[hider=Daniel Palaiologos] [b]Name:[/b] Daniel Palaiologos [b]Title(s):[/b] That Kid!, The Atoner. [b]Appearance:[/b] [img]https://i.imgur.com/EAvWMuD.png[/img] [i]Originally David Garcia Martinez from Lalin’s Curse, a Webcomic by Isaky on Webtoons. Used with her consent.[/i] [b]Gender:[/b] Male. [b]Age: [/b]30 (But looks 18 - 23) [b]Previous Alignment(s):[/b] Independent, then Clock Tower [b]Motivation for the Holy Grail:[/b] Daniel's wish is for the survival of Humanity (and thus the Magi who live alongside Humanity). This is not the same as world peace, which is impossible, or even world happiness (same). Rather, Daniel wants pollution like un-recyclable rubbish, untreated sewage, toxic waste, and nuclear waste to disappear into another dimension, same for Co2 and other greenhouse gases that are causing climate change. This has both a selfish and a selfless reason: As long as most Magi live alongside Humanity, the comfort and prosperity of the latter mean a secure platform for seeking the Root... [b]Personality:[/b] Idealistic to the point of naivete, determined to the point of arrogance, and yet willing to admit ignorance of his circumstances, Daniel is someone who regrets past gullibility and seeks to learn from it even though his idealism and arrogance prevent him from learning as quickly as he should. This regret makes him want to atone for his past actions against the Clock Tower, no matter how ultimately minor, by serving them loyally but not as blindly as he had served his grandfather, who had caused the troubles of the family in the first place. But despite seeking The Root like the rest of the Clock Tower's Magi, Daniel has a larger-than-normal love for Humanity as a concept and a desire to give it one last gift before he or his descendants reached The Root. This gift would either be a Wish on the Holy Grail which benefits billions of people or his own efforts to get rid of threats to Humanity if they rear their ugly heads. As an aside, he loves modern culture and technology, recognizing that the death of Mystery, though regrettable, also means that Humanity would not need Magecraft and Magic to solve their problems. Plus modern tech is just so convenient... [b]Biography:[/b] A long time ago, there was the Palaiologos Family, overlords of Modern Athens, Salonika, and Sparta's magical communities. They were Independent Magi who resented any form of oversight, including the Magus Association's, and though powerful for a while, their arrogance and lack of alliances with the wider network of Magi led their vassal families to slowly peel off and join the Clock Tower and even Atlas Academy, slowly chipping away at their strength. The lowest point was when the seventh child of the family, Deuel Palaiologos, left their ranks and married Maria Adamos, an ordinary woman and a scientist to boot, and chose to live a humble life as a restaurant owner, free from the burdens of Magus politics and seeking The Root. Daniel was born from that marriage, and for a while, he was left alone to be raised in love by his parents, going to school, making friends, and reading books of all kinds, which he understood and absorbed from a young age. A genius, smart enough that it counted as a curse, especially when coupled with a natural talent for Magecraft, which his father reluctantly taught him. This, however, was noticed by his grandfather's spies, who were still watching Deuel and his family. And it became worse when all of a sudden, all of Deuel's siblings, Daniel's uncles and aunts, died in mysterious circumstances, and so did their children, Daniel's cousins. This left Deuel, Maria, and Daniel as the only way for House Palaiologos to continue, and Anastasios Palaiologos, Daniel's grandfather and the Head of House, came directly for Daniel with a large detail of bodyguards - Deuel and Maria were damaged goods and so he wanted Daniel as his heir. Because of the threat of force, there was no choice but to let Daniel be taken away 'for training'. Daniel was ten then. The training was hard and unforgiving, and to keep Daniel motivated, Anastasios began fudging the truth, saying that the Palaiologos Family was surrounded on all sides by enemies such as the Clock Tower and the rest of the Magus' Association and that Daniel was being trained to be a hero who will eventually bring them down. Being an impressionable kid, Daniel believed his grandfather and willingly threw himself harder into his studies, which included diplomacy, etiquette, and the use of firearms and swords. Four years later, Anastasios gave Daniel the family Magic Crest, and to all appearances, died of natural causes. Daniel was now Family Head at fifteen, inheritor of a large fortune in the mundane world but with declining respect and deference from other Magi and Spellcasters alike. And after meeting once again with his parents and childhood friends, Daniel began dutifully working to fulfill his Grandfather's will, which was to gather the misfits and outcasts of Magus society together into a 'Resistance' to fight the Clock Tower. The first sign things were wrong was when Daniel saw that these misfits