic Eyes possible - those of the Rainbow rank. It didn't matter what it actually did - only that it was powerful, and people respected her for having them.
Bio: The Macinban family is a very recent family, barely a century old at this point. Their founder was a tattooed freak, who learned of magecraft from the man that ran the carnival that he worked for. The Macinbans had since laid their roots down in Ireland, hoping to be as close to the Clock Tower as possible while still avoiding the financial costs that came with living in London. The progress they've made in their short existence is notable, but trying to reach the Root by scribbling on your skin is absurd, to the point that the Macinban are laughingstocks even amongst the new families.
Iris is from the fourth generation of her family, and while her youth was a lot less rigid compared to most older families, she still spent most of her time as a child either studying magecraft, or strapped to a chair as a needle prints new designs on her skin. Despite this, she was a relatively happy child, and the birth of her younger brother gave her someone who she felt that she could confide in and protect.
When Iris turned 16, her family had scraped together enough funds to send her to the Clock Tower to study. It was here that Iris was finally exposed to the hazing and discrimination that newer families face - hypnotism that made her act out in classes, worse marks on her papers, and even theft of her precious few mystic codes. Iris would spend 4 months in the Clock Tower before eventually leaving.
Her brief but formative time at the Clock Tower made her realize that no matter how hard she tried or worked, she would never accomplish the goal of her family. At best, she might marry a better mage, produce an heir with better circuits than her, and pray that dozens of generations later, someone will finally succeed in reaching the Root - or at the very least, adjust their Magecraft to a more likely path.
Iris did not want to waste her life researching and placating the upper echelons of the magic world, only to risk not even accomplishing her family's goal. She had already lost her chance to become a skilled mage - no matter how hard she trained or studied, she would not be able to safely acquire more Magic Circuits. The only way to be a potent mage without proper circuits is by being born with a special ability - a psychic power, a unique bloodline.
A Mystic Eye.
Upon learning of the Rail Zeppelin four months into her study at the Clock Tower, Iris immediately dropped out, using the funds that should have gone towards her tuition instead to gain a position on the train. After a year of hard labor as a cook and waitress on the Train (and having successfully convinced one passenger to sell an eye), she was promoted to being a Deputy - someone who enforces the peace on the Rail Zeppelin, and searches for new Mystic Eyes to add to the Rail Zeppelin's stock.
She did this job for nearly a decade - searching Europe for strong Mystic Eyes, attempting to convince the holder to sell, and killing them if they refused. Her reputation as a hunter of Mystic Eyes grew to be widely known in the Association, to the point where many who crossed paths with her simply offered to sell a single eye in order to avoid being killed. She grew incredibly wealthy off of the commission she got from these eyes, which in turn she used to pay back her family and win new Mystic Eyes at auction. She believed that eventually, with enough searching, buying, selling, and killing - after she got enough money, after she got a strong enough eye, she'd eventually be a good mage.
And she'd fill that void in her life.
But every year, the options in Europe grew slimmer and slimmer. Eventually, the Deputies had to widen their search - the Middle East, Africa, Australia, and the Americas.
And in 1990, after rumors of an exceptionally potent pair of Mystic Eyes of Distortion were discovered in Japan, Iris was quick to follow.
When Iris arrived in Japan, the nation was in despair - earthquakes and floods decimated the population, and you couldn't walk far without seeing the sick or dying. It was perfect - many Mystic Eyes mutated during life-and-death experiences, and Iris was sure to find at least a few potent ones before reaching her target.
But during her initial research in the area, she uncovered something that she had only heard in passing back in Europe - a great ritual constructed by three mage families and held in the city of Fuyuki, the winner of which would be granted a wish.
Reaching the Root or a True Magic was not something that Iris cared for - She knew just from hearing of the ritual that was the intention the mages had for it. A way to cheat centuries of research and reach their goal in only a single generation. But something deep in her gut pulled at her. If she could wish for anything, maybe she could skip all of this hunting and just get the Eyes she needed right away. Nothing would prove that she was a better mage than winning a war among mages.
