He wasn’t even a bit startled when she essentially teleported behind him. Magi were used to the unnatural, they lived in it after all. They were a testament to the supernatural that lurked behind the world. However, even magi had limits on what they could normally accept. What Amara had done would violate most magus logic, yet, this man was fine. Of course, it meant that his common sense was even more alien than that of your average magus.
To put it bluntly, to Amara, it meant that he was surely part Incubus.
Incubi were demons which preyed upon the sexual energy released by humans, normally through intercourse, though the manipulation of dreams was possible.
In the Arabic world, specific kinds of mischievous Djinn took up the mantle traditionally given to the Incubus. Obviously, this man before her, a descendent of Merlin, wouldn’t have any connection to the Arab world. However, it is worth noting because, in the end, no matter where one is from…
Incubi are demons which prey on people.
Incubi were things incompatible with the world Amara envisioned...but this person was still a man, right? He was only partially a demon, so that meant there was still humanity left in him. Well, whatever humanity magi had left in them. Just because they were part abomination didn’t mean they would be a problem for innocent people.
Alternatively, Inversion Impulses existed.
However, it was possible that she was merely reading too much into things. Of course, this mindset was shot down the moment she realized that the man saw through the disguise Caster gave her. If anything, seeing through this cemented him as definitely someone that was part demon and dangerous.
She wanted to ask Caster, but she was a bit preoccupied playing with the Saber.
“I see…”
It took a few moments, but Amara decided on what she needed to do.
“Goodbye.”
And it was that she was unsure, so she would escape for now, regroup with Caster, and talk it over with her!
So, as fast as Amara appeared, she darted away from the conflict, into some nearby trees away from the fight. That fight was scary.
Nebuchadnezzar II
Homurahara Courtyard(Banquet of Kings), Academy, Fuyuki City
…
Oh, he wasn’t dead. This was good. Seeing that the javelins were now gone, Nebuchadnezzar freed his master. He had heard her mumble a bit, something about lacking air, but he had to make sure she was safe first. AJavelin to the head will kill you quicker than the momentary lack of oxygen after all.
It seemed like the focus of the banquet shifted over to the attacked, which was correct. The mark of a barbarian was a complete disregard civility. Going by what the musical man had said, it was Altera(?) the Hun! Clearly, the good man meant Attila. It must have just been a more regional variant of the name.
Either way, Attila was the target of this hunt. Unfortunately, even with the speed boost, there was little Rider could do to actively chase her down. He couldn’t run at his full speed with his Master. Her body would absolutely be destroyed if he actively tried to chase down a fleeing Servant with her. Rider could, in theory, just leave her here, but he didn’t trust the host of this banquet.
Ah, but Xerxes’ new challenge needed his response, didn’t it? If he didn’t respond, then he would forfeit his ideal of kingship. This presented a dilemma. Nebuchadnezzar had to protect his master, but he also had to prove that his way of being king was the ultimate path. There seemed to be no way to do both.
Of course, as the Greatest of Kings, Nebuchadnezzar already had the answer. With a smirk, he glanced over to the Greek.
“Theseus, King of Athens, Slayer of the Minotaur, Son of Posiedon, and a whole list of other titles. Few have legacy as great as you, but I guess that is proper for one of Greece’s greatest heroes.”
Even Rider’s resume wasn’t as impressive in comparison, though he made up for it in other ways. Rider was king of an entire empire, Theseus was a king of a city. Of course, the size of one’s kingdom didn’t matter, instead, what mattered was how one ruled their kingdom. In that regard, Theseus was still a much greater king than the rest at the party.
When it came to this hunt, Theseus would have to serve as his proxy. Theseus cherished the same ideals as him, so if he killed Attila, then it was like Nebuchadnezzar had won in the end, right?
“A king who saved the lives of his people while still a prince, but one who never truly found respite.
It was tragic, but was that not the story of all Greeks? Even if Nebuchadnezzar was Babylonian, “Greek Tragedy” was common knowledge gifted by the grail. Despite being in the top three heroes of Greece, Theseus likely had the saddest tale of them all. His story was up there with Oedipus, Cadmus, and Agamemnon. Yet, despite that, he tried his best for his people.
Homurahara Courtyard(Banquet of Kings), Academy, Fuyuki City
The words of the Greek set Nebuchadnezzar’s heart alight. He had no clue who this man was, but he was a TRUE king. This unidentified Servant fully understood what it meant to be a king. Glamor and conquest was important, but there was nothing greater than making sure those under you were protected and nurtured. Rider’s face couldn’t hide is excitement for such a king, forcing a bright smile to appear.
Of course, this smile didn’t last long.
As this man calling himself “Hercules” entered the banquet soon after. That was odd, especially since the Greek spelling was “Heracles,” but maybe being summoned in Japan ruined that? Either way, Nebuchadnezzar’s smile instantly faded once this “Hercules” revealed his version of the “Nemean Lion.” Seeing an innocent bystander in the state that he was caused Rider to flinch.
Savagery.
There was no better way to describe “that” performance. He understood that Magi and Servants could act in less than savoury ways and he accepted that...but this was almost too cruel. He wasn’t a resource, just a prop in a pathetic side show act. Such a waste of life was horrid, but savages cared little about such things.
At this point, it didn’t really matter. The rules dictated that anyone who was witness to them was to be killed, to protect the secrecy of the events involved. Even if this “Nemean Lion” wasn’t dead yet, either his memory needed to be wiped, or he needed to die. Such a terrible fate this “Hercules” gave to him. Unfortunately, these were the rules of this moonlit world, no matter how much it upsets Nebuchadnezzar.
He would merely look away from the brute, avoiding his torture of the poor man. At the very least, Nebuchadnezzar wouldn’t bear witness to such brutality.
It was the very end of this torture scene that Rider heard those annoying whispers once more. At this point, he almost got a headache every time they came, but he was still thankful for their advice. It seemed that the rest of the kings at the banquet also possessed such an ability, seeing as they immediately began to prepare for it.
They also felt the need to answer his question on kingship during this time, which of course was met with a look of disgust.
Those men knew nothing. Like ignorant children, they believed themselves kings when they were nothing but tyrants. This was terrible, but it could be remedied. If they were truly ignorant, then Nebuchadnezzar would teach them. It was proper for a king to make sure his people were educated.
Rider began to move towards the Greek, as only he seemed like the proper king here. It was a sign of solidarity, that among these barbarians, he could have some solace that a spark of civilization was present. Of course, he was dragging his Master along with him the entire time.
“You’re both close, but you’re both fundamentally wrong. The people as slaves to your will? That isn’t what it means to be a king.”
How could it be? A king ignorant to the wishes of his people is doomed to fall. Nebuchadnezzar enslaved an entire people, but even he knew this much.
“To protect your possessions and to be perfect? Those are such shortsighted goals in the end. I wonder how history has characterized you two, for I fear it isn’t well.”
Nebuchadnezzar couldn’t be sure who these two were, but they definitely reminded him of the scourge from the steppes. Not that he was alive for that, but thankfully the Grail filled him in on stuff like that.
He continued to move, fully trusting in the protection skills of those two and the musician. Plus, it wasn’t like he had much to protect himself with.
“A king should cherish the gods, for it is they who give you your authority to rule. Without their blessings, we merely parade as leaders. To not act as proper kings means we disrespect them.”
As the living embodiment of Marduk on Earth, Nebuchadnezzar took his role to the gods with the utmost seriousness. To throw away all the faith they had in him would be his greatest shame. A king had to a proper king for his gods.
“To flaunt your greatness to your enemies is important, but never forget to let your people thrive in your success.”
Nebuchadnezzar nurtured all under his care, from the funding of schools to ensuring those within Babylon ate.
