Your daddy calls her mommy. What is Humanities greatest motivator? Survival, isn't it?
Not just personal survival. Survival of loved ones. Survival of a way of life. Survival of the species.
Knowing this, what would you say is the greatest act a person can perform?
Yes, preventing death and disease are wonderful, and the advancement of knowledge and technology are undeniably incredible, and let us not forget the arts that inspire such things within the world, but there is one greater than the rest. One that leads to all others and so much more. The most important and necessary part of life.
So come to me, great thinkers and heavenly hosts. Come, brave heroes and devilish barons. Come, and listen, and see, and feel, and know what it is that makes the world alive, what marks your legacy and cements you throughout time long after your flesh has rotted away, and your name has been forgotten, and your deeds have long since rusted away into dust.
Let us talk of reproduction.
And remember: audience participation is expected.
Launcher of Evolutionary Triumph Source
Class: Launcher
Other Classes:
True Name: Darwin’s Demon
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Place of Origin: Hypothetical
Height: 200 cm.
Weight: 63 kilo.
Likes: "Those that are fruitful and multiply. The ones who learn from the mistakes of their forefathers and evolve. I truly adore such people.
Dislikes: "The ones who try to take everything with them. Also those great men and women who forgot to add themselves to the gene pool like completely selfish fools."
Natural Enemy: Barbara. Dolly.
Parameters:
STR: A
END: A
AGI: A
MGI: A
LCK: -
NP: EX
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance (EX):
A perfect being has no need to be affected by magic. It was a huge evolutionary oversight that Launcher has already corrected within herself.
FTL Acceleration (A):
The Class Skill of Launcher, this Skill is allowing them to accelerate “projectiles” to speeds fast enough to be considered a “laser”. One would think this Skill superfluous for those already in possession of “lasers” but even a laser is capable of being accelerated to higher speeds.
For Launcher, as an “accelerator of evolution” this Skill allows for not only the accelerated production of her projectiles (children) but also expel them as “laserlike” offensive projectiles.
Vector Field Creation (D):
A Class Skill of Launcher that allows them to create a bounded field where their “lasers” are able to be redirected and aimed with great precision, essentially creating a domain where “the laser reigns supreme”.
Launcher’s own affinity for this Skill is lower than most, her own field being relegated to within her own body, allowing her to “launch” her offspring from any part of her body.
Personal Skills:
Devil's Proof (EX):
The Skill representing those that exist in spite of themselves. The signature Skill of the hypothetical demons created to explain phenomenon in the world as yet unexplained. However, the fact that there is an undetermined explanation allows for the potential of their existence. Launcher herself is the hypothetical existence of infinite evolution through reproduction. An immortal entity with an endless ability to produce offspring ad infinitum, each generation itself being another rung up the evolutionary ladder. Being the “embodiment of evolution” made manifest, Launcher is a hypothetical that cannot truly exist, but much like other such demons, does anyway.
Fitness (EX):
Rather than “physical fitness” this refers to what has sometimes been termed Darwinian Fitness, which is the reproductive success of a single member of a species. Effectively, it is a measurement of one's ability to produce offspring and successfully pass on their genes. Launcher, as an existence, is one who can not only produce an infinite amount of offspring but do so without any loss or substitution of genetic code, only increasing it.
A form of Sea of Life without the Divine Authority possessed by Tiamat where, rather than the primordial sea, Launcher herself is the “sea from which life springs”. Her progeny require a varying amount of energy to create depending on their traits and mass, but this Skill allows her to produce endlessly so long as the requisite energy is supplied.
Natural Body (EX):
A truly perfect body. There is no hint of a flaw, no speck of imperfection. A flawless existence that generates flawless existences. All her physical stats are at the peak, and she may do with her body as she will, for not even her own genetics are exempt from her grasp.
Noble Phantasms:
Darwinian Demon: On the Origin of Species (EX)
Anti-Regression
The founding father of Evolution Charles Darwin did not think up the titular Darwinian Demon. Yet, it bears his name because of his own work that brought the evolutionary sciences into the world. This hypothetical “demon” was postulated to be able to exert perfect influence over its own evolution, allowing it to produce feasibly any organism possible in uncountable amounts. By doing so, the hypothetical “demon’s” species would continue evolving at an accelerated rate with each progeny. The thought experiment was meant more as a means of aiding the trace of history of how a species may have developed, discerning from when certain traits were introduced in the gene pool and the causes.
Launcher is the manifestation of the hypothetical demon that “directs evolution”. However, instead of facilitating it through rapid production of heirs and their own heirs, Launcher herself is able to modify the genes for every single progeny she produces, able to choose what traits manifest and how their body is formed. Not only can she create things like Magic Resistance and Monstrous Strength in her progeny, but she is able to form them as organic weapons or projectiles to wield or be wielded by her children. It’s even possible, given enough time and magical energy, she could produce a higher-level existence.
The downside is that her existence is that of an organic being, and thus she has a physical body rather than a purely spiritual one, allowing her to be just as affected by a sword as she is by a spiritual attack. Of course, she is biologically perfect, but this means she does not have the same conceptual immunities and resistances as her “siblings”.
Lore
More accurately called the Darwinian Demon, she is the thought experiment that was explained in the Noble Phantasm. The woman who stands before you is the embodiment of that experiment: a perfect reproductive specimen whose only purpose is to rapidly induce evolution. This demon, like her older siblings, was never something that was genuinely believed to exist, but due to her nature, the possibility of her existence and the lack of proof saying such an existence "isn't" is what allows her to manifest as a Servant.
Personality
One wouldn't be remiss in their surprise at Launcher's personality given what her existence represents. Launcher comes off as a cold, unnerving entity whose demeanor walks between matronly and otherworldly. The eyes and mouth smile, but they appear almost empty even if they seem to come from a genuine place. Despite this, there is something utterly captivating about her, which is natural for a being that's one true goal is to reproduce. This action she can perform alone, but in which she will never say no to a partner. It could be said she bears the same attraction that draws Humanity to thrust to the stars, delve the depths of the ocean, or plow their way into the earth. That unknown that may hold their future.
None of this is to say she herself does not have a passion for reproduction. In fact, she views it as the greatest achievement any organism can pursue. The passing on and improvement of their heirs with hopes to create the perfect being (from her perspective) is the point of living. It is her duty, and pleasure, to catapult every species towards that beautiful dream. If she can achieve it, than all life was worth it. It is for this reason she is also, consequently, a heavy shipper in Chaldea, even though no heirs would actually be produced from such unions. However, if both parties were to invite her, given her nature is birthing an improved generation, then it's possible...
The truth is that under the cool facade, Launcher is just as crazy and eccentric as her siblings. Evolution itself may be a cold, often pragmatic natural selector, but giving the embodiment of that concept the ability to think for itself has created a woman obsessed with the next generation and devoted to nurturing it in whatever form it comes. Even the children she creates that purposefully only serve a utility role she loves with all her heart. She is a mother, watching her children take their first steps, and loving every moment of it, to the point it can almost become overbearing. Yet, her demeanor never wavers for an instant, the internal warmth communicates solely through those seemingly empty expressions.
She is not a complicated creature in that regard. The most important thing to her is reproduction, after all. Not just of genes, though those are a major point, but even of the ideas, the thoughts and feelings of those that are no longer here. Even if those may fade away sooner than their continued genetic memory, they still are an important part in shaping the next generation. As such, Launcher herself is a purveyor of the arts and sciences, willing to explore new avenues from which to produce a more ideal progeny. She can often be found in compromising, embarrassing, and even dangerous situations because of it, but none of it phases her, because she has a sole mission in mind.
Whether as a lover or a mother, she will embrace you with open arms, dreaming about what may come next.
Relationships
Charles Darwin: Yes, even ideas are born of others. Of generations, passed from parent to child. If I have a progenitor, it would be this man.
Maxwell's Demon: Yes, this is perfect. With our powers combined, we can accelerate through a thousand years of evolution in moments! Now beginning the launch!
Descartes' Evil Demon: My eldest "brother" who wishes to play the villain. Even in a world of evil, growth will rise above it.
Laplace's Demon: AH. Perhaps you can save us both even more time, "brother". What is the ideal evolution? We could make it right now. ...Don't tease me. It's a serious question.
Dolly: This what it's like to have a little sister, isn't it? A precious thing, the difference in family. Provides chance for greater growth. Come give big sister a hug.
Tiamat Larva: And this is what it's like to have a big sister. Do you not love watching the little ones stumbling around?
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck: Why, Mr. Lamarck, that's very forward of you, don't you agree? Not that I particularly mind.
HeLa: Growth springs forth from adversity. I'm glad something great came out of it.
Lorelei: Such a shame that you let yourself fade away without passing on such wonderful genes. I would've liked to see what came of them.
Kilroy: A wonderful existence born of so many men and women. Is it not wonderful when the gene pool is so thoroughly seeded as to produce something wonderful?
Igraine: Such an admirable spirit. Had only your second daughter had half of your wisdom, before your legacy would not be a pile of ashes.
Li Shizhen: Yes, the knowledge you passed on was certainly important, but future generations could have also gained so much had you found it in you to step away from the table for a time.
Rehoboam: All those women, and he didn't spread it nearly far enough. I'm sorry you were the result.
Barbara G. Walker: Even if Origin is fixed, what one grows into from another is practically another planet. That is evolution. Whatever it is you create progresses nothing.
Why am I watching you eat? To see how you grow of course. Ensuring you're eating the right things, speaking with the right people, developing the right way. I want you to become the best you can be.
...Yes, I could produce such a being, and I most certainly have, but that does not change you, does it? My children are true darlings, but what they show is the potential for others. What they should seek to emulate and strive for.
I can create the perfect being, and I feel I'm am getting close, but I cannot abandon my other children, still moving their way up the ladder. No, it would be far too cruel for a mother to do so. That is what creates evolutionary failures.
I want you to grow into the best version of yourself so that your child can do the same.
Now be sure to eat all your vegetables, and you may get a treat.
It was shocking how fast this one came to me after I read Mare's and clicked that link. Everything just seemed to flow together. I barely had to think at all making her, meaning this is either one of my best sheets or one of my most head scratching. Also, yes, she will literally shoot her offspring at you like lasers or make a progeny who is an organic sword. In a fight, this lady can do some freaky stuff.
Oh yeah. Launcher. I had fun making up Launcher Class Skills. Wanted to keep it goofy while giving it a fun shot as some interesting Skills to be used by the Class. Not sure if anyone else would pick them up. Launcher has never really been in style. Still, I had fun with this one, and I'm not sure if a second entry is gonna be forthcoming. Time will tell.
[Ender Lillies - Mother Intro]
Last edited by Morg van Destro; April 15th, 2025 at 04:03 AM.
Regardless of Barbara's actual eligibility for this contest (watch me syncretize fan-classes to bullshit her in anyway~), I'm glad to see she at least gave some inspiration ...
Originally Posted by asterism42
how dare you violate my contest with this abomination
That's the gratest mark of honor I may be able to get, I don't think I can ever top that ngl
Clearly, everyone except Mare is so stunned by the masterwork that is Darwin’s Demon that they can't form words about it.
Launcher stocks will surely raise after this.
