Double D

Fate/Edelweiss

Frederica von Gotzen

"Huh..." Frederica stared over, before shrugging. "Guess that's good luck for us?"

It was a strange thing to say, hearing that a Master had conceptually recreated one of the single most defensible locations in History as their base. Yet, Frederica didn't seem concerned. Her gaze went unfocused, as her mind piggybacked off Archer's far greater sight to take a closer look at the conflict.

"We're getting a solid enough look at what they're capable of right now." She commented, even as Rangefinder Luna continued to gather the information. "Knowing the Master practices some form of magecraft tied to Apollo tells us what to expect and prepare for. The servant is dangerous for sure, but frankly, I've not seen anything you can't handle. Is a Rider going to beat an Archer in ranged combat?"

"Arguably more importantly, however, if those walls are meant to emulate Troy... Then we know their weakness." A slight grin grew on her face. "Troy was sacked not once, but twice. Those walls may be impossible to breach through raw strength, but that just means we'll have to turn our minds to indirect methods. I'm already getting a few ideas to deal with it."

"And besides..." She looked at Archer without really looking at him. "Making your base Troy when one of the heroes that sacked Troy is present is some pretty bad luck."

@Crusader Lord @Letter Bee @ManyThings

Fate/Edelweiss

Hagen von Tronje

{Overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer, master.} As much as it was a comment in agreement with what he was saying, it was a warning. To avoid falling for the same trap that he said others fell into. It would kill him just as easily as it would kill someone else. As he walked, he would feel the presence sitting over his shoulder.

{I will pass, Master.} There was a faint note of disapproval in his voice. He wasn't one to talk about dishonorable actions, but resorting to stealing from commoners for food? It would be a blow against what little pride he had left.

{Scouting. That is something I can do well and master.} The presence left his side and surged through the alleyway. Then, it made its way into the air towards the battlefield. Ignoring the neutral ground of the church, he made his way to a tree along the hillside. Frankly, if either servant were paying attention, they could sense his presence even if they couldn't see him in his spirit form.

What he relied on was that they were too busy to pay him much attention. Or perhaps they would appreciate an audience for their battle?

Hm, yes, that Berserker would appreciate an audience. Was he the most honest man he'd ever met, or perhaps he was living in a lie? Berserker made sense for him, in its way. He would be a predictable one. Not an actual threat because of that, something to work around at the worst.

Rider... He sighed as he saw the little one of his kin. That would be a far greater problem. He would be unpredictable. The opposite of his old friend, for sure. Predicting what he would do would be difficult... Yet at the same time, that was something that could be used. Make him want something, and perhaps his defeat could be set up.

Settling in on the branch in his spirit form, he hummed softly. The battle should be an interesting one to watch, at the least. He'd never seen someone fight from the back of a gigantic sheep.

@SSW @eugalB @Ducksworth

Fate/Edelweiss

Hagen von Tronje

{As you say, Master.} Jerome would feel a presence, something brush across his shoulder like a chill wind. The only indication that his servant was there outside of the karmic bond. Despite the Draconic Reactor set up to supply him with energy, it seemed he was still focused on conserving as much as possible. An invisible guardian that had lingered around the apartment and building, ensuring his master's safety.

{Last night, I took the liberty of observing the immediate surroundings. Anything further out would have put you at risk.} The voice that echoed through their bond and into his head was surprisingly soft. It carried no tone, as if it came from one without emotions. Yet it had a melodic quality, like a voice more used to song and poetry. {There is a breakfast shop not too far away that you can eat at. It doesn't seem of good quality, but it appeared edible from what the other tenants ate.}

The voice stopped as it felt the magical energy signature as well. The formless presence almost wrapped around Jerome protectively, a nearly physical weight on his shoulders. His attention was not on his master, however, but the obvious battle in the distance. A slight hum carried through their bond, carrying with it an emotion—a detached curiosity.

{Depending on the servants in question, they might not need to worry overly much about exposure. Or the Masters may have set up measures to hide whatever their encounter.} Compared to before, his voice carried a slightly different tone. His interest was piqued. {There is every chance, as well, however, that they don't care. The castle is vaguely out of the way, which might be enough for them.}

He went silent as he considered whether it mattered. His attention turned back to his master, who had summoned him. A man he'd never expected or wanted, but who he would serve loyally all the same. One who he knew would get himself into danger if given the chance, especially if he believed he could get away with it. All he could do was give his advice. {If you intend to get involved, I suggest utmost caution. While I don't doubt my abilities, there's every chance for someone to catch you off guard. I may not be able to be beside you.}

Frederica von Gotzen

"... Well, they're having fun over there. Think we should join in?"

The tone made it fairly obvious it was only partly a joke.

A cold wind blew past the pair, sending her long white hair and scarf billowing past her. Her leather jacket was zipped tight against the wind. Rather than staring at the distant light flashes, she was staring down at her hand. She held a silver cylinder in one hand, covered in numbers that rapidly spun about its surface. On the other hand, she had a mundane smartphone with which she rapidly typed information. Recording everything the Rangefinder Luna gathered from that distant battle.

If any of those taking part in the battle had bothered to look, they would have noticed them. Frederica and her Archer were not exactly subtle. Positioned at the top of one of the spotlight towers at the Tourbillon Stadium, it gave them a grand view of the battle at Tourbillon Castle. It loomed over them even from their perch. It was a position she would have loved to take with Archer, but it did have one massive downside.

Putting yourself on a pedestal meant placing a target on your back.

Humming as she continued to write down the information gained from Rangefinder Luna, she put her mind to the Archer beside her. He was no hero of the greatest renown, but his legend was nothing to scoff at, and his abilities, while simple, were great. Perhaps because of their simplicity, they were great—a mastery of the fundamentals left very few weaknesses. With his gracious and easy-to-work-with personality, she knew she had lucked out in terms of her partner.

"If you see a chance to remove one of the combatants from over there, feel free to take it. If they're going to leave themselves so open, might as well punish them for it." She glanced away from Rangefinder Luna to look at him momentarily before turning to the surrounding city. Scanning it. "Unless you happen to see a better target, that I might be missing?"

Fate/Edelweiss

Find the Path

Frederica von Gotzen

Gender: Female
Age: 33
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Affiliation: Clocktower (Mystile/Democratic)
Clock Tower Rank: Pride
Command Spell: A pair of intersecting spirals surrounded by a sphere.

Family Background

There are many beautiful things in this world.

All that is needed is for someone to find them.

The von Gotzen family formed in the 16th century in Germany as a minor branch of a long-standing magus bloodline.

Despite being a branch, their founder took an opportunity to study under a far kinder teacher. Paracelsus, the great Swiss alchemist, took a passing interest in the young branch and helped the young family head learn.

They benefited greatly from acquiring copies of his notes and research after Paracelsus' death.

Some theorize that the founder directly aided the Clocktower Assassins in infiltrating Paracelsus’ workshop.

Regardless, the family adopted Paracelsus' techniques and were among the earliest adopters of the alchemical system he devised. There was success to be found there, and yet…

It was not their own.

Others followed that path, many older families who could use his techniques better. It wasn’t what the Gotzen family was destined to do, even if it did give them an early boost.

