Voting is now closed, I'll compile the results later today
Originally Posted by Sandstorm77
He's just putting the bone of his sword into other people until it explodes and lets out parts of him inside them.
Originally Posted by AvengerEmiya
Genderswaps are terrible, but I think I and other people would hate them less if Fate didn't keep ignoring actual heroines throughout history and folklore. Like, why bother turning Francis Drake into a woman when Ching Shih and Grace O'Malley exist?
Originally Posted by Five_X
Fate Zero is just Fate Stay Night for people who think Shirou is too girly
Ever wonder what a Holy Grail War set in Texas would be like? Well wonder no longer because here is: Fate Texas Night Become Naunet the next leader of the Atlas Institute and fight your way to the top of a deadly war.
Kind of low activity this month, if people are losing interest in the contest it might be time to start wrapping it up. I'll see how the June contest goes first.
Originally Posted by Sandstorm77
He's just putting the bone of his sword into other people until it explodes and lets out parts of him inside them.
Originally Posted by AvengerEmiya
Genderswaps are terrible, but I think I and other people would hate them less if Fate didn't keep ignoring actual heroines throughout history and folklore. Like, why bother turning Francis Drake into a woman when Ching Shih and Grace O'Malley exist?
Originally Posted by Five_X
Fate Zero is just Fate Stay Night for people who think Shirou is too girly
Holy crap, I completely forgot about the contest. I wasn't going to participate this time in the end (just couldn't find the inspiration for a writer Servant), but at least I wanted to vote
Ever wonder what a Holy Grail War set in Texas would be like? Well wonder no longer because here is: Fate Texas Night Become Naunet the next leader of the Atlas Institute and fight your way to the top of a deadly war.
Get famous in America, you're American. That's literally how America works.
Unless you're Justin Bieber, Canada didn't want him, but America refuses to claim responsibility
Originally Posted by In a certain South Park episode...
Kyle Broflovski: And what happens when an invulnerable cheater comes up against an elitist corporate dictator? Eric Cartman:A perfect storm of hypocrisy that everyone in the country has to deal with for months on end.
OK, contest month is here again, and the theme this time is Sidekicks
Squires, standard bearers, pages, animal companions, whatever. People who fought alongside a hero, but aren't the main character of the story, so to speak. A canonical example would be someone like Benkei or Red Hare.
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Submission deadline is the 23rd, voting deadline is the 30th
Originally Posted by Sandstorm77
He's just putting the bone of his sword into other people until it explodes and lets out parts of him inside them.
Originally Posted by AvengerEmiya
Genderswaps are terrible, but I think I and other people would hate them less if Fate didn't keep ignoring actual heroines throughout history and folklore. Like, why bother turning Francis Drake into a woman when Ching Shih and Grace O'Malley exist?
Originally Posted by Five_X
Fate Zero is just Fate Stay Night for people who think Shirou is too girly
For the sake of clarification: does an entry have to feature someone who is specifically a certain hero's sidekick (or squire/standard bearer/etc), or can they be a more general subordinate/sometime sidekick that is part of a group of such supporters?
The Knights of the Round Table, for example, would be right out by this sense since they mostly feature in their own personal legends. The lesser Paladins of Charlemagne, however, might qualify according to the definition I'm asking about (i.e., only appearing in stories where the focus is on another Paladin or considered sidekicks of Charlemagne himself).
For the sake of clarification: does an entry have to feature someone who is specifically a certain hero's sidekick (or squire/standard bearer/etc), or can they be a more general subordinate/sometime sidekick that is part of a group of such supporters?
The Knights of the Round Table, for example, would be right out by this sense since they mostly feature in their own personal legends. The lesser Paladins of Charlemagne, however, might qualify according to the definition I'm asking about (i.e., only appearing in stories where the focus is on another Paladin or considered sidekicks of Charlemagne himself).
The first one, ideally. If it's too restrictive, I might open up the category a bit.
Originally Posted by Sandstorm77
He's just putting the bone of his sword into other people until it explodes and lets out parts of him inside them.
Originally Posted by AvengerEmiya
Genderswaps are terrible, but I think I and other people would hate them less if Fate didn't keep ignoring actual heroines throughout history and folklore. Like, why bother turning Francis Drake into a woman when Ching Shih and Grace O'Malley exist?
Originally Posted by Five_X
Fate Zero is just Fate Stay Night for people who think Shirou is too girly
Hmm... I'm tenatively putting this here as I'm not 100% sure if it quite fits the prompt as while she supported Lü Bu in terms of being a political schemer who helped him rise to the top, she didn't actually fight with him in battle. If it's not quite as the prompt wanted then I'll remove it and stick it in the regular thread.
