To Be a Master
Since time immemorial, humans have been fascinated by the primal spirits of nature - those of Gaia, and those which preceded Gaia. Arceus, the Original One. Giratina, the Creator's Shadow. Dialga, master of the Flow of Time. Palkia, master of possibilities. Rayquaza of the Sky. Kyogre of the Sea. Groudon of Earth. Ho-Oh, guardian of things above. Lugia, guardian of things below. These and more - the ancient legends - humans revered and feared. Once, in the Age of Gods and before, they simply co-existed, with humans and spirits working together, communicating with one Unified Language.
But soon enough, that language was lost, with Divine Words all that remained. Humans made pacts with various beings of power, who taught them the divine languages used to shape nature, and this worked...for a time. But when the gods themselves began to fade, as faith in the powers of earth grew distant when the belief in the Holy Church began sweeping the world, a new solution was needed, one that did not rely on the cooperation of the world.
And so humanity worked out a way to use themselves - and their imaginations - to make miracles possible, by changing some of their soul into the so-called Magic Circuits, so they were not merely a component of a greater system - but were systems in and of themselves. Before, Gaia or Alaya would have done the brute processing for change, with the Divine Words like commands run on a computer, but now, each magus had to visualize the effect one wanted, and hypnotize him or herself into believing it was possible. Yet as individuals, they knew themselves to be limited, and their craft difficult to pass on, so they crafted World Eggs, inscribing their abilities upon the world through rituals involving the creation of artificial Great Spirits - Mew, the Origin of and Pattern for the Lesser Daemons - and sealing it into a great World Egg, so that these abilities might be preserved.
The Regi - Regigigas, Registeel, Regirock, and Regice - were made at this time to assist in the creation of the World Eggs, which was the beginning of modern thaumaturgy as we know it.
Since the creation of those, and the linking to this artificial spirit, humans have brought forth Daemons upon opening their Magic Circuits, creatures of power and spirit that reflect their alignment, as a reflection of themselves as a System and Concept, just as Gaia has her reflections. Some rare humans even developed the ability to bind "wild" lesser daemons through the use of various spells and implements, becoming Daemon Masters...but the few who succeeded are legendary in their own right.
Even so, the system had limits. None of the legends could be brought forth or bound without their consent - though occasionally, they might bond with a human who reflected their concept well, or make a pact with an individual or a family. Zelretch, for instance, is known to be bonded to a Palkia, as Aozaki Aoko is bonded to Reshiram.
Yet for all the powers magecraft and daemons conferred, there was nothing that would extend the lifespan, aside from the heresy of becoming a Dead Apostle, a creature half-man, half-beast which ravenously fed on humans to prevent themselves from decaying, or through secret rituals, ensouling oneself in one's daemon and leaving one's physical body behind. Even this had limited applications, however, as one then no longer could have human form, and was very much an elemental.
The Einzbern sought a different way to immortality to surpass these limits - to not just incarnate in a daemon, but to change one's self into eternal spirit, able to shift form and function, to split and combine souls with ease. Through a combination of their work and a boon from the Sleeping One, Jirachi, they gained this. Their resultant line bore the power of wishes and possibilities - but in time, the secret of eternity was lost, and Jirachi was nowhere to be found. Thus, they have labored for over a thousand years to recover the power they wielded, the secrets of the lost Ages they once bore - until finally coming up with the Holy Grail War, which itself was an imitation of Jirachi's ability. True, it used 60 years of prana from a leyline instead of 1000, but even this crude imitation was coveted by many. Using something similar to a daemon's materialization process, the Grail would copy the information of a Heroic Spirit onto the template of an "artificial" Daemon vessel, creating the beings known as Servants for various Masters to use - superior, but temporary, creations - creations which in their death and return to Origin might open a path that could be followed.
But the Wars brought only tragedy, with the squabbles of the early wars leading to the tragedy of the Fourth, when the corrupted wish for a spirit that embodied evil itself led to the creation of a Beast in the place of one of the Servants - a Beast bound in service to Sajyou Manaka, the Witch of Calamity. She was one of the greatest Witches to have ever lived, an abnormality born with a connection to the Root of the World. Together with Kyurem, who she had bonded with, she was the greatest monster ever to fight in the Wars, requiring a coalition of every Servant and Master to bring her down at great cost. By the time she fell, Kariya, Berserker, Tokiomi, Assassin, Lancer, and El Melloi, all lay dead, with Rider and Archer grievously injured - and Rider having lost his mount and chariot. The Fifth War caused less in the way of physical destruction, but still, the gate did not open, and no wishes were granted.
