[hider=Archer - Last of the Argonauts] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/6uD0rRz.png[/img][/center] _________________________________________ [b]Class:[/b] Archer [b]True Name:[/b] Philoctetes [b]Title:[/b] The Last Argonaut [b]Gender:[/b] Male [b]Alignment:[/b] Lawful Neutral _________________________________________ [b]Short Bio/Synopsis:[/b] Philoctetes was a child when he joined the Argonauts. A choice of his father, King Poeas. He served as one of the wards of Heracles, set to learn under the heros of the Argo, with the expectation that he would grow into a great hero as well. He studied archery under Atalanta, sword fighting under Heracles, and wrestling with Jason, who he beat every time. He eventually left the argonauts before Jason's fall, like all the others had. Later, he heard that the hero Heracles was dying, and went to where the hero had begun to build his funeral pyre. All others in the crowd were fearful of the wrath of Hera, who had vowed to curse anybody who set fire to the pyre, and allowed Heracles to pass on into the realm of Olympus. Only Philoctetes was brave enough to carry a flame to the pyre, and set it ablaze. Heracles passed on, and then returned as a god to praise Philoctetes for his work. Giving him his bow and arrows as a gift, before returning to the domain of Gods. Philoctetes was later involved in the Trojan war, as one of the men who had made an offer to Helen, he was expected to fulfill a vow to protect her and her husband. He joined the voyage, but along the way they all stopped on a deserted island to give prayer to the gods. There, they were attacked by a serpent summoned by Hera. Even after slaying the monster, Philoctetes was wounded, with a deadly poison coursing through his veins. Under the advice of Athena, Odysseus declared that Philoctetes would not survive the night, and abandoned him on the island. For ten years he survived. Ten. Hera would summon more monsters into the jungle, and Philoctetes would slay them all. Hunting, scavenging, surviving despite having been reduced to a cripple who couldn't stand. He survived, until the Greeks returned. They had heard prophecy that Troy would only fall if the bow of Heracles was with them. They did not expect to see that Philoctetes had survived. Odysseus was enraged, and tried to steal the bow and arrows from Philoctetes. But, Diomedes would not allow him to steal something from their still living and abandoned fellow. In the end, Heracles appeared before Philoctetes, and told him that amongst the Greeks were the two children of Asclepius. They would give him a draught that healed his wounds, making him a great hero once more. He joined in the war, even slaying Paris at the fall of Troy. He killed several of Troy's great heroes, and returned home unscathed. Unsatisfied with his new life, he began to travel, and founded a new city to be king over. When he passed away of old age, he was venerated as an everlasting god, and risen up to be alongside his mentor Heracles. _________________________________________ [b]Parameters:[/b] [i]Strength:[/i] C [i]Endurance:[/i] A+ [i]Agility:[/i] A [i]Mana:[/i] B [i]Luck:[/i] B _________________________________________ [u][b]Class Skills:[/b][/u] [i]- Independent Action (A):[/i] The ability to remain independent even when rejecting the Magical Energy supply from one's Master; the ability that allows for action even in the absence of the Master. Philoctetes survived for ten years on an island alone. Poisoned and crippled, he survived despite odds that even Athena deemed impossible. He is a hero who challenged the impossible to survive alone. It is possible to take action even without a Master. However, to use Noble Phantasms of great magical energy consumption, backup from the Master is necessary. At Rank A, it is possible for a Servant to stay in the world for about a week without a Master. [i]- Magic Resistance (C):[/i] Philoctetes was one of the Argonauts, and for the most part joined on several dangerous missions. After the death of Heracles, he survived for ten years on an island, fighting and surviving against monsters created by Hera that she had sent to kill him. Cancel spells with a chant below two verses. Cannot defend against magecraft on the level of High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals. [u][b]Personal Skills:[/b][/u] [i]- Divinity (C):[/i] While a mortal in life, he was deified in death. Risen up amongst the other gods as a gift for his bravery and strength. He doesn't really care for this skill, but does not reject it either. [i]- Clairvoyance (B):[/i] A visual ability that is also called "Eagle Eye". This is generally a must-have ability of the Archer class. It is also frequently used during scouting. Simply looking from a high location is sufficient to fully survey a town and search for enemies. [i]- Blessings of Heracles (EX):[/i] Philoctetes set the funeral pyre of the great hero Heracles. As such, his bravery made him the one the newly ascended god chose to shower with blessings. Strength, Bravery, and an unyielding will. Philoctetes is still a mortal, but this skill combines aspects of Bravery and greater physical endurance that Philoctetes relied on to survive for ten years on his own on a hostile island. This skill initially raises his Endurance by a modifier, and raises all other stats by one. Secondly, Heracles himself will appear to Philoctetes, granting him combat advice when he desires