SSW

Fate/Factitious Paradigm

Gatekeeper, Troilus, Miyama Town

He’d seen the fire. The smoke, and the burning, the people crying out in despair.

He had to help. After all, that’s what a hero would do. He knew what would happen if he didn’t.

And, after all, he had his horse now!

A mechanical horse, one made of wood and metal, gears gleaming as they reflected the fire. Rather than moving on its own, he pedalled, moving the intricate machinery to drive along the tire treads. Though he couldn’t get it to full speed with it now, not while avoiding the flames. That was important, he knew.

Even though he had a place to be, he couldn’t go there immediately. There were people to save, and to do that, he had to stop every so often. To lift people out of perilous situations. To guide people to safety.

He could call himself a hero now, a knight on horseback riding in to help others. Except-

There were people he hadn’t saved. There were people he couldn’t save. He wasn’t strong enough, wasn’t fast enough to save everyone. Troilus moved forwards, tears clouding his eyes.

Baba was watching, so he couldn’t falter now. She would be there soon enough, to help the people he couldn’t.

@Froppy

Fate/Factitious Paradigm

Gatekeeper, Troilus, Border of Shinto and Miyama

Troilus considered Lancer’s words for a moment. The bag was weird, but he dismissed it with the same casual innocence as Lancer. Though the two had come to an agreement, a friendship made possible by their childish personalities, the matter of what game to play remained.

It didn’t take long to come up with something.

Without warning, his hand darted forwards, striking out at his companion with an open palm.

A level of speed and power that had the capability to destroy a normal human. Strength and agility worthy of the nature of a heroic spirit; any onlooker would see nothing but a blur, and perhaps feel the wind, stirred by the strike, whip past them. Even though it lacked technique beyond the flailing of a child, even though there was no thought or strategy behind it, it was a blow that could shake the earth, break through steel. Something no ordinary human could stand against, something no ordinary human could reach.

...Not an attack.

“Tag, you’re it!”

A simple playground game, one that had existed for countless years. Even among the children of Troy, there had been people who played such a game. Well, the young prince had been more than a little sheltered, so he hadn’t been able to join in too often. But now he had someone he could play with, on an even playing level.

To use such a level of speed and power for the purposes of a harmless game… Servants truly were ridiculous.

As soon as his declaration of ‘it’ was finished, Troilus began to run back the way he had come from, in the vague direction of his home. He wasn’t moving at his full speed, since this was just a game, after all. If he was caught, the consequences were simply becoming ‘it’.

@Sageage

Fate/Factitious Paradigm

Gatekeeper, Troilus, Border of Shinto and Miyama

There was really no doubt in Troilus’ eyes as he took the other boy’s hand. After all, if he wanted to hurt him, he would have just attacked, wouldn’t he? The innocent assumption of a child who had never known any hardship, any enemies, all the way until his death.

Well, in this case it was fine, at least. It was lucky that one of the nastier Servants hadn’t found him, but Troilus was nothing if not lucky.

“I’m Tr- uh, Gatekeeper,” He said, grinning in return. “What’s in the bag?” He asked, looking down at it with curiosity. Though it was a little strange, it wasn’t enough to make Troilus suspicious, or scared.

All thoughts of investigating the lights in the sky had already left his head, now that he seemed to have a new friend to play with. And a Servant, too - even if that meant he was meant to be an enemy, it didn’t have to be like that. Since they were both heroes, that meant they could be better friends, didn’t it?

“Hey, Baba!” He said, communicating to his Master. “I found a friend, so I’ll be playing with him for a while.” A thought occurred to him, and he continued. “Oh, I wasn’t supposed to leave, was I? Uh, Sorry!” He spoke, lamely. It was an apology without much sincerity, the instinctual reaction of a child who simply didn’t want to get in trouble, without any real regret. He could only hope that Baba didn’t get too mad, but what was done was done.

With that, all that remained was to pick a game.

@Sageage@Froppy

Fate/Factitious Paradigm

Gatekeeper, Troilus, Edge of Shinto Town

Clockwork Fortress of Troy, Central Keep

Troilus nodded at Baba’s request, waving at the pair of masters as they left. He hoped the bar business went well, though he didn’t really understand it. But if it helped him and Baba, it could only be a good thing.

…Without them around, it was a little boring. He tried playing with some of the toys, fidgeting with bits of scrap metal, gazing out into the night sky to look for traces of more fireworks. None of it worked, and the darkness of the night seemed to press in, reminding him of his loneliness.

He missed his horses.

