Temporary

Danganronpa: Tower of Carnage (Finished!)

Tower of Carnage Described in four words:

Danganronpa: Tower of Carnage (Finished!)

~ The Poisoned Table ~

Faith almost couldn't believe her eyes. Almost. For a little while, she wasn't sure how to join in on the conversation. The repeated and blatant ignoring of her ideas and suggestions left her a tad left out, and the conversation was simply something she couldn't enter. Everyone talked about their alibis for times like 3pm, and early in the morning, but she didn't have anything for that. She had spent the entire time planning for the the Party, and only left at 5:30pm to gather guests. She hadn't even seen Mercy.

But as she watched the panicking Felix, and his subsequent death, she forced herself to think. This wasn't what she wanted, at all, but it would help. She hated to think that, but it would. Probably. Her eyes scrunched closed as she thought, about the evidence, and everything that had gone on. Was there some kind of discrepancy something? Maybe someone had lied?

Her eyes opened, and she found herself still staring towards the empty podium Felix once inhabited. Cyrus and Noel were talking about something or another, about the Party, but she couldn't join in on that either. Like an idiot she had spent the entire Concert, and half the Party in her room, crying to herself. Even then she only spoke to Ice for a little bit, and heard about the sheer disarray that was Table 3. But then she heard it.

"The truth will find its match!"

She slammed her hands onto her podium dramatically, and then quickly realised what she had just said. A small blush and look of "What exactly did I just do" flashed across her face, before she quickly steeled herself into the role. Maybe now wasn't the time, but she was going to do it anyway!

"The badge wasn't used to kill Felix, silly! If what you're saying is true, and Felix was bumped into a table, then the real killer must have set something up for him to be stabbed with. I checked all the tables before the Concert began, soooooooooo nobody did it before!" she said somewhat, somehow, cheerily, before pulling up her handbook, "Ahem. 'Mundinol is a poisonous chemical compound formed by the combination of Litonix, and several other different chemicals. It is highly toxic, much like Litonix, and can kill in four to five hours.' Four to five hours? But the Party was at 7, and Felix died at 8:30? If the badge was the murder weapon, it would have taken a suuuuper long time to kill him, and he'd still be standing there!"

Faith gave something of a smile, then looked towards Noel.
"So whiiiiiiich table did he bump into again~? Cause I've got the seating plan memorised - I did make it after all! Somebody set something to poison him with, so whoever was on the table Felix bumped into is a suspect!" she giggled, before continuining on for just a little longer, "Oh, just in case you guys forgot or anything, here's the Seating Plan~! I was really happy with this thing, until Table 3 had to go and ruin everything!

Table 1:
Cyrus, Bliss, Caora, Lucy and Thomas
Table 2:
Felix, Mercy, Max, Noel, Daimyon and Mary
Table 3:
Faith, Alice, Ice, Calvin and Emily
Table 4:
Denis, Braden, Jez and Zach"

Danganronpa Alternate: Apologies to Hope

~ For the Love of the Rabbits ~

Lilly had zoned out completely. Whatever was going on around her, she wanted nothing to do with. Everything span and turned and every sound melted into a single continuous hum of white noise. Her head roared with a cacophony of sound, deafening and at the same time just a quiet buzz over an expanse of colour and static. It hurt but it was better than dealing with the mess that was the outside world, and the "Killing Game", and all the other people with their stupid idea and inconsequential drama.

She just wanted Rosetta back. The bunny was her last treasure, her last memory, her last beauty and last ideal and someone had taken that from her. As the world span it blended into the boys face - that boys face - the one who stole from her. How would she get it back? It would take some effort, but she would get it back. She would get it back no matter what. There was no extreme too that she would not go to in order to retrieve it.

Reality came back into focus somewhat. Daydreaming wasn't going to help her, and Lilly knew that. In the world around more people were fighting and arguing and doing God knows what that she wanted to escape from but couldn't. And they wouldn't shut up but maybe they would be useful. Their voices were worse than the static, but she would just have to bear it, just for a little bit longer. Just until-

And then a few words popped into her head. Reality snapped into motion, completely clear now, and she scanned around the Amphitheatre, taking in the other people. Her hand raised to wipe a tear from the corner of her eye as she did so, and finally she locked onto the person she wanted. Maybe they could help her. She glanced back down to her handbook, and swiped across a few pages to find their profile. And it was perfect.

Lilly stood up. In the middle of the commotion and arguing, Lilly walked across the Amphitheatre. She gave light, methodical steps, completely against the immature skipping she had performed mere minutes prior. And then she stood, looking up towards the person she was interested in. Her head titlted a little to take in her features, and before long she pulled up her translator and began typing.

Quickly she checked the volume. She didn't want a repeat of previous, where no one could hear it. That would just be embarrassing. Then she pressed the button to begin talking, with all the preliminary checks finished. The smile she had was gone, and instead she just looked upset as it began to speak.
"Could you kill someone for me, Alice?" and then she lowered the translator, and lifted up her handbook, on the page of Aurel Fuchs.

@Warpcircuit

Fate/Factitious Paradigm

and


~ Small Beginnings ~

Perhaps on the advent on things that might result in ones death, a person would flee. Build up walls between the event as to keep distance between whatever they ran from. It didn't necessarily have to be lethal from the get go. Anything that could, at some point, lead to the eventuality that was death, would fall into the category; people had a natural diversion from danger, and did their best to avoid it at every turn.

However the same couldn't be said of the present. To describe the up and coming event, the words "A battle that could easily result in the loss of a Mages' life" wouldn't be far from the truth. She had done a lot of research into said event, making sure to keep detailed notes in between studies, whilst schooling her compatriot on the what inner workings she could glean, as well as the proceedings they would come across. To say this was uncharted territory for her would be apt. What was coming up was something she couldn't say she had much experience in, but, at least in her imagination, the same would apply to most others.

And by others, she meant those that had already arrived. They came in droves, seeking fortunes, and riches, and their varying little obsessions, seeking refuge under the common banner that the battle would make it all come true. At the very least, the number of high ranking Magi that had flocked to the site surprised her. Multiple Festival ranked men and women sought their desires granted, however their sheer number, far outweighing any over classification, left her, at least partially, in surprise. They had all come seeking the Holy Grail. The miracle wish granting vessel of infinite Mana that every Magus in the world, apparently, was willing to fight for.

And Serafina was one of them. One of those Fes ranked Magi, on her journey to partake in the large scale battle known as the Holy Grail War. She might have disliked the Three Families for the most part, but at the least she could commend them on their dramatisation. Summoning heroes of the past to partake in bloody combat? It was a novelty idea, and she appreciated as such. Much like the other Fes ranked Magi her name would no doubt spread, but that much didn't matter.

After all, she was a Whitehall. One of the greatest Runic families in the world. Their skill with the art was unparalleled, especially in recent years as they assimilated Old Runes into their combat repertoire. It could be said, then, that Serafina was confident in her chances, dragging a suitcase behind her along the cobbled road of Fuyuki Proper, stocked with clothes and materials. Mostly materials. Setting up a workshop would be paramount, and as luck had it, she'd the perfect location planned out.

To her left, just a tad behind, with shorter hair and a slightly shorter stature, was her sister. Sofia Whitehall. Other than the grey eyes, short hair and discrepancy in body shape, the two looked incredibly similar. Sera wasn't necessarily happy with that Sofia had accompanied her on the journey. Much like people avoided danger and death themselves, the same went for their family members and loved one; people took exceptional care to keep those close to them out of danger, and while she had tried to, her sister wouldn't listen. Always the rebel, though she was grateful for the company.

Already Fuyuki city was an oddity. On their way to their lodgings, the two had passed a man in a horse mask - or Sera assumed they were a man - and another in full armour and a cape. The eccentricities and customs of Japan weren't exactly lost on her, but for what purpose people could have to dress in such an absurd fashion she couldn't tell. Regardless she continued on past them, making idle and small chatter with her sister, until they began to climb the stairs to the Temple.