it most. The third affect is to grant Philoctetes Bravery, protecting him from anything that might cause his mind to waver. In this regard, Philoctetes is raised up to be a great warrior, guided by the hands of Heracles, and molded into a hero. This skill can be considered the guiding hands of Heracles, molding his successor. [i]- Survival at Lemnos (A+):[/i] After sustaining a mortal injury that hobbled him, Philoctetes was abandoned on the island of Lemnos by Odysseus. Expected to die alone, he instead survived for ten years, despite his injury. This skill is a testimony to his survival against the harsh island, his own injury, and the wrath of Hera. It combines aspects of Battle Continuation and Poison Resistance. This Skill represents the ability to survive and/or the mentality of one who doesn't know when to give up, consisting of one's strength of vitality in predicaments. The ability to survive. Makes it possible to fight even with deadly injuries and can remain alive so long as one does not receive a decisive fatal wound. When injured by poison or another kind of status ailment, his ability to survive is increased drastically. _________________________________________ [b]NOBLE PHANTASMS[/b] [hider=Noble Phantasms] [b]Title:[/b] Bow of the Hydra - The Immortal Serpent's Retribution [b]Rank:[/b] A [b]NP Type:[/b] Anti-Unit [b]Range:[/b] 1-99 [b]Maximum Number of Targets:[/b] 1 [b]Description:[/b] The bow of Heracles, greatest hero of all of Greece. Made famous for the second of his twelve labors, a bow and set of arrows dripped in the blood of a hydra. A poison so deadly that it could kill a regular mortal with a single drop, and send even an immortal god into a fit of agony so great that death would be preferable to the mere idea of living for another moment. This bow was a gift to Philoctetes, as it was he, and he alone who had the courage to set fire to Heracle's funeral pyre. Heracles was grateful, and proud of Philoctetes' courage, and as such he returned as a god. Heracles gave the bow, and the secret of crafting its arrows to Philoctetes, which he brought with him to Troy under Heracles' guidance. This bow was one of several weapons needed to bring about the fall of Troy. Philoctetes is capable of applying poison to any arrow fired from this bow, much like Heracles once did. The poison causes the target's endurance to rapidly deteriorate. Skills like divinity and battle continuation can allow one to survive, but they will live in complete agony unless it can be cured by a particularly powerful mage, or through one of of the vials of potion Philoctetes carries. [b]Title:[/b] Draught Fraught Hera - The Ailment to Hera's Fury [b]Rank:[/b] D [b]NP Type:[/b] Anti-Poison [b]Range:[/b] 0 [b]Maximum Number of Targets:[/b] 1 [b]Description:[/b] Philoctetes never made it to Troy with the rest of the original army. Rather, Hera who was enraged by Philoctetes' actions in burning the body of Heracles, swore revenge. A great divine serpent was summoned, and attacked the army. While he managed to slay the monster, Philoctetes was bit, and the poison that coursed through his veins was certain death. None were willing to aid him, and thus abandoned him to death. Ten years later, they returned, hoping to take his bow from his corpse. Instead, Philoctetes had survived despite the poison still flooding his veins and leaving him with a hobble. Heracles returned to Philoctetes, and told him that the sons of Asclepius were amongst the Greek troops. They carried with them an incomplete knowledge of the draught that Asclepius had used to resurrect the dead. This incomplete version of the draught was still potent enough that it would cure any poison conceived, even that of a divine being, or the Hydra. The draught they made healed Philoctetes, removing his injuries permanently. While he does not know the formula himself, the draught was a gift designed specifically for his aid, and as such the twin brothers of Asclepius have sent it along with him. Philoctetes carries three vials of the potion. If he is injured and near death, he can use it heal himself. If another is injured, he can do that as well. This can be used a maximum of three times. [b]Title:[/b] Nine Lives - Shooting the Hundred Heads (Bow) [b]Rank:[/b] C~A+ [b]NP Type:[/b] Unknown [b]Range:[/b] - "As the occasion demands" [b]Maximum Number of Targets:[/b] - [b]Description:[/b] A noble phantasm of Heracles, one taught to Philoctetes after the god's demise. It is an all-purpose Noble Phantasm capable of adapting and changing how it appears depending on the target and the circumstances of its use. It is said that the meaning of the name Nine Lives comes from one having a possession of nine lives, this originating from Heracles' monstrous opponent that possesses the special characteristic of entirely "resurrecting no matter how many times it is killed"; it is implied that he has attained this martial arts technique in response to that characteristic, a technique that [i]"exterminates no matter how many times his opponent resurrects."[/i] The technique boasts power on the level of Noble Phantasms by drawing out the maximum power of the weapon. It can display power from Anti-Unit to Anti-Army, even up to fortress sieging all depending on the circumstances.