Grey

Fu Sonzai no Genso: Urban Fantasy Mystery RP

Akihiko smiled at Eika when she turned to look at him after speaking with Ando-sama. He rather liked that she was branching out a bit, not feeling constrained to solely himself. Though to be frank, he'd much have preferred Eika speaking to more people than just him and Ando-sama, but it was a little bit of progress at the very least! It wasn't as if someone could comfortably go from introvert to extrovert over night after all.

A moment passed and their employer spoke once more to lay their concerns to rest as best she could. Unfortunately there weren't any definitive answers to be dispensed, just some details that could possibly become relevant later on. Best to keep track of them just in case. Even if they might not turn out to be relevant in the end, there was still the possibility, and like hell he was going to end up with an unsolved case all because he couldn't remember a few details.

In other news, the theory Akihiko was unsure about wasn't immediately shot down, which was reassuring. They were also to go out in the field and investigate the scene proper. That would be fun and useful. Perhaps they could mooch free food off of the family to alleviate the amount of money to get groceries themselves, but that was neither here nor there.

The agency's transportation was what one would expect from a group advertising themselves as supernatural detectives. He would've assumed they'd have a more stereotypical vehicle, like an unmarked black car or SUV. Maybe a helicopter if they wanted to seem pretentious. The red van wasn't bad - it served its purpose well enough - it was just... underwhelming?

Nevertheless, Akihiko took a seat and buckled up in preparation for their field trip.

Fate/Esoterica

Actually, I might go with either Rider or Caster for James. He fills out a niche for either team-up, the ability to throw up an information infrastructure with one, and decent anti-Master combat ability even without any potential buffs for the other. Plus, the interactions could be decently interesting. For example, looking at Caster's bio in the dA page, there could be some parallels drawn between James and Faust's upbringings.

Also, I'd be willing to have Archer look for a new Master and give Hakuno to someone else, if the player in question wants and Roxas is down with it.

Fate/Esoterica

Well, I finally got around to doing that one line revision in James' CS to omit his ability to lolhax, and added a minor addition to his CQC skills because it would make more sense that way. Right now he's effectively become Darth Touma, but any magus worth their salt could probably beat him if they can maintain distance and don't allow his Counter Magic to enter play.

Rin said
Everytime I play Jack, everyone wants to give her a mother. XD Which I am okay with really, since it's fun to play her reacting to her "mother". So I guess we'll just wait and see if she can get one. XD

Well, if any of our lovely ladies don't want to summon a murderloli, I'll take 'er.

Fate/Esoterica

Sure, I can pair Archer with Hakuno.

Alternatively if Team Hakuna-Matarcher is a no-go, I could pair Ody with any of the other four Masters, since I figure interactions with any of them have the potential to be fun and/or interesting.

As for James... I still need to edit his CS with revisions >>

I'll probably have to think about it, but for now I'm not leaning far enough towards any of the Servants to make a decision. Normally I'd prefer to partner with the Assassin class, but I like the idea of Jackie pairing with a 'mother' way too much. So unless Rin wants to partner, I know who I'm not choosing at the very least.

Fate/Esoterica

Ditto.

Fu Sonzai no Genso: Urban Fantasy Mystery RP

Akihiko's hands fumbled a bit with Eika's sudden granola bar toss. He didn't really expect - or need - his familiar to give him food, but it was the thought that counted, right? He undid the wrapper and began to quietly eat the snack. "Thanks Eika!" he said with a nod and a smile. While the familiar could be seen as rather clingy, Akihiko didn't much mind. At least her heart was in the right place and he could always depend on her.

Just then, Jeffery-san (Fajardo-san?) entered the building, carrying foodstuffs for everyone else. Akihiko waved. He had to admit he felt a little bit guilty that he wasn't doing anything much in the financial sense for the agency. Perhaps he could go white-hat or take up some kind of part-time job to help out around the place. Though hopefully this case would bring in enough capital to last them all through to the next one, and he wouldn't have to go looking through the classifieds. Speaking of which, Ando-sama had decided to quit waiting for any others to arrive and decided to brief them on the operation they were to take part in. It looked like there was some kind of supernatural robbery, likely either hired by a branch family or committed by them themselves. Details didn't much change, it was still their fault either way.

