HELLO! I am making this announcement to anybody who is interested. At the moment, due to a series of drop outs, we have one free spot open. I have contacted each of the people on the Waiting list, but I have received no replies after roughly four days.
If anybody is interested in claiming that one open spot, let me know.
@Yankee- Crazy Horse, near the edge of the city district.
IMPACT! The spear of the Lakota warrior hit home. Penetrating the assassin's heart and sending a spray of blood out his back as it blew a hole right in the center. A killing blow. So why... WHY DID ASSASSIN NOT FLINCH!? Instead, the assassin swung its knife, slicing directly at the warrior's head. Around him, a few more knives flew, but nothing would hit him, and it became clear even to the most daft of assassins that he could not be injured by arrows. Perhaps running in for offense might not have been the brightest move, as the assassins moved around him. Blocking off exits as they swarmed down upon him. His spear stuck in the torso of the assassin he had impaled, as two others had grabbed it when it went clean through the first.
Surrounding him, all began to wave their knives around, almost haphazardly. Crazy Horse even noticed that in their wild swinging, one or two would slice at an ally, though they never seemed to notice. It was almost as if their bodies were puppets. Controlled rather than directly in control of themselves. Each attacking. Hacking, slicing, unwilling to let him escape without first trying to drive a knife into his chest or some other exposed part of his body.
But then... Crazy Horse would see that the mask on the one he had attacked had slipped off. But as that porcelain mask fell to the ground, what Rider saw curdled the blood in his heart. What the f-
_________________________________________________________________________ @Letter Bee@SSW@Cu Chulainn- In the Middle of the City District
Clever Assassin. The smokescreen, combined with Don Juan's defense did exactly what they had planned for it to do. Spiriting their Master away from an assassin's blades, and vanishing him almost entirely from their eyes. To say it worked exactly as planned is simply to state the obvious, leaving the remaining assembly of masked Assassins to turn their eyes upon Don Juan.
The assassin he targeted with his blade was impaled as he planned. Though it wasn't nearly as dead as he might have expected, with the assassin swinging his knife, missing by what must have been an inch as the talented Saber pulled his sword away. Despite the wound, the assassin hardly seemed to mind it, instead leaping back, knife hurled right at his chest. Not that it wasn't anything Don Juan couldn't handle. It became increasingly clear that despite their strength in numbers, each individual assassin was far slower and weaker than he was. Not that it did him much good when they didn't seem to care at all when a blade pierced their chest.
In fact, it became remarkably clear that none of them seemed to really care for their individual safeties, as Don's display of skill found itself completely unappreciated. In fact, so unappreciated that the assassin still attempted to attack him when he pulled of his daring display. At best he was holding her in place, at worst he was also frozen in place as knives sailed at him from all sides. The assassins uncaring cruelty to each of their possible immortal brethren.
Until... BANG!
A bullet whizzed into view, and struck the assassin Don had been 'flirting' with a moment earlier. The body jerking as an inhuman shriek echoed through the air. All other assassin's paused, echoing this shriek of disgust as their member fell to the ground. The female assassin writhing and wailing as her skull was nearly destroyed by an enchanted bullet. The mask she wore fell from her face as Don finally came to realize why exactly his target seemed impervious to his charms.
@Yankee - Crazy Horse, near the edge of the city district.
It was clear the longer that Crazy Horse looked at the jet that it wasn't following any kind of standard protocol. First, it was flying far to low over the city, nearly striking the side of a building as it flew in close. Only to turn hard. No longer flying towards Crazy Horse or the city, as if it had suddenly changed its mind. Instead, it had begun to fly down closer to the riverbed. He didn't have long to ponder why that was though.
Because a moment later while watching there was a chill. A chilling presence, that echoed only one reality. Death. Death had come for him. In the form of a knife, thrown at his back with only a moment to evade it. If he dodged it, which he likely would, he would notice he had become surrounded. On all sides, on the tops of building, from the windows of blown out stores, and hanging from remnants of some kind of power cable where men and women in black. It wasn't hard to tell who they were. This was Hassan of a hundred faces. The famous man of the mountain with the ability to project himself a hundred times over. And yet...