and outcasts were no saints, and a few were actually scumbags who [i]deserved[/i] to be cast out, being the child-sacrificing louts who worshipped cosmic horrors and embodiments of metaphysical tyranny which he thought the Clock Tower was. The second sign was that when Daniel became too vocal with this sentiment, one of these 'oppressed misfits' instead reported him to the Clock Tower, who promptly sent people to arrest Daniel and nip his conspiracy in the bud. Despite being a 'prodigy' with more experience than a kid should have, he was still a teenager and was thus easily lured out and captured. For a brief moment, Daniel considered blowing himself up rather than being subjected to the enemy's alleged cruel tortures, which included removal of one's magic circuits [i]entirely[/i]. Then he was knocked flat by a punch to the stomach before he can do so, and woke up in a surprisingly comfortable cell. After [i]that[/i], he found out that not only had his Grandfather fed him lies, but that said Grandfather was still alive - He had created a unique form of Magecraft, based on Life and Necromancy Magics, which allowed him to add other people's lifespans to his own, tricking death itself into thinking he was supposed to still be alive. This magic was best-cast in a Bounded Field, and the [i]real[/i] reason Daniel's uncles, aunts, and cousins died was because Anastasios had tricked them into a place with such a Field and transferred their lifespans to himself. And yes, there was a recording of Anastasios gloating about his plans, as well as other pieces of supporting evidence showing that his endgame was to use Daniel to found an organization to fight the Clock Tower and the rest of the Mages' Association, manipulating said organization to acquire power and knowledge for himself. After taking a while to absorb the information, Daniel allowed the Clock Tower to exact a fine from him of his Family's most powerful Mystic Codes, as well as give him an official reprimand. Out of gratitude, he joined the Clock Tower when given the opportunity to do so, especially as it'd give him revenge on his grandfather. Fourteen years passed, and Daniel found out that he was actually happy as long as he ignored the Clock Tower's amorality and focused on the net benefits to Humanity at large. Not for him was the world of politicking and backstabbing - His Grandfather had unwittingly taught him that involvement increases the risks of someone as naive as he becoming a pawn. He just wanted to do what good he can before he and his descendants - Once he married, there was no hurry - Reached The Root. Then he heard rumors of a Holy Grail War about to start somewhere else other than Fuyuki City and began investigating said rumors, only to wake up with a set of Command Seals. It seemed as though Fate had decided to get in the way of his happiness, hadn't it? [hr] [b]Elemental Affinity: [/b] Average One. [b]Magic Circuit Switch:[/b] Not listed in roll results, so I'll just wait for the GM to give it. [b]Number of Magic Circuits:[/b] D [b]Quality of Magic Circuits:[/b] A [hr] [b]Magecraft:[/b] Heroic Iconography Magecraft - The Palaiologos Family's signature Magecraft, dating from Greece and Rome and adapted to the Christian and Secular Eras, Heroic Iconography Magecraft uses Jewelry shaped into a form resonant in the collective subconscious (stars, planets, swords and rings) as a catalyst for a Ritual of Transformation (nowadays as simple as lifting up one's badge into the air and letting it catch the light of the sun, moon, and stars), combined with self-hypnosis to push one's physical and mental capabilities to the limit... [b]Magic Crest:[/b] 600 years. [b]Equipment:[/b] Jewel Star Badge and Uniform - A badge of electrum (a naturally-occuring alloy of gold and silver) and diamond which when held aloft, transforms Daniel's current clothing into a miniature version of [url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/stardriver/images/9/91/STAR_DRIVER_Kagayaki_no_Takuto_-_01_-_Large_24.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20101025014849]this uniform[/url], which acts as lightweight armor with decent resistance to physical and magical force (think the Chaldea Uniform from FGO). Electrum and Emerald Ring - A ring of electrum with an emerald set in its front, this ring carries basic Reinforcement spells that allow for Olympic-level feats and basic regeneration (also based on the Chaldea Uniform from FGO). Orbis - A crystal orb that contains several smaller jewels that represent a Heliocentric Solar System instead of the usual Geocentric cosmology followed by most Magi. This allows Daniel to see what is happening in distant places, 'stretching' his sight in an area as large as Budapest, and with an additional infusion of mana, Orbis can glow whenever it focuses on a region where a potent source of Mana is located, much like a Mana Compass. Needless to say, it [i]does[/i] glow red when detecting a danger too much for Daniel to handle... Telos - A modified Azoth dagger that can extend into a crystalline longsword that conducts Daniel's Elemental spells. [/hider]