“A king should should never ignore the cries of his people and most importantly---”
It was at this time that Nebuchadnezzar had arrived next to Theseus. He could respect this man as an equal, at least on some level. Rider had no idea if this man fulfilled his other outlined criteria, but since he followed the most important tenant, Rider was sure that this man was a good king.
As the javelins fully began to rain down, Nebuchadnezzar smiled. He had no means of protecting himself beyond trusting in the two people he had spent this time lecturing. It was ironic, especially considering what his last ideal was, but the two seemed hellbent on protecting the banquet. Still, Rider couldn’t be sure that their defenses would be enough.
But this was fine, as Nebuchadnezzar didn’t care all that much about protecting himself.
He pulled his Master even closer into him, enveloping her body. On the microscopic chance that all of these defenses failed, then at the very least, he would be able to protect his Master. Nebuchadnezzar would be her bulwark, something to protect her from the rain of javelins. The King would be the canopy which protected those who sat beneath it.
And so, as he readied for impact, the man shouted his most important criteria.
“---To be a proper king is to protect the image and smile of everyone under you!!!”
That was...problematic, but also expected. In war where multiple Servants of the same class existed, something like this was bound to happen. Still, observing the park instead of the invitation over at the school? Did Flur’s invitation really create such a ruckus? The 3 Magi and 4 Servants present, plus the abnormality, the likely Assassin lurking, and the Master looking through the little girl servant’s eyes.
Her Servant’s concern was valid, this place was definitely a death trap.
Seeing the actions of the little girl Servant’s actions caused Amara to use her Master’s Clairvoyance on the Servants present. The stats manifested as stars, of course. The average Strength and Agility of the Servants involved was A.
This park was rapidly becoming a place to die. Amara would need to take extra precautions with this fight, but that wasn’t exactly a problem. As long as she remained aware of the potential dangers, then nothing should have been a big issue.
After all, she had like, three “jet out of jail” cards.
“I’ll be careful, Caster. You should also be safe though, you’re more involved than I’ll be.”
Using her super secret power of “Having a Caster Servant,” Amara was altered to where the other Master’s were hiding out. While it was a cowardly move, it was understandable. The Servants here were on another level, hiding from that death trap was only normal. Still, there was something that Amara needed to find out.
With her newly acquired speed boost, Amara darted around the far side of the battlefield, over towards the tree everyone seemed to have been hiding behind. Was there something important about this tree? Was it a magic tree? Did the tree speak to them? Whatever it was, Amara would find out in less than a moment. It was during this time that she’d pull out her Jambiya and activate them, causing them to hover around the area.
She appeared next to the two boy’s, a smile plastered on her face. Of course, to those two, it probably seemed like she teleported over more than anything. Amara truly hoped she didn’t scare anyone, but if she went slow, the odds of getting in the crossfire were very high.
“Hello!”
She greets the two, her smile still as bright as ever.
“I’ve come to speak with the Head of the Flur Family. I’m sorry for the um, sudden arrival, but I have an important question to ask! Once I’ve confirmed it I’ll be out of here!”
Of course, seeing as the boy was an illusionist, she was ready for him to just dart of there. Still, hopefully they could have a nice, cordial conversation.
Nebuchadnezzar II
Homurahara Courtyard(Banquet of Kings), Academy, Fuyuki City
After hearing the host’s words, Nebuchadnezzar protectively pulled his Master closer to him. While he couldn’t be sure how serious this man was, he wasn’t going to risk his Master’s safety. And even if it was one, Nebuchadnzzar could clearly tell that the man before him was dangerous. Maybe not as a Servant, but as a person? He was the most dangerous kind of person there was.
Still, not wanting to be a poor guest, Rider smiled at the host, though it was closer to a confident smirk than anything.
“How could that be? I’m already the rightful ruler of everything. Even the people I conquered agreed. You’d have to be a King on my level for something like that…”
A King as grand as Nebuchadnezzar was possible, but who?
“Cyrus the Elder was truly an equal, but Augustus’ administration was something to admire. Agamemnon’s ability to handle others is legendary, and Ramesses II was definitely the greatest of kings before me…”
He was mostly mumbling to himself, going over a list of great kings besides himself. He overlooked Alexander, Ashoka, and everyone from the Far East, but besides that, he felt his list was fairly solid.
“Still, if you claim yourself to be great, then how can I argue? It’ll be an honor to clash with you when the time comes. This city is an ill fitting battle ground, but that can be overlooked. What could be greater than a battle between history’s finest!?”
Still keeping his master close, Nebuchadnezzar walked over the table and grabbed a glass of wine and took a sip. It was a bit bitter than what he preferred, but it would have to do. His personal preference for the wine of the Levant. Of course, not that mevushal crap, that was putrid. The lengths Hebrews would go to make sure others couldn’t tolerate their wine. Now, whenever Hebrews produced non-mevushal wine, it was quality. Truly, they were was a confusing bunch.
The others included a king garbed in Middle Eastern attire and a Greek. Thankfully, they were a culturally similar group. Imagine if a Japanese king showed up to this? How were they supposed to relate to someone like that?
“Our host may not care for pleasantries, but I do. Please, everyone, tell me about yourselves. I’ll start. I’m a King.”
...Well, everyone here was a king, so that wasn’t saying very much. The man paused for a moment to think of what else he could tell the others. Having to avoid his true name was very annoying, but he felt that his Master wouldn’t be too pleased if he went around shouting it.
“I like staring at the beauty of a river at sunset, I like the arts, and I’m a friend of the gods, though I have some issues with a particular one.”
These were too generic. Think Nebu, think! What could start up an interesting conversation that wasn’t totally used before…
They had a 15% increased chance of victory if she exceeded the limits of a...primate? Well, why it sounded rude, that was a tempting offer. Assuming there were 3 of each class, 21, her base odds of victory were slightly less than 5%. However, if this could boost their odds an extra 15%, making it around 20%, that would make their odds 1/5 …
Well, that was an absolute easy choice! Of course she’d acc̶͖͖̟̟̲̭͙͈͖̦͙̠̙͗̍͑̉̎̒ͅẻ̴͕̥̖̞̥̬̎͆̔̐̈́͊̀̈̍̄̃p̸̰͎̈́̾̊̉̽̚t̵̛͚̺̤͔͇̜̬̖̥̖̾́̊̌̐̈́͌͑̓̅̽̂̀̇ͅ ̴̣͚̟͙̞͚̰͕̙̰̓̏̾̈́̃̓͗͛́̌̎̂͗ͅt̴̢̧̛̘͕͈͎̞͉̼̩̲́̋̄̌̄̋͌͛̈́̎́̚ͅͅh̷̬͇̳̼̦̘̞̖͋͂̎́͘͠ä̶̬͙̹͙̅̎͋̿t̶̲͚̼͓͓̲̫͎̺̩̝̀͊͆̎̿̃͘̚̚̚͠͝͝.
Pain.
Heh, that was odd.
One of the first steps of being a proper magus is to come to terms with pain. If you groan with pain every time you opened your circuits you’d go insane.
However, if a magus makes themselves insane, then the pain can’t harm them.
Well, there were other reasons for why a distorted mentality was necessary for magecraft, but this was a reason.
Or at least, this level of it didn’t seem possible.
The body would twist and contort of the cocoon around it didn’t keep it nestled and secure. Still, the tension on a body just waiting to snap and crack was excruciating.
All sorts of wondrous images played before the mind, all at a speed beyond perception. A flash of colors, many of them unrecognizable, took over her vision. The beginning and the end both played at once, the shared grotesque awe in their aftershock was equally mind boiling. The Heavens and Earth melded into one, their remaining dust scattered in the void to be forgotten for eternity....
On the river, in a box, all that remained were pieces of it.
14 pieces made up Amara, now they were cut apart and floating down the river.
Except she was still there.
Or was she?
Why did Amara see the corpse of Amara?
Activate/Awake/Remember
Hello.
