London, Clocktower Mage Association HQ

Chapter 0 - Prologue to a Terrible War

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The afternoon day here in London was a nice one, and the sun shined brightly around the city. The Clocktower that the Mages trained in the Clocktower went about their everyday activities doing what they would to further their own knowledge. However the Clocktower today was holding a little darker shade then it usually did, and the Clocktower was home to many dark secrets already. Today the Team of Black was being formed. Church Officials, and Mage Associates all gathering to form an alliance against the Family Grey. The mage family known for their mage superiority views now held the keys to the Holy Grail. However only the top officials knew the exact details. In order to assure secrecy the Association has yet to tell the exact details to those outside their domain in order to prevent leakage of their plans. Thus the group was gathering at the Clocktower in order to form a more cohesive group. Normally the Association would go for mercenaries, and thugs for a job like this however with the Greys being former Mage Association members they have decided to make this more personal. The Association had left Director Orson Archibald as the one in charge of Allied forces. The Church for their part was sending a master of their craft their way as well. It was in the headmaster's office that the group would be meeting. The world would change for the better, or for the worse this day as a Great Holy Grail War was to start.

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Leon stepped through the halls moving out of the way of a few students here, and there. It was on this day that he had arrived with his contact that had met with his parents. His breathing was calm but it was underlayed with a nervous tension. He wasn't use to big time missions like this. Ever since his father completed his training as a wind elemental mage he was just going about his life as he tried to manage something to make his life worth living. His grand father insisted he live life to the fullest, and that 'life's complications can fuck themselves'. His father cautioned a more honest, and straightforward approach to learn the secrets of magecraft. In the end he got involved with the local tournament organizers. Unlike European mages the midwest North American Mages like Leon had a more combative sense around them. While working on contemporary mage to reach the root was still precedent it made many mages choose a more passive route; others chose to fight in arenas to improve their physical bodies, and their skills with more offensive magics. It was in the world of mage fighting that Leon honed his skills. And in place of his parents here he was.

Leon looked about the beautiful area that sprawled out in all directions around him was ancient, as it was full of potential. This place was sacred ground for up and coming noble families for the Association. It made him wonder what his life would be if he had turned out just a little differently. If he had come here from his hometown instead of staying with his father. It would have made his life a whole lot different no doubt. He wondered if it would be for the better. Leon looked at the pot in his satchel that he had brought with him. It contained the components for the summoning ceremony. He wondered who's ashes these belonged to. He considered how many heroes were burnt to death. It was a grim subject. If he was truly to become a 'master' then he would need to put the thoughts out of his mind of what it meant. Uncle Collins told him once, 'a man chooses, and a slave obeys' he didn't want to be a slave. He couldn't imagine whoever this was in his satchel would want to be too. But it was simply the fate that had been chosen for both of them.

As Leon rounded a corner he looked for the office of the Headmaster. He had been told where to go by a younger mage he had ran into at the front of the clocktower. It wouldn't be much longer until he got there. It was hard to keep pace, and not lose himself in the sprawling corridors of this place. No doubt others found it easier if they lived here, and learned what it meant to be a mage here. But to him it was a mess. As he nearly bumped into a master mage carrying some boxes he apologized, and moved out of the way and finally arrived at the office. He knocked on the door, and someone inside told him to enter. As he entered he saw a large man with scars on his face wearing a long white jacket staring at him with indifference but them smiled at him when he noticed Leon was looking at him. He had messy brown hair, and grey eyes. His body was muscular but not to a freakish extent. And his size made Leon a bit intimidated he wondered how many fights this man had survived. At a desk sat the man called Director Orson. He wore a black vest with a red tie. His graying hair was slicked back, and he looked at Leon through cold blue eyes. His professional nature spoke volumes about him as he reeked of a man who had spent his life teaching those younger than him. Still Leon could not help but feel as if he was staring at a terrifying man. Leon had not met him but he was known by many as a great mage. He was not the head master they were simply borrowing the office for sake of convenience. "Why hello there son! How are you doing this fine day?" the man in white said to Leon as he nodded at him in return,

"I'm fine nice to meet you, I'm Leon, Leon Winchester. It is a pleasure to meet you sirs." Leon said as he nodded his head at them. "Winchester? Ha there's a name I never thought I'd see pop up again. Your grand dad was a pain in my ass when I was a younger man you know. All the same you shouldn't worry we're all friends here. I have a colleague around here somewhere. Should be here soon. Oh and my name is Maxwell Anderson. But please just call me Anderson." the man said as Director Orson cleared his voice, "I hope the others will show up soon. If not we will simply proceed with business as we should. I specifically marked today as a meeting day for everyone. If no one else shows up I can only assume they are operating on their own volition." Director Orson said calmly as he motioned for Leon to take one of the chairs in the office. Leon obliged with a quick thanks to the Director.