Why was he only counting twenty? _________________________________________________________________________ @Letter Bee@SSW@Cu Chulainn - In the Middle of the City District
The one who might notice something was off first was none other than Autolycus. An assassin was best suited to eek out the methods of assassins after all. But even then, the difference in talent from a master thief to an assassin who could clear out a camp in utter silence was still quite large. He was also the closest when the knives went flying. Ten knives from ten different directions. All at once. All aimed at the most vulnerable in the group. Daniel. Angling in from above, the presence of the Hassan assassins became clear. Nearly fifty had gathered around them. Skipping in and out of sight, before vanishing behind some kind of structure. Nearly impossible to keep track of, as another knife would go flying.
It was a fairly obvious tactic as far as the assassin could be concerned. Darting in and out. In and out. If Don Juan or Autolycus looked at one, then another from behind would throw a knife, either at them or at Daniel. Only giving them the briefest window to defend their master.
And worst, they had nothing to say as they scampered around. The flames and warped geometry of the destroyed city was practically their playground, and neither had a lay of the land. _________________________________________________________________________ @Heavy Snark@Scallop@Duoya - In the Riverbed
The jet that Crazy Horse had seen earlier in the distance was in fast approach. The bridges had all been destroyed, leaving their warped skeletons behind. Their frames twisted beyond repair. But without the bridges, it only made it easier for the jet to fly as close to the ground as possible. Skimming the sides of the riverbed as it flew at incredible speeds down the riverbed. One might even compare it to the trench run from something like Star Wars.
It became audible before it became visible. Suddenly flying from around a corner, nearly a mile up river from where Charlotte and her servants stood discussing and planning. They could only just register the threat before it opened fire. Bullets whizzing through the air and tearing up the earth all around them. The twisted remains of a nearby bridge offered a small degree of protection, that was before the bullets of the jet tore right through it like paper.
Was the jet some kind of servant's noble phantasm!? Either way, bullets whizzed about, and the pilot's aim was only getting better the longer they were sitting ducks.
This was perhaps the first time Charlotte had ever entered Chaldea's most important room. It certainly wasn't for Daniel, who likely would have visited the room on multiple occasions before he was even considered for a Master applicant. After all, as long as he had behaved there was no reason to keep him out of the room. Still, the room was nothing more than the epicenter of Chaldea's greatest accomplishments. A revolution of work, all centered around a singular centerpiece.
The doors opened to this room, where several men and women in coats shuffled about. All whispering amongst themselves in a hurry, and none even bothering to look at the two masters and their chosen servants. They were all to busy. In fact, it seemed Raphael was quite busy himself, as several automatons could be seen around the area. One per-group, taking notes or even peeking over the monitors to adjust whatever parameters might need to be adjusted. So many folks at work that when the actual Raphael approached one might have been forgiven for not noticing that he was talking to them and not another scientist.
"Well well, I see you're both here on time!" Raphael said, with a broad smile from ear to ear. "I was starting to worry you might be a minute or two late, and then we'd have to adjust the schedule, but here you are! So no adjustments need to be made." Several people within earshot sighed blissfully at that. He didn't even wait for a response for hustling them along. "Now, I know you must have so much to say, or a rehearsed speech, but I insist we move along at a brisk pace, and leave all questions for when you're on sight. If we waited for all questions to pass, then we might end up having to delay until after the storm passes, and we're all too impatient for that!"
He laughed, but it was clear everybody was on edge. Some looming timeline it seemed. This was answered rather snappily by Raphael. "Naturally, I'd say to wait for the storm to pass, but the director was very clear that she wanted you out onto the field, and back before the storm hits. No idea why, but when the director decides, you listen."
Before Charlotte and Daniel lay the most important part of the system though.
The coffins. Based on the principal of Schrodinger's cat, they would be both alive, dead, and for all purposes... Non-existent. Thus, their conscious minds and existences could be projected anywhere else. The past, the future, or even Hawaii. Though a single rayshift was far more expensive than a hundred round flights.
"I see you both put on your uniforms already, so when you're ready we'll seal you in. Your servants have their own pods as well." Raphael said, leaving both masters to get into their coffins. He had scheduled in a few minutes for them to get comfy, and get used to the idea that they were in a suspended existence. They could hear nothing outside those pods as they closed around them. Probably for the better.