Spending a sizable portion of her fortune on a proper catalyst, Iris made her way to Fuyuki. She was confident that she could handle the opposing Masters - she had fought mages for years.
But the Ghost Liners - the Servants. That would be an issue.
Magic Circuit Switch: The feeling of a hot needle piercing the eye. Number of Magic Circuits: D Quality of Magic Circuits: D
Elemental Affinity: Water Origin: Staining
Magecraft: Tattoo Magecraft: The art of inscribing one's own body with ink, utilizing various patterns in order to draw out the conceptual meaning behind the shapes inscribed on the user. It is based on the runic tattoos that Berserkers and Vikings were adorned with, which were designed to grant strength and courage in battle. The Magecraft could thus be described as an overspecialized mishmash of Runes and Reinforcement.
In essence, it focuses on creating spells that are permanently etched into the body, which can be activated by pouring energy into rather than reciting a Chant or using a Mystic Code. For example, the tattoo of an Eye could be activated to grant increased visual acuity, a bear could grant increased strength, or a flame might function like a lighter. The larger the tattoo, the more potent the effect - a small fire on the thumb might work like a lighter, while an entire sleeve of flames could shoot out short gouts of fire, provided they receive enough magical energy.
The main limitations of Tattoo Magecraft are the prep time involved, and the incredibly weak strength. While versatile and capable of a wide array of effects, only something large like a back tattoo would grant a supernatural edge over a normal trained person. And for their weak effects, the tattoos require quite the investment of time - even the simplest designs take dozens of minutes, while large and actually combat-applicable tattoos take up massive portions of the body, limiting the total number of tattoos and taking days to fully etch out.
With her limited magical energy and lack of training in her Magecraft, Iris almost exclusively uses Tattoo Magecraft in the creation of her Familiars - instead using her Mystic Eyes to combat others. Still, it's a fun party trick to make your tattoos dance and move around.
Familiars: Because she left the Clocktower before acquiring a proper education in Magecraft, the only aspect of General Magecraft that Iris is capable of is the creation and maintenance of Familiars. However, in conjunction with her Tattoo Magecraft, collection of Mystic Eyes, and specialization, Iris is in possession of a number of potent Familiars.
Rather than create Familiars the most traditional way, by stuffing leftover human thoughts into an animal's corpse, Iris instead uses the tattooed animals and plants on her body as a vessel. While much more fragile and weak due to not having a physical form, these familiars are also exceptionally fast and stealthy. Iris uses them for reconnaissance, seeing through their eyes and stalking her prey before eventually attacking them for their eyes.
The most notable attribute of these Familiars is their ability to be 'equipped' with Mystic Eyes from Iris' collection. While weaker at using them thanks to their limited Magical Energy, this effectively allows Iris to use over a dozen Mystic Eyes at any one time... so long as she is willing to risk losing the eyes if a familiar were to die.
Since she forms these Familiars with her Tattoo Magecraft, the Familiars that Iris creates must adhere to a 'surface' - slinking along the ground or walls like graffiti, or flittering on a piece of paper through the air. As a result of this and the ink that forms them, Water is both an impassable barrier as well as an easy method of killing them.
Crest: N/A. The Macinban family Crest was not passed to Iris due to her abandoning the research of her family Magecraft in favor of being a Spellcaster. Instead, it was given to her younger brother. Not a tremendous loss, considering the youth of the family.
Weapon: Mystic Eyes: Occasionally, a person's Magic Circuits will mutate and congregate in the area around the eyes, resulting in eyes that are capable of manipulating the world and casting spells through sight alone. These organs, Mystic Eyes, are very rare as they only manifest after extreme circumstances or the user is born with them. Mystic Eyes even come with their own Magic Circuits, allowing even a weak mage to have a hidden advantage over their opponents. Normally a person would only be able to use a single eye or two at most, but thanks to her unique application of her Magecraft, Iris is far stronger the more eyes that she has access to.
As one could expect from a Deputy of the Rail Zeppelin, Iris is in possession of a wide array of Mystic Eyes. Many of these were acquired from her own missions abroad, the occasional eye slipping into her possession or bought at the auctions that the Rail Zeppelin organizes. While she is only able to have two eyes at any time and must undergo surgery to replace them, her use of familiars in conjunction with them has led to her being a very intimidating Spell-caster to face.