Much of the Association, not being happy with this ritual that simply bled off talent - and had the potential to destroy the secrecy of the moonlit world - wished to dismantle the Greater Grail and call the Wars a failure, but the Einzbern (and some of the Noble Families) opposed this vehemently. Due to this, it was declared one more chance would be given - that that Tohsaka and others would sit out this fight - that the Association and the Church would take a larger role in testing and choosing prospective representatives, granting their blessing to those they deemed worthy of a wish.
Atlas Academy, the Clock Tower, the Vatican, the Wandering Tomb - these and more have stepped forward as places to test those who have desire a chance to fight, and possibly to recruit the more talented among them. Sites have been prepared, enforcers sent out, and soon the trials will commence.
Participating Characters:
Albert Welf of House Welf (EnigmaticFellow), partnered with Gyarados, who hails from a branch of the House of Este. Accomplished in the arts of spiritual evocation and invocation, they once admired the Einzbern, but the loss of the Third Magic has caused House Welf to look upon them unfavorably, believing they are unfit to continue in the prominence they bear. House Welf seeks to undermine the Einzbern and usurp their position as nobility through an understanding of Power. Power is their passion, their research, their obsession. He joins this War to bring an end to the Wars and allow the Grail to be dismantled, crushing the last hope of the Einzbern - with this feat allowing him to rise to the rank of Head of House.
Akimitsu Tsukino (Caster), partnered with Kirlia, a descendant of Shinto ritualists from the Far East who some believe have the abilities of a daemon master. An only child, he does not wield the usual elements, and has an uncommon affinity for spirits. He is one who wishes to change the world, and so has responded to the summons for Masters in the Grail War. His arrival has been noted by some in the Tower curious as to what the old families of the East might wish - and what their powers might be.
Himemiya Toshirou (lethum), whose daemon is Milotic, a Freelancer who seeks the Grail in the name of the Devon Ul-Mucel family, once relatively prominent during the early years of the Magic Association, but which has fallen to a lesser, intermediate role a few centuries in and never recovered. Their wish is inscribed in a Mystic Code given to Toshirou. He is known as a Steam Magus, the last survivor of the fallen house of Ealhswith, which was destroyed in an attack by Dead Apostles. Raised by the family maid, who went into hiding in Japan, he has completed a number of missions as a mercenary, and has been noticed by the Enforcers for his brutal - if efficient - work.
"John Smith" (mangafreak7793), whose daemon is an Alakazam, a self-proclaimed storyteller whose history is littered with gaps - and who the Association is fairly certain is not using his real name. His abilities are largely unknown, with the little information available on him describing him as being affiliated with a now-deceased alchemist on the run from Atlas, with connections to the underworld of necromancers and an interest in strange artifacts. He dresses oddly, combining the stereotypical wizard robe and hat with roller blades. He has occasionally been spotted around Aozaki Aoko, a source of consternation to many in the Noble Families, who do not know what to make of him and thus consider him a threat.
Lloyd Hadings (Lycodrake), partnered with Houndoom, a curse specialist from Greece - the unenviable second son of a magus family. In his youth, he would be used as a practice dummy by the heir to the family, who likewise practiced curses. These have resulted in permanent damage and muscle weakness that the best healing spells have been unable to heal. He seeks mastery of magecraft - and the power of the Grail - to purge any last bit of humanity ("weakness") within him, allowing him to transcend his limits and bring about the destruction of his family - and perhaps even himself.
Alfredo PakPak (Wing), an odd magus of Metal and Wind from the Philippines, considered something of a magical backwater. Orphaned after the death of his parents, his life was forever changed when he met the sisters Slyvia and Cynthia - magi who took him as an apprentice, introducing him to the moonlit world. With Skarmory by his side, he joined them on a journey on the run from the Association's Enforcers, as Slyvia had been placed under a sealing designation. He even found a family for himself of sorts - until another car accident claimed the lives of his companions, with him only surviving due to his strongest ability - forging a body of steel. Since then, he has become obsessed with becoming stronger, and sees the Grail as a way to resurrect his family, as he is willing to risk - or do - anything to be by their side once again.