------------------------------------------------------------ Outside the Coffins
"Alright, we're ahead of schedule!" Raphael laughed as he took a seat by the controls. Several others sat around him, monitoring the master's vitals. "All clear!" "Heart rates are fine." "Existences stabilized." "Are we sure Daniel's mom is fine with this? W-" "Look, she'd be here if she wasn't held up. Trust me, she'd want us to do this with or without her." "Sir Raphael, can you look at these numbers for me? I think the s-" "Servant Vitals are coming in clear too." "Destination is set!" "Very well, we shall begin!" "Sir Raphael, can you please look at this report! The storm is a-"
Chaldeas had already begun. The spinning rings. The sounds that filled the air like a blowing wind. Magical energy flooded the room as the process jump started and heart rates soared amongst the watching scientists.
Until Raphael looked at the report. The storm had accelerated. Everything... Went white.
------------------------------------------------------------ Team A - Daniel @Letter Bee
FIRE.
Flames raged all around him the world snapped into clarity. Surrounding him were buildings, and each had one thing in common. Each was a blaze, and not a single soul could be seen or heard amongst the raging fires. A world of chaos as a nearby building belched fire, and a chair came flying right out. The flaming chair landing right in front of Daniel, and exploding into bits and pieces of metal and plastic. A nearby billboard that had somehow managed to hang on during the start of everything collapsed finally, and fell onto the burning remains of a nearby car. The pitched screaming of the car alarm filling the air, before it died out a minute later when the heat caused the inside to melt into slag.
One could say with certainty, that he was in hell.
------------------------------------------------------------ Team B - Charlotte @Duoya
It was peaceful... Quiet... And dead. Nothing stirred around her as she woke up. Instead, she was greeted by something else. The feeling of dry clay under her body as she would find herself surrounded by high walls of dirt and clay. Stone and steel. She was laying at the bottom of a riverbed, but where the river had gone was unknown. Instead, it had all dried up, recently she could guess. Perhaps a day or two ago considering there was no fish. Rather, the odd set of bones could be seen amongst the stones.
THE MAGNIFICENT GENIUS OF THE ERA STEPS INTO THE ROOM! ___________________________________________________________________________________________/// @Letter Bee@Duoya@Heavy Snark@Scallop
Raphael turned to the chefs, all of whom it turned out... Were him. All in different outfits. The head chef. The waiter. The su chef. All rolls were occupied by what was a perfect replica of Raphael himself. Except for the bustboy... He'd never stoop that low, and it was some sort of automated process. It probably wasn't a surprise, considering they'd been there for a few weeks already, and Daniel a few years. Still, the animatronics Raphael had invented to aid as his assistants through-out Chaldea and fulfill more mundane roles... Was impressive. Perhaps King Mu would have some opinions to give on their construction.
"Well dear Lancer, I must remind you that I am not Michelangelo. Though, I understand the confusion." Raphael corrected, still unaware the mistake was intentional. "Michelangelo was a major inspiration when I was in Rome. Why, his work at the Sistine chapel was a major inspiration, despite our rivalry. I actually scrapped a work I had been growing dissatisfied and used his works as inspiration and guidance. As such, you can look at my own masterwork, "Disputa" and see some of the influence in posture that I took from Michelangelo's. OH, but I digress! That stuffy old man isn't here to talk about himself, so why should I build him up before his own appearance?"
With a sigh, he gathered up plates for each person in the room, balancing them easily in each hand, and then unfurling some mechanical limbs from his back that carried the one that he could not hold in his hands. A showcase of his intellect.
Placing down each plate, he began to eat alongside Charlotte, though food for servants isn't really needed. It was still enjoyable to eat eggs and toast.
"Oh, but it seems part of your search has already arrived." Raphael said, gesturing to the suddenly appearing King Mu. He had to admit, the fact that the king also possessed an animatronic had been of great interest to him. If they had more time, he might have even requested to study it and see if he could gleam any inspiration from it. "Oh Mu, I am here merely because I wish to speak plainly with everybody here. As your mission control, I can't have any of you not knowing or trusting my words. A strong relationship is paramount to my work."