Amara bint Mahmud ibn Hāshim Seif
Fuyuki City Hall (Nighttime), Shinto Town, Fuyuki City
The fireworks in the sky caught her by surprise. She really wasn’t expecting such a bold invitation to be sent. It seemed arrogant, but that also likely meant that the team who sent it was strong.
Or at least, she hoped that was the case. Otherwise it was suicidal.
Fireworks marked the beginning of something, but also something’s finale. Though, if every ending is a new beginning, then they were one in the same, right? In that case, maybe the fireworks were the perfect opener of the true beginning of the war.
The Holy Grail War really started now.
Avoiding The End was within her grasp, now all she had to do was grab at it.
Yet, there was another disturbance as well.
A closer one, near where she believed the park was. It was a much less extravagant display, which meant it likely would bring more people to it. To that extent, then it wouldn’t be worth her time in comparison to the one going on near the fireworks. Of course, the invitation to the park is ultimately the one that seemed the more interesting choice, for the simple reason that it included a name.
William Flur.
Rank: Fes
The Flur family is allegedly descended from Merlin. For generations they’ve tried to achieve the same peaks the Mage of Flowers had. They specialize in Illusion Magecraft, almost certainly based on Merlin and British legends.
If this is the case, he likely has relics from Merlin himself. More startling than that, he may still have the blood of an Incubi flowing through his veins.
In others, William Flur has high potential to be a monster, making him pique Amara’s curiosity at the very least.
“Caster, do feel this wind and hear its call? I think it may be in our interest to respond.”
Amara smiled at her Servant and began to move, already knowing her Caster’s answer before they needed to say it. It was asked as a formality, more than anything. As she moved, she’d make her own (basic) calculations and banter with Caster along the way.
[Leaving: Shinto Town ----> Entering: Fuyuki Park]
Nebuchadnezzar II
Right Outside Homurahara Academy, Fuyuki City
“...Aaaahhhh, so these are modern schools! Master, write down the structure for me, please. I built more schools during my reign than any other King of Babylon. Outside of Ruling, my passion for knowledge and teaching is my greatest passion. When we win and I return in a more glorious form, I’ll build schools like these all across my homeland! I’m sure it has many, but there can always be more! Kuuuuhahahahahahahahaaaaaaa!”
Little did Rider know, it was 2004, and a bunch of Iraqi schools had been bombed.
In hindsight, Rider shouldn’t have brought his Master with him. It was going to be dangerous and Assassin could pop in and try to kill her.
…
Not that they would make it very far.
“Make sure you keep close to me, Master. I’m sure most of these King will be valiant, but there could also be true brutes.
Like Ghenghis Khan, Caligula, or Charlemagne. Those are some of history’s greatest brutes.”
And so, Rider entered the banquet, striding in like the King he was.
Ouitside Matou House, Foreigner's District, Fuyuki City
“How I feel? Well, I guess you could say I feel somewhat insulted. We come all the way out here to thank them for helping host such a fine event and then they stand us up? They know we know they're there, we can detect each other. I can only assume that they’re purposely ignoring us so that we will leave.
Well, their plan is working. Master, we should go visit the other families. They must be the real hosts of this war.”
Nebuchadnezzar, King of the World, shows up at your gate, and you decide to ignore him?
Rider’s brain couldn’t even conceptualize such a thought. It is proper to greet everyone who comes to visit, but a King of his caliber especially. Maybe the Matou had summoned such a great Servant that they felt that superior? No, that could not be. There might have been heroes as great as Nebuchadnezzar, but greater? Impossible.
How can someone be greater than the King? That was against the rules.
Without even waiting for his master’s explicit consent, Rider began to walk away from the house, completely unaware of where he was going next.
“It has, for better and worse. I don’t think I’d really enjoy the quality of life the past held, but it must be nice living in an era where mystery and mana were abundant! It is sorta sad, when you think about it. You get to come to the modern era, but we can’t visit the past.”
A sad sigh escapes her.
“I guess that’s just how it is. Still, I’m glad you’re at least kind of pleased with the modern world. It would be sad coming back to a hellscape, wouldn’t it?”
Or at least, not an advanced hellscape. The world was always hellish, but in a different way. It was imperfect. That was the world’s problem.
---
“Thanks, Mr. Cab man! Stay away from the Commerce District! There’s a crazy guy there!”
Amara waved the Cabbie goodbye as it drove off, giving him the best advice she had. Hopefully it would keep him away from the Hercules that was destroying the city. She couldn’t bear to think about the kind of destruction such a powerful man could do. Truly, there wasn’t a more dangerous Servant than Heracles.
With the cab out of sight, Amara began to stretch.
“Well, here we are Caster! Did Alexandria have anything like this in your time?
B-besides the lighthouse. That one is disqualified, it being an Ancient Wonder and all.”
In Front of Matou Estate, Foreigner's District, Fuyuki City
“Of course! What kind of King would I be if I couldn’t protect but a single vassal? If I can’t protect one person, then my title of King is worthless.”
He, dramatically of course, walked in front of his Master. No harm would come to her for as long as he was around. It was his job to shield the world. One little(?) girl was nothing compared to the weight he would have to hold after this war.
Despite talking about protecting his Master, he didn’t take any real defensive stance. He was on guard, of course, but not trusting potential hosts was rude. If they didn’t want to be proper hosts, that was their problem. Nebuchadnezzar couldn’t go around breaking such simple hospitality.
“Yes, rules like these were common around mine era as well.
You always honor your enemy, no matter what.
You never strike from the shadows, it was the mark of a coward.
You always show kindness to those who offer it to you.
These are just some of the rules that humans must follow. Even animals are willing to follow these rules to an extent. A well trained dog or cat will never harm anyone who shows kindness to it. Though, an animal which has never been shown compassion will never understand that. The same applies to humans, of course. Tragic, isn’t it?”
Ah wait, he was ranting. He cut himself off before he could really start going.
If Amara wasn’t trying her best to pretend to be a “proper magus,” she probably would have been in tears.
To have someone that understood her goal was the greatest thing for her.
“Thank you, Caster!”
----
Amara was getting a bit self conscious. Moments after expressing her gratitude to her Servant, Caster immediately instructed her to hail down a cab. It was probably an unlucky coincidence, however. They were heading off anyway, and a cab was much more efficient than walking around.
Still, she was a bit worried.
The magus gazed out at the window, hoping the scenery of the city would be enough to make her concerns fade away. While her home in Basra was “larger,” the architecture of Fuyuki was much more pleasing to look at. It would only get more impressed as they made their way through Miyama and into Shinto.
At least, that’s what the cab driver said anyway.
…
The distraction method was not working very well. Maybe some small conversation with her Servant would do the trick?
“Hey, Caster, what do you think of the modern world? I don’t know how much the Grail gave you, but I think you have enough to have some ideas.”
Nebuchadnezzar II
Foreigner's District, Fuyuki City
It took nearly all of Rider’s willpower to hold in his laughter. The combination of both his master’s demeanor, frustration at the map, and pride at turning a corner was almost too much to handle.
What a splendid Master! Truly, this pairing was but another blessing that had been granted to him! How else could he had been fortunate enough to pair with such an entertaining girl!
Girl?
Well, she was more of a lady, right?
She had the appearance of a child, with a demeanor to match. However, she had the grace of someone refined, with goals only someone with a noble heart could have. Rider could have just asked her for her age, but you can’t just, DO that.
Hmm, he’ll have to shelf this conondondrum for now.
“Greeting the hosts of the war?”
He gave a confused look to his master, though he continued to fall behind. There was just something about that idea. This likely involved going around to visit the hosts, the people who have had all the time in the world to prepare, and entering their territories. They likely summoned incredibly impressive Servants as well.
Something about this idea just seemed…
“Perfect! I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the morning! We can greet and thank them for preparing this battle while the Sun is still shining!”
Good thing you can’t attack guests. That was against the law.
