MrCellophane

Fate/Factitious Paradigm

A Proposal from The Devil?

Strategist, Miyama Harbor

@Argonaut @Seirei No Hai @Paradox Witch

After her early morning briefing with her officers, Strategist had taken a short recon of the harbor area in her immaterial form, both to save on Mana and to avoid being spotted. To the Servant, knowing her abilities and what she did best, this was prime real estate to her. While her mighty 'Dreadnought' can see off conventional ships and - at distance - any potential threat, she knew she'd need additional ships to add to her might. She had noted as such to CTN Bacon during the meeting, who also noted that the harbor could serve as a limited foothold for land forays, a resupply area (if it came to that) and, if necessary, a possible area to launch a blockade of Miyama.

For now, Strategist had been focusing her thoughts of trying to draw up a coherent plan and timetable. That is, until she 'overheard' her Master note an incoming craft, followed shortly by the pinging of a stream of 'dits' and 'dahs' - a Morse code signal from 'Dreadnought':

URGENT. UNIDENTIFIED SHIP SIGHTED; CLOSING ON OUR POSITION. LATITUDE XXXXX BY LONGITUDE XXXX.

NO SIGN OF HOSTILE INTENT - YET. WILL STAND READY TO ENGAGE, IF NEEDED.

END.

That did it; Strategist's present stream of thought had been derailed. Fuming and filing her scratched together plans for later elaboration, Strategist dematerialised and raced back to her ship, hoping that the new arrival would not be an imminent threat.

Day 3 would simply be far too soon for both her and her Master to be cast out, or otherwise be destroyed, now...

---

Main Deck, HMS 'Dreadnought'

Arriving onto the main deck of her battleship, Strategist was pleased to note that her crew had not been idle. 'Dreadnought's' main and swivel guns were trained where the unknown contact had been sighted, while the ship's compliment of Marines were, even now, holding at gunpoint-

What on Earth was that thing?!

Strategist materialised, her Webley sidearm out and held at her side as the rat-thing - seemingly made from a mass of chittering rats and mice - 'spoke', relaying its master's message to her:

"Greetings, little girl" Rat face spoke without warning. "forgive my intrusion, but I've been watching you err....*cough* I mean me and my master have been observing you and has taken interest in what you do and would like to personally meet you, all expense paid of course under my master's generosity." The shadowy figure offered.

"We can always use an ally on the sea, allow me to disclose my real name, in signs of good trust, My name is Pied Piper, Caster class," Rat-face said and takes a curtsy.

Strategist frowned at the rat-thing's proposal, while a few of the armsmen twitched, their rifles gripped tighter.

"Servant Strategist, of His Britannic Majesty's Royal Navy." she replied, extending the same courtesy but still keeping her real name and identity secure. Even if the Servant's 'courier' had been able to sight anything of particular note about the Servant or the deck of the beast of iron they stood on, Strategist had no intention of divulging anything of use to this Servant or their Master. Not until any form of trust has been proven.

After all, as the old maxim went: 'Knowledge is power; guard it well'. And in a conflict like the Holy Grail War, where one slip of a clue, or a divulgence of a name, could literally mean the difference between life and death, Strategist had no intention of allowing anyone to take her by surprise or off-guard.

"Stand your weapons down, men!" she gruffly ordered the crewmen, which they (reluctantly) complied with, despite the dirty glaes they gave the 'courier'. Holstering her sidearm, Strategist's yellow eyes bore into Rat Face's absent sockets.

"Tell your master that I would be open to discussions on a ... potential agreement, should my Master agree." she replied, her boot heels clicking as she paced the wooden deck. "But understand that I must impose key conditions on this, for the safety of my crew and my Master. First, that if any meeting is agreed to, that all parties are to arrive disarmed. No weapons, no magic, no tricks. Second, that it would be my Master who will convey the location for any such meeting at a mutually-agreed on time."

She paused, rounding on her heels and gritting her jaw slightly, to make the following point clear, as she concluded, "And last, that if I or my Master so much as smell any hint of perfidy or deception on your part, I will crater the ground you stand on and the surrounding five miles until you and your Master are ashes on the wind."

She arched an eyebrow to Rat Face. "I will, of course, invite further input from my Master on your proposal, but will these conditions be satisfactory? Or do you, Multicoloured Piper of Hamelin, desire to seek aid elsewhere?"

Fate/Factitious Paradigm

Strategist
With Carly-Beth and Mary
HMS 'Dreadnought' - 13nm from Miyama Shoreline

@Paradox Witch

It had taken several minutes for the small launch to be brought in alongside the massive battleship's hull and in the meantime, Strategist had borne witness to both the sight of a 'world' falling to earth, then - just as quickly - a sudden, seemingly out-of-nowhere storm finally extinguish the black and red flames. The Servant let out an audible sigh of relief as she began to climb up the rope ladder that had been thrown down for her, Carly and Mary to ascend; it seemed that, for tonight, the worst was over for this city.