The following generations would work towards stabilizing their alchemy while experimenting to see if they could uncover their path.

Two generations later, an idea was formed. A thesis statement that would form their path.

It had been staring them in the face the entire time.

The Emerald Tablet states that which is above corresponds to that which is below, and that which is below corresponds to that which is above.

The traditional path was to work towards completing the Magnum Opus and achieving spiritual enlightenment. To remove all earthly influences and thus be purified.

They would reach upwards, to what they couldn’t grasp.

Why not instead bring it to them?

The theory was formed around the Macrocosm and the Microcosm, as their bodies were comparable to the World and the Universe. Enforcing that sympathetic connection, making their bodies indistinguishable from the World itself, would result in them being given the Anima Mundi directly.

The family had found its path.

Diving into their work, the Gotzen family carved out a place in the Clocktower’s Department of General Fundamentals as they began heavily researching ley lines and magic circuits. They believed the secret to their thesis would be found in studying the correlation between ley lines and magic circuits.

Over time, the family has made small inroads into the Department of Archaeology and Creation. The first to join in on expeditions to study distant leylines, and the latter in a political sense, as the family became members of the Democratic Faction under Trameblio.

Along the way, they discovered many beautiful things about the world.

Personal Background

Frederica von Gotzen, the wonder child.

A prodigy that would elevate the Gotzen family to new heights, and see them take their place among the prestigious families of the Clocktower!

At least, that was the hope, for her to focus on honing her abilities to the fullest. To become the greatest head the family had ever seen.

It kind of turned out that way… but it also didn’t?

-

Tell me, class, do you think the World is beautiful?

No, this isn’t a trick question.

There are multiple ways to look at it. Do you take that question literally or philosophically?

If you look at it literally, then how do you consider it? There are beautiful places in the World, that much is for certain. There are natural wonders, architecture that takes the breath away, animals that inspire awe, they are all things of beauty.

Yet there are also polluted rivers corrupting the land, battlefields stained with blood and screams, and rotting cities where desperation flows down the streets. How can the World be beautiful when it contains such things?

If you take it philosophically, then the question is even more complicated.

What is the World? Is it that which inhabits it? People who are just capable of love, kindness, and charity as they are of anger, hatred, and greed? Animals that must fight to survive and suffer because of it?

Is it the systems that make up the world? The delicate balance that allows life in the first place? Is it some animating force, a cosmic underlying principle that unites everything? Or is it an arbitrary distinction humans made for ourselves, to encompass whatever we see fit?

Your answer then leads back into the original question. Can that be beautiful, and is it?

You may wonder why I ask you this question, but it is an important one you might not have considered for your magecraft. As you all know, a Bounded Field separates an interior from an exterior. It acts as a boundary from the rest of the World.

Thus, what you think of the World is important. It colors your magecraft. Your viewpoint has far greater influence on what you do than you may think. How you interact with ley lines, how your bounded fields function, these change just as much with your viewpoint as your foundation.

You don’t have to tell me, but think about it.

… Hm?

You’re wondering what I think?

Aren’t you nosy?

If I had to give you an answer…

The Department of Archaeology requests that I go on expeditions with them fairly frequently. I’ve been across the entire globe, from the jungles of Mesoamerica to the Arctic Circle to Mesopotamia, and even worked alongside the Spiral Manor a few times.

There’s been ups and there’s been downs. I’ve seen plenty of things people would kill to see. I’ve seen plenty of things that people would want to forget. There have been plenty of times I’ve almost died.

The good, the bad, and the ugly. Humanity at its best, at its worst, and its most unsavory.

After seeing all that? Yeah, the world is beautiful. Even with all that bad and all that ugly… No, because of all that bad and all that ugly. The most beautiful artwork is because of its flaws, not despite them, because it’s in the flaws that you see the truth.

Anyway, remember, no lecture next week! I’m heading out of London for a bit. I’ll be back for next week's lecture if everything goes well. If not, you’ll need a new professor.

Magecraft Information

Elemental Affinity: Water
Number of Magic Circuits: B+
Quality of Magic Circuits: B+

Magic Crest: 542 years
A branch crest of an older magus family that no longer exists, with the fragments of the original family recombined into it at a later date. It is placed directly over Frederica’s heart, and is defined as a ‘core’ from which the ‘World’ is built.

Attributes:
Sympathy: A type of magecraft based on creating a connection between two similar things, or taking advantage of a preexisting connection between two similar things.

Transmutation: A type of magecraft based on changing something into another form.

Flow: A type of magecraft based around manipulating the natural progression of things from one state to another.

Magecraft:

General Fundamentals:
The fundamentals of magecraft that any true magus is expected to learn. This is the purview of things such as mana theory, magic circuits usage, the creation of bounded fields, the usage of sympathetic and contagious magecraft, and other underlying principles of Western Magecraft.

It is the understanding of Western Magecraft’s core that all thaumaturgical systems use at their most basic level. To understand the interactions between the World and the magus. Through this understanding, a magus is capable of reaching great heights.

Frederica has reached those heights, as she has the respected position of Professor in the Department of General Fundamentals. Her specialties are Magical Energy Studies and Sympathetic Magecraft.

Sympathetic Western Alchemy:
A magecraft that is centered on the study of the flow of matter. Concerned with the transformation of matter, whether it be minerals, states of matter such as the transition from solid to liquid to gas, or even conceptual forms that do not exist in the World.

It is a variant of the traditional system proposed by Paracelsus, or rather, an extrapolation and exploration of one of the fundamental concepts. As above, so below.

Through Sympathetic Magecraft, the user aligns themself with the World around them. Breaking down the conceptual barrier as “Above” and “Below” are temporarily made one. Or at least, parts of the Self are aligned with the World. This allows the user to enact natural interference upon the environment as if it were their own body, and transmute their own body as if it were the environment.

Effects include but are not limited to: producing arms from the environment to grab targets, generating temporary bodily duplicates from substances such as water or air, transmuting the body's makeup to, in turn, transmute the makeup of their environment, and so on.

Internal Geocentric Astromancy
A magecraft that is usually centered on the celestial bodies above, transformed into one that is focused on the organs within.

Usually, an art based on predicting the future through observing the heavens. Traditionally utilized by alchemists to determine the best times to perform experiments and prepare remedies according to the alignment of the celestial bodies.

However, following the principle of sympathy, those internal organs can be utilized in place of the celestial bodies by which they are governed. Utilizing one’s own body to represent the “World” rather than the true world, allowing the user to manifest the effects of astromancy without needing the celestial bodies to be in the correct positions.

It is a supportive magecraft to the mainstay of Alchemy, primarily acting as a reinforcing element to the various alchemical spells. That doesn’t mean they don’t know any spells utilizing solely Internal Astromancy, as they have a small suite of spells independent of Alchemy. These are primarily based on affecting herself in various non-physical ways.

Hermetic Numerological Incantation
A magecraft based on the study of numbers. Through the understanding of numbers' mystical meanings, it becomes possible to recreate magical phenomena.

The particular variant used is based on Hermetic Numerology, with various numbers connecting things such as 1 connecting to the Monad, 2 connecting to the concept of Polarity, 3 connecting to the Tria Prima (Sulphur, Mercury, Salt), and so on.