His mind began to wander, and turned inevitably to the thought of leaving. Troilus wasn’t the type that let the distant prospect of danger influence his decisions. If it was out of view, it was something he could ignore. Even if the city was surrounded by a besieging force, that wouldn’t stop him from leaving, not when his horses needed water and exercise. It was the simplistic thinking of an innocent, one who knew almost nothing but love. Though the danger was something he could think about, something he could fear, it wasn’t something he fully comprehended.

Besides which, he had to leave eventually, didn’t he? If he stayed in the fortress the whole time, then there was no chance of winning this contest of heroes at all. Unless every other hero came to him - and how would they know where to find him if he didn’t leave?

The fireworks had looked interesting, so he should go and look at them. It wasn’t that he thought it could be a source of valuable information, but rather that they were a fascinating distraction.

Since the fortress, Troy, was his, leaving in spirit form was a simple matter. Outside, he manifested once again, and took a deep breath of air, smiling as he began to wander forwards, meandering vaguely in the direction of the lights, though he had already begun to forget where exactly they had appeared.

He’d barely seen any of the city, so the various sights and sounds it had to offer were fascinating. Even with the knowledge he’d received from the grail, everything was still so novel and fascinating. The smile didn’t leave his face as he wandered through the city with only a vague idea of his destination, his attention wandering more by the second.

Moving through Shinto Town, towards Miyama Town

Fate/Factitious Paradigm

Gatekeeper, Troilus, Edge of Shinto Town

Clockwork Fortress of Troy, Central Keep

Troilus tried his best to listen to Archer’s words. After all, he was a teacher, so they were certainly valuable. But even so, he was a difficult man to understand. Well, all he had to do was patiently listen, and he would figure it out eventually, surely.

Come to think of it, wasn’t he the one who taught that man?

For a second, Troilus froze. For a second, he was pulled into that black pit as he remembered-

-The burning pain in his scalp as he was pulled by his hair, dragged from his horse onto the ground, roughly enough to stun him. The hero that had outpaced his own horse, the hero that raised his spear against the screaming child-

It wasn’t good to think about such things.

Well, now that the Baba was done talking with Archer, he could ask his own questions. With a small grin on his face, he began to speak to Gin, tugging at his clothes.

“Hey, mister. How did you get your hair like that? Does it take a lot of time? It looks funny.” The innocent questions and comments of a child, held back during the serious negotiations, came flooding out. “And why is your sword wooden? Wouldn’t it be better to have one that’s metal? I could give you mine! Oh, but it was a present from my brother, so I can’t. Sorry!

It was a babbling that didn’t really warrant response, a stream of meandering questions and interjections as they moved through the fortress, Troilus taking very little care, even as the fortress shifted around them. His movements were fluid and playful, uncaring as to the surrounding dangers.

Even just with two more people around, this place was beginning to feel more like home.

@Froppy @Cu Chulainn

Fate/Factitious Paradigm

Gatekeeper, Troilus, Edge of Shinto Town

Clockwork Fortress of Troy, Central Keep

As Baba got to work, Troilus clapped his hands together in enthusiasm, rushing over to watch his Master’s expert construction. He looked in fascination as the pieces started to come together into an intricate shape.

But then, there was something about constructed horses, wasn’t there? A wooden horse, that opened up to reveal a horde of soldiers, that spilled out into the city like a bloodstain. The image seemed far away, like a half-forgotten dream, but it was there. Suddenly, Troilus didn’t feel quite so enthusiastic, but he kept his smile up anyway.

He knew Troy had fallen; it was impossible not to know that. After all, his wish was to make sure that never happened. And because of that, there was no need to think about why it had fallen in the first place.

The whole war had been so unfair! What was so great about Helen, anyway? She was pretty, but that wasn’t a reason to kill people! Musing about this, Troilus puffed up his cheeks in anger.

At that point, there was a loud disruption, shocking the child out of his thoughts.

“A… Bouncer?” Troilus muttered, placing a finger to his mouth in confusion.

@Froppy

Fate/Factitious Paradigm

Gatekeeper, Troilus, Edge of Shinto Town

Clockwork Fortress of Troy, Central Keep

“Mmm,” Troilus said, nodding enthusiastically as he walked over to the window. He stared through it as the bird flew away, watching its mechanical movements with curiosity. Soon enough, it was beyond the walls and out of view, and Troilus, stretching only a little, reached up and closed the window.

Even though those walls that the two of them had created were ‘Troy’, it didn’t feel that way to Troilus. Without the bustling activity of the city, without the bickering of his brothers or the smell of horses, even if it was a home, it wasn’t the city he had known in life. Even if this room was nice, the walls were dangerous.