When the Servant's pony-tailed head and uniformed torso popped over the side of the railing-surmounted mid-ship turret deck, the trilling of a pair of boatswain's pipes could be heard as a hundred shoe-shod feet of the ship's officers and crew slammed to attention. Strategist grunted as she hauled herself up onto the deck, saluting the officers' side-party as she stepped to one side to allow the others enough room to ascend the ladder safely.

"Permission to come aboard, Captain Bacon?" Strategist inquired to one of the peaked cap-wearing officers, his shoulders sporting the rank slides of a Captain of the Royal Navy, as Strategist greeted him with a crisp salute.

"Granted, ma'am." CTN Reginald Bacon replied, barely hiding the slight smile he bore as he returned his superior officer's courtesy. "Welcome aboard."

Strategist nodded in thanks, lowering her hand. "My associates here will need billeting, preferably somewhere across from my cabin. See if arrangements can be made."

"Of course, ma'am. Shall I have our ship weigh anchor?"

"Not until we know what we're up against, Captain. The distance between us and the shoreline should be enough for now." Strategist turned to the leading Lieutenant at the side party. "Mr Dawson, please forward my compliments to the remainder of the ship's company and inform the officers that I will be expecting a briefing with them in the officer's mess, within the next two hours." She nodded to the assembly. "Thank you, gentlemen; that will be all. Dismissed."

As the side parties were dismissed and the crew returned to their stations, Strategist leaned against the side railing and put her hands in her trouser pockets, relaxing a little. So far, things were going like clockwork - just how she liked it.

Fate/Factitious Paradigm

Strategist
Landing Pier, Eastern Harbor

@Paradox Witch

Strategist shook her head at her Master's annoyed remark. "I'd merely thought it'd be best if you knew out the gate." she added, deliberately avoiding chipping in an apology despite her remorseful tone. "However, I'll take further care in adjusting such 'exchanges' in future."

"Well! Anyway, that helps a lot, actually. I was going to set up a workshop, but workshop creation isn't really my thing, and lucky us, we're still right by the water! Love it when a plan comes together. So, how about you summon that boat of yours and we hop on it, get a lil' bit of water distance between us and the docks, yeah?"

Strategist leaned a hand on her uniform's beltline as she added, "Well, we'd likely need a landing ground where we can access the mainland, as well as to scavenge for supplies and whatever resources we can obtain that we couldn't get from town -"

'Assuming said town survives by morning!' she sullenly reflected.

"But yes, I believe that discretion will be the better part of valor for tonight." Strategist concluded, her ponytail 'twitching' slightly in the breeze. At that, the Servant began to retrace her steps back across the gang-plank and back onto the deck of the small motor boat they had disembarked from earlier, listening to her Master as the Servant began to prepare the boat for departure. She screwed her face up slightly at the mention of her Master's companion's preference for dried oregano. "I'm sure my quartermaster can provide her with some of the genuine stuff in the place of the oregano; no need to deceive her further."

'Speaking of...' she observed when a ten year-old girl and a horribly-disfigured mask both showed up. Judging from the former's age and her question to her Master, this had to have been Mary, while the latter- What on God's great Earth is that ... thing?!

Snapping out of it, Strategist closed the hatch containing the small boat's primitive coal-fired engine and cleared her throat when Carly urged her to depart. "Yes, I think it's well past time we left. However, we'll need to get out into the open ocean first, and I'd rather not do anything that can be easily observable; too many possible eyes at this time of morning, for all I know."

She beckoned the trio on-board. "So, if we are all done bickering, we'll get going."

---

13 Nautical Miles Later ...

It would be 13 nautical miles of navigating the small steam ship out to sea - thirteen nautical miles of Strategist having to internally hold her proverbial lunch in as her ship pitched about in the Japanese Sea's waves - before she would finally bring her ship to a slower speed.

"This will do nicely." she added to Carly. She lifted up what appeared to be a gas lantern with a shutter on its front to her shoulder height, before she took a hold of the shutter mechanism, aimed it out towards what appeared to be empty water and began to rapidly open and close it. To someone completely unfamiliar with what the Strategist was doing, the actions would have seemed utterly nonsensical.

That is, until a pinprick of light could be observed responding in kind. Out of the darkness, a mountain of steel and iron began to slowly take form in the pre-dawn gloom ...

Fate/Factitious Paradigm

Strategist
Harbor - East Side of Miyama

@Paradox Witch

Strategist nodded quietly at both Carly's initial glee that the pair would get along well ('We'll see soon enough,' the Admiral of the Fleet mulled to herself), then to her Master's request to establish a mental 'uplink'. Clearing her head while the flames on the distant horizon licked higher into the night sky, she stepped up to and stopped a pace before the girl, yellow irises glaring down as the Strategist reached out to Carly and took the Magus' wrist with a gloved hand. Bands of energy briefly 'jumped' between the newly-established 'connection', flooding Carly's mind with a battering of jumbled memories.

"The Royal Navy should be the most powerful in the world, Prime Minister. We depend on it for trade protection, defending our Empire and its Dominions, and enforcing the rule of law. But all we have left are rusting hulks and designs that will quickly go out-of-date if we do not adapt; who will know when our Trafalgur will come for us, if we are unprepared?"