It was a useful supplementary work to the family's Alchemy core until Frederica became heir. Through numerological principles, she managed to compress many of the family’s spell formulae down, allowing the same strength of spell to be completed in a quicker incantation. In other words, she had achieved High Speed Incantations.

She has only managed to reduce incantations to half the normal length.

Mystic Codes:

Mantle of Earth
To become the Earth itself would require more than just study.

It would require a change.

Mantle is a mystic code that wraps around Frederica’s internal skeletal structure, a specially prepared dense alloy of various minerals taken from various fallen leyline locations mixed with the bone marrow of past Gotzen magi. It is formal wear embodying the concept of “the Earth’s Bones,” designed to ease the establishment of a sympathetic connection with their environment.

It dramatically increases the owner’s defensive abilities by strengthening internal bone structures. Manipulating the material around the body for various purposes is possible. The only limitation is that it is considered a “body part” and cannot be separated.

Rangefinder Luna
To become the Earth, one must first know the Earth.

A silver cylinder decorated with numerous numbers in spinning rows, which at a glance appears as an antique rangefinder.

A specialized mystic code meant to be used to observe the environment. It acts as a metaphorical “mirror” that translates data about the environment into numerical code that appears via the rows of numbers across its surface. Able to be used to gather information from long distances, as long as a line of sight is established.

It can also function as a mundane wayfinder if magical energy is not introduced.

Celestial Talismans
A wide variety of numerical astrological talismans are kept on her person at all times.

These talismans are protective, invoking the planetary spirits to provide their protection against specific diseases passively, and being able to protect her against specific curses actively.

Though the utilization of these talismans to protect herself against magecraft results in the talismans burning out and needing to be replaced.

Azoth Blade
A common mystic code given to students in coming-of-age ceremonies.

It is a tool for performing magecraft first and foremost, amplifying the user’s magical energy to assist and strengthen them. It is also able to be filled with magical energy to allow it to be utilized as a magic wand to create magic circles.

The Azoth Blade given to Frederica has been altered by her into something more resembling a messer for practical useage. The idea of using a ceremonial tool for something as mundane as clearing brush or cutting ropes is sacrilegious to some, but to Frederica, not using it as a blade would ‘deny it its original purpose.’

The fact that she has stabbed at least one person with it goes unmentioned.

Non Magical Assets

Messerfechten-Ringen
As every Magus knows, sometimes you’re just gonna have to get your hands dirty.

Part of the training regime of the Gotzen family is practice in traditional German martial techniques to aid in honing the body and mind. Primarily, what is taught is Ringen, grappling techniques developed by German fencing masters such as Liechtenauer and Hans Talhoffer.

Ringen translates to “wrestling,” being a martial art primarily based around grappling techniques, originally designed to be utilized alongside a weapon. The Gotzen primarily utilized it by itself, with Frederica deciding to pick up “Messerfechten,” Messer-Fighting, as an additional bit to add to it.

If you ask her why, her only answer will be “because swords are cool.”

Urgrund Mining Ventures
All that research isn’t exactly cheap, you know?

Urgrund Mining Ventures is a German mining company that the Gotzen formed to fund their ventures in the magus world. Through magecraft, allowing the finding of valuable mineral deposits, they have been able to build the company up to being very profitable. While not as wealthy as some of the older bloodlines, the family's net worth is not something even they can scoff at.

Frederica lets the business run itself for the most part, only interacting with it as necessary to keep it going. She’s far too busy with her expeditions and research normally.

Miscellaneous
Various ritualistic items such as alchemical reagents, candles, incense, and other items for set-up purposes.

Mundane items to aid in daily life, such as changes of clothes, a laptop, a smartphone, and a new car she bought explicitly for the Grail War.

A pistol.

Fate/Edelweiss

Find the Path

Frederica von Gotzen

Gender: Female
Age: 33
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Affiliation: Clocktower (Mystile/Democratic)
Clock Tower Rank:
Command Spell: A pair of intersecting spirals surrounded by a sphere.

Family Background

There are many beautiful things in this world.

All that is needed is for someone to find them.

The von Gotzen family formed in the 16th century in Germany as a minor branch of a long-standing magus bloodline.

Despite being a branch, their founder took an opportunity to study under a far kinder teacher. Paracelsus, the great Swiss alchemist, took a passing interest in the young branch and helped the young family head learn.

They benefited greatly from acquiring copies of his notes and research after Paracelsus' death.

Some theorize that the founder directly aided the Clocktower Assassins in infiltrating Paracelsus’ workshop.

Regardless, the family adopted Paracelsus' techniques and were among the earliest adopters of the alchemical system he devised. There was success to be found there, and yet…

It was not their own.

Others followed that path, many older families who could use his techniques better. It wasn’t what the Gotzen family was destined to do, even if it did give them an early boost.

The following generations would work towards stabilizing their alchemy while experimenting to see if they could uncover their path.

Two generations later, an idea was formed. A thesis statement that would form their path.

It had been staring them in the face the entire time.

The Emerald Tablet states that which is above corresponds to that which is below, and that which is below corresponds to that which is above.

The traditional path was to work towards completing the Magnum Opus and achieving spiritual enlightenment. To remove all earthly influences and thus be purified.

They would reach upwards, to what they couldn’t grasp.

Why not instead bring it to them?

The theory was formed around the Macrocosm and the Microcosm, as their bodies were comparable to the World and the Universe. Enforcing that sympathetic connection, making their bodies indistinguishable from the World itself, would result in them being given the Anima Mundi directly.

The family had found its path.

Diving into their work, the Gotzen family carved out a place in the Clocktower’s Department of General Fundamentals as they began heavily researching ley lines and magic circuits. They believed the secret to their thesis would be found in studying the correlation between ley lines and magic circuits.

Over time, the family has made small inroads into the Department of Archaeology and Creation. The first to join in on expeditions to study distant leylines, and the latter in a political sense, as the family became members of the Democratic Faction under Trameblio.

Along the way, they discovered many beautiful things about the world.

Personal Background

Frederica von Gotzen, the wonder child.

A prodigy that would elevate the Gotzen family to new heights, and see them take their place among the prestigious families of the Clocktower!

At least, that was the hope, for her to focus on honing her abilities to the fullest. To become the greatest head the family had ever seen.

It kind of turned out that way… but it also didn’t?

-

Tell me, class, do you think the World is beautiful?

No, this isn’t a trick question.

There are multiple ways to look at it. Do you take that question literally or philosophically?

If you look at it literally, then how do you consider it? There are beautiful places in the World, that much is for certain. There are natural wonders, architecture that takes the breath away, animals that inspire awe, they are all things of beauty.

Yet there are also polluted rivers corrupting the land, battlefields stained with blood and screams, and rotting cities where desperation flows down the streets. How can the World be beautiful when it contains such things?

If you take it philosophically, then the question is even more complicated.

What is the World? Is it that which inhabits it? People who are just capable of love, kindness, and charity as they are of anger, hatred, and greed? Animals that must fight to survive and suffer because of it?

Is it the systems that make up the world? The delicate balance that allows life in the first place? Is it some animating force, a cosmic underlying principle that unites everything? Or is it an arbitrary distinction humans made for ourselves, to encompass whatever we see fit?