While on the move, Iris keeps her Mystic Eyes in enchanted, hermetically-sealed vials - which she usually keeps in her belt pouches or pockets. While it is technically possible to implant these eyes in another being without the advanced techniques and facilities of the Rail Zeppelin, it would require some exceptional quality of the recipient - for example, the Eroding Detachment ability possessed by some Mixed-Bloods, or the Self-Modification skill.
She has brought the following eyes with her to Japan:
Binding: Nine. The most common Mystic Eyes, to the point that skilled mages are even capable of artificially reproducing them. The Mystic Eyes of Binding casts a disabling spell on anyone who looks into them, limiting their ability to move.
While one or two uses may be ignored, Iris' primary tactic is to swarm opponents with familiars containing these eyes - they will either look into them and be crippled or forced to look away and create blind spots. Either way, it allows Iris to shoot them with minimal risk. Despite the simple strategy, it is overwhelmingly effective on the unprepared.
It should be noted that the effect of these eyes on Servants is minimal at best. And even with that, the lowest ranks of Magic Resistance can allow these eyes to be entirely ignored.
Iris doesn't even remember where she got all of them from.
Piercing: Two. Mystic Eyes that are capable of seeing through deceptions and figments, such as Illusions or Shapeshifting. Even a Servant that is in their Spirit Form can be observed. These eyes see only the truth that is present before them and rejects lies, but they only penetrate visual illusions. Auditory or physical illusions are still just as effective at deceiving the user of these eyes as any other target.
They are superficially similar to the Pure Eyes, but those are more of a psychic ability rather than true Mystic Eyes.
The eyes were gotten from two separate individuals, who Iris convinced to sell to the Rail Zeppelin.
Keen Sight: Three. Capable of easily picking out details from long distances, with all three eyes being able to easily read a page from a book that is over 30 meters away - and 10 meters in near-total darkness.
Iris stole one eye from a mage in New York City, blackmailed an Aristocrat from the Clock Tower into buying the other for her at a Rail Zeppelin auction, and convinced an Iranian boy to sell one of his to the Rail Zeppelin - the funds from which he used to pay his tuition to the Clock Tower.
Flame: Two. One of these has replaced Iris' left eye. By pouring magical energy into them, a target that the user can see is instantly ignited, regardless of flammability. While relatively cheap to activate, they guzzle mana to maintain and will quickly dip into the user's own reserves, so Iris mostly limits its use to setting flammable objects ablaze before immediately cutting the flow of energy.
While igniting a mage's flesh is impossible thanks to their natural magical resistance, affecting clothes is well within this eye's power, and Iris finds it to be nearly as effective.
The first was taken from a Spellcaster that Iris drowned in ink, while the one she had implanted in her body was traded with an eccentric Aristocrat for a particularly rare vintage of wine.
Remote Viewing: One. The sole Gold-ranked Mystic Eye in Iris' possession, and the one that replaced her right eye. By focusing on a target who she can remember the face of, Iris is capable of viewing both the target as well as their immediate surroundings. She can do this at a range of dozens of kilometers, and switching between targets is as simple as blinking. A Bounded Field or a Caster's Territory is able to alert the target to this occurring, and stronger ones can even block the viewing from taking place.
But if Iris was able to obtain an item connected to her target (like their clothes, a pendant, or even their blood), this eye would be able to pierce nearly any barrier. The distance this operates at is given a similar boost in potency, with a strong catalyst allowing viewing of a target from a hundred or two kilometers away. Only an entirely separate world, like a Reality Marble, would be able to hide someone's location at this level - though exceptionally camouflaged or invisible opponents may be able to hide, only revealing their surroundings.
It is easily Iris' most treasured Mystic Eye, and as a result, it can serve as an excellent bargaining chip if one could somehow acquire it.
She does not share where she got this eye from.