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Assassin
"Master, the reason why you're weak isn't because you lack strength. I understand you have your reasons for fighting, but you won't win because you're one who "inherits" from others - wealth, status and even magic - they're all things that were given to you without having to sacrifice yourself for them. In order to get ahead in this War you need to "hunger" - a noble yet ruthless determination to achieve one's goals regardless of the costs to others and ultimately oneself. That's what made Lord Fengxian so strong..."
True Name: Diaochan
Epithet: "The Mistress of Lü Bu Fengxian"
Origin: China (Romance of the Three Kingdoms)
Hidden Attribute: Earth
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Likes: Control, Reading
Dislikes: Lü Bu's Wife, The Privileged
Talents: Mentalism, Music
Natural Enemy: Men of Virtue
Diaochan normally wears a beautiful Chinese dress, even on the battlefield as it allows her to conceal many hidden items. Her hair is extremely adorned, with multiple flowers and pins attached to it. She always carries a floral decorated paper fan with her that she uses to partially cover her face, lest her Master lose their senses by looking upon her beauty.
For Armaments, she carries her trusty concealed Seven-Star Dagger. Ironically the dagger was made as a pair with the Seven-Star Sword which reflected the destinies of Diaochan and Cao Cao being entwined together.
Character:
When first viewed, Diaochan comes off as cool, charismatic and devoted lover to the warlord Lü Bu. However this is merely a mask to cover her true self; a depressive and misanthropic woman who seeks to fill the hole in her heart. This dark ambition manifests as an indomitable will to find the "freedom" she felt she was denied in life due to poverty, parental neglect and other factors. In her own words she wanted the "power to give as much as I want, and to take as much as I want".
Through the training given by her step-father, Diaochan became an expert in the art of social interactions - presenting a façade of perfect woman, gaining the trust of others and playing on their emotions to manipulate them into following her will. Naturally solidary, Diaochan cannot truly form a meaningful bond with anyone and all the relationships she had in life were just a means to climb higher on the social ladder and the same is true with her relationship to her Master upon being summoned. If her Master proves to be too lacking in ability or (more importantly) drive to win the War then she'll not hesitate to switch sides if the opportunity ever arises. She is naturally vindictive towards those who were given everything in life and didn't have to work for it and so she feels great pleasure in watching them suffer - Which is her main flaw as it can sometimes blind her to rationally eliminating her enemies swiftly.
However, no matter how much power or freedom she gains, mere materialism cannot grant her true peace of mind in the end. So why did she commit suicide at the end? Surely it could not have been out of love for Lü Bu...Perhaps she saw in Cao Cao the possibility of what she could have become had she not been corrupted by her troubled upbringing and in her only moment of selflessness chose to die then stain Cao Cao's pure heart by becoming his lover. But who can really know another's heart?
As a Servant with no combat ability, Diaochan comes across as an anomaly in the Holy Grail War, but do not be fooled as she is far from useless. Using a combination of her espionage skills and her Master's magecraft she will create an information network in order to spy on the other Servants and Masters. After she has amassed enough knowledge, she will attempt to wreck havoc by leading the Servants into fighting one another as much constantly until they are weakened, luring Masters away from their Servants to be assassinated and other sordid tactics until she is the only Servant left standing. Causing as much bloodshed as possible without personally getting her hands dirty, truly she can be said to be the worst type of Assassin.
Her Wish upon the Grail? Having been unsatisfied with her time as Lü Bu's mistress, she would desire to be incarnated into the modern era and try once again to find that "freedom" she sought after. However, this time she is somewhat open to the idea of trying different paths outside of war to reach the top. Perhaps her talent in music would lead to the rise of a new Chinese Japanese Idol???
Skills:
Class Skills
Presence Concealment - (N/A)
The capacity to hide one's presence as a Servant. It is a common Class Skill of the Assassin Class. Diaochan does not herself possess the ability to disappear as is standard for the Assassin Class, but thanks to her Espionage ability she is able to simulate its effects to some degree.
Personal Skills
Alluring Nightingale - (B)
A mesmerizing-kind of Skill possessed by those with a natural constitution of having a beautiful voice. It works as a fascination magecraft-like effect towards the listeners - though far stronger on those of the opposite sex. Having mastered the art of singing and dancing, Diaochan can induce the opponent into a hypnotic trance which can lower their guard allowing her to launch an attack or escape more easily. Evasion is possible with a Magic Resistance Skill, but even without Magic Resistance, one can abate it to some extent so long as they maintain a strong will to resist. Naturally this works much stronger on opposing Masters rather than on Servants.
