Though I walk through valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou has anointed my head with oil; my cup runneth over. -Psalms 23
The year is 2004. The Prime Holy Grail War is about to begin.
Years ago, on the eve of the second World War, a great conflict took place in Fuyuki city. It was a brutal and bloody fight, with little heroism to be found. Worse than the deaths, for the three families that created the ritual, Einzbern, Matou and Tohsaka, was the theft of the grail. An outsider, Darnic Prestone Yggdmillenia, had come to Fuyuki, and stolen the grail with the help of the third reich.
As the next step in his master plan, Darnic spread information about the Holy Grail War system to hide his theft. Degraded imitations of the Holy Grail war have happened across the world for the past half-century, subspecies wars that could not sustain Servants as well as the original grail war, or grant as strong a wish. Though not common, they were frequent enough that certain information was shared between participants, creating a ‘metagame’ of sorts that shifted between wars. This did little to reduce their violence.
Despite Darnic’s efforts, the leader of the Matou, who he had crippled and left for dead, had been saved by a Stranger. Recovered to health, the three families joined together to attempt to reclaim their great work, as well as many of its lesser imitations. Along with the many smaller grails, they were able to kill the thief and reclaim the Greater Grail after years of effort.
Now, the long-delayed conclusion of the three families' cooperation will be reached. The Prime Holy Grail War, the original and perfect ritual will soon be completed. But this, too, marks the end of the cooperation of the three families. Soon, blood will run once more.Welcome, everyone, to the Prime Holy Grail War. This is a story taking place in the Fate universe in the same timeline as the Apocrypha war. The main differences are that the Three Founding Families of Fuyuki have teamed up to retake what is theirs, stomping through many Subspecies Grail Wars before finally reclaiming the Greater Grail from the Yggdmillenia family. Darnic Prestone Yggdmillenia is dead, and so too is the alliance between the Three Families. What does this mean?
A classic, all-out free-for-all in Fuyuki, of course.
This is primarily a narrative experience, focused more on the interactions between characters over winning or losing combat. Because of this, we highly recommend joining the attached Discord server (below) in order to seamlessly plan out encounters. However, the nature of this roleplay means that character death is highly likely, if not inevitable. A story about war cannot be composed only of winners, after all. Also, for those who are joining late, please note that slots will not be closing. The nature of the war allows other prospective Masters and unclaimed Servants to join in the middle of it easily.
Other than that, rules and guidelines for creating characters are located in the next section. If anyone has any questions, swing by the Discord and ask me or @SSW personally.
Discord Link Below!
Rules
1. Respect other players, and the GMs. Making other players uncomfortable is something we’d like to avoid in order to have a conductive roleplay experience. 2. If a dispute occurs between two or more players during an IC confrontation, the GMs will be the final verdict on the outcome. 3. Try to post within a week, especially during combat scenes. If you’re unable to post for the week, please inform us ahead of time. 4. Avoid metagaming as much as possible. Since everyone will be paired with another person, being extra cautious about metagaming is advised. Preparations will also be somewhat public, so this is to ensure those preparations made aren’t ignored.
General - Posts are considered to be from a character’s perspective, and any actions in them can be contested by subsequent posts. If there is a disagreement, please attempt to resolve it between players before asking for a GM judgement. If you want to edit posts after an agreement is reached, notify the GMs first.
Preparation - Preparations are expected and are a core part of a standard Magus’s role. However, to avoid most complications that offscreen preparations might entail, details of one’s preparations must be noted in the player’s post. The specifics of one’s prep should still be sent to the GMs for verification so long as the general idea is conveyed through a post. An example would be a post about the potion maker making their strongest potions, hinting that their Servant might not be able to handle said potions, whereas the specific details of what these potions do are sent to the GMs via PMs.
Actions - The action system is used largely to determine how interruptible certain actions are, and is largely used for Magi. Incantations use counts to determine the length; the more counts to an incantation, the higher ranked the resulting spell. Activating the function of a Mystic Code is quicker than even a one-count incantation. Noble Phantasm activations and the use of Command seals are also considered equivalent to a one-count action. Ordinary talking is a free action, so get as much anime trash talk in as you want. It’s also worth noting that Servant speed is on a different scale to Magus speed, but if you’re a Magi alone with a hostile Servant you have more to worry about than action economy.
Application Rules - Each player will be allowed one Master and one Servant slot. Multiple applications for each are permitted, but only one will be accepted for each. It is not required to play one of each, but is encouraged. Do not put your application in the characters tab until it is accepted, instead, post the character in the OOC section. We will give informal advice and discuss any potential problems over discord, and will formally PM required changes in batches. Once these changes are made, the character can be posted to the Characters tab.
Servant Applications - Gilgamesh and Herakles are banned. Nursery Rhyme, joke servants and Lostbelt servants are banned. Anyone born after 1901 is ineligible. Anyone who can be considered to predate Gilgamesh, such as antediluvians or parts of a creation myth, will be subject to high scrutiny. Canon Servants may be applied, but not those with incomplete materials. In the case of joke servants, or Servants that have only made a very brief appearance and showcased few or none of their abilities, making an alternate version is fine. Everything else will be judged on a case-by-case basis.
Master Applications - Matou Zouken and Emiya Shirou are banned. Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia is dead. No Masters able to fight Servants evenly. Canon Masters may be applied, but bear in mind this is an alternate universe, so at least some adjustments should be made. If you need help with this or want ideas, talk to the gms.