Panoptes Lens: A tattoo design that covers the entirety of her arms, chest, and back. The hands taper off into crescents which when brought together form a large eye. This is a kind of Mystic Code that Iris had developed over her years working for the Rail Zeppelin, basing its function and design on the Mystic Eye Projector utilized by the train. By holding a Mystic Eye (or the transparent containers that Iris carries them in) and activating the Mystic Code, Iris is capable of utilizing the Eye at 10x the normal power, at the cost of burning out the lens and rendering it blind (and therefore, useless).
While it lacks the raw power that its progenitor is capable of, the Panoptes Lens can be deployed nigh-instantly and is 'carried' on her person at all times. It is her trump card, the last resort when stealth and subterfuge have failed to kill a target. The fact that she was able to make something like this when her magecraft had such a weak foundation is a testament to her obsession.
Familiars: A large number of Tattoos litter Iris' body - Chinese dragons and flowers, birds and wolves, countless eyes whose nerves split into wings or legs - all manner of lifeforms cover her flesh. With a command, she is capable of animating these as fragile familiars, which leap off of her body and slink along surfaces. Some, like the bird tattoos, are even capable of controlling how a paper floats on the wind, allowing a poor imitation of flight.
While weak enough that even a normal human could scratch and wipe one or two away, their ability to use Mystic Eyes and provide intel is invaluable in a war. And in a pinch, a large enough number could be used to drown someone in ink.
Normally around 10 can be animated at any time without strain to the user, but depending on the maintenance cost of her Servant, the actual number of familiars that Iris can keep active may be far lower.
A Gun: A simple handgun - a Beretta Mod 92, to be specific. While Iris is far from being a master marksman like the many Freelancers in the world of Magecraft, she values its raw efficiency and the countless mages who underestimate a firearm.
Name: Iris Macinban Title(s): Deputy Macinban, Retina of the Rail Gender: Female Age: 26 Alignment: Lawful Evil Objective for the Grail: "A Rainbow-Ranked Mystic Eye. That is all I desire."
Command Seal: A simple sphere, tapering off on the side to give an almost crescent moon shape. Two smaller spheres reside within, the larger of the two overlapping the primary sphere. The smallest is the only sphere that doesn't have a break in it. with the massive quantity of tattoos covering her entire body, it is a bit difficult to pinpoint where her Command Seals are located - and with her Tattoo Magecraft, she is more than capable of moving the physical location of her Command Seals on her body.
Appearance: Iris stands at 5'10 and weighs 145 lbs. Her hair is a muted brown, cut short to prevent it from getting in the way during combat. Finding bare flesh that isn't covered in tattoos is difficult, and if you are particularly attentive, one may see the designs slowly shift and move across her body.
Her time on the Rail Zeppelin and traveling around Europe seems to have hardened her somewhat to the cool climate of Japan, as she sticks to long sleeve shirts rather than jackets. Formal wear is her preferred style of clothes, but in combat, she sticks to outfits that reveal her skin - this allows her to more easily release her familiars.
Personality: Iris is cheeky and manipulative, quick to push others into positions that benefit her. Loyalty, tradition, honor - none of it has any meaning if it can't be used for her own benefit. She would much rather force or trick someone else into doing the working or fighting for her, only to swoop in after the fact to snatch up the rewards. Because of this and her approach to magecraft, her main combat style is to chip away, use underhanded tricks, and strike when someone least expects it.
Most of Iris' personality stems from her hangup on her own Magic Circuits. Iris has a very traditional view of what a Mage is, and what defines a successful magus: If someone is born with good circuits, they will always be a better magus than someone born with worse circuits. And because she was born to a young family, Iris would never be a good Mage. If she was lucky, her grandchild might be decent - all she'd ever achieve was a small stepping stone in her family's history, inevitably forgotten.
But the Rail Zeppelin, with its ability to transfer Mystic Eyes from one person to another, shined like a beacon of hope to Iris. Even if she couldn't have perfect circuits, she'd at least be able to have something that few other Magi could aspire to possess. This idea led to her obsession with Mystic Eyes - both acquiring them, as well as hoarding them.