August already knew the way to the headmaster’s office, although he had never met the man who he would be dealing with once he got there. The halls of the Clock Tower were all too familiar to him, and as he traversed the corridors he saw a few familiar faces and shared a couple of knowing glances. The prestigious families that dominated the European Magecraft community were always trying to one-up each other in terms of both magical knowledge and social standing, and while August had been called on occasionally to fetch artifacts in a more official setting, most of his jobs were private errands driven by the Clock Tower’s politics, and such work often involved non-disclosure agreements. On a calmer day, August would have pondered what dark dealings or strange rituals might well have been occurring behind each of the hundreds of finely-crafted doors that lined the hallways of the Clock Tower, but this day in particular held an urgency that caused him to walk with intense purpose towards his destination. Today, August Thane would join his allies in cementing themselves as the Masters of Black in the Great Holy Grail War by summoning their Servants.

August’s work had always been focused on the retrieval of rare and valuable magic items and the occasional runaway mage, with combat being a common occurrence, but rarely a requirement. While his policy was always to approach things with confidence and courage, he was feeling somewhat out of his depth, having been requested to participate in a battle on this scale. Although I suppose I won’t be doing much of the fighting, August reminded himself, not for the first time. It was unusual for him to be forced to accept the existence of an unassailable wall, but he was fully aware of the power gap that existed between Heroic Spirits and humans. In the upcoming war, he would be filling a support role, while the true battles would be fought by legendary heroes. Legendary heroes… will my own servant really count among their ranks? August was determined to make himself useful among his teammates, but found the relic his father had provided him with to be underwhelming. The catalyst lay along with a few other items in the briefcase August held securely under his right arm. The shattered and weather-worn quarter of a ship’s helm had initially excited him, as he assumed his family’s penchant for treasure-hunting would have provided them with some ancient and valuable relics. Names like Queen Anne's Revenge, Golden Hind, and The Argo came to mind, but when Charles revealed the true nature of the hunk of wood he planned for his son to use, August was more than a little disappointed. His father had insisted that The Rime of the Ancient Mariner was closely based on true events, and that the titular character would make for a powerful Servant, but August couldn’t find much justification behind these claims. While it was true that the poem recounted many miraculous and strange events, the Mariner himself didn’t do a whole lot, and it was doubtful how much of the power that existed around that man would translate into his own power when he manifested. If nothing else, he should be pretty survivable, so maybe he could function as a sort of tank. Even if the poem really is just fiction, I'll get a Servant the Grail sees as right for me, so I'll be able to participate in the war, regardless. Nonetheless, Charles had promised that the broken wheel would aid him, and there was no chance he would intentionally sabotage his own family in regards to such a critical matter.

It was just as August affirmed his own decision in his mind that he arrived at the door he was looking for. He knocked sharply on the well-polished wood, and once he received an invitation, swung the door wide and stepped inside. There were three people already inside the headmaster’s office, but there was no question in August’s mind which one was Director Orson. He had seen enough prestigious mages that he could recognize one even if they were dressed in rags on the side of the road. August strode toward the desk where Director Orson sat, giving the two other men a professional smile and nod as he passed them by before extending his hand to the Director. “Good afternoon. You must be Director Orson.” After briefly confirming his identity and possession of a catalyst with the Director, August turned to take a seat among the other men who were no doubt among his fellow masters-to-be. He considered striking up a conversation, but decided to await the arrival of more of their teammates before diving into introductions and planning.

"Indeed I am I see my reputation proceeds me though you are from these parts if I am not incorrect Mister Thane?" commented Director Orson rather dryly as he acknowledged the man's presence after coming in. "I appreciate that you have taken the advice of your father, and have come to join us in this endeavor. The Mage Association has many mages few of which are truly capable of being masters. We have judged you to be of such quality. I'm not sure if you've heard of this one but this is Paladin Anderson. You may know him better as 'God's Stick'. A rather powerful church operator." Orson said to Thane as he gestured to Anderson who chuckled. "Ha that nickname is for sniveling bureaucratic nonsense. All that matters is getting the job done which is why I was sent here to take care of business. Its only a shame I have to get you all involved in this. If there were less servants there may have not been a need to call you all in. But more to the point at hand. A pleasure to meet you too bucko. Names like the good Director said. Maxwell Anderson. I am not but a servant of the all mighty lord, and savior Jesus Christ." commented Anderson further with a friendly tone. "Yeah I don't got any impressive nicknames myself. Some people call me 'Black Hand' but that's just a call sign more than anything. I'm Leon. Leon Winchester." Leon told the man he really had no intention of saying anything but if introductions were to be made he may a well get to the point of things. It would be rude to just sit back, and do nothing while the others introduced themselves. Leon looked down at his own casual attire, and wondered if he really could have dressed better. At least he brought a coat but that just made him look like a kid in big boy shoes in his opinion.