Pairings - In order to encourage a cooperative and interactive roleplaying experience, self-pairing will be banned. Pairings will only be noted when both characters are accepted and both players confirm the pairing. Please tag the GMs to notify them when this happens, even if the characters haven’t been accepted yet. For the purposes of fairness, please keep the discussions about establishing pairings as public as possible, since it can be frustrating for people to think most pairs are free only to find out they’ve been talking in PMs for a while already.
Character Caps - Playing characters from the founding families (Matou, Einzbern and Tohsaka) is permitted, but there will be a hard cap on two characters per family, and two characters from the same family may require some backstory alterations to work. Extra Servant classes (Avenger, Shielder, and Faker) will be soft capped at 1 each, while Standard Servant classes will be soft capped at 3 each. These soft caps are subject to increasing in the case of large player turnout.
Character Sheets
Class: Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster, Berserker or Assassin are the main classes. As more uncommon classes, Avenger, Shielder, and Faker are allowed.
True Name:
Appearance: Anime Faceclaim preferable but not compulsory.
Sex:
Alignment: D&D Alignments.
Attribute: Heaven, Earth, Man or Star.
History: Give a little info and anything that’s different from the history of the ordinary world or the myths as described. No wikipedia links please.
Personality: Just a short summary is enough.
Parameters: E-A rank, EX in very exceptional circumstances. +s are temporary, situational boosts. Strength: Hitting things hard Agility: Being dextrous and fast Endurance: Enduring stuff, HP Mana: Magical energy capacity Luck: Ability to defy fate.
Class Skills Set based on class. See Servant help for details.
Personal Skills Skills unique to this servant. Typically 2-4 in number, 5 max.
Noble Phantasms:
Name: Title: Fancy Titlle Rank: E-A, with +s and EXs again Type: Anti-Unit, Anti-Unit (Self), Anti-Fortress and Anti-Army are the usual ones Range: Nobody knows what this means but 0 is self, 1 is very close, 40 covers a school. Targets: Maximum targets at one time Description: What it does
Name:
Titles: Any neat chuuni titles you can come up with
Appearance: Anime Faceclaim preferable but not compulsory.
Sex:
Alignment: D&D Alignments
History: A brief backstory. Doesn’t need to be too in depth.
Personality. A brief summary of personality.
Magecraft
Quality of Circuits: Ranked E-A
Quantity of Circuits: Ranked E-A
Elemental Affinity: The element of one’s magecraft, sometimes called alignment. Typically one, sometimes two, and exceptional magi are ‘Average Ones’, able to use all elements. Most use the Western system of Fire/Water/Earth/Wind (Plus some other special cases), but the Eastern system of Wood/Fire/Earth/Metal/Water is sometimes used too.
Attribute: Another important factor in Magecraft. Unlike Affinity, this is generally determined by the family’s specialty, and it’s possible to learn more over time as the family grows. Includes things like Shirou’s Reinforcement, Rin’s Conversion, and the Matous’ Absorption. For more detail, check Theory of Magic in the helpful information section.
Magecraft: Further magecraft details. No need for a spell list or anything like that, this should be a more general overview of what they can do. Include ‘General Magecraft’ here if your character has basic Magecraft training; check the help section for details on what this includes.
Mystic Codes: Tools of Magecraft. Any magical items owned by the character.
Non-Magecraft Abilities/Items: Any significant skills or possessions owned by your character that don’t fit in the Magecraft section. No need to be too comprehensive, or really include money or anything that can be picked up without much hassle, that stuff can be assumed.
Helpful Information
Theory of Magic Useful information on Magecraft theory in general, a good place to learn about elemental affinity and attributes.
TMDict A glossary of various materials from Type Moon properties. Also useful for Servants.
Miscellaneous Notes A selection of loosely organised notes about the setting in general.
The general Magecraft abilities that any serious Magus or even Spellcaster would likely have.
Magecraft Shields: Varying forms of protection; however, one’s senses are raised. Eg, protection against suffocation will increase sense of smell, and protection from blindness will make your eyes water.
Nightvision: Self-explanatory.
Basic Familiar Creation: Creation of familiars. These are basic, so they cannot employ speech, magecraft, or combat ability.
Transfer of Consciousness: Transferring one’s consciousness to a familiar, ergo seeing through their eyes.
Formalcraft: Using catalysts and magic circles to perform rituals. The bare minimum.
Basic Suggestion: Suggestion using the eyes to make magical energy flow into the target's body. This magical energy is stagnant. Overuse of Suggestion will damage your mental state irreparably.
Basic Bounded Fields: Creation of a Bounded Field that confers intruder alert, soundproofing, repelling non-Magi, and control of the mana in its area. At this level, only temporary bounded fields can be formed.
Basic Bounded Field Removal: Removal of Bounded Fields that confer intruder alert, soundproofing, repelling non-Magi, and control of the mana in its area.
Locking Doors: Self-explanatory.
Floating: Basic manipulation of mass and air currents.
Fixing Glass: Repairs broken glass, providing it was broken up to a couple of hours prior to the spell's use.
Mystic Pass: Self-Explanatory. Please keep it PG-13. Fade to black if absolutely needed.
Contracting: Making a contract with something. Establishing a karmic link that allows one to send energy. Beings other than Servants can be contracted, but without the security of the command seals system, this can be dangerous.
Curse of Self-Healing: Healing magecraft. Works by stimulating the cells and making them regenerate faster than normal. It is possible to set as a program that activates when one is unconscious; however, it then becomes impossible to control how much prana is used.