Greed and materialism are what drive Iris to action. If you can't attach a price tag to something, then there isn't really that much point in working for it is there? Reaching the Root is meaningless to Iris, as doing so would mean leaving behind everything that a Magi family has worked to gain and hoard over dozens or even hundreds of generations. This outlook is what separates her from the average Mage - while most Mages merely covet wealth in order to progress their research, Iris wishes to have it for the sake of holding onto that wealth and to give her a sense of fulfillment. While Magic Circuits can only be built generationally, a massive amount of Wealth can be generated over an incredibly brief period of time, given the proper conditions.
On most topics she seems to just be along for the ride, throwing out generic responses or whatever she believes will make someone feel a connection to her. Being respected is almost as useful as being feared in the world of magecraft, so Iris is careful to avoid burning bridges unless absolutely necessary. But when frustrated or pushed, she will quickly snap back, her hostile and abrasive nature boiling to the surface.
Iris struggles to build close bonds with those around her - interacting so much with Mages has led her to assume the worst in anyone she meets, and her line of work had seriously crippled her empathy. She isn't a sadist that gets pleasure out of seeing people hurt - she just couldn't be bothered to care. "Why would it matter if someone I don't know gets hurt?" is all she would say.
It is because of this apathetic nature that she is more than happy to accept surrenders or alliances - even if she is aware that an alliance in a Grail War (or in life) is short-lived, the end result will be a single opponent rather than six - much better odds. Of course, if someone could convince her to join their side with something more valuable to her than the grail, they would gain a powerful and 'loyal' ally.
As far as Servants are concerned, Iris is incredibly laissez-faire in their treatment - she rarely gives orders or limits her Servant's actions, only stepping in when they blatantly put her at risk. She views the war as a waiting game - why get into a bunch of fights and burn through her magical energy, when you can just let them kill each other? But just because she is not willing to crack the whip does not mean she is the submissive one in the relationship - she is perfectly happy to waste Command Seals forcing her Servant to obey her rare few requests, and will only restrain herself when brought to her last one. Iris has a fondness for younger Servants and Lilies, and she will reveal a softer and more maternal side to those that remind her of her brother. While she would normally be restricted to very weak Servants thanks to her poor circuits, she is perfectly fine with letting her Servant consume the souls of humans to gain energy, so she functions well with those of an Evil alignment.
Iris' wish for the Grail is simple. Mystic Eyes are all that she cares for, and having a truly unique pair would make her a truly unique Mage. She would need the best Mystic Eyes possible - those of the Rainbow rank. It didn't matter what it actually did - only that it was powerful, and people respected her for having them.
Bio: The Macinban family is a very recent family, barely a century old at this point. Their founder was a tattooed freak, who learned of magecraft from the man that ran the carnival that he worked for. The Macinbans had since laid their roots down in Ireland, hoping to be as close to the Clock Tower as possible while still avoiding the financial costs that came with living in London. The progress they've made in their short existence is notable, but trying to reach the Root by scribbling on your skin is absurd, to the point that the Macinban are laughingstocks even amongst the new families.
Iris is from the fourth generation of her family, and while her youth was a lot less rigid compared to most older families, she still spent most of her time as a child either studying magecraft, or strapped to a chair as a needle prints new designs on her skin. Despite this, she was a relatively happy child, and the birth of her younger brother gave her someone who she felt that she could confide in and protect.
When Iris turned 16, her family had scraped together enough funds to send her to the Clock Tower to study. It was here that Iris was finally exposed to the hazing and discrimination that newer families face - hypnotism that made her act out in classes, worse marks on her papers, and even theft of her precious few mystic codes. Iris would spend 4 months in the Clock Tower before eventually leaving.
Her brief but formative time at the Clock Tower made her realize that no matter how hard she tried or worked, she would never accomplish the goal of her family. At best, she might marry a better mage, produce an heir with better circuits than her, and pray that dozens of generations later, someone will finally succeed in reaching the Root - or at the very least, adjust their Magecraft to a more likely path.