"Mr Fisher, will you kindly stop shaking your fist so close to my face?"

Eventually, a clear series of memory-flashes could finally be made out: a young Midshipman sitting arms-crossed aboard the deck of a small ironclad, sullenly looking towards the 'camera'. A proud Captain, clad in a formal, epauletted jacket and bedecked with a bar of medals, posing before the cameras at rest in his seat, while a journalist eagerly asked the officer questions. A world-weary Admiral of the Fleet staring down at a newspaper, its headline obscure but the front page's image clear enough to make out the body of a finely-dressed, blood-splattered man and woman being dragged out from a bullet-riddled automobile.

Against the background of these premonitions flashed a series of blueprints that - if Carly was able to catch glimpses of them - outlined a series of ship designs; unfamiliar names like "HMS Invincible", "HMS Renown", "HMS Queen Mary", "HMS Orion" and, perhaps most glaring of all to a Master was the name scrawled at the bottom of one particular blueprint: "HMS Dreadnought".

"Tensions between the Empire and Imperial Germany are running high. If we do not increase our production of warships and turnout of qualified crews and officers, the Kaiser will take his chances with the Royal Navy - his ambitions and reign will depend on it. He'll have to widen the canal at Kiel to get his new warships out into the North Sea and to confront us. Make no mistake, my Lords of the Admiralty: war within Europe will come by October of 1914."

The image shifted, 'tearing' at the edges as though a camera's film-roll was disintegrating, before a more frightful series of images flashed through Carly's mind. A steady line of steel warships, gun turrets belching smoke and fire against the backdrop of a smog-covered setting sun. A darkened deck lit by flames and fire, incinerating young seamen in the flash-flame's path as they helplessly tried to scramble through a hatchway. Ships violently detonating in choppy seas and men cast into open oceans, floundering for help that, all too often, never came or came too late to save all of them.

"We have no choice, Winston; it's everything or nothing. If we commit everything, the Empire might survive, thanks to the bulwark of ships and men we will gain. If we commit nothing, we stand to risk losing everything - Empire, allies, resources and men, women and children. Which will it be?"

Abruptly, Strategist yanked her hand back from the Magus, severing the link between them as she gasped for breath. It appeared that the experience had worn at the Servant, but was it due to the strain of the effort that had been needed, or something else?

Fate/Factitious Paradigm

Strategist "Jacky"
Servant to Carley-Beth
Miyama Harbor

@Paradox Witch

Between the bickering mask on one end and the newly-involved, child-like Master on the other, neither of them would have noticed - or cared - about the newest arrival to grace the War's presence until a curt clearing of the throat cut in a pace or two from the now-docked boat.

"Jacky" lowered a gloved, cupped fist to her side, scrutinizing both mask and Master alike. "Well, this is a new record for me." the Strategist finally added with a slight smirk on her pale face, her hand resting on the pommel of her cutlass. "Barely five seconds coming ashore and already I'm seeing a Magus arguing with a mask, a mask being animate to begin with, and the battleground and residence of this new Holy Grail War is already going up in smoke."

The Servant shuffled about on the gangway to face the glowing fire in the distance. "I suspect you'd want to go through the motions of confirming who's who and all the nauseating regurgitation called 'ritual' which practically every other Magus would go through at this point," Her brow furrowed. "But I doubt either you or I would have much time for that. Just tell me what needs to be done, or is intended, and I will do my utmost to carry it out."

Fate/Factitious Paradigm

Since we have a servant influx, who wants me to make a tweedy banker who gets really fussy over property damage and money spendature.

@Reflection

Interesting idea.

Fate/Factitious Paradigm

+URGENT. UNIDENTIFIED SERVANT SIGHTED; POSSIBLY HOSTILE.+

CONTACT

"The 3 Requisites for Success: Ruthlessness, Relentlessness and Remorselessness."
- 'Memories' (John Fisher), 1919

Appearance - HGW

The Holy Grail's recollection of "Jacky" Fisher (left) with a colleague, after the former was presented with the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun with Paulownia Flowers, early 1900's

Appearance - Historical

The historical John Fisher, pictured here while still Captain, 1883

Servant Name: "Jacky"
True Name: Admiral of the Fleet John "Jacky" Arbuthnot Fisher
Title(s): 1st Baron Fisher, First Sea Lord, Royal Navy Aide-de-Camp to Her Imperial and Royal Majesty Victoria, 'Mother of the Modern Royal Navy'.
Class: Strategist
Gender: Female (HGW recreation), Male (historical)

Born: January 25, 1841
Died: July 10, 1920

Alignment: Lawful Neutral (??)

Personality

A career officer with decades of experience, Fisher has often been described by her peers in the Royal Navy as both colourful and abrasive. She bucks the trend as a quasi-meritocrat, often preferring that the most able of her junior officers are promoted, rather then the longest-serving (the 'ruinous Buggin's turn', as she once described the latter.)