Your answer then leads back into the original question. Can that be beautiful, and is it?

You may wonder why I ask you this question, but it is an important one you might not have considered for your magecraft. As you all know, a Bounded Field separates an interior from an exterior. It acts as a boundary from the rest of the World.

Thus, what you think of the World is important. It colors your magecraft. Your viewpoint has far greater influence on what you do than you may think. How you interact with ley lines, how your bounded fields function, these change just as much with your viewpoint as your foundation.

You don’t have to tell me, but think about it.

… Hm?

You’re wondering what I think?

Aren’t you nosy?

If I had to give you an answer…

The Department of Archaeology requests that I go on expeditions with them fairly frequently. I’ve been across the entire globe, from the jungles of Mesoamerica to the Arctic Circle to Mesopotamia, and even worked alongside the Spiral Manor a few times.

There’s been ups and there’s been downs. I’ve seen plenty of things people would kill to see. I’ve seen plenty of things that people would want to forget. There have been plenty of times I’ve almost died.

The good, the bad, and the ugly. Humanity at its best, at its worst, and its most unsavory.

After seeing all that? Yeah, the world is beautiful. Even with all that bad and all that ugly… No, because of all that bad and all that ugly. The most beautiful artwork is because of its flaws, not despite them, because it’s in the flaws that you see the truth.

Anyway, remember, no lecture next week! I’m heading out of London for a bit. I’ll be back for next week's lecture if everything goes well. If not, you’ll need a new professor.

Magecraft Information

Elemental Affinity: Water
Number of Magic Circuits: B+
Quality of Magic Circuits: B+

Magic Crest: 542 years
A branch crest of an older magus family that no longer exists, with the fragments of the original family recombined into it at a later date. It is placed directly over Frederica’s heart, and is defined as a ‘core’ from which the ‘World’ is built.

Attributes:
Sympathy: A type of magecraft based on creating a connection between two similar things, or taking advantage of a preexisting connection between two similar things.

Transmutation: A type of magecraft based on changing something into another form.

Flow: A type of magecraft based around manipulating the natural progression of things from one state to another.

Magecraft:

General Fundamentals:
The fundamentals of magecraft that any true magus is expected to learn. This is the purview of things such as mana theory, magic circuits usage, the creation of bounded fields, the usage of sympathetic and contagious magecraft, and other underlying principles of Western Magecraft.

It is the understanding of Western Magecraft’s core that all thaumaturgical systems use at their most basic level. To understand the interactions between the World and the magus. Through this understanding, a magus is capable of reaching great heights.

Frederica has reached those heights, as she has the respected position of Professor in the Department of General Fundamentals. Her specialties are Magical Energy Studies and Sympathetic Magecraft.

Sympathetic Western Alchemy:
A magecraft that is centered on the study of the flow of matter. Concerned with the transformation of matter, whether it be minerals, states of matter such as the transition from solid to liquid to gas, or even conceptual forms that do not exist in the World.

It is a variant of the traditional system proposed by Paracelsus, or rather, an extrapolation and exploration of one of the fundamental concepts. As above, so below.

Through Sympathetic Magecraft, the user aligns themself with the World around them. Breaking down the conceptual barrier as “Above” and “Below” are temporarily made one. Or at least, parts of the Self are aligned with the World. This allows the user to enact natural interference upon the environment as if it were their own body, and transmute their own body as if it were the environment.

Effects include but are not limited to: producing arms from the environment to grab targets, generating temporary bodily duplicates from substances such as water or air, transmuting the body's makeup to, in turn, transmute the makeup of their environment, and so on.

Internal Geocentric Astromancy
A magecraft that is usually centered on the celestial bodies above, transformed into one that is focused on the organs within.

Usually, an art based on predicting the future through observing the heavens. Traditionally utilized by alchemists to determine the best times to perform experiments and prepare remedies according to the alignment of the celestial bodies.

However, following the principle of sympathy, those internal organs can be utilized in place of the celestial bodies by which they are governed. Utilizing one’s own body to represent the “World” rather than the true world, allowing the user to manifest the effects of astromancy without needing the celestial bodies to be in the correct positions.

It is a supportive magecraft to the mainstay of Alchemy, primarily acting as a reinforcing element to the various alchemical spells. That doesn’t mean they don’t know any spells utilizing solely Internal Astromancy, as they have a small suite of spells independent of Alchemy. These are primarily based on affecting herself in various non-physical ways.

Hermetic Numerological Incantation
A magecraft based on the study of numbers. Through the understanding of numbers' mystical meanings, it becomes possible to recreate magical phenomena.

The particular variant used is based on Hermetic Numerology, with various numbers connecting things such as 1 connecting to the Monad, 2 connecting to the concept of Polarity, 3 connecting to the Tria Prima (Sulphur, Mercury, Salt), and so on.

It was a useful supplementary work to the family's Alchemy core until Frederica became heir. Through numerological principles, she managed to compress many of the family’s spell formulae down, allowing the same strength of spell to be completed in a quicker incantation. In other words, she had achieved High Speed Incantations.

She has only managed to reduce incantations to half the normal length.

Mystic Codes:

Mantle of Earth
To become the Earth itself would require more than just study.

It would require a change.

Mantle is a mystic code that wraps around Frederica’s internal skeletal structure, a specially prepared dense alloy of various minerals taken from various fallen leyline locations mixed with the bone marrow of past Gotzen magi. It is formal wear embodying the concept of “the Earth’s Bones,” designed to ease the establishment of a sympathetic connection with their environment.

It dramatically increases the owner’s defensive abilities by strengthening internal bone structures. Manipulating the material around the body for various purposes is possible. The only limitation is that it is considered a “body part” and cannot be separated.

Rangefinder Luna
To become the Earth, one must first know the Earth.

A silver cylinder decorated with numerous numbers in spinning rows, which at a glance appears as an antique rangefinder.

A specialized mystic code meant to be used to observe the environment. It acts as a metaphorical “mirror” that translates data about the environment into numerical code that appears via the rows of numbers across its surface. Able to be used to gather information from long distances, as long as a line of sight is established.

It can also function as a mundane wayfinder if magical energy is not introduced.

Celestial Talismans
A wide variety of numerical astrological talismans are kept on her person at all times.

These talismans are protective, invoking the planetary spirits to provide their protection against specific diseases passively, and being able to protect her against specific curses actively.

Though the utilization of these talismans to protect herself against magecraft results in the talismans burning out and needing to be replaced.

Azoth Blade
A common mystic code given to students in coming-of-age ceremonies.

It is a tool for performing magecraft first and foremost, amplifying the user’s magical energy to assist and strengthen them. It is also able to be filled with magical energy to allow it to be utilized as a magic wand to create magic circles.

The Azoth Blade given to Frederica has been altered by her into something more resembling a messer for practical useage. The idea of using a ceremonial tool for something as mundane as clearing brush or cutting ropes is sacrilegious to some, but to Frederica, not using it as a blade would ‘deny it its original purpose.’

The fact that she has stabbed at least one person with it goes unmentioned.

Non Magical Assets

Messerfechten-Ringen
As every Magus knows, sometimes you’re just gonna have to get your hands dirty.