[2] In essence, it is “a high speed attack consisting of nine consecutive strikes, as swift as if the attacks are overlapping.” It can also be a rush of extreme speed that adds up to a hundred attacks within a single breath. It changes form depending on the target, such as the Anti-Unit Nine Lives Blade Works with a series of slashes and the Anti-Phantasm Beast skill that discharges nine dragon-like homing lasers at the enemy. The skill can be called a style of its own that has a nature similar to Cú Chulainn's Gáe Bolg: Barbed Spear that Pierces with Death, a technique that is part of Gáe Bolg, as Heracles' technique shares its name with the original Noble Phantasm. Philoctetes though is not Heracles, and was unable to perfect the style beyond the bow. Where Heracles had learned to use it with all weapons and styles. Utilizing the full power like Heracles does puts stress on his body, and while he is a survivor who can overcome the pain, it can be just enough to hurt him at a critical moment. [/hider] [b]Misc/Other/Trivia:[/b] - Philoctetes was still a child when he was among the Argonauts, growing up only into an adult after he had officially left them. As such, other Argonauts will be unlikely to recognize him as an adult. - His wish for the grail is to bring back the Argonauts, with the hope that they will have a second chance at a happy ending, that evaded most of them in life. (Death of Heracles, Jason's issues with Medea, Castor and Pollux being killed by their cousins, Atalanta becoming a lion, etc.) - While alone on the island of Lemnos, Philoctetes killed over a hundred monsters sent by Hera. Some of which give him nightmares to this day. [/hider] [hider=Bringing Ru(in)ne] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/tWcMaXM.png[/img][/center] _________________________________________ [b]Name:[/b] Maeve Dóeltenga [b]Title:[/b] Daughter of the Crow [b]Age:[/b] 26-30 _________________________________________ [b]Short Bio/Synopsis:[/b] The hero... Or perhaps villain, known as Dubthach Dóeltenga met his end. His life finally leaving his body after years of wandering alone. Exiled from his order, and left to devolve into a monster of a human, his life was over. But... In his last years, he became a father. This part left out of history, as by then he was no longer important in the greater scheme of things. When the Morrigan came to collect him, he made a request. As a former knight of the Red Branch who had swoon hundreds of deaths with his spear, Morrigan allowed this. His request, was that each of his descendants would have the Morrigan's blessings, and be great warriors. Accepting this, the Morrigan gave the family a blessing that left them with three children. One girl, and two boys. Triplets. Thus it has always been. The daughter to be the head of the family, and the two sons to be her guardians. The family developed a ritual, where both boys would join a war, and when they returned, they would be worthy to protect their sister. But the sister had her own war. She would go to war, and then return as well. But unlike the two brothers who may go with aids, the sister would not. She would triumph alone and return to her brothers to become the true leader of the three siblings, like the Morrigan was the face of her own group of three. This is the fate of Maeve. Her ritual has been held off due to the state of the world, waiting for a war worthy of her. Be it sword, or gun. Though, Maeve prefers a spear. This waiting has finally ended, as a note was sent to the family. Perhaps they knew the Dóeltenga family had been waiting for a war like this. Whatever the case, her appearance is blessed by the Morrigan, and her spear sharp to slice through flesh. The war shall be won. That is her goal. _________________________________________ [u][b]Magecraft:[/b][/u] [u]- General Magecraft[/u] [u]- Spear Combat[/u] Training with her siblings, Maeve has become one of the greats in spear combat dueling in her family. While there is no longer a proper Red Branch Order, she has learned from their secrets, to become a superior spearman. [u]- Rune Magecraft[/u] Magecraft is one of the Thaumaturgical Systems that originated in Scandinavia during the Age of Gods, and are symbols that, once inscribed, automatically realize mysteries accordingly with the meaning that they represent. Composed of only straight lines and possessing mechanics similar to the Magic Crests, the usage of modern runes is unpopular within the Mage's Association. It is possible to affect a target with a Rune inscribed at distance, but the rate of success is low with a target that possesses Magic Circuits due to the effect of Resistance, in this case, the Rune must be inscribed directly onto the body. If used in combinations, it is possible to create Bounded Fields with them. Among all runes, Sol is Maeve's favorite. As it is a rune for casting fire elemental magic. Though, she is remarkably skilled in the usage of Isa runes, to create fields that trap other beings. [u]- Advanced Fire Magic[/u] Maeve is a master of fire magecraft. Able to generate great flames or to exhaust them. Her abilities are second to none in utilizing great flames. _________________________________________ [u][b]Mystic Codes:[/b][/u] [u]- Bag of Runes[/u] A bag in which pre-carved runes are carried. In total, there are over a hundred stones carried in this bag, which uses various levels of runes to make itself weightless, and allow it to carry far more than it might look to otherwise. [u]- Sling[/u] The usage of a sling is simple, and obvious. A sling can carry a stone for greater distances than one might otherwise. In