Are you sharp-eyed, steady-handed, and unafraid of things that whisper in the dark?
Sidereal Agency is seeking new operatives to join our ranks. We specialise in the cases others won’t touch—occult fraud, inexplicable disappearances, and mysteries that seem not to fit within the framework of everyday common sense.
We’re looking for:
People with a keen sense of observation.
People who are intimately familiar with the occult, or are confident enough in other skills to defend themselves against the inexplicable.
Discretion, grit, and a willingness to deal with matters of the extraordinary are a must.
We offer:
Negotiable salary
Front-row seat to Millhaven’s strangest secrets.
Avenue to connect with people from all walks of life that we count among our clientele.
If you feel like you're a good fit—and you’ve got the nerve to answer—bring your CV and apply in person at:
SIDEREAL AGENCY 1438 Willowbrook Avenue Millhaven, OR
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Spellcasters on the Misty Shores, a nasuverse RP set in the fictional city of Millhaven in the USA's state of Oregon. You are people involved in—or looking to be involved in—matters of the occult, answering the employment ad of Sidereal Agency, a consultant firm for various occult matters. In the United States, neither the Mages Association nor the Holy Church hold a huge degree of influence over matters of mystics. Instead, the secret Department of Mystics of the US government regulates the mages, psychics, and mixed-bloods operating in the United States, with the relatively lax stance of 'do not do things that endanger the public and cause social unrest, but otherwise, you are free to do what you want', making America be considered 'a lawless land' to those involved in Mystics.
This is intended to be for a smaller-scale RP, so I'm only looking for about 4-6 players (Currently there are 5 players). Discord links will be given on PM for interested players, but for the time being, don't be hesitant to ask me anything related to the RP if you're interested.
FAQ
Is this a Fate RP? Not quite. It is more of a ‘nasuverse’ RP, as it doesn’t focus on Heroic Spirits and the Holy Grail War. Think of it more along the lines of Lord El Melloi II Case Files. Though in terms of vibe, think of Kara no Kyoukai/Garden of Sinners, except without Araya, thus more of an office tucked away in a quiet neighbourhood, dealing with street-level problems relating to the occult.
But this is in America, so where does this stand in relation to Fate/Strange Fake? In the spirit of ‘nasuism’, I will say that this is an alternate timeline of Fate/Strange Fake. Similar but not exactly the same. The war of Strange Fake happened, but rather than whatever will happen by the end of the Light Novel, the American Government accomplished their goal, which later in this universe caused widespread knowledge of the Holy Grail War in the Magecraft World, similar to what happened in the Apocrypha timeline.
What happened to the Fuyuki Grail anyway? Dismantled in 2014, in the Grail Dismantlement War that has been alluded to. It was an apocrypha-style Great Holy Grail War between El-Melloi II’s faction, which wanted to dismantle the grail and a coalition of Clock Tower families that wanted to re-establish it. The event holds minimal bearing to this RP except maybe some NPCs knowing some people who took part in that Holy Grail War.
Dead Apostle Ancestors, Yes or No? No. While yes, in Strange Fake they exist, they don’t here. Mostly because this is intended to be a low-level sort of ‘street-level’ RP, so there is no reason for them to be involved at all, in which case, for convenience's sake, might as well follow the ‘Dead Apostle Ancestors don’t exist in the Fate world’ rule on this.
What is ‘low level’? Meaning, don’t expect to be punching servants or phantasmal species. Your characters are not Rin, Sojuurou, or Gray, let alone someone like Wodime who can defeat Zeus in a specific circumstance. You can refer to the ranks part to sort of gauge how strong your characters are, but say, someone like Tokiomi would be the absolute upper limit, if that. If you are familiar with Vampire the Masquerade, this is essentially like a fledgling coterie game.
So do I have to be a Mage? Not really no, it's 'low level' so you can just be a detective who know of magecraft but cannot use it, or a former navy seal who has experience dealing with mages. For psychic of mixed-blood, it's on a case-to-case basis, just remember it's low level so don't apply someone like Shiki for psychics and or people like Kouma for Mixed-Blood. But I do encourage you to make character who at least dabble in magecraft. As you can see from the title of the RP, generally mages in our setting of America are more of the spellcasters type, who just uses them for convenience rather than mage mage, who seek the Root.
CHARACTER SHEET
This is just the general format, feel free to spruce them up with your own formatting as long as it contains all the same general information as the one provided here
[hider=Character Name] [Center][h1]SIDEREAL AGENCY[/h1] [sup][h2]JOB APPLICATION FORM[/h2][/sup] [/center] [center] [b][h2]B I O[/h2][/b] [img]i.imgur.com/LOYoygj.png[/img] Name : Age : Date of Birth : Address : (Pick a Location on Millhaven's map and make up an address) [/center] [b][h2]C U R R I C U L L U M V I T A E[/h2][/b] [h3]Education[/h3] [h3]Work/Organizational Experience[/h3] [h3]Accomplishments[/h3] [b][h2]S K I L L S & O T H E R R E S O U R C E S[/h2][/b] [h3]Item 1[/h3] [h3]Item 2[/h3] [h3]Item 3[/h3] [b][h2]C O V E R L E T T E R[/h2][/b] Tell us a bit about yourself and why Sidereal Agency would benefit by hiring you [hider=Others] This can be done out of character. The details of your magecraft/ability and other things you think are relevant for your character. If there is some secret backstory you don't want the other players to know, you're welcome to contact me as GM and we can discuss it privately. [/hider] [/hider]
SIDEREAL AGENCY
JOB APPLICATION FORM
B I O
Name : Age : Date of Birth : Address : (Pick a Location on Millhaven's map and make up an address)
C U R R I C U L L U M V I T A E
Education
Work/Organizational Experience
Accomplishments
S K I L L S & O T H E R R E S O U R C E S
Item 1
Item 2
Item 3
C O V E R L E T T E R
Tell us a bit about yourself and why Sidereal Agency would benefit by hiring you
This can be done out of character. The details of your magecraft/ability and other things you think are relevant for your character. If there is some secret backstory you don't want the other players to know, you're welcome to contact me as GM and we can discuss it privately.
Example Sheet (Will not actually be a part of the agency, just a hypothetical example) :
SIDEREAL AGENCY
JOB APPLICATION FORM
B I O
Name : Lucia Animusphere Fidano Age : 28 Date of Birth : 10th of August, 1992 Address : Harborview Towers, 128 Seafarer’s Promenade, Millhaven, Oregon
C U R R I C U L L U M V I T A E
Education
Clock Tower, Department of General Fundamentals (I), Mystille 2009-2011
Clock Tower, Department of Astromancy (VIII), Animusphere 2011-2013
Work/Organizational Experience
Clock Tower Mage 2014-2020 Researcher on the Department of Astromancy, with focus on application of the alchemical principle of transmutation of events to create a desired future through the medium of astrological aspects
Head of the Fidano Family 2012-Current The 6th generation head of the Fidano Family, holder of the family's 300 years old magic crest
Accomplishments
Title Rank of Pride: Law 2014 Bestowed the Magus Rank of Pride by the Clock Tower in recognition of work in the field of Astromancy
Victor of Fuyuki Grail Dismantlement War 2014 Master of Berserker for the victorious El-Melloi II's faction, representing the Animusphere Family on the behest of Olga-Marie Animusphere
S K I L L S & O T H E R R E S O U R C E S
Magecraft
Magic Circuits ranked C in quantity and A+ (Abnormal, extremely compatible with magecraft invoking planets as gods) in quality. Elemental Affinity of Average One and Thaumaturgical Attributes of Symbology and Future. Good grasp on fundamental magecraft and specialising in Astromancy by invoking celestial bodies through astrological signs, with the most notable application being luck manipulation.
Trait: Natal Chart, Venus
Due to Astromancy ritual done when born, possess traits of Venus. Including but not limited to pleasant appearance and natural good fortune.
Mystic Code
Holder of the Stellar Firmament Mystic Code, a staff used to assist in the creation of astrological space.
C O V E R L E T T E R
Dear Leonardo Fidano, Head of the Sidereal Agency,
This seemed to be quite redundant, considering that I am your sister, and I think you know full well why I am applying to work for your agency. Though I suppose, for formality's sake, there is no harm. And since we have scarcely talked since Father made me the heir instead of you, there is value in having you know what I have been up to.
As you know, I was born to the Fidano Family, a branch family of the Animusphere, who branched out in the 1700s after receiving a minor split crest from the Animusphere Source Crest. Like many of our families, when I was born, I underwent the astromancy ritual using the principle of the Natal Chart to bestow specific traits. Mine is fortune and misfortune, as well as traits relating to Venus, which formed as the basis of my personal magecraft to create a 'specific future' by manipulating fortune and misfortune.
I later joined the General Fundamentals Department of the Clock Tower at age 18, before moving to the Department of Astromancy, whereupon I eventually reached the rank of Pride in 2014. Later that year, as a representative of the Animusphere Family who had thrown their lot with the El-Melloi's faction due to having determined the Fuyuki Grail was corrupted, I joined the Fuyuki Grail Dismantlement War as the Master of the Berserker Class Servant, Sagramore Constantino of the Round Table. After the war ended in our victory and the grail dismantled, I went back to the Clock Tower and continued my research toward finding the path to the Root through our family's thesis of Celestial Worship.
I believe that the pursuit of the Swirl of Origin through the fulfilment of one's family's thesis is the noblest endeavour one can partake in. This is not to say that there is no worth in other pursuits, but certain things are inherently nobler than others; giving charity is always nobler than using the money for one's hobby, for instance. In this same vein, there is nothing that would give a human more meaning and purpose than embarking on the search for the ultimate truth and reality that will elevate the dignity of one's humanity, claiming the place it was always meant to reach, grasping magics that can fundamentally alter reality itself. From the moment humanity's ancestors explored the new frontiers beyond the valleys of Africa, reaching the Root is the endpoint of that primal endeavour.
Which is why, to be frank—since I do not believe deceit is the correct or moral approach here—I wish to join your agency to have a chance of convincing you to return to the world of magecraft instead of merely being a spellcaster who uses magecraft only to make ends meet. You, too, once believed in the nobility of this pursuit, which was why you left our family since you felt your chance to reach the Root was robbed from you, did you not? Still, even if you believe that you can no longer reach the Root without our family's crest, there are ways to still contribute to the pursuit. A mage's most sacred duty, if they cannot reach what their family strive for, is to entrust everything they have achieved over to the next generation to continuously strive for the Root. Father has been urging me to produce an heir, and it would gladden me so if you would be there to help my future child in their pursuit of the Root.
That is not to say that I will merely be idle in your agency. In exchange for this chance to persuade you, I will give my utmost to help you deal with cases that pass through your desk. The full extent of my magecraft is available to you. I am sure that, at the very least, the presence of a mage ranked Pride in your agency would serve as a good competitive advantage for marketing. The United States is, after all, a region of 'low Mystery' and I can't imagine there are many Pride-ranked mages, especially working for small private businesses such as yours. Oh, and of course, I still maintain my ability to somehow turn just about any random assortment of ingredients into top-tier cooking due to my inherent good fortune. I do remember you quite liking them when we were growing up, so that is another benefit that I am willing to contribute to your agency.
I do hope you will give this application due consideration,
Your Younger Sister, Lucia Animusphere Fidano
The Fidano Family The Fidano family is a branch family of the Animusphere, who branched out in the 1700s after receiving a minor split crest from the Animusphere Source Crest. The family’s founder, Horatio Fidano was an apprentice to the then-head of the Animusphere Family. Though a first-generation mage, Horatio’s deep theoretical understanding of astromancy contributed to the Animusphere’s research, helping to advance the Animusphere magecraft through his contribution. As a reward, he received a split crest and started his own magus family as a branch of the Animusphere.
In modern days, the Fidano family remains a close vassal of the Animusphere and thus enjoys various support from the Lord of the Astromancy Department as well as the rest of the branch families. Furthermore, as a close ally of the Animusphere, the Fidano Family is one of the families prioritized when the Animusphere needed to send away spare heirs, some of them marrying into the Fidano Family. Thus, due to the mixing of the old bloodline of the Animusphere, mages of the Fidano family tend to have better circuits than the average for a 6th generation family.