(there is one spot remaining, if anyone is interested)
Location [redacted]
In Media Res
July 21, 2014
"Touko. They're breaking through."
The unnatural blue of Shiki Ryougi's Mystic Eyes of Death Perception flashed in the grim darkness as she fell upon her foes with a ferocity unmatched by her words, her bone-white kimono stark against the dark, mist-like smoke which fell around her like drabs of paint. She spun, each creature she stuck with as much as scratch dissolving into smoke as if consumed by an invisible fire, leaving behind only a large stain of utter wrongness.It churned about her, relentless and malevolent, dissipating only before the onslaught of another flurry of silver slashes in the gloom.
In the distance, four immense forms did battle against shambling things oozed through gaps in reality, shapeless, ever-changing congeries of protoplasmic bubbles and eyes forming and unforming like pustules of filthy light, filling the very air with unearthly shrills, cacophonies, warblings that could drive one mad.
"UWOOOOOAAAAA!"
Bloodcurdling cadences, unutterable truths, crawling letters trickling down hundreds of dimensions on alien gravities like a cancer floating on quantum foam, it came. Anti-life. Anti-luminosity that crucifies sentience.
The foe was never static - it was change itself, flesh mutating, mind boiling to bilious madness, lucidity nowhere to be seen, daemonic pathogens pouring, pouring into this reality from a breach into the Outer Dark. Event horizons open in the mind...
Three of those who fought desperately against this foe were earthbound, two of them vaguely recognizable as a Mega-Gengar and a Mega-Alakazam with markings reminiscent of tribal tattoos, with the iridescent light of Psybeam mixing with the living shade of countless Shadow Balls. A living mist roiled on the ground around them, keeping the dark smoke at bay as another daemon joined them in battle against the malevolent idioplasm from beyond the stars, taking the form of living nightmares from humanity's worst fears.
This daemon was a vaguely deer-like creature with eight horns shining in seven colors: Xerneas, the Legendary Daemon which represented life, defended life, as it did now, launching an orb of crackling pink lightnings at the creeping miasma.
BOOM!
For a moment, the enemy was pushed back, but like a whispering tide. Could one kill an ocean? Could one destroy monstrosities that had consumed entire worlds before, which lurked in the infinite shade between dimensions? A cancer of worlds that could infect all those who touched them - if they were not protected? The Devouring Plague could never be truly stopped...
But it could be stalled for a time, as twin avatars of death struck out with combined attacks from sky and ground alike, whirlwinds of destruction with blade and wing.
"Yvetal. Oblivion Wing. Open a path."
A shill, piercing cry echoed as the legendary Daemon that represented Destruction complied, unleashing a spear of darkness-spears of wind that descended from the sky, ripping apart a mass of creatures standing in the Reaper's way, absorbing some of the fell energies they fed on. Immediately, they began to reform, empowered by the rift - but slower, now. Still, no conventional power could destroy them, and so even the greatest of daemons could only perform a holding action. Only the one who embodied the Void, the beautiful grim reaper, could end their existences - could end this onslaught - but she was but one person, and could be overwhelmed if not for the daemons that flocked about her.
She sped forward now, form blurring as she sought the rift, the foes which rushed into her range cut down by her shining, icy blade, and those around her knocked back. More rushed at her, anti-life, anti-sentience seeking to consume the One who could destroy them, becoming smoke, becoming flame, and despite the cacophony of the great Daemons acting as a kind of support artillery, they couldn't act fast enough.
"Kuh. Touko..."
A distant grunt sounded, and then three daemons launched their final attack. Something like a hundred - no, a thousand - bolts of light tore apart the darkness, raining down onto the evil-shaped forms being disgorged from the rift to the endless dark and wiping their physical forms from the world. For the briefest of instants, the field was bare.
"Shiki, now. I'm out of prana."