"Try and remember that this isn't a holiday, Sophie. And, please, don't show us up... the Ryuudou's are family friends, we want to make a good impression as the next generation." she turned, speaking to her sister before the two began the climb towards the temple proper.

“Yes yes, I’ll lay low while you do your thing.” Sofia said, adjusting the backpack on her back while slogging behind Serafina. “I still don’t get why you put so much faith in our family and their friends.”

”Well for one, since we’re members of the family, they’re our friends too.” she gave a glance behind her as she spoke, but continued to walk at a steady pace, ”But if we don’t have faith in somebody, we won't be going anywhere. We don’t have many connections in Japan; this is the best place we can get, and we should be grateful.” her eyes drifted upwards, towards the gate they were approaching, ”This is the most powerful Leyline in Fuyuki. To be able to secure it as outsiders to the city is a miracle, quite frankly.”

Sofia pouted. “I don’t like relying on them...but if it helps us this much.” she quickened her pace to catch up to Serafina. “Have you met them before, are they nic- oeh! There’s a dog over there.” Before she could finish her question, she was already hopping up the stairs towards the dog.

The sight of animals in the street was far from unusual; the siblings had passed multiple cats and dogs on their way to temple. In that vein Sera could only sigh as Sofia sped in front of her to play with whatever animal had placed itself at the top of the stairs. She followed suit, though at a slower pace, before coming onto the landing in front of the gate behind her.

”I doubt it wants to be played with, Sophie. We don’t exactly have all day to set up.” she took a step around her sister, standing over the growling and barking dog, ”Pretty sure it isn’t friendly either. Does it belong to anyone?”

“See the the collar? I think it’s a guard dog, guarding this...gate?” Sofia’s eyes turned a shade of aqua as she looked at the temple beyond the dog, visibly narrowing her eyes as if looking at something bright. “You’re totally right sis, this place is brimming with magical energy. We’ll definitely be able to work with this.” Her eyes went grey again upon looking at the dog. “So, where’s your master buddy? shoo shoo, get your master!”

Instead of running off to fetch someone, though, the Beagle simply stood its ground, continually growling as Sofia spoke. Considering the early hour they found themselves at, it was doubtful the monks would be awake yet, but if the dog kept up its attitude, that would surely change.
”Hard to imagine the temple needing a guard dog when it’s supposed to be open to the public.” she said, letting her suitcase stand while she approached it. Then in a split second…

It jumped at her. It’s legs left the ground quickly, and though it achieved little ground clearance, it was able to get close to her hand as she reached out to touch it. But in the split second between the two events, she grabbed it by the collar, lifting it from the landing to eye level, where its barking only continued to increase in volume.
”...Shinji, huh? Please stop barking. It’s not going to help either of us.”

“Be careful Sera! You might hurt the poor thing.”

”Hurt the thi--” she turned back to face her sister, still holding the dog five feet above the air, ”It did just attack me, I’d like to point out.” she let out a sigh, and started walking back towards the gate, grabbing her suitcase along the way, ”Come one, lets just…” but the dog was still barking, ”Is there an off switch for this thing? Can I, like, press a button or something, cause that’d be great.”

“Well, you could uhh, put him to sleep. But I won’t be held accountable!” Sofia said as she moved closer to the dog, trying to pet it to no avail. “Come on Shinji, play along will you?”

Sera watched as Sofia attempted to silence the thing, but without success, as it continually snapped at her in attempt to remove the hand feeling its unwashed, dirt ridden coat. Instead of allowing it to continue, though, she pulled the dog away, and pushed on into the gate and temple courtyard. All she could really hope was that the thing hadn’t made such a loud racket as to awaken the entire complex.

And while she couldn’t say that hope was dashed, she found herself face to face with a person, stood, waiting for them to enter. The boy looked at least in his late teens, with short, finely cut blue hair, wearing what could only be assumed as the typical attire of the temple.
”Ah, Yoshiki Ryuudou. I’m glad you’re the only person we awoke. I’m Serafina. Serafina Whitehall,” she gave a small bow, before motioning to her sister, ”And this is Sofia, my sister. We thank you for allowing us stay within the Temple - I understand it is far from customary to do so.”
”Not at all, our families have been friends for many years now. You are welcome to stay here for as long as you are in Fuyuki. And, anyways, I was awake already; I’m happy I was, too, now that you’ve arrived.” his gaze turned towards Shinji, still barking beside her, ”Is… that dog yours? It’s been troubling us for a little while now.”

“We thought the dog belonged to the temple. If it’s not yours it must be a stray.” Sofia casually responded before whispering in Sera’s ear. “Think we can just leave it?”

As Sofia whispered to her, she let her suitcase rest once again. The dog was still barking and struggling, but against her rune empowered strength there was little it could do to escape. Thusly, she reached down to the tag on its otherwise negligible red collar.
”Matou…” she read aloud, turning the tag around, revealing a faded mark where a word might once have been.
”As in the Matou family?” Yoshiki said aloud.
”Yup. Do you have any food for it? I dunno what your policy is on keeping pets, but I think it’d be nice to return him to them. A gesture of goodwill, as it were. What do you think, Sophie?”

“You always think so tactical, it wouldn’t hurt to consider your own feelings for once. But you’re right, we should return Shinji to his owner...But I'm doing it for the dog! Not to gain a favour or something.” Sofia pouted once more.

Keeping pets isn’t exactly… allowed. You’re not even supposed to bring them onto Temple grounds, let alone into the building.”
Serafina looked at him, then the dog, and finally towards Sofia as she pouted in her typical manner. It was a habit she had developed early on in her life, and quickly became one of her staple expressions; Sera was more than used to seeing it.
”Well, it was staying outside the Temple.”
”That it was. We’ve been feeding it- him some small things every now and then, but my father has been getting frustrated at its constant growling and people coming and going by the gate. There’ve been plans to locate it elsewhere, unfortunately…”
”I see, well, is there any way to could postpone that, at least for a couple days? I’ll need to get in contact with the Matou Family, which might not be too easy.” she gave him a small smile, to which he smiled back.
”Of course, I’ll see what I can do.”

For a moment he seemed content, but then his focus snapped back to the real topic, and he quickly redirected himself.
”Ah, but, you two must be tired, right, coming all the way to Fuyuki? I need to show you where the two of you will be staying, please, come with me.” he started on, moving towards the main complex of the establishment, gesturing for the two girls to follow. In response, Sera placed Shinji back down on the ground, where he scurried back along the ground towards the temple gate, allowing her to follow their host unimpeded.

Sofia followed close after, occasionally staring in awe at the temples’ architecture. “This place looks so pretty; Japan sure knows how to praise their Gods.”

~

It hadn’t taken the longest for the two to become acquainted with their accommodations, as the room in question was, for the most part, relatively bare. The space was relatively small, with Tatami Mats making up the floor. A door on the Eastern wall held a minuscule space for storage, and beside it resided an area for burning incense, just below a scroll. Two futons already lay pre-made along the floor, bearing a similar aesthetic to the rest of the room.

”We’re going to want to find a place somewhat away from the temple to summon a Servant. It’d be pretty hard to do it here, even if people are still asleep.” Sera started, keeping herself seated before a small, elevated area in the room, using it like a table, ”We can probably head into the forest to do it; that should be far enough away from any people.” as she spoke, she folded a letter, and slid it into an envelope, and took out a piece of wax, and a small stamp. At the tip of the wax was a single Rune, ᚨ, Ansuz, which, abruptly, began to glow, melting the tip of the wax until it dripped onto the envelope.

From there, Sera pressed the stamp into the molten wax, sealing the letter. The seal was simple - a ring of the entire Runic alphabet. Those versed in Runic Arts would know it as the same chain used to create a Shield of the Alphabet; the Whitehall family was known for using different seals for different occasions, with this seal meaning one of protection, and alliance. Finished with her work, she stood, and handed the letter to Sofia.