Magecraft Magecraft: Magic Circuit Switch: Being burned by heat generated by stars Number of Magic Circuits: C Quality of Magic Circuits: A+ (Abnormal, extremely compatible with magecraft invoking planets as gods)
Elemental Affinity: Average One Crest: ~300 years old (6th Generation) Thaumaturgical Attribute: Symbology, Future
General Magecraft As an heir to one of the Animusphere’s branch families, Lucia is sponsored into the Clock Tower before enrolling in the Department of Astromancy. Through her studies, she has a good grasp of basic magecraft skills and concepts.
Astromancy: Celestial Worship The Fidano family specializes in the form of astromancy. Astromancy Magecraft is a practice focusing on the planets and stars. As the case with the Animusphere, mages of the Fidano family etch Greek astrological signs and through invocation actualise mysteries based on the meaning derived from the astrological objects etched. Rather than the Animusphere focus on divination-based astromancy, however, the Fidano family focuses more on using the astrological signs as one might runes, manifesting various spells based on the combined meanings of the celestial bodies invoked.
It is a magecraft drawn from the worship of the Heavenly Bodies. The veneration of stars, planets, and other astrological bodies as deities or other mythological elements, along with the authority and domain of those mythological elements. The cosmos is seen as the places where gods dwell, and the arrangement of the starts a byproduct of the mind of gods. And thus, by understanding celestial objects, one might reach the mind of the gods. The practice of celestial worship and the meanings assigned to celestial objects etched its mark in the World as a Thaumaturgical Foundation that can serve as the basis of this magecraft, invoking the meanings behind the astrological symbols.
Due to Lucia’s status as an Average one, she focuses on using Triplicity Rulership as her formula for the Fidano Family Magecraft, one of the essential dignities in astronomy that divide zodiac signs into the four classical elements. In this sense, the symbols are always etched in a group of three, based on the harmony of the astrological objects in the Triplicity Rulership. A set of Triplicity Rulership invocation will contain the zodiac sign invoked, the day or night rulership depending on the time of day when the spell is invoked and the effect desired, and the participating ruler. The mystery is then actualized based on a combination of meanings from the three. For instance, by invoking the legend of the impervious fur of the Nemean Lion that is represented by the Leo zodiac in the Triplicity of Flame, the Strength of Mars as the Night Ruler, and the ‘Consequences of one’s action’ of Saturn as the Participating Ruler, it is possible to create a flame barrier that block attacks and then turns into a burst of flames with strength proportional to the attack blocked.
Alchemy: Astrifer Ordo Lucia’s personal application for her family magecraft. Rather than the branch of alchemy typically practised in the Clock Tower, which concerns itself with the transmutation of matter, it is closer to Atlas Institute’s transmutation of events, something with a close shared origin with astromancy, the Middle East. It is a manipulation of an astrological space to ‘enforce’ a certain future, done through the invocation of Lucia’s astrological aspects.
The opposition aspect that occurred on the day of Lucia’s birth was Jupiter-Saturn. Opposition is said to be the most powerful astrological aspect, fundamentally relational but not unifying or blending like a conjunction. Rather, it reinforces the qualities of both celestial bodies in opposition when invoked in dichotomy. In this case, the symbology behind the two is Saturn as a major malefic, hence great misfortune and Jupiter as a major benefit, hence great fortune. These two aspects of fortune and misfortune are then further enhanced through the aspect of conjunction that occurred in Lucia’s birth, which represented synergy. Saturn, the major malefic is bolstered by Mars, the minor malefic, whereas Jupiter is bolstered by Venus, the minor benefic.
Jupiter is hot and wet, in the classical element, air. Saturn is cold and dry, earth. Venus is cold and wet, water. Mars is hot and dry, fire. As an Average One that is compatible with all four elements, through the thaumaturgical attribute of ‘future’, Lucia leverages these astrological aspects to ‘ensure a specific future’ by manipulating the luck of herself and other people, such as a future where her spells hit their target and enemies’ spells are avoided, or where one’s spell overcome an enemy’s defences, or one where something that is normally ‘impossible’ due to low statistical chance becomes possible due to great fortune on her part and great misfortune on others.
Traits and Mystic Code Natal Chart: Venus A trait bestowed on Lucia due to an astromancy ritual done at her birth. House I: Vita, known as the House of Self, is a house of which the significance is the life of man, of stature, colour, complexion, form, and so on. Celestial Objects in the First House at the moment of birth are believed to bestow traits to those born under them, for example, if either Saturn or Mars be in this house, at the time of birth, some blemish may be observed. For Lucia, the celestial object that was in the First House at the moment of her birth is Venus. Thus, through the astromancy ritual, Lucia was bestowed traits relating to Venus. As the Goddess of Beauty, while it bestowed mundane traits of how a person born under Venus in the First House tends to be a pretty, complete, handsome man or woman, it also bestowed non-mundane traits. In this case, as it relates to Venus's role that signifies good fortune, making Lucia predisposed to ‘good luck’. Furthermore, tapping into Venus’ role in Rome's Pantheon that ‘manipulates divine forces through magic’, Lucia’s circuits exhibited greater output due to compatibility when using her family magecraft which invoked the planets as divine beings.
Stellar Firmament Stellar Firmament is a staff Mystic Code used by Lucia to assist her in the creation of an astronomical space. The staff holds an orrery at the tip, arranged in an orbital plane of a cosmological model. The cosmological model inscribed in the orbital plane of the magic circle is the Aristotelian Celestial Spheres, where celestial objects are embedded in circular rotating spheres. The miniature planets are made out of materials in which the planet’s effect is exerted on Earth (Gold for the sun, silver for the moon, quicksilver for mercury, and so on), with rings of magical energy suspending them in the air. These rings represent the celestial spheres in Aristotle’s model which are the basis of the addition of Ether to the Classical Element, a Fifth Element that does not move linearly upward like fire or air nor linearly downward like water and earth, but circularly. By manipulating the flow of the magical energy to rotate the planets, an astronomical space with the ideal arrangement of the Essential Dignities—the property of astromancy that denotes in which position of its orbit a celestial object exerts its authority the greatest—for the mystery actualized is created.
Thus, by offloading the formula for ideal celestial arrangements based on Essential Dignity on the magic crest, the planets invoked will be fixed in their ideal locations before magical energy trickles down from the zodiac signs invoked, down to the planets before finally going down to earth at the centre of the magical circle, where the mystery is actualised as spells.
THE SETTING
The following is a comprehensive 'pocketbook' shall we say, of the setting, but please, don't feel intimidated by the volume. I don't expect you all to read everything here. It's just here if you're interested or think parts of it would be relevant to your character.
America in Nasuverse
In the modern day, North America is considered to be a region of low mystery by many mages in the Mage Association, especially those belonging to the Clock Tower. Contrary to the mundane world, in which some may even argue that the current age is that of ‘Pax Americana’, with America as the global superpower after the Roman and British Empires, in the World of Magecraft, the United States of America is little more than a backwater region where talentless hacks, rogue magi, dubious spellcasters, and other dregs of the mage society go.
On the other hand, while the phrase ‘The Holy Church maintains a significant presence in America’ is oft uttered by mages of the Clock Tower, it is a saying born out of ignorance of the true situation in the USA, arising due to the lack of interest of magi at large in North America, dismissing USA as ‘Young country with no mystery’. The truth of the Holy Church's Presence in the USA is more complex. In the first place, the Roman Catholic Church is not the dominant denomination of Christianity in the USA, and instead, the majority of churches in America are not aware of the World of Magecraft. This fact, combined with the rise of secularism, makes the influence of the Holy Church on the United States of America tenuous at best.
With both the Mage Association and the Holy Church having minimal presence in the USA, the preeminent body of magical authority is the Government of America, which has little interest in preserving mystery by the Concealment of Mystics as long as it does not disturb public peace, thus as long as the preternatural phenomena are classified as ‘occult stuff’ dismissed by the majority of the American public, the government is content to let them be.
Thus, in the World of Magecraft, North America might as well be a lawless land where various magi who do not belong anywhere else gather.
Though in the present day, the North American region is a region of low mystery, among one of the places where mystery has deteriorated the most, it was not always the case throughout the course of history. Far before the colonisation of the American continent by European settlers, the American continent was a continent teeming with its own mystics. In North America, though no famed Empire-sprawling civilization such as the Aztecs and Mayans of Mesoamerica, many diverse civilizations such as the Mississippian Culture, Puebloans, Navajo, Inuit, and more thrived with their own traditions of mystics.
The tradition of mystics in North America differs between each of the disparate tribes, though some common grounds exist, most notably for the purpose of magecraft, was their connection to nature and spirits invoked through ceremonies and rituals, such as dances. In this sense, though at a glance, the magecraft practised by the Indigenous tribes of North America is similar to Spiritual Evocation, their paradigm is closer to that of the magecraft practised in Asia, such as the Japanese Magecraft that draws upon their contracted Divine Spirit’s authority through ceremonial gestures such as Kashiwade. Due to the unabated deterioration of mystery in North America, many of these magecraft practices have died out, and in the current day World of Magecraft, they are commonly classified under the umbrella term of Shamanism, a form of magecraft that borrows the power of spirits through dialogue.
During the Age of Gods, the various shamans of the tribes in North America borrowed the power of nature spirits through ceremonial rituals to actualise their mystery. Each tribe typically contracted different spirits, and it is theorised that the old North America was a region with a very high activity of nature spirits. Though there are many theories as to why old North America became such a hotspot for nature spirits despite not being a region of special significance, such as the Isle of Britain, after the discovery of the alien Divine Filament in Mesoamerica by the Department of Botany, one prevailing theory was that the nature spirits were intended by the will of the planet to act as ‘white blood cells’ against the incursion from these alien microorganism, and was the reason why Divine Filament is contained in Mesoamerica during the Age of Gods.
As the ‘light’ of science takes the place of the receding mystics, many magi, especially those in the Western World, try to preserve mystery by various means, most famously the Concealment of Mystics. The practitioners in America take no such measures, instead allowing mystery to degrade unabated. This is less due to a lack of initiative or capability but more due to a difference in worldview. For European magi, who see magecraft as a ‘pathway’ out of this world to reach the ultimate reality, known as the ‘Swirl of Origin’ or ‘the Root of Akasha’, preservation of mystery is a must and thus, they ‘fight’ against the course of the world in which mystics are heading to complete disappearance. For the shamans of the Indigenous American tribes, however, magecraft is a mean to connect to the world instead of transcending it. Thus, they accepted the deterioration of magecraft as the natural course of the world. Indeed, considering their belief in the cyclical temporal pattern, they believe that it is merely part of the cycle, and eventually, mystics will return in the next cycle.
With no preservation of mystery, the thaumaturgical foundation’s mystery used by the practitioner of America was degraded to the point where only the most talented were able to actualise mystery. These were people with enough talent that were they born in the Western World and used Thaumaturgical Foundations that were better preserved, would become very high calibre mages, those that would be granted at least the rank of Pride by the Clock Tower. Instead, due to how far the mystery in America has degraded, they were only adequate to somewhat above-average magi from the perspective of Western magi.
This was the state of America found by some magi who went alongside the initial European settlers to survey the ‘newly discovered’ or rather re-discovered landmass. Finding the state of mystery in America, particularly North America, to be abhorrent, the mage association quickly dismissed America and thus took no part in the colonisation of the land. Only spellcasters, who fashioned themselves as adventurers or mercenaries secretly hired by the colonists, came to the New World. When the colonists eventually entered into conflict with the Indigenous tribes, these spellcasters fought alongside the colonists. As practitioners of Western Magecraft, of which the mysteries were better preserved than the foundation used by the shamans of the Indigenous tribes, they soundly defeated the Indigenous tribes in a battle of magecraft. Thus, the various forms of Western magecraft practised by the spellcasters replaced shamanism as the mainstream magecraft practised in America.
With neither the Mage Association nor the Holy Church having a strong foothold in the United States, in matters of mystics, the boundaries are set by the Government of America, particularly the newly established Department of Mystics, of which said boundaries are far less stringent than what both the Mage Association and the Holy Church liked. The stance of the DoM is that as long as it does not tear at the social fabric or disturb the peace, they will not interfere and instead will spend their resources and effort to safeguard the nation from possible foreign threats related to the world of magecraft. Therefore, as long as the line is not crossed, mages in the USA are free to do their business, even publicly claiming to be a practitioner of ‘magic’, offering their services to citizens. The public at large dismisses the phenomenon of mystics as urban legends, tricks of the eye, some freak weather phenomena, or other ‘logical’ explanations, hence maintaining social fabric and public order. For those who are more superstitious or are into the occult, however, they represent a ‘market segment’ in the USA that magi tap into for profit.