Iris did not want to waste her life researching and placating the upper echelons of the magic world, only to risk not even accomplishing her family's goal. She had already lost her chance to become a skilled mage - no matter how hard she trained or studied, she would not be able to safely acquire more Magic Circuits. The only way to be a potent mage without proper circuits is by being born with a special ability - a psychic power, a unique bloodline.
A Mystic Eye.
Upon learning of the Rail Zeppelin four months into her study at the Clock Tower, Iris immediately dropped out, using the funds that should have gone towards her tuition instead to gain a position on the train. After a year of hard labor as a cook and waitress on the Train (and having successfully convinced one passenger to sell an eye), she was promoted to being a Deputy - someone who enforces the peace on the Rail Zeppelin, and searches for new Mystic Eyes to add to the Rail Zeppelin's stock.
She did this job for nearly a decade - searching Europe for strong Mystic Eyes, attempting to convince the holder to sell, and killing them if they refused. Her reputation as a hunter of Mystic Eyes grew to be widely known in the Association, to the point where many who crossed paths with her simply offered to sell a single eye in order to avoid being killed. She grew incredibly wealthy off of the commission she got from these eyes, which in turn she used to pay back her family and win new Mystic Eyes at auction. She believed that eventually, with enough searching, buying, selling, and killing - after she got enough money, after she got a strong enough eye, she'd eventually be a good mage.
And she'd fill that void in her life.
But every year, the options in Europe grew slimmer and slimmer. Eventually, the Deputies had to widen their search - the Middle East, Africa, Australia, and the Americas.
And in 1990, after rumors of an exceptionally potent pair of Mystic Eyes of Distortion were discovered in Japan, Iris was quick to follow.
When Iris arrived in Japan, the nation was in despair - earthquakes and floods decimated the population, and you couldn't walk far without seeing the sick or dying. It was perfect - many Mystic Eyes mutated during life-and-death experiences, and Iris was sure to find at least a few potent ones before reaching her target.
But during her initial research in the area, she uncovered something that she had only heard in passing back in Europe - a great ritual constructed by three mage families and held in the city of Fuyuki, the winner of which would be granted a wish.
Reaching the Root or a True Magic was not something that Iris cared for - She knew just from hearing of the ritual that was the intention the mages had for it. A way to cheat centuries of research and reach their goal in only a single generation. But something deep in her gut pulled at her. If she could wish for anything, maybe she could skip all of this hunting and just get the Eyes she needed right away. Nothing would prove that she was a better mage than winning a war among mages.
Spending a sizable portion of her fortune on a proper catalyst, Iris made her way to Fuyuki. She was confident that she could handle the opposing Masters - she had fought mages for years.
But the Ghost Liners - the Servants. That would be an issue.
Magic Circuit Switch: The feeling of a hot needle piercing the eye. Number of Magic Circuits: D Quality of Magic Circuits: D
Elemental Affinity: Water Origin: Staining
Magecraft: Tattoo Magecraft: The art of inscribing one's own body with ink, utilizing various patterns in order to draw out the conceptual meaning behind the shapes inscribed on the user. It is based on the runic tattoos that Berserkers and Vikings were adorned with, which were designed to grant strength and courage in battle. The Magecraft could thus be described as an overspecialized mishmash of Runes and Reinforcement.
In essence, it focuses on creating spells that are permanently etched into the body, which can be activated by pouring energy into rather than reciting a Chant or using a Mystic Code. For example, the tattoo of an Eye could be activated to grant increased visual acuity, a bear could grant increased strength, or a flame might function like a lighter. The larger the tattoo, the more potent the effect - a small fire on the thumb might work like a lighter, while an entire sleeve of flames could shoot out short gouts of fire, provided they receive enough magical energy.
The main limitations of Tattoo Magecraft are the prep time involved, and the incredibly weak strength. While versatile and capable of a wide array of effects, only something large like a back tattoo would grant a supernatural edge over a normal trained person. And for their weak effects, the tattoos require quite the investment of time - even the simplest designs take dozens of minutes, while large and actually combat-applicable tattoos take up massive portions of the body, limiting the total number of tattoos and taking days to fully etch out.