The empty bookstore was still closed at this early hour, meaning Amara had all the time in the world to summon her Servant. Breaking into the bookstore was fairly simple with basic magecraft. It was also simple to secure a suitable area within the bookstore to create circle. The problem came when she actually had to draw the circle.
She spent a good amount of time drawing up her circle. While others might have used chalk or chicken blood, Amara used metal shavings, with each metal used correlating to one of the celestial bodies. The girl also made sure that the circle was as mathematically possible as she could get. Finally, she took books relating to reach celestial body and had them around the circle.
Oddly enough, these books were backwards, and had images of girls in weird outfits instead of the planets. Also something about sailors? The Japanese were truly a mysterious and strange people.
The books probably didn’t help at all, but it made her feel more comfortable.
Within the circle was the girl’s catalyst, an incredibly torn apart scroll. It was a scroll kept within her family’s vault because of its age and mystery, but it was also rumored to have been kept within the library of Alexandria, making it a prime catalyst for all kinds of great heroes.
Like Ptolemy!
Or Ceasar!
Or like...Ptolemy!
In hindsight, it might not have been the ideal catalyst, but still! She surely summoned a winner in Saint Catherine! Well, since she was a Muslim, she had absolutely no idea who Saint Catherine was. Thankfully, her Servant explained she was also known as Hypatia, which was someone Amara actually knew. Certainly, this expert mathematician was going to lead her to victory!
The two had cleaned up the mess, made small conversation, exchanged their names, some of their talents, and so on. At this point, they were sort of just standing there and wasting daylight. Servants made fine conversational partners (probably), but you can talk while you’re doing something productive!
So, the girl grabbed her servant by the arm, and began to head out of the Bookstore, and into the light of Fuyuki. It would be her first time seeing the day of another country! What an exciting day for her!
Any serious demeanor she had while talking with her Servant earlier was gone by this point. All that remained was the image of the momentary smile of a young girl finally getting to experience the world for once in her life. It was a wholesome moment, a rarity for Fuyuki.
If only the poor girl knew what horrors reality truly held.
Nebuchadnezzar II
Leaving Pucci, Foreigner's District, Fuyuki City
“Master, don’t think because I’ve been gone for over 2000 years that my sense of style has faded. My fashion was the envy of the world during my reign! They’d make tablets of me in my casual wear and you’d find foriegn kings wearing it!
Kuuuuhahahahahahahahaaaaaaa!”
He erupted into a thunderous laugh as he spoke about his past. Oh, how the other kings of his era were truly inferior to him. Rider might not have seen eye-to-eye with YHWH, he could understand why his role was to punish but to guard. None of the others kings were competent enough to style themselves, let alone protect the world.
Thankfully, the modern world was full of competent leadership.
Right?
“The book you had was about fashion, right? Once we win this war, I’ll be on the cover of all of them! I wish we had something as efficient as these in Babylon! I’ll be able to educate everyone on a proper sense of style! Of course, you wouldn’t need such a lesson.”
His goal was noble enough.
The Master that had summoned him was truly an interesting case. She was, without a doubt, a top Magus. In that regard, there wasn’t anyone better to have summoned Rider. As a Master, she was ideal.
However, who cared about something as robotic as that?
Nebuchadnezzar was a person. Well he’s a ghost, but metaphorically he is a person.
He wouldn’t care if his Master was a fool who next to nothing about magecraft. None of that mattered. What truly mattered was the type of soul his partner was. A Grand is worthless if they’re lacking as a person.
However, in this regard, his master was also ideal.
She was intelligent, cute, and determined.
But most importantly?
She was a fool, just like him.
Nebuchadnezzar quickly caught up to his Master, walking next to her side by side. He placed his arms behind his head as he walked, letting his open shirt rustle with the wind
"To be a King is to conquer, to lead, to flaunt your power to those who oppose you, to bring and maintain order to this chaotic cesspool we inhabit, but most importantly... it is to protect the image of those who serve under you."
Nebuchadnezzar II
King of Babylon, Šar Šarrāni, Greatest King of Mesopotamia, The Original Chad
Class: Rider
Gender: Male
Attribute: Man
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Objective for the Grail: To be reincarnated so he can fix Iraq.
To dream an impossible dream is normal, but to actively pursue it is the mark of a fool
But also the mark of a hero.
An arrogant tyrant who burnt down a temple and enslaved the population, but also a regal king who brought order to this world of chaos. A servant to the gods, but would also disobey one (YHWH) at almost every opportunity. A king whose goal it is to protect the world, but one who would conquer what he could. A contradicting fool until the end, but one who can accept this fact, and still chase after what he desired.
The modern world is both beautiful and disgraceful to Nebuchadnezzar. While humanity has strayed even further from the gods, they have managed to reach heights never before achieved. Plus, it means that the gods (YHWH) couldn’t meddle in the affairs of humans. Still, the gods brought a power to humanity that could never be recreated. This was fitting of course, as the Age of Gods was on its last legs by his own time.
If this truly was the Age of Man, then there was no other era greater for Nebuchadnezzar to be reborn. There was no one to interfere with his dream. If an illusion was to become reality by his own hands, this was the ideal time.
Also he wants to rebuild Iraq considering the current state of it.
The people have sinned and there must be restitution. When the golden calf was erected, they were punished. When they rebelled against Moses, they were punished. For every grave sin they were punished, did they expect something different?
Instead of a plague or opening the Earth, Nebuchadnezzar was created. Nebuchadnezzar was intended to be God’s servant on Earth and would punish the wicked sinners who had corrupted Israel. A living punishment was forged and became the child of Nabopolassar, the first king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire.
Little is known about the early life of Nebuchadnezzar and it truly isn’t relevant. The only thing worth noting is that he was competent military commander, and when his father overthrow Assyria, Nebuchadnezzar was given complete control over the military. His first campaign was into Egypt to reclaim Syria and Phoenicia. Unfortunately, this would be his only campaign as just the commander of the military, as his father would die during this conflict. Now the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar set his sights on the world.
Of course, as a being constructed by YHWH to punish the Jews, Nebuchadnezzar felt a desire to conquer Judah. Well, that and the constant nagging of the aforementioned god. Nebuchadnezzar worshipped mainly Marduk and Ishtar and while he would never deny the existence of YHWH, his loyalty was elsewhere. Still, in order to get YHWH out of his head, Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah. He besieged Jerusalem, put in a new king, and figured his work was done.
YHWH thought otherwise.
For 10 years, amidst Nebuchadnezzar's great building projects, YHWH continued to tell him to punish the Hebrews once more. He finally gave in, and decided to do so. He took over Jerusalem a second time, and enslaved the Hebrews. Finally, a punishment that would make the god content. Of course, until Nebuchadnezzar went and burned down Solomon’s Temple. In Ancient Times, main temples towards gods were literally where they resided. Nebuchadnezzar believed that destroying this temple would, at the very least, keep YHWH away.
It didn’t, and YHWH would spend the rest of Nebuchadnezzar’s life tormenting time, usually in the form of a dream. Despite the many dreams that YHWH sent to Nebuchadnezzar, there was only one that he was truly thankful for. For this dream put everything into perspective.
A large tree that covers the world. From every corner of the world it can be seen. There was food and shelter for every man and animal.
Never before had Nebuchadnezzar seen such a beautiful image.
This dream ended with an angel ordering the tree to be cut. Nebuchadnezzar had the dream interpreted by his court magician Daniel. The tree was Nebuchadnezzar. It was him who shielded and nurtured everything, but he was not meant to last. Nebuchadnezzar would surely die, and the results of that would spell the end of Babylon, as well as this image.
While this image was never the reality, this is the dream he will fight to make real.
A man created to punish, but became someone to protect others.
That is the truth behind Nebuchadnezzar II.
There was also that time YHWH made him go insane and act like a savage for years, but lets not talk about it.