And, well, was attacking people with traps really the sort of thing a hero should be doing?

Well, Baba was smart, so it was probably fine. Though it would be nice if he could ask his big brother. Thinking about the possibility, he thought aloud, “I wonder if big brother was also summoned?” He asked, his voice light and cheerful. “Ah, he would definitely win, he’s the strongest!”

Although, all Troilus wanted to do after all the work making the fortress was spend some time relaxing. Sitting down on the floor, he picked up one of Baba’s clockwork toys and fiddled with it, watching its intricate movements. The simple pleasure on Troilus’ face at the thing’s movement was a truly adorable thing to see. Well, it would certainly keep him distracted for a some time.

“Hey Baba,” he said, absentmindedly, still looking at the device. “Do you think we’ll see an amazing horse? If there’s Riders, there should be horses, right?”

@Froppy

Fate/Factitious Paradigm

Gatekeeper

Name: Troilus
Title: Beloved Prince of Troy
Class: Gatekeeper
Gender: Male
Birth and Death Dates: Trojan War
Alignment: Lawful Good

Personality:

The most apt comparison of Troilus’ personality would be a young child pretending to be a superhero. His view of the world is rather naive, but he has the best intentions. Primarily, he’s hopeful and cheerful, happy to have another chance to be a hero.

He idolises his brothers, Hektor in particular, and insulting them or reminding him of their deaths is one of few things that would make him angry. Even then, his anger is more cute than anything.

If confronted with his killer, he would only be able to run, or tremble in fear. The idea of defeating that man is a complete impossibility within Troilus’ mind. The possibility of vengeance would not even cross his mind, since he is unable to comprehend any emotion other than fear with regards to that man.

Biography:

The youngest Prince of Troy, one so beautiful that he was thought to be the child of Apollo. A cheerful and pleasant child who was loved by his family and the whole city. It was prophesied that so long as Troilus lived, Troy would never fall. It’s no surprise, then, that soon after the Trojan war began, Athena sent Achilles to kill the young boy. Though accounts of this encounter vary, it is certain that the great hero of the Trojan war was successful in killing a young child; and so dooming Troy. In killing a target of Apollo’s affection, Achilles also succeeded in bringing the God’s wrath against him, ultimately resulting in his death at the hands of Paris.

Surprisingly, Troilus’ story continues after his death. As tales of the Trojan War spread across centuries and continents, certain authors interpreted Troilus’ legend differently, as that of a knight of justice, part of a chivalric romance and Hector’s near equal. The idea of ‘Troilus’ became altered, enough to change his very existence as a Heroic Spirit.

Weapon: Troilus carries an ordinary sword, given to him by his brother.

Parameters:
Strength: B
Endurance: C
Agility: B
Mana: C
Luck: EX

Class Skills

Fortress Creation: EX - Troilus’ life was inexorably linked to Troy; it was prophesied that so long as he lived, the city would never fall. It is this connection that allows for a incomplete recreation of the seven-gated walls of Troy, the walls that withstood ten years of assault from the greek forces. This skill can be considered almost on par with a Noble Phantasm, creating a fortress that was ultimately never breached with force of arms, but with trickery.

Personal Skills

Riding: B - The ability to ride mounts and vehicles. Most vehicles and creatures can be ridden, with the exception of Phantasmal Species. A natural skill for a renowned lover of horses.

Rosy-Cheeked Adonis: A - The ability of a pretty boy that charms people. It has an effect similar to fascination magecraft, though it can be abated by a strong will to resist. The effect can be evaded by use of the Magic Resistance Skill.

Affections of the God: B+ - A skill denoting the love of the God Apollo, boosting Strength, Endurance and Agility by a rank. In addition, this skill encompasses the vengeance Apollo took against Troilus’ killer, cursing those who kill his beloved with the wrath of a god. However, with Troilus gone from the world, and outside of the Age of the Gods, this is unlikely to have any real effect - unless Troilus’ death in the Grail War proves as heinous as his first.

Ephemeral Dream: A - A lifeform born from dreams, illusions and possibilities. Troilus’ fundamental nature as a heroic spirit is ‘a child who dies prematurely’, one fated to be killed and mourned by heroes and gods, though who never himself achieves greatness. In this sense, he can hardly be called a heroic spirit at all.

And yet, there was a fated Troilus, one who would grow to adulthood and ensure the survival of his city, who would eclipse the greatness of even Hector and Aeneas. A hypothetical existence that cannot exist under normal circumstances.

This entity is neither the doomed child nor the fated hero; rather, it can be considered the child’s dream of an illusory future, a dying child dressing in his brother’s armour. Though the armour is ill-fitting, it still offers protection, and a measure of power.