Akihiko put his hand to his chin as he read over the case report. Akiza-san posed a question regarding specific thoughts as to who in the families might want the disappeared relic. After a moment or two of thought, a thought occurred to him. What if it was just someone taking advantage of the interfamilial turmoil to take it for themselves? Akihiko shook his head slightly. 'That's probably not the answer... Just keeping an open-mind is good, shouldn't let myself lose focus though,' he thought.

Akihiko mildly jumped in his seat at the very sudden appearance of their resident cat burglar. Roswell-san was like a ninja, silent and deadly. Definitely the former, probably the latter too.

"What if.. ah... What if it's just some outsider who, ah, took advantage of the situation? ...So to speak" he piped up, though his voice was a teensy bit quiet. He was still a bit unsure of his whole guess at large, but hopefully the answer would put his concerns to rest, "Has there been any recent... conflicts within the family? Like, something bigger than the usual back and forth?"

Fate/Esoterica

Well it's more like rewinding and then watching a security tape than actually rewinding time. Anyway, that doesn't address the other concerns so I'll quietly edit that away nao...

Oh, and the Counter Magic field is a canon thing with mechanics that were rather vaguely described ("Magecraft that disrupts the activity of Magic Circuits, thus preventing the conversion of prana and the casting of spells") so I took liberties.

Fate/Esoterica

Well I sure hope it's not dead yet.

Anyway, here's one down, which means one more Master to go.

Master

Name: James Minassian
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Magecraft/Abilities:
Circuit Quantity: C (31)
Circuit Quality: B-
Origin: Reparation
Elemental Affinity: Wind, Lightning
Sorcery Trait: N/A

Specializations: Counter Magic and Necromancy

Elaboration

James specializes in a rather uncommon type of magecraft that's really only good for combat scenarios, and an art that makes the saying 'a magus walks with death' exceedingly literal. The former could be called his branch of the family's 'specialization' of sorts, as it was understood that the greatest and most common enemies were magi with more powerful mysteries on hand. The latter is just a preference of James' as an individual.

The objective of Counter Magic is to disrupt the activity of Magic Circuits to prevent the casting of spells, something that could be likened to shooting an enemy's gun out of their hands. While the same effect could be replicated by hitting an enemy with a sufficiently powerful attack at a faster speed than they can cast to disrupt their self-hypnosis, James possesses spells in his arsenal revolving around increasing the duration of an enemy's inability to cast rather than just disrupting a single cast. His simplest spell and a mainstay of his repertoire is that of a close-quarters spell that prevents prana conversion, maintained so long as James can maintain touch triggered by an aria that I have yet to think of. Other spells include a trap in the form of a magic circle, triggered by the proximity of active Magic Circuits, and the pinnacle spell of his Counter Magic: a Bounded Field that prevents the active use of Magic Circuits from everyone within, including the caster. No more, no less. Unfortunately this has no effect on spells originating outside the field or preexisting spells, nor does it affect the connection between Familiars or Servants that enter. It does affect Masters that enter, however.

His choice application of necromancy is surprisingly lacking human zombies. Although he could do that if he wished, he prefers using bound spirits since they're a bit more subtle over all. He does, however, use dead people parts for ingredients in rituals and such, and will dig up graves if necessary. Generally though he prefers to use necromancy as a means to manufacture familiars and gather information by replaying the memories of the deceased. His familiars of choice are bound spirits and Frankensteinian, cobbled-together animal familiars, which he uses for reconnaissance, guards, or any other general assistance they are capable of providing.

Wind and Lightning Magecraft

Elaboration

Apart from his specializations and the basic magecraft all good combat magi are supposed to know (Reinforcement, healing, etc), James can also utilize spells relating to the elements Wind and Lightning. However, the extent of his knowledge regarding these fields of magecraft isn't too wide, and as such has been delegated more to a combat augmentation role than a direct damage dealer.

His Lightning magecraft is limited solely to the following three spells and the various ways he can apply them: the basic ability to shoot lightning, the ability to coat body parts in shaped Lightning-aligned prana, and stimulating his nerves and bio-electrical signals at the risk of ending up with a fried brain and/or frayed nerves. In theory he could fire off a railgun attack as well, but that carries the cost of blowing his eardrums and likely destroying his hand. On the other side, his use of Wind magecraft is pretty much limited to summoning bursts of winds, and pushing/pulling/moving objects using streams of wind, usually his Mystic Code.