Though, with that said, he turned to the master candidate. "Miss Charlotte, I will not be able to assist you in finding Miss... Medb, simply because her entire existence offends me in much the way Daniel's Saber candidate does." Raphael said, with a slight pursing to his lips. He wasn't subtle about it, but even then the sexual behaviors of other servants was... Not something he showed much care for. He just couldn't stand it. Such meaningless distractions! Tsk!
"But, I do recommend that you all join me a bit earlier. We're actually bumping the schedule up a bit. Since we've received word there is a storm incoming, and we'd rather get your test over and done with well before it hits. Just in case it causes some kind of interference with the machines." With that, he patted himself down, handed his plate off to Yasuke to take care of, and left the room.
______________________________ Please start making your ways to the Rayshifting chamber.
THE MAGNIFICENT GENIUS OF THE ERA STEPS INTO THE ROOM! ___________________________________________________________________________________________/// @Letter Bee@Duoya@Heavy Snark
"You know Daniel, a Magus Killer may at first sound like an ideal path for a young man, but for a child to be touting so highly about it while still confined in the balanced space of Chaldea makes one imagine it's less about the structure or profession and more about a singular aspect of genocide." That voice, dripping with smugness could belong to no other than Raphael. Before today, Chaldea had summoned only a few other servants. This one in particular operated nearly every aspect of the facility, so he knew everything going on inside. "In layman's terms, a magus killer seeks to only kill those that might disrupt the tentative balance the world has found itself in. Bragging so openly about it as a career profession makes it seem like you're less interested in that balance, and more about the killing."
Raphael brushed the cuff of his bright red suit, and turned his attention to Charlotte. "Am I to believe you haven't eaten yet? That simply won't do! I shall accompany you to the mess hall. Daniel, I notice that none of your servants are here, while Miss Charlotte has already gathered one of hers. If you don't have Don Juan and Autocylus with you when we set off, I'll be having to lock them in the closet where they can drive each other insane."
With his hand, he pressed on Charlotte's back. Escorting her to the mess hall. Leaning in, he whispered to her. "I understand Daniel can be difficult to work with. If you wish to request a different partner for your first mission, I can look at the applications again and pull in somebody else."
They turned down a hall, and right there was the mess hall. People who were only half-awake were gathered. Some having just gotten up from their short naps, or others hoping to get some food before they go to bed. Raphael stepped forth first, glancing at the menu. It was quite extensive. A few of the chefs had been trained by Raphael himself, so to that extent they had become five star chefs. "I'll have scrambled eggs and bacon. What do you want, dear? Oh and Lancer, what do you want too... I guess."
_________________________________________________________________________________________ Name: Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (Raphael) Title: Most Famous and Most Loved Class: Caster Gender: Male Birth and Death Dates: Italian Renaissance Alignment: Chaotic Good _________________________________________________________________________________________ Personality: A genius of his era. Compared to even Leonardo Da Vinci, he was a roaring fire that burned brighter than even the omnipotent genius. But a roaring fire burns faster, and he died young as a result. Burning through his life, and passion with an explosive force. Loved, talented, he became a bit of a narcissist. And yet that is just the outer layer of a man who must reconfirm his genius. When the mood hardens, so does he. But, for a genius there are things that draw his ire. In particular things like laziness, cowardice, or in the worst... Cruelty to one's fellow men. As a genius, it is one's purpose to help mankind, not stifle or subtract from it. As such, Raphael considers the importance of his actions as one to benefit mankind. Striking out against evil. While he won't seek out evil to slay, he will destroy it if it would cross his path.
Bio: Raphael was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur. Together with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, he forms the traditional trinity of great masters of that period. Raphael was enormously productive, running an unusually large workshop and, despite his death at 37, leaving a large body of work. Many of his works are found in the Vatican Palace, where the frescoed Raphael Rooms were the central, and the largest, work of his career. The best known work is The School of Athens in the Vatican Stanza della Segnatura. After his early years in Rome, much of his work was executed by his workshop from his drawings. He was extremely influential in his lifetime, though outside Rome his work was mostly known from his collaborative printmaking. After his death, the influence of his great rival Michelangelo was more widespread until the 18th and 19th centuries, when Raphael's more serene and harmonious qualities were again regarded as the highest models.