“What’s this for? Want me to send this lovely letter to mom and dad? Or is it for the monks?”

Sera gave a small smile, then turned back to her luggage.
”What makes you think I’d want to send a letter to them?” she replied, pulling out varying crafting materials she had brought along for both her and her sister, ”No, It’s for the Matou’s. I told you on the way here, they’re one of the Three Families who started the Grail War, along with the Tohsaka’s and the Einzbern’s. I’m confident in our power to deal with them, but…” she trailed off, pulling from the bottom of the suitcase an item wrapped delicately in protective cloth, ”This is our ticket to winning the Grail, Sophie. If the Matou’s agree to an alliance we’ll have double, maybe even triple the power. We’ll be an unstoppable force, and when the time comes, we’ll take the Grail.” and then she looked over and smiled, ”And we’ll make you wish come true.”

With her explanation done, she unwrapped the cloth, revealing a gleaming blade.
”History isn’t exactly my forte, but with this… I’ll summon Troy’s greatest hero.” her smile dimmed into thought, until she looked back towards her sister, ”But that comes later. For now, you find a way to get that to the Matou’s. I’m gonna scout us a good place to summon this bad boy, then we’ll meet back in… a little while, to summon ‘em. Sound good?”

“Alrighty Sis, I’ll make sure this letter gets there.” She said as she pulled a small white bird from her backpack. In a small spark of light, the bird familiar sprung to life and Sofia gave it the letter. “Get this to the Matou family for me please.” She patted it’s head before releasing it in the air; eventually it would find its way there.

As Sofia did so, Sera wrapped the sword back up, and placed it into the suitcase once again. All that was left to do was scout the surrounding forests for suitable summoning locations.
”Right then, let’s go.” she said, standing from the floor and opening the door, motioning for Sofia to follow her on. It was still early morning - most of the monks likely wouldn’t wake up for at least a little while longer. It was the perfect time for reconnaissance.

RPGC #18: Adventure Calls - Voting and Critique

@SleepingSilence Yeah, I can understand that. To be honest, I started writing this piece very unsure just how it would turn out, and how it would be received. Considering you've said you have figured out my style, you must understand that, in these prompts, I like to try and take as much creative liberty as I can so I can have more flexibility when actually writing the story, and, at least from my perspective, the same thing has been done here.

Since the prompt is Adventure, I didn't want to just have an Adventure. I wanted something more than crossing a landscape, so I opted to try something else alongside it - a character who explores himself and language through the course of the story. The actual idea I was going for from the start was something unsettling, filled with unknowns and a disjointed and broken stylistic approach that created a sense of unease. As you said, the bad grammar and other mistakes are intentional for this purpose, creating a character outside of the known.

In order to have a progressing story line, though, the character has to get better at speaking and writing, so, as well, they have to start off terribly, and then get better. For example, the quote you brought up:

"This is a book, a book I found in a house, a house without walls or ceilings, and without chairs or tables or computer screens to display ruined, corrupted corruption or names. The corrupted corruption of corrupted names on corrupted screens corrupting names. The pen moves but when it moves paper corrupts. Ink corrupts. Black and fluid, then dry and corrupt. I corrupt.

The thing I was going for this this part, and the other parts similar to it, is that the MC was testing out words, and learning them through usage. They were there to give the sense that the thing in the story was actually learning, that they were attempting to assimilate different parts of what they have seen or heard into their own limited vocabulary as best they can, and failing to do so - hence my attempt at making their prose better, their sentences longer, and their grammar better, as the story progressed. Another example I'd key into, that you also mentioned, would be inconsistency. The inconsistency is present, again, to give the illusion that the character is adapting to the things they are writing and saying and learning. By creating disparities in the things they say, I liked to believe it would help highlight that fact.

Of course, as I said, I went into this unsure exactly how it would turn out and be received. It's no surprise to me that I probably failed in what I set out to do especially when I rushed half of it on the last day XD

In any case, thanks for the criticism. Hopefully my next entry will be more likeable in your eyes ^^

Fate/Factitious Paradigm

@Reflection I'll pretend you're Hector and get the kill I didn't get in life!

Fate/Factitious Paradigm

Berserker - Ajax the Great

Class: Berserker
True Name: Ajax, Ajax the Great
Master: Serafina Whitehall
Gender: Male
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Birth and Death Date: 1260 - 1180 BC approx.

Personality:
In his right mind, Ajax is a decently kind man. He has a strong moral compass, and understands the right and wrong of things without exception. He is very prideful, however, and doesn't take kindly to insults against it. His short temper is one of his key defining flaws, but it is one he has relatively under control. Relationships are things he holds very dear, especially the one between him and his Master, but also between friends, whomever they are, including other Heroic Spirits.

None of this shines through, though, due to his summoning as a Berserker. The effects of Athena's mental manipulation still linger within his mind, distorting all rationale besides that of "Kill". However, one thing that does remain is his strong sense of preservation as a primarily defensive hero, resulting in the full and adept use of his Noble Phantasms, especially that of Rho Aias_{The Seven Rings that Cover the Fiery Heavens}.

Biography:
Ajax is the son of Telamon, who was the son of Aeacus and grandson of Zeus, and his first wife Periboea. He is the cousin of Achilles, and is the elder half-brother of Teucer. In Homer's Iliad he is described as of great stature, colossal frame and strongest of all the Achaeans. Known as the "bulwark of the Achaeans", he was trained by the centaur Chiron (who had trained Ajax' father Telamon and Achilles' father Peleus and would later die of an accidental wound inflicted by Heracles, whom he was at the time training), at the same time as Achilles. He was described as fearless, strong and powerful but also with a very high level of combat intelligence. Ajax commands his army wielding a huge shield made of seven cow-hides with a layer of bronze. Most notably, Ajax is not wounded in any of the battles described in the Iliad, and he is the only principal character on either side who does not receive substantial assistance from any of the gods (except for Agamemnon) who take part in the battles, although, in book 13, Poseidon strikes Ajax with his staff, renewing his strength. Unlike Diomedes, Agamemnon, and Achilles, Ajax appears as a mainly defensive warrior, instrumental in the defence of the Greek camp and ships and that of Patroclus' body. When the Trojans are on the offensive, he is often seen covering the retreat of the Achaeans. Significantly, while one of the deadliest heroes in the whole poem, Ajax has no aristeia depicting him on the offensive.

In the Iliad, Ajax is notable for his abundant strength and courage, seen particularly in two fights with Hector. In Book 7, Ajax is chosen by lot to meet Hector in a duel which lasts most of a whole day. Ajax at first gets the better of the encounter, wounding Hector with his spear and knocking him down with a large stone, but Hector fights on until the heralds, acting at the direction of Zeus, call a draw, with the two combatants exchanging gifts, Ajax giving Hector a purple sash and Hector giving Ajax his sharp sword.

The second fight between Ajax and Hector occurs when the latter breaks into the Mycenaean camp, and fights with the Greeks among the ships. In Book 14, Ajax throws a giant rock at Hector which almost kills him. In Book 15, Hector is restored to his strength by Apollo and returns to attack the ships. Ajax, wielding an enormous spear as a weapon and leaping from ship to ship, holds off the Trojan armies virtually single-handedly. In Book 16, Hector and Ajax duel once again. Hector then disarms Ajax (although Ajax is not hurt) and Ajax is forced to retreat, seeing that Zeus is clearly favouring Hector. Hector and the Trojans succeed in burning one Greek ship, the culmination of an assault that almost finishes the war. Ajax is responsible for the death of many Trojans lords, including Phorcys.