this particular care, the sling has been modified with various runes written into it. When used, the strength, speed, and accuracy of a projectile are increased to such extents that they could qualify for a sniper with an accuracy of several miles and still being able to knock the wings off a fly without killing it. Maeve possesses three slings. Each with a different elemental connotation. The first sling is used to amplify the power of fire runes, turning an already potent rune into a blazing inferno. Another is designed to scatter, using multiple rune stones and firing them off like one might use a shotgun. The primary usage of this is to create a spread out pattern that allows for the immediate creation of certain fields. Finally, the third is just remarkably simple, with no special effects, rather just layering on more accuracy and strength. [u]- Ring of Fire[/u] A ring used to control fire. Primarily used to manipulate fire generated through runes, and spread them more easily over a battlefield. [u]- Robe of Runes[/u] Clothing inscribed with Runes. Various Runes are inscribed into clothing, to apply for easy, instant buffs. Not a singular garb, but rather a collection of outfits like shirts, pants, socks, shoes, etc. [hider=Runes in the Robes] [i]Kenaz[/i] - A rune that buffs ones eyesight to reveal truth. It's more of a rune used to enhance and bring out talent, but in this case, it increases the ability to perceive information, allowing one to go beyond typical human limitations. [i]Haegl[/i] - A protective rune. It turns away storms and evil spirits. Effectively protecting one from the elements, and curses. In combat, it helps reduce damage from monsters. [i]Lagus[/i] - Draws in magical energy, and stores it. This magical energy can be released for a sudden burst of energy, allowing one to top their initial limits, and increase a single spell to the level of a higher magecraft, or simply to act as a battery. [i]Dag[/i] - A rune that increases one's resistance to curses and sickness. Effectively an anti-curse to protect the wearer. [i]Tyr[/i] - A rune of justice. Increases healing, and increases damage when facing a target that is evil or a monster. It cannot be used against the innocent. [i]Algiz[/i] - Another rune of protection that defends against magecraft, and the physical. [i]UR[/i] - Enhances physical strength to overcome obstacles. [i]Thorn[/i] - To break through the impossible and bring about change. Increased strength and defense in order to bypass challenges. [i]Rad[/i] - Safe travels in a single rune. Allows one to divine dangers along a path, and to defend them when they travel. A rune for all manner of defenses, with a limited ability to see the future. [i]Nyd[/i] - A last resort rune to break all restraints. Physical, and mental. Greatly increasing one's power for a short while, and allowing them to fight physically on the terms of beasts. Its power increases with the opposition. [i]Various other runes[/i] - Runes that cannot be named off the top of ones head. These runes are used to increase ones physical speed, healing, and protections. Combined with all other runes that adorn Maeve's outfit, this puts her on the level of other much stronger beings like monsters. [/hider] _________________________________________ [b]Misc/Other/Trivia:[/b] - Her two brothers are Fergus and Cu Chulainn, because reusing names is a family tradition. They're fighters, not namers. _________________________________________ [b]Special Boon:[/b] Special Mystic Code [hider=Mystic Code] [u]- Lúin Celtchair[/u] A mystical spear that was said to be used by Lugh, and at one point was in the hands of the hero/villain Dubthach Dóeltenga, who the family is descended from. It is a certified noble phantasm, used by various heroes, and considered to be absolutely vile. It is said that they weapon was passed down to them by Lugh several years after he reclaimed it from Dubthach's body. Though others claim it never left the family's possession. Whether it's the true deal of simply the most elaborate of imitations, it is still remarkably powerful and beyond the strength of modern day magecraft. It is a living spear that engulfs itself in a great fire. If released from the owner's hand, it will explode outwards, like a hound released from its chains. It seeks out the blood of great enemies, and when thrown it is said to kill nine men without fail (though this can be more or less considered a luck check.) If there is a lord or man of royalty amongst the crowd, the spear shall target them most of all, as it lusts for the death of the great lords of the land. Even if it misses, the spear shall cut those of insignificant luck (another luck check). Because stories tell that the spear will kill a man with every thrust, even if it misses. The only way to properly restrain it is to drench the head of the spear in a vat of poison. Killing it briefly, and sending it back to sleep. Because that is impractical for modern mages, the Dóeltenga family has instead developed a rune that releases a poison into whatever it is marked on. This is marked onto the head of the spear, and when activated releases a poison that kills the spear dead in its tracks. Using this spear though draws the attention of Lugh, who had lost it many centuries ago. Though, he is unlikely to do anything about it, since he has too many spears to really care if this one in particular is lost for a few centuries more. [/hider] [/hider]