Spinning once, the Reaper accelerated. It was as if she was being propelled by an icy wind, footsteps racing across a ground crawling with black veins carrying corruption itself, a signal of anti-information broadcast by who knew what. In her wake, hundreds of icy blades shredded the veins, causing them too to vanish, even as the forms of her foes began to regenerate, only to be skewered by dark spears.
There there...almost there!
"Shiki!"
A monstrous spiked foot nearly splattered her as something erupted from the rift in reality - a vast, evil-shaped form that nearly defied comprehension. It was like a dragon in shape, but was formed from countless hooks of dark iridescence, its sheer presence enough to bring any magus, any hero, any god to its knees. It glowered and smoked and hissed, and sensing the true threat, attacked.
Lightning erupted from every inch of its surface.
Dark spears of wind sought out the form of the Reaper, tiny against its gargantuan bulk.
Living shadow and light mingled stabbed forth, to entangle, to rip, ensnare, destroy.
And the Filth rose with it.
Night became day, as all of these attacks - the sum total of everything that had been used against its minions - was launched against the one who was Death itself, blotting out her form.
Destruction rained down, shockwaves tossing every living thing besides that ancient Dragon to the ground, a mix of light and sound that would have shredded the rearguard, save that Xerneas had shared its well of life with them. Even so, they were sorely wounded, their defense shredded like tissue paper.
And Shiki...
"Can you do it?" Touko asked, from where her puppet lay, about to crumble, her voice but a rasping whisper now.
When the attack finally ended, the Reaper stood, unscathed, having "killed" the essence of every attack headed her way. She spoke with a quiet, solemn dignity that would almost be terrifying, no - was terrifying as she lifted her sword and moved.
"As long as it exists, I can even kill God."
Association Training Facility
London, United Kingdom
July 21, 2014
At the Clock Tower, Aoko Aozaki, the Magic Gunner Miss Blue, the wielder of the Fifth Magic, was engaged in a titanic struggle of her own. On any field of battle, she had never before met her match, but it seemed that this time, things might be different.
"Kuh...damn you!" she snarled as she attacked the foe before her, attempting to outspeed, outwit, outmaneuver her opponent as she consumed rib-eye steaks at a rate that most would consider decidedly unhealthy. Still, it was clear that she was beginning to slow, which her inhuman opponent noted with amusement.
"Psy! Psyduck!" her opponent warbled. It was an unusually blue variety of the species, and one which had on several occasions come close to besting her as an eating champion. Whether it was ramen, steak, yakisoba, pumpkin/cherry/apple or other pies, potato salad, pizza, ribs, pancakes, or even tofu, the daemon had a voracious appetite.
...perhaps fortunately, it wasn't hers, or it might have eaten her out of house and home. On the other hand, given the number of restaurants which offered challenges to consume certain dishes in exchange for free food, perhaps not.
Either way, she glowered at the fell beast as it quacked happily, downing its portions as if oblivious to the ill-intent she radiated. And perhaps it was, as Psyducks had never been the most intelligent of daemons, even if this one was a creation of a Dead Apostle.
'I swear Sumire is up to no good again. Whenever this thing appears, it can only mean trouble. What does she need me for anyway? Have the denizens of Ry'leh stirred at last or something?'
That would be just what she needed, for the sunken city to rise. Besides, this should be a job for the woman who called herself Ciel, the one bonded to the Zekrom, the legendary daemon of ideals, not Aoko, who was bonded instead to Reshiram, the legendary daemon of truth...
'Though perhaps it is not a good thing for a Dead Apostle Ancestor's envoy to go to the Holy Church.'
"Tch. Alright, you bastard. We finish this and then you tell me what your Master wants, alright?" she growled at the duck between bites of her perfectly done steak. Hm. She'd have to compliment the Asssociation on their choice of chef this time around, one Gordon Ramsay, who was said to have learned his craft in a contract with a True Daemon.
"Psy!" the squat blue avian acknowledged, as both turned back to their meal, faces grim and intent with deadly purpose - to be the champion.
In their competitiveness, they did not really notice the third person in the contest - the enigmatic John Smith - also known to some as the Storyteller, who had arrived in London to take part in the Trials preceding the Sixth War.