Weapon: A Spear
Parameters: STR: C CON: C AGI: B MAG: A LUK: -
Class Skills: Magic Resistance: B
Grants protection against magical effects. Differing from the Resistance effect that merely rejects Magical Energy, this ability cancels the spells altogether.
At this rank it cancels spells with a chant below three verses. Even if targeted by High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals, it is difficult for them to be affected.
Riding: A+
A Class Skill of Rider and Saber class Servants, denoting the ability to ride mounts and vehicles.
All vehicles and all creatures up to the level of Phantasmal Beast and Divine Beast can be used as mounts. However, that does not apply to members of the Dragon Kind
Personal Skills:
Kareth: -
A skill that denotes one as a living punishment from the gods. A hebrew term that means “cut off,” it was used in the Talmud as a spiritual cut off. It was the denial of the soul, and exclusion from the world after life.
Forged by the God of the Hebrews in order to punish them, Nebuchadnezzar would be how their God would smite them. He would capture all of the Hebrews, loot and burn their temple to the ground, and would rename individual hebrews to akkadian names. As a punishment from God meant to “cut off” the Hebrews from their homeland, it could be said that Nebuchadnezzar’s body is a curse meant to destroy. This manifests as a blessing.
In practice, Rider’s body is a “divine punishment” in itself. Ironically, instead of it being destructive, it makes him more resistant. His body is truly just a divine protection which nulls both status and curse effects.
Revelation: B
A Skill to "hear the voice of heavens" and take optimum action; a Skill equivalent to Instinct, a sixth sense regarding battles. However, 'Revelation' accommodates all matters related to the achievement of a goal (for instance, choosing the most suitable path while traveling).
Rider had several dreams throughout his life that were messages from the God of the Hebrews, as well as messages from his own gods, most notably, Marduk.
Šar Šarrāni: A+
A title given to the great kings of Assyria and Babylon. Kings, especially those of Babylon, were believed to be the living representations of the god Marduk. He was the King of Gods, so of course the King of Men would be his representative.
However, the real importance comes from Marduk bringing order to the world. The chaotic Primeval Sea, the “Monster” which rampaged indiscriminately, and the beasts which roamed. All was corrected and put into order by Marduk. The King of Babylon is not only the leader of the people, but the one who creates and maintains order.
Its main use is towards bringing order. Effectively, this skill acts to make sure things occur as fate has intended (as things should be), and as things are designed (as things are directed to be ). There is a bonus effect toward people, events, and so forth that are already in that direction. It can also function as a powerful type of mental attack.
Mušḫuššu
Marduk, Calm the Rampaging Chaos
Rank: B
Type: Anti-Army
Range: 1~40
Maximum Number of Targets: 500
Description: One of the second set of children birthed by Tiamat that were created to bring order to her current rebelling children. Despite ultimately being defeated by Marduk, he was spared from the same fate as his siblings. While the rest were sealed away with their Mother, Mušḫuššu was allowed to remain as the mount of Marduk. It was fitting, seeing as Mušḫuššu was created to bring order, and Marduk created order by sealing away the Chaos. Mušḫuššu and Marduk would become so intertwined that Mušḫuššu became not only a symbol of Marduk, but also a form of Marduk himself.
As the living form of Marduk, it is only fit for Mušḫuššu to be Rider's mount. Of course, the two are connected in other ways. Rider adorned many of his buildings, especially the Ishtar Gate, with images of Mušḫuššu. In one of the later edition pieces added onto the Story of David, Nebuchadnezzar was shown with a “dragon” that they worshipped like a god. This “dragon” was Mušḫuššu, as he was a representation of Marduk, the Christians believed that they worshipped him as if he was Marduk.
Mušḫuššu is of the highest class of Divine Beasts, being birthed by Tiamat as part of a new set of gods. While he is a great beast in power, Mušḫuššu’s true strength comes from his ability to “enforce order.” The reason he was created, the reason he served Marduk, and why he would become one with Marduk later on is because of this. The area around Mušḫuššu and everything in it will conform to the proper order of things, or rather, how things “should be.” It effectively stabilizes the world No matter how chaotic something may be, it is Mušḫuššu’s job to force it back into line.
Ultimately, it is something which only truly serves Marduk, so Nebuchadnezzar doesn’t have complete control over Mušḫuššu.
Etemenanki
Great Punishment of Heaven
Rank: A++
Type: Anti-Fortress
Range: 1~99
Maximum Number of Targets: 900
Description:
“Man may not last forever, but his legacy shall live on.”
The parting message from the Epic of Gilgamesh, but a lie nonetheless. The rock where stories are carved erode over time. Buildings are made to fall, whether through erosion or natural disasters. Legacies are not always built to last, but that does not mean they were not worth happening This Noble Phantasm is not his own, but would become his from his reconstruction of it.
The Etemenanki was a large ziggurat that was 91 meters high. It was built by a king whose name was lost, even during the time of Nebuchadnezzar. It is theorized that it might have been constructed by the gods as the ziggurat created in Enuma Elish. It had fallen into ruin by Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, destroyed through earthquakes, lightning, and a lack of maintenance. The most relevant part of this Noble Phantasm is that it would become the inspiration for the Tower of Babel, the tower which challenged God.
The true name activation of Etemenanki turns it into a homing device. As it would become the tower that was destroyed by God as it challenged the heavens, it will be targeted for the same destruction once more. While the tower was never destroyed in the original biblical texts, later additions would add it. Similar to certain avatar of destruction, Nebuchadnezzar can redirect the ray of destruction towards another target. A smiting which destroyed the tower and shattered humanity is awaiting them .It is the combination of both the tower and Nebuchadnezzar being affronts to YHWH that creates this result. As this is the case, there is a chance of being properly noticed.
This event never happened during the life of Nebuchadnezzar, and if Etemenanki was the basis of the Tower of Babel, it would have most likely been the first version that was destroyed through lightning and earthquakes. Still, Rider will accept whatever the Hebrews want to associate him with.
Nebuchadnezzar can summon individual parts of the tower, but can not use the true name activation without summoning the entire structure. The Rank of this Noble Phantasm corresponds to the True Name Activation, not to the tower itself.
Amara bint Mahmud ibn Hāshim Seif
Maalik, Zabaniya, Ringer of the Evening Bell
Gender: Female
Age: 24
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Rank: Fes
Objective for the Grail: Utopia
Suffering is core to the human experience.
To live is pain and to die is pain.
But why must it be that way?
To free humanity of pain is all anyone should wish for.
Amara has placed the burden of this wish onto herself. While has family has stepped off the path of true magi, Amara still holds it close.
Despite her lofty goal, she realistically isn’t anywhere near mature enough to hold it up. Amara might feign a serious and focused demeanor, but in reality, she’s a bit of an excited ditz who is just happy to be outside of her family’s estate.
Oh and there is probably something fundamentally wrong with her, but that is better left undiscussed.
The Seif family began in the 900’s in Eastern Arabia, though they’d soon migrate to Iraq. They seemed to have had some sort of relationship with the Qarmatians, though they were never quite part of their group despite being Shia themselves. The family would base their initial work on the writings of Aristotle and Abu Ma'shar, making then incredibly close to Greek Astrology magi. This connection brought them into the fold of the Association. In the following centuries, as the Clock Tower would become the center of the magus world, the Seif would join and align themselves within the Astromancy Department.
As a family of 300 years at that point, they had some clout, and their reputation would only continue to grow over the centuries. During their peak in the 1400’s, the family would have successive heads be acclaimed duelists as well as lecturers. One would even rise to the rank of Brand, however the following generation would spell their ruin. After an altercation with the Animusphere, the family would leave the Association. The head at the time, as the eccentric he was, became consumed with the world of the Middle Eastern mysticism. This changed the family’s path going forward. While they initially used angels to assist with their Astrology, their new interest in curses would change their use as well.