She holds a steely gaze and a socialite's grace and charm in conversation, and has a surprising skill in ballroom dancing. Both tend to compensate for her bluntness of speech, occasional tactlessness and for possessing an autocratic streak when pushed ('Anyone who opposes me, I will crush!'). She frequently tends to support her own arguments to the point of both enthusiasm and frequent combativeness, often carrying on a eager or tirade-laced tangent for quite longer then necessary. This famously included a moment when, in giving an explanation to the new monarch, King George V, the King interjected to stop Fisher from shaking her fist inches from his face!

A religious woman, Fisher is a frequent church attender while ashore and would discuss the given sermons with great animation. However, to prevent her faith from colouring the perceptions of her by others and impacting her career, she keeps this aspect of her life discreet.

Above all else, though, Fisher is driven to see her home's navy raised to the summit of power. Having served in the Royal Navy for all her adult life, the Admiral has become devoted to one goal for "her" Navy: to ensure its active readiness for conflict and to ensure it becomes a technically-advanced, well-oiled war machine (to compensate for the difficulty of replacing lost ships and crews). With the steadily-increasing rise of powers like Germany and Japan - both potential threats to the British Empire - Fisher believed that Imperial Germany would be capable of waging war against the British Empire by 1914; in her mind, this would be prompted by Germany widening her Kiel Canal to permit capital ships passage, as well as the outbreak of conflict elsewhere in Europe.

She would be off in her prediction (October, 1914) by barely less then two months.

On a final point of irony, while Fisher had seen service and won fame as a seagoing officer, she was known to have suffered from seasickness throughout her life.

Bio:
A full biography detailing the life of "our" John Fisher: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Fisher,_1st_Baron_Fisher

John Fisher's Memoirs:
Memories (1919)
Records of Lord Fisher

Given her nature and gleaned goals from her records, it is likely that Fisher pursues the Grail either believing it is some form of weapon that can aid her homeland, or that she could use it to stop a looming catastrophe from impacting not just her Empire, but all of mankind. As with all others who seek to divert the course of history after the fact, such a rescue effort can only end in utter tragedy ...

Weapons: Pistol, Officer's Cutlass

Parameters

Strength: E
Endurance: E
Agility: D
Mana: E
Luck: D

Class Skills

Advice of the Strategist - C
This personal Skill represents the accuracy and detail of any advice passed on from a Strategist or military-themed Servant to their Master. The higher the rank, the increased likelihood that said advice will be accurate, timely enough and go "according to plan".

At this rank, unforeseen circumstances can disrupt this skill. In this specific Servants case, its execution is related to battle plans. Basically, it's a form of 'having the correct positioning for that situation' automatically, as long as they have prepared a battle plan in advance. But, the effectiveness of this skill depends on how much information they have and analyzed.

Command of the Strategist - B
Military-themed Servants and the Strategist class gain this Skill, which raises the efficiency and power of soldiers fighting as part of a cohesive battle-force, including the user.

Owing to her rank and record of holding multiple fleet postings, Fisher qualifies for this Skill and would use it to direct her fleet and its weapons in combat. Rather than soldiers or allies, its true focus is toward efficient use of logistics and directing an entire naval fleet and its squadrons. With this ability alone, details like 'range-finding', 'target acquisition', and 'time on target' are trivial. Instead of a myriad of individual craft, the fleet acts as one, like a living organism.

At Rank B, even if it was the entire British Admiralty working in conjunction, Strategist would easily complete her superiors' weeks-long workload for an operation in mere minutes.

Personal Skills

Concept Improvement - D++
The special right and unfair advantage of improving any tool, from any given time or place. A bow becomes stronger, a sword becomes sharper, an axe becomes heavier. For Fisher, it is focused toward watercraft and their various designs, components and armaments.

As long as it's within that purview with this skill alone, the Admiral is capable of 'producing' objects that enter the level of low-grade Noble Phantasms. However, anything else will get a mediocre improvement at the very best by the standards of Servants. Because of anecdotes and temperament, 'efficiency' is prioritized. Essentially, if it's Fisher who's the creator, even a paper origami boat could demonstrate destructive power far beyond human ability.

Voyager of the Storm - C
A proven officer at the junior to flag levels, Fisher is capable of handling any water craft and to ensure effective command and control over any crew assigned to it. Practically, this confers on her a C-Rank effect similar to a combination of Military Tactics and Charisma, though this will only work while onboard a combatant water-craft. However it is possible for them to use this in conjunction with the 'fleet' itself.

Innovation - A
Special Skill granted to heroes who brought about revolutions in their eras.

A naval innovator who single-handedly transformed the Royal Navy into the modern power it is at the turn of the 20th Century, Fisher's true skill as an innovator came from analyzing trends, global battles and upcoming technologies, and - after trial after trial - employing what worked to full effect. It is little hyperbole to say that she is the 'mother' of modern naval combat; high-tension steel ships, oil-fueled steam powerplants, universal large-caliber main armaments, torpedoes and even - under her later tenure - aircraft carriers have their 'origin' within this Servant.

As a result, she is the second-most important naval commander in British history, the ultimate naval power of the world and second only to a certain Lord Nelson. Such fame was not achieved by pure skill, but instead by 'Innovation' and bringing together technology, tactics, and data to construct a World where Britain is the greatest naval power to exist. She succeeded beyond even her own expectations.