In a reversed situation compared to the mainstream Western Magecraft World, in which spellcasters are looked down on, mages in the States are proud of their way of doing things, seeing it as practical and contemporary modern. Instead, in the USA, magi who seek the Root is looked down upon as ‘old fashioned’ and ‘pretentious’, not unlike how the ordinary people would see a philosophy professor trying to lecture society from his ivory tower. Among the younger generations, the terms such as ‘Gandalf-wannabe’ or ‘Voldemort-wannabe’ have gained traction as an insult for magi seeking the root.
Contrary to the rest of the mainstream Western Magecraft world in which mages seek to reach the root, due to originally being hired hands brought by the colonists, mages in the USA are often descendants of those mercenaries that are able to use magecraft , thus most see magecraft more as a means for mundane goals, such as seeking their fortunes or achieving their ambitions, thus rather than ‘magi’ the terminology of ‘spellcasters’ is more apt. Mages belonging to the association tend to be more adamant about using the label of spellcasters for practitioners from the States, in the USA, magecraft practitioners don’t quite follow the same distinction. Most just call themselves mages, some even use the terms ‘wizard’, ‘occultist’, or ‘sorcerer’ due to having better ‘branding’ for potential customers.
Many of these spellcasters use magecraft to further their own mundane career, such as using hypnosis to land that profitable deal or divination to predict the stock market. Others make a living using magecraft full-time, such as Fengshui or Qimen practitioners selling their services to companies owned by Chinese immigrants—who often pay more heed to such things when doing business—or astromancy mages using astrology to read fortunes for socialites or even healing services for new agers who are seeking alternative medicine. Those who are proficient enough in their craft might even land a lucrative contract from the Department of Mystics. Of course, there are also those who sell their services for organised crimes in the underworld.
The Department of Mystics originated as a task force created by Bryan Dioland in 1945 in the wake of World War II as a response to the Third Reich’s attempts to pursue mystics. Post-World War II, it was found out that Nazi Germany attempted to pursue mystics to bolster their fighting ability in World War II, most notably the participation of their representative in the Third Holy Grail War 1939. While ultimately they failed to gather much aside from spellcaster mercenaries, the potential that foreign power might utilize mystics to threaten the United States prompted a response by the creation of a task force dedicated to deal with matters of mystics under the Department of Defence. One of the main projects of the task force was to create their own imitation Holy Grail War in order to study the Third Magic and try using it for their own means. In 2009, the grandson of Bryan Dioland, Faldeus Dioland managed to complete the imitation holy grail war, and thus, having proven their efficacy, the United States Government poured more funding into the task force, having been made into its own Department, the Department of Mystics (DoM). The DoM is a secret Department of the United States Federal Government, known only to the higher-ups in the government, including but not limited to the President and Vice-President, the Speaker of the House, and the Secretary of Defence. It focuses on developing countermeasures against threats related to mystics both domestic and foreign, as well as acting as the governing body for magecraft matters in the United States. The current Secretary of Mystic is Faldeus Dioland. Their main focus is to research the application of mystics in warfare, as well as managing a spy network and agents all over the world to assess the possibility of foreign adversary advances in mystics, in particular, China. While they would prefer for Mystics to disappear completely, the DoM see the race to incorporate mystics into their warfare as the next Manhattan Project, believing that the disclosure of mystics is possibly imminent in the near future.
After its establishment in 2010, it held a conference of mystics in Washington D.C. where they invited all mages, spellcasters, mixed-blood, and psychics who have been operating in the USA to come as they unveil the Mystic Regulation Act (MRA). The MRA would oblige all parties involved in mystics operating in the United States to register themselves with the DoM, otherwise, they will be treated as an illegal practitioner and will be dealt with. In exchange, there is only one undergirding rule that the DoM demands—unlike the Clock Tower—do not do things that endanger the public and cause social unrest, but otherwise, they are free to do what they want. While at first, some of the gathered practitioners did not take the government seriously, the subsequent raids conducted by the Department of Defense and Department of Mystics in the following months were more than enough to prove the efficacy of the US government in eliminating threats related to mystics. In particular, the Leeds Family in New Jersey, one of the oldest and most powerful mage families in the United States, of which one of the previous heads had been given a sealing designation by the Clock Tower was made as an example and eliminated, alongside their powerful familiar, the so-called Jersey Devil. Today, it is estimated that 75% of mixed-blood, psychics and mages operating in the United States are registered with the DoM. Around twenty per cent are unregistered, typically working for the criminal underworld. Finally, about five per cent are the uninitiated, those that accidentally discover psychic power or genuine magecraft tome and start practising on their own, or inherited weak traits from their non-human ancestors. The majority of the uninitiated are only able to actualize weak mystery, not enough to cause social unrest, easily dismissed by the majority of the public as charlatans or swindlers and thus is a low priority. Less than one per cent of these uninitiated, however, is a rare breed that possesses special talents and traits that pose a threat to the public, and thus apprehending these uninitiated is one of the priorities of the DoM.
The personnel of the DoM ranges from spellcasters who are public servants to the US army, mostly Navy Seals, who are trained to combat mystics to private contractors who are offered jobs or contracts. Spellcasters who are public servants are usually recruited from mage families that have ties to the US government, though there are also public servants who the DoM trained in magecraft and then sent to the Clock Tower for study in exchange for providing funding to the Clock Tower’s research. The US Army soldiers, recruited due to recommendation from the DoD, started out as promising soldiers who were offered a special track known as the ‘M7’ track, in which they were thrown unprepared against various threats from magecraft. Those who pass are then formally transferred to the DoM to undergo further training while those who don’t have their memory erased. Private contractors are recruited from the various mages, psychics, or mixed-bloods operating in America. If they are deemed to be talented enough and/or possess skills that the DoM needs for projects, they will be offered a lucrative contract. These contracts are enough to set a person for life, provided they don’t spend extravagantly, and thus are highly sought by freelancers in the USA. There also exists the trump card of the DoM, the Pluribus Legion, a division made of agents that have become vessels to Heroic Spirits as Pseudo-Servants. This division is the result of the DoM research done during the Imitation Grail War in 2009, based on the Heroic Spirit Summoning System of the Einzbern’s Grail. Due to the limitation in knowledge and resources, only Heroic Spirits of America can be summoned, and even then, they are far weaker compared to normal Servants. However, they are able to use skills and Noble Phantasm albeit in heavily degraded state.
The American Mystic Society (AMS) is an association comprised not only of mages in America, but also of psychics who acquired mystery through mutations, and mixed-blood who at one point have supernatural ancestry. It was originally a mage organisation focused on the study of Modern Magecraft Theory called the California Convention. After DoM was formally established, the American government poured funding into the California Convention, allowing it to grow into what is now called the American Mystic Society. While at a glance, it looks as if simply an American-styled Mage Association modelled after the Clock Tower, rather than acting as a governing body for magecraft, the AMS is closer to associations for professions, such as the American Thoracic Society. They write guidelines and recommendations for magecraft users, mixed-bloods, and psychics in America, but do not enforce any rules.
Unlike the Clock Tower, that do not freely share secrets, mages of the AMS, due to mostly being spellcasters are more likely to cooperate in developing mystics. Of course, there are many who keep secrets to themselves just in case they need a trump card when they have to face another member of the AMS in battle, but generally, the tradition of the secrets being kept among the bloodline or lines of teaching is far laxer for mages of the AMS.
In regard to the Psychics and Mixed-bloods, the branches of the AMS that specialize in these two focus on providing resources and support systems. For psychics, they help in dealing with the new ‘channel’ of cognition they’ve opened up and ensure that they can still integrate into mundane society well. Similarly, for Mixed-Bloods who inherited particularly strong inhumane traits, they focus on providing a support system to help Mixed-Bloods not be overwhelmed by their inhuman side and be able to continue living as a human. In comparison to the branch of the AMS dealing with spellcasters, the Psychic and Mixed-Blood branches of the AMS are less utilitarian and are more focused on improving the quality of life for psychics and mixed-bloods, nevertheless, the three branches cooperate and it is not uncommon to see spellcasters, psychics, and mixed-bloods acting together in certain projects or matters the AMS involve themselves in.
The Clock Tower, as a whole, has little interest in the United States due to the low level of mystery. Thus, when the United States Government started taking an active role in regulating the mystics in America, the Clock Tower allowed the DoM to be the regulator of mystics in the land they had little interest in. Despite the brief period of tension during the imitation Holy Grail War in Snowfield, Nevada, in 2009, the US government made great strides to repair relations, making various donations to fund research projects of all departments of the Clock Tower as well as sharing the result of their research into the Einzbern’s Holy Grail War system—resulting in the dissemination of smaller derivative Grail War all over the world—thus the relation between the Clock Tower and the US Government was cool and cordial.
While the Clock Tower prefers stricter regulation of the mystics in North America than what the DoM is doing, the line the DoM had drawn was eventually treated as ‘not ideal, but acceptable’ by the Clock Tower Lords. The Clock Tower maintain a minimal presence, mostly concentrated in Washington DC to act as a consultant to the DoM and the government, though their real purpose is to monitor the US Government to not do anything against the policy of the Clock Tower. In particular, having feared the reckless tendency of the US government—as evidenced by the deployment of the nuclear bomb in World War II despite not fully understanding the consequences just yet—the Clock Tower Lords feared the US Government setting their sight South, where a certain crystalline alien lifeform slumbers.
In recent years, a certain department of the Clock Tower, Department of Lore, Brishsan has placed a great interest in the United States. After the widespread media coverage of supposedly leaked Pentagon videos of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) and alleged whistleblowers’ testimony of craft retrieval program and even the corpse of Non-Human Intelligence, the Department of Lore that studies and quarantine non-human artefacts and exoantrophic phenomenon of extraterrestrial origin have reached out to the United States government to verify these media reports. Thus far, the United States Government has denied the veracity of the existence of a craft retrieval program or having possession of NHI corpses. Nevertheless, several mages belonging to this department are now active in the USA, investigating what appears to be a hotspot for an alien phenomenon, just in case some of them prove to be legitimate. Department of Lore mages have been granted access to the infamous Area 51, finding nothing out of place. However, some in the Department and even the Clock Tower as a whole suspected that there was more to the area that they did not manage to find during their inspections. Regardless of whether the United States has truly hidden a secret program related to alien phenomena from the Clock Tower or not, the brewing suspicion and conspiracy regarding it has become somewhat of an issue in diplomatic relations between the USA and Clock Tower.
In the World of Magecraft, the term ‘The Holy Church’ is used by mages to refer to a subsection of the Christian faith who are aware of the mystics. For mages, they typically use it under the assumption that they are referring to a singular united section of the Christian faith that deals with the mystics. Specifically, the Roman Catholic kind, is usually what most mages think of when saying ‘The Holy Church’, mostly due to their unfamiliarity with the Church. In truth, while all the denominations work together in matters of mystics, and the Roman Catholic Church has the most adherents that are aware of the mystics, the division within the ranks is quite prominent between denominations. In the United States even more so compared to other places in Europe, as the denomination that usually took up the role of mediation, the Roman Catholic Church, does not hold as much influence among Christians in the United States. Rather, the Protestants, notably infamous for their many denominations and divisions, are in power among Christians in the United States. As a result, the differences between members of the Holy Church in America are more pronounced than those in other parts of Europe.
The Roman Catholic Church only truly maintained an influence over the states of New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, where they are the dominant religious group. In other states, Protestantism and its many denominations, as well as offshoots such as Mormonism and the Latter-day Saints, are the dominant forms of Christianity. Unlike the Roman and Orthodox Catholic Church, these newer branches of Christianity are much more removed from matters of the World of Magecraft, the majority of which are wholly unaware of it. Therefore due to the dominant sect in the region being the one who is most removed from the mystics, the Holy Church does not maintain a large presence in America’s World of Magecraft.
However, while there is a lack of coordinated effort concerning the mystics, a decent amount of the uninitiated are Christians who discovered that they possess ‘special abilities’. These people are classified as psychics by mages, the Holy Church calls them ‘Charismatics’, more colloquially, they are known as faith healers or faith workers. The DoM mostly leaves them alone, as those who believe will simply attribute them to the grace of God, while those who don’t will simply dismiss them as charlatans or delusional, thus there is no risk of public unrest. They are, however, monitored closely so as to not overstep such as unknowingly exacerbating problems of the mystical nature, especially after how a rare case of actual demonic possession slipped through the cracks in 2012 and an uninitiated protestant reverent made the mistake of naming the demon, causing it to mature and ended up almost destroying an entire neighbourhood in Brooksville, Florida.