FGO Servant Profiles A good place to look for skills, as well as information on Servants that might be related to yours.
TMDict A glossary of various materials from Type Moon properties. Also useful for Masters.
Miscellaneous Notes A selection of loosely organised notes about the setting in general.
Note: If a skill isn’t under your class’s list of class skills, please don’t put it under class skills.
Saber, Knight of the Sword Magic Resistance Riding
Archer, Knight of the Bow Independent Action Magic Resistance
Lancer, Knight of the Spear Magic Resistance
Rider, Mounted Knight Magic Resistance Riding
Caster, Magus Item Construction Territory Creation
Assassin, Silent Killer Presence Concealment
Berserker, Mad Warrior Mad Enhancement
Avenger, Spirit of Revenge Avenger Oblivion Correction Self-Replenishment (Mana)
Shielder, Knight of the Shield Magic Resistance Riding Self-Field Defence
Faker, Imposter Independent Action Camouflage
The Servant attributes are Heaven, Man, Earth and Star.
Heaven is for demigods and those strongly connected to the divine, such as David, Cu Chulainn and Heracles.
Earth is for those who originate from fanciful myth and legend, but don’t have that divine connection, such as Artoria Pendragon, Astolfo and Ibaraki Douji.
Man is for people who completed heroic deeds as simple humans, such as Julius Caesar, Li Shuwen and William Shakespeare.
Star is for the exceptional heroes who changed the course of mankind’s destiny. The hardest attribute to qualify for. Examples include Nikolai Tesla, Leonardo da Vinci and Romulus.
The offer given to Malphas was quite a tempting one. A steady income, knowledge of what this land finds valuable, and the potential to have his own business in exchange for his loyalty. Of course, one would assume Malphas, the man who had almost considered slaying his fellow cohorts just earlier, would be appalled at such an oath. While there is evidence that a man such as himself would not be afraid to fill a back with knives should it be revealed to him, the contrary is certain. Malphas is happy to bend the knee for others, especially if there is something in it for him, something that would particularly catch his eye...
In this case, it was dollar signs.
"But of course! You humble me with such an offer, Lady Mie. What a perfect way to utilize my talents, as well... Ah, but there is one more thing that I may ask of you. My identity has been... tarnished, as you know. If I am to successfully work with you, I would need a new identity, a new name, a new face. Perhaps before we shake on this agreement, we should take heed to what name is signed along the dotted line, hmm?"
Malphas stroked his chin exaggeratively, pondering on a new identity for himself. It was then that his wings came to mind.
"You wouldn't happen to have an avian mask, would you? Perhaps that of a wise owl, or a grand eagle? Ah, no... the royal and regal raven is likely the best for my sort, isn't it? Black is the new black, after all..." Malphas stroked his hair. "Ah, perhaps I should find a way to change my hair up a bit, as well."
The year is 2004. The Prime Holy Grail War is about to begin.
Years ago, on the eve of the Second World War, the Third Holy Grail War took place. The fighting was brutal, with horrifying collateral damage and tragic deaths of its participants. Much worse, for the families that created the ritual, an outsider appeared and stole the grail, crippling and leaving the head of the Matou household for dead.
Spreading information about the Holy Grail War system to hide his theft, the world saw the creation of various subspecies wars. Degraded imitations of the Holy Grail war have happened across the world for the past half-century, violent and short.
But the three families, led by a recovered and vengeful Zouken, began to enter these wars to reclaim their property. Over the course of many years, they won and claimed many minor grails, eventually finding the original and killing the thief.
Now, the long-delayed conclusion of the three families' cooperation will be reached. The Prime Holy Grail War, the original and perfect ritual will soon be completed. But this, too, marks the end of the cooperation of the three families. Soon, blood will run once more. Welcome, everyone, to another jab at a Fate roleplay. While this is closer to a standard Fate/stay night RP in format, this roleplay will take place in the Apocrypha-verse with a few major changes. Namely, Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia is dead, and the Greater Grail has been reclaimed by the Three Families alongside the many other Subspecies Grails in the world. In other words, this is your classic Fuyuki romp, but with the fun meta-knowledge that an Apocrypha roleplay would entail.
Though the premise of Fate lends itself primarily to PvP, we’re hoping to encourage a somewhat more cooperative approach, with non-combative encounters between players, and more collaboration between players when combat is initiated. Because of this, Discord will be highly encouraged in order to better collaborate between players. The GMs will more easily settle disputes this way, as well.
If anyone has any questions, just swing by over to our Discord or feel free to throw a mention at @SSW or Me and we’ll address your concerns as soon as we can!
Rules
NOTE: Rules are subject to change as we complete the OOC
1. Respect other players, and the GMs. 2. If a dispute occurs between two or more players during an IC confrontation, the GMs will be the final verdict on the outcome. 3. Try to post within a week, especially during combat scenes. If you’re unable to post for the week, please inform us ahead of time.
General - Posts are considered to be from a character’s perspective, and any actions in them can be contested by subsequent posts. If there is a disagreement, please attempt to resolve it between players before asking for a GM judgement. If you want to edit posts after an agreement is reached, notify the GMs first.
Preparation - Preparations are expected and are a core part of a standard Magus’s role. However, to avoid most complications that offscreen preparations might entail, details of one’s preparations must be noted in the player’s post. The specifics of one’s prep should still be sent to the GMs for verification so long as the general idea is conveyed through a post. An example would be a post about the potion maker making their strongest potions, hinting that their Servant might not be able to handle said potions, whereas the specific details of what these potions do are sent to the GMs via PMs.