I present to you, a finally serious sheet after all of these jokes. A most serious of serious and emotion filled Servant sheets, even!
Contest entry relationships will come later, of course. It's far too late for me...
April, when spring starts to come into fruition. A month of rejuvenation, of blossoming, of nature, and of Easter: the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in Christianity.
A truly wonderful time of the year, where the sun is shining and mild spring showers cause green grass and sweet-scented flowers to bloom.
However, the beginning of April also marks another day. A day of jokes, tomfoolery, and subverting every possible norm by performing pranks. Ritsuka Fujimaru, Master of Chaldeas, should have known better than to summon in the beginning of April, but it happened nonetheless.
"By the Grace of the Father, I have been summoned."
STR
AGI
END
MP
LCK
NP
C
A
A
EX
A
-
As the Son of God, the main figure of worship for Christianity, it is obvious that Christ’s parameters would be mighty as well.
"Wait what–"
Alias:
Jesus Christ, the Messiah
Alternate Classes:
-
Origin:
The Scriptures
Alignment:
Lawful Good
Attribute:
Heaven
Likes:
Humanity’s praises, travelling
Dislikes:
Being grovelled at
Natural Enemy:
Grigori Rasputin
Armament:
The Glory of God
Catalyst:
-
Jesus Christ is the Christian Messiah, Son of God, and probably one of the most popular figures in the entire world. Truly, an omnipotent Servant.
"Hold up! Something doesn’t seem quite right here…" ⏴══════════╡Class Skills╞═════════⏵Counter-Hero A
A Class Skill of Savers, the capacity to reduce the parameters and statistics of "heroes" that the user faces in battle.
This Skill is effective against Servants related to Abrahamic faiths, especially Christianity, to any degree. Otherwise, it only reduces their parameters by two ranks instead of the maximum of three.
Charisma EX
The other Class Skill for Savers, a composite ability containing both the user's charm, as well as the natural talent to unify a country.
As one of the most popular figures in the world, as well as the man who converted masses and unified them against the Roman Empire into a state in itself, it is only fitting that Yeshua receives a non-standard rank in this Skill.
⏴══════════╡Personal Skills╞═════════⏵Logos, Light of the World EX+
Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Light.
He is the embodiment of the First Cause, and as such existed before all Concepts.
Since God’s Law is Divine, Saver can be called the One Truth.
Anything deriving from a Concept is impossible to be used against Saver.
Such is the true glory of his Resurrection and defying Death.
"What sort of Cheat Skill is this?!"
Of Loaves and Fishes A
Essentially, the Miracle Skill under a different name. Saver can enact any of the miracles He performed in life, except the Blessed Resurrection. Whether it be the exorcism of the Legion, walking on the Sea of Galilee, or the multiplication of fish and loaves which gave name to this Skill.
"Alright, this Skill is reasonable."
Rabbi EX
Teacher, one of the numerous titles of Saver. Proof of Him teaching the Apostles, those who incarnated His will on Earth.
Saver can use any of the Skills pertinent to His followers, including the various Miracles they committed.
Just that is not enough though. Saver can cause a "tongue of fire" to appear in the mouths of the willing, elevating them to Apostles and granting them the Counter-Hero and the Saint Skills. Truly fitting of the Son of God.
"And now we’re back to crazy Skills!
I’m nowhere near how strong He is!"
Of course the Messiah would be humble and say he wasn’t overpowered.
"HUH?!"
⏴══════════╡◈╞═════════⏵
Jesus Christ is of course, one of the most popular figures throughout history. His story is detailed throughout the New Testament so if you really want to learn the Jesus lore, go read the Bible. I'm not going to copy and paste it, that's too much effort.
Oh, however, there is one piece of lore that isn't always detailed: Jesus had a twin brother who was also semi-divine that died in Japan. Yep, makes perfect sense. Nothing wrong here.
⏴══════════╡Noble Phantasm(s)╞═════════⏵
Of course, it makes sense that the most powerful Saver doesn’t need a Noble Phantasm, if anything He could be called His own Noble Phantasm.
A fitting state for the Messiah, who is both Divine Spirit and Man destined to enact Salvation at the End of Days.
"I’m not the Messiah!"
…Wait what?
"That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you! I’m not the Messiah!" ~♬~
╼┫F A K E R┣╾
⌜The Absurd Messianic Account⌟
=Takenouchi Documents=
⏴══════════╡❖╞═════════⏵
"Now this is what I'm talking about! I'm my own self right now, Onii-chan! Isukiri is in the house!"
STR
AGI
END
MP
LCK
NP
D
E
D
C
C
???
Faker's parameters are rather weak, which makes sense given his...strange nature.
The Takenouchi Documents are a series of documents from Aomori, Japan detailing a legend where Jesus spent parts of his life, and died in Japan among other ahem, wild instances (such as how all races originate from Japan, UFOs are real, and pyramids used to communicate with the gods).
⏴══════════╡Class Skills╞═════════⏵Camouflage A
The Class Skill of Fakers, allowing the holder to disguise both their Class and parameters.
Due to the Takenouchi Documents being inherently connected to Jesus Christ to some degree, and Isukiri's name being quite literally a fraud of Jesus' name, Faker can disguise himself as the Saver class Jesus Christ–even if his current manifestation really doesn't like doing it.
⏴══════════╡Personal Skills╞═════════⏵Apocrypha A
A paradoxical Skill for those who assuredly do not exist, and yet stories exist of them.
A Skill nigh-particular to Heroic Spirits originating from the Christian Apocrypha, writings not considered canon or that have dubious authenticity.
Manifested, it is the strange designation that the Heroic Spirit both does and does not exist at the same time. A perpetually fluctuating Saint Graph that is difficult to target, and can easily be modified.
The Takenouchi Documents are assuredly a forgery, and yet at the same time, a community in the Aomori Prefecture believe that it is definitely true.
"Yeah... my whole existence can be best described as a sham. Heck, I'm not Isukiri even, because technically he doesn't even exist. Why in the name of God am I here? I can only assume it's so I can PARTYYY!!"
Isukiri B
A unique Personal Skill representing Faker’s rather… strange existence.
His name, “Isukiri”, is thought by some to originate from the Japanese pronunciation of Jesus Christ, making Faker Jesus Christ, Brother of Jesus Christ. This is combined with the account that supposedly, Faker was the one who took Jesus’ place on the cross so he could flee...leading to an interesting Skill. Faker is permitted to imitate any ability that "Jesus would have"—such as Saint, Charisma, and his numerous miracles–which would be cool and all except that… they’re all at the Rank of E. If Faker were to say, try to turn water into wine, it’d likely only turn into low quality grape juice.
However, it gets even funnier. The true rank of this Skill is because it causes a strong mental effect making anyone in Faker’s proximity think that “this is the Messiah,” causing Faker to often outlash at people for thinking he is in fact, Jesus Christ.
"I told ya already! I’m not the Messiah!! However….cheap wine means sangria, and that does mean more partying opportunities and doing things that, well, a Messiah shouldn’t do! Yay!"
All Kinds of Specialisations C
A Skill detailing simply, the access to and use of numerous professional talents.
Not only do the Takenouchi Documents detail Jesus' various miracles, but it also says that in his youth, he went to Japan and learned divine skills, and at the end of his life, he became a shepherd. Therefore, Faker has access to the multiple Skills associated with Jesus and fluency in Japanese.
"....Huh. So I am more useful than just making the world's shittiest wine. Great!"
⏴══════════╡◈╞═════════⏵
Hidden in the prefecture of Aomori in Japan, there lie documents which tell the secret history of the world that were originally written in Divine characters but were translated into Japanese: the Takenouchi Documents. The descendants of the statesman (and hero, and kami) Takenouchi no Sukune have kept these documents maintained and extracted their secrets, hence the name Takenouchi Documents.
The documents tell the following truths:
There was once a void, perhaps even an
Root
emptiness.
And then, over the span of 22 billion years, this void became a sea of churning stinking, sticky, and all around gooey mud. The First God—being, well, God—emerged alongside the first Goddesses, and over 6 generations, the Earth was formed. In the fifth generation, the Creator of Nations descended to Mount Kurai, enveloped in a 'shiny' body.
By the seventh generation, the Japanese super-global civilization had already become highly advanced, having high speed flying vehicles, writing, computers, and control over the weather among other things. Because of course they do, all ancient civilizations are super advanced!! For proof, ask Graham Hancock and the guys from Ancient Aliens-
Simultaneously, this seventh generation also had the first god-king and World Emperor, Sumera-Mikoto. He started the world government, and his children created the 16 original nations of the world, although power was localized in Japan, obviously. Speaking of 16 nations, that’s why the Japanese Chrysanthemum has 16 petals, totally!
And of course, we can’t forget that Japan was the centre of where the five coloured races of humankind emerged: yellow, red, white, black, and blue. Yes, blue. But anyways, back to Sumera-Mikoto. As the world leader, he made tours around the world obviously, in his
Flying Ship
Ameno-ukifune
to airports all around the world.
Eventually this all failed because subsequent generations forgot that Sumera-Mikoto existed, and the world was beset by calamities. Those who survived made mockeries of the original history, which now survives as modern day religions.
Yeah, right.
Of course, the Takenouchi Documents are a forgery. The man who supposedly "found them" in the 1920s, Takeuchi Kiyomaro, was the leader of an 'alternate religion' —well, let's be honest, a cult—that said that each and every single religion, technology, and being in the world was an offshoot of Japanese culture.
The changing of "Takenouchi" to "Kiyomaro" in order to have a larger historical connection is, of course, just another justification for a megalomaniac's pleasure. After all, why not glorify your own family since they're the only ones who have access to the "truth"? It's only a given for a newly aspiring religious leader to make themselves seem extra cool.
And yet, there is still some suspicion over whether these utterly whack documents are in fact real or not, mainly because the documents were never permitted to be dated. Combined with the mystique of this, including certain locations, caused enough interest in these strange documents. This interest and the tangential connection to much, much older figures and Mysteries caused something unthinkable: a Heroic Spirit to be born. And it is that Heroic Spirit which is summoned as Faker.
What, though, are those "certain locations"? Well, for that, look no more than the prefecture of Aomori, and the town of Shingō. This town is special because its language supposedly derives from Hebrew, not Japanese, it uses Christian folk rituals, and even has a stone...gifted by Israel. Why is this? Well, that's because there's something Takeuchi Kiyomori also "discovered" in 1935: The Tomb of Jesus Christ. Specifically, the tombs of Jesus Christ and his brother Isukiri-
"And it's at this point where I kick in! Yep, it's time to learn all about me, or well, the supposed story. Good enough though, I guess?"
⏴══════════╡Noble Phantasm(s)╞═════════⏵
The Takenouchi Documents
The Life of Isukiri!
Rank: ???
Class: Anti-Fact
Technically speaking, Isukiri has no Noble Phantasm. The reason why is because he is Faker's Noble Phantasm. In reality, Faker has no physical form, except through its Noble Phantasm. What is the purpose of this Noble Phantasm, then? To make the Takenouchi Documents factual, of course. "Isukiri" –as one of the most notable parts of the Takenouchi Documents–just so happens to be the physical manifestation of this continuously active Noble Phantasm.