As the Iliad comes to a close, Ajax and the majority of other Greek warriors are alive and well. When Achilles dies, killed by Paris (with help from Apollo), Ajax and Odysseus are the heroes who fight against the Trojans to get the body and bury it with his companion, Patroclus. Ajax, with his great shield and spear, manages to recover the body and carry it to the ships, while Odysseus fights off the Trojans. After the burial, each claims Achilles' magical armour for himself as recognition for his heroic efforts. After several days of competition, Odysseus and Ajax are tied for the ownership of the divine armour, which had been forged on Mount Olympus by the smith-god Hephaestus. It is then that a competition is held to determine who deserves the armour. Ajax argues that because of his strength and the fighting he has done for the Greeks, including saving the ships from Hector, and driving him off with a massive rock, he deserves the armour. However, Odysseus proves to be more eloquent, and with the aid of Athena, the council gives him the armour. Ajax, "Unconquered", and furious, becomes crazed and slaughters the Achaians' herds of captured livestock, believing them to be his enemies through a trick of Athena. Unable to deal with this dual dishonour, he falls upon his own sword - the one gifted to him by Hector - "conquered by his own sorrow," and commits suicide.

Weapons:
The weapon Ajax uses is what can only be described as a simplistic spear. It has a wooden handle, and a metal head and pommel. Besides being impressively large, and being in immaculate quality, the spear appears to have no other notable features.

---

Stats:

STR: B+
END: B+
AGL: A
MAG: D
LCK: D

---

Class Skills:
Mad Enhancement: C
After the Trojan War, many heroes laid claim to the deceased Achilles's magic armour. Ajax and Odysseus stood as the final two with claim to the armour, but in the end it was given to Odysseus. Ajax found himself furious with the result, and Athena took the chance to cloud his mind. His sanity dissipated and he slaughtered a flock of sheep believing them to be the Achaean leaders. Grants a rank up to all stats excluding Mana and Luck, but in exchange thought and language is completely lost to the Servant.

---

Personal Skills:
Deific Rejection: -
A culmination of experiences from the life of Berserker, including the Trojan War, and after it. A hero on the fields of battle, without divine favour, surrounded by heroes such as Achilles, Odysseus, and Hector, backed by their Godly patrons. The final straw came about as Athena broke his mind, resulting in his summoning as a Berserker. While Ajax under any other class might have been summoned with Divinity, Berserker rejects it, instead favouring a hatred for both Gods and their heroes. When fighting against Servants with Divinity or blessings from Gods, Berserker is granted temporary modifiers on both his Strength and Endurance stats, becoming more akin to an embodiment of rage against them. A skill befitting one undefeated in a world blessed by the divine.

Guardian Knight: A
Ajax, the Bulwark of the Achaeans, a towering figure, a mountain of a man, wielding a shield larger than that of a wall. Throughout his legends, he was known to protect his fellow soldiers, covering their retreats and shielding them from arrows; he even rescued the bodies of both Patroclus and Achilles after their respective defeats. Such is the legend of a defensive warrior, whose prowess lies in defense of something, whether that be the armies of his fellows, the warriors alongside him, or the bodies of his comrades; the effects of this skill are great, bestowing upon Ajax tremendous power in these states, raising his defensive capabilities to extreme levels so that he may properly defend that which he must.

Eye of the Mind (True): B
The skill of calm and logical rationale in the face of danger and adversity, garnered through immense training training and experience. The ability to keep cool in battle and determine a clear path to victory. Even despite The effects of Mad Enhancement, the skill remains as part of Berserker's kit as second nature. It is born of his many battles during the Trojan War, and his training under the eye of Chiron at the same time as Achilles.

Battle Continuation: B
The capacity to continue on with a battle even in the face of perilous and nigh fatal injury, to fight until ones very last despite overwhelming odds. Berserker ended his life undefeated, known to continue through fights and survive despite the odds. Seen in his battle against Hector throughout the Trojan War, his tenacity is unyielding and his capability unmatched.

---

Noble Phantasm(s):

_{The Seven Rings that Cover the Fiery Heavens}
Rho Aias
Barrier
Rank: A+
Range: N/A
Maximum Number of Targets: 1

Description: Rho Aias is the impenetrable shield of Ajax the Great, a hero of the Trojan War. It is a shield of ultimate protection, especially effective against projectile attacks, that can repel even the strongest of blows from the mightiest of weapons. In its transition from existence to the Throne of Heroes, the shield has become more than a mere item, and has become a Conceptual Weapon incorporated into the very being of Berserker.

Its activation can be likened to that of a Bounded Field, though one of absolute defence. Out from its centre blossom seven rings, the seven layers of Ox hide atop the bronze base. In regards to projectile weaponry, the shield needn't be activated at all, simply granting immunity from ranged weapons in the form of Protection From Arrows, thanks to its nature as a Conceptual Weapon. It is no longer just a shield, but a passive defensive attribute, one of absolute defence and a constituent part of Berserker and his legend. This passive activation, though, is only attributed to defence against ranged.

To utilise it as a true shield, the name must be recounted. It continues to grant its Protection From Arrows, however it completely seals all other weapons Berserker possesses. It changes from an absolute defence from projectiles to an unassailable and impregnable shield capable of reflecting all but the mightiest of Noble Phantasms, being those of above an A+ in Rank. To penetrate the Aias one must shatter the seven rings that make it up, but such a feat is night impossible, even for an attack such as the A Rank Spear of Hector.

Shattering even the rings, though, can and does provide some respite. Damage is dealt upon Berserker as the rings are destroyed, though whether he can be affected in his maddened state is another matter. Destroying the Aias renders it useless - that is, useless up until enough magical energy can be supplied to restore it to its original state.

---

_{Bulwark of the Achaeans}
Dieisdytikó Dóry
Anti-Unit
Rank: D ~ D+
Range: 1 ~ 50
Maximum Number of Targets: 1

Description: Perhaps not the most well known of feats, but one Ajax would be remembered for: his prowess with a spear. Throughout the years of the Trojan War, Ajax time and time again proved himself to be a skillful wielder of the armament, killing and wounding many in the years of combat, including fighting on equal footing with Hector, the Trojan’s greatest hero. Hector and Ajax may have stood on equal footing, but consistently did the latter mortally wound the hero only for him to return renewed by the Gods.

A Noble Phantasm, with power based on fighting style than anything more. As in their fight, Ajax’s spear did pierce both Hector’s shield and armour, and stab through his shirt. It is a passive Noble Phantasm that activates at the moment a spear is thrown, inherent in the very concept of throwing the spear, bestowing upon it the capability to bypass defenses such as armour and shields. The spear need not merely penetrate them, but in the face of the weapon, such defenses will be nullified.

Its power, however, lies solely within its usage, for when used aggressively, as an offensive means to conquer the foe, Dieisdytikó Dóry is merely a D Rank Noble Phantasm capable of puncturing magically enhanced structures with greater efficiency. When utilised on the defensive, however, typically in conjunction with the Guardian Knight Skill, the ability is elevated to a D+ Rank Noble Phantasm capable of bypassing shields and armours entirely to deal devastating blows to even the most powerful heroes. Only those with skills such as Eye of the Mind or Instinct may find themselves able to dodge the blow, as the attack often comes as a reaction, that even the fastest of Servants may find inescapable, forcing upon them an Agility check lest they be caught in the blow.

Serafina Whitehall

Title(s):

Whitehall Family Head, The Runekeeper.

Gender:

Female

Age:

20

Alignment:

Chaotic Good

Rank:

Fes: Festival

Objective for the Grail:

Most Magus of the world wish to reach the Root and the Akashic Records, but not the Whitehall Family. Their true goal is the creation of the "Perfect Rune", a shifting rune, that can both change its shape, and also act as a carrier for itself. Such a rune would allow for remote inscription on far surfaces, and allow for complex sequences to be achieved in a fraction of a second. It would easily allow for the Whitehall family to take their place as one of the greatest magic families in the world.

Command Seal:

Command Seals

Personality:

Serafina is what some might consider the antithesis to her sister. She is still bound by her own morals, much the same as Sofia, but they are looser in what they allow for her to do. Unlike most within the Mage's Association she is far from a stickler for the rule that Magecraft must remain unnoticed by the masses, and is therefore perfectly okay with fighting in front of a crowd if it means accomplishing her goal. Civilian casualties are fair game provided she can justify it, as well. She effectively directs herself on two primary things. 1) Will this bring me about the best result? and 2) Will this bring any misfortune down on my family, or Sofia.