Actions - The action system is used largely to determine how interruptible certain actions are, and is largely used for Magi. Incantations use counts to determine the length; the more counts to an incantation, the higher ranked the resulting spell. Activating the function of a Mystic Code is quicker than even a one-count incantation. Noble Phantasm activations and the use of Command seals are also considered equivalent to a one-count action. Ordinary talking is a free action, so get as much anime trash talk in as you want. It’s also worth noting that Servant speed is on a different scale to Magus speed, but if you’re a Magi alone with a hostile Servant you have more to worry about than action economy.
Application Rules - Each player will be allowed one Master and one Servant slot. Multiple applications for each are permitted, but only one will be accepted for each. It is not required to play one of each, but is encouraged. Do not put your application in the characters tab until it is accepted, instead, post the character in the OOC section. We will give informal advice and discuss any potential problems over discord, and will formally PM required changes in batches. Once these changes are made, the character can be posted to the Characters tab.
Servant Applications - Gilgamesh and Herakles are banned. Anyone born after 1901 is ineligible. Anyone who can be considered to predate Gilgamesh, such as antediluvians or parts of a creation myth, will be subject to high scrutiny. Canon Servants may be applied, but not those with incomplete materials. In the case of joke servants, or Servants that have only made a very brief appearance and showcased few or none of their abilities, making an alternate version is fine. Everything else will be judged on a case-by-case basis.
Master Applications - Matou Zouken and Emiya Shirou are banned. Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia is dead. No Masters able to fight Servants evenly. Canon Masters may be applied, but bear in mind this is an alternate universe, so at least some adjustments should be made. If you need help with this or want ideas, talk to the gms.
Parings - Pairings will only be noted when both characters are accepted and both players confirm the pairing. Please tag the GMs to notify them when this happens, even if the characters haven’t been accepted yet. For the purposes of fairness, please keep the discussions about establishing pairings as public as possible, since it can be frustrating for people to think most pairs are free only to find out they’ve been talking in PMs for a while already.
Character Caps - Playing characters from the founding families (Matou, Einzbern and Tohsaka) is permitted, but there will be a hard cap on two characters per family, and two characters from the same family may require some backstory alterations to work. Extra Servant classes (Avenger, Shielder, and Faker) will be soft capped at 1 each, while Standard Servant classes will be soft capped at 3 each. These soft caps are subject to increasing in the case of large player turnout.
Character Sheets
Class: Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster, Berserker or Assassin are the main classes. As more uncommon classes, Avenger, Shielder, and Faker are allowed.
True Name:
Appearance: Anime Faceclaim preferable but not compulsory.
Sex:
Alignment: D&D Alignments.
Attribute: Heaven, Earth, Man or Star.
History: Give a little info and anything that’s different from the history of the ordinary world or the myths as described. No wikipedia links please.
Personality: Just a short summary is enough.
Parameters: E-A rank, EX in very exceptional circumstances. +s are temporary, situational boosts. Strength: Hitting things hard Agility: Being dextrous and fast Endurance: Enduring stuff, HP Mana: Magical energy capacity Luck: Ability to defy fate.
Class Skills Set based on class. See Servant help for details.
Personal Skills Skills unique to this servant. Typically 2-4 in number, 5 max.
Noble Phantasms:
Name: Title: Fancy Titlle Rank: E-A, with +s and EXs again Type: Anti-Unit, Anti-Unit (Self), Anti-Fortress and Anti-Army are the usual ones Range: Nobody knows what this means but 0 is self, 1 is very close, 40 covers a school. Targets: Maximum targets at one time Description: What it does
Name:
Titles: Any neat chuuni titles you can come up with
Appearance: Anime Faceclaim preferable but not compulsory.
Sex:
Alignment: D&D Alignments
History: A brief backstory. Doesn’t need to be too in depth.
Personality. A brief summary of personality.
Magecraft
Quality of Circuits: Ranked E-A
Quantity of Circuits: Ranked E-A
Elemental Affinity: The element of one’s magecraft, sometimes called alignment. Typically one, sometimes two, and exceptional magi are ‘Average Ones’, able to use all elements. Most use the Western system of Fire/Water/Earth/Wind (Plus some other special cases), but the Eastern system of Wood/Fire/Earth/Metal/Water is sometimes used too.
Attribute: Another important factor in Magecraft. Unlike Affinity, this is generally determined by the family’s specialty, and it’s possible to learn more over time as the family grows. Includes things like Shirou’s Reinforcement, Rin’s Conversion, and the Matous’ Absorption. For more detail, check Theory of Magic in the helpful information section.
Magecraft: Further magecraft details. No need for a spell list or anything like that, this should be a more general overview of what they can do. Include ‘General Magecraft’ here if your character has basic Magecraft training; check the help section for details on what this includes.
Mystic Codes: Tools of Magecraft. Any magical items owned by the character.
Non-Magecraft Abilities/Items: Any significant skills or possessions owned by your character that don’t fit in the Magecraft section. No need to be too comprehensive, or really include money or anything that can be picked up without much hassle, that stuff can be assumed.
Helpful Information
Theory of Magic Useful information on Magecraft theory in general, a good place to learn about elemental affinity and attributes.
TMDict A glossary of various materials from Type Moon properties. Also useful for Servants.
Miscellaneous Notes A selection of loosely organised notes about the setting in general.
The general Magecraft abilities that any serious Magus or even Spellcaster would likely have.