Part of the training regime of the Gotzen family is practice in traditional German martial techniques to aid in honing the body and mind. Primarily, what is taught is Ringen, grappling techniques developed by German fencing masters such as Liechtenauer and Hans Talhoffer.

Ringen translates to “wrestling,” being a martial art primarily based around grappling techniques, originally designed to be utilized alongside a weapon. The Gotzen primarily utilized it by itself, with Frederica deciding to pick up “Messerfechten,” Messer-Fighting, as an additional bit to add to it.

If you ask her why, her only answer will be “because swords are cool.”

Urgrund Mining Ventures
All that research isn’t exactly cheap, you know?

Urgrund Mining Ventures is a German mining company that the Gotzen formed to fund their ventures in the magus world. Through magecraft, allowing the finding of valuable mineral deposits, they have been able to build the company up to being very profitable. While not as wealthy as some of the older bloodlines, the family's net worth is not something even they can scoff at.

Frederica lets the business run itself for the most part, only interacting with it as necessary to keep it going. She’s far too busy with her expeditions and research normally.

Miscellaneous
Various ritualistic items such as alchemical reagents, candles, incense, and other items for set-up purposes.

Mundane items to aid in daily life, such as changes of clothes, a laptop, a smartphone, and a new car she bought explicitly for the Grail War.

A pistol.

Fate/Edelweiss

A River of Regrets

Hagen von Tronje
Titles: Elf-Blooded Knight
Class: Lancer
Gender: Male
Era: 440-450
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Attribute: Earth

Identity
The Elf-Blooded Knight who slew the hero Siegfried and brought great tragedy to all involved. One of the most famous anti-heroes of Germany, about whom many legends speak. His treachery and tragedy are primarily attested to in the “Nibelungenlied”, in which he usurps the main character role after his murder of Siegfried. Yet, the real main character is Siegfried’s wife, Kriemhild, and Hagen is the deuteragonist to her great tragic revenge plot.

The tragedy began when Siegfried arrived in the Kingdom of Burgundy seeking Kriemhild’s hand in marriage. Hagen was there alongside him, battling in war, seeking Queen Brunhild’s hand for King Gunther, and the two became peerless friends. Yet due to Siegfried’s treachery for the sake of King Gunther, conflict between his Kingdom of Worms and the Kingdom of Burgundy began to arise. The honor of King Gunther was damaged by the insults of Queen Kriemhild towards Queen Brunhild, and needed to be rectified.

So to preserve the king’s honor, Hagen tricked Kriemhild into revealing Siegfried’s one weakness, and murdered him on a hunting trip.

He stole the great hero’s weapon and treasure, keeping the former on his person and dumping the latter in the river. All to prevent Kriemhild from having any leverage with which to strike back at her husband’s murderers. Yet his advice was repeatedly ignored. Kriemhild married King Etzel, and the Kingdom of Burgundy went to their wedding feast and their doom.

Many foreboding omens and conflicts occur before they even reach Etzel’s Court, and further tragedy only follows after they arrive at the court. Hagen and Kriemhild’s plans danced around one another until, eventually, Hagen brought about open conflict by slaying Etzel and Kriemhild’s young son Ortlieb. Open conflict followed, which saw many slain, and Gunther and Hagen as the last survivors. Hagen refused to tell Kriemhild where he hid the Rheingold, and was decapitated for it.

Yet, there are a great many inconsistencies in Hagen’s actions throughout the tale…

The Truth

“Ah, the situation is beyond my control. Hagen, I am invincible and so have never once been wounded by you. But even so, if I don't have you kill me…”

Siegfried, you do not know what you ask. You do not know how it will destroy your wife. You foolish hero, you don’t understand what will come of this. Yet you stand there asking this of me, with such sincerity. No one else can do this for you, can they?

… One more favor for you, my dearest friend.

“I told you lies for the sake of getting my clothes back. Now the truth is otherwise: you are all doomed to perish. None will return save the worthy chaplain.”

Ah… It is like that, isn’t it?

I told them this would be our end, but they didn’t listen. It was fate, then, that we die for the sin we have committed. His death was for nothing; in the end, we would have always died. That foolish, foolish hero had to act so selflessly…

It won’t be long before I see you again, my friend.

“The one who started the plot to murder your husband… was Siegfried himself.”

Was it cruel to admit the truth in the end?

Perhaps. Yet, she deserves to know. Deserves to understand what a fool her husband was. Her revenge was ultimately without justification. The primary conspirator was already dead. This entire affair was as pointless as it was inevitable.

“I am sorry, Kri-” Schlict.

Personality
Quiet and withdrawn, Hagen presents as a man with no pride or principles. An extension of his master’s will, he tries to act as the epitome of a loyal knight. Yet comes across as a treacherous and otherworldly figure. Someone who would do whatever he was ordered, as he has already committed the gravest of sins. He who would give advice willingly, who sees far more than any man should, but will never truly act on it and bring about the world he wants. Truly, he is more like that foolish hero than he’d ever admit.

Because of his self-hatred following the events of the Nibelungenlied, he has extremely low self-esteem. Viewing himself as little more than an instrument of the misfortune brought about by Das Rheingold, he will ignore his desires in favor of his masters, while trying to guide them away from ruin. Yet, if pressed about what his wish would be…

He’d simply like the chance to meet with his dearest friend again and apologize for failing to stop the calamity that came after his death.

Parameters
Strength: C
Endurance: B
Agility: A
Mana: B
Luck: E

Class Skills
Magic Resistance: B
Cancels spells with chants below three verses.
Lancer's inhuman blood and decent class container result in an above-average Magic Resistance rank.

Personal Skills
Human-Observation: A
A technique to observe and understand people. At an A-Rank, it is not simply observing, but the capacity to hypothesize livelihoods, preferences, and even the lives of those whose names are unknown.
He contemplates the natures of many people. His brother, the Queen of Iron, the Dragon-Blooded Knight, and the Queen of Revenge. When the Dragon-Blooded Knight spoke, he could see what he truly wanted. When the Queen of Revenge cried, he knew she'd never forgive. He tried to warn them, but they never listened.

Mind's Eye (Fake): B
A natural talent to foresee and avoid danger based on innate intuition.
He always saw a way out, always knew what he needed to do to achieve victory. Knowing who they needed to defeat the Queen of Iron, finding the weakness of the Dragon-Blooded Knight, how to forestall the Queen's Revenge, and how to get across the Danube, he always found a way. Until he faced the Devil-Blessed Knight, and he could no longer find a way out.

Fairy-Eyes: B
The eyes of a fairy that can see through lies.
A bastard half-elf, born from an elf intermingling with a queen. The inhuman monster that slew the great Dragon-Blooded Knight through treachery. Nothing good can come from a human contemplating the difference between good and evil.

Noble Phantasms
Rhine-Ward
Title: Veil of the Rheinmaidens
Rank: D
NP Type: Anti-Unit
Range: 1-2
Maximum Number of Targets: 1
Description:
The first noble phantasm of Hagen.

A veil of water that surrounds Das Rheingold and contains its terrible curse. A bounded field constructed by a trio of water spirits and maintained by Hagen, it is an immense amount of water within a slim bubble around the spear. This hides its true appearance and prevents its curse from flowing freely.