In regards to Sofia, she can be considered her one weakness. Despite carrying on the wishes of her family, she despises them internally for the way they treat her. If she hadn't a smart mind she might have killed the people responsible, considering just how powerful a Mage she is. But she isn't that stupid. It would only blow back on Sofia, and that is a situation she wishes to avoid at all costs. She even had issues with the girl joining with the Fuyuki Grail War, considering her ineptitude as a Mage, but still allowed for her to continue on as her ally.

Sera can be hard to describe succinctly. Sometimes she appears calculated, as though she has some kind of plan with which she can attain victory, but half the time she acts on whims with reckless abandon in pursuit of her goals simply because it is the fastest method. She's not the most hyperactive, but she can and does get excited somewhat easily. This is truly most reflected when spending time with Sofia, simple because of the bond the two share as sisters.

Bio:

The Whitehall family. Not your most prestigious, and definitely not your most powerful family. They can't have been said to have been particularly noteworthy, either; they might have been one of the greatest Rune using families with the Mage's Association, but Mages always had a kind of stigma when it came to Rune users, as though they weren't real Mages. So, even from the advent of the family, they wished to be recognised properly.

At the time when their Crest was only in its third generation, the efforts of the family finally paid off. They excavated Runes. Not just any Runes, though: Old Runes, created by the Giants of Scandinavia during the times long past, beholding power unmatched in Modern Magecraft. Using them as a fast pass, the family quickly grew to be one of the more noteworthy groups within the Association. Holders of over a dozen Old Runes, of more variety and number than had ever been held by a single family. From that point on, the Whitehall family became recognised as the greatest Rune-focused family, maybe in the world.

Fast forward, to 1867. The Crest was in its fifth generation, and the family was becoming greedy. They wanted to produce more powerful offspring who, with the power of the Old Runes at their backs, could challenge the Three Great Families of Fuyuki, and more. They sought to, artificially, through the use of Magecraft, replicate the speciality of the Edelfelt line, and give their own family the Ore Scale Sorcery Trait. A ritual was set up to ensure twins would be birthed, and to manipulate the fetus's so their Magic Circuits would be some of the finest ever seen in the world.

Except the ritual didn't quite work as planned. Instead of both children being born with vast numbers of circuits, all with impeccable quality, one was born defective, with so few Circuits they could barely be called a Mage, and a child with so many Circuits their sheer output would no doubt lead them to rank highly in the world. The more powerful was named Serafina, whilst the weaker was named Sofia.

These names would soon come to represent the way the two were treated within the family. Sofia, weaker, more fragile, was nigh abandoned by the family, only allowed to live and study under their roof as to not damage the Whitehall name, and to provide Sera with someone to play with. On multiple occasions did the family attempt to have Sofia adopted, but no family wished for a defective Mage.

Therefore, she was allowed to remain, but barely educated in the families art. Instead of pampering both daughters, Sera was favoured, and given all the attention she needed and more. She was trained in the most expert ways for Runic Magic, and taught to use the families Sorcery Trait, the usage and replication of their Old Runes. Despite her family telling her to, though, Sera never gave up on Sofia.

She has no idea what she did in her spare time, but whenever she could she would spend time with her sister. It felt wrong that the family could just cast her out like that when in the first place it was their fault she was like that. Neither of them asked to be changed, or messed with, yet they still were, and thus Sera chose to ignore what her family said, and made Sofia her closest, and nigh only friend. Outside the home were Mages, conceited and smug, looking down upon a family that used Runes. Considering Sofia's defective nature, she needed her.

At first Sera was against having Sofia join her in the Second Fuyuki Grail War, but after some convincing on the latter's part and a healthy dose of sibling love, she reluctantly agreed.

---

Magic Circuit Switch:

A tome opens, its pages shuffling and fluttering in invisible wind, before the paper ignites and burns into nothing.

Number of Magic Circuits:

A+

Quality of Magic Circuits:

B

Elemental Affinity:

Fire, Wind.

Origin:

Discovery

---

Magecraft:

As the favoured child of a powerful Magical family, Serafina is of course well versed in the basics of Magecraft. Great effort was taken to ensure that she had a firm grasp on the generals of the art, and her tutelage began it a very young age. It can't be said that all her education came from formal teachings, though, as a lot of time was spent reading books on Magecraft, as well as playing with Sofia, including practising said basics.

Sera's true skill comes into play with regards to Runes. As she belongs to one of the most powerful Runic Families in the modern world, it comes as no great surprise that she is an expert, nigh master, of Runic arts. If one considered her to have been exceptionally trained within the basics of Magecraft, then one could say she was groomed to become an exceptional user of Runes, as is the families craft.

At her back is also the families so called Sorcery Trait, the ability to replicate and utilise Old Runes. These Runes date back to the Giants of Scandinavia, which the Whitehall family excavated in their Third Generation. The family itself possesses 18 unique Runic Scripts of the Giants, which have all been delicately restored and duplicated. Serafina has many copies of these Runes, and while their power is lesser than that of the original Scripts, their power completely dwarfs that of Modern Runes.

For the purpose of the Second Fuyuki Grail War, and due to Serafina's exceptional talent, the family has granted her the Magic Crest, making her the family head. It is a Fifth Generation Magic Crest, containing vast knowledge of Runic Magecraft, as well as varying other methods of Magecraft, including Alchemy and Golemancy, although she tends not to use them. They primarily serve as backups and contingencies in the event she needs to do something outside what can be considered the Whitehall Comfort Zone. This also includes the usage of Gandr, with which Sera is surprisingly proficient, as per her parents request.

Despite Healing Magecraft being outside her specialty, for the Grail War she has been given something of a crash course. Due to the healing limitations of Runes it was deemed necessary that she be able to heal both the wounds of her Servant as well as her sister in the event something bad happened; though it can be said the only reason Sofia has been allowed to join is because the Whitehall family wishes for her death, they can't reasonably allow their children into a bloody battle without some kind of safety net, hence the training.

Crest:

The Whitehall Crest is currently on its 5th generation, wielded by the current family head Serafina Whitehall for the purposes of the Second Fuyuki Grail War.

Weapon:

• While not technically a Mystic Code, Sera's own body can be considered a powerful magical source. All across her body, barely perceptible to the human eye, in magical ink, are dozens of different runes for varying different purposes. There are strengthening ones, speed increasing ones, sight increasing ones, and many more, including some of the Old Runes excavated and duplicated by her family. They are placed strategically, wherever they would be most effective, and can provide Sera with extreme boosts to her combat capabilities, even beyond that which could be supplied through the use of Modern Magecraft or Mystic Codes. One of these ruins in particular is the rune of Thurisaz, ᚦ, and the rune of Uruz, ᚢ, both of which are inscribed onto each of Sera's index fingers. Channelling Prana through these ruins causes the Thurisaz rune produces a flame, while the Uruz rune generates a small wall of air before her finger. This allows Sera to engrave runes into the very air itself using merely her fingers, allowing for on the fly inscriptions and spell casting.
• God's Ears - a small automaton, animated through the usage of the Berkano Rune. This grants it a seeking property, and can be used to track down people or things from afar. It is also engraved with the following Rune Chain: ᛈᚨᚲᚷ - ᛈᛗ. This bestows upon the automaton the ability to detect sound within 15 meters of it, and relay it back to a designated point.
• Regarding the King - At first glance, and even with detailed inspection, the book Sera carries around appears to be a science fiction novel, which tells the story of a rebel group attempting to defeat a super advanced artificial intelligence which made the world perfect, but at the same time destroyed freedom and civil liberty. In actuality, the real book is something much more interesting - a portable Bounded Field generator. By passing her Mana through it, she can place Runes inside of the pages, effectively making it a portable spell tome. Runes engraved in this way take up a lot more magical energy than they might do otherwise, however they do not incur extra costs to keep active. The runes do have to be re-inscribed after sometime, however it allows for the creation of Bounded Fields that can remain active for much longer than otherwise and with much greater efficiency, provided the book remains static. Moving the book disrupts to spell, thus in order to keep the field active the book must be left behind, or the runes must be re-engraved.
• A Gift from Hector - An astoundingly sharp sword, gifted to Ajax the Great by Hector as a gift due to his courage and skill in battle. The sword is double edged, and mostly non-descript, however the edges are incredibly sharp. It is the weapon Ajax would later on use to kill himself after disgracing his honour under the manipulation of Athena, and also the Catalyst Serafina used to summon her Servant. It is equivalent to a D Rank Noble Phantasm, though without any exceptional traits. Through manipulating the weapon with Runes, it has become much more durable, especially considering it has existed for many thousands of years.