Their name has become somewhat of an insult within the Astromancy Department, though younger families aren't exactly sure why that is.
The constant shifting state of the Middle East made it fairly difficult for them to keep some sort of political power, but as long as they remained on some path as magi they’d be fine. After all, the proper life of a magus is one of solitary. You lock yourself in your library and either reach your goal or die trying. This was a seemingly simple task, yet, something went awry somewhere along the line.
During the 1800’s, the family would begin to move away from the path of pure magecraft and move into the politics of the real world. Whether it was the obvious decline of the Ottomans, or a decline in good heirs, the family changed course. They’d bring a member of the ‘Ahl al-Bayt into their bloodline, an important core to gaining political power in the Shia world. The Seif would continue these political marriages, eventually being able to marry a daughter of the Ottoman Sultan.
The family’s luck would quickly turn south, as World War I would kill off the Ottoman Empire, harming a solid amount of political power they gained. Their fortune would turn come the 1960’s, where a newly independent Iraq was ripe for corruption. The family’s moves would be slow, but come the 1990’s, they’d end up becoming good friends with the leader of Iraq. Of course, while his recent passing last year was tragic, this interregnum left a gaping hole for the Seif family to attempt to fill.
The only reason Amara was the heir in the family’s current state is because she has little political value. Political marriages have lost their value in recent years and women don’t exactly hold political power on their own in this part of the world. She’d be given the crest with little protest. Her reason for being one was simple, it was a path to save others. To exist is to suffer, so it was her goal to end such suffering. To exist in a Utopia would be ideal, therefore, it is the path worth taking.
Basically, she became a magus because the idea of a painless world was appealing to her.
Her great-grandfather did her training, teaching her magecraft, life skills, and even Pahlevani. Amara’s mindset still wasn’t ideal for a magus, but her raw talent made up for this fact. Truly, she was the best prodigy the family had seen in generations.
Once she caught wind of this Holy Grail War, she instantly began to prepare herself for it. While her family would definitely object to her desire (something about how a family can’t have their child murdered in Japan), she would press through it. She would raid her family for their valuables and make her way to Japan, family be damned.
She wrote a nice apology letter though.
---
Magic Circuit Switch: The mental image of being engulfed in flames.
Number of Magic Circuits: C
Quality of Magic Circuits: C
---
Origin: Dissimilitude
Elemental Affinity: Fire, Water
Magecraft:
Association Basics: The basics anyone who calls themselves a magus would know. Actually a relic of her family from when they were aligned with the Association.
Angel Creation (Zabaniya): The Creation of Angels is nothing new or surprising for Magi. They’re merely vague vessels that have been labeled as such thanks to the flanderization of the concept. The specific types of angelic form the spirits (grudges) take are that of the Zabaniya. While they are connected to the techniques of a certain Hash smoking order, the actual purpose of the Zabaniya is to guard hell and punish sinners. Zabaniya punish those who have sinned, and their punishment is increased the more someone has sinned.
They’re the basis for Amara’s magecraft and act as carriers for her curses.
Cursecraft: The manifestation of ill will, grudges, desire to harm, and forsaken wishes. Curses are a school of magecraft ignored and underutilized by the Western Magecraft world, but is the core of Middle Eastern studies. While they fall behind in most things when compared to the West, when it comes to Curses, they fly miles above the rest of the world.
As a family from the Middle East, they specialize in curses akin to the Evil Eye, sympathetic magecraft with puppets (effigies), curses caused by celestial alignment, and things of this nature. Hexes play an incredibly large part in the use of curses in the region. Of course, curses which twist fate, and alter the mind and body are the foundation. As one would expect, there are also the generic curses such as make someone feel sick, make this cute girl fall in love with me, what you inflict on me is inflicted on you, and so on. Typical stuff you would expect from a curse user.
Amara can materialize curses with little effort, and the speed and skill she displays in the field is absurd. Her work would look completely alien to those from the West.
Astrology: While Christians would spend a millenia in the Dark Age turning away from the works of the Greeks, Muslims would embrace the works of the Greeks and make further improvements in Astrology. The “Formation of the Heavens” would play a major part in Islamic culture, making it an incredibly popular foundation for the area. This was the initial focus of the Seif family,
As a family from the Middle East, the Seif specialized in "The Formation of the Heavens." The influence the celestial bodies have on the Earth, their movements, and their relations to angels are what the family especially studied.
Magic Crest: Over 1000 years in age, with the knowledge contained being greater than that, considering the absolute focus the family dedicated to it for well over 800 years. The sheer quality some of their previous heads had contributed to it as well. Sadly, it has taken some damages over the millennia. It was once damaged in a duel during the family’s Association days, as well as the natural decay of a Crest of this age.
Equipment:
Devil Fruits: In Islamic Hell, Jahannam, there is a tree that grows known as the Zaqqum. The Zaqqum is a tree which collects all the sins in hell and sprouts fruits which look like devil heads. These heads are filled to the brim with the sins, and consuming one will twist a body apart. Amara’s estate has one of these trees located within her house, so she plucked off some of the fruits and took them with her.
Orrery Watch: A miniature orrery which takes the form of a wristwatch. The movements of the celestial bodies on the Orrery symbolize the movements of the ones present in the sky. Obviously, as the family uses Classical Astrology, they have none of the more modern planets within it.
Heavenly Jambiya: A series of 8 Jambiya which are symbolic of the celestial bodies in the sky. Each dagger is made out of the metals associated with each celestial body and the symbols associated with each one are engraved in them. When activated, the Jambiya follow the movements of the Orrery.
An effigy of herself meant to take the brunt of curses, made out of her hair, a baby tooth, and some dead skin. The right hand is opened and has the symbol of an eye on it, recreating the Hamsa. Needless to say, it is a powerful anti-cursing object capable of working on even some of the strongest Middle Eastern curses.
"To be a King is to conquer, to lead, to flaunt your power to those who oppose you, to bring and maintain order to this chaotic cesspool we inhabit, but most importantly... it is to protect the image of those who serve under you."
Nebuchadnezzar II
King of Babylon, Šar Šarrāni, Greatest King of Mesopotamia, The Original Chad
Class: Rider
Gender: Male
Attribute:
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Objective for the Grail: To be reincarnated so he can fix Iraq.
To dream an impossible dream is normal, but to actively pursue it is the mark of a fool
But also the mark of a hero.
An arrogant tyrant who burnt down a temple and enslaved the population, but also a regal king who brought order to this world of chaos. A servant to the gods, but would also disobey one (YHWH) at almost every opportunity. A king whose goal it is to protect the world, but one who would conquer what he could. A contradicting fool until the end, but one who can accept this fact, and still chase after what he desired.
The modern world is both beautiful and disgraceful to Nebuchadnezzar. While humanity has strayed even further from the gods, they have managed to reach heights never before achieved. Plus, it means that the gods (YHWH) couldn’t meddle in the affairs of humans. Still, the gods brought a power to humanity that could never be recreated. This was fitting of course, as the Age of Gods was on its last legs by his own time.
If this truly was the Age of Man, then there was no other era greater for Nebuchadnezzar to be reborn. There was no one to interfere with his dream. If an illusion was to become reality by his own hands, this was the ideal time.
Also he wants to rebuild Iraq considering the current state of it.
The people have sinned and there must be restitution. When the golden calf was erected, they were punished. When they rebelled against Moses, they were punished. For every grave sin they were punished, did they expect something different?
Instead of a plague or opening the Earth, Nebuchadnezzar was created. Nebuchadnezzar was intended to be God’s servant on Earth and would punish the wicked sinners who had corrupted Israel. A living punishment was forged and became the child of Nabopolassar, the first king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire.
Little is known about the early life of Nebuchadnezzar and it truly isn’t relevant. The only thing worth noting is that he was competent military commander, and when his father overthrow Assyria, Nebuchadnezzar was given complete control over the military. His first campaign was into Egypt to reclaim Syria and Phoenicia. Unfortunately, this would be his only campaign as just the commander of the military, as his father would die during this conflict. Now the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar set his sights on the world.