The United States have a long history of organized crime. Notably, most infamously, the mafia, originating from Italian immigrants in New York, has long had a tight grip on the United States underworld. In the late 20th Century, however, the landscape of America’s criminal underworld underwent a shift, as old families lost their influence and were replaced by new emerging families who had incorporated mystic into their operation. These new families are called ‘the New Five Great Mafias’. While publicly the government disavowed and fought against these criminal syndicates, the DoM, in particular, has an agreement with the five families. In exchange for helping the government control elements of mystics hiding in the criminal underground, the US government will stay clear of the families’ operations, provided they stay within the boundary of ‘not disturbing public peace.’ These five families at the head of the United States underworld called themselves the Scladio Family, Cascade Family, Jam Bullets, Badgers Alliance, and Zafu Association.
The Scladio Family, based in Lower Manhattan, originated as one of the mafia families operating out of Manhattan, having ties to the Sicilian Mafia. At a certain point, the boss of the family, Galvarosso Scladio ended up marrying a mage, who then opened his eyes to the World of Magecraft. Following the marriage, Galvarosso expanded his influence to the World of Magecraft by providing help to ostracized mages, those who have no land, or those branded as heretics by the Clock Tower, those who failed to make it and are seeking new opportunities. He arranged their travel to America, where the Scladio Family gave them lands and funded their research, in turn making them indebted and dependent on the Scladio Family. In terms of having the most magi working for them, the Scladio Family is at the top of the New Five Great Mafias. Its original boss, Galvarosso Scladio died in a related incident to the Snowfield’s Grail War in 2009. However, due to not having an heir, one of the prominent Capo, Regolo Marchione has taken over as boss of the Scladio Family.
Based in Midtown Manhattan, is a relatively new mafia family called the Cascade Family. Unlike the Scladio Family which has ties with the old mafias established in the States, the Cascade Family was established when their boss, Kate Caroline Cascade moved from the United Kingdom to the United States. Kate Cascade was a mage of the Clock Tower, who lost their prestige and land in the political power struggle. Disgraced, like many mages that have lost standing in the Clock Tower, she headed to the United States. Upon arrival in the States, she ingratiated herself into the criminal underworld using magecraft, taking control of multiple smuggling routes in and out of Manhattan. Eventually, she struck a deal with the leader of a large financial group consisting of Wall Street traders, whereupon she helped a prominent member of the group to create a ritual using blood to link him with the members of the group, allowing him to create an investor group with full unity and no strife to exert great influence on the stock market. It is through this connection that the Cascade Family received massive funding and expanded their influence even more. Contrary to the rest of the New Mafia Family who used magecraft to bolster their influence in the underworld, the Cascade Family is a traditional mage family of the Clock Tower, who still sought the Root, and thus is using resources from being a mafia family to help their research. Many of its recruits are uninitiated or occult enthusiasts drawn with the promise of being taught magecraft, though in reality they become trapped in inescapable servitude with no hope of advancement in the ranks, with the few exceptions talented enough that are made apprentices. In terms of numbers, they are the smallest out of the five, however, they have the most influence and financial resources.
Jam Bullets, composed of Harlem’s street gangs was formed by Romain Douglas, a 3rd generation mage who managed to get into the Clock Tower, but ended up deciding that the life of a mage wasn’t for him, and thus returned to his hometown. Unfortunately, due to ‘wasting’ his education on the Clock Tower instead of obtaining a college degree, the only jobs available to him were dead-end blue-collar work. Eventually, he turned to less-than-legal stuff to make money, before consolidating the street gangs around Harlem. While Jam Bullets run racketeering and other illegal money-making schemes, they have a reputation more aligned to the idealized ‘mobster who protected the neighbourhood’, perhaps due to the charisma of its boss. They generally have good relations with mages not working for the underworld, whereupon they help to keep the mages abreast of the situation in the underworld in case one of the mages there is attempting to make a move on their ‘turf’, and in return the mages provide support for the Jam Bullets. Occasionally, they even work together with members of the Holy Church when necessary.
Badgers Alliance is an alliance of Russian mobsters, backed by a mage named Ivkin Vadim (Vadik) Afanasievich. Vadik is the heir of the Afanasievich Family specializing in the creation of combat-purpose mystic codes, formerly associated with the Clock Tower. At some point, he was declared a Sealing Designate and fled to America to avoid the Clock Tower, eventually ending up with the Petrovich Family, one of the Russian mafia operating out of the Upper East Side, Manhattan. With his backing of mystic codes, the Petrovich Family consolidated the Russian Mobsters operating in the States, under the Badgers Alliance. Vadik served as the Consigliere of the group, though it can be argued that he is the de facto boss. That said, as long as he is given funding for his research, he is more than content to let them do their business and help supply mystic codes to the Badgers Alliance, though mostly done by one of his apprentices. In terms of sheer number, the Badgers Alliance has the most manpower and bolstered with mystic codes, is the most powerful combat-wise of the five New Mafia Family. Rather than a mafia, their forces are more comparable to that of a Private Military Company.
Zafu Association, operating from Manhattan’s Chinatown, is a mafia family originating from China, though their members now count various Eastern immigrants of different origins. Brutal and efficient, they are arguably the most dangerous of the five mafia, taking up hit jobs and assassinations work. While they take great care to not cross the line set by the DoM, in the American Underworld, no name is more feared than the Zafu Association, whose members are identified by a burned tattoo on their ankles. Having existed even before the rise of the New Five Mafia Family, they not only survived but thrived when Magecraft became more common in the criminal underworld, having a monopoly on Eastern mages fleeing from Spiral Manor due to one reason or another. Aside from Eastern mages, some of the elite members are expert martial artists, who are adept at the art of walking and breathing. The current chairman is Handa Ryouchi, a former yakuza who is an expert practitioner of Kunlunquan.
The City of Millhaven Located in Lincoln County, Oregon, Millhaven is a small rural town with a population of around 15,000. With a total landmass of 9.85 sq mi, it has a density of around 1500/sq mi, making it a sparsely populated town. In 2010, the ~600 acre Silver Tides Luxury Resort opened in the shores of Millhaven, bringing in tourism and instigating a rapid development for the city. By 2020, though rural areas remain mostly in the Southern part of the City, the Northern Part of the city, especially those beyond the Newfen River is now home to various high-rise buildings.
In 1861, following the trend of oysters harvesting in Yaquina Bay, Captain Christopher Richards was contracted in an expedition to find another spot for oyster harvesting in the waters around Yaquina Bay, preferably one where many had not laid claim yet. Captain Richards eventually arrived in what was now known to be the Maris Bay, landing on the shores of what is now Millhaven. In the next few years, conflicts between sailors representing American corporations and the native Indian tribe became more frequent. A central figure who eventually helped mediate this dispute was Reverend Rodney Patrick, who arrived alongside the initial voyage with Captain Christopher Richards. Reverend Rodney Patrick established the Church of Christ the Carpenter, where he then interacted with the native locals for his missionary mission. Managing to gain a favourable reputation among the native Indians, he went on to mediate for the various conflicts that arose between them and the American sailors. Eventually, the area that is now known as Lincoln County opened up for non-Indian settlement in 1866, Reverend Patrick acted as the mediator between the sailors and the native tribes living there. Eventually, in 1868, the settlement of Millhaven was established, with the agreement that the Western part of the area belonged to the American settlers and the Eastern part of the area to the natives.
For the next few decades, conflict between the American settlers and the native Indian tribe was reignited, courtesy of the settlers’ expansion Eastward, in violation of the original agreement mediated by Reverend Rodney Patrick. As the fishing industries on the shores grew, so did the settlers' needs for lumber in order to develop various infrastructures. Eventually, rather than shipping in lumber from other settlements, the citizens of Millhaven decided to expand Eastward, toward the more forested areas, encroaching upon the territory given to the native tribe. By 1890, in stark contrast with the original peaceful establishment of the city, the native Indians had been relocated to a reservation located South and North of the Newfen River, a ~350-acre area that is now known as Brinewell Park.
In 1891, following the Battle of Wounded Knee in the Ghost Dance War, calls for the complete removal of the Native Indian tribe from the area were echoed, ironically started by Reverend David Carter of the Church of Christ the Carpenter, whose predecessor once mediated between the natives and settlers. Tension grew between the two groups until March of 1891, when armed conflict erupted in what is now known as the Battle of Newfen River. The conflict, initiated by the desperate Indians, managed to take over the surrounding area of their reservation for 4 days, before eventually, the American military eventually forced a surrender, with the surviving members of the tribe relocated out of Millhaven City. The conflict had been mythologised in the aftermath, with legends and folk tales passed down from both sides of an evil spirit summoned through human sacrifices and exorcism from a priest of the St Elmo Catholic Church. Local legend also told the story of a hired gun named Joseph Byrne who fought the shamans of the tribe with sorcery and helped subdue the spirit. Regardless of the truth behind the legend, the conflict gave the area the reputation of being a cursed area, enough that rather than being developed, locales avoided the area like plague until the late 20th Century.
In the 20th Century, driven by logging, fisheries, and the wineries industries, Millhaven saw development that led to what it is in the 21st century. It was during this period that many of the landmarks of Millhaven City, such as the Pacific Crest College and Maris Blue Conservatory, were established. Among the most iconic, the area East of the dock, long having been home to Chinese immigrant labourers employed as dockworkers, had become a Chinatown of sorts, nicknamed Old Dragon Warf. In 1984, the Millhaven government finally began development on the long-abandoned area that had been the site of the Battle of Newfen River. The next year, in 1985, the Brinewell City park, an approximately 350-acre area encompassing two parks, South and North of Newfen River, connected via a bridge, was opened to the public. Brinewell Park would become an icon of Millhaven City until its popularity was eclipsed by the Silver Tide Resort.
In 2002, the Land Development mogul Daniel Hawksworth, who was a native of Millhaven, proposed the development of a massive 600-acre luxury resort on the shores of Millhaven to boost tourism, stretching from the Maris Blue Conservatory to the estuary of the Newfen River to the North. Due to the scale of the project, negotiations to compensate and relocate locals dragged on, with the project finally beginning in 2005, before finally completed in 2010. The grand opening of the Silver Tides Luxury Resort in June 2010 was a massive success, exponentially boosting the tourism industry of Millhaven each year since its opening. The tourism boom led to rapid development and urbanisation of Millhaven, as money poured in from investors. Today in 2020, the Northern half of the city past the Newfen River has been transformed into an urban area with many high-rise buildings home to offices of various American companies, especially in the Western half. The Eastern half, on the other hand, is now home to several residential complexes of high-income neighbourhoods. While still receiving the effect of the urbanisation, however, the Southern part of the city, past the Newfen River, still maintained a more rural and quaint aesthetic.
Ever since its grand opening in 2010, the Silver Tides Luxury Resort has become a major contributor to Millhaven’s economy. Located in roughly a 600-acre plot of land, making it among the largest beachside resorts in the world, drawing a massive amount of tourists to Millhaven every year, cementing tourism as the main driver of the city’s economy.
Despite having been eclipsed by tourism, Millhaven’s traditional industries of logging and fisheries remain an important part of its economy. Having been first established around the oyster harvesting operation, fishing has a long history in Millhaven, centred around the historical Tidewatch Dock, which is almost as old as the city itself, being established in 1870. Shellfish, such as oysters, remain Millhaven’s major maritime export to this day. Other maritime exports include Dungeness crabs, Pacific salmon, albacore tuna, and kelp and other seaweed products. Processed lumber and other woodcraft goods from the Siuslaw National Forest to the East and South of the city are shipped through the port in Tidewatch Dock, making the dock an important fixture for both industries.
Less important but nevertheless an important part of Millhaven’s economy is its breweries. Millhaven is home to five breweries, with ingredients sourced locally and from the Willamette Valley. Beers are sold locally in various pubs, but are also exported, mainly around Oregon, though some seasonal limited releases are quite sought after by beer enthusiasts. In particular, sea-salted ale is a trademark of Millhaven’s brewery products.