August had never heard of “God’s Stick" , although Executioners of the Church had a broader reputation for skill and ruthlessness, and the man’s appearance further drove home the point that he was likely a brutal killing machine. “Black Hand” had a familiar ring to it, however. August was sure he had heard about an American Mage who had gained a reputation for his skill in magical duels. Although Leon’s appearance didn’t exude an aura of violence the same way Anderson’s did, August chose to operate on the information he had gathered beforehand, rather than judging a book by its cover. As he seated himself, August turned in his chair to greet his new comrades. “Good to meet both of you. I’m August Thane. I don’t have any nicknames to speak of, but I like to think the Clock Tower knows me as a reliable agent.” August was dressed business casual, and although he wasn’t a man of ceremony he managed to put himself together sharply, being experienced in the art of dressing to impress society mages. "I hope we can all come to trust each other soon enough." August leaned back in his chair, glancing at the door in anticipation of the arrival of the remaining Faction members. So far all three present had an unusually high affinity for combat compared to most mages. If my intel about executioners is accurate, Anderson should be able to wield numerous small blades with terrifying efficacy and be capable of destroying all manner of unholy abominations without issue, not to mention likely having inhuman physical abilities. Meanwhile, the rumours about the Black Hand Magus suggest he should be able to perform magical attacks with very high power and skill. Finally, my own use of weapons is somewhat unorthodox for a Mage, but I can lay down a effective assault, especially if I have time to prepare. August had half a mind to ask his new allies if they felt there would be any opportunity to use their combat abilities when the power of Servants was on the playing field, but figured it would be better to keep morale as high as possible at such an early stage.

Anderson almost laughed at the trust part but managed to keep it stiffed to a brief chuckle. He shook his head as he looked at August and shook his head. "Trust lad is 'earned' only by the fact that it can be given. I have lived a long time. I've killed plenty of men in the name of the angels, and the church, and all sorts of folk. Never have I ever given someone 'trust'. I give them respect. Trust implies you're willing to give the man next to you your life. And in turn they can throw that life away. Respect on the other hand means that you can understand, and work with them while still keeping your life in your own hands." Anderson told the younger individual as he rolled his shoulder around in a circle stretching his limbs. "No one truly 'trusts' another person without being a daft fool, at least in my own opinion. I mean no disrespect at all but I must feel if we're to be 'brothers' in this crusade to rend the unworthy of the great Holy Grail that we should be on the same page. Time will tell if you're worthy of my respect sir. And maybe time will tell if I'm worthy of yours. It's all a matter of prospective to be honest at the end of the day. All that matters is that we make the world a better place by the time we're done. Sound good to me?" Anderson stated as Leon looked up at the man. He wasn't sure if he liked this Anderson person.

Leon wasn't so blind to believe that 'trust' wasn't a subjective term. It can be used it many different ways but it seemed Anderson's perspective on things as to keep everyone at arms length while giving them just enough room to be called 'friend'. Leon preferred to believe in people were better than that. Of course humans were also the lowest form of scum out there at the same time. For all of Leon's talent he was still a naive young man in a big world with many horrors. Sheltered more than some, and stronger than many he in himself was not fit to judge Anderson's own philosophy. But he would still speak his own mind. "I can't say I agree but I understand what Anderson says. Still I look forward to working with you too August. I hope you're a talented mage. We need no dead weight. Oh sorry that came out wrong I mean in...whatever this holy grail war entails is something that we as a group need no one who may lead us down a bad path. I hope you understand what I'm saying. I'm not trying to be rude." Leon said trying to be casual but coming off more rude than he intended he tried to back up and apologize without appearing weak.

"The time is upon us," Teresa Brannigan could not help but think as she, once again, entered the confines of The Clock Tower. This was nothing knew to her, often times she would have to visit whenever Frederick Isilebaun needed to meet with her. While her automata were not considered in line with the modern times, was one of the few practitioners of a dying craft the Mage's Association still had a decent amount of interest in her. If there was one thing the Mage's Association hated, that was the dying out of magical knowledge, there was a reason magic from the Age of the Gods was one of the most sought after of magics since most of those spells had been lost in the swirling of time.