However, there's more to this than it seems, because of course there is. There is always more, especially when it’s something delusional like this. The Takenouchi Documents are fundamentally nonsensical. So therefore, by extrapolation, the true purpose of Faker's Noble Phantasm is ⌜to make nonsense into facts.⌟ If a Command Seal is used to forcefully activate Faker's Noble Phantasm, an aura continuously expands around "Isukiri" which lasts for as long as he has a mana upkeep that is mobile. It has the properties of making the nonsensical reality, no matter how stupid it may seem, for so long as it exists in said aura. If anything, the more stupid it is, the more likely it will become true.
At a certain point, the
utter delusions
reality
of the Takenouchi Documents themselves start leaking in. Pyramids (that is, hiramitto) rise from the ground, beams of light shining out of them that communicate with and invoke distant foreign gods, and the long lost fifth race of humans appear once more:
Smurfs
those of blue skin
.
And then, Isukiri is no more, for that alias is no longer important for Faker. No, instead, a supreme fabrication is born, one that by all means should not exist: The Divine Spirit Sumera-Mikoto, original God of Heaven, King of the World, and creator of the world government. Inevitably, the Counter Force will be so confused that it glitches out, making everything all the weirder.
Of course though, if someone were to make a nonsensical statement into reality that counteracts Faker's Noble Phantasm, it would cause the equivalent of a wave function collapsing, potentially sending Faker back to the Throne.
⏴══════════╡Personality & Dialogue╞═════════⏵
"Finally, I can walk about and have my own story! Uuugh.... people still think I'm my older brother though, which is a headache. Hmmm, guess that just means I have to be as flashy and non-Jesus like as possible!" (Bond 1)
"Uh...why are ya investin' Saint Quartz into me?? I'm not a 5 Star or anything like that, y'know? Like, I'm a joke by the Throne probably. Uh.... this is weird, people investin' in me, so thanks?? I guess ya can come party with me?" (Bond 5)
"Thanks for keeping someone like me around, Master. I'm not the strongest, or the best, or the most serious, but still thanks? I still want someone to write a proper story about me though...."(Bond 10)
Records of the Throne
Knights of the Round Table: "I know most of ya don't have your horses, right? But you're knights, ya need horses! So...may I suggest coconuts? The only issue is how to carry the coconuts, of course, which can't involve swallows, which as we all know, is a whole debacle..."
Jerusalem Syndrome (kiwi): "Oi! There can only be one fake Big J around here, and since he's my onii-chan, I deserve the title!! This is all I have, ya can't take what little character development I've been given!!"
"Raptor Jesus" (Marethyu77): "Another one, but this one's... a dinosaur?!?! HUUUUH?? Wait, ya look familiar, I swear I've seen ya somewhere...eh, I'm probably thinking of someone else."
Hong Xiuquan (BnEl15): "Ah yes, if it isn't my younger brother from China! How's Onii-chan been doing, lil bro? Ahahaha, ya always were a funny one, y'know that?" *Faker knows that Hong Xiuquan is a fake, of course, but maybe the best brother for a fake is another fake. Isukiri does always keep an eye out to see if the Berserker is doing anything ahem, too violent though.*
Koizumi Yakumo (sutaa): "Ahem... おす, 、外人仲間！As a fellow フォーリナー, あなたの 'Kwaidan' is sugoi desu ne!"
Honda Tadakatsu (Baron Magnus): "Y'know, I think I got an idea why Big J went to Japan now.....because ya and people like ya are so cool! Hmmm.... does that mean that my onii-san can be called the first weaboo??"
L. Ron Hubbard (Dreamerless): "Now you, you're just a loony, y'know that? An utter pudding brain who's lost aaaall of his marbles. Though....this whole Scientology shebang does feel like it'd fit with the lore... uuuuh, I'll be skedaddling now!"
Mary Tudor / Bloody Mary (Saron): "Uuuh....she's super scaryyyy. She totally believes I'm the Messiah and wants to drag me whenever she tries to execute someone because divine punishment or something like that?? I don't think mass executions was something my onii-chan wanted people to do though..."
Jeanne d'Arc, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada: "....I'm not the Messiah, buut, since you both are such big fans of my onii-chan, and I'm the closest there is, how about we take a picture together? Y'know, because it's fun!" Say cheese!
⏴══════════╡⚜╞═════════⏵~♬~
"So–I don’t remember much, ya see, but I’ll try my best. 'The Life of Isukiri: A Biblical Retelling' starts now. Lights, camera, action!"
I was born to Mary and Joseph, didn’t come out all godly and juiced up like Josh, basic childhood, yadda yadda. The only notable part of my life was that, well, my onii-chan was the literal Son of God. Always so kind and so pious and so dutiful and all that jazz, 'though he was a bit of a rebellious one. Which means BIG standards for yours truly, which I reeeeaaally didn't like, y'know? I wanted to run through the bazaars and talk to the merchants and do all sorts of neat stuff like that!
Anyways, flash forward to when good ol' Oily Josh was 21. He told me that he wanted to preach a new message to the masses buuut in order to do that, he had to go the East to learn esoteric knowledge. And so, he kinda uh, skedaddled and went to Japan because uh.... I don't know what there actually was to learn??? Maybe he predicted anime or something??? I dunno.
He eventually came back, and I swear, the moment he did, he started preaching and gathering followers who believed in his....Godliness?? Messiahness? Somethin' like that. He even had this close group of friends who were like, more of his brothers than me somehow, called his "apostles"?? Kinda weird if ya ask me, theeen again I was probably jealous. Chill guys though, especially uh, what was his name again? Oh, I got it: Judas! He was greeaaat, loved gambling with me, definitely not as wildly religious. I neeever would have expected him to betray my onii-chan, but he did.
And here's where things get wild. To quote my tomb, ahem: "His younger brother, Isukiri casually took Christ's place and ended his life on the cross." I mean, "casually," is that really what it says?? Although... I guess it was right. What basically happened is that the apostles and I decided to make a plan to make sure Oily Josh survived and skedaddled, but it turns out we needed a replacement body. I shrugged my shoulders and got crucified, simple as that; after all, I looked just like Big J.
Now, ya might be wondering: what happened to Jesus Christ? Well, he took a piece of my hair and sprinted for Siberia so he could return to Japan. Aaand so, he became a Japanese citizen under the name "Torai Tora Daitenku" because everyone thought this wise looking non-Japanese fellow was a tengu, of course. He died at the ripe ol' age of 106, and people made tombs for both him and me because they were cool in that way. I've only got one teeny tiny question for the people who presumably decided to make me up:
Why didn't I get a better story arc, huh?!
Like really, they could've made me more distinct than Big J but noooooo, I had to be delegated to being a side character. Eh, I guess people just decided to put more focus on Oily Josh because he was the Messiah or something like that.
"Not like you, love is too simple a word for what I feel."
"At this instant, I feel it churning under my skin,"
"Ludus, what is fleeting to others is eternal for me. The initial fancies, the desire to tease and play with him. Because he is the eternal keeper of my heart, and I am his forever plaything."
"Storge, I've allowed him deep into my breast, to pull on my heartstrings. And with them he has created more melodies than there are pages to collect them."
"Mania, yes I am manic for him. I will be at his side until the Star he sits under burns out, let none take him from me."
"Eros, God above it burns in my loins and my heart and my chest and my waist and my hands to my feet. He alone holds mastery over my pleasure."
"Love is too simple a word."
"Because I am not too simple a woman."
"And the Sun King, the greatest king to ever reign, is not too simple a man."
"I am the Aphrodite to his Apollo, the Moon to his Sun, I am Love!"
Lover is Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Marquise of Montespan, or more simply Madame de Montespan. A French noblewoman who became the mistress to Louis XIV, the Sun King the longest reigning monarch in history and the champion of absolutism. Born into the ancient House of Rochechouart, Montespan had an eye for greatness. Like many others, a desire to exceed is not unique, but the hunger for it and the intelligence to gain it, Montespan was most definitely of a unique kind.
Fortunate to her, through the friendships her mother had garnered, at only twenty years old Montespan became the lady-in-waiting to the Queen of France, Maria Theresa.
Stats: Strength: E
Endurance: A
Agility: C-
Mana: D
Luck: B
Lover seems to be remarkably durable, and at times seems as if she has an exhaustible level of energy. She can keep going for hours at a time, but with her Strength being so low it's very easy to gain the top advantage against her. One would have to practically submit themselves entirely to for her to get a leg up over them.
Almost immediately after her marriage to Louis Henri de Pardaillan de Gondrin, a rather unimportant noble that, despite having two children with him, Montespan clearly did not care for. The two rarely saw each other. Famously, after her later actions with Louis, he held an annual requiem mass, and made their two children attend a funeral for her after decorating the king's carriages with antlers, a traditional symbol that is used as a mockery from the man doing the cuckholding to the husband. Naturally, Montespan and him were only still married because French political marriages were a nightmare to get annulled, and Montespan knew that using her husband's unremarkable title to grant her entry to the court was worth the indignity of producing a few heirs for his little estate.
Shockingly, their two children didn't much like Montespan. An reoccurring event was that Montespan cared very little for her children, even those she would one day have with the king. And her strategy was, intense, but doubt still hindered her. Enough that she took a recommendation of one of Louis' lesser mistresses to seek out a person capable of helping. A Neighbor, or more accurately-
Class Skills
Devotion: A (D) The skill of a Lover, the boost of power that one gains when in love. It represents one's devotion to the target of their affections, increasing Lover's stats when trying to help their lover. While at a high rank, Lover is solely devoted to Louis XIV, in any form or appearance. While she can show tenderness and kindness to others, especially her special friend La Voisin, the effectiveness of this skill is capped at D rank to anyone who is not Louis XIV.
Object of Desire: EX The capability for a Lover to loved in turn, acting as a passive charm spell. Lover will be followed by adorers and lurid watchers, inspiring envy, lust, and indeed even types of love in any who observe her. Lover will accept it, flaunting her form with a practiced ease and form that will only bring more to see her. The bonuses she concurs on those around her will be practially infinite, so long as they continue to adore that which is only outshined by one and only.
Personal Skills:
Navigation of the Court: A+ A reflection of Montespan's almost effortless entrenchment into the personal court of King Louis XIV, Lover can understand the wants, needs, and especially desires of those she comes into contact with similar to Human Observation, but with a greater emphasis on the emotions of her targets rather than their logics. This skill cannot be easily avoided, as rather than reading the mind, or probing and interrogating the target, it is simply based entirely on an initial glance at one's body language, even the movements one does unintentionally. At such an absurd level, Lover can all but read the minds of those she comes in contact with, all to not just benefit herself but at Louis' side, she can relay exactly what those who oppose or serve him need.
Maîtresse-en-titre: EX A skill unique to the woman who gained the rank of maîtresse-en-titre, the title for the King's official royal mistress that he acknowledged. Acting as a specialized form of Imperial Privilege and Pheromone that allows the mistress to change her form and personality to match whatever the king desires at any given time. Lover can give herself skills and upgraded stats for combat, beautify her already perfect body and increase her charm, even make herself appear as another person if Louis desires. However, in the absence of the king the mistress served, this skill loses any and all effects.