The number one place of interest in Millhaven is, of course, the Silver Tide Luxury Resort. The resort offered various amenities, most notably the five-star hotel Seastone Pavilion, which itself is home to the three Michelin stars seafood fine dining establishment, the Mariner’s Fork. Within walking distance of the hotel is a casino and an exclusive beachfront area reserved for hotel guests. Available to the general public who are not guests of the hotel is the Maris Blue Conservatory and its beach, as well as a water park, a casino, and many facilities for maritime leisure activities such as scuba diving and hobbyist fishing.
Another prominent fixture of the city is the Brinewell Park, the former reserve of the native Indian tribes living in the area before the Battle of Newfen River. Ever since being turned into a community part in 1985, the reputation of the area as being cursed had lessened, though, due to its history remaining a subject of many urban legends, and many locales often used the place as a test of courage. The park, divided into Northern and Southern halves by the Newfen River, is connected by a bridge, which is also one of the three connecting bridges between Millhaven’s Southern and Northern sides. In 2013, there had been a proposal to rename the park to something that is dedicated to the native Indian tribe that was unjustly evicted from Millhaven. However, modern descendants of the tribe rejected the proposal, citing that the stories passed down in their tribe about the place during the Battle of Newfen River did not place it as a place to be honoured, but rather a testament of how the desperation of their leader forced them to summon evil spirits.
Other places of interest in the city include the City Hall and Millhaven Historical Society and Museum located South in the city, as well as the city’s sole shopping centre, the Cerulean Shopping Centre, located East of South Brinewell Park. Visitors who are on a tighter budget to rent a room in Seastone Pavilion often go to the reputable alternatives of Pearlwind Hotel, located close to the municipal airport in the business district, or Driftwood Hotel, located Southeast in the city, close to the Siuslaw National Forest. Historical sites include the Church of Christ the Carpenter, the first Church established in the city and the Old Dragon Warf, a Chinatown that is also home to the prominent fish market, the Golden Fin.
The Annual Brew and Brine Festival is a festival held on the 21st of March every year. The festival originated from the early years after the founding of the city, before conflict with the native Indian tribes escalated. Reverend Rodney Patrick often brought the native Indian tribes and the settlers together to commemorate the town’s founding by partaking in the trademark brew of sea-salted ale paired with seafood. Today, on the 21st of March, in the evening, the City Hall opened its hall for live music performances and all-you-can-eat ale and seafood. Tickets for this festival are highly sought after. Aside from the City Hall, many of the businesses, such as pubs and restaurants, also offer various promotions and discounts on the 21st of March.
Ever since 1917, the King Angler Competition has been held in August, for the duration of a weekend. It is a fishing competition where people compete for the most impressive catch for a prize fund. Participants register their catches caught during the duration of the designated weekend, and on the evening of the third day, the winner will be announced and their name carved into a monument erected on Tidewatch Dock.
Established in 1921, Millhaven’s Historical Society and Museum held exhibits of various nature regarding the city of Millhaven. From archaeological discoveries found in the area, to the various flora and fauna, to dioramas and figures representing the history of the city from its founding to conflict with the natives to the present day, can be found here. It also holds an art exhibition monthly, where a curation of submitted art made by the citizens of Millhaven is displayed.
The city of Millhaven has several educational institutions, but the most famous is the Pacific Crest College. Established in 1952, it is a University based in Southern Millhaven, located on a beachfront property, to the delight of many of its students. The University is home to various departments and fields of study, from medical to engineering to archaeology; however, the most famous and accomplished is the Faculty of Marine Biology, ranked in the top five among the country. The Faculty of Marine Biology works closely with the Maris Blue Conservatory in various research and marine life conservation projects.
For High School-level education, the most prestigious in Millhaven is the Oakshore Catholic High School, located in the Northern part of Millhaven. The school is one of Millhaven’s oldest fixtures, established in 1875, five years after St. Elmo’s Church was established by catholic missionaries. Located inside the complex of the Church itself, before becoming a prestigious High School, it started as a missionary driven education program, mostly for the Native Indian tribes. Today, the Catholic High School is renowned for its accomplishments both in academics and sports. In recent years, the headmaster, a Brother from St. Elmo’s Church who grew up in China, started to establish a student council system that organises various events that are more commonly seen in Asia rather than in the United States. Though a private Catholic institution, a decent number of its student body is non-Christian.
Notable People The various NPCs that represents important people in Millhaven
The current Mayor of Millhaven. Born and educated in Millhaven, being a graduate of Oakshore Catholic High, before obtaining a degree in Civil Engineering from Pacific Crest College, Thomas Chambers styled himself as a ‘Millhavenite, through and through’, winning his first election in 2016 with the slogan of ‘Of Millhaven, by Millhaven, and for Millhaven’. He has been known to oppose the rapid development that has been happening in Millhaven since the opening of the Silver Tides Resort, arguing that the rapid development negatively impacts the environment and Millhaven’s cultural identity.
A senator of the United States originally from Millhaven. The son of the owner of Silver Tides Resort, Daniel Hawksworth, Bradley is set to inherit the Hawksworth’s fortune, though even without it, his net worth is estimated to be in the top 50 in America, and was named as a member of Forbes’ #1 Thirty under Thirty list for finance. After graduating from Harvard’s School of Finance at 20, he undertook further education in London, before returning to the United States and investing in various news networks, making him a major figure in American politics due to his sway in the major news networks. He eventually made his way into the United States Senate as a senator representing Oregon and is rumoured to be considering stepping down to run against Thomas Chambers for Millhaven’s mayor in 2020. In contrast to Thomas Chambers, he has made several comments in favour of Millhaven’s rapid development. While in London for his Master’s Degree in Economics, he was also enrolled in the Clock Tower, leveraging the ties between DoM and the Clock Tower. A first-generation Magus, his actual magecraft ability is subpar; however, through his financial resources, he funded the research of various Clock Tower magi and formed a connection of patronage to various mages whom he can call for favour. His peers in the Clock Tower sarcastically refer to Bradley as the ‘Money Magecraft User’ possessing a ‘special mystic code’ named ‘Capitalist Winner’. He is ranked Count by the Clock Tower and the DoM.
A member of the Assembly of the Eight Sacraments dispatched by the Holy Church to St. Elmo’s Church. Originally from the Netherlands, she was dispatched to the United States by the Vatican due to a lack of manpower, eventually assigned to St. Elmo’s Church in Millhaven to oversee supernatural matters in the city. Though not formally a mage, due to being a user of magecraft—though Sister Maria herself would insist that she uses sacraments, not magecraft—the DoM designated her as a Fes-rank Mage.
The owner of Sidereal Agency, established in 2019. On the surface, his agency is a detective agency, offering services to those in need of a private eye. In the World of Magecraft, however, the agency is known to offer its services in various supernatural matters, not quite a mercenary but more of a ‘fixer’. Ranked as Cause, Leonardo used to belong to a branch family of the Clock Tower’s Animusphere, but had little to no contact after the Crest was passed down to his younger sister instead of himself, driving Leonardo to leave and make his fortune as a spellcaster, before eventually settling in Millhaven and opening up an agency. After some success handling various cases last year, including some work from the government, he is now looking for employees to help with the increasing workload.
Ranks Mage Ranks Although the DoM is not part of the Mage’s association, and thus is not part of the Clock Tower, for the purpose of standardization, the DoM adopted the ranking of mage used by the Clock Tower for their documentation and rough determination of the threat represented by a mage. While ranks do not always correlate to actual threat level or combat ability, as it is an assessment of how ‘mature’ or ‘stabilized’ the magecraft of an individual is, for a magecraft user they are more often than not an accurate representation of combat ability.
*For players, characters ‘power ceiling’ is Cause. However even Cause is the upper limit and will be uncommon.
Frame The lowest rank of mage recognized by the Clock Tower. A mage of this rank is still thoroughly a novice in the matter of magecraft, barely able to actualize mystery and is more in the ‘theory phase’ of learning than actual practitioners. To use a more mundane analogy, they are akin to medical interns. In the United States, more than half of those considered uninitiated are not even in this rank and thus are unranked.
Canon example: Waver Velvet during Fate/Zero
Count The second lowest rank. At this rank, they are able to use magecraft with some degree of proficiency, but is still rather rudimentary and simplistic, lacking layers of sophistication and stable harmony those above these ranks exhibit. In a more mundane analogy, these are fresh graduate medical doctors.
Canon example: Lord El-Melloi II (Formal rank is Fes, but actual ability is stated to be closer to Count)
Cause The Third ‘lowest’ rank, having found their focus and matured their magecraft into a stable foundation. Although it is only the third rank from the bottom, this is where the vast majority of dedicated mages stop. Cause is the bottleneck that separates the ‘average magi’ from the exceptional and truly great. Even then, while considered a ‘matured mage’ it is still an accomplishment to even reach this rank. Many mages from younger families, never reached this rank at all, with Cause considered the ‘normal’ upper limit for mages with crest younger of about 500 years old or below. In mundane analogy, these are the experienced surgeons.
Canon example: Tokiomi Tohsaka
Fes The fourth rank, Fes, is also special among other ranks as it is also granted for notable achievements or special circumstances separate from one’s capability as a mage. An example is Lord El-Melloi II granted the Fes rank for producing great students despite his actual ability being more akin to Count. Another example is Bazett Fraga McRemitz, who was given the rank due to her unique circumstances of possessing a Noble Phantasm. Because of this feature of the Fes rank, this is also the rank with the most disparity in actual combat ability, some being weaker than the rank below them, Cause, and some being more powerful than the rank above them, Pride. Nevertheless, there are ‘normal’ Fes mage whose ability is between Cause and Pride, one whose magecraft is not only stabilized and mature, but has accomplished something that is hard to replicate by the average magi. They would be a notable family head, even for an established family. In mundane analogy, these are the top 1% of surgeons who can successfully conduct delicate operations with a success rate far above the average.
Canon ‘Normal Fes mage’ example: Lev Lainur (without the Demon Pillar stuff, obviously)
Pride The fifth rank, Pride, is the start of what is considered the ‘upper echelon’ of mages in the Clock Tower, truly exceptional mages that are a rare breed, even for most established families, mages that can even defeat Heroic Spirits under the right circumstances. It is an accomplishment worthy of an official ceremony held by the Clock Tower, whenever a mage advances into the rank of Pride. In mundane analogy, even above the 1 percenter, these are names of medical doctors that would be mentioned in future research when discussing the existing body of literature or the current state of the field.
Canon example: Zouken Matou
Brand The upper ‘practical limit’ for magi, and is given rarely even in the Clock Tower’s history. Normally, this is a rank only reached by the Lords of the Clock Tower, capable of the apex of magecraft in the modern world that revolutionizes their field. In mundane analogy, these would be the Stephen Hawkings of the magecraft world.
Canon example: Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald or, though not formally named as such, probably Kirschtaria Wodime
Grand Monsters with potential of rivalling the might of entire nations' military single-handedly given the right conditions and preparation. The truly best of the magecraft world, existing only a few times in the whole history of the Clock Tower. Not even the Lords of the Clock Tower are likely to reach this rank. A mage that represented a truly major landmark in the history of the World of Magecraft. Comparable to Hippocrates or Louis Pasteur in the medical field, or to Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein in physics.
Name : Mimi TucknShine Age : 24 Date of Birth : July 26 1996 Address : (Old Dragon Warf, Golden Street 1501, Millhaven, Oregon)
C U R R I C U L L U M V I T A E
Clock Tower Department of Modern Magecraft Theory, 2018
Clues, Brooze & Costume Shoes Private Investigations - Gather, analyze, and report information to clients regarding legal or personal matter
Bestow The Rank of Count 2018 By the Clock Tower Institute
Local Celebrity - Well know in the area for her singing talents and restaurant patronage
S K I L L S & O T H E R R E S O U R C E S
Magecraft: PersonaCraft (Costume)is a branch of magecraft that uses clothing as a identity anchor. By donning a costume the wearer temporarily overlays their body and mind with the imprint of a profession. When your character wears a costume, the magecraft doesn’t just make her look the part. It teaches her the job in real time
Private Collection - Within Mimi Estate she owns a private collection of rare garments. Funny enough Mimi prefer to use cheap costumes one can get at a seasonal Halloween store.