Now automata were not considered ancient magic, though there were some lost techniques people tried to replicate, but since their use was dying out in the modern era the Mage's Association still was very much interested in keeping the art alive and well. When Frederick Isilebaun decided to take her in a sponser there was little doubt that the Mage's Associated had been grateful for his interest since they could just take a backward seat and let one of their senior members handle the job of perserving the art of automata.

As Teresa traveled through the Cock Tower halls she could not help but feel a little apprehensive without the company of her dolls but, considering where she was it had been best to leave her puppets behind until the actual mission began. For this initial meeting she had decided to dress up somewhat, wearing a mage appropriate outfit with a long-sleeved black blouse and and knee-length pleated skirt. It was at least somewhat like formal wear that would be good for the summoning.

Her heels clicked on the ground as she walked, a fancy brown bag by her side which contained an engraved cherry-wood box which held her precious catalyst. From what she had been told, sealed inside the box was a preserved green girdle that one of the knights of the round table had worn. One problem was that no one seemed to know which knight had possession of this particular piece of cloth but frankly almost all the knights would surely be a great boon to their fighting forces.

After a few more minutes of walking, she made it to the headmaster's office. It was not very often she found herself here, but she had visited at least twice before for, various reasons. There was no time for hesitation, with a polite knock, she then entered into the office. A few people were there already but aside from Director Orson, she had no idea who anyone else was, but most likely there were here because of their combat capabilities.

"Teresa Brannigan here as requested by the Clock Tower." She could not help but emphasize Clock Tower a little bit since she felt a bit like she needed to prove herself during this Holy Grail War. It had been a great honor to have her magecraft valued high enough to be chosen for this dangerous mission. She held up her bag to show she had brought a catalyst, made sure the director had all the information he needed before choosing a seat to wait for the others.

She made sure to pick a seat nearby but not among those present. She would have to work with these people sure but there was no need to get buddy-buddy with them. She thought about asking a question but...well frankly there was nothing she really wanted to know at the moment, what mattered was the coming summoning and war to be fought.

August was somewhat taken aback by the Paladin's response, but the way he talked about killing and dying made him wonder just how old this man was, and how much of that life had been spent in combat. "Maybe my word choice was too heavy. I just hope, like Leon said, that we can rely on each other's abilities to contribute to the effort in the upcomong battle." August considiered saying more, but before he could, he heard the sound of the office door opening behind him. Looking over his shoulder, August saw a woman survey the office before announcing herself. The name didn't mean anything to him, although the way she said it gave him the impression she might have been someone prestigious. She didn't appear overtly intimidating like Anderson, but August supposed she could have been dangerous withoit being obvious about it, much like Leon. Then again, perhaps it's unreasonable to assume that more than half of the Masters of Black will be irregular combat-mages. He considered introducing himself, but the way Teresa positioned herself after she sat seemed to indicate she had little interest in conversation. August wondered what sorts of Servants each of his allies would summon, and awaited the arrival of the remaining three.

"Miss Teresa I welcome you to this meeting of ours. I am glad that you chose to accept our invitation here. If not we may have been much worse off without your help. You stand with Maxwell Anderson, Leon Winchester, and August Thane you may acquaint yourself with them if you choose. If not at least recognize your future allies if you chose to go through with this." Orson said as he getured around him pointing out when naming names. He made sure to speak clearly, and without hesitation. "Don't worry about it lad. I'm just particularly specific about word choosing when it comes to another's life. Perhaps I came off to strong. Need not worry about offending me, I have thick skin. As for you Miss Teresa I hope that you're doing well." Anderson stated as he looked at his watch. "How much longer do you expect the others to take coming here?" asked Anderson to Orson who looked at his cell phone's clock before nodding and turning his head up at the others, "About ten to twenty minutes I would expect." Orson stated as Anderson nodded, "Fair enough we shall wait then."

This hallway needs to be cleaned... full of filth...

Was a young lady's single thought as she walked through the grand halls of the Clock Tower, the main headquarters of the secretive, Mages' Association. The very name of the group made her feel disgusted. She can't help but judge every nook and cranny of the structure around her as well as the inhabitants that dwell and study within. All of it was heresy to her. Her brow furrowed as they watched other aspiring magi pass by and talk about what to do next to further their magecraft. She clutched onto her satchel, the one carrying the catalyst needed for summoning, eyeing the many that might find her clothing out of place.