Exceptional Benefit - Sorcery Trait - Runes of Old:

The very thing that put the Whitehall family on the track to becoming recognised as a powerful family within the Mage's Association - the power to use and replicate Old Runes. While most people that possess these kinds of Old Runes have very few, the Whitehall family is in possession of 18 different original scripts. Great care has been taken to ensure they maintain their power, and great lengths have been taken to replicate them, with a large majority of the experiments being a success. Serafina, as the current family head, for the purpose of the Second Fuyuki Grail War, is in possession of both the Magical Crest of the family, as well as a large assortment of Runes replicated from originals created by the Giants of Scandinavia. They are not as powerful as the real scripts at the Whitehall Mansion, but they are capable of much greater levels of power than modern day Runes.

Fate/Factitious Paradigm

Master application will be added later after I've bloody finished em.

Berserker

Class: Berserker
True Name: Ajax, Ajax the Great
Master:
Gender: Male
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Birth and Death Date: 1260 - 1180 BC approx.

Personality:
In his right mind, Ajax is a decently kind man. He has a strong moral compass, and understands the right and wrong of things without exception. He is very prideful, however, and doesn't take kindly to insults against it. His short temper is one of his key defining flaws, but it is one he has relatively under control. Relationships are things he holds very dear, especially the one between him and his Master, but also between friends, whomever they are, including other Heroic Spirits.

None of this shines through, though, due to his summoning as a Berserker. The effects of Athena's mental manipulation still linger within his mind, distorting all rationale besides that of "Kill". However, one thing that does remain is his strong sense of preservation as a primarily defensive hero, resulting in the full and adept use of his Noble Phantasms, especially that of Rho Aias_{The Seven Rings that Cover the Fiery Heavens}.

Biography:
Ajax is the son of Telamon, who was the son of Aeacus and grandson of Zeus, and his first wife Periboea. He is the cousin of Achilles, and is the elder half-brother of Teucer. In Homer's Iliad he is described as of great stature, colossal frame and strongest of all the Achaeans. Known as the "bulwark of the Achaeans", he was trained by the centaur Chiron (who had trained Ajax' father Telamon and Achilles' father Peleus and would later die of an accidental wound inflicted by Heracles, whom he was at the time training), at the same time as Achilles. He was described as fearless, strong and powerful but also with a very high level of combat intelligence. Ajax commands his army wielding a huge shield made of seven cow-hides with a layer of bronze. Most notably, Ajax is not wounded in any of the battles described in the Iliad, and he is the only principal character on either side who does not receive substantial assistance from any of the gods (except for Agamemnon) who take part in the battles, although, in book 13, Poseidon strikes Ajax with his staff, renewing his strength. Unlike Diomedes, Agamemnon, and Achilles, Ajax appears as a mainly defensive warrior, instrumental in the defence of the Greek camp and ships and that of Patroclus' body. When the Trojans are on the offensive, he is often seen covering the retreat of the Achaeans. Significantly, while one of the deadliest heroes in the whole poem, Ajax has no aristeia depicting him on the offensive.

In the Iliad, Ajax is notable for his abundant strength and courage, seen particularly in two fights with Hector. In Book 7, Ajax is chosen by lot to meet Hector in a duel which lasts most of a whole day. Ajax at first gets the better of the encounter, wounding Hector with his spear and knocking him down with a large stone, but Hector fights on until the heralds, acting at the direction of Zeus, call a draw, with the two combatants exchanging gifts, Ajax giving Hector a purple sash and Hector giving Ajax his sharp sword.

The second fight between Ajax and Hector occurs when the latter breaks into the Mycenaean camp, and fights with the Greeks among the ships. In Book 14, Ajax throws a giant rock at Hector which almost kills him. In Book 15, Hector is restored to his strength by Apollo and returns to attack the ships. Ajax, wielding an enormous spear as a weapon and leaping from ship to ship, holds off the Trojan armies virtually single-handedly. In Book 16, Hector and Ajax duel once again. Hector then disarms Ajax (although Ajax is not hurt) and Ajax is forced to retreat, seeing that Zeus is clearly favouring Hector. Hector and the Trojans succeed in burning one Greek ship, the culmination of an assault that almost finishes the war. Ajax is responsible for the death of many Trojans lords, including Phorcys.

As the Iliad comes to a close, Ajax and the majority of other Greek warriors are alive and well. When Achilles dies, killed by Paris (with help from Apollo), Ajax and Odysseus are the heroes who fight against the Trojans to get the body and bury it with his companion, Patroclus. Ajax, with his great shield and spear, manages to recover the body and carry it to the ships, while Odysseus fights off the Trojans. After the burial, each claims Achilles' magical armour for himself as recognition for his heroic efforts. After several days of competition, Odysseus and Ajax are tied for the ownership of the divine armour, which had been forged on Mount Olympus by the smith-god Hephaestus. It is then that a competition is held to determine who deserves the armour. Ajax argues that because of his strength and the fighting he has done for the Greeks, including saving the ships from Hector, and driving him off with a massive rock, he deserves the armour. However, Odysseus proves to be more eloquent, and with the aid of Athena, the council gives him the armour. Ajax, "Unconquered", and furious, becomes crazed and slaughters the Achaians' herds of captured livestock, believing them to be his enemies through a trick of Athena. Unable to deal with this dual dishonour, he falls upon his own sword - the one gifted to him by Hector - "conquered by his own sorrow," and commits suicide.

Weapons:
The weapon Ajax uses is what can only be described as a simplistic spear. It has a wooden handle, and a metal head and pommel. Besides being impressively large, and being in immaculate quality, the spear appears to have no other notable features.

---

Stats:

STR: B+
END: B+
AGL: A
MAG: D
LCK: D

---

Class Skills:
Mad Enhancement: C
After the Trojan War, many heroes laid claim to the deceased Achilles's magic armour. Ajax and Odysseus stood as the final two with claim to the armour, but in the end it was given to Odysseus. Ajax found himself furious with the result, and Athena took the chance to cloud his mind. His sanity dissipated and he slaughtered a flock of sheep believing them to be the Achaean leaders. Grants a rank up to all stats excluding Mana and Luck, but in exchange thought and language is completely lost to the Servant. The effects of Mad Enhancement can be increased when fighting Servants with Divinity, seen in his skill

---

Personal Skills:
Deific Rejection: -
A culmination of experiences from the life of Berserker, including the Trojan War, and after it. A hero on the fields of battle, without divine favour, surrounded by heroes such as Achilles, Odysseus, and Hector, backed by their Godly patrons. The final straw came about as Athena broke his mind, resulting in his summoning as a Berserker. While Ajax under any other class might have been summoned with Divinity, Berserker rejects it, instead favouring a hatred for both Gods and their heroes. When fighting against Servants with Divinity or blessings from Gods, the multipliers of Mad Enhancement are doubled, raising the rank from C to C+. A skill befitting one undefeated in a world blessed by the divine.