Magecraft Shields: Varying forms of protection; however, one’s senses are raised. Eg, protection against suffocation will increase sense of smell, and protection from blindness will make your eyes water.
Nightvision: Self-explanatory.
Basic Familiar Creation: Creation of familiars. These are basic, so they cannot employ speech, magecraft, or combat ability.
Transfer of Consciousness: Transferring one’s consciousness to a familiar, ergo seeing through their eyes.
Formalcraft: Using catalysts and magic circles to perform rituals. The bare minimum.
Basic Suggestion: Suggestion using the eyes to make magical energy flow into the target's body. This magical energy is stagnant. Overuse of Suggestion will damage your mental state irreparably.
Basic Bounded Fields: Creation of a Bounded Field that confers intruder alert, soundproofing, repelling non-Magi, and control of the mana in its area. At this level, only temporary bounded fields can be formed.
Basic Bounded Field Removal: Removal of Bounded Fields that confer intruder alert, soundproofing, repelling non-Magi, and control of the mana in its area.
Locking Doors: Self-explanatory.
Floating: Basic manipulation of mass and air currents.
Fixing Glass: Repairs broken glass, providing it was broken up to a couple of hours prior to the spell's use.
Mystic Pass: Self-Explanatory. Please keep it PG-13. Fade to black if absolutely needed.
Contracting: Making a contract with something. Establishing a karmic link that allows one to send energy. Beings other than Servants can be contracted, but without the security of the command seals system, this can be dangerous.
Curse of Self-Healing: Healing magecraft. Works by stimulating the cells and making them regenerate faster than normal. It is possible to set as a program that activates when one is unconscious; however, it then becomes impossible to control how much prana is used.
FGO Servant Profiles A good place to look for skills, as well as information on Servants that might be related to yours.
TMDict A glossary of various materials from Type Moon properties. Also useful for Masters.
Miscellaneous Notes A selection of loosely organised notes about the setting in general.
Note: If a skill isn’t under your class’s list of class skills, please don’t put it under class skills.
Saber, Knight of the Sword Magic Resistance Riding
Archer, Knight of the Bow Independent Action Magic Resistance
Lancer, Knight of the Spear Magic Resistance
Rider, Mounted Knight Magic Resistance Riding
Caster, Magus Item Construction Territory Creation
Assassin, Silent Killer Presence Concealment
Berserker, Mad Warrior Mad Enhancement
Avenger, Spirit of Revenge Avenger Oblivion Correction Self-Replenishment (Mana)
Shielder, Knight of the Shield Magic Resistance Riding Self-Field Defence
Faker, Imposter Independent Action Camouflage
The Servant attributes are Heaven, Man, Earth and Star.
Heaven is for demigods and those strongly connected to the divine, such as David, Cu Chulainn and Heracles.
Earth is for those who originate from fanciful myth and legend, but don’t have that divine connection, such as Artoria Pendragon, Astolfo and Ibaraki Douji.
Man is for people who completed heroic deeds as simple humans, such as Julius Caesar, Li Shuwen and William Shakespeare.
Star is for the exceptional heroes who changed the course of mankind’s destiny. The hardest attribute to qualify for. Examples include Nikolai Tesla, Leonardo da Vinci and Romulus.
Malphas had been weighing his options heavily since the morning. For the most part, he has not left the tents, content in the safety he had been afforded by the merchant. However, he is aware of his awkward placement within this pack. There was also the issue of the hunters potentially going after him, as well. Either way, Malphas knew that if he were to stay in relative safety for the coming days, he would have to pull a bit more than his weight.
"Hm... I still think it would be in both our best interests if we had me aboard. Rather, instead of a manager like we had discussed, perhaps you could put my silver tongue to other uses. It's clear that I do have an influence on others, whether for good or for grim. I could help find new clientele in our travels, or find rumors on potential plunder?"
Malphas knew he was a bit of a hard sell to Mie. Malphas also knew that all he needed to do was play to what she desires. Perhaps his charisma would work on w demi-human, such as herself?
"Say you had employed someone with my skillset. What would you have that person do that the rest of your pack is incapable of? A charming smile and the right things to say may not hold value to your other subordinates, but what does it hold to you?"
A great warrior of Connacht known for his impenetrable skin of beast's horn, Ferdiad was one of the many warriors who sought out the Land of Shadows in order to be trained by its guardian, the warrior woman Scathach. The training under that monstrous woman was grueling, to say the least. Out of all the warriors who had trained in the Land of Shadows, none had caught Ferdiad's attention more than this brat from Ulster. Ferdiad would soon learn that this child would be his rival in training, finding that he is Ferdiad's match in combat. Their rivalry would lead to the two apprentices, both equals, competing for the right to obtain the Gae Bolg. This Ulster boy, Cu Chulainn, would prevail in earning the famed barbed spear, but not before making a vow of brotherhood with Ferdiad.
Ferdiad and Cu Chulainn both saw each other as rivals and the best of friends, practicing and sharing their every technique against each other during the span of their training. Their relationship was brotherly by nature, with Ferdiad seeing the younger warrior as a little brother. They even fought a war together as companions when a neighboring lord, Aife, attacked the Land of Shadows. At the end of their training, they had both chose to leave the Land of Shadows on the same day. At that moment, they both asked if they would be willing to join their neighboring countries instead of part ways. Realizing that such a thing wasn't an option to either of them, they laughed it off before leaving for their respective homes.