The sooner I find the office... the sooner I'll be out of this Godless place. The Emerald Inquisitor spoke softly under her breath, traversing aimlessly through various forks in the hallways. Seems she's been having a hard time finding the Headmaster's office. Esmeralda's blood was beginning to boil from the maze-like tower... well... to her it was maze-like. I'm sure frequent visitors have no trouble finding it just as easily.

"How huge is this place?! And where is Orson's office?!" She spoke in a frustrated tone, unaware she had been beside a freshman student carrying a small stack of books. He blinked for a few seconds which got the girl's attention. Of course, she glared at him... hoping he would catch on the message. Surprisingly, he did and pointed the way there.

Esmeralda didn't speak, only nod as she walked past the young magus. Only for him to shrug and continue on to wherever he was supposed to go.

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Walking by a few minutes later, the Executor had finally made it. An annoyed expression etched on her face as she entered the Headmaster's room without even showing the courtesy of knocking. Of course, she's already seen the people around her... and another member of the Church by them.

"Please tell me you're actually a member of the Church and not someone dressed like one?" Anderson could probably tell the annoyance in her tone. He might as well confirm before she keeps it all to herself and reply in half-assed one-lining responses.

"Well bugger me someone woke up on the wrong side of Christ's bedchambers this morning. There are much politer ways to barge into the headmaster's office you know! Especially when he isn't even here." complained Anderson as he stared at the insolent young lady who barged in unannounced. "If it were up to me you'd be flogged for your impoliteness young miss. However it is obvious it is not. To answer your question though of course I'm a member of the bloody church. Do you think I wear this stuff because it makes me feel like a pretty princess?" Anderson said as he laughed. Orson looked disdainfully at Esmeralda as he shook his head apparently he was not pleased with the noise he had grown to like the group assembled until this moment. No doubt Anderson would be happy to know..."The second church executor correct? You're not mage association I would know." Orson questioned the young lady as Anderson's grin grew into a more sadistic smile. "Well then...if that's true then it IS up to me! You know I'm surprised you don't recognize me. Kind of a living legend and all that among the Vatican's group. Guess the means you must be from some smaller sub group. All the same you know it's a sin to be rude to thy neighbors miss." Anderson commented as he stared with a chuckle through his glasses at the younger executor.

Leon sat quietly in his seat he choose not to get involved with the whole situation what happened between the church stayed in the church. Presumably why there was so many accusations against it in the first place. He wouldn't say anything to either Executor's face but the fact remained he had no place talking out to either of them. He was simply here to respond to the call of aid from the Clocktower Mages.

Ugh...I-I don't feel too good... Was all the young boy was thinking as walked down a rather large hallway of Clocktower, filled to the brim with students and teachers alike. They were all speaking so fast and with varying audio levels, that Haneul unconsciously brushed down his already long bangs even more into his face, hoping to avoid any conversation he wasn't prepared for. Through his hair he could see the people giving him weird looks and stares, but it was nothing that the teen couldn't handle. So long as he had his backpack with the catalyst required to summon his servant, and he had an idea of where he was going, everything would be alright! Unfortunately for him, the later is exactly where he fell short.

Confusion and fear appeared on the visible parts of his face, as Haneul realized that he had been walking in circles of the past five minute; was that even possible? Once he realized this, he tried to ask for permission of one person that looked like a student, but with his completely botched English, the student simply walked in a hurry, unsure of how to handle him. Han tried this again with multiple people until finally receiving help from a teacher, who fortunately knew enough hand gestures to guide him in the right direction.
They had to have known that some new people were coming right? A guide would have been helpful...

It took a little bit of picking and choosing which way would be the right one before the nervous teen finally made it to the office he was suppose to meet the other masters in. Stopping in front of the door, the Anima Magus simply stared for a moment, the distress in his face making him sweat a little. What if everyone was already in there waiting for him to show up? What if they tried to talk to him and he couldn't keep up? What if they look at him funny because he's a little different? What if his parents were wrong and he wasn't good enough? All of these questions swirled in the blue haired boy's mind as he took a bony hand and knocked gingerly on the door before stepping inside.

His eyes never left the ground as he gave the group a quick bow of recognition, before hurrying to a seat and sitting down, his eyes remaining hidden behind his hair and downcast as he stared at his lap.