Blessed of the Black Mass: D A skill granted to those who partook in a dark ritual, conferring benefits depending on the purpose of the ritual. In the case of Lover, this manifests as an E rank in Magic Resistance and Charisma. While this does little for her, the skill's presence seems to give Lover an inexplicably massive boost to her confidence.
~
It is said that Montespan charmed the king effortlessly, but only because La Voisin did something far more impactful and important than the mass. La Voisin gave Montespan practical advice on seducing men, how to use her body, her voice, all the skills she would one day master started with the kindess of a stranger.
For many years, Montespan and Montvoisin would become close friends. Montespan would participate in several more rituals with La Voisin with assistance of the the renegade priest Étienne Guibourg, who would officate these masses. But while the magecraft to keep her youthful looking and fortifying her fertility were valued, the parts Montespan most cherished was the company and intelligence of La Voisin.
And while she would never admit it, in life or death, she did cherish the energy of the noblewoman. The two were a duo that, had things gone better, would have been an undefeatable team. But that is a tale for a later time, a darker time.
Ironically enough, despite the advice, the magical gifts, and love potions galore, Montespan seduced the King of the Sun in a simple way. By assisting the other mistresses during pregnancies and befriending her current rival Louise , she got close to him. Enough that one day, while she bathed and saw his eye gazing upon her one day, she turned towards him and loosened the towel wrapped around her.
~
Noble Phantasm
"Gaze upon me, everyone turn your eyes to my direction!"
"A site reserved for the sun alone, now displayed for you all!"
"The Sun reflects in the Moon."
"And Perfection reflects back!~"
Suisin de Lune
Seduction of the Celestial Spheres
Anti-Unit
Max Targets: 1
Max Range: 20
A+
As Lover, this is her greatest accomplishment. With one fell disrobing, she instantly turned all of the attention Louis XIV had for his many mistresses solely on her, and the world was wrapped around her finger as tightly as he held Montespan.
To gaze upon perfection is not something people are capable of observing, but Louis XIV was different. He had the world given to him in his youth, and near perfection was his entire existence. The nearly perfect wines to sip, the nearly perfect dishes to consume, the nearly perfect clothes to wear. For Louis XIV is nearly perfect himself, in all forms and ways and possible imaginings. But once, only for a brief moment, he witnessed perfection.
When Lover undoes her top and flashes her chest, any who witness it will be temporarily stunned for one round of combat, entirely entranced by her spheres. All save Louis XIV, who has witnessed their mammary magnificence many a moment, and any who have witnessed them in the last day as the knowledge of her knockers will serve as a nipplelification of any negative effectits.
On top of him being immune to being hampered by her hangers, Louis will gain a tremoundous buff to all his abilititties. His stits will increase by several levels, the power of her chest making him unstoboobabooble and there is notithing he cansnot do.
(This Noble Phantasm may have the unintended effect of being an infohazard, as that same knowledge of her chest that grants a temporary immunity may as well cause one to be unable to stop thinking about them at all. Please consult your local Da Vinci if effects last more than 24 hours)
When Lover revealed her breasts to Louis XIV, that brief second he first saw them were so perfect that he was instantly infatuated with her and took her as his maîtresse-en-titre. Through the following years, nothing could stop their rapturous love, not the multiple illegitimate children who Louis proudly and openly claimed as his children, or the rejection by the priests of the Catholic Church, even Monte's husband was officially separated from her.
~
Relationships
Barbara Walker
"Oh my my my! This is, so not lovely! Not at all! I'm going to go find Louis and have him turn you into dust! Then I'll vacuum you up, and toss you into space! Oh but, the Sun is in space, and you may tarnish it with your dust. Ooooo, I'll just have Louis figure it out later, maybe put you in a mask like that one man perhaps?"
Stanley Kubrick (All forms)
"You three, or all one, get your cameras prepared! I need to get some filming done of my bosom for my Louis just in case he needs a view of beauty on a horrible battlefield! From all angles he must see perfection! In all lightings, and colors, and disrobed and robed, and in different styles of portraits as well! The first must be of a Baroque style with influence of the Classical period."
"..."
"Why are you not getting prepared! My demands are not too high of you!"
Darwinian Demon
"Oh thank you for your affections dear Darwi! I have produced many a child indeed! And most of Europe's royalty does trace themselves to me! How many? Can I have more?!"
"If Louis wills it, I suppose we can do the Conception of Abel art display, or perhaps the Creation of Alcides? Creation of Creation would require one of every animal to have ever lived sadly, so that's off the table."
La Voisin *incredibly loud gasp* "CATHHHYYYY!!!!!!"
"Oh how much I have missed you! Come! Become drunk on my love!"
The hug lasted for at least ten minutes, and she was smothered by far more than just her love.
It reminds you of a person being smothered by a pillow.
Voisin doesn't seem to mind though, and is hugging back, albeit not quite as painfully tight.
~
For a time, Montespan was in the greatest position of power one could imagine for themselves and in the happiest days of her existence. A lover who worshiped her existence, that same lover being the most powerful man in the world. Castles and villas and vacation homes, all for her.
Until the Affair of the Posions stripped her of her power, brought controversy to her by the attempted assassination of the king himself, all for daring turn his rapturous eyes away from Monte. While it did not take her life, it ended it. She spent the last few decades of her life shunned by Louis, and her children who she had previously left for others. Louis most treasured son, the second-eldest she had with him Louis-Auguste, did not mourn her nor consider himself to her son, and he did not weep a single tear when she was exiled.
When she died at age 67, while some of her children mourned, their father did not allow them to mourn her. As easily as he had been enraptured by her, he cast her aside.
But that is not yet come to pass, for Lover is Madame de Montespan in the prime of her life, at her peak of personal power. In this state, mentions of the Affair will cause but momentary twinge in Lover's eyes, but the memory seems missing from her mind. Or just repressed, buried somewhere deep in her heart.
Right now, she just wants to be in Louis shadow, absorbing his light, his love, for the brief time he will have her.
A New Moon?
"Would you believe me Master."
"If I said I regret it?"
"You should not, because I do not."
"Take of that what you will. I am only sorry that, that I hurt people doing it. Voisin, the children of mine who loved me, and Louis."
"Louis, oh Louis oh Louis."
"He was, he is the Sun."
"To be in his presence is to be warmed, or burned."
"But I found out what he was missing."
"A reflection, not an equal but a person who could take his radiant heat and light and show it back to him. Have him see what he truly was inside and not just what others told him."
"The Moon to his Sun, showing only him the light he showed everyone else."
"No one else gives him that, not a single soul ever produced by this or any other world."
"What else should I have done?"
End of Sheet Talk
The text in her sheet is the hex code #800080. In spite of that, the boob jokes did not go far enough in my opinion but I was running out of ideas and my puns are not up to bat.
Monte is a sheet I've had an idea for since the dark times of CaS2, where I made a lameass sheet of her then. Hopefully, he says while knowing he's lying, I can get more of her other ideas down later on.
FC and the NPFC are from akairiot
Bond FC is from Yokura
Last edited by Saron; April 4th, 2025 at 11:12 PM.
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
No need for that, master. Come, come. I have a banquet ready for us. Just me, and you.
Now, what did you want to ask?
...
Hm.
A fair question....
Agapité mou, you need not fear. My love for you is as genuine as my love for them. I loved each one of them like the moon loves the stars, no, as Artemis loves Orion. I love you. Yet I understand your doubt, Kýrios. My affairs are numerous and well-known. Infamous, one might say... as is the fate of any I love.
That is why I am so relentless with it.
My time with you mortals is so fleeting, even more than a candle's affair with wax.
So I must cherish every momentary second as if it were the world between us.
I have no doubts my wife will come to claim me. I will be heartbroken when it does... for years, I will try to fill this void with tyranny for naught. It will heal, however. Just as you will. You will, eventually, move on. I am a god, a foolish one, but not a stupid one. As great and powerful as I am the heart wants what it wants... you will want again and as romantic as it wanting me and me alone might be it will want companionship and it will choose the next best thing.
Who that is?
I cannot imagine.
I can only hope that they make you smile like you do with me, agapité mou.
Now!
The banquet!
Come, come!
I made sure to invite the others of course! A banquet is not one without guests!
There shall be food, dancing, and singing!
Let's enjoy ourselves, agápi mou!
Parameters
Strength
Agility
Endurance
A
C
A
Mana
Noble Phantasm
Luck
C
B
D
Class Skills
Devotion B-
Zeus had many affairs.
This cannot be denied.
His devotion, therefore, can certainly be questioned. Whether he acted in lust or love. Acts such as Hera suggest he merely sought lustful coitus. Yet incidents such as Semele suggest he did have deep affection for some of his lovers. In the end, it cannot be said beyond his own words whether he truly loved anyone. Only that, at the very least, he felt Eros for all of them.
At this rank, Zeus' affections for their master and others tend to run deeper than mere surface-level lust. However due to the question of whether it is genuine or not tends to apply a negative modifer, lowering the parameter rank ups awarded by this skill.
At least, until the question is answered.
Object of Desire C
Zeus is the King of the Gods.
While in many of his affairs the woman did not seek him out, there are notable examples of his lover returning his affections. Most notably his first wife Metis loved him enough to allow herself to be changed into a fly so he could swallow her and make her part of him to avoid a prophecy. Yet such instances are rare.
As such he has a low rank.
This skill emits a passive charm effect on those around him. It is minor meaning any level of mental protection prevents it, but those unguarded may find themselves begin to slowly view him as desirable. Enough exposure may even begin to elicit emotions such as Eros, Agape, or even Mania.
All forms of Greek Love.
Divine Core of the Heavens EX
A divine core is a rare skill to have.
Even rarer to be one of the authority of the heavens.
Yet it is restricted. A rule of his saint graph is he may not invoke his full authority over the heavens. Instead he must choose which function of the core he retains... in this manifestation it is always the authority to change the weather. So that when rain is romantically appropriate, he can summon it and likewise when sunshine is require he can make it so.
Beyond this and exceptional divinity this skill has no function.
Personality
Conius.
'To excite'.
This is the epithet Zeus manifests as a Lover.
Rather, Zeus-Conius can only manifest as a Lover.
Conius refers to his temple in Megara, Greece. It was left open to allow for rain and wind to clean the dust of the temple naturally and also symbolize Zeus' control over the heavens... it also, however, represented Zeus' seeming infinite admiration for humans even if he often quarreled with them. As such in this state Zeus represents this. A master of weather who undoubtedly loves humans; often his master first. Rarely does he ever devote himself to anyone else.
Yet his myths are self-evident.
Invariably, Zeus' eye will stray.
A master must either learn to accept this or, like Hera before them, use whatever means to reign him in and return them to their bed. Unless they deny his advances in the first place. Then he will freely devote himself to someone else. Naturally, despite loving another, he will honor his bond with his master... rather the nature of the relationship changes.
They are no longer lovers.
They are just friends.
Personal Skills Charisma A++
The charisma of an absolute god.
Zeus is known as 'King of the Gods' and for good reason. As a god he represents kinghood in all its forms as well as representing the heavens that the gods live in. In essence he is a King and through this skill he displays the Charisma necessary to not only be a King but a King of Gods.
At his rank it is effectively equivalent to an Authority of Charisma.
Regardless of rank or title or epithet, Zeus will always carry the Charisma of an absolute god.
Defiance is practically not an option.