C O V E R L E T T E R
My name is Mimi TucknShine, and I would like to offer a one of a kind opportunity for you. A collaboration with my business : Clues, Brooze & Costume Shoes Private Investigations with The Sidereal Agency. I’ve made my living as a private investigator by doing the work most people avoid, following leads that don’t want to be followed, listening when a room feels wrong, and staying calm when the story stops making sense. My magecraft is Personacraft (Costume), an identity anchoring discipline that allows me to assume functional proficiency aligned with the role I’m wearing. In practical terms, it means I can adapt quickly to the needs of a case: a field medic when someone is bleeding, a locksmith when a door is the difference between answers and silence, a forensic technician when evidence needs to be collected cleanly and quietly. What draws me to Sidereal Agency is simple: you take the work seriously. You acknowledge that there are mysteries that don’t fit inside ordinary explanations. I know the muggle culture well within this town. I have resources and connection that can benefit us most. I would love to get to know the company more and discuss partnerships.
I came from the Clocktower, and perhaps you did as well. That culture not for me. I am a magus that loves everything modern. I'm a girl of the present and future times. I came here to set a new legacy for my family name in America. Britain magecraft society isn't welcoming to new generations trying to make a name for themselves. Here it different, The US is still fresh and plenty of mysteries for me and Sidereal to uncover. I love to chat in person. You know how to reach me.
Thank you for the Opportunity, MiMi TucknShine at Clues, Brooze & Costume Shoes Private Investigations
Magic Circuit Switch: Poke with a sewing needle Quantity of Magic Circuits: B Quality of Magic Circuits: B
Elemental Affinity: Imaginary Element (Nothingness) Crest: ~300 years old (6th Generation) Thaumaturgical Attribute: Emanation
PersonaCraft - A branch of magecraft that originated in the Far East, Personacraft traces its earliest records to a bloodline of demon hunters renowned for producing powerful psychics. Their philosophy was radical: the self is not a single fixed thing, but something that can be crafted. Within this family, the mind was treated like a house with many rooms. They deliberately cultivated multiple personas, each one trained with obsessive focus toward a single discipline until it reached perfect mastery. When that family later crossed paths with magi, the result was inevitable: their doctrine evolved into a structured system of magecraft built around constructed identity. Traditionally, Personacraft involves the deliberate creation of an artificial personality,an assigned “task-self” designed to research, develop, and refine a specific craft or spellwork. The practitioner can then switch that personality on and off as needed.
Personacraft (Costume) is a distinct offshoot belonging to the TucknShine lineage. Unlike orthodox Personacraft, the TucknShine method does not create a separate personality. Instead, it uses a costume as a medium to expand an existing identity, stretching the self into a new professional shape without severing it into fragments. The turning point for the TucknShine came when they encountered Buddhist theology. That framework reshaped their magecraft into something more fluid and less divisive: not “many selves,” but one self with many expressions. Their inspiration comes from the nature of Buddhas, described as neither one nor two, unfixed and unbound. Because of that boundlessness, a Buddha may appear to sentient beings in countless forms to guide and protect them. The Medicine Buddha may also appear as a Wealth Buddha, or a Warrior Buddha, depending on what the moment demands. The form changes; the essence remains.
This is the heart of TucknShine Personacraft:
One can become many. One is not confined. One is boundless potential.
Through Costume, the practitioner does not replace who they are, they reconfigure what they already are, temporarily expressing the competence, posture, instincts, and working knowledge of a needed profession while remaining unmistakably themselves.
The TucknShine lineage foundation is built on Vajrayana Buddhism. Their Thaumaturgical attribute is Emanation and they employ usage of Self Suggestion. Their Identity is the source and with their garments it is express into different forms. The costume acts as a seal of form, an external boundary that gives the self permission to arrive as a different expression of the same person. Emanation make the self "appear as" what is needed. TucknShine Bloodline is unique in that by some unknow factor they are only allow to have Imaginary numbers as their element. To construct a garment she using she inscribe text containing the "data" of the profession onto the outfit. Once the inscribing is finish she perform a ritual to finalize the "persona" contain within the appreal, In regard to the TucknShine lineage the persona is the data of the occupation that is interwoven and emulated from their identity.
Mimi is the hope of the TucknShine Lineage. Normally the bloodline would produce magi with circuits anywhere within the D-C ranking. MiMi was born with circuits with B ranking in both quality and quantity. She was her lineage joy. Upon graduation she receive the rank of Count with high distinction. However she could not see herself adapting to the culture of the clocktower. Mimi is a girl girls, she love everything modern culture has to offer her. She found success with her human identity as a small time influencer. A genius idea came for her. America, a land still finding itself in the magecraft world. she told herself "here I can make a mark for myself and my family". Her family however were worry for her. Going to America and leaving the clocktower means she wouldn't have institutional support and protection. She told her family not to worry. She told her mom and dad ?"I'm going to start a new culture for our family, I will create a Elite Garment and pass it down to our next heir".
Name: Selene Nightshade Morgrave Age: 20 Date of Birth : 31th of December , 2000 Alignment: true neutral Rank: Cause
Personality Selene can best be described as a “cat do is forced to bathe” despite being old around neutral in pragmatic she's extremely bitter and petty despite the fact though , she has a very lack of self she has no personal identifiers She does not have a favorite food or color she does not have desires outside of the immediate wants which Combined with the mentality to commit to any action has begun leads to ethnically extreme actions simply because she doesn't have a counterbalance to bounce it out
Family Details:
Education
Clock Tower, Department of General Fundamentals
Clock Tower Department of zoology
Trains by an enforcer the clock tower
Work/Organizational Experience
Internship with an enforcer
Grieve keeper of significant sites
Church intermediary
Accomplishments
Graduated from the clock tower as a Cause
Was a marriage candidate for a lord child
Was a bodyguard for Yvette L. Lehrman On the rail zeppelin
SKILLS & OTHER RESOURCES
Magic Circuit Quantity: C+
Magic Circuit Quality: B
Magecraft
Magic Circuit Switch: the wolves howling at the full moon
Attributes: manifestation This thing's attribute nature is to manifest non-physical things as physical things to solidify things, existing and great to shrink because of it.
Elemental Affinity: earth and fire
Crest: 1637 ( 18 generations of refinement)
General Magecraft Selene as once a member of the clock tower she has been proficiently trained in all forms of the basics magecraft. she has shown a talent for reinforcement which she uses to great effect with her magecraft
Curses Selene family over the generations has collected and studied many curses. Which is left her family to be one of the full borders and cursed studies
The Selene family, special in stocking, curses on a singular creature or object having the curses coming out of action of consuming one another to create a stronger curse inside the thing in question
Witchcraft Selene well trained in the art and black magic as is one of the key components of family's magecraft the ritual sacrifice of animals & people and to use their body for creation of spiritual creatures or as weapons is the fundamental core of the magecraft
The family over the years has learned to combine this with curses & necromancy To create stronger effects
Necromancy is the final step to Selene family of magecraft using the power of The creatures of the dead the family's can make powerful Familiars & cursed objects
List of necromantic familiars
Church grim(fake)
The process of creating a real church grim is hard and tedious and nearly impossible buy modern mage however creating let's reversion are so very much in the Ram possibility Sacrificing a canine( it does not necessarily mean to be a dog It's just better if it is) You can make a “fake” church grim what's the power of necromancy However , they still preserve some of the abilities of a true church Grim
anti Thaumaturge wolf howl that the shops local magic their fur is also capable of dispersing magic making it hard to kill them with traditional magic
Not Only are they surprisingly shown for being merely familiars they also have a great sense of detection Especially for the supernatural
Shades
A created upon human remaining imprint upon the world bound to a shadow thanks to several curses creating a shades
As “living shadows” not only are they nearly undetectable you're talking power is incredible By modern meat standards and that's eight familiar Selene can perceive through it an excellent scout
Mystic Code
Wings of morgan
A fully black jacket, it is completely aligned with curse Raven feathers providing both protection and a semi automatic counter attack when a creature is hit by these feathers , they're applied with a curse of misfortune. So not only are , they heavily injured from the attack itself for temporary amount of time they are heavily unlucky
Items: A holy cross Smartphone ( she does not know how to use) Dream catch's A concerning amount of bones A personalized journal that they contains exclusively notes about monsters A hunting sniper rifle (No.4 MkI ) Non-Magecraft Skills:
C O V E R L E T T E R
To mister animusphere and future benefactor
Approximately three months ago Lord Gaiuslink & Lord Archelot met a unilateral decision that I would get married to Young lord Alaric Gaiuslink however, I was not informed of this information.
So when I was invited to a grand ball and then publicly proposed to I responded with denial, which apparently publicly humiliated the family as in retaliation the family did everything in their power to confiscate my unique version of a church grim and was made a pariah of the clock tower
Wall lingering at my family house which I confided in one of my cousins About the feeling I had of the world , turning red and my heart tensing the inform me I quote that it was “ seething burning anger” even though to my doubts, I have taken their advice and I am currently seeking revenge
Which is now led me to you mister animusphere approximately 3 years on the november 27 we are both Guards on the rail Zeppelin which I noted, did you seemingly have a connection to the US government and if the rumors be , the government is willing to sponsor majors so I'm currently requesting you formally employ me So I may receive the funding I would need to require the resources To take vengeance i have no intention of bringing you or anyone else in this matter so please do not worry
Let's proof of qualifications for position every other paper besides this one Is a list of every notable accomplishment and commission I have ever been on
EIGHT PAGES OF NEARLY DETAILED NOTES
Church grim( black dog) Created by one of Selene's great ancestors it was once a captured black dog then countless curses from across the world were piled upon this one creature in a grand sacrifice The blocked dog was converted into white church grim preserving all of the magics and curses placed upon the creature It is vastly more powerful than an average church it also preserved abilities as a black dog
Not only is it size and strength truly has reached the pinnacle of this creature's existence.
anti-thaumaturge is on a completely different tier this creatures howl turn utterly shattered magecraft
Preserving its power as a black dog It produces black light filled with the curses it bore when it was alive.
It is capable of something life force around it , allowing the track anyone anywhere
Name : Derald Smith Age : 23 Date of Birth : Jan 19,1997 Address : Warehouse no.50, Tidewatch docks (clinic)/ 12f 203 West wing Pearlwind Hotel(condo unit)
C U R R I C U L L U M V I T A E
Education
2011-2013 2nd year student, Clocktower(dropout) Rank: Frame
Work/Organizational Experience
Personal Toxicologist(unlicense) 2016 -present
Independent Product Distributor (Smuggler) - Derald has a criminal network backing and funding him.
---
S K I L L S & O T H E R R E S O U R C E S
Magic Circuit Quantity: D-
Magic Circuit Quality: D
Magic Circuit Switch: A viper’s hiss
Element: Earth
Magecraft:
General Magecraft - All that rudimentary magic they teach at the Clocktower.
Magical Workshop (Backalley Clinic) - Located in the small county of Millahaven, this secret base under his makeshift clinic is where Derald hone and practices his craft.
Pharmacy - Derald is a man who firmly believes in modern medicine.
Item 1
Rags of Nothingness
Derald wears a scarf that conceals his true identity and his presence. Its unnatural scent of dirt and second-hand cigarette smoke dulls the senses of any human to a degree, making him almost unrecognizable to those who rely on those senses alone.
Item 2
Animal Tranquilizer/ Syringe needles/Basic Poison
This functions like a normal hypodermic needle, injecting fluids into one’s skin. Combined with his rudimentary reinforcement magic, Derald can use these needles as a projectile weapon just like an executor can throw their black keys.
Item 3
Cigarette.
Derald is a chain smoker, like a real chugger of this stuff, causing him to have a weak constitution due to years of substance abuse. This curse/blessing serves as a double-edged sword to him. On one hand, he is resistant to poisoning and other mental interference curses. On the other hand, he is pretty much susceptible to other harmful causes of magecraft and natural mortal wounds.
The toxin in his body helps calm his circuits, nerves, and brain, allowing him to stay focused.
Item 4
Fake ID Badge
Derald carries a flip badge that changes its description and image depending on his narrative to those people around him. A simple curse that distorts his image and status with the help of this license and a little sway of his words. Kind of like a reverse innocent monster attribute, this helps Derald blend in with the normal folks as your friendly neighborhood practitioner without being labeled as a part of a notorious gang/occult member due to his appearance.
---
C O V E R L E T T E R
Dear Leonardo Fidano, Head of the Sidereal Agency,
“Sigh I know this sounds desperate but I’m gonna keep it short. I’m Derald Smith, Real name, not my real last name.”
“I’m an ambitious wannabe medical personel who happens to be a mage who’s down on his luck, looking for some employment.”