Guardian Knight: A
Ajax, the Bulwark of the Achaeans, a towering figure, a mountain of a man, wielding a shield larger than that of a wall. Throughout his legends, he was known to protect his fellow soldiers, covering their retreats and shielding them from arrows; he even rescued the bodies of both Patroclus and Achilles after their respective defeats. Such is the legend of a defensive warrior, whose prowess lies in defense of something, whether that be the armies of his fellows, the warriors alongside him, or the bodies of his comrades; the effects of this skill are great, bestowing upon Ajax tremendous power in these states, raising his defensive capabilities to extreme levels so that he may properly defend that which he must.

Eye of the Mind (True): B
The skill of calm and logical rationale in the face of danger and adversity, garnered through immense training training and experience. The ability to keep cool in battle and determine a clear path to victory. Even despite The effects of Mad Enhancement, the skill remains as part of Berserker's kit as second nature. It is born of his many battles during the Trojan War, and his training under the eye of Chiron at the same time as Achilles.

Battle Continuation: B
The capacity to continue on with a battle even in the face of perilous and nigh fatal injury, to fight until ones very last despite overwhelming odds. Berserker ended his life undefeated, known to continue through fights and survive despite the odds. Seen in his battle against Hector throughout the Trojan War, his tenacity is unyielding and his capability unmatched.

---

Noble Phantasm(s):

_{The Seven Rings that Cover the Fiery Heavens}
Rho Aias
Barrier
Rank: A+
Range: N/A
Maximum Number of Targets: 1

Description: Rho Aias is the impenetrable shield of Ajax the Great, a hero of the Trojan War. It is a shield of ultimate protection, especially effective against projectile attacks, that can repel even the strongest of blows from the mightiest of weapons. In its transition from existence to the Throne of Heroes, the shield has become more than a mere item, and has become a Conceptual Weapon incorporated into the very being of Berserker.

Its activation can be likened to that of a Bounded Field, though one of absolute defence. Out from its centre blossom seven rings, the seven layers of Ox hide atop the bronze base. In regards to projectile weaponry, the shield needn't be activated at all, simply granting immunity from ranged weapons in the form of Protection From Arrows, thanks to its nature as a Conceptual Weapon. It is no longer just a shield, but a passive defensive attribute, one of absolute defence and a constituent part of Berserker and his legend. This passive activation, though, is only attributed to defence against ranged.

To utilise it as a true shield, the name must be recounted. It continues to grant its Protection From Arrows, however it completely seals all other weapons Berserker possesses. It changes from an absolute defence from projectiles to an unassailable and impregnable shield capable of reflecting all but the mightiest of Noble Phantasms, being those of above an A+ in Rank. To penetrate the Aias one must shatter the seven rings that make it up, but such a feat is night impossible, even for an attack such as the A Rank Spear of Hector.

Shattering even the rings, though, can and does provide some respite. Damage is dealt upon Berserker as the rings are destroyed, though whether he can be affected in his maddened state is another matter. Destroying the Aias renders it useless - that is, useless up until enough magical energy can be supplied to restore it to its original state.

---

_{Bulwark of the Achaeans}
Dieisdytikó Dóry
Anti-Unit
Rank: D ~ D+
Range: 1 ~ 50
Maximum Number of Targets: 1

Description: Perhaps not the most well known of feats, but one Ajax would be remembered for: his prowess with a spear. Throughout the years of the Trojan War, Ajax time and time again proved himself to be a skillful wielder of the armament, killing and wounding many in the years of combat, including fighting on equal footing with Hector, the Trojan’s greatest hero. Hector and Ajax may have stood on equal footing, but consistently did the latter mortally wound the hero only for him to return renewed by the Gods.

A Noble Phantasm, with power based on fighting style than anything more. As in their fight, Ajax’s spear did pierce both Hector’s shield and armour, and stab through his shirt. It is a passive Noble Phantasm that activates at the moment a spear is thrown, inherent in the very concept of throwing the spear, bestowing upon it the capability to bypass defenses such as armour and shields. The spear need not merely penetrate them, but in the face of the weapon, such defenses will be nullified.

Its power, however, lies solely within its usage, for when used aggressively, as an offensive means to conquer the foe, Dieisdytikó Dóry is merely a D Rank Noble Phantasm capable of puncturing magically enhanced structures with greater efficiency. When utilised on the defensive, however, typically in conjunction with the Guardian Knight Skill, the ability is elevated to a D+ Rank Noble Phantasm capable of bypassing shields and armours entirely to deal devastating blows to even the most powerful heroes. Only those with skills such as Eye of the Mind or Instinct may find themselves able to dodge the blow, as the attack often comes as a reaction, that even the fastest of Servants may find inescapable, forcing upon them an Agility check lest they be caught in the blow.

Serafina Whitehall

Title(s):

Whitehall Family Head, The Runekeeper.

Gender:

Female

Age:

20

Alignment:

Chaotic Good

Rank:

Fes: Festival

Objective for the Grail:

Most Magus of the world wish to reach the Root and the Akashic Records, but not the Whitehall Family. Their true goal is the creation of the "Perfect Rune", a shifting rune, that can both change its shape, and also act as a carrier for itself. Such a rune would allow for remote inscription on far surfaces, and allow for complex sequences to be achieved in a fraction of a second. It would easily allow for the Whitehall family to take their place as one of the greatest magic families in the world.

Command Seal:

Command Seals

Personality:

Serafina is what some might consider the antithesis to her sister. She is still bound by her own morals, much the same as Sofia, but they are looser in what they allow for her to do. Unlike most within the Mage's Association she is far from a stickler for the rule that Magecraft must remain unnoticed by the masses, and is therefore perfectly okay with fighting in front of a crowd if it means accomplishing her goal. Civilian casualties are fair game provided she can justify it, as well. She effectively directs herself on two primary things. 1) Will this bring me about the best result? and 2) Will this bring any misfortune down on my family, or Sofia.

In regards to Sofia, she can be considered her one weakness. Despite carrying on the wishes of her family, she despises them internally for the way they treat her. If she hadn't a smart mind she might have killed the people responsible, considering just how powerful a Mage she is. But she isn't that stupid. It would only blow back on Sofia, and that is a situation she wishes to avoid at all costs. She even had issues with the girl joining with the Fuyuki Grail War, considering her ineptitude as a Mage, but still allowed for her to continue on as her ally.

Sera can be hard to describe succinctly. Sometimes she appears calculated, as though she has some kind of plan with which she can attain victory, but half the time she acts on whims with reckless abandon in pursuit of her goals simply because it is the fastest method. She's not the most hyperactive, but she can and does get excited somewhat easily. This is truly most reflected when spending time with Sofia, simple because of the bond the two share as sisters.

Bio:

The Whitehall family. Not your most prestigious, and definitely not your most powerful family. They can't have been said to have been particularly noteworthy, either; they might have been one of the greatest Rune using families with the Mage's Association, but Mages always had a kind of stigma when it came to Rune users, as though they weren't real Mages. So, even from the advent of the family, they wished to be recognised properly.

At the time when their Crest was only in its third generation, the efforts of the family finally paid off. They excavated Runes. Not just any Runes, though: Old Runes, created by the Giants of Scandinavia during the times long past, beholding power unmatched in Modern Magecraft. Using them as a fast pass, the family quickly grew to be one of the more noteworthy groups within the Association. Holders of over a dozen Old Runes, of more variety and number than had ever been held by a single family. From that point on, the Whitehall family became recognised as the greatest Rune-focused family, maybe in the world.

Fast forward, to 1867. The Crest was in its fifth generation, and the family was becoming greedy. They wanted to produce more powerful offspring who, with the power of the Old Runes at their backs, could challenge the Three Great Families of Fuyuki, and more. They sought to, artificially, through the use of Magecraft, replicate the speciality of the Edelfelt line, and give their own family the Ore Scale Sorcery Trait. A ritual was set up to ensure twins would be birthed, and to manipulate the fetus's so their Magic Circuits would be some of the finest ever seen in the world.