The Executor didn't seem to notice the newcomer enter and take a seat, it's either that or she pays no interest. Her emerald eyes were still fixed on the large Vatican executor. She was still irritated from earlier but tried her best to calm herself down before she could go on a small debate with one of the most dangerous Executors in the Church... it just so happens she didn't want to... the very name just filled her with surprise and a guilty frown takes over her once enraged expression. With a sigh, she bows almost immediately. A hand on her gut and the other free to the side. "Please forgive me, Father Anderson. I blame my nature as a human for not representing one of the Commandments as the Lord wills it."

Complete one-eighty too. Her voice seemed to have pitched as if she were a pup that did something wrong. "I will accept any form of punishment from a senior." She turned towards the amny magi in the room, including the Director and bowed apologetically... though the Director might see it as a shallow apology... or perhaps anyone who is perceptive enough to see through her "suck-up" routine.

"I deeply apologize to you all. Showing you my... "professional attitude" came from my job as a... magus hunter. Hopefully you'll disregard that as a small setback."

August was idly speculating about his new teammates' abilities when the green-haired young woman who had been arguing with Anderson mentioned something about being a Magus Hunter, completely distracting him from the sickly-looking boy who had only just entered. Really? I guess Anderson has probably done plenty of that work, too, but at least he had the courtesy not to mention it in a room full of Mages. The way this girl sucked up to her superior reminded August of himself from many years ago. Of course, if she was like he had been, that attitude was born out of a fear of punishment, so he figured it was best not to ostracize her despite her rudeness to both Anderson and the Mages. "No harm done. If your skillset is similar to Anderson's, here, then I'm just glad to have you on board for the operation." August gave her a professional smile that might have helped to settle down the situation, but then again he supposed to both of those involved in the argument it was the smile of a sinister heretic. At least she was no longer making a scene.

Surveying the room's occupants, August gave a small nod of satisfaction with his new allies. Assuming everyone here but Orson aimed to summon their own Servant, six of the seven masters were in the office. August didn't want to leave one Master out of the loop, but enough time had passed that he was willing to let them pay the price for their own lateness. "Perhaps we had better move along with the briefing, Director." He suggested, taking only a moment to look away from the executioners, where tension still felt somewhat high.

"Even though pride is a sin I feel the need to inform you Mister Thane. There are no men like me. I hope it stays that way no one should be in my shoes." commented Anderson as he straightened his jacket. He looked over to the new Executor and frowned, We as humans are flawed beings. Creatures that are bound to this world to do the work of jesus, and god. We are not so easily able to put aside our weakness. I forgive you for your impertinence in this circumstance since you're willing to see fault. However please keep in mind to walk in god's grace, and treat others as you wish to be treated. As the Lord wills it so it must be especially for us who have dedicated our lives to his divine justice. These mages around us live a different life than us. Be it for the better, or worse do not fault them and accept them as they are. No one ever said they liked it when the Jesuits came knockin' on their door after all." Anderson told the younger Executor with a calm, and fatherly patience as he nodded he turned to Orson.

"I apologize please continue Director." commented Anderson to his colleague who looked at his watch and nodded in return. "It is time I got started now listen up, all of you; As you all may, or may not know this is a time of dire circumstances. The Family Grey led by their patriarch have taken control of at least several servants. How they managed to do this is unknown since the location of the Greater Grail is unknown, and presumed destroyed, we have the possibility that they altered the current grail in some way in order to summon their current servants. There is precedent as 'fake' grails have started wars in the past." Orson said as he pointed out some of the starting key points. "The war we find ourselves on the precipice of is a Great Grail War of only there have been less than a handful. We can assume that there is a director chosen by the Grail, and thus the Throne of Heroes itself, known as 'Ruler' has likely been summoned somewhere. Great Grail Wars start when a group control multiple servants all under the same banner usually more than four." commented Orson as he brought up some dark photos of what was presumed to be the Grey's Manor. It was surrounded by a forest in one picture, and another was clearly just the mansion itself. "They have withdrawn any representation they had with us here, and have moved their place of residence to a more secure location. When our scouts, and allies got near it they found themselves hounded by some sort of curse magic that made them wander around aimlessly. No doubt the forest has been enchanted. However a few of them were actually killed by unknown assailants. Mauled to death. We can assume this is a declaration of defiance from the Greys. Whatever they intend to do has no place negotiating with us. As such we can also assume further that they have prepared themselves for war. Is there any questions before I continue on? I do not wish to lose everyone." commented Orson calmly as he looked around the group. His professional tone did not waver.