Only true heroes or demons could think to defy the almighty Zeus.
Shapeshift A
An ability Zeus displayed multiple times.
He became a swan to mate with an Eagle. He became a bull to lure Europa. He turned Metis into a fly. His ability to turn himself and others into other things than what they are is exceptional. As a Lover he uses this skill for only the benefit of his master's pleasure. That is he will become what they most desire when they wish it.
As such its combat power is practically zero.
Wind of Romance A
Natural Body taken to an extreme.
His body, whatever form it takes, becomes the peak of what he is representing. When a bull he is the best specimen a man could ask for, when he becomes a cloud he is majestic and all-expanding, and when he is a man he is the most learned but strong man one could find. Naturally beauty such as his is accompanied by a gentle breeze regardless of the weather. A breeze that smells of roses.
At all times, he has an extra two ranks in his Strength and Endurance parameters.
Interactions
Master Blessed be lass! This modern era is wonderful! The women, divine! The clothes, sublime! The aroma's, intoxicating! I am falling in love with the era itself!... Mmmm... as much as I wish to make love with it, you master are why I can enjoy it in the first place... Rejoice! For you, master, I grant any one desire! Simply name it and for you, agápi mou, I will grant it without question!
Epione Mmmm. MMMMM! I, for one, never understood the modern eras fascination with healer-maids. However! I now see their appeal! I gaze upon thee and cannot help but realize their beauty! Please! Do me the honor of sharing thy name, healer-maid!
Praetorian Guard Ho-oh! Woman warriors! What a sublime beauty! So rare in my time and claimed before I could taste!... Tell me lady, would you honor me with the succulent sound of your name?
Actor of Pellene Mmmm~ Well now. What a rare specimen. An argonaut yet you're so... submissive~ Agapité mou... would you do me the honor of a dance~?
The Antikythera Mechanism Such a diligent mechanism you are, serving your masters even today. Such devotion deserves reward, no~? Mmmm... name something you desire. If it is within my power and does not betray agápi mou then you shall have it. Jewels, gold. My bed... even names~
Nimrod ...Hmph. I see. You did not exist in my sphere, yet I know you, foolish king. A king who dreamed farther than he ought and made humanity suffer for it... why dost thou darken my master's shadow? Begone. Before I make you.
Andromeda Hm. Different than I remember but definitely- ahhh, yes of course. That beauty cannot be denied, then or now. You are undoubtedly my sons wife Andromeda... I'm terribly sorry about that whole affair. Tell me, how has my son been?
Madame de Montespan ... Excuse me, kyría mou, but might I have thine name? Thy beauty is blinding as a divine body and thy voice like the song of nature itself! I could spend hours with you and not tire even a little! Please, kyría mou, your name~?
Darwin's Demon Mmmmm. I hear you enjoy children, kyría mou... so? Shall we make more, kyría mou~?
Hera M-my dear! Wh-what a surprise! I was not expecting you! Oh, ignore the girl she's not important! N-nope not one bit! (Master, remain silent, she's vindictive and will kill you if she suspects! Maintain calm!)
Noble Phantasm
For my love, I shall shed my mortality! Behold peons who dare resist her, my true self!
Truth Sky
Erastés Theïkoú Plaisíou
Type Anti-Nation
Rank EX
It is said, in ancient times, that to divine a god's true nature as a mortal was to die.
Not an untrue statement, either.
Famously is the legend of Zeus and Semele.
Semele and Zeus enjoyed an enduring romance full of life, love, and romance. Hera, jealous, disguised herself and tricked Semele into doubting the truth of Zeus. Using this vulnerability she put an idea into Semele's head; have him reveal his true form to prove his godhood. An idea that Semele agreed with, unaware of what she was asking.
The answer scorched her immediately to the grief of Zeus.
This noble phantasm represents this truth of the gods and this tragedy. A god's true form will kill any mortal that gazes upon it even if the god and mortal each consent to its sight. Even he, the King of Gods, cannot change this fact. When he reveals his true form as a god mortals will die.
Naturally, this sort of noble phantasm is not the type that requires mana to unleash but rather mana to remain inactive. So long as Zeus maintains a tight gripe on his saint graph he can operate without a drop in performance despite restraining himself.
However if he ever lets go and unleashes this noble phantasm, his true form is exposed for all to see: that of a great roiling lightning storm that can expand over entire cities.. He ceases being able to revert to a spiritual form. Further upon seeing him an attack on the level of an A-rank noble phantasms strike occurs. It is an invisible strike that occurs purely because it was seen and not because he willed it.
Mental protections and vision alterations can ward this off to an extent but they only weaken the receiving strike by a maximum of three ranks; that is it will never be weaker than D-rank. Further it is a continuous attack; once the first strike ends the second strike comes.
Naturally normal humans stand no chance against such a noble phantasm and will die immediately.
To return this noble phantasm to its passive state, Zeus-Conius need only say its true name and pay the appropriate mana (equivalent to an A-rank noble phantasm) to seal away his divine form and return to the shell of a mortal. However the results will always remain.
Craft Essence
Semele
I beheld her.
I patrolled my kingdom.
The heavens.
I spotted her from on high.
Sacrificing a fine bull.
I beheld her bathing and knew.
She was for me.
I partook her and she me.
We were in love.
Then....
She asked.
"Please show me your true form. Dispel my doubts!"
...
How can a man refuse to prove himself to his love?
...
I only hope she doesn't regret what I don't.
Rookie Lorekeeper, Amateur Extraordinaire, and all around nasunoob.
Madame de Montespan is hilarious. I appreciate the effort you but for boob jokes. But if I understand correctly, without Luis, her NP is only a group stun?
When I read it, it reminded me of Black Orchid's Breast Flash finisher from the original Killer Instinct. Maybe the bodacious perfection would also literally blow up the lesser minds.
Zeus-Conius: strongest yet unpredictable Lover. You are really playing with s billion wolts here.
Class: Faker
Other Classes:
True Name: Peter III Šćepan Mali
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Place of Origin: Montenegro
Height: 178 cm.
Weight: 61 kilo.
Likes: Fun individuals. Making peace and friends. Showing up "bigshots". Catherine?
Dislikes: Catherine? Overly inquisitive people. Poisons. Warmongers.
Natural Enemy: Catherine the Great? Peter III
Parameters:
STR: C
END: B
AGI: C
MGI: E
LCK: A
NP: A
Class Skills:
Camouflage (C):
As someone whose own true identity is still the subject of debate, even before he became suspected as Peter III, one would think his rank would be higher. However, as he never personally declared himself as what they all believed them to be, it has instead only come to C, allowing him to appear as another Class and disguise only 2 Parameters.
Contact with Civilization (C):
A Voyager Class Skill that evolves what is in the holder’s possession into its “best version”. Faker, in a turn quite literally no one expected, transformed everything he touched in an almost exclusively positive way. In just five years, he transformed Montenegro from a land of constantly contested territory between clans into a united principality for the first time in history, overseen by a court of chiefs until his demise. All this despite being an outsider from parts unknown.
While this cannot bring an item beyond its “peak”, anything in his hands functions near its “ideal” state.
Personal Skills:
The False Tsar (C):
Shortly after his appearance, the rumors began. That the deposed Tsar Peter III had come to Montenegro, and his name was Šćepan Mali. It didn’t matter that he only vaguely resembled the man. It didn’t matter that people who had met Peter were uncertain. It didn’t matter that the Tsar herself officially declared Peter III dead. They knew that Faker was Peter III even if he would never say so himself.
At this rank, it allows him to use the Skills Peter III would have as a Heroic Spirit with a single reduction of rank. This Includes Grandson of Peter the Great, Appreciation of Tactics, and Toy Soldiers. However, use of Peter’s Noble Phantasm is lost to Faker.
Curse of the Nameless (C):
Even the name Šćepan Mali is a false moniker that Faker used in life, his True Name being a secret only he likely ever knew. Why he reinvented himself or what he was hiding went to his grave. However, being so thoroughly identified as “Šćepan Mali” has given this Skill a middling rank.
Allows him to minorly distribute damage and effects received to his allies rather than taking their full power. It also grants him an advantage against curses.
Charisma (B):
Though of indeterminate origin, Faker was a shockingly inspiring and charismatic ruler. He was much loved by his people, able to engender loyalty and command when he spoke, and even charmed the very people who were sent there to depose him by the time they left. His ability to lead is staggering, both for his lowly beginnings and the unknown past he led before his appearance.
Noble Phantasm
Šćepan Mali: The Smallest on Earth, and Good unto the Good (A)
Anti-Russia
Russia, fearing the Ottomans might claim Balkan land, finally marched on Montenegro. The general and army they sent had two missions: prepare them for incoming Russian reinforcement, and expose/depose Faker. They did both these things. However, the clans Faker had worked two years unifying immediately went back to squabbling, they resented the general who had imprisoned Faker and ignored his orders, the Venetians that had been making many attempts on Faker’s life were now targeting him, and there were rumblings about the price the Ottomans had put on his head, and it became clear the people may be inclined to bring it to them.
After only two months in Montenegro, the general and his people were looking for a way out. Despite being ordered to depose and summarily execute Faker, the general instead pardoned him and reinstated him as ruler of Montenegro, and after Faker personally guided them through a secret path in the mountains to avoid their enemies, they parted on good terms.
"I would truly have fallen into the abyss had not Šćepan Mali, who was accustomed to such places, virtually carried me in his arms."
This is less the defining moment that crystalized this Noble Phantasm, but greatest representation of why he possesses it. From the beginning, Faker has been one who is the most unexpected, smallest, virtually unknown player in a game of giants. Yet, he accomplished things no one else did, fought off enemies several times his size, and even when he lost it all, not only did it go worse for the person who took it, but they gave it all back. What this Noble Phantasm represents is the simple acknowledgement that “What belongs to Šćepan Mali will remain Šćepan Mali’s.”
By taking possession of anything for a certain period of time, the object or territory, or whatever it may be possible for him to possess, becomes conceptually identified as “Šćepan Mali’s”. Should these things attempt to be usurped or be taken from him, the thief will find their Luck stat immediately tanking and a curse of misfortune placed upon them. The only way to break the curse outside of subversive magical means is to return what has been taken to Faker’s possession.
This Noble Phantasm also has an additional effect of greatly depowering effects and objects used against Faker originating from Russia. More specifically, ones that come from during or after Catherine the Great’s reign. Those that come before will be only minorly affected.
Lore
No one… has any idea where Šćepan Mali came from. The man, almost magically, appeared one day in Maine as a local physician who quickly ingratiated himself to the people. After they saw him weep at a church service for the Russian royal family while gazing at a picture of Peter III’s son, the rumor that would follow him the rest of his life was born.
“Doesn’t he remind you of Peter III?”
Šćepan would never confirm nor deny the rumors, signing his documents "Šćepan Mali, the smallest on Earth, and good unto the good". Still, he quickly became an influential member of Montenegro and even began petitioning the constantly warring tribes to cease their feuds and work together to increase all their fortunes. After the clan leaders conferred, they sent a message saying they would for a single year. Šćepan tore the letter, stomped on it, and demanded the peace be in perpetuity.
The clan leaders went to Maine and personally paid their respects to him, agreeing to his command.