Of course, as a being constructed by YHWH to punish the Jews, Nebuchadnezzar felt a desire to conquer Judah. Well, that and the constant nagging of the aforementioned god. Nebuchadnezzar worshipped mainly Marduk and Ishtar and while he would never deny the existence of YHWH, his loyalty was elsewhere. Still, in order to get YHWH out of his head, Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah. He besieged Jerusalem, put in a new king, and figured his work was done.
YHWH thought otherwise.
For 10 years, amidst Nebuchadnezzar's great building projects, YHWH continued to tell him to punish the Hebrews once more. He finally gave in, and decided to do so. He took over Jerusalem a second time, and enslaved the Hebrews. Finally, a punishment that would make the god content. Of course, until Nebuchadnezzar went and burned down Solomon’s Temple. In Ancient Times, main temples towards gods were literally where they resided. Nebuchadnezzar believed that destroying this temple would, at the very least, keep YHWH away.
It didn’t, and YHWH would spend the rest of Nebuchadnezzar’s life tormenting time, usually in the form of a dream. Despite the many dreams that YHWH sent to Nebuchadnezzar, there was only one that he was truly thankful for. For this dream put everything into perspective.
A large tree that covers the world. From every corner of the world it can be seen. There was food and shelter for every man and animal.
Never before had Nebuchadnezzar seen such a beautiful image.
This dream ended with an angel ordering the tree to be cut. Nebuchadnezzar had the dream interpreted by his court magician Daniel. The tree was Nebuchadnezzar. It was him who shielded and nurtured everything, but he was not meant to last. Nebuchadnezzar would surely die, and the results of that would spell the end of Babylon, as well as this image.
While this image was never the reality, this is the dream he will fight to make real.
A man created to punish, but became someone to protect others.
That is the truth behind Nebuchadnezzar II.
There was also that time YHWH made him go insane and act like a savage for years, but lets not talk about it.
Weapon: A Spear
Parameters: STR: C CON: C AGI: B MAG: A LUK: -
Class Skills: Magic Resistance: B
Grants protection against magical effects. Differing from the Resistance effect that merely rejects Magical Energy, this ability cancels the spells altogether.
At this rank it cancels spells with a chant below three verses. Even if targeted by High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals, it is difficult for them to be affected.
Riding: A+
A Class Skill of Rider and Saber class Servants, denoting the ability to ride mounts and vehicles.
All vehicles and all creatures up to the level of Phantasmal Beast and Divine Beast can be used as mounts. However, that does not apply to members of the Dragon Kind
Personal Skills:
Kareth: -
A skill that denotes one as a living punishment from the gods. A hebrew term that means “cut off,” it was used in the Talmud as a spiritual cut off. It was the denial of the soul, and exclusion from the world after life.
Forged by the God of the Hebrews in order to punish them, Nebuchadnezzar would be how their God would smite them. He would capture all of the Hebrews, loot and burn their temple to the ground, and would rename individual hebrews to akkadian names. As a punishment from God meant to “cut off” the Hebrews from their homeland, it could be said that Nebuchadnezzar’s body is a curse meant to destroy. This manifests as a blessing.
In practice, Rider’s body is a “divine punishment” in itself. Ironically, instead of it being destructive, it makes him more resistant. His body is truly just a divine protection which nulls both status and curse effects.
Revelation: B
A Skill to "hear the voice of heavens" and take optimum action; a Skill equivalent to Instinct, a sixth sense regarding battles. However, 'Revelation' accommodates all matters related to the achievement of a goal (for instance, choosing the most suitable path while traveling).
Rider had several dreams throughout his life that were messages from the God of the Hebrews, as well as messages from his own gods, most notably, Marduk.
Šar Šarrāni: A+
A title given to the great kings of Assyria and Babylon. Kings, especially those of Babylon, were believed to be the living representations of the god Marduk. He was the King of Gods, so of course the King of Men would be his representative.
However, the real importance comes from Marduk bringing order to the world. The chaotic Primeval Sea, the “Monster” which rampaged indiscriminately, and the beasts which roamed. All was corrected and put into order by Marduk. The King of Babylon is not only the leader of the people, but the one who creates and maintains order.
Its main use is towards bringing order. Effectively, this skill acts to make sure things occur as fate has intended (as things should be), and as things are designed (as things are directed to be ). There is a bonus effect toward people, events, and so forth that are already in that direction. It can also function as a powerful type of mental attack.
Mušḫuššu
Marduk, Calm the Rampaging Chaos
Rank: B
Type: Anti-Army
Range: 1~40
Maximum Number of Targets: 500
Description: One of the second set of children birthed by Tiamat that were created to bring order to her current rebelling children. Despite ultimately being defeated by Marduk, he was spared from the same fate as his siblings. While the rest were sealed away with their Mother, Mušḫuššu was allowed to remain as the mount of Marduk. It was fitting, seeing as Mušḫuššu was created to bring order, and Marduk created order by sealing away the Chaos. Mušḫuššu and Marduk would become so intertwined that Mušḫuššu became not only a symbol of Marduk, but also a form of Marduk himself.
As the living form of Marduk, it is only fit for Mušḫuššu to be Rider's mount. Of course, the two are connected in other ways. Rider adorned many of his buildings, especially the Ishtar Gate, with images of Mušḫuššu. In one of the later edition pieces added onto the Story of David, Nebuchadnezzar was shown with a “dragon” that they worshipped like a god. This “dragon” was Mušḫuššu, as he was a representation of Marduk, the Christians believed that they worshipped him as if he was Marduk.
Mušḫuššu is of the highest class of Divine Beasts, being birthed by Tiamat as part of a new set of gods. While he is a great beast in power, Mušḫuššu’s true strength comes from his ability to “enforce order.” The reason he was created, the reason he served Marduk, and why he would become one with Marduk later on is because of this. The area around Mušḫuššu and everything in it will conform to the proper order of things, or rather, how things “should be.” It effectively stabilizes the world No matter how chaotic something may be, it is Mušḫuššu’s job to force it back into line.
Ultimately, it is something which only truly serves Marduk, so Nebuchadnezzar doesn’t have complete control over Mušḫuššu.
Etemenanki
Great Punishment of Heaven
Rank: A++
Type: Anti-Fortress
Range: 1~99
Maximum Number of Targets: 900
Description:
“Man may not last forever, but his legacy shall live on.”
The parting message from the Epic of Gilgamesh, but a lie nonetheless. The rock where stories are carved erode over time. Buildings are made to fall, whether through erosion or natural disasters. Legacies are not always built to last, but that does not mean they were not worth happening This Noble Phantasm is not his own, but would become his from his reconstruction of it.
The Etemenanki was a large ziggurat that was 91 meters high. It was built by a king whose name was lost, even during the time of Nebuchadnezzar. It is theorized that it might have been constructed by the gods as the ziggurat created in Enuma Elish. It had fallen into ruin by Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, destroyed through earthquakes, lightning, and a lack of maintenance. The most relevant part of this Noble Phantasm is that it would become the inspiration for the Tower of Babel, the tower which challenged God.
The true name activation of Etemenanki turns it into a homing device. As it would become the tower that was destroyed by God as it challenged the heavens, it will be targeted for the same destruction once more. While the tower was never destroyed in the original biblical texts, later additions would add it. Similar to certain avatar of destruction, Nebuchadnezzar can redirect the ray of destruction towards another target. A smiting which destroyed the tower and shattered humanity is awaiting them .It is the combination of both the tower and Nebuchadnezzar being affronts to YHWH that creates this result. As this is the case, there is a chance of being properly noticed.