As the years passed, the next time Ferdiad would meet his foster-brother was not as friends, but as opponents in battle. Being forced to duel his best friend against his will due to the machinations of Queen Medb, the two had begun their bloody battle. For three days, in that ford, the champions of Ulster and Connacht would fight. While they were both great warriors whose prowess matched another in battle, neither of their hearts was into this forced conflict. They knew each other intimately, knowing how they fought and what their strengths and weaknesses were, but still found it difficult to end the battle outright. On the third day, Ferdiad had managed to gain the upper hand against his foster-brother due to his skin of horn. At that point, Cu Chulainn was forced to utilize his greatest weapon for the first time since he was given it, the cursed spear bestowed upon him by their master against his closest friend.
And so, Ferdiad's heart was struck by the killing curse of Gae Bolg, and his life would come to an end.
In his best friend's arms, Ferdiad looked up to his foster-brother. Despite all that has happened, despite being forced to fight each other to the death, all Ferdiad could feel about the situation was how proud he was of his foster-brother. At the moment of his death, he saw not an enemy warrior, nor the man who would kill him, but the shining Child of Light who had grown into a great hero. At the same time, he did not want his foster-brother to feel guilt for slaying him with the demonic spear entrusted to him in the Land of Shadows. As he made his final breathes, he gave his last farewell to his closest friend, his equal.
"Gae Bolg is a glory given to only the most gifted of warriors. In that brilliant hall of learning, you were our pride."
And so, Ferdiad had died a warrior's death against the worthiest of opponents. It was his way of life, his style of combat, and especially his dying words that left an impression on Cu Chulainn, who would live as a shining star of Ulster, a hero without regrets.
ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴᴀ
>Stalwart >Trustworthy >Easygoing >Fierce
ᴡɪꜱʜ
Ferdiad has no desire for the Grail. He had lived the life a warrior ought to live, dying to a worthy foe whilst serving his kingdom. To this end, he will follow the whims of his Master so long as he is able to fight once more, serving as his Master's spear just as he served as the Spear of Connacht. That said, Ferdiad does desire to find an opponent similar to his brother, wishing to face off against a true foe, another warrior that he could call his equal.
ᴘᴀʀᴀᴍᴀᴛᴇʀꜱ
STR: B END: A AGI: C MNA: C LCK: E
ᴄʟᴀꜱꜱ ꜱᴋɪʟʟꜱ
Magic Resistance: C Grants protection against magical effects. Differing from the Resistance effect that merely rejects Magical Energy, this ability cancels the spells altogether. Cancel spells with a chant below two verses. Cannot defend against magecraft on the level of High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals.
ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴᴀʟ ꜱᴋɪʟʟꜱ
Battle Continuation: B The ability to continue fighting even after sustaining mortal wounds, while also reducing the mortality rate from injury. A skill that represents the ability and mentality to survive, the stubbornness of one who never knows when to give up. Having fought with his foster-brother for three full days, Ferdiad will not stop fighting until the very end. A product of his own endurance, bolstered by his resilient body.
Eye of the Mind (False): B The natural instincts of Ferdiad, refined through his training in the Land of Shadows. A danger-avoidance skill that allows one to deduce the best course of action and avoid lethal predicaments. Ferdiad's combat reflexes were on par with those of Cu Chulainn, matching the Hound of Ulster's beastlike fury with his own instincts as a warrior and deflecting all his attacks, even when Cu Chulainn entered his battle spasm. The ingenuity possessed by a human against a hero swelling with the blessings of the gods.
Rune Magecraft: B The ability to utilize Runes, the magic crest of Northern Europe. Ferdiad is capable of utilizing the 18 original Runes taught to him by the warrior woman Scathach. Well-versed in magecraft, Ferdiad utilizes his runes in the matter his master had intended him to, enchanting his spear and armor to supplement his fighting style, as he has no true weapon of his own. That said, Ferdiad does not possess the mentality of a magus, and as such does not utilize his runes as such. Through utilization, powerful and varied effects are accomplished. Aside from attacks, Ferdiad can grant himself skills such as Magic Resistance or Clairvoyance, can increase his parameters to Rank A, etc. These are only temporary applications, and he cannot employ multiples of the same effect simultaneously.
ɴᴏʙʟᴇ ᴘʜᴀɴᴛᴀꜱᴍ
Title: Cnes Congna Horned Spear That Shields From Death Rank: C+ NP Type: Anti-Unit (Self) Range: 0 Maximum Number of Targets: 1 Description:
The skin of Ferdiad was said to be as tough as a beast's horn, where no blade could slice through it, nor can any spear pierce it. It was this sole condition that differentiated Ferdiad from his foster-brother, Cu Chulainn, in battle. Through the nature of his hardened skin, Ferdiad was able to match against Cu Chulainn's strongest attacks, going so far as to hold his own against the Hound of Ulster's warp spasm. A Noble Phantasm that allows one to "multiply the feats and deeds made by an opponent." It is Ferdiad's porcelain body that is capable of reflecting off the shining hero-light of Cu Chulainn, and it was only able to be pierced by Cu Chulainn's cursed spear, Gae Bolg, due to its very nature.
A Noble Phantasm encompassing Ferdiad's entire body, Cnes Congna protects all matter of attacks from piercing his skin. Effectively, Ferdiad's natural Armor Class is raised at a set amount equivalent to a defensive Noble Phantasm of a similar rank. Within a battle, Ferdiad's Armor Class increases based on a percentage of the damage his body takes, his skin getting tougher from consecutive blows. These attacks do not need to be against Ferdiad's skin directly so long as his body receives the force of the attack. With a skin that cannot be pierced through normal means, merely wounding Ferdiad is an ordeal all on its own. This defense only protects Ferdiad's skin, however, which means attacks and effects that strike him "from within his body" are incapable of being defended against.