After deposing the ineffectual and senile ruler, he was unanimously installed as the “Tsar of Montenegro”, a title that had never been conferred and never would again. This only served to embolden the rumors that he was Peter III, hoping that he and Catherine would work together to protect them from the Ottomans.
Šćepan’s unprecedented and, honestly, unbelievably quick rise to power sent waves to the neighboring nations. Speculation and rumors grew as to who this man could be, and concern for what the “former Russian emperor” had planned taking on such an identity. Meanwhile, Šćepan went about reforming Montenegro, implementing many social reforms and religious policies, creating a new flag, and forming a council from the leaders of the clans. By all accounts, he improved the lives of his people in greater strides than had been seen in decades.
Russia, however, was not pleased by this pretender to their fallen emperor, even if he had already been previously deposed. Šćepan attempted to open diplomatic relations with them, but they were refused, the Russians attempting to distribute the definitive information through Montenegro that Peter III was truly dead. Catherine herself was furious, enacting a closure of borders to all from Montenegro in case Šćepan attempted to come enter Russia. She also declared that, if he were not deposed, they would invade and do so themselves.
After many failed poison attempts by the Venetians, the Ottomans decided in an unrelated action to invade Montenegro for fear Šćepan was a puppet of Russia. Despite their army being three times the size of Montenegro’s, they not only failed their assault, but were driven back, Šćepan brokering a ceasefire because Russia declared war on the Ottomans.
Using this as an excuse, Catherine followed through on her threat, sending one of her best generals to Montenegro to expose Šćepan. After two meetings with the man after his arrival, the general was unimpressed by his flamboyant clothing, feminine voice, youthful face, and “inane and giddy” demeanor. However, the hearts of the people were with Šćepan, and the Russians’ arrival had already caused several raids and skirmishes from the Montenegrins.
They quickly exposed Šćepan officially as a fake and deposed him, the general taking command temporarily while imprisoning the “Tsar”. Though commanded to be dragged in chains, the people led Šćepan to the monastery that would be his temporary home as a ruler on horseback. This was a premonition to what was to come, as the clans immediately began squabbling with each other, assassination attempts were made on the general, and the people were clearly against them. Near the end of their occupation, they temporarily moved guards from the monastery, and there was an immediate attempt to free Šćepan that was narrowly prevented.
With no reinforcements forthcoming and the lack of true authority they possessed, the general freed Šćepan and reinstated him as ruler, this time under Russia. Šćepan, grateful, personally led them past enemy borders as to ensure they made it home unharmed. The general left with a far more respectful impression of the Tsar, though Catherine was still upset, if now tolerant, of the “Tsar of Montenegro”.
Šćepan’s return united the clans once more, and the people loved him despite knowing with certainty he was not Peter III. He began preparing for war, awaiting Russian aid. It was during this time that, where poisonings and assassination attempts failed, an accidently activated landmine nearly accomplished. The last 2 years of his life and rule were spent a cripple with a missing eye, needing to be carried around in chair until his death, but this still did not stop him. He had the first Montenegrin census made, established a “court of twelve” to oversee and distribute verdict on crimes, and finally made peace with Venice despite all their attempts on his life.
Sadly, the Ottomans, fearing the threat he and a united Montenegro posed, bribed a recent refugee from Greece to become Šćepan's servant and kill him, slitting his throat in his sleep.
Šćepan lived in Montenegro for seven years, five of which as its ruler. His reign did not have long effects. The clans immediately began fighting once more, but the next ruler would manage to unite them once more and begin reforms Šćepan himself was leading to had he more time. Despite the shortness of his reign, Šćepan left a strange model for the kind of ruler they needed which those that came after emulated to a certain degree, whether intentionally or not. Inarguably, Šćepan was one of their most competent rulers, and is perhaps one of the most interesting rises to power in history.
And to think we still don’t know his real name.
Personality
An effeminate and haughty man, his self-imposed title of "Mali" (the Humble/Small) seems completely incongruous with the man who faces kings and gods with an unnatural confidence. The thing is, he is extremely haughty, but there are few people he would ever actually look down on. That is reserved for those he actively detests, which can be relegated to the malicious, unapologetic, overly prideful, and know-it-alls. With anyone else, Šćepan's first instinct is always to make a friend. He may have the laugh and pride of an ojou, but Šćepan hasn't really changed all that much from before he became a Tsar. Back when he was in a little town selling medicine, and before that...
Šćepan is extremely tight lipped about his past. Even now, he's still perfectly fine with pretending to be Peter III or concocting a story of who he was in his previous life. He seems not only dismissive but guarded about it, always careful to say little and steer a conversation away whenever such topics are brought up. It's unclear why, because he doesn't seem particularly ashamed or embarrassed or any of the usual reasons one may wish to hide their past. He simply doesn't want to talk about it, and would rather everyone else feel the same.
The man has also become a purveyor of the arts and military affairs, which was not apparent in life. If asked, he says that the Skills he got from Peter have given him a better appreciation for such things, being able to interact with generals and tacticians Peter could only read about or never knew. He also is constantly trying to form groups with the other Servants in the name of different activities like putting on a festival or consolidating all the extended Pendragon family in one room to talk out their differences. It's in the latter example that we see something Šćepan prides himself on, which is peacemaking. While Šćepan, someone who instated the death penalty to curb his more radical people, is not a pacifist, he is the first to choose peace and diplomacy when possible. He would much rather everyone get along and work together than constantly compete for one thing or another.
The final aspect of this man is that, frankly, he's a bit silly. His mannerisms are generally exaggerated, his demeanor seems geared to be both amusing and appealing, and he treats even his enemies like they're a few steps away from besties. it's hard to tell if this is a facade or not, because its very clear Šćepan is not a fool, and never truly acts like one, being insulted if its implied. How much of this personality is fabrication of the man that claimed absolute power in two years or the genuine article is as much an unsolved mystery as his very origins.
But do you really want to spend your days thinking about something silly like that, dear? It's much more fun to just enjoy the ride, isn't it? Oh-hohohohohoho~
Relationships
Catherine the Great
I brought you a gift, Dear Catherine~
The relationship between Catherine and Šćepan is... confusing. Catherine seems to detest the man not only for his complete immunity to her abilities, but also the mere fact that he, consequently, improves her husband's reputation by even the slightest association. Likewise, Šćepan is known to seek her out and be actively suggestive towards her, though the seriousness of this is debatable given the sniping and jabs that pass between them. Despite all this, they are often seen together and occasionally leaving rooms in disarray.
Peter III: The genuine article, but it seems the fake has long surpassed the original. Fufufu~
Anna Anderson: Don't go and drown yourself in a fantasy, dear. Come! Dance with me! Let's embrace the wild road and see where it goes!
Alena Arzamasskaia: I tip my hat to you, fair revolutionary. Had such a thing been in my domain, you would've received a medal, not ash.
Ivan the Terrible: The first Tsar is quite the towering figure. I suppose it's much more literal now, isn't it?
Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova: The lost little monarch, back again. It would be my great pleasure to have you for tea.
Tsarevich Dimitri Ivanovich: Poor Dimitri~ do not cry, for your heart remains true and pure. Only you can chose which tread path is your own, you see?
Nero Redivivus: A brilliant lyre performance! Truly the spitting image of an emperor!
Aisin-Gioro Zaitian: Aw~ little one, stay with me for a time. I will share with you all the secrets to a successful rule.
Edward VII: Yes, it’s surprising how little some people expect from those that become the best rulers.
Rhea Silvia: Well, it didn’t go well, but you left a legacy that lasted 1,000 years. It’s no wonder you have such a wonderful disposition.
Astyanax: My, we have so many origin stories between us, don't we? I prefer it this way. If I have a past, let it be multiple choice!
Isukiri: The time of Revelation has arrived, has it? I didn’t expect the Messiah to be so like me! I suppose those people calling me a messiah were onto something!
Madame de Montespan: And I thought my rise was sudden, but it looks like your position wasn’t the only thing raised. ohohohoh~
Craft Essence
The Only Tsar
Some say that he was once a noble.
Some suggest that he was nothing more than a common charlatan.
Some speculate he was a learned scholar.
Some posit he was a deposed ruler in hiding.
Some know in their hearts he is Peter III
Most call him Šćepan Mali
Among these, the truth remains lost, but there is a single certainty.
That man was Tsar.
What I would want his battle theme to be.
We'll get the corresponding Catherine eventually. Not the first time I've teased a Servant that won't come out for a year, and it probably won't be the last.
You were all spared another Lover Servant. That said, I really loved this guy the more I read about him. It almost reads like it was written by someone who doesn't understand or isn't interested with political machinations and just wants their guy to be king already with no debate. Šćepan himself is such a fascinating person both from what we know about him and all the things we don't. There is a 30 year gap where this man just doesn't exist, and he refused to reveal his name. Facts like him crying while looking at Peter III's son's picture bring up so many questions we'll never get the answers to. Such an enigma of a person I was very happy to bring to life.
[Lažni Car Šćepan Mali · Čegović Muzika]
Last edited by Morg van Destro; April 18th, 2025 at 03:41 AM.
Below is the first completed servant of my Devourer Fanclass. Please use the dropdown below, or view my blog post if you'd like to learn more- the latter will be updated with a FAQ/Clarifying Questions segment in the coming days as well.
Devourer is a non-standard, function-based servant class akin to Ruler, Avenger, or Gatekeeper. It's purpose is as the name suggests, to devour: to consume quickly. The intended purpose for the container’s design is to absorb, sequester, and otherwise contain objects or entities which may be hazardous, with haste. As opposed to Ruler which is largely implemented by The Throne as a governing body to control multiple servants at large, Devourer's use case is to remove outlier elements.
History and Usage
The first fully registered and recognized Devourer to be summoned was the Estonian hero Kalevipoeg in 2009. The ritual, taking place in Manilla, did not utilize the Fuyuki Standard-Class Lock; this lead to a particularly poor ritual (three Assassins, a Moon-Cancer, Saber, and Devourer), but the substandard concealment procedures allowed for greater data collection and propagation of Devourer's function and existence. Due to the incident being around a pivotal point in time for the subcategory genesis, Devourer would slowly be recognized in enthusiast circles as a ‘metagame class’.
Over the next few years, as Subcategory Grail wars would become more popular as a dangerous sort of underground sport in the mage community, specialized catalysts, recurring Servants, and public master reputation had enough data to where summon prediction became relevant. In the event that a rival master was known to use a particularly troublesome mystic code or familiar, or summon a selection of servants from one particular region with particularly potent/hazard abilities, utilizing a Devourer to eliminate that distinct threat would be seen as a somewhat feasible option. Due to the eternal unpredictability of the ritual, being able to guarantee this quality through a specialized verse a la Assassin and Berserker was seen as rather favorable, though this of course introduces another layer of the summoning mindgame itself.
Class Mechanics and Design
The Devourer's observed standard parameter spread is as seen below.
STR: D (C)
AGI: D (C)
END: C (B)
MGI: B*
LCK: C
NP: C
Devourers typically sport a higher than average mana capacity and lean on the bulkier side for base Parameters. Additionally, they will tend to trend higher in one of the three physical parameters depending on the individual(s) manifested, signified by the bracketed values.