Unlike a certain other Servant's case, this Skill is not focused toward destruction. Rather than subjecting the old with the new, it merely replaces it. Fisher started a naval revolution, so this Skill is only relevant to related developments (eg: from pre-dreadnoughts to dreadnoughts, etc.). It preserves and amplifies 'Mystery' through a system of recycling old, mundane objects for newer versions that are more effective. Even at Rank A, it could be considered 'low grade', but its effect cannot be understated. It normally should have very low compatibility with objects or artifacts that 'already possess Mystery', such as Excalibur or the unique Argo.

As an aside, since it is focused around recycling, it is possible for Fisher to preserve and recycle Mystery in a notable object, even if it was previously considered 'destroyed'.

Single-Mindedness - C
The ability to immerse oneself in something, exhibiting a superhuman degree of focus.

With considerable administrative experience as both a flag officer and, later, as a Sea Lord of the Admiralty, Fisher doubles down on her work and concentrates her attention on resolving particular problems or tasks. As a result, she is able to provide more effective management in areas such as battle maneuvers, time-tabling required activities 'To Be Completed Urgently' and logistical planning. On the other hand, this will lead to a slight drop in personal charisma, as Fisher tends to become agitated when her attention is unnecessarily distracted.

Noble Phantasm 1

"Sound your war-horn, my iron Victory,
And bring forth triumph against all who deign to destroy our Empire!"

Name: H.M.S. Dreadnought
Title: Steel Herald of Forthcoming Global Annihilation
Rank: E
NP Type: Anti-Army
Range: 40 - 99
Maximum Number of Targets: 810

Description:
Admiral Fisher's crowning achievement and a culmination of four decades of naval experience and innovation. Taking to heart the lessons learned from the 1905 Battles of the Yellow Sea and Tsushima, and built in 14 months, H.M.S. 'Dreadnought' bristles with ten 12" main guns in five turrets, 27 76mm 'swivel' guns and five submerged 45cm torpedo tubes. Coupled with its revolutionary oil-fired steam turbine (putting out 21 nautical knots of speed) and redesigned hull, the vessel's rapid commissioning rewrote the book on capital ship design, armaments and - as a result - tactics; all ships after her would be designated as 'dreadnoughts': the first modern battleships.

Tragically, the very ship commissioned to safeguard the British Isles would instead become a portent for both the looming Anglo-German "Dreadnought Race" and the outbreak of World War I, eight years after she slid from the slipway.

Practically a 'mobile fortress' with its own launches, armaments, armour and so forth, 'Dreadnought' is - when push comes to shove - a powerful sea combatant capable of blasting contemporary craft up to Pre-Dreadnought classes out of the water or flattening city blocks with a volley of ten 12" high explosive shells - each strike the equivalent of the highest 'normal' Strength Attribute on record. Her speed can also allow her to out-maneuver more sluggish ships, especially those reliant on particular conditions or propulsion.

The most important values of 'Dreadnought', however, are two-fold:

• It provides a safe haven for Fisher and her Master away from the mainland. Within the dim coolness of her ship's interior, she can work, read and rest relatively peacefully and safely, considering a war rages beyond the armoured hull.
• As her flagship and ultimate Noble Phantasm, 'Dreadnought' is Strategist's Command, Control and Communication hub. It amplifies Fisher's Skills while aboard, allowing her to more effectively command and control both her ship and any she'd subsequently-created while in battle or on maneuvers. Fundamentally, 'Dreadnought' is the heart of Fisher's new navy, an object from where she 'directs her fleet'.

But as a massive physical construct confined to the waterways and oceans, 'Dreadnought' cannot proceed overland if any engagement occurs there. Additionally, while a formidable obstacle to present against an attack, 'Dreadnought' is still capable of being attacked from directly above (where her guns can't train themselves to fire), or - though near-suicidal to do so - boarded by an enemy Servant to confront Fisher and her Master alike.

Name: Coordinated Bombardment
Title: Royal Navy Grand Fleet Battle Order 23
Rank: B
NP Type: Anti-Fortress
Range: 5 - 99
Maximum Number of Targets: 800
Description: Relaying instructions to both 'Dreadnought' and any allied vessels in her fleet, Fisher unleashes the full firepower of a Royal Navy battle squadron. Any singular target selected for destruction will be immediately subjected to a bombardment of shellfire, equivalent to an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm attack. This rank is damage-based, rather than Mystery; it does not account for additions to the fleet after her summoning.

Fundamentally, this Noble Phantasm does not need to have its true name invoked to be used. Further, it is fully possible to 'prepare in advance' with a simple designation of a specified target.

Noble Phantasm 2

"We Want Eight and We Won't Wait!"
- common slogan during the Anglo-German Arms Race, 1907-1912

Name: Arms Race
Title: The Race of Shipwrights To Global Power
Rank: E
NP Type: Anti-Unit
Range: -
Maximum Number of Targets: -
Description:
When two imperial powers - the global British Empire and the newly-formed Imperial Germany - run into one another, tensions are likely to explode.