Swordsmanship and Close-Quarters Combat

Elaboration

His Mystic Code is a sword, his most useful spell only works close up, and he hunts heretics for a living. It would be really strange if he hadn't learned how to use his assets to achieve maximum effect.

Appearance: "You're not like the spirits I'm used to summoning."
Equipment:

Mystic Code: Storm Sword

Elaboration

Could be and should be considered his primary source of offensive presence on the battlefield. It's a sword specialized for channeling prana aligned with James' affinities of Wind and Lightning into elemental melee attacks or to discharge enhanced spells with the blade as an amplifier. Using the properties of galvanism, this Mystic Code can absorb Wind and Lightning-based magical attacks and convert them into prana to fire off at a later time. It can also take in standard electricity, but in that case it still requires prana so it can be discharged in combat. Against spells of the two relevant affinities that target only a single individual, it serves as a very good defense. Less so for attacks that cover a wider area, as the surface area of the blade can only absorb so much at a time.

Chalk

Elaboration

Standard equipment for a necromancer. Chalk made from the dusted bones and the blood of magi, used to inscribe magic circles and wards for use in rituals and protection.

Entrenchment Shovel and Surgical Tools

Elaboration

Best if you don't ask what these are for.

Personality: Surprisingly lively for someone whose seems to be absolutely surrounded by death. James is a very casual person, definitely lacking in the usual discipline of a magus. He's a very reasonable person overall, however he can be very unscrupulous despite his pleasant-seeming demeanor. He's very much an opportunist willing to take advantage of anything that comes his way, and is often far more than he appears to be. It's a good idea not to take everything he does at face value.
History: The Minassian family is a fairly old one from Armenia, spanning back many generations with the goal of reaching the Root by using Lightning magecraft to manipulate electromagnetism and its properties as a fundamental force. It has only a single branch family, and an tradition in which any extra children from the main family are taken into the branch family and trained alongside their children to become retainers for the main branch.

James is just the most recent child from the main family passed off at a young age to receive training in magecraft and combat from his relatives. This training went on for a few years until a falling out occurred, resulting in his alienation from the family at large. All alone and with no options in sight, James became a freelancer, putting those years of training to actual use and picking up a few new tricks on the road.

Life went on, but eventually news reached James' ears that his family was utterly wiped out. The news stunned him, but it couldn't be said he mourned their deaths for too long. To him, they were like strangers. Nevertheless, he returned to the ashes of his former home to pay his respects, and maybe bury a few bodies. It was here that he came in contact with the wraith of his father. Consumed with thoughts of vengeance and feelings of anger, James' father ordered him to hunt down whoever had done the deed as some kind of 'redemption' for James.

Despite not needing what was being offered in exchange for his services, James decided he may as well fulfill a dead man's request and spent some time hunting down the perpetrators. His father's reaction surprised him. He'd expected more celebration and gloating, and less feelings of emptiness and depression from his vengeful father. Not that it mattered too much, as James' father soon faded away, and back to regularly scheduled programming it was for James.

Three years later, strange marks appear on his hand...

Versus the 4th War Masters, James gets beat by Kirei and Kiritsugu, and easily takes down Waver/Kariya/Uryuu. His success against Tokiomi depends on if he practices martial arts, and beating Kayneth requires Volumen Hydragyrum needing activation of Circuits to attack and/or defend (which I think it does, but I'm not too sure on that)

In terms of this war's Masters, I count two-three able to counter his usual strategy of Counter Magic/Hit and variations (Hit Really Hard, Hit a Specific Spot, etc.) and could likely neutralize his only real offensive capability.

Fu Sonzai no Genso: Urban Fantasy Mystery RP

I'll post later today/tomorrow, a bit busy atm.

Fate/Esoterica

Me, Rin, and StOpossum need out Masters. I'm working on mine. Mostly just chinks in the personality and refinement of the specifics of my Magecraft choice.

EDIT: It's occurred to me we lack a vessel for the Grail.