The asterisk on the Magical Energy/Mana Parameter denotes an odd quirk of summoning- most servants, upon manifestation, will have their supply of mana at 80-100% depending on various factors. Devourer however, will manifest with levels at around 25-45%. This means that upon being summoned, the Master(s) will want to have a mystic code or other potent source of magical energy ready for consumption- otherwise they will have to utilize a very much weakened servant until recharged. Considering the standard use case for Devourer is as counterplay to a servant that has already been/is expected to be summoned, the Master will likely be one of the last to summon their servant, so preparation is advised.
The Singular Class Skill of Devourer is Eater.
Eater is the ability to consume magical energy applied against the user. This applies to magical objects and entities as well, with rank C and above being high enough a grade that even things such as noble phantasms can be absorbed, provided there is enough time to do so. When objects/mana are absorbed, there is a chance that the effects will manifest under the Devourer's control. This is of course more likely with physical objects of potent mystery or structured design(Noble Phantasms being the most pertinent example), and allies higher Luck Parameter.
Eater has the additional trait of being incompatible with the class skill Magic Resistance- as MR works through rejecting magical energy, Eater draws it in, meaning that they would cancel each other out.
The only exception is when Eater pops up as a class skill on a Non-Devourer class Servant. There, Eater will appear in a degraded form where it's function regards the physical consumption of objects. Not much data is known of the specifics, as most reports come from the notoriously unreliable findings of the Atlas Summoning Sub-Department Simulations.
Devourer Archetypes, and Class Aptitude
From the (relatively shallow) pool of summoned Devourers, the figures summoned in/qualifying for the container can largely be grouped into 3 unnoficial archetypes: Takers, Engulfers, and Seekers.
Takers are those who seized physical objects- legendary weapons, valuable ores, magic tools. Examples of Taker-Type Devourers would be someone like Siegfried, being bathed in the blood of fafnir which granted him indestructible skin, or Ishikawa Goemon, a thief of legend. It is for those who specialize in seizing something.
Engulfers are those who seized or contained power- whether that be by way of territory or reputation, or through sealing rituals and banishment. Examples of Engulfer-type Devourers would be someone like Napoleon, whose empire quickly swallowed up a chunk Europe until he was beaten back, or Sinmara, wife of Surtr who sealed away his texture-annihilating Laevateinn. It is for those who specialize in enveloping something.
Seekers are those who chased down that which cannot be touched or felt, only told or applied- knowledge and information. Examples of Seeker-type Devourers would be someone such as the pruned timeline Miyamoto Iori, who in some ends would be prepared to sacrifice everything he had to experience greater heights of the blade, or Harun al-Rashid, who was said to have founded the Grand Library of Baghdad. It is for those who specialize in subsuming something.
These are all generally ways someone can qualify, or at least function within the Devourer Class Container. However, the affinity for the class, and rank of the Eater skill depend on how actively the individual sought what they ‘devoured’. Siegfried, through the above lens specifically regarding Fafnir's blood, would have a weak rank in the skill as being bathed in the dragon's blood was largely accidental: he was there to kill him, not become invincible. Similarly, someone like Tarrare, who certainly ate a bunch of things, was motivated by hunger and an unnatural, unfortunate physical defect- as it was an insane urge, his desire to consume is more fitting through the trappings of the Berserker or Foreigner containers. There must be drive and intent.
Other Classes: Lancer, Caster, Rider
True Name: Queen Amina of Zazzau
Alignment: Balanced Evil
Place of Origin: Nigeria
Parameters:
STR: D
END: C
AGI: C
MGI: B
LCK: C
Height: 6’1” (Variable) Weight: 178 lbs (Variable) Likes: Dogs, subservience Dislikes: Individuals without hope
"They're bland, it's a simple matter of good taste." Talent: Poker Natural Enemy: Spartacus Attribute: Earth Armament: Scepter, Thralls, Body Catalyst: A piece from an Amina Wall with an accompanying Devourer verse
Lore
Born in 1533 to King Nikatau and Queen Bakwa Turunku of Zazzau (modern day Nigeria), Amina was said to be a cherished child, yet raised at a distance. She would be sent to live with and be raised by her grandfather, a man whose name had been purposely forgotten in the oral tradition which recorded her name. This is because he, like her, was a soul eater.
Soul Eaters, or Maiye, were believed to be those with a supernatural hereditary condition- to physically manifest the soul of themself and others as a small stone called a Kankara. They were able to pluck them from others, leading to a slow, withering, agonizing death from its source, but bestow them upon objects and others for great power. Skipping her father’s generation, another Maiye was seen as a great opportunity- she would surely be a great asset to the kingdom… though the mistrust brought by the condition of her and her grandfather would forever leave them separate from the rest of the family.
Her Grandfather however, loved her dearly- she was like him after all. He would carry her everywhere as a child, having her toddle then stride as she grew older, teaching her all he knew of military and political matters. He would begin to train her in combat as well, and after she was named heir apparent at age 16, in usage of their Kankara. It was at that age, and with that announcement of her status next in line to the throne, that she would receive a gift of 40 slaves from her parents. As fate would have it, these were the first humans in 14 years that she would live with who were not controlled through Kankara.
She hated them.
They made mistakes, they had desires, secrets, inside jokes, [i]dreams[\i]- this was repulsive to the young queen-to-be. They were nothing to someone like her, and the fact that they displayed any identity? It was disgusting. Before they had arrived, her tutelage in utilizing Kankara had only been in progress for around a month- she was only able to produce an offspring Kankara once in a week, with great focus needed. Her repulsion fueled her however- with them being there and serving her for a week, she was down to three days. One month of them, and she could create one in a single day. By the second month, none of them had free will any longer.
In her early twenties, her beloved grandfather would pass and she would rejoin her family. They of course knew what she was, of her condition, and who she was internally, despite returning with the practiced charm of someone who would never truly accept rejection. However, as they had known from the start, she proved to be an asset to the kingdom, immediately taking to their military, training as a cavalry general and outshining even her brother, who was their lead. This would continue for roughly a decade, before her parents passed. It was a long time coming, their health had been slowly declining, old age and all that. A bevy of slaves had served them until the very end, with great care to make things painless as possible. Their master of course was Amina, for she loved her parents- and it was something that would indicate a simple kindness befitting of the about-to-be Queen… until they appointed her brother on their joint deathbed instead.
He did not make it a full year.
Over the next 34 years, Amina would position herself as a military menace, slowly circling the outer bounds of her own kingdom and overtaking the other Hausa kingdoms through violent effort. As she would move from settlement to settlement, she would take a new lover each night, and behead them each morning. Although the other 6 kingdoms would ultimately keep her contained, those whose path she would march across would be met with only one fate- to serve. Whether that was alive, or until their souls burned out was their only choice.
Personality
Amina is a knife. Cold, sharp, and cutting, but not as outwardly threatening as something like a sword or gun. Her manners are impeccable, her method of speech and way of movement are that of someone who has been raised as royalty since birth. To one who has a brief engagement with her, she is a model monarch.
However, disagree, offend, or heavens forbid command her, and that knife’s edge begins to run sharper, the point towards the one who dares to do so. Any instance of insubordination or error, a faux pas or disagreement, and she turns. Groveling will at least save you the first time, but any hope of redemption is nigh-impossible. She is the worst kind of perfectionist- one who only believes in the errors of others.
For most masters, a command spell disallowing oneself from being Kankara’d is an absolute must upon summoning her. At the very least, it will save your soul from being claimed- the moxie at least elicits a chuckle from her. This food is meant to be played with, clearly.
Class Skills:
Eater: B
The Signature skill of the Devourer Class, it is the ability to consume magical energy applied against the user. At ranks C and above, the holder can begin to absorb and consume magical objects (even the likes of noble phantasm, provided the time and/or disparity in skill to rank allows) and take on their properties as well.
At Rank B, Amina is able to absorb spells with a chant below three verses. Even if targeted by greater magecraft and Greater Rituals, it is difficult for her to be affected. Mana Bursts of equal rank and Noble Phantasms of C and below can be consumed with effort, though the prior of course risks the standard mana overload inherent to the skill, and the latter requires roughly 24 to 36 hours on her own.
Riding: C
The ability to control mounts with above-average ability, even those not utilized in life.
A cavalry fighter at many points in her life, this skill takes a penalty in this class container and the more-specialized Lancer, being higher in both her Caster and of course Rider forms.
"You ask as to why I have no mount? Oh, but I do- kneel."
Personal Skills:
Tactics: D
A skill denoting knowledge of commanding and combating troops, allowing for boosts when commanding or combating multiple entities.
A skilled commander, recognized even as a teenager- she would spend 34 years fighting her neighbors for more land, dying with a substantial territory conquered. This skill is not as high as it would be in other classes.
Queen’s Kankara: A
A skill referencing the Kankara stones created by Maiye. A crystallization of the human soul, Amina is able to impart the Kankara which she obtains into people and objects in order to enhance and control them. Drop one into the earth, and up rises a great wall- impart one within a man and he becomes a sort of beast, a creature of malicious power and instinct… should she will it.
Acting in great harmony with her Eater skill, Devourer utilizes the skill with her kankara’d entities, able to pass on traits and qualities she acquires on to them via the addition of more of the stones.
"Now do listen as I say this, for this is knowledge that even the professed greatest of gourmands can't tell you; the souls of men have taste. Those who have lived hollow lives are bland, and crumble easy- one who has been worked too hard is blugeoned into umami for a more acquired taste. The envious are coated in delicious salt, and the passionate with spice, but there is one which I wish you to keep in mind- dreamers. Those with hope, with aspirations, are disgustingly sweet. I hated them as a girl, but as I grew older, my own taste matured.... it is still horrendous. However, there is nothing as filling or rewarding than that sweetness."
Dog of War: C
Replacing the skill Dambe most prevalent in her Lancer manifestation, it denotes a ruthless disposition and combat style not unlike that of a Berserker. However, the major effect of the skill is a substantial boost to physical parameters when entering into formal combat.
Due to the superstition that Maiye could enter a canine form, Dog of War encompasses an Innocent Monster-type effect, as is usually seen in Devourers.Iin Amina’s case, the boost is accompanied by a more monstrous, canine appearance, maws forming out of her body parts.
"The phrase refers to the horrors of mankind loosed by the freedom war brings. Many would have considered myself a hound, it seems the pitiful throne certainly has... but I simply can't abide by it as a queen. No, I am she who holds the leash. Care to sit? I'm not looking to put down a mutt at the moment, it's still so early into the afternoon... don't make me pull."
Noble Phantasm
Zazzau, Chief of Slaves Soul-Eater Queen
Enhancement-type Noble Phantasm
Rank: B
Range: Touch
An extremely simple noble phantasm- instead of placing the Kankara into objects or others, Amina instead eats the souls herself, massively spiking her magical energy for short periods. The duration and density of the spike is dependent on the will of the person from which she harvested it- the stronger they were, the stronger it is.
The Noble Phantasm is named after her Kingdom Zazzau, and the role it played in regards to the other 6 Hausa kingdoms. Kano and Rano were the agricultural powerhouses, Daura and Katsina held great markets and stood as commercial fixtures. Biram was a central administrator, and Gobir was responsible for the military efforts which kept the other kingdoms safe- this left Zazzau to supply the manpower through an incredibly lucrative slave trade. This is the reason for the NP’s simplicity: in much the same way that slavery reduces a man to simply property, and thus becoming profit, she compresses the worth of a soul into naught but magical energy, and thus power.