Clock Tower, Mage Association
London, United Kingdom
July 21, 2014
Waver Velvet, the magus and lecturer better known these days as Lord El-Melloi II, the noble who commanded the El-Melloi faction within the Association, was a decidedly unhappy man as he looked upon the bane of his existence: paperwork. There were days when he wished he'd never decided to steal the artifact to summon Iskander from his former instructor, the late Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi, days he wished he had not killed El-Melloi in single combat after Sola had sought her own fortunes, days when he cursed becoming a noble - though to be fair it had spared him a grim fate. He was very troubled by the Archibald heiress, she who had inflicted this fate upon him, binding him to serve her family.
Really, he considered her something like a devilish black cat - his personal bringer of misfortune. Even if she had become rather attractive, with a sweetness characteristic of early womanhood, and blue eyes held the light of maturity. She favored blouses that were completely out of fashion these days, but she was surrounded by a nobility that was untouched by the vogue.
It was because of her that he now had to deal with the elite magi who called themselves Lords, and the power struggles between their various factions that turned the Clock Tower into a political minefield, with none willing to concede anything except for a favor or promise of recompense in the future. This was even the case with something as troublesome as the Grail War, as some resisted him because they wished something from the Grail - while some simply wished to be contrary to obtain concessions.
'I really hate politics. Some days I wish I could just smash my way through it...'
He smiled wanly at that thought, remembering how his daemon - now a Golurk - had smashed aside his former teacher, and how good it had felt to prove the older magus wrong. Then he sighed, shaking his head.
Remembering those days was foolishness, as he had no Servant now, even if Alexander lived on in his soul. His only major weapon of coercion was to mention his "boss", the notorious Vice Director Barthomeloi Lorelei, given that the Archibald family was one of the very few who possessed any ties to the esteemed "Queen" of the Clock Tower. Not that it did that much good when she was so often out on yet another Dead Apostle hunt, leaving him to deal with her responsibilities as well as his.
'Like finding out who this Lady Amber who has proven troublesome in the East is. Word is she has organized a new faction, one that is small, but exceedingly powerful despite that.'
Or dealing with the various incidents caused by two of his...students, the infamous duo known as "Mary of July" and "Poppins of July" - Rin Tohsaka and Luviagelita Edelfelt. What deity had he offended to be assigned those two?
At least with the preparations for the Trials, the Edelfelt and Tohsaka had been assigned to tasks that kept them physically far apart, so they would not come to blows.
He hoped so, at least, since the alternative was quite embarrassing for him.
He also hoped that an incident wouldn't result from the Tohsaka's and Edelfelt's mutual love interest now being associated with Atlas Academy, under the direct command of the Director, Sion Eltnam Atlasia. The last thing he needed, after all, was an international crisis on his hands, as he did not get paid nearly enough for this.
Not that that was unlikely in the matter of the Sixth Grail War and the trials. Dignitaries from all over the world would be coming to observe - either to lend support, recruit, or mark people down for execution - and there were security concerns to address. The Enforcers had been dispatched to keep order and help guide dignitaries, and the training facilities had been prepared...
At least the Three Founding Families had not squabbled too much at his proposed Trials for the War. Maikri Zouken had, yes, but the others agreed - and with Matou Sakura having disappeared, Zouken had no intention of participating himself. He suspected the Einzbern would seek out a champion from the group, but that was within their rights, and they had generously contributed Joy-type healer homunculi and Jenny-type enforcer homunculi to make sure the trials went well. Perhaps too generously, but then they were the richest of the Three, with the Matous trailing them, and the Tohsaka firmly in third.
His main concerns now were lingering frictions between the Church (which had agreed to send a representative, provide a powerful mediator for the War, and host a Trial), and some of the other branches. The Director of Atlas, for example, apparently had some bad blood with the Burial Agent being dispatched, and her close associate Emiya Shirou did not much care for many in the Church aside from Caren Hortensia - ironically the daughter of his former nemesis Kirei Kotomine.
The Trials would be an interesting mix of battles pairing magus and daemon, magi set against daemons, daemons set against magi, and free for alls, to assess how prospective "Masters" in the War would fare in different situations. After all, one must first have the will and ability master one's own soul before one could command something as powerful as a Servant.