With her limited magical energy and lack of training in her Magecraft, Iris almost exclusively uses Tattoo Magecraft in the creation of her Familiars - instead using her Mystic Eyes to combat others. Still, it's a fun party trick to make your tattoos dance and move around.
Familiars: Because she left the Clocktower before acquiring a proper education in Magecraft, the only aspect of General Magecraft that Iris is capable of is the creation and maintenance of Familiars. However, in conjunction with her Tattoo Magecraft, collection of Mystic Eyes, and specialization, Iris is in possession of a number of potent Familiars.
Rather than create Familiars the most traditional way, by stuffing leftover human thoughts into an animal's corpse, Iris instead uses the tattooed animals and plants on her body as a vessel. While much more fragile and weak due to not having a physical form, these familiars are also exceptionally fast and stealthy. Iris uses them for reconnaissance, seeing through their eyes and stalking her prey before eventually attacking them for their eyes.
The most notable attribute of these Familiars is their ability to be 'equipped' with Mystic Eyes from Iris' collection. While weaker at using them thanks to their limited Magical Energy, this effectively allows Iris to use over a dozen Mystic Eyes at any one time... so long as she is willing to risk losing the eyes if a familiar were to die.
Since she forms these Familiars with her Tattoo Magecraft, the Familiars that Iris creates must adhere to a 'surface' - slinking along the ground or walls like graffiti, or flittering on a piece of paper through the air. As a result of this and the ink that forms them, Water is both an impassable barrier as well as an easy method of killing them.
Crest: N/A. The Macinban family Crest was not passed to Iris due to her abandoning the research of her family Magecraft in favor of being a Spellcaster. Instead, it was given to her younger brother. Not a tremendous loss, considering the youth of the family.
Weapon: Mystic Eyes: Occasionally, a person's Magic Circuits will mutate and congregate in the area around the eyes, resulting in eyes that are capable of manipulating the world and casting spells through sight alone. These organs, Mystic Eyes, are very rare as they only manifest after extreme circumstances or the user is born with them. Mystic Eyes even come with their own Magic Circuits, allowing even a weak mage to have a hidden advantage over their opponents. Normally a person would only be able to use a single eye or two at most, but thanks to her unique application of her Magecraft, Iris is far stronger the more eyes that she has access to.
As one could expect from a Deputy of the Rail Zeppelin, Iris is in possession of a wide array of Mystic Eyes. Many of these were acquired from her own missions abroad, the occasional eye slipping into her possession or bought at the auctions that the Rail Zeppelin organizes. While she is only able to have two eyes at any time and must undergo surgery to replace them, her use of familiars in conjunction with them has led to her being a very intimidating Spell-caster to face.
While on the move, Iris keeps her Mystic Eyes in enchanted, hermetically-sealed vials - which she usually keeps in her belt pouches or pockets. While it is technically possible to implant these eyes in another being without the advanced techniques and facilities of the Rail Zeppelin, it would require some exceptional quality of the recipient - for example, the Eroding Detachment ability possessed by some Mixed-Bloods, or the Self-Modification skill.
She has brought the following eyes with her to Japan:
Binding: Nine. The most common Mystic Eyes, to the point that skilled mages are even capable of artificially reproducing them. The Mystic Eyes of Binding casts a disabling spell on anyone who looks into them, limiting their ability to move.
While one or two uses may be ignored, Iris' primary tactic is to swarm opponents with familiars containing these eyes - they will either look into them and be crippled or forced to look away and create blind spots. Either way, it allows Iris to shoot them with minimal risk. Despite the simple strategy, it is overwhelmingly effective on the unprepared.
It should be noted that the effect of these eyes on Servants is minimal at best. And even with that, the lowest ranks of Magic Resistance can allow these eyes to be entirely ignored.
Iris doesn't even remember where she got all of them from.
Piercing: Two. Mystic Eyes that are capable of seeing through deceptions and figments, such as Illusions or Shapeshifting. Even a Servant that is in their Spirit Form can be observed. These eyes see only the truth that is present before them and rejects lies, but they only penetrate visual illusions. Auditory or physical illusions are still just as effective at deceiving the user of these eyes as any other target.