Imperial Germany aimed to become the newest global power, and to do that, the only way to ensure complete hegemony was to topple the dominant naval power: Britain. Between Admiral von Tirpitz's recommendations to rebuild the German Fleet and Kaiser Wilhelm II's ambitions, the Royal Navy's rearmament programs were developed in response to the new threats posed by Germany and its bellicose, grossly-underprepared Kaiser. Soon, the cry went up, despite its trajectory's near-termination in 1912, which would be a factor to propel the two powers towards war: "We Want Eight and We Won't Wait!"

While not an active Noble Phantasm used as an attack on the battlefield, this N.P. is still a vital cornerstone for Fisher. Allowing her a degree of clairvoyance based on observable actions of her opposition, known functional knowledge of the Holy Grail War's mechanisms and any research on her opposition brought up by both her and her Master, Fisher is able to draft up a battle plan or suitable response and to implement it. Any modifiers from other Skills will be able to impact aspects of said response, whether it'd be in terms of the plan's timeline or the tools at Fisher's disposal to see it through.

Put simply, it is a Noble Phantasm useful at the tactical and strategic level; there is nothing that Strategist cannot analyze and prepare a suitable response for.

Fate/Factitious Paradigm

Strategist

"The 3 Requisites for Success: Ruthlessness, Relentlessness and Remorselessness."
- 'Memories' (John Fisher), 1919

Appearance - HGW

The Holy Grail's recollection of "Jacky" Fisher (left) with a colleague, after the former was presented with the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun with Paulownia Flowers, early 1900's

Appearance - Historical

The historical John Fisher, pictured here while still Captain, 1883

Servant Name: "Jacky"
True Name: Admiral of the Fleet John "Jacky" Arbuthnot Fisher
Title(s): 1st Baron Fisher, First Sea Lord, Royal Navy Aide-de-Camp to Her Imperial and Royal Majesty Victoria, 'Mother of the Modern Royal Navy'.
Class: Strategist
Gender: Female (HGW recreation), Male (historical)

Born: January 25, 1841
Died: July 10, 1920

Alignment: Lawful Neutral (??)

Personality

A career officer with decades of experience, Fisher has often been described by her peers in the Royal Navy as both colourful and abrasive. She bucks the trend as a quasi-meritocrat, often preferring that the most able of her junior officers are promoted, rather then the longest-serving (the 'ruinous Buggin's turn', as she once described the latter.)

She holds a steely gaze and a socialite's grace and charm in conversation, and has a surprising skill in ballroom dancing. Both tend to compensate for her bluntness of speech, occasional tactlessness and for possessing an autocratic streak when pushed ('Anyone who opposes me, I will crush!'). She frequently tends to support her own arguments to the point of both enthusiasm and frequent combativeness, often carrying on a eager or tirade-laced tangent for quite longer then necessary. This famously included a moment when, in giving an explanation to the new monarch, King George V, the King interjected to stop Fisher from shaking her fist inches from his face!

A religious woman, Fisher is a frequent church attender while ashore and would discuss the given sermons with great animation. However, to prevent her faith from colouring the perceptions of her by others and impacting her career, she keeps this aspect of her life discreet.

Above all else, though, Fisher is driven to see her home's navy raised to the summit of power. Having served in the Royal Navy for all her adult life, the Admiral has become devoted to one goal for "her" Navy: to ensure its active readiness for conflict and to ensure it becomes a technically-advanced, well-oiled war machine (to compensate for the difficulty of replacing lost ships and crews). With the steadily-increasing rise of powers like Germany and Japan - both potential threats to the British Empire - Fisher believed that Imperial Germany would be capable of waging war against the British Empire by 1914; in her mind, this would be prompted by Germany widening her Kiel Canal to permit capital ships passage, as well as the outbreak of conflict elsewhere in Europe.

She would be off in her prediction (October, 1914) by barely less then two months.

On a final point of irony, while Fisher had seen service and won fame as a seagoing officer, she was known to have suffered from seasickness throughout her life.

Bio:
A full biography detailing the life of "our" John Fisher: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Fisher,_1st_Baron_Fisher

John Fisher's Memoirs:
Memories (1919)
Records of Lord Fisher

Given her nature and gleaned goals from her records, it is likely that Fisher pursues the Grail either believing it is some form of weapon that can aid her homeland, or that she could use it to stop a looming catastrophe from impacting not just her Empire, but all of mankind. As with all others who seek to divert the course of history after the fact, such a rescue effort can only end in utter tragedy ...

Weapons: Pistol, Officer's Cutlass

Parameters

Strength: E
Endurance: E
Agility: D
Mana: E
Luck: D

Class Skills

Advice of the Strategist - C
This personal Skill represents the accuracy and detail of any advice passed on from a Strategist or military-themed Servant to their Master. The higher the rank, the increased likelihood that said advice will be accurate, timely enough and go "according to plan".

At this rank, unforeseen circumstances can disrupt this skill. In this specific Servants case, its execution is related to battle plans. Basically, it's a form of 'having the correct positioning for that situation' automatically, as long as they have prepared a battle plan in advance. But, the effectiveness of this skill depends on how much information they have and analyzed.