So it was planned anyway, with an interesting cast of characters to participate - including the sister of the Witch of Calamity, an alleged "storyteller" with ties to the black market of magi, and a noble of House Welf. Who would advance? Who would fall? He didn't know. To be honest, he was rather curious to find out.
Rap-pap-pap-pap-rap! Rap-rap!
Interrupting his thoughts was a knocking on the door to the pattern of "Shave and a haircut, two bits!" a pattern only one person in the world used instead of the much more respectful two knocks - at least at his doorway.
"Come in," he said with a sigh, standing up as he saw the impish heiress to the Archibald family - and his fiancee - entering, with her Mismagius floating behind her silently. Not for the first time he was reminded of how beautiful she was - and how troubling he found that, since he could little resist her. In those moments, he found himself understanding the late Kayneth's fixation on the Sophia-Ri woman, but told himself that this wasn't the same thing, that she was the one who was interested in him.
The truth of the matter non-withstanding.
"Working hard, Lord El-Melloi?" she quipped wryly, somewhat amused to see the lecturer nearly hidden behind stacks of paper.
"...what do you want this time, Lady Archibald?" he sighed, giving the blonde an inscrutable look while knowing he'd be unable to refuse her. He was bound to her, after all, even if he was now 35 and she, 28. "Come to make me cross yet another boundary?"
"As if you haven't enjoyed it in the past," the blonde shot back teasingly, favouring the former Archibald apprentice with a smirk. "Besides, you know I don't like being called ‘Lady’. Its far too formal, especially coming from my fiance. I get the feeling you’re being subtly malicious, or it’s like your snapping, ‘that’s close enough.’ Call me Luna, as I've asked."
"No."
"...do I have to make it an order, oh benefactor of my family?"
"...no, La--Luna," Waver ground out. He just couldn't win against her - never could - wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to, really. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company."
"Can't I just come to visit?" the girl asked innocently - too innocently.
A long sigh.
"...we both know that isn't why you've come..."
A raised eyebrow.
"I am bored," she declared imperiously. "The politicking of the old men can be so dreadful at times."
"Well yes, but that's what you have me for," Waver broke in, unamusedly gesturing at the stacks of paper that said politicking had resulted in. Really, he was going to have to assign Tohsaka to clerical work the next time her actions nearly caused a disaster.
"...well, yes, but you've also made a reputation as someone who can't be cowed easily, so they try to bother me with their boorish antics," the young woman groused, seeming a little agitated, since she didn't enjoy the false flattery and jockeying for favours they engaged in. "But well, since this is your fault again, I thought I'd have you make it up to, since you did swear to serve me for the rest of your life."
A slow shaking of the head.
"...and what do you wish of me that you couldn't get from anyone else...Luna?" the lecturer asked pointedly, a tiny frown creasing his lips.
"Something unconventional, something different...!" the blonde demanded, stamping her foot. "Something that isn't the corridors of the Tower, or a place with nobles. I mean, it's not that I want to go somewhere with you or anything, I just thought it'd be convenient since you're in this stuffy office all day."
"Something not related to magecraft, I suppose?"
"Please."
Wracking his brain for something, he seemed to remember flyers he'd seen around London advertising events, two of which sounded interesting in particular.
"Well, there is a new exhibition at the Barbican Centre which opens today," he noted, trying to recall the details. "If I remember, its about the Digital Revolution."
"...digi-tal?"
"Oh, you know, art, music, games--"
"Oh, you mean like that delightful thing you had me play. Journey, I think it was!" the Archibald heiress exclaimed, clapping her hands.
"Yes. Just so," Waver answered, smiling despite himself. Luna always had the ability to get him excited even when he didn't want to be - which probably boded ill for who wore the pants in their relationship, but he'd never held illusions about that. "Then after that, perhaps we could enjoy an evening of classical music at the BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall?"
The world's largest music festival, featuring the finest orchestras and performers from around the globe, it was not something to missed.
"Its a date then! Let's go," she said, grabbing his arm and dragging him out the door.
Perhaps not too surprisingly for someone on the arm of lovely, enthusiastic young woman, Waver chose not to complain. Besides, it might even be fun.
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Originally Posted by Seika