This event never happened during the life of Nebuchadnezzar, and if Etemenanki was the basis of the Tower of Babel, it would have most likely been the first version that was destroyed through lightning and earthquakes. Still, Rider will accept whatever the Hebrews want to associate him with.
Nebuchadnezzar can summon individual parts of the tower, but can not use the true name activation without summoning the entire structure. The Rank of this Noble Phantasm corresponds to the True Name Activation, not to the tower itself.
Amara bint Mahmud ibn Hāshim Seif
Maalik, Zabaniya, Ringer of the Evening Bell
Gender: Female
Age: 24
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Rank:
Objective for the Grail: Utopia
Suffering is core to the human experience.
To live is pain and to die is pain.
But why must it be that way?
To free humanity of pain is all anyone should wish for.
Amara has placed the burden of this wish onto herself. While has family has stepped off the path of true magi, Amara still holds it close.
Despite her lofty goal, she realistically isn’t anywhere near mature enough to hold it up. Amara might feign a serious and focused demeanor, but in reality, she’s a bit of an excited ditz who is just happy to be outside of her family’s estate.
Oh and there is probably something fundamentally wrong with her, but that is better left undiscussed.
The Seif family began in the 900’s in Eastern Arabia, though they’d soon migrate to Iraq. They seemed to have had some sort of relationship with the Qarmatians, though they were never quite part of their group despite being Shia themselves. The family would base their initial work on the writings of Aristotle and Abu Ma'shar, making then incredibly close to Greek Astrology magi. This connection brought them into the fold of the Association. In the following centuries, as the Clock Tower would become the center of the magus world, the Seif would join and align themselves within the Astromancy Department.
As a family of 300 years at that point, they had some clout, and their reputation would only continue to grow over the centuries. During their peak in the 1400’s, the family would have successive heads be acclaimed duelists as well as lecturers. One would even rise to the rank of Brand, however the following generation would spell their ruin. After an altercation with the Animusphere, the family would leave the Association. The head at the time, as the eccentric he was, became consumed with the world of the Middle Eastern mysticism. This changed the family’s path going forward. While they initially used angels to assist with their Astrology, their new interest in curses would change their use as well.
Their name has become somewhat of an insult within the Astromancy Department, though younger families aren't exactly sure why that is.
The constant shifting state of the Middle East made it fairly difficult for them to keep some sort of political power, but as long as they remained on some path as magi they’d be fine. After all, the proper life of a magus is one of solitary. You lock yourself in your library and either reach your goal or die trying. This was a seemingly simple task, yet, something went awry somewhere along the line.
During the 1800’s, the family would begin to move away from the path of pure magecraft and move into the politics of the real world. Whether it was the obvious decline of the Ottomans, or a decline in good heirs, the family changed course. They’d bring a member of the ‘Ahl al-Bayt into their bloodline, an important core to gaining political power in the Shia world. The Seif would continue these political marriages, eventually being able to marry a daughter of the Ottoman Sultan.
The family’s luck would quickly turn south, as World War I would kill off the Ottoman Empire, harming a solid amount of political power they gained. Their fortune would turn come the 1960’s, where a newly independent Iraq was ripe for corruption. The family’s moves would be slow, but come the 1990’s, they’d end up becoming good friends with the leader of Iraq. Of course, while his recent passing last year was tragic, this interregnum left a gaping hole for the Seif family to attempt to fill.
The only reason Amara was the heir in the family’s current state is because she has little political value. Political marriages have lost their value in recent years and women don’t exactly hold political power on their own in this part of the world. She’d be given the crest with little protest. Her reason for being one was simple, it was a path to save others. To exist is to suffer, so it was her goal to end such suffering. To exist in a Utopia would be ideal, therefore, it is the path worth taking.
Basically, she became a magus because the idea of a painless world was appealing to her.
Her great-grandfather did her training, teaching her magecraft, life skills, and even Pahlevani. Amara’s mindset still wasn’t ideal for a magus, but her raw talent made up for this fact. Truly, she was the best prodigy the family had seen in generations.
Once she caught wind of this Holy Grail War, she instantly began to prepare herself for it. While her family would definitely object to her desire (something about how a family can’t have their child murdered in Japan), she would press through it. She would raid her family for their valuables and make her way to Japan, family be damned.
She wrote a nice apology letter though.
---
Magic Circuit Switch: The mental image of being engulfed in flames.
Number of Magic Circuits: C
Quality of Magic Circuits: C
---
Origin: Dissimilitude
Elemental Affinity: Fire, Water
Magecraft:
Association Basics: The basics anyone who calls themselves a magus would know. Actually a relic of her family from when they were aligned with the Association.
Angel Creation (Zabaniya): The Creation of Angels is nothing new or surprising for Magi. They’re merely vague vessels that have been labeled as such thanks to the flanderization of the concept. The specific types of angelic form the spirits (grudges) take are that of the Zabaniya. While they are connected to the techniques of a certain Hash smoking order, the actual purpose of the Zabaniya is to guard hell and punish sinners. Zabaniya punish those who have sinned, and their punishment is increased the more someone has sinned.
They’re the basis for Amara’s magecraft and act as carriers for her curses.
Cursecraft: The manifestation of ill will, grudges, desire to harm, and forsaken wishes. Curses are a school of magecraft ignored and underutilized by the Western Magecraft world, but is the core of Middle Eastern studies. While they fall behind in most things when compared to the West, when it comes to Curses, they fly miles above the rest of the world.
As a family from the Middle East, they specialize in curses akin to the Evil Eye, sympathetic magecraft with puppets (effigies), curses caused by celestial alignment, and things of this nature. Hexes play an incredibly large part in the use of curses in the region. Of course, curses which twist fate, and alter the mind and body are the foundation. As one would expect, there are also the generic curses such as make someone feel sick, make this cute girl fall in love with me, what you inflict on me is inflicted on you, and so on. Typical stuff you would expect from a curse user.
Amara can materialize curses with little effort, and the speed and skill she displays in the field is absurd. Her work would look completely alien to those from the West.
Astrology: While Christians would spend a millenia in the Dark Age turning away from the works of the Greeks, Muslims would embrace the works of the Greeks and make further improvements in Astrology. The “Formation of the Heavens” would play a major part in Islamic culture, making it an incredibly popular foundation for the area. This was the initial focus of the Seif family,
As a family from the Middle East, the Seif specialized in "The Formation of the Heavens." The influence the celestial bodies have on the Earth, their movements, and their relations to angels are what the family especially studied.
Magic Crest: Over 1000 years in age, with the knowledge contained being greater than that, considering the absolute focus the family dedicated to it for well over 800 years. The sheer quality some of their previous heads had contributed to it as well. Sadly, it has taken some damages over the millennia. It was once damaged in a duel during the family’s Association days, as well as the natural decay of a Crest of this age.
Equipment:
Devil Fruits: In Islamic Hell, Jahannam, there is a tree that grows known as the Zaqqum. The Zaqqum is a tree which collects all the sins in hell and sprouts fruits which look like devil heads. These heads are filled to the brim with the sins, and consuming one will twist a body apart. Amara’s estate has one of these trees located within her house, so she plucked off some of the fruits and took them with her.
Orrery Watch: A miniature orrery which takes the form of a wristwatch. The movements of the celestial bodies on the Orrery symbolize the movements of the ones present in the sky. Obviously, as the family uses Classical Astrology, they have none of the more modern planets within it.
Heavenly Jambiya: A series of 8 Jambiya which are symbolic of the celestial bodies in the sky. Each dagger is made out of the metals associated with each celestial body and the symbols associated with each one are engraved in them. When activated, the Jambiya follow the movements of the Orrery.
An effigy of herself meant to take the brunt of curses, made out of her hair, a baby tooth, and some dead skin. The right hand is opened and has the symbol of an eye on it, recreating the Hamsa. Needless to say, it is a powerful anti-cursing object capable of working on even some of the strongest Middle Eastern curses.