Even so, this state could not be achieved without the alteration of Troilus’ Saint Graph through the various evolving myths around Troilus; as differing myths built up around the Trojan war, certain writers began to interpret Troilus as a virtuous pagan knight, as a warrior almost on par with Hector.

Together, these factors allow Troilus to achieve all the skills necessary for a warrior, though these skills are instinctual rather than learned, and he does not have the requisite combat experience to make full use of them.

Noble Phantasm: Currently Unknown.

Fate/Factitious Paradigm

Gatekeeper

Name: Troilus
Title: Beloved Prince of Troy
Class: Gatekeeper
Gender: Male
Birth and Death Dates: Trojan War
Alignment: Lawful Good

Personality:

The most apt comparison of Troilus’ personality would be a young child pretending to be a superhero. His view of the world is rather naive, but he has the best intentions. Primarily, he’s hopeful and cheerful, happy to have another chance to be a hero.

He idolises his brothers, Hektor in particular, and insulting them or reminding him of their deaths is one of few things that would make him angry. Even then, his anger is more cute than anything.

If confronted with his killer, he would only be able to run, or tremble in fear. The idea of defeating that man is a complete impossibility within Troilus’ mind. The possibility of vengeance would not even cross his mind, since he is unable to comprehend any emotion other than fear with regards to that man.

Biography:

The youngest Prince of Troy, one so beautiful that he was thought to be the child of Apollo. A cheerful and pleasant child who was loved by his family and the whole city. It was prophesied that so long as Troilus lived, Troy would never fall. It’s no surprise, then, that soon after the Trojan war began, Athena sent Achilles to kill the young boy. Though accounts of this encounter vary, it is certain that the great hero of the Trojan war was successful in killing a young child; and so dooming Troy. In killing a target of Apollo’s affection, Achilles also succeeded in bringing the God’s wrath against him, ultimately resulting in his death at the hands of Paris.

Surprisingly, Troilus’ story continues after his death. As tales of the Trojan War spread across centuries and continents, certain authors interpreted Troilus’ legend differently, as that of a knight of justice, part of a chivalric romance and Hector’s near equal. The idea of ‘Troilus’ became altered, enough to change his very existence as a Heroic Spirit.

Weapon: Troilus carries an ordinary sword, given to him by his brother.

Parameters:
Strength: B
Endurance: C
Agility: B
Mana: C
Luck: EX

Class Skills

Fortress Creation: EX - Troilus’ life was inexorably linked to Troy; it was prophesied that so long as he lived, the city would never fall. It is this connection that allows for a incomplete recreation of the seven-gated walls of Troy, the walls that withstood ten years of assault from the greek forces. This skill can be considered almost on par with a Noble Phantasm, creating a fortress that was ultimately never breached with force of arms, but with trickery.

Personal Skills

Riding: B - The ability to ride mounts and vehicles. Most vehicles and creatures can be ridden, with the exception of Phantasmal Species. A natural skill for a renowned lover of horses.

Rosy-Cheeked Adonis: A - The ability of a pretty boy that charms people. It has an effect similar to fascination magecraft, though it can be abated by a strong will to resist. The effect can be evaded by use of the Magic Resistance Skill.

Affections of the God: B+ - A skill denoting the love of the God Apollo, boosting Strength, Endurance and Agility by a rank. In addition, this skill encompasses the vengeance Apollo took against Troilus’ killer, cursing those who kill his beloved with the wrath of a god. However, with Troilus gone from the world, and outside of the Age of the Gods, this is unlikely to have any real effect - unless Troilus’ death in the Grail War proves as heinous as his first.

Ephemeral Dream: A - A lifeform born from dreams, illusions and possibilities. Troilus’ fundamental nature as a heroic spirit is ‘a child who dies prematurely’, one fated to be killed and mourned by heroes and gods, though who never himself achieves greatness. In this sense, he can hardly be called a heroic spirit at all.

And yet, there was a fated Troilus, one who would grow to adulthood and ensure the survival of his city, who would eclipse the greatness of even Hector and Aeneas. A hypothetical existence that cannot exist under normal circumstances.

This entity is neither the doomed child nor the fated hero; rather, it can be considered the child’s dream of an illusory future, a dying child dressing in his brother’s armour. Though the armour is ill-fitting, it still offers protection, and a measure of power.

Even so, this state could not be achieved without the alteration of Troilus’ Saint Graph through the various evolving myths around Troilus; as differing myths built up around the Trojan war, certain writers began to interpret Troilus as a virtuous pagan knight, as a warrior almost on par with Hector.