It provides Hagen with additional attack power, increasing his spear’s mass through the weight of the water. By manipulating the water, Hagen can perform many actions, such as long-range attacks or boosting mobility. It is even possible to unleash all the water at once in a pressure jet with magical energy equal to a true name release.

To utilize Das Rheingold’s true effects, Rhein-Ward must be dismissed. When this is done, it coats Hagen’s body. It provides additional physical protection and insulates him from Das Rheingold's curse.

Das Rheingold
Title: Treasure of Inevitable Calamity
Rank: A+
NP Type: Anti-Country
Range: 1-99
Maximum Number of Targets: 500
Description:
The Second Noble Phantasm of Hagen.

It is a one-handed, golden spear with a dragon-like motif at its guard and an elegant, otherworldly style to its construction that speaks to an inhuman origin.

The treasure of Fafnir, won by the great hero Siegfried after slaying the worm. After Hagen murdered Siegfried, the treasure was destined for Kriemhild, his wife. Yet knowing she'd only bring ruin using it, he stole it and dumped it in the Rhine, where only he knew. Even when faced with death at Kriemhild's hands, he refused to reveal its location, taking it to his grave. An unending treasure that brings great wealth to its owner but also curses them with great misfortune.

The spear that took Siegfried’s life and the treasure that cursed him with misfortune have been combined due to “both bringing about the hero's downfall.” A terrible weapon whose curse is only kept in check by Rhine-Ward preventing it from being seen.

If Rhein-Ward is dismissed, the spear's wealth and curse flow freely. It's unending wealth and abundance flowing freely from it in the form of a mana reactor to be utilized by Hagen. Yet while its wealth flows, so too does its curse. Taking the form of a Curse of Greed, those who see it will be forced to make consecutive luck checks to avoid falling under its effects. Starting as a simple fascination effect, those without mental resistance can quickly become obsessed with the spear, even as the curse brings them to ruin. The logic behind the obsession differs per person, but the effect remains the same.

A true name release sends the reactor into an out-of-control overdrive. Magical energy and the curse flowed in a flood from the spear. Those caught in the effect will find themselves consumed and drowned in the curse, their minds lost under the weight of gold. A noble phantasm reaching the rank of “Anti-Country” due to its wide-reaching effect and potential if left alone, rather than its raw power.

Hagen would prefer to never use the true name release.

Fate/Edelweiss

A River of Regrets

Hagen von Tronje
Titles: Elf-Blooded Knight
Class: Lancer
Gender: Male
Era: 440-450
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Attribute: Earth

Identity
The Elf-Blooded Knight who slew the hero Siegfried and brought great tragedy to all involved. One of the most famous anti-heroes of Germany, about whom many legends speak. His treachery and tragedy are primarily attested to in the “Nibelungenlied”, in which he usurps the main character role after his murder of Siegfried. Yet, the real main character is Siegfried’s wife, Kriemhild, and Hagen is the deuteragonist to her great tragic revenge plot.

The tragedy began when Siegfried arrived in the Kingdom of Burgundy seeking Kriemhild’s hand in marriage. Hagen was there alongside him, battling in war, seeking Queen Brunhild’s hand for King Gunther, and the two became peerless friends. Yet due to Siegfried’s treachery for the sake of King Gunther, conflict between his Kingdom of Worms and the Kingdom of Burgundy began to arise. The honor of King Gunther was damaged by the insults of Queen Kriemhild towards Queen Brunhild, and needed to be rectified.

So to preserve the king’s honor, Hagen tricked Kriemhild into revealing Siegfried’s one weakness, and murdered him on a hunting trip.

He stole the great hero’s weapon and treasure, keeping the former on his person and dumping the latter in the river. All to prevent Kriemhild from having any leverage with which to strike back at her husband’s murderers. Yet his advice was repeatedly ignored. Kriemhild married King Etzel, and the Kingdom of Burgundy went to their wedding feast and their doom.

Many foreboding omens and conflicts occur before they even reach Etzel’s Court, and further tragedy only follows after they arrive at the court. Hagen and Kriemhild’s plans danced around one another until, eventually, Hagen brought about open conflict by slaying Etzel and Kriemhild’s young son Ortlieb. Open conflict followed, which saw many slain, and Gunther and Hagen as the last survivors. Hagen refused to tell Kriemhild where he hid the Rheingold, and was decapitated for it.

Yet, there are a great many inconsistencies in Hagen’s actions throughout the tale…

The Truth

“Ah, the situation is beyond my control. Hagen, I am invincible and so have never once been wounded by you. But even so, if I don't have you kill me…”

Siegfried, you do not know what you ask. You do not know how it will destroy your wife. You foolish hero, you don’t understand what will come of this. Yet you stand there asking this of me, with such sincerity. No one else can do this for you, can they?

… One more favor for you, my dearest friend.

“I told you lies for the sake of getting my clothes back. Now the truth is otherwise: you are all doomed to perish. None will return save the worthy chaplain.”

Ah… It is like that, isn’t it?

I told them this would be our end, but they didn’t listen. It was fate, then, that we die for the sin we have committed. His death was for nothing; in the end, we would have always died. That foolish, foolish hero had to act so selflessly…

It won’t be long before I see you again, my friend.

“The one who started the plot to murder your husband… was Siegfried himself.”

Was it cruel to admit the truth in the end?

Perhaps. Yet, she deserves to know. Deserves to understand what a fool her husband was. Her revenge was ultimately without justification. The primary conspirator was already dead. This entire affair was as pointless as it was inevitable.

“I am sorry, Kri-” Schlict.

Personality
Quiet and withdrawn, Hagen presents as a man with no pride or principles. An extension of his master’s will, he tries to act as the epitome of a loyal knight. Yet comes across as a treacherous and otherworldly figure. Someone who would do whatever he was ordered, as he has already committed the gravest of sins. He who would give advice willingly, who sees far more than any man should, but will never truly act on it and bring about the world he wants. Truly, he is more like that foolish hero than he’d ever admit.

Because of his self-hatred following the events of the Nibelungenlied, he has extremely low self-esteem. Viewing himself as little more than an instrument of the misfortune brought about by Das Rheingold, he will ignore his desires in favor of his masters, while trying to guide them away from ruin. Yet, if pressed about what his wish would be…

He’d simply like the chance to meet with his dearest friend again and apologize for failing to stop the calamity that came after his death.

Parameters
Strength: C
Endurance: B
Agility: A
Mana: B
Luck: E

Class Skills
Magic Resistance: B
Cancels spells with chants below three verses.
Lancer's inhuman blood and decent class container result in an above-average Magic Resistance rank.

Personal Skills
Human-Observation: A
A technique to observe and understand people. At an A-Rank, it is not simply observing, but the capacity to hypothesize livelihoods, preferences, and even the lives of those whose names are unknown.
He contemplates the natures of many people. His brother, the Queen of Iron, the Dragon-Blooded Knight, and the Queen of Revenge. When the Dragon-Blooded Knight spoke, he could see what he truly wanted. When the Queen of Revenge cried, he knew she'd never forgive. He tried to warn them, but they never listened.