Command of the Strategist - B
Military-themed Servants and the Strategist class gain this Skill, which raises the efficiency and power of soldiers fighting as part of a cohesive battle-force, including the user.

Owing to her rank and record of holding multiple fleet postings, Fisher qualifies for this Skill and would use it to direct her fleet and its weapons in combat. Rather than soldiers or allies, its true focus is toward efficient use of logistics and directing an entire naval fleet and its squadrons. With this ability alone, details like 'range-finding', 'target acquisition', and 'time on target' are trivial. Instead of a myriad of individual craft, the fleet acts as one, like a living organism.

At Rank B, even if it was the entire British Admiralty working in conjunction, Strategist would easily complete her superiors' weeks-long workload for an operation in mere minutes.

Personal Skills

Concept Improvement - D++
The special right and unfair advantage of improving any tool, from any given time or place. A bow becomes stronger, a sword becomes sharper, an axe becomes heavier. For Fisher, it is focused toward watercraft and their various designs, components and armaments.

As long as it's within that purview with this skill alone, the Admiral is capable of 'producing' objects that enter the level of low-grade Noble Phantasms. However, anything else will get a mediocre improvement at the very best by the standards of Servants. Because of anecdotes and temperament, 'efficiency' is prioritized. Essentially, if it's Fisher who's the creator, even a paper origami boat could demonstrate destructive power far beyond human ability.

Voyager of the Storm - C
A proven officer at the junior to flag levels, Fisher is capable of handling any water craft and to ensure effective command and control over any crew assigned to it. Practically, this confers on her a C-Rank effect similar to a combination of Military Tactics and Charisma, though this will only work while onboard a combatant water-craft. However it is possible for them to use this in conjunction with the 'fleet' itself.

Innovation - A
Special Skill granted to heroes who brought about revolutions in their eras.

A naval innovator who single-handedly transformed the Royal Navy into the modern power it is at the turn of the 20th Century, Fisher's true skill as an innovator came from analyzing trends, global battles and upcoming technologies, and - after trial after trial - employing what worked to full effect. It is little hyperbole to say that she is the 'mother' of modern naval combat; high-tension steel ships, oil-fueled steam powerplants, universal large-caliber main armaments, torpedoes and even - under her later tenure - aircraft carriers have their 'origin' within this Servant.

As a result, she is the second-most important naval commander in British history, the ultimate naval power of the world and second only to a certain Lord Nelson. Such fame was not achieved by pure skill, but instead by 'Innovation' and bringing together technology, tactics, and data to construct a World where Britain is the greatest naval power to exist. She succeeded beyond even her own expectations.

Unlike a certain other Servant's case, this Skill is not focused toward destruction. Rather than subjecting the old with the new, it merely replaces it. Fisher started a naval revolution, so this Skill is only relevant to related developments (eg: from pre-dreadnoughts to dreadnoughts, etc.). It preserves and amplifies 'Mystery' through a system of recycling old, mundane objects for newer versions that are more effective. Even at Rank A, it could be considered 'low grade', but its effect cannot be understated. It normally should have very low compatibility with objects or artifacts that 'already possess Mystery', such as Excalibur or the unique Argo.

As an aside, since it is focused around recycling, it is possible for Fisher to preserve and recycle Mystery in a notable object, even if it was previously considered 'destroyed'.

Single-Mindedness - C
The ability to immerse oneself in something, exhibiting a superhuman degree of focus.

With considerable administrative experience as both a flag officer and, later, as a Sea Lord of the Admiralty, Fisher doubles down on her work and concentrates her attention on resolving particular problems or tasks. As a result, she is able to provide more effective management in areas such as battle maneuvers, time-tabling required activities 'To Be Completed Urgently' and logistical planning. On the other hand, this will lead to a slight drop in personal charisma, as Fisher tends to become agitated when her attention is unnecessarily distracted.

Noble Phantasm 1

"Sound your war-horn, my iron Victory,
And bring forth triumph against all who deign to destroy our Empire!"

Name: H.M.S. Dreadnought
Title: Steel Herald of Forthcoming Global Annihilation
Rank: E
NP Type: Anti-Army
Range: 40 - 99
Maximum Number of Targets: 810

Description:
Admiral Fisher's crowning achievement and a culmination of four decades of naval experience and innovation. Taking to heart the lessons learned from the 1905 Battles of the Yellow Sea and Tsushima, and built in 14 months, H.M.S. 'Dreadnought' bristles with ten 12" main guns in five turrets, 27 76mm 'swivel' guns and five submerged 45cm torpedo tubes. Coupled with its revolutionary oil-fired steam turbine (putting out 21 nautical knots of speed) and redesigned hull, the vessel's rapid commissioning rewrote the book on capital ship design, armaments and - as a result - tactics; all ships after her would be designated as 'dreadnoughts': the first modern battleships.

Tragically, the very ship commissioned to safeguard the British Isles would instead become a portent for both the looming Anglo-German "Dreadnought Race" and the outbreak of World War I, eight years after she slid from the slipway.