Weapon: Raphael utilizes quite a few simple weapons. Primarily ones that can be hidden under his clothing. For maneuvering, he utilizes a series of mechanical spider-legs that can be ejected from a pack on his back. Otherwise, he utilizes a series of elemental weapons that are hidden under the sleeves of his jacket. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Parameters: Strength: E Endurance: E Agility: C Mana: A Luck: A _________________________________________________________________________________________ Class Skills: - Territory Creation A+: Vasari says that Raphael eventually had a workshop of fifty pupils and assistants, many of whom later became significant artists in their own right. This was arguably the largest workshop team assembled under any single old master painter, and much higher than the norm. This is partially true. These pupils and assistants were in reality a collection of automatons he had created himself. Ones that could copy his delicate brush strokes. Covering them in paints and clothing to make them impossible to discern from humans. as such, his workshop is greater than any other workshop of his time, including that of the fabulous Da Vinci. Thus the rank. - Item Construction A: A Caster-class Skill. It is the Skill to manufacture magical items, from implements of war to items for daily use. Also, this Skill requires time to gather components and manufacture items. Raphael is a genius of the arts. A mastercraft who's works echo through history. He was the pioneer of the arts in his time. It is possible for him to make automatons that are perfect replicas of people, to a point where one might live with one for years, and not even realize they're fakes.
Personal Skills: - Natural Born Genius A: A Skill that shows one who has unparalleled natural knowledge. Allows the use of most Skills, excluding those inherent to the body (such as Divinity) or ones unique to particular heroes, at proficiency of A~B Rank. As a genius of his era, there is no doubt in the mind that Raphael deserves such a skill. But it is limited in a way. As he is not the 'omnipotent' genius of Da Vinci, nor was he a wild eccentric, he is fit only to be a genius, rather than a wild madman who would possess this skill at EX. - Familiars (Automatons) C: Raphael is never alone. Rather he is surrounded by his pupils. A series of automatons that exist to copy and replicate his genius work. Because they went on to become talented artists after his death, these automatons are all viable casters in their own sense. But as their genius comes from Raphael, they are effectively incapable of creating things that he himself cannot make. - Pioneer of the Stars EX: The unique Skill given to heroes that became turning points in human history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered "impossible" turn into "events that can be realized". A genius of the arts, who followed the rules, but somehow managed to create something beyond them. He is one who works within the confines of human knowledge to create true art. Impossible to replicate. _________________________________________________________________
NOBLE PHANTASMS
Title: ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ - ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ Rank: ▅ NP Type: ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ Range: ▅ Maximum Number of Targets: ▅ Description: ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅
Nobody slept at Chaldea. It was a cruel reality that sleep wasn't on the table, even during the most peaceful times. But as the organization became closer and closer to the final end goal of their research, excitement was everywhere. Everybody worked. Everybody did multiple shifts. The dream of the Rayshift was so close, and today was the morning of the day when it all came together.
The night before, the leaders of Chaldea had gathered the first of many teams who would bus using the miracle of the Rayshift. To breach into the past. To see and observe the things that slipped off balance. It was a task only suited for the most elite and well suited among them to such things. Those chosen had been given the privilege to become the first Masters of Chaldea, who would lead servants.
That was yesterday though. Today, the team would wake up to the sounds of alarms. Clock alarms, and the charming voice of the facility's top scientist, architect, linguist, inventor, pa- Just assume he did a lot...
"Morning morning you lucky ducklings!" The ecstatic voice of Raphael echoed through the room. His smile was contagious, and his bright red outfit made him stand out quite abit in comparison to the grey metal walls of the facility. "You all slept a good 9 hours, which was 7 hours more than anybody else in the facility!" He swept his hands back, holding them in a Y sort of shape. "Now, there are still a few hours before we finally do our first major Rayshift and officially set you chicks to work! But until then, get some food, talk to your summoned servants, and whatever else you might have on your minds. Servants don't need to eat our sleep, so chances are they've scattered through the facility. If you don't have them all together by the time we Rayshift, you'll be going without them." Raphael prattled, while the team was no doubt getting dressed.
"If you have any questions, don't ask them here. Because I'm a TV and can't actually hear you. Ask me in person." And with that, the TV blipped off, and the most important day of many lives in the Chaldea facility began.