Mind's Eye (Fake): B
A natural talent to foresee and avoid danger based on innate intuition.
He always saw a way out, always knew what he needed to do to achieve victory. Knowing who they needed to defeat the Queen of Iron, finding the weakness of the Dragon-Blooded Knight, how to forestall the Queen's Revenge, and how to get across the Danube, he always found a way. Until he faced the Devil-Blessed Knight, and he could no longer find a way out.

Fairy-Eyes: B
The eyes of a fairy that can see through lies.
A bastard half-elf, born from an elf intermingling with a queen. The inhuman monster that slew the great Dragon-Blooded Knight through treachery. Nothing good can come from a human contemplating the difference between good and evil.

Noble Phantasms
Rhine-Ward
Title: Veil of the Rheinmaidens
Rank: D
NP Type: Anti-Unit
Range: 1-2
Maximum Number of Targets: 1
Description:
The first noble phantasm of Hagen.

A veil of water that surrounds Das Rheingold and contains its terrible curse. A bounded field constructed by a trio of water spirits and maintained by Hagen, it is an immense amount of water within a slim bubble around the spear. This hides its true appearance and prevents its curse from flowing freely.

It provides Hagen with additional attack power, increasing his spear’s mass through the weight of the water. By manipulating the water, Hagen can perform many actions, such as long-range attacks or boosting mobility. It is even possible to unleash all the water at once in a pressure jet with magical energy equal to a true name release.

To utilize Das Rheingold’s true effects, Rhein-Ward must be dismissed. When this is done, it coats Hagen’s body. It provides additional physical protection and insulates him from Das Rheingold's curse.

Das Rheingold
Title: Treasure of Inevitable Calamity
Rank: A+
NP Type: Anti-Country
Range: 1-99
Maximum Number of Targets: 500
Description:
The Second Noble Phantasm of Hagen.

It is a one-handed, golden spear with a dragon-like motif at its guard and an elegant, otherworldly style to its construction that speaks to an inhuman origin.

The treasure of Fafnir, won by the great hero Siegfried after slaying the worm. After Hagen murdered Siegfried, the treasure was destined for Kriemhild, his wife. Yet knowing she'd only bring ruin using it, he stole it and dumped it in the Rhine, where only he knew. Even when faced with death at Kriemhild's hands, he refused to reveal its location, taking it to his grave. An unending treasure that brings great wealth to its owner but also curses them with great misfortune.

The spear that took Siegfried’s life and the treasure that cursed him with misfortune have been combined due to “both bringing about the hero's downfall.” A terrible weapon whose curse is only kept in check by Rhine-Ward preventing it from being seen.

If Rhein-Ward is dismissed, the spear's wealth and curse flow freely. It's unending wealth and abundance flowing freely from it in the form of a mana reactor to be utilized by Hagen. Yet while its wealth flows, so too does its curse. Taking the form of a Curse of Greed, those who see it will be forced to make consecutive luck checks to avoid falling under its effects. Starting as a simple fascination effect, those without mental resistance can quickly become obsessed with the spear, even as the curse brings them to ruin. The logic behind the obsession differs per person, but the effect remains the same.

A true name release sends the reactor into an out-of-control overdrive. Magical energy and the curse flowed in a flood from the spear. Those caught in the effect will find themselves consumed and drowned in the curse, their minds lost under the weight of gold. A noble phantasm reaching the rank of “Anti-Country” due to its wide-reaching effect and potential if left alone, rather than its raw power.

Hagen would prefer to never use the true name release.

Fate/Dark Heritage

Beowulf’s Monster

Image

True Name: Grendel
Region: Scandinavia
Class: Avenger
Attribute: Earth

Parameters:

Strength: B
Agility: B
Endurance: B
Magical Energy: B
Luck: B

Legend:

It is the nature of one without shape to wish to take a shape.

It is the nature of one who is empty to seek to fill themselves.

It is the nature of one without purpose to seek out a purpose.

The protean entity who lived in a lake of serpents found themselves drawn to the lights and noise of humanity. They knew not what they were, but prey, for they had only known the natural world.

They feasted upon the prey, for they were the predator. As they ate they changed. Reflecting those they hunted, their form shifted to match what their prey feared. They were given the shape of a monster.

As they listened to the screams and cries, and observed those who attempted to fight them, they changed. They took in their anger, their hatred, their resentment, and their grudges. They filled themselves with it.

As they digested the prey, they began to understand. They had not even realized how empty they were. They had not realized how shapeless they had been. They had finally found their purpose in the world.

They were Grendel, their purpose was to commit evil acts, for that was what made them Grendel.

Yet there was one last lesson Grendel had to learn. While there are always monsters, there must always be heroes to defeat those monsters. The light of humanity to banish the darkness of humanity.

The hero came, without Grendel even knowing, and the two battled. The protean creature fought primeval human might and lost. Their form was torn apart, and they were forced to flee.

As they bled to death, their blood seeped into where their mother slept. It awoke her, and in a reflection of the humans Grendel hunted, she became what Grendel wanted at that moment.

Class Skills:

Avenger: EX
The nature of an Avenger is to gather people’s hatred and grudges within oneself. A monster through and through, who consumes the flesh of others and with it, their anger and resentment. A protean being who has become stained with the evil of humanity.

Oblivion Correction: B
The nature of an Avenger is never to forget the grudges done against them. While people forget many things, Grendel must remember. He sees what they have forgotten, he remembers what they do not—a mindless being who gained a mind from what humanity would prefer to forget.

Self-Replenishment (Mana): B
The nature of an Avenger isn’t to stop until their revenge is accomplished. To eat someone is to consume their regrets. The energy of their final moments carries with it the darkest emotions—a hollow being who has become filled with the evils of humanity.

Personal Skills:

Human Observation: EX
A technique to observe and understand people. At this rank, it goes from observation to something resembling mind reading. It is only natural for one who is empty to be filled by their surroundings. When there is nothing to bias one’s observations of the world around them, they can see the truth.

Shapeshift: A+
The ability to change one's appearance and body. A protean being whose body changes according to their wishes. From appearing as a mundane human and hiding their servant presence, to growing into a giant monstrosity, and even stranger forms. Humanities evils are made manifest in Grendel’s body.

Transfiguration: A
As Grendel has no true form, their parameters are not set. Just as their body fluctuates, their parameters fluctuate with their form and will. They have a set amount of points they can place into each category, 30, with each parameter having these respective values: A-7, B-6, C-5, D-4, E-3.

Noble Phantasm:

I am Grendel
The Evil I Become

Type: Anti-Unit (Self)
Rank: A
Range: N/A
Targets: 1-3

The formless entity who gorged themselves on humanity.

The monster who took into themselves the anger, grudges, and resentment of those they ate.

It is only natural for one without a set form to reflect those who see them. To change according to the world around them. For one who has been deemed to be the “Monster”, they reflect that meaning.

This noble phantasm represents the true nature of Grendel as a being without one true solid form and only the title of “Monster”. It is an upgrade to their normal shapeshifting capability, allowing them to bypass the limits of their Transfiguration and Shapeshift skills.

They can split their form into multiple bodies, assume the characteristics of other monsters to the point of being indistinguishable from them through mundane means, and give themselves extra points to spend with Transfiguration to boost their parameters even further. Whatever is required to become the Monster to humanity truly.