They are superficially similar to the Pure Eyes, but those are more of a psychic ability rather than true Mystic Eyes.
The eyes were gotten from two separate individuals, who Iris convinced to sell to the Rail Zeppelin.
Keen Sight: Three. Capable of easily picking out details from long distances, with all three eyes being able to easily read a page from a book that is over 30 meters away - and 10 meters in near-total darkness.
Iris stole one eye from a mage in New York City, blackmailed an Aristocrat from the Clock Tower into buying the other for her at a Rail Zeppelin auction, and convinced an Iranian boy to sell one of his to the Rail Zeppelin - the funds from which he used to pay his tuition to the Clock Tower.
Flame: Two. One of these has replaced Iris' left eye. By pouring magical energy into them, a target that the user can see is instantly ignited, regardless of flammability. While relatively cheap to activate, they guzzle mana to maintain and will quickly dip into the user's own reserves, so Iris mostly limits its use to setting flammable objects ablaze before immediately cutting the flow of energy.
While igniting a mage's flesh is impossible thanks to their natural magical resistance, affecting clothes is well within this eye's power, and Iris finds it to be nearly as effective.
The first was taken from a Spellcaster that Iris drowned in ink, while the one she had implanted in her body was traded with an eccentric Aristocrat for a particularly rare vintage of wine.
Remote Viewing: One. The sole Gold-ranked Mystic Eye in Iris' possession, and the one that replaced her right eye. By focusing on a target who she can remember the face of, Iris is capable of viewing both the target as well as their immediate surroundings. She can do this at a range of dozens of kilometers, and switching between targets is as simple as blinking. A Bounded Field or a Caster's Territory is able to alert the target to this occurring, and stronger ones can even block the viewing from taking place.
But if Iris was able to obtain an item connected to her target (like their clothes, a pendant, or even their blood), this eye would be able to pierce nearly any barrier. The distance this operates at is given a similar boost in potency, with a strong catalyst allowing viewing of a target from a hundred or two kilometers away. Only an entirely separate world, like a Reality Marble, would be able to hide someone's location at this level - though exceptionally camouflaged or invisible opponents may be able to hide, only revealing their surroundings.
It is easily Iris' most treasured Mystic Eye, and as a result, it can serve as an excellent bargaining chip if one could somehow acquire it.
She does not share where she got this eye from.
Panoptes Lens: A tattoo design that covers the entirety of her arms, chest, and back. The hands taper off into crescents which when brought together form a large eye. This is a kind of Mystic Code that Iris had developed over her years working for the Rail Zeppelin, basing its function and design on the Mystic Eye Projector utilized by the train. By holding a Mystic Eye (or the transparent containers that Iris carries them in) and activating the Mystic Code, Iris is capable of utilizing the Eye at 10x the normal power, at the cost of burning out the lens and rendering it blind (and therefore, useless).
While it lacks the raw power that its progenitor is capable of, the Panoptes Lens can be deployed nigh-instantly and is 'carried' on her person at all times. It is her trump card, the last resort when stealth and subterfuge have failed to kill a target. The fact that she was able to make something like this when her magecraft had such a weak foundation is a testament to her obsession.
Familiars: A large number of Tattoos litter Iris' body - Chinese dragons and flowers, birds and wolves, countless eyes whose nerves split into wings or legs - all manner of lifeforms cover her flesh. With a command, she is capable of animating these as fragile familiars, which leap off of her body and slink along surfaces. Some, like the bird tattoos, are even capable of controlling how a paper floats on the wind, allowing a poor imitation of flight.
While weak enough that even a normal human could scratch and wipe one or two away, their ability to use Mystic Eyes and provide intel is invaluable in a war. And in a pinch, a large enough number could be used to drown someone in ink.
Normally around 10 can be animated at any time without strain to the user, but depending on the maintenance cost of her Servant, the actual number of familiars that Iris can keep active may be far lower.
A Gun: A simple handgun - a Beretta Mod 92, to be specific. While Iris is far from being a master marksman like the many Freelancers in the world of Magecraft, she values its raw efficiency and the countless mages who underestimate a firearm.
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