Leon did not say anything sitting still and remaining quiet as he had little to add. The circumstances at hand were going to be difficult but he felt if they summoned strong servants they would win the day. A magical forest would just mean that they would need a specialist to aid them in the matter. Leon figured whoever was being sent with them meant that they would be covered in most areas. He could hold his own...but against a 'servant'? He was unsure.

August listened intently as the Director began to explain the situation. The idea of Mage supremacists reassembling such a powerful artifact troubled him, and questions peppered his mind as more details unfolded. Once Orson paused for questions, August spoke up, "This mansion the Greys have moved into... is there a town or other useable location nearby to it but outside of the radius of this forest's misleading curse? Somewhere we could base ourselves that would be effective for combat?" August disliked the idea of attacking the enemy without a place to retreat to and defend if things went wrong, and if their faction's Caster-class Servant worked the way they were supposed to in the stories of past Grail Wars they would need a place to set up territory. "Speaking of the effects of the forest, does this misleading curse and mauling sound like the sort of magic the Greys are known to practice, or is there any chance it's something caused by one of their Servants? In either case, do we have a way to break through or resist it, beyond the powers our Servants might or might not have?" Each question was asked with a methodical seriousness that seemed to imply August had much experience in dealing with issues of breaching locations and bypassing traps and deterrents.

As he waited for the Director to address the issues he had brought up, August looked over his fellow Faction members. His eyes lingered on the odd boy with hair covering his face, but most of all he was still bothered by the absence of one Master. "Apologies, Director, but if I may ask an additional question, who else is it that was meant to be joining us today?"

"There's a small town with no airports, and about a thousand, or so people residing there. I would hesitate to call it a city. If you need to you can use that city as a staging point however remember that the rules of the grail wars would apply there. If you chose to accept my offer this day you will be sent there by plane, and make a car ride there. It shouldn't take too long a few hours. I expect the Grey Family to have eyes there. If not sending one of their cronies out to make sure any new comers are found. The Grey Family want a secure area. Even if it means a death match. Which is why Father Anderson is here. Expect him to do most of the heavy lifting. He insisted on it." commented Orson as he pointed to the Father who gave a rather sadistic grin. "Oh it'd be my pleasure Director. Spilling the blood of traitorous heathens is my business. And I've gotten good at it." Anderson stated calmly. Orson further explained himself as he went along, "The Grey Family is specialized in many arts. I heard their children are especially talented with the mystic art of illusion. It could be their handy work. The father of them, Alistair Grey, is a master of all sorts of magics. One could say he was a prodigy here are the clocktower. Expect powerful magic from him. As for Servants...berserkers....and maybe Casters could be responsible for the maulings. I'm afraid I have no details on the matter further. And as for the rest of our faction. There will be others but you're all here because I want you to be, and they are't here because I asked them not to come. There's a fellow student of mine she will be joining you soon. I already explained much of this none the less she will be instrumental in your ability to take out the Grey's defense." Orson told the group as Anderson spoke up, "When I was referring to a second colleague of mine earlier I meant a partner of mine. They'll be helping us but don't expect them to show their face until they're needed. Unlike me they're not a people person." Anderson said before anyone asked about his previous statement.

Teresa scowled a bit when the girl revealed herself to be one of the church's attack dogs but refrained from saying anything as there would be no point. Soon, it seemed that most of the masters had arrived except for one which would not join their 'group'. They were a unique assortment of individuals but then again most mages were eccentrics, and members of the church. While they probably would not mesh well together, as long as everyone played their part they could no doubt be an effective team.

What brought Teresa into the conversation was when the director starting talking about the mission itself and the capabilities of the enemy forces as well as what could be their base. The Grey family seemed to be master illusionists which made her particular abilities rather valuable. As a mage who could transfer her consciousness into inanimate objects, because her true body would often be out of range she would be able to see through such trickery much more easily as her 'true' mind would be elsewhere. Her puppets and automatons would also be less effected but such magics as well.

The main problem that had popped up was that it seemed it might be difficult for a lot of her resources to be transported over there since they could only get so close by plane and then had travel by car. However, there was a chance a good number of her work was still stashed away in the area when the scouts had first been sent to take care of the problem.

"Director if I may, a few questions." Teresa started, "First, as you are no doubt aware of my magecraft, how much of my equipment will I be able to transport? Also, I believe some of my equipment from the previous operation may be stashed in the area, if there is indeed a stash still I would request it's location to be sent to me so that I may bolster our forces when we are sent in."

It would be best if both things were true but if neither answer proved to be very positive then she would have to be quite selective to what materials and automatons she could bring for the upcoming war.