Because of its very nature, its strength is directly tied to assuming the role of the Monster. It grows stronger the closer to a specific individual or group’s idea of a monster Grendel becomes, and weaker the further away from that idea Grendel becomes.

Trivia:
The reason why Grendel’s default is a female appearance is due to their mother. There is only one grudge they can truly call their own. And that is the anger their mother felt upon Grendel’s death. Alongside the formless protean nature of Grendel and his Mother, it could be said that they are the same.

They frequently have a metal shackle attached to one of their arms, when not trying to trick someone with their appearance. It is a lingering remanent of the trauma of having their arm ripped off by Beowulf.

Fate/Dark Heritage

Beowulf’s Monster

Image

True Name: Grendel
Region: Scandinavia
Class: Avenger
Attribute: Earth

Parameters:

Strength: B
Agility: B
Endurance: B
Magical Energy: B
Luck: B

Legend:

It is the nature of one without shape to wish to take a shape.

It is the nature of one who is empty to seek to fill themselves.

It is the nature of one who is without purpose to seek out a purpose.

The protean being who lived in a lake of serpents found themselves drawn to the lights and noise of humanity. They knew not what they were, but prey, for they had only known the natural world.

They feasted upon the prey, for they were the predator. As they ate they changed. Reflecting those they hunted, their form shifted to match what their prey feared. They were given the shape of a monster.

As they listened to the screams and cries, and observed those who attempted to fight them, they changed. They took in their anger, their hatred, their resentment, and their grudges. They filled themselves with it.

As they digested the prey, they began to understand. They had not even realized how empty they were. They had not realized how shapeless they had been. They had finally found their purpose in the world.

They were Grendel, their purpose was to commit evil acts, for that was what made them Grendel.

Yet there was one last lesson Grendel had to learn. While there are always monsters, there must always be heroes to defeat those monsters. The light of humanity to banish the darkness of humanity.

The hero came, without Grendel even knowing, and the two battled. The protean creature fought primeval human might and lost. Their form was torn apart, and they were forced to flee.

As they bled to death, their blood seeped into where their mother slept. It awoke her, and in a reflection of the humans Grendel hunted, she became what Grendel wanted at that moment.

Class Skills:

Avenger: EX
The nature of an Avenger is to gather people’s hatred and grudges within oneself. A monster through and through, who consumes the flesh of others and with it, their anger and resentment. A protean being who has become stained with the evil of humanity.

Oblivion Correction: B
The nature of an Avenger is never to forget the grudges done against them. While people forget many things, Grendel must remember. He sees what they have forgotten, he remembers what they do not—a mindless being who gained a mind from what humanity would prefer to forget.

Self-Replenishment (Mana): B
The nature of an Avenger isn’t to stop until their revenge is accomplished. To eat someone is to consume their regrets. The energy of their final moments carries with it the darkest emotions—a hollow being who has become filled with the evils of humanity.

Personal Skills:

Human Observation: EX
A technique to observe and understand people. At this rank, it goes from observation to something resembling mind reading. It is only natural for one who is empty to be filled by their surroundings. When there is nothing to bias one’s observations of the world around them, they can see the truth.

Shapeshift: A+
The ability to change one's appearance and body. A protean being whose body changes according to their wishes. From appearing as a mundane human and hiding their servant presence, to growing into a giant monstrosity, and even stranger forms. Humanities evils are made manifest in Grendel’s body.

Transfiguration: A
As Grendel has no true form, their parameters are not set. Just as their body fluctuates, their parameters fluctuate with their form and will. They have a set amount of points they can place into each category, 30, with each parameter having these respective values: A-7, B-6, C-5, D-4, E-3.

Noble Phantasm:

I am Grendel
The Evil I Become

Type: Anti-Unit (Self)
Rank: A
Range: N/A
Targets: 1-3

The formless being who gorged themselves on humanity.

The monster who took into themselves the anger, grudges, and resentment of those they ate.

It is only natural for one without a set form to reflect those who see them. To change according to the world around them. For one who has been deemed to be the “Monster”, they reflect that meaning.

This noble phantasm represents the true nature of Grendel as a being without one true solid form and only the title of “Monster”. It is in effect an upgrade to their normal shapeshifting capability, allowing them to bypass the limits of their Transfiguration and Shapeshift skills.

They can split their form into multiple bodies, assume the characteristics of other monsters to the point of being indistinguishable from them through mundane means, and give themselves extra points to spend with Transfiguration to boost their parameters even further. Whatever is required to truly become the Monster to humanity.

Because of its very nature, its strength is directly tied to assuming the role of the Monster. It grows stronger the closer to a specific individual or group’s idea of a monster Grendel becomes, and weaker the further away from that idea Grendel becomes.

Trivia:
The reason why Grendel’s default is a female appearance is due to their mother. There is only one grudge they can truly call their own. And that is the anger their mother felt upon Grendel’s death. Alongside the formless protean nature of Grendel and his Mother, it could be said that they are the same.

They frequently have a metal shackle attached to one of their arms, when not trying to trick someone with their appearance. It is a lingering remanent of the trauma of having their arm ripped off by Beowulf.

Fate/Dark Heritage

First Night, Kyoto Forest

Interacting With: @Digmata
---------------------------------------------------------------------

"Yeah... I heard them too Caster. That Constantine fellow doesn't know how to keep his trap shut. I'd rather not have him as an ally."

She felt some secondhand resentment and anger on behalf of Rider's master. That one blunder had just hurt their odds of winning the war for no gain whatsoever. Just one teenager not treating this whole affair with respect. It made her huff and shake her head.

Her familiar sat on a nearby rooftop, watching the servants below converse... Only for a Saber to appear to join in on the mess. This was starting to get a bit ridiculous. Rider had been trying to draw attention, but she had expected at least some of the other servants to find other places to show up. Three of the seven were there, and the fourth was observing it.

As Caster used her Noble Phantasm to prepare their trump card against the two more physically powerful servants, she listened in on the conversation. The Familiar quietly grooms itself on the rooftop to try and blend in as just another random animal. Only to frown slightly as the Saber managed to catch Caster's own familiar out.

"I'm not sure it's a good idea while that Saber is around. They've seemed to catch your scent, as it were. You probably got a little too zealous with those spiders of yours..."

What went unsaid was that the three people down there were "honorable" types. Odds are they'd take an intrusion to their duel as an insult and attack if they had prepared the battleground perhaps. Yet they had to go to them and drag them into a proper battlefield. It wasn't worth the risk.

"Focus on information gathering for now. We know what the other two are, and I think I can formulate strategies to defeat either Shielder or Rider by their lonesome. Together's much more difficult. Not counting the Saber. We focus on gathering information about them for now, as well as see if we can figure out if there's anyone else watching this mess. If you want to try and interfere, go ahead, just try to not put yourself into harm."

With that, she'd direct her own Tanuki familiar to stand up from where it had groomed itself. Beginning to circle the area where they were going to fight. Trying to see if she could get eyes on anyone else that might be hanging around. Hopefully the servants were too busy with each other to pay it any mind. It'd be annoying to have to make another familiar so quickly.