“I wouldn’t consider myself a ‘mage’ but rather an individual who uses ‘magic’ as a tool to meet one’s end.”
“I’ve done some dirty work in the past and can’t say I’m proud of it. day by day I atone for my sins by helping the locals as an independent pharmacist — yeah, let's go with that.."
“tho i’ve seen some medical conditions that way above what medical science can’t cure. Perhaps some mystics are involved. The supernatural and such..”
“I’m good at spying and other tacky on-field stuff… due to my past experience.”
“So here’s to a new beginning. I look forward to working with the Sidereal agency. Hope you don’t mind the coughing.”
Sincerly, Derald.
---
“The last head of the hydra - I really hate that name” - Despite his lack of magecraft. Derald was chosen to bear the 500-year old crest of the Blightmore family. An elite generation of poisoner assassins and mages dating back to ancient Celtic times, when Druids cultivated the land and harvested yew trees as the main source of their deadly substance. Whether from poisoning unsuspecting monarchies from drinking their fancy cups to manufacturing cyanide pills that ended the Third Reich, you can be sure that Derald’s family has some minor involvement in these world-changing events without leaving a trace of their existence.
He is the last of his lineage ever since a curse was placed on the day he was born. This generational curse is said to trigger in the year 1990(s) where their magecraft would wither out and produce an offspring with subpar magic to carry that burden.
Derald is a pragmatic individual who comes from a long lineage of mages that owes a huge debt to one of the family heads of a powerful crime syndicate in America.
He was taken by one of the <redacted> zealots at the young age of 8. Forcing him to do some low-tier mob stuff, spying on the rival mob families as a harmless street child, or whatever disguise they opt for in their mission. He learns underhanded tactics under their wing, like smuggling out illegal drugs on the streets, and engages in other gang-related violence at a very young age.
Due to his abnormal tolerance to poison and his family’s loyalty to the <redacted> family, their head Lady <redacted> takes a liking to him and decides to nurture young Derald under her tutelage, serving as a personal food taster and their personal medic .She sees him as a wounded animal and a valuable asset . A pet project that could be useful in the future. So much so that he got enrolled at the Clock tower due to the <> influence, but sadly, that didn’t last long, and he only finished in 2 years at this prestigious school, earning the rank of frame.
He is under a binding contract with the <> mobsters and was given more leeway than most members. His task was to investigate and to do some research about the mystics involved in the Millhaven region, and scout the land for a potential base of operations.
He can identify most poisons just by tasting a small dose of them without getting poisoned himself.
He is a cinephile.
His favorite movie is The Princess Bride and Robin Hood, man in tights(which is the greatest adaptation of this character up to date)
On general, for everyone, at the top of the magecraft elaboration section in others, please put things like the Quantity and Quality of magic circuits on the top for neater formatting like these ones on Lucia's sheet.
Also, maybe put some years on the experience/accomplishment section, so we have a rough timeline for your character. You can look at Lucia's example sheet in the opening post as reference.
Magecraft: Magic Circuit Switch: Being burned by heat generated by stars Number of Magic Circuits: C Quality of Magic Circuits: A+ (Abnormal, extremely compatible with magecraft invoking planets as gods)
Elemental Affinity: Average One Crest: ~300 years old (6th Generation) Thaumaturgical Attribute: Symbology, Future
You don't need to put Circuit Switch if you don't want to. That one is just flavour. It's like how Shirou imagine a cocking gun to activate his circuits, or how Rin imagine slitting her neck.
Might want to change the use of 'muggle' here, depending on what sort of character she is. There are definitely some spellcasters in america that refer to non-magical as muggles due to how prevalent Harry Potter is in the cultural zeitgeist, but probably not on official setting like job application, unless being a memer is your intention with her. If so, then it's good. Just want to make sure it's something intentional.
Personacraft traces its earliest records to a bloodline of demon hunters renowned for producing powerful psychics
Hmm...Mimi's thing is all magecraft, yes? Just as a clarification. You can probably justify some weak psychic ability with this background. Maybe some form of psychometry or retrocognition like Fake Shiki in Tsukihime to internalize the 'data' in her clothing into her psyche to reconfigure her personality instead of structural grasp.
Remember that this is formatted as if it's a job application, so things like magecraft details, personality, and such, should just be put in others section. Just the short summary.
Oh also, please use lines (you can type hr in brackets to do it) or at least bold the sections like Bio, Accomplishments, etc to divide the sections just so it looks neater an easier to read for future reference. You can just copy and paste the provided format in the character sheet BBCode section for convenient sake.
Church intermediary
Can you elaborate what you mean by Church Intermediary?
Clock Tower Department of zoology
I thought you're Yumina/Botany last we talked on discord?
Now for the magecraft section
Magic Circuit Quantity: C+
What's the plus from? Remember that just like servants, pluses here mean 'conditional increase'. So for example, Lucia's A+ is predicated on her Venus blessing that made her circuits extremely compatible with magecraft invoking gods.
Or for example, some canon mages who specialise in sister stuff like the Edelfelts might have a + because they are very in tune with their sisters, so when they're performing magecraft together, the quantity gets a +. Things like that.
Attributes: manifestation This thing's attribute nature is to manifest non-physical things as physical things to solidify things, existing and great to shrink because of it.
We last talked it was Tempering and Binding, I thought? Tempering for empowering the curse through the Gu Pot thing and binding to bind the curse into animal familiars or talisman or bound the curse to a target? Manifesting physical things from non-physical things generally is generally not done because it's inefficient as per Mahoyo
Shirou does it, but he's special because he has sword origin+sword element+sword reality marble. So he's just cracked for things revolving swords.
Crest: 1637 ( 18 generations of refinement)
I assume this meant the Crest was established in 1637, right? 383 years old. Then your character would be either 7th or 8th gen. Mages tend to live longer, so a generation is roughly 50 years.
According to the sayings in the world of magi, a magus could only devote all of his effort to research until he was 50. After that, his life should be spent raising an heir... in other words, the "next runner".
-Clock Tower 2015
anti Thaumaturge wolf howl that the shops local magic their fur is also capable of dispersing magic making it hard to kill them with traditional magic
It's fake, so probably not just a nope to magecraft. The real Church Grim probably has that. Your fake is more on the realm of 'disturbing flow of magical energy', it basically help weaken spell, and maybe if the caster is weak enough cancelled it, but it's not going to just cancel magecraft.
Even Svin in case files, who's supposed to be exceptionally talented super prodigy can doesn't cancel magecraft, he just disturb the magical energy.
A hunting sniper rifle (No.4 MkI )
I'm not saying no, but this seems not 'in flavour' with the family and mage concept overall. She's a mage from an established family that is a prospect of marriage for the Zoology Lord, right? That sort of mage would not use guns. Especially since the Gaiuslink family is part of the aristocratic faction. There is no way the family would be caught dead proposing to a mage who uses a gun. I suppose she can pick it up after getting to America, but that's a recent thing last we talked, right? Especially since she's 20, she should just graduated from general fundamental, and maybe a year maximum doing enforcer training/being a mage of the Botany Department. I don't think she would have enough time to practice using a sniper rifle yet? That seems more advanced, no?
Licensed Medical Toxicologist. (Has a clinic in Whispering pines hospital. tho, his methods of curing a patient is a bit questionable) Independent contractor<?>
I don't think he would be a licensed medical toxicologist. The timeline doesn't make sense. He's 23, if he basically used his college years going through Clock Tower education, he wouldn't have the time to study medicine. Also generally the Healthcare World is very strict with 'Evidence Based Medicine', his shady methods would get his license revoked immediately. He can probably just have some alternative healing clinic though. Just not official and more shady backstreet unofficial vibe.
Also he's 3rd rate 1st gen mage huh? I think the question is how he get admitted to the Clock Tower. The Clock Tower is basically Harvard. You don't get it unless you have the actual talent, pay a ridiculous amount of money, or have connections. Even Waver, despite his weak practical magecraft is at least very good in general magecraft theory and he's 3rd gen, meaning his family has been around for over a century, at least.
Derald wears a scarf that conceals his true identity and his presence. It functions just like a pseudo-presence concealment of the assassin class. Its unnatural scent of dirt and 2nd hand cigarette smoke dulls the senses of any human to a degree, making him almost unrecognizable to those who rely on those senses alone.
He's a Frame so magecraft-wise he's pretty subpar. The scarf would work, but probably not on anyone who aren't just ordinary civilian. Think how Waver's hypnosis in Zero basically wore off several times. You're not quite that bad, but probably around that level. Definitely nowhere close to an Assassin Presence Concealment.
Wolfbane pouch Derald is a master of sleight of hand and an above-average apothecary. He keeps this hidden inside his woven biker gloves. A small dose of this stuff can paralyze his victims.
Similar with the above, if the poison in magecraft in nature, it probably would only work on civilians. At Frame-level magecraft, he would probably be better suited just using mundane poison. They would be more effective for a much cheaper price.
Derald is a chain smoker, like a real chugger of this stuff, causing him to have a weak constitution due to years of substance abuse. This curse/blessing serves as a double-edged sword to him. On one hand, he is almost immune to poisoning and other mental interference curses. On the other hand, he is pretty much susceptible to other harmful causes of magecraft and natural mortal wounds.
Again, with Frame-level magecraft, he wouldn't be 'almost' immune to poisoning and other mental interference. Some resistance is fine though. You can even make the cig actual mystic codes like the ones Waver have in Case Files.
His family crest is a decade old and is not even considered a magus’ house.
A decade old? That mean it's created when he was 13? So likely his parents didn't have crest and was able to convince a mage from an established family to help him make the crest. As the process for making a crest is:
Crest Splitting - the practice of taking a small portion of the Magic Crest from a magus of the main family and transplanting it into someone else.
Originally, the first generation of a Magic Crest was developed by implanting a fragment of some lost Phantasmal Species or Mystic Code, called a 'core,' into the body. Of course, since you were implanting a completely foreign object into the body, the rejection response was far stronger than what one would see when receiving a Crest from a parent. By suffering through those rejections for generations, the core would slowly become saturated with the hosts' magecraft, and thus the Magic Crest would be complete.
However, magi that used this method to produce Magic Crests were all but extinct in modern times.
While there weren't that many from outside previously established magecraft families that decided to pursue it, those that did typically received a Crest Split from a much more historied family. Of course, since it was a transplant from a stranger, the intended function of the Magic Crest - to act as a crystallized mystery - was all but lost. Even so, it was a method that would produce results many generations faster than starting from scratch, and it was much easier to control the development of a Crest made in such a way.
-Lord El-Melloi II Case Files
Probably should elaborate on that more. You can maybe lean into that angle as to why he's in the Clock Tower, sponsored by that mage or their family. Just need to make some backstory how Derald's parents were able to get that favour. You can put it in the other segment since it seems an important part of the backstory.
Finally, please elaborate on the magecraft more. You can look at Lucia's example sheet as a reference. No need to be as detailed as Lucia's, but at least the elemental alignment and attribute, and a general overview of what he's doing exactly. Feel free to ask me on discord if you need help
So this is still part of the psychic ability and not magecraft, right? I know the basis is Tsukumogami, but that seems like more of a spiritual evocation magecraft. I guess it can be a form of psychokinesis? Though psychokinesis might not fit the whole 'talking to object thing' you're going for though.
You can probably do a mage with psychic ability if you want to? Psychics are basically a 'new cognition channel' so maybe she just sees objects' past history and construction as a 'talking spirit' (the spirit doesn't actually exist, it just appear like a spirit to her). And then from there, since she has detailed info about the object, she can then extrapolate a more 'ideal version' of the object. For example, because she know intimately the history and the construction of the knife, she can extrapolate how the knife was when it was brand new and where in the process of the construction it could have been improved to be sharper, which she then project around the knife as a shell projection.
Something like that? So she does simple magecraft assisted by her psychic power.
I own a large sledgehammer. I keep it because it's the most pleasant object that I've talked to. It has previously displayed the ability to damage incorporeal entities and I'm not very certain why this is the case beyond possible intersection of the overuse of psychic application and my own attachment to it. I keep it in bed while I sleep. I cannot afford to lose it.
Usually, unless it's a Mystic Code, or have some other special property it wouldn't be able to damage incorporeal entity. If this a hammer with some special circumstances that you want to keep a secret/mystery feel free to DM me on discord.