"In interest of mage security I believe you may take what you can fit on a small plane. We will be flying you there in a plane normally used by us to secretly move our magical objects without chance to expose ourselves to the general public. The church shall be moving their people there on their own. I believe you should bring what you believe you can manage without it seeming suspicious to the general public. Remember this is a small town not fit for large movements. As such you must be careful with how you employ your craft there." responded Director Orson as he looked over at the young lady. He wasn't sure how to properly answer that question in his experience mages were a particularly whiny bunch if they didn't get to bring their favorite object with them that may, or may not improve their quality of magic. At the same time moving giant obelisks for example would be a pain to do without the public finding it weird. On the subject of men however..."Anderson about that contingency plan we discussed. Will you be able to supply more men if needed?" asked Anderson who nodded quietly he didn't appear to view it necessary to speak on the matter.

Orson saw that there were no more questions to be thrown across the room at him so he decided to continue on. "With that being said we believe that the Greys may be allied with the others. The Grails have been said to require something special in order to activate it. I don't know what exactly but it may be that the Grey Family has allied themselves with another faction, or family in order to get what they needed. Prime suspects being Einzbern. That little moving castle trick is something they like to use for their grail wars. But we have no substantial pieces of evidence. Other than that the Grey children were said to be in an arranged marriage to another mage but we don't know who at the moment. However rumor says it was broken after bad blood what remains of that alliance may, or may not be true." commented Orson as he sighed and placed his hands together, and pressed forward onto the headmaster's table. "I'm not sure if all of you know the exact reason why you're here. So let me tell you: I have called you all here to be a master for a member of our faction. A Black Faction. Made to combat the Grey's Red Faction. By agreeing to hear anything further, and to be willing to submit your life to this cause to possibly save the world from a new age of mage totalitarian rule we ask that you assist us in this endeavor. But you're all mages you say? Why should we risk this when this could benefit us? Because the vast majority of the world aren't mages. And they, while useful tools, shouldn't be ruled by the few unless they must. The Mage Association seeks the root. When we find it we may understand the divine right of rulership. If not then we will understand where we stand. Until such a time we must live in secrecy until we understand just exactly we are capable of." Orson said with a clear, and flat tone as he looked across the room. Anderson made no gestures he knew why he was here.

Leon sighed, and nodded. "The recruiter told my father the truth. I know it too. But at the same time I will not tolerate any any sort of oppression. I stand as an advocate for personal freedom. As such I'm willing to shackle another person, willing or not, to my own will. To become a hypocrite for the greater good I will fight for Black Faction. For what little my life is worth I will lend it to you. I'm not worth as much as my predecessors. But I'm better than nothing. I have no qualm with the family Grey but their lives will be sacrificed if the future demands it." Leon said with strong conviction as he shook his head in affirmation. He held no stupid thoughts of how this was for 'the betterment of the world'. Leon was a hypocrite. He vouched for freedom, and equality and he hated the thought of becoming a slave. For all his 'moral high ground' Leon was willing to throw it to the ground for a greater good. "When good men fail to act. Bad men win." Leon affirmed as Orson nodded at Leon thanking him for his help.

"Naturally, I'm in as well," August affirmed to the Director without standing up, "After all, no single force should dominate the entire world. Some amount of conflict is required to keep things active..Even if their cruelty is not aimed at us, the Greys receiving their wish can only make the world a sad and stagnant place." It was a fine answer, but ultimately a perfunctory one. August had received his task, one that also offered a chance at a wish, and so he had no doubt of his own commitment, as his expression made clear. If Orson is providing a private plane, I think I'll take along a few extra weapons. He considered the sorts of tools that might be required to deal with a challenge on this scale, as well as what functions might be made obsolete by the presence of Servants, before reserving that train of thought for after the meeting had concluded.

August glanced briefly around the room, and his thoughts were taken to the relic contained in his briefcase. "It seems that all the Masters of Black have been brought together, but we're still missing our Servants. Director, should we clear these chairs for a summoning circle, or do you have another room reserved for that purpose?" As he said this, August rose to his feet, clearly prepared to act on either answer. Although he was still processing everything he had learned from the briefing, nothing that had been revealed so far had given him significant pause, and while he valued the strategic information that had come to light and there were obviously various details that would have to be investigated and dealt with on site, in that moment he was simply prepared to take the next significant step towards becoming a true faction in the Great Holy Grail War. August thought of his briefcase and his allies whose capabilities he had learned of so far. "The sooner we summon our Servants and see what they're made of, the sooner a real strategy can take form."