Except the ritual didn't quite work as planned. Instead of both children being born with vast numbers of circuits, all with impeccable quality, one was born defective, with so few Circuits they could barely be called a Mage, and a child with so many Circuits their sheer output would no doubt lead them to rank highly in the world. The more powerful was named Serafina, whilst the weaker was named Sofia.

These names would soon come to represent the way the two were treated within the family. Sofia, weaker, more fragile, was nigh abandoned by the family, only allowed to live and study under their roof as to not damage the Whitehall name, and to provide Sera with someone to play with. On multiple occasions did the family attempt to have Sofia adopted, but no family wished for a defective Mage.

Therefore, she was allowed to remain, but barely educated in the families art. Instead of pampering both daughters, Sera was favoured, and given all the attention she needed and more. She was trained in the most expert ways for Runic Magic, and taught to use the families Sorcery Trait, the usage and replication of their Old Runes. Despite her family telling her to, though, Sera never gave up on Sofia.

She has no idea what she did in her spare time, but whenever she could she would spend time with her sister. It felt wrong that the family could just cast her out like that when in the first place it was their fault she was like that. Neither of them asked to be changed, or messed with, yet they still were, and thus Sera chose to ignore what her family said, and made Sofia her closest, and nigh only friend. Outside the home were Mages, conceited and smug, looking down upon a family that used Runes. Considering Sofia's defective nature, she needed her.

At first Sera was against having Sofia join her in the Second Fuyuki Grail War, but after some convincing on the latter's part and a healthy dose of sibling love, she reluctantly agreed.

---

Magic Circuit Switch:

A tome opens, its pages shuffling and fluttering in invisible wind, before the paper ignites and burns into nothing.

Number of Magic Circuits:

A+

Quality of Magic Circuits:

B

Elemental Affinity:

Fire, Wind.

Origin:

Discovery

---

Magecraft:

As the favoured child of a powerful Magical family, Serafina is of course well versed in the basics of Magecraft. Great effort was taken to ensure that she had a firm grasp on the generals of the art, and her tutelage began it a very young age. It can't be said that all her education came from formal teachings, though, as a lot of time was spent reading books on Magecraft, as well as playing with Sofia, including practising said basics.

Sera's true skill comes into play with regards to Runes. As she belongs to one of the most powerful Runic Families in the modern world, it comes as no great surprise that she is an expert, nigh master, of Runic arts. If one considered her to have been exceptionally trained within the basics of Magecraft, then one could say she was groomed to become an exceptional user of Runes, as is the families craft.

At her back is also the families so called Sorcery Trait, the ability to replicate and utilise Old Runes. These Runes date back to the Giants of Scandinavia, which the Whitehall family excavated in their Third Generation. The family itself possesses 18 unique Runic Scripts of the Giants, which have all been delicately restored and duplicated. Serafina has many copies of these Runes, and while their power is lesser than that of the original Scripts, their power completely dwarfs that of Modern Runes.

For the purpose of the Second Fuyuki Grail War, and due to Serafina's exceptional talent, the family has granted her the Magic Crest, making her the family head. It is a Fifth Generation Magic Crest, containing vast knowledge of Runic Magecraft, as well as varying other methods of Magecraft, including Alchemy and Golemancy, although she tends not to use them. They primarily serve as backups and contingencies in the event she needs to do something outside what can be considered the Whitehall Comfort Zone. This also includes the usage of Gandr, with which Sera is surprisingly proficient, as per her parents request.

Despite Healing Magecraft being outside her specialty, for the Grail War she has been given something of a crash course. Due to the healing limitations of Runes it was deemed necessary that she be able to heal both the wounds of her Servant as well as her sister in the event something bad happened; though it can be said the only reason Sofia has been allowed to join is because the Whitehall family wishes for her death, they can't reasonably allow their children into a bloody battle without some kind of safety net, hence the training.

Crest:

The Whitehall Crest is currently on its 5th generation, wielded by the current family head Serafina Whitehall for the purposes of the Second Fuyuki Grail War.

Weapon:

• While not technically a Mystic Code, Sera's own body can be considered a powerful magical source. All across her body, barely perceptible to the human eye, in magical ink, are dozens of different runes for varying different purposes. There are strengthening ones, speed increasing ones, sight increasing ones, and many more, including some of the Old Runes excavated and duplicated by her family. They are placed strategically, wherever they would be most effective, and can provide Sera with extreme boosts to her combat capabilities, even beyond that which could be supplied through the use of Modern Magecraft or Mystic Codes. One of these ruins in particular is the rune of Thurisaz, ᚦ, and the rune of Uruz, ᚢ, both of which are inscribed onto each of Sera's index fingers. Channelling Prana through these ruins causes the Thurisaz rune produces a flame, while the Uruz rune generates a small wall of air before her finger. This allows Sera to engrave runes into the very air itself using merely her fingers, allowing for on the fly inscriptions and spell casting.
• God's Ears - a small automaton, animated through the usage of the Berkano Rune. This grants it a seeking property, and can be used to track down people or things from afar. It is also engraved with the following Rune Chain: ᛈᚨᚲᚷ - ᛈᛗ. This bestows upon the automaton the ability to detect sound within 15 meters of it, and relay it back to a designated point.
• Regarding the King - At first glance, and even with detailed inspection, the book Sera carries around appears to be a science fiction novel, which tells the story of a rebel group attempting to defeat a super advanced artificial intelligence which made the world perfect, but at the same time destroyed freedom and civil liberty. In actuality, the real book is something much more interesting - a portable Bounded Field generator. By passing her Mana through it, she can place Runes inside of the pages, effectively making it a portable spell tome. Runes engraved in this way take up a lot more magical energy than they might do otherwise, however they do not incur extra costs to keep active. The runes do have to be re-inscribed after sometime, however it allows for the creation of Bounded Fields that can remain active for much longer than otherwise and with much greater efficiency, provided the book remains static. Moving the book disrupts to spell, thus in order to keep the field active the book must be left behind, or the runes must be re-engraved.
• A Gift from Hector - An astoundingly sharp sword, gifted to Ajax the Great by Hector as a gift due to his courage and skill in battle. The sword is double edged, and mostly non-descript, however the edges are incredibly sharp. It is the weapon Ajax would later on use to kill himself after disgracing his honour under the manipulation of Athena, and also the Catalyst Serafina used to summon her Servant. It is equivalent to a D Rank Noble Phantasm, though without any exceptional traits. Through manipulating the weapon with Runes, it has become much more durable, especially considering it has existed for many thousands of years.

Exceptional Benefit - Sorcery Trait - Runes of Old:

The very thing that put the Whitehall family on the track to becoming recognised as a powerful family within the Mage's Association - the power to use and replicate Old Runes. While most people that possess these kinds of Old Runes have very few, the Whitehall family is in possession of 18 different original scripts. Great care has been taken to ensure they maintain their power, and great lengths have been taken to replicate them, with a large majority of the experiments being a success. Serafina, as the current family head, for the purpose of the Second Fuyuki Grail War, is in possession of both the Magical Crest of the family, as well as a large assortment of Runes replicated from originals created by the Giants of Scandinavia. They are not as powerful as the real scripts at the Whitehall Mansion, but they are capable of much greater levels of power than modern day Runes.

Fate/Factitious Paradigm

If we're doing Servant claims, I'd like to lay a tentative claim on Berserker, as I have just finished up with their skills and Noble Phantasms. All that's left is adding the other little embellishments from this version of the sheet and they'll be done.

On another note, @Red Alice, could you explain what exactly each Magus Rank means in terms of power? In all the research I've done into the Fate Universe when making Servants, I've never come across these terms, so I'm curious as to what they pertain to.

Fate/Factitious Paradigm

Been in one of these before, but sadly didn't get to play or make a Servant within it. Have some interest, why don't you.

Already got a Lancer/Ruler, Caster, Berserker, Saber and Rider planned out too, which is lucky~