Hello! If you're still accepting signups, I have a general character concept in mind that I think would be interesting and would hopefully fit in your version of the setting! I just wanted to check to make sure there was still an open slot before I went and wrote a signup. Also, I'm quite new to this site, so I just want to make sure: are we supposed to post our signups here in the OOC tab, or the Characters tab, if they're not yet accepted?
Well I did say 6 and currently there are 5, but I suppose I can take two more and make it seven and close the RP. I'll send you the discord links in a bit
Also, I'm quite new to this site, so I just want to make sure: are we supposed to post our signups here in the OOC tab, or the Characters tab, if they're not yet accepted?
Technically OOC, but I'm intending to accept all applications after review and whatnot, so either works.
Name: Sunny Clearview Age: 36 Date of Birth: Dec 24th, 1983 Address: 10 Dorothy St., Apt. 8D (on the riverside, one block south of St. Elmo's Church)
C U R R I C U L L U M V I T A E
Education
BA Political Science, minor Chemistry + ROTC, Columbia University (Graduated Summa Cum Laude 2005)
Work/Organizational Experience
(2005-2015) 10 yrs in the US Army (5 yrs as commissioned officer, 5 yrs as Special Forces/Green Beret), honorably discharged as of 2018
Accomplishments
2019 Winner of St. Elmo's Charity Bake-Off
S K I L L S & O T H E R R E S O U R C E S
Special Forces Training/Combat and Survival Ability
Please note that some of the details of my Special Forces experience are classified. I may be able to tell you more if you find my application acceptable and we meet in person.
Advanced Understanding of US Political Systems/Landscape (Incl. related to Mystics)
General Knowledge of Chemistry and Associated Techniques
I presume this would be useful for the purposes of investigation or forensic analysis.
Mystic Eyes of Prana-Sight
I also presume you know what these are and what they can do.
C O V E R L E T T E R
Good Day, Mr. Fidano,
In general, the reason I want to join your Agency is that crimes associated with the supernatural and Mystics are something that need to be solved for the sake of everyday people, and I'm one of the few people in this country who knows of and can do something about them, so it's my duty to help.
As noted above, there are some classified details regarding my prior employment which I cannot share in written form. I am sure you will understand if you hear the information from me in person, but suffice to say that in addition to what I listed above, I have a decent amount of experience with genuine supernatural phenomena and matters related to Mystics. My Thaumaturgical specialty is in Reinforcement, which I found highly useful in my last job. More to the point, I believe I would be a good fit for your Agency due to my experience with Chemistry, the utility of my Mystic Eyes, and my knowledge of US political life, as any conspiracies we unravel involving Mystics have a decent probability of also being tied into the political side of things. Although I am not privy to their more secret side, I am also decently well-acquainted with the people of St. Elmo's Catholic Church, and I could act as intermediary if we should need to call upon them for assistance. I am also generally decent at clerical and administrative work if needed, as I had the job of managing a number of US Army personnel in my previous position as a commissioned officer. As far as my temperament during work, I have been called both mellow and level-headed by those who have worked with me in the past, and unless absolutely necessary, I prefer to speak softly rather than raise my voice.
I apologize for the general brevity of my cover letter, but in general, nobody reads these anyway, you know? So I thought I would summarize the main points and get it out of the way. My contact info is included if you need to get ahold of me, although I would appreciate a response even if I am declined.
Thank you for your time and consideration, Sunny Clearview
Magecraft: Number of Magic Circuits: D Quality of Magic Circuits: C
Sunny's Magecraft, insofar as he's been trained as part of his work for the DoM, centers on Reinforcement of his body, including his senses, enabling him greater physicality and perception than a normal human while he is making use of it. However, he must choose to enhance a particular attribute first, and he cannot keep it up indefinitely due to his subpar number of Circuits. Thus, he tends to make use of Reinforcement in short bursts, to achieve a particular immediate goal. His use of Reinforcement is complimented by his superb physical fitness, to the standard one would associate with high-level special forces operatives, as well as his keen observational skills. His incantations tend to be in Classical Latin, or at least an approximation thereof.
Mystic Eyes of Prana-Sight: Similar to the Mystic Eyes of Reines El-Melloi Archisorte, these allow Sunny to perceive prana both external to bodies and within bodies in a visual form. Unlike Reines, however, his are mature, and thus do not have an adverse reaction to encountering magical energy.
Mystic Eye Killers: Sunny tends to wear these at most times (other than when sleeping) as a means of making sure he doesn't accidentally activate his Mystic Eyes and start seeing prana flows all over the place, as that can be inconvenient. He does not actually require glasses to see, and in fact has 20/20 vision.
Mundane Gear/Weapons Skills: Sunny is generally capable with virtually any kind of weapon, but his actual armory consists of bog-standard NATO equipment, including body armor, pistol, combat knife, and automatic rifle, the last of which he may sometimes swap out for a sniper rifle, all designed for infantry-level targets (i.e. not anti-material). He also knows how to create and use various kinds of explosives, but doesn't have the material on hand.
Basic Sunny Backstory Points: -Because of his Mystic Eyes, he knew from a young age that he was different from normal people, and had some idea of the veracity of the supernatural as well. -(1983-2001) His father disappeared on him and his mother when Sunny was very young, so she raised him as a single mother with the help of extended family who were local. -(2001-2005) Originally lived in Southeast USA before going to Columbia University (in NY) on an academic scholarship to study Political Science, and quickly found himself recruited for the ROTC program. -(2005-2010) Graduated Summa Cum Laude with BA in PoliSci and Minor in Chemistry, went to work in the Army as a commissioned officer. -(2010-2015) After 4 years as an officer, applied/trained to be a Green Beret, passed, went on highly sensitive missions, largely in Afghanistan (or in-universe equivalent war). -(2015-2018) Recruited by the Department of Mystics to undertake even more sensitive missions, these ones involving the supernatural; in 2018, [REDACTED]. -(2018-2020) Honorably discharged from his duties due to no longer being able to do what his country asked of him as a result of [REDACTED]; moved to Millhaven in 2018 and has been living there for 2 years by the start of our story.
Name: Richard Norton Age: 21 Date of Birth: 1999 (Exact Date of Birth is Unknown and he haven't celebrated his birthday) Address: Room 143 Pearlwind Hotel Millhaven, Oregon
C U R R I C U L L U M V I T A E
Bodyguard Experience
Hobbyist Skill in Bolus Creation
High School GED
S K I L L S & O T H E R R E S O U R C E S
Tsukisasu (Moonpiercer)
-A collapsible pen can also be turned into a spear. Very durable and transforms smoothly.
Bolus Making Kit
-A set of tools for making bonuses due to lack of formal skill and proper ingredients, his creations are nothing more than glorified energy drinks or concentrated adrenaline.
Bolus Recipe Book
-A worn down book that is gifted to Richard by one of his charge before they parted ways. It contains a list of basic recipes for aspiring bolus makers combined with various handwritten notes and warnings that is personally directed to Richard. The only reason Richard hasn't poisoned himself.
Boluses
-Medicine in the shape of a small sphere that grants small effects to the consumer. Richard consistently keeps boluses that heal the body or stabilise the mind. Their effects go weaker the more it is used.
C O V E R L E T T E R
Greetings Mr. Fidano, if you are reading this letter then I would like to extend my gratitude for considering my application.
I would first want to preface that I kept and will be keeping a lot of things from you, coming from being an inactive member of Zafu Association. Admittedly there is an almost guarantee that I will eventually go back but I can promise that it won't put you or anybody in the agency in any form of danger unless something went truly wrong.
If you are still considering hiring me after that risk then I would list my notable skills here.
I'm a proficient spearwielder and have some experience in both actual combat and being a bodyguard. This is my most reliable skill that I would be of most use to the agency. I also have my own share of blood but I don't want to talk about it.
I have some level of familiarity with the criminal underground, especially with the Zafu Association.
While I'm not on the level of even a proper apprentice, I could make some boluses with local materials. Due to their haphazard nature, it is not more effective than concentrated energy drinks or cigarettes. I can assure its safety and non-addictive properties when used responsibly though.
I’m looking forward to your positive response.
Sincerely, Richard Norton
Richard is one of the few people who is simply born with the “proper way of breathing and walking”. This led to him being adopted by the Ryouchi family at the young age of five with the purpose of him being trained as a bodyguard. He is noted to be a skilled spearman and hand to hand fighter although not the best among the potential heirs. Notably he is eating boluses in a manner similar to how smokers inhale their cigarettes. He justifies it as a less harmful alternative to drinking.
As a fighter, he is basically a character from a beat 'em up game capable of taking blows and fighting multiple enemies for long periods of time. He could also evade bullets by feeling out its trajectory although it was nearly impossible for him to dodge sustained fire.
When asked about the Zafu Association, he likened it to a mix of yakuza and a sitcom with a splash of casual violence and sometimes murder and wishes it would stay that way.
He notes that he felt a bit detached to everything even with his adoptive family and it scares him a little.
Work Experience Swordsmithing - Maki interned in Swordsmithing and makes her own weapons Landowner – Stockholder - Secret Keeper The Ryougi are renowned landowners, Maki isn't any different by a slight margin, she ensures that business, runs. What separates her from any by-the-book tycoons, is her willingness to make deals, a bargain that allows flexible payment terms. Let alone, mafiaesque protection.
Garan no Dou - An independent, franchising agency from Mifune City & by the 2010s, it's got several branches in Japan & recently, in Oregon at 2018, they deal with supernatural cases.
Education Clock Tower, Department of General Fundamentals
Accomplishments Franchised Garan no Dou in Souya and in Oregon
Skills & Other Resources Skills & Other Resources
Arms Mastery - Maki has mastered Japanese budo weaponry & prefers swordplay in regulated switching from Itoryu/Nitoryu and a Magnum pistol.
Multi Martial Arts – Maki is fluid in martial arts, she prefers hand to hand combat, accentuating her physical prowess in tandem with her Swordplay.
Psychic: Dual Persona The Ryougi™, Maki has dual personalities that allows her to commit near flawless espionage and subterfuge, Maki has facets. MAKI - personality is an autopilot, no nonsense assassin that plays up plans like 5D Chess, does not involve innocents
MaKi - personality that's a spontaneous offensive planner, taking big risks and involving innocent people
Mystic Code - Muramasa (Variant) - not the actual cursed blade but the name itself, invokes fear. The blade feeds on blood from mana, allowing it to recover from being chipped/nicked. It is one with Maki, in essence, designed to only be used by her, anyone who touches the blade, triggers the failsafe of its nakago/handle, invoking barbed spikes. The stored mana in return is used as ranged Manaburst slashes, and because it feeds on Mana, it is a niche counter against magic barriers.
Cover Letter Cover Letter
Mr. Fidano,
I am straightforward with this business that I ought to partake, the letter is short and don't need flowery words, I have little intention to fight anyone, I am first & foremost, a Mogul. Wherever my eyes gaze, profits follow, I intend to play mediator and make money as is, that you yourself may benefit, I am after all a seasoned Mogul of Garan no Dou, my franchise may do wonders and contracts shall be made, from dirty secrets, etc.
What exactly is her relation to Shiki and Touko, since she's franchising Garan no Dou? In canon, Garan no Dou basically stops operating after Touko left, IIRC. The building is owned by other person, but they no longer do detective stuff.
Also, I'm not quite sure why she's applying to work for her competitor if she's opened an american branch of Garan no Dou.
Clock Tower, Department of General Fundamentals
She doesn't need to go to the Clock Tower I feel like. She doesn't do magecraft.
Mystic Code - Muramasa (Variant) - not the actual cursed blade but the name itself, invokes fear. The blade feeds on blood from mana, allowing it to recover from being chipped/nicked. It is one with Maki, in essence, designed to only be used by her, anyone who touches the blade, triggers the failsafe of its nakago/handle, invoking barbed spikes. The stored mana in return is used as ranged Manaburst slashes, and because it feeds on Mana, it is a niche counter against magic barriers.
Unless you have something specific in mind, it can't just repair itself from mana, as in it's not replacing the chipped metal with magical energy because magical energy can't create something from nothing. I get that this is basically Zabuza's sword, but nasuverse magecraft is not as flexible as naruto's jutsu, unfortunately.
Budget mana burst is fine. Obviously it's nowhere as good as actual mana burst, but it make the sword exert more force basically, right? That's fine. It won't counter magical energy, but disturbing the flow of magical energy somewhat reducing the strength of the barrier is fine.