Practically a 'mobile fortress' with its own launches, armaments, armour and so forth, 'Dreadnought' is - when push comes to shove - a powerful sea combatant capable of blasting contemporary craft up to Pre-Dreadnought classes out of the water or flattening city blocks with a volley of ten 12" high explosive shells - each strike the equivalent of the highest 'normal' Strength Attribute on record. Her speed can also allow her to out-maneuver more sluggish ships, especially those reliant on particular conditions or propulsion.

The most important values of 'Dreadnought', however, are two-fold:

• It provides a safe haven for Fisher and her Master away from the mainland. Within the dim coolness of her ship's interior, she can work, read and rest relatively peacefully and safely, considering a war rages beyond the armoured hull.
• As her flagship and ultimate Noble Phantasm, 'Dreadnought' is Strategist's Command, Control and Communication hub. It amplifies Fisher's Skills while aboard, allowing her to more effectively command and control both her ship and any she'd subsequently-created while in battle or on maneuvers. Fundamentally, 'Dreadnought' is the heart of Fisher's new navy, an object from where she 'directs her fleet'.

But as a massive physical construct confined to the waterways and oceans, 'Dreadnought' cannot proceed overland if any engagement occurs there. Additionally, while a formidable obstacle to present against an attack, 'Dreadnought' is still capable of being attacked from directly above (where her guns can't train themselves to fire), or - though near-suicidal to do so - boarded by an enemy Servant to confront Fisher and her Master alike.

Name: Coordinated Bombardment
Title: Royal Navy Grand Fleet Battle Order 23
Rank: B
NP Type: Anti-Fortress
Range: 5 - 99
Maximum Number of Targets: 800
Description: Relaying instructions to both 'Dreadnought' and any allied vessels in her fleet, Fisher unleashes the full firepower of a Royal Navy battle squadron. Any singular target selected for destruction will be immediately subjected to a bombardment of shellfire, equivalent to an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm attack. This rank is damage-based, rather than Mystery; it does not account for additions to the fleet after her summoning.

Fundamentally, this Noble Phantasm does not need to have its true name invoked to be used. Further, it is fully possible to 'prepare in advance' with a simple designation of a specified target.

Noble Phantasm 2

"We Want Eight and We Won't Wait!"
- common slogan during the Anglo-German Arms Race, 1907-1912

Name: Arms Race
Title: The Race of Shipwrights To Global Power
Rank: E
NP Type: Anti-Unit
Range: -
Maximum Number of Targets: -
Description:
When two imperial powers - the global British Empire and the newly-formed Imperial Germany - run into one another, tensions are likely to explode.

Imperial Germany aimed to become the newest global power, and to do that, the only way to ensure complete hegemony was to topple the dominant naval power: Britain. Between Admiral von Tirpitz's recommendations to rebuild the German Fleet and Kaiser Wilhelm II's ambitions, the Royal Navy's rearmament programs were developed in response to the new threats posed by Germany and its bellicose, grossly-underprepared Kaiser. Soon, the cry went up, despite its trajectory's near-termination in 1912, which would be a factor to propel the two powers towards war: "We Want Eight and We Won't Wait!"

While not an active Noble Phantasm used as an attack on the battlefield, this N.P. is still a vital cornerstone for Fisher. Allowing her a degree of clairvoyance based on observable actions of her opposition, known functional knowledge of the Holy Grail War's mechanisms and any research on her opposition brought up by both her and her Master, Fisher is able to draft up a battle plan or suitable response and to implement it. Any modifiers from other Skills will be able to impact aspects of said response, whether it'd be in terms of the plan's timeline or the tools at Fisher's disposal to see it through.

Put simply, it is a Noble Phantasm useful at the tactical and strategic level; there is nothing that Strategist cannot analyze and prepare a suitable response for.

"The Gol'Kut Crusade!" - A Large Scale RP of the 42nd Millenium (WH40K) (CLOSED)

Looks interesting. Noticed you're lacking some orbital assets, so I have a Navy battlegroup in the works (with your approval or denial, of course), as well as the man/woman in command of the whole lot.

Roma Invicta

A Wild Goose Chase

"Hmm, it was," Titus replied to Agripena, removing his helmet to smooth his shock of hair. "Mind, I heard that the centurion had been fairly notorious in the Legion's for his overly stern discipline. Some legionaries even nicknamed him 'Bring-Me-Another' due to his habit of-"

A shout suddenly arose from one of the crewmen, causing a flurry of activity to begin on deck. Collecting his gear, Titus strode forward until he was near the prow; he shaded his eyes and peered on the sight that loomed before the ships: the coastline of Britannia.

"Thanks be to Neptune; we made it." he thanked said god of the sea, relieved that their crossing hadn't met undue disaster. Turning to Ari, he muttered an apology. "My apologies, priestess, but I can't speak any further for now - I must report to my Centurion and ready my contubernium for landing. Perhaps once we are ashore and on the march, we could speak later?"

He started towards the steps towards the lower deck when a thought struck him - he hadn't asked or given his name. Turning back to her, he quickly added, "Oh, you may call me Titus; Titus Licinius Nerva Flavianus, if you prefer the full name."