Together, these factors allow Troilus to achieve all the skills necessary for a warrior, though these skills are instinctual rather than learned, and he does not have the requisite combat experience to make full use of them.

Noble Phantasm: Currently Unknown.

Fate/Vacuous Radiance

Saber Ganelon

Name: Ganelon

Title: The Paladin of Treachery

Class: Saber

Gender: Male

Appearance:



Alignment: Neutral Evil

Personality: A cynic to his core, Ganelon is a pragmatic man who despises pretension. He has no regard for the concepts of loyalty or honour, and will happily betray any Master who sends him on a suicide mission. To Ganelon, a 'hero' is nothing more than a murderer, and a 'traitor' is someone unfortunate enough to be on the losing side.

He doesn't attempt to hide his cynicism, but will often frame it as humour when talking to people he's trying to deceive. He likes to poke holes in other people's philosophies, but hides the level of venom he often feels for them. If he were to meet a 'true hero', someone without the flaws that his peers had, he would attempt to prove them wrong, to bring them down to his level.

Still, he doesn't desire revenge, or to undo the past, or to destroy others. His wish is for a world without hypocrisy, a world where murderers aren't glorified, where traitors aren't vilified. Perhaps, such a person longed to be a hero, once. But he has long since forgotten such a pointless wish.

History: The treacherous villain from The Song of Roland. He is the titular Paladin's uncle, and though not often counted among the twelve peers, was also a member. Upon being volunteered for what he considered a suicide mission - taking a message of peace to the Muslim forces in Spain - by his nephew, Ganelon secretly swore vengeance upon him and Charlemagne's court. Instead of delivering the treaty, he sent a declaration of war, and then offered to betray the Franks, plotting to kill Roland. After the battle, Ganelon's treachery was discovered, and though he defended it as legitimate revenge, he was found guilty. He was then gruesomely executed, torn apart by horses.

Unrecorded by the histories is Ganelon's part in Charlemagne's earlier conflicts. While most of the other Paladins took part in romantic adventures, Ganelon served as Charlemagne's black ops Paladin, one who assassinated and massacred any who opposed the king. For somebody who had seen the dark side of such a 'hero', Ganelon grew to despise the hypocrisy of those who surrounded him. Those who called themselves heroes, but rampaged across the country. Those who called themselves Christian, but massacred thousands. Such people were as deserving of death as those they visit it upon.

Weapon: The sword Murglais, his Noble Phantasm. His second sword is nameless, a gift from Valebrun, that he uses when wishing to disguise the nature of his Noble Phantasm.

Parameters:
STR: B
CON: C
AGI: B
MGI: C
LCK: D

Class Skills
Magic Resistance: C
Cancels spells with a chant below two verses. An essential skill for a Paladin of the Saber class, though it seems his lack of piety has reduced the rank somewhat.

Riding: B
Most vehicles and animals can be handled with reasonable skill. This does not extend to Phantasmal species. A natural skill for a knight.

Personal Skills

Golden Rule: D+
A skill reflecting the rewards Ganelon received for his betrayal of Charlemagne. Under normal circumstances, acquiring moderate amounts of money is possible, but after betraying another, Ganelon's fortune regarding wealth will spike massively.

Eye of the Mind (True): C
Heightened ability for observation, improved by years of experience. It is an ability allowing for the avoidance of danger through skill, intelligence and prediction. In this case, it is the ability of an old cynic, one who never had the divine gifts of the other Paladins, but has survived through tenaciousness and skillful observation of others.

Espionage: B
The ability to make one's presence fail to register as hostile. The perfect skill for a 'traitor'. Ganelon's hostile intent is very difficult to discern, until he attacks or makes his plan known.

Noble Phantasm

Murglais: Black Brand of Death
B-Rank Anti-unit
Range 1-2
Targets: 1

Some say that Murglais was once a holy blade, blackened by Ganelon's oath of treachery upon the relics sealed in the blade's pommel. This is not the case. Murglais, now and always, was a tool for efficient murder. No matter how bright the sword might seem, no matter how pure the wielder, it is still simply a way of killing others. This is the concept that the sword embodies. Anyone viewing the drawn Murglais can tell that it is not a hero's weapon, that it is a cursed blade, nothing more than a tool of murder.

Upon striking the enemy's flesh, Murglais leaves a black mark on the target. If Murglais touches the mark for a second time, the target will die. A high luck-check may prevent this, as might certain skills, but otherwise, the target simply perishes. It is a weapon more suited to an Assassin than a Saber, more to a spy than a paladin.