Upon invocation, Ferdiad's skin obtains an ivory-white hue, appearing as incandescent as his foster-brother. Through the paradoxical nature of a beast's horn, a weapon meant purely to defend against attackers, Ferdiad's horn-skin is, itself, utilized as a weapon. Ferdiad's Armor Class is lowered to its base value and is incapable of being raised by the effects of Cnes Congna, alone. In exchange, Attack Power is increased to double the value of Ferdiad's Armor Class upon activation, multiplying his foes' attacks made against him. For a single turn, Ferdiad is able to turn the tides of a battle to his favor, ending a battle of attrition with a decisive blow. Due to the nature of this Noble Phantasm, Ferdiad is capable of invoking it even in the midst of combat and can activate it more than once due to its prana cost remaining the same during activation.
The signature Noble Phantasm of Ferdiad, who refers to himself as the Spear of Connacht due to his body having the properties of a beast's horn. Rather than the Noble Phantasm representing Ferdiad's impenetrable skin, it could be said that this also represents the entirety of his legend as a rival and equal to a great hero, and his will as a mere man facing off against a child of the gods. In other words, Cnes Congna could be said to be Ferdiad himself.
I heard that Lancer of Red was opened. Hope I'm not wrong~
Lancer
ᴺᴬᴹᴱ
Ferdiad
ꜰᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ
Red
ᴀᴛᴛʀɪʙᴜᴛᴇ
Earth
ʟᴇɢᴇɴᴅ
A great warrior of Connacht known for his impenetrable skin of beast's horn, Ferdiad was one of the many warriors who sought out the Land of Shadows in order to be trained by its guardian, the warrior woman Scathach. The training under that monstrous woman was grueling, to say the least. Out of all the warriors who had trained in the Land of Shadows, none had caught Ferdiad's attention more than this brat from Ulster. Ferdiad would soon learn that this child would be his rival in training, finding that he is Ferdiad's match in combat. Their rivalry would lead to the two apprentices, both equals, competing for the right to obtain the Gae Bolg. This Ulster boy, Cu Chulainn, would prevail in earning the famed barbed spear, but not before making a vow of brotherhood with Ferdiad.
Ferdiad and Cu Chulainn both saw each other as rivals and the best of friends, practicing and sharing their every technique against each other during the span of their training. Their relationship was brotherly by nature, with Ferdiad seeing the younger warrior as a little brother. They even fought a war together as companions when a neighboring lord, Aife, attacked the Land of Shadows. At the end of their training, they had both chose to leave the Land of Shadows on the same day. At that moment, they both asked if they would be willing to join their neighboring countries instead of part ways. Realizing that such a thing wasn't an option to either of them, they laughed it off before leaving for their respective homes.
As the years passed, the next time Ferdiad would meet his foster-brother was not as friends, but as opponents in battle. Being forced to duel his best friend against his will due to the machinations of Queen Medb, the two had begun their bloody battle. For three days, in that ford, the champions of Ulster and Connacht would fight. While they were both great warriors whose prowess matched another in battle, neither of their hearts was into this forced conflict. They knew each other intimately, knowing how they fought and what their strengths and weaknesses were, but still found it difficult to end the battle outright. On the third day, Ferdiad had managed to gain the upper hand against his foster-brother due to his skin of horn. At that point, Cu Chulainn was forced to utilize his greatest weapon for the first time since he was given it, the cursed spear bestowed upon him by their master against his closest friend.
And so, Ferdiad's heart was struck by the killing curse of Gae Bolg, and his life would come to an end.
In his best friend's arms, Ferdiad looked up to his foster-brother. Despite all that has happened, despite being forced to fight each other to the death, all Ferdiad could feel about the situation was how proud he was of his foster-brother. At the moment of his death, he saw not an enemy warrior, nor the man who would kill him, but the shining Child of Light who had grown into a great hero. At the same time, he did not want his foster-brother to feel guilt for slaying him with the demonic spear entrusted to him in the Land of Shadows. As he made his final breathes, he gave his last farewell to his closest friend, his equal.
"Gae Bolg is a glory given to only the most gifted of warriors. In that brilliant hall of learning, you were our pride."
And so, Ferdiad had died a warrior's death against the worthiest of opponents. It was his way of life, his style of combat, and especially his dying words that left an impression on Cu Chulainn, who would live as a shining star of Ulster, a hero without regrets.
ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴᴀ
>Stalwart >Trustworthy >Easygoing >Fierce
ᴡɪꜱʜ
Ferdiad has no desire for the Grail. He had lived the life a warrior ought to live, dying to a worthy foe whilst serving his kingdom. To this end, he will follow the whims of his Master so long as he is able to fight once more, serving as his Master's spear just as he served as the Spear of Connacht. That said, Ferdiad does desire to find an opponent similar to his brother, wishing to face off against a true foe, another warrior that he could call his equal.
ᴘᴀʀᴀᴍᴀᴛᴇʀꜱ
STR: B END: A AGI: C MNA: C LCK: E
ᴄʟᴀꜱꜱ ꜱᴋɪʟʟꜱ
Magic Resistance: C Grants protection against magical effects. Differing from the Resistance effect that merely rejects Magical Energy, this ability cancels the spells altogether. Cancel spells with a chant below two verses. Cannot defend against magecraft on the level of High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals.
ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴᴀʟ ꜱᴋɪʟʟꜱ
Battle Continuation: B The ability to continue fighting even after sustaining mortal wounds, while also reducing the mortality rate from injury. A skill that represents the ability and mentality to survive, the stubbornness of one who never knows when to give up. Having fought with his foster-brother for three full days, Ferdiad will not stop fighting until the very end. A product of his own endurance, bolstered by his resilient body.
Eye of the Mind (False): B The natural instincts of Ferdiad, refined through his training in the Land of Shadows. A danger-avoidance skill that allows one to deduce the best course of action and avoid lethal predicaments. Ferdiad's combat reflexes were on par with those of Cu Chulainn, matching the Hound of Ulster's beastlike fury with his own instincts as a warrior and deflecting all his attacks, even when Cu Chulainn entered his battle spasm. The ingenuity possessed by a human against a hero swelling with the blessings of the gods.
Rune Magecraft: B The ability to utilize Runes, the magic crest of Northern Europe. Ferdiad is capable of utilizing the 18 original Runes taught to him by the warrior woman Scathach. Well-versed in magecraft, Ferdiad utilizes his runes in the matter his master had intended him to, enchanting his spear and armor to supplement his fighting style, as he has no true weapon of his own. That said, Ferdiad does not possess the mentality of a magus, and as such does not utilize his runes as such. Through utilization, powerful and varied effects are accomplished. Aside from attacks, Ferdiad can grant himself skills such as Magic Resistance or Clairvoyance, can increase his parameters to Rank A, etc. These are only temporary applications, and he cannot employ multiples of the same effect simultaneously.
ɴᴏʙʟᴇ ᴘʜᴀɴᴛᴀꜱᴍ
Title: Cnes Congna Horned Spear That Shields From Death Rank: C+ NP Type: Anti-Unit (Self) Range: 0 Maximum Number of Targets: 1 Description:
The skin of Ferdiad was said to be as tough as a beast's horn, where no blade could slice through it, nor can any spear pierce it. It was this sole condition that differentiated Ferdiad from his foster-brother, Cu Chulainn, in battle. Through the nature of his hardened skin, Ferdiad was able to match against Cu Chulainn's strongest attacks, going so far as to hold his own against the Hound of Ulster's warp spasm. A Noble Phantasm that allows one to "multiply the feats and deeds made by an opponent." It is Ferdiad's porcelain body that is capable of reflecting off the shining hero-light of Cu Chulainn, and it was only able to be pierced by Cu Chulainn's cursed spear, Gae Bolg, due to its very nature.
A Noble Phantasm encompassing Ferdiad's entire body, Cnes Congna protects all matter of attacks from piercing his skin. Effectively, Ferdiad's natural Armor Class is raised at a set amount equivalent to a defensive Noble Phantasm of a similar rank. Within a battle, Ferdiad's Armor Class increases based on a percentage of the damage his body takes, his skin getting tougher from consecutive blows. These attacks do not need to be against Ferdiad's skin directly so long as his body receives the force of the attack. With a skin that cannot be pierced through normal means, merely wounding Ferdiad is an ordeal all on its own. This defense only protects Ferdiad's skin, however, which means attacks and effects that strike him "from within his body" are incapable of being defended against.
Upon invocation, Ferdiad's skin obtains an ivory-white hue, appearing as incandescent as his foster-brother. Through the paradoxical nature of a beast's horn, a weapon meant purely to defend against attackers, Ferdiad's horn-skin is, itself, utilized as a weapon. Ferdiad's Armor Class is lowered to its base value and is incapable of being raised by the effects of Cnes Congna, alone. In exchange, Attack Power is increased to double the value of Ferdiad's Armor Class upon activation, multiplying his foes' attacks made against him. For a single turn, Ferdiad is able to turn the tides of a battle to his favor, ending a battle of attrition with a decisive blow. Due to the nature of this Noble Phantasm, Ferdiad is capable of invoking it even in the midst of combat and can activate it more than once due to its prana cost remaining the same during activation.
The signature Noble Phantasm of Ferdiad, who refers to himself as the Spear of Connacht due to his body having the properties of a beast's horn. Rather than the Noble Phantasm representing Ferdiad's impenetrable skin, it could be said that this also represents the entirety of his legend as a rival and equal to a great hero, and his will as a mere man facing off against a child of the gods. In other words, Cnes Congna could be said to be Ferdiad himself.
Seeing as he would be left alone for the time being, it was likely Malphas's best time to escape. There are two things that were in his way, though: Getting the cultists off his tail and getting back to the village without that beast catching notice. He was able to take care of one of those two problems easily enough, thankfully, clutching one of the arrows from his quiver. He would squeeze his hand on the arrowhead until blood was drawn, letting it drip around where he was seated. For dramatic effect, he would leave a big hand-print on the wall, dragging it downwards to the ground to indicate a sinister fate. Once his artwork was complete, Malphas would prepare his escape, snapping the arrow onto the grass and leaving it on the ground.
With a few squats and deep breaths, Malphas gathered the magical energy within his soul into his body once more. Before he channeled the energy to his legs, he would make the best scream of pain he could muster. Once that was done, Malphas completed his spell, allowing the mystical energies to once more channel into his legs. What was left for him was a mad dash towards the village, heading in a path opposite to where he heard the hunters were going. For good measure, Malphas would manifest his wings if it would afford him a cleaner escape. He already had trouble walking through the woods, after all.
Yankee
Dane