Relationships Appraisals:
Barbara Walker: "No value, marked for extraction. I have no use for a woman who rambles on about the waving of texture."
'Stanley Kubrick': "3 of ten- charming for those into her particulars, but she's too unruly. However, once she's beaten down and the other shows... hmph. 5."
Darwin's Demon: "... get The Italian on the phone. She won't be sold, but I'm going to be rich."
Takenouchi Documents: "10 of 10 value, if only for the fact that the Christians will do just about anything for him. Worthless otherwise."
Madame de Montespan: "Egh, check her for the standard afflictions, I don't sell dirty goods. 8 if she's clean."
Zeus-Conius: "... you know, I received daily offers of 10 slaves per day upon my announcement as heir- it's how I formed my first regiment, I remember them fondly... but this one makes me recall the suitors. Mark him for extraction, a divine core can't be that different from a Kankara...."
Šćepan Mali: "Well isn't this an interesting one... I'll be keeping it out of curiosity. I want to see what counts as his once he belongs to me."
We play by me dealing cards and you trying to get a superior amount. By accruing enough trump cards to trump the cards I get. Each time we draw, we put more on the line... for this game, we'll simply do gifts. Candies, nice words, the like. No need for high stakes.
...
Yes, like this.
Good.
You grasp the basics.
Not just of the game but me... this is my origin after all.
A simple game of tarocchi.
Eventually... mmm... eventually however occultists found me.
You know how they are. They saw the art on my cards, saw the symbolism and began to see things... hmmm. I won't say they're, hmmm, untrue. However divination was never the intended purpose. Tarocchi was always meant to just be a fun card counting game.
Now, however, thanks to the intervention, oh nice, of one Jean-Baptiste Alliette I now encompass divination.
In fact... I win.
As I thought.
I am the game itself.
Not that you can't win but for your first game its not possible.
A game of tarot though...
come master.
Let me show you.
First... our situation.
...
Ahhhh. The Moon. That's simple. We are in danger but are unsure of from what angle... that is easy enough, the fact is we're in a grail war. Anything can happen at any time and it could happen without our acknowledgement. In fact... we may already be in checkmate and not know it.
Let us see the next card, the response... hmmm. Magician. I can only assume it means the grail, an invention of magi but... yes, perhaps chance encounters have led you into this war... and influences the danger we are in. Perhaps among them is a resentful enemy or envious friend.
Now what is holding us back? Ahhh, Strength reversed... you fear weakness. You are being held back by your feelings that I am weak. Not unfounded. Player, as far as you are concerned, is a class that should not exist and is an unknown factor... it works against and fore you and you are aware of this. A wise master indeed.
However how can we turn this situation around?
... ah... the Devil... hmmm.
Temptation, in a word. If you resist you will receive a great boon. Fall to it... hmmm. Hard to say. Maybe it still works out for you but... it is hard to say. They say that those tempted and fall for it are doomed but... who says that is true? Sometimes falling for temptation is a reward.
Now.
What happens.... if you allow yourself to be tempted?
...
The Tower.
Doom.
Well, at least we know to not take the deal. Whatever it is. We'll lose without question.
Now...
That is tarot, master.
Whether you believe it or not, a culture once did.
Thank you for indulging this ancient spirit.
Parameters
Strength
Agility
Endurance
E
E
E
Mana
Noble Phantasm
Luck
D
D
E
Class Skills
Board Establishment A
A class skill of Player class servants, it allows for the establishment of their choice arena. Unlike the skill Territory Creation, this skill creates a space that does not favor them but allows for the demonstration and utilization of their preferred game of choice.
Tarot requires nothing more than a table and two chairs.
Regardless of the variant played this truth is self-evident.
As such Tarot only requires this skill. The high rank ensures the stability and sanctity of the game until completion. That is... once she starts a reading, or a game, the board will not collapse until completion. The board is simply a table, two chairs, and a lit candlestick as a timer.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Our Spirit's Clash EX
Tarot does not clash with another in the typical way.
With how it is played in modern times both players benefit from the game. Likewise this skill will benefit both Tarot and their enemy. The experience gained from a clash is shared between them. This experience is only given once the game concludes and is divided equally; Tarot will receive not a single experience point more than their opponent.
Tarot began as a simple card counting game called tarocchi revolving around acquiring the highest count of trump cards between the players and dealer and betting to acquire more trump cards. However it evolved into the divination game it is; utilizing a spread (one, three, or five) the dealer can answer questions about themselves or whoever their "opponent" is.
In other words it is less of a competitive game and more of a cooperative game.
Personality
Tarot is both childish yet wise.
She enjoys meeting new people, seeing new sights, and is energetic when engaging in the activity known as tourism. Each summoning she treats as visiting a new era. She will explore the region she's summoned in, she'll become acquainted with the locals, and she will ingratiate herself as a tourist from a faraway land.
Yet she also is wise.
She knows how to avoid the pitfalls a child would. She can spot deceptions that children fall for. She knows better than to completely trust strangers and she knows better than to pry too deeply into secrets. Tarot while childish is as wizened as an experienced fortune teller.
In the end, she only wants to help anyone she comes across; her master is no exception.
She hopes to help people avoid an ill omen.
Personal Skills
Tarot de Marseille
A deck whose origins are completely unknown.
No one is attributed to its creation and even its creation is dated to simply being the early 15th century. The earliest surviving copy is dated 1639 having been printed by Philippe Vachier de Marseilles though an uncut sheet of cards has a potential date of 1500.
The deck itself is somewhat simple for the time. Often bearing simple symbology and straightforward designs of depicting a figure, the choices are likewise straightforward. The Devil depicts a devil, the Heirophant depicts a Pope. It is in this straightforwardness that leaves much to the imagination on its origins.
When she utilizes this skill she summons a Tarot de Marseille for the game. While it is active she and the other player each gain Presence Concealment at A rank for the duration of the game. Likewise, the board also benefits from this. Any attacks done by either player utilizing Tarot de Marseille does not lower the rank of Presence Concealment.
The game played with this deck is very straightforward.
The game utilizes single spread. Each player will draw a card and decide whether to use it or discard it. They will do so until the candle burns out or both have placed their chosen card face down. Then they will reveal their chosen trump card and the stronger arcana will manifest and deliver a strike to the enemy.
This attack ranges from being equivalent to a bullet (Le Fol) all the way to being as strong as a supreme noble phantasm (Le Monde) that rivals a strike from Excalibur. Naturally such attacks have no effect on the environment around them; only the two involved in the game feel the effects.
Rider-Waite Tarot
A deck created by a collaboration between A. E. Waite, Pamela Colman Smith, and William Rider. A. E. Waite developed the instructions on its formation, Pamela illustrated the individual cards, and William published the deck using his company William Rider & Son. It quickly became the most popular tarot deck even in the modern day.
The design of the deck is very artistic and loaded with symbology. Each card practically tells a story in and of itself. This is intentional as A. E. and Pamela developed the deck utilizing inspiration from the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, an occultist organization. A. E. Waite himself is an occultist although unaffiliated with the Golden Dawn.
As a skill it summons the Rider-Waite Tarot deck to play.
She and the other negotiate on who is the dealer and who is the player. The dealer will draw and place the cards face down from left to right without looking. He will then reveal them one by one. The first card will apply a number of negative modifiers equal to the arcana's rank on one of the servants noble phantasms. The second card will weaken a parameter in the same manner while the third and final card will do the same to a random skill.
If the servant can endure a full night while suffering these debilitations, then for a period of 30 turns the negative modifiers become, instead, positive modifiers.
Thoth Tarot
This skill summons the Thoth Tarot deck.
Devised by infamous occultist Aleister Crowley, he commissioned Freida Harris to paint it. He intended to have it published in 1938 but delayed it due to increasing the scope of symbolism and meaning behind each card only ready to have it printed in 1943.
Everything about the deck is symbolic. The name of cards, the design of cards, and even the numbering. Symbolism rules it as its occultist creator finds symbolism in everything in life. The effects of this skill also reflect this fact.
This skill represents the divination Tarot is capable of.
Both her and her opponent are Players with this deck. Each take turns drawing a card and placing it down in a five-card cross spread. Then each take turns revealing cards following the five-card spread rules;
the first card relates to the current situation, the second card uncovers a hidden detail that led them here, the third card reveals a weakness the prevents victory, the fourth suggests what can be done to alleviate the problems, and the fifth foretells the result of attempting the suggestion.
Each time a card is revealed a mental image is the answer to the above. Both players receive it and the mental image relates to them specifically. Upon the revealing of the fifth card causality is warped. If the suggestion is successful, the result seen by the players will come to pass.
Interactions
Helena Blavatsky Mmmm...
So close yet so far.
One who gazes at truth yet cannot answer.
They fail at its gates and are found unworthy and are turned away.
Yet... they never stopped trying to find that gate again.
Admirable in itself.
Strength, above all.
Sajāḥ bint al-Ḥārith & Maslama ibn Ḥabīb False prophecy is still a form of prophecy.
Prophecy makes a slave of desperate men and desperate men make slave of prophecy.... is it no surprise then that like men enslaved by prophecy, prophecy would resist and attempt to break free? No. It is merely the way of the world...
Pyrrhus Neoptolemus Prophecy.
A force that enslaves desperate men into foolishness... yet when one follows their master they may find power beyond themselves.
A truly perplexing fact of life.
Conrad the Red Uncertainty. Doubt. Fear... death.
All these rule mankind.
One day they shall not but until them... those like you will resist.
Those who fight destiny and prophecy... sometimes for good, sometimes for ill... Personally?
I like it when things work out.
Höðr A deadly poison, fate.
To some a sweet wine, to others a vile toxin.
In your case, toxic.
I can give no words of comfort, only empathy.
Losing is never easy.
The Fool Hello old friend.
How has your journey been?
I've only begun a new one... I hope this one turns out fun. I'd like that. I hope yours continues to be fun... or becomes fun again. Bad journeys suck.
The Magician Ah! Magician! How are things? I hope not too bad! I can always rely on you after all!
Aiwass Hm.
Another lifeform that began its journey.
Would you like a reading?
I hear its a fun game nowadays.
Louis-Auguste A tragic story you have.
A king who tried to uplift his people, the Heirophant... but failed and doomed his country, the Tower. You lacked the power of the Emperor and so fell to ruin, Death.
Sad but sometimes that's how life is.
You're just unlucky and accomplish less than nothing.
You have my sympathy.
Barbara G. Walker Hm.
Now this is interesting.
The Fool, Death, and The World.
All reversed.
You are so, so very creative and yet...
You stagnate.
You try to make fantasy into fact.
Yet you do so half-heartedly.
You cannot even be called lazy, there is a diligence to your work.
In the end... you could have made your own fate yet you chose to ignore the paths available to you and walk the one path.
For better or worse...
There is something to be admired there.
I only hope you don't regret it.
The Lovers Hello! I've been treated well this manifestation. I see it has treated you nicely as well. I'll have to hope that our blessings continue to multiply!
Noble Phantasm
Let life's journey