Disengage - (B)
The ability to withdraw from the battlefield in the midst of combat or reset the battle conditions. "Even the might Lord Fengxian had to retreat sometimes!" She says justifying the less than honorable tactic. Bonus effect of returning battle conditions to what they were at the beginning of the match (1st turn) and restores the condition of this Skill to the initial value. At the same time, it has a chance to release some of the bad status ailments inflicted on the user of this Skill. This Skill would have been at the highest Rank had she been accompanied by Red Hare as in life, but as a Servant she is denied that bonus.
Espionage - (C)
An ability that does not conceal one’s presence, but rather makes one's presence fail to register as hostile. This Skill causes others to misunderstand one's status, including mistaking one for a kind neighbour, a harmless pebble, or as the most beloved person. By quieting her malevolent aura, Diaochan is able to return once again to her persona of a lowly maid, seen but never noticed. At this rank it suppresses her Personal Skills, reduces all parameters, and her presence is difficult to perceive as a Servant. However, the instant when the enemy is suspicious or she attacks directly, this Skill loses its effects.
Planning - (C)
Tactical thinking meant for assassinating a target. Unlike Military Tactics, this is constricted to only assassination missions in which few people are involved. Thanks to being taught the Thirty-Six Stratagems by her adoptive father, Diaochan was successful in convincing her lover Lü Bu to assassinate their tyrannical warlord, Dong Zhuo. Provided she can procrue the relevant information, Diaochan can concoct plans to weaken her enemies: from luring a Master away from their Servant so they can be killed discreetly, or leading one Servant towards another that is weak to them to name a few examples. For enemies to counter this, it is required to have a level of fortune or skill to overcome any analysis conjured by the user of this Skill.
Noble Phantasm:
沉魚落雁, 閉月羞花
Diaochan of the Four Great Beauties
[Type - Anti Unit/Army], [Noble Phantasm Rank - C], [Maximum Range - 1~50 Metres], [Maximum Number of Targets - All Within Range]
Diaochan was one of the "Four Great Beauties" of ancient China who brought Kingdoms to their knees with their lumious beauty. Their legends combined to form an enduring idiom to describe the power of intoxicating attractive women - where fish sink and birds fall from the sky; flowers hang their heads in shame and the moon itself eclipses in awe.
Tossing aside her fan and unleashing the full extent of her beauty to all those in the area who behold her face, they thereupon lose their senses to her will. Depending on what she desires, Diaochan can make those affected do a variety of things: Allies will have a morale boost and gain Plus Modifiers to their stats, normal humans can be made to create distractions or become a human shield to protect Diaochan. If an enemy Master is caught within the effect then they can be convinced to try and commit suicide which their Servants will have to stop. Lastly enemy Servants themselves are not immune and will find both their strength and their morale being slowly sapped away the longer they remain within range.
The obvious weakness is that this Noble Phantasm relies totally on sight and so a blind person or anyone who manages to cover their eyes in time are immune to the effect. Those with enough Magic Resistance and/or enough Willpower can alternatively undergo a Check in order to try and resist the Noble Phantasm and attempt to kill Diaochan before she can get away.
Lore:
Born a pauper in a turbulent era, Diaochan's earliest memory of her parents was them selling her off for drinking money. She was then brought up to be a maid working in the houses of various Government officials. Envious of the lavish lives the officials led whilst she had to work to the bone for mere scraps, Diaochan decided she needed to rise in society by any means. By day she continued as a maid, but when night came she transformed into an entertainer - dancing and singing at parties and whatnot. She wasn't very skilled initially, but her entusiasm and cute looks earnt her many fans. As the years passed she grew into a young woman and became well known for her stunning beauty and mesmerising singing voice. It was then that the fateful night came, when the Government's Interior Minister - Wang Yun. As he gazed upon her face, their eyes happened to meet for a second and in that moment they recognised something in each others' eyes..."ambition". After the party was over Wang Yun discreetly approached Diaochan and made her an offer to become his foster daughter in which she graciously accepted.
In the privacy of Wang Yun's home he described his desire to rid the Han Dynasty of the tyrannical warlord Dong Zhuo and put the rightful Emperor Xian back in control. To do that he needed someone who could get close to Dong Zhuo's inner circle and destabilise it, which is where Diaochan came in. Over the next several weeks Wang Yun taught her the secrets of social interaction, charisma and . Once they were ready, Wang Yun held a feast at his house and invidted Dong Zhuo's adoptive son and stongest warior - Lü Bu over as the guest of honor. Naturally Diaochan served the wine and sang for the guests and Lü Bu was immediately captivated by her beauty and asked Wang Yun for her hand in marriage to which he humbly accepted. A few days later the duo repeated the event but this time they had invited the tyrant Dong Zhuo himself instead and same as before the guest fell head over heels but since he was already married he simply took Diaochan home as his concubine without taking no for an answer. When Lü Bu heard the news he rushed to see Diaochan who tearfully explained she had been taken against her will and needed Lü Bu to save her. Not long after Diaochan confronted Dong Zhuo and told him that Lü Bu was jealous of their relationship and had been harassing her. Tensions between the two increased dramatically, and in the meanwhile Diaochan had been covertly meeting with disgruntled officials angered by their tyrant and convinced them to join the conspiracy to out him. When everything was in place, a false announcement was sent out that the puppet Emperor intended to completely abdicate the throne to Dong Zhuo and the overjoyed warlord rode in his carriage to the Palace. But upon reaching the gates, the carriage was stopped and his men started drawing their swords and attacked Dong Zhuo who was injured but made his way to the Palace gates and cried out for someone to save him. Suddenly the gates opened and their stood Diaochan wrapped around the arm of Lü Bu - who halberd in his free hand stabbed Dong Zhuo whilst proclaiming that traitors to the Emperor must be slain.
However, the peace would not last as Dong Zhuo still had enough of a cult of personality that several of his followers banded together and managed to surround the capital. Wang Yun bade his foster daughter goodbye as he would stay behind to buy enough time for Lü Bu's forces to escape. The pair had no choice but to comply as they fled the capital and became a band of roaming mercenaries, gaining powerful allies like the genius strategist Chen Gong but also fierce enemies such as the indomitable military general Cao Cao. Things slowly took a turn for the worse as Lü Bu struggled to maintain support from the other warlords and his hard won territories were taken one by one by Cao Cao. Things ultimately came to a head at the Battle of Xiapi where Lü Bu and Chen Gong were defeated and executed before Cao Cao. Diaochan could only watch helplessly on with a neutral face the whole time. Eventually the victorious general turned to her and captivated by her beauty, asked her to become his lover. Surely Diaochan could not turn down such a lucrative offer from the hero on the verge of uniting China, the position was everything Diaochan could have wanted. Yet despite all this, something happened that nobody could have expected...Diaochan removed the Seven-Star Dagger that had been concealed within her sleeve and before anyone could react, she gave a sad smile towards Cao Cao before slicing her neck open and fell to the ground dead.
And thus closes the tale of the third and most tragic of the "Beauties of Ancient China"...
Relationships:
Chen Gong - "Ah, Milady Diaochan. Shall we work together once again for the sake of Lü Bu's glory?"
Elizabeth Báthory - "I won't lose when it comes to singing!"
Lü Bu - "..." (He seems to be thrilled to see her again.)
Mata Hari - "What! My charms won't work on this woman...who is she!?"
Red Hare - "Neigh! I just can't bring myself to harm Lady Diaochan! Bring your Master out and I'll fight him instead!"
Shakespeare - "This dark and malevolent aura... could it be you, Lady MacBeth!?"
Sima Yi/Reines - "Fufu, I have a feeling you and I would get along quite nicely in another situation..."
Waver/Zhuge Liang - "Heh, you remind me a lot of this 'little sister' I have."
Creator's Notes:
It's an extremely long story about why I chose this particular individual, but it involves a Gundam and The Romance of the Three Kingdoms crossover. I was tempted to make her a parallel to Yu Miaoyi what with the whole tragic beauty of a warlord thing, but that would be too boring and I was watching Akira Kurosawa's "Throne of Blood" and I decided to go the whole way and turn Diaochan into a Lady MacBeth type. I was originally going to go full Dio Brando but I thought that would make Diaochan too one dimensional and so I tried to create more nuance by making her closer to Diego Brando and Harry MacDowell.
The faceclaim is Lady Komurasaki from One Piece. The #1 waifu from OP.
"Here's a bangin lil' tune about takin' on The Man!"
(Check out my Super Special Awesome Servant Compendium here)
Submission deadline is in a week and we only have one entry
Originally Posted by Sandstorm77
He's just putting the bone of his sword into other people until it explodes and lets out parts of him inside them.
Originally Posted by AvengerEmiya
Genderswaps are terrible, but I think I and other people would hate them less if Fate didn't keep ignoring actual heroines throughout history and folklore. Like, why bother turning Francis Drake into a woman when Ching Shih and Grace O'Malley exist?
Originally Posted by Five_X
Fate Zero is just Fate Stay Night for people who think Shirou is too girly
In my case it's more because I can't think of an interesting subject that would fit the prompt (that hasn't been done already). Also because I've got work, but mostly the former.
Originally Posted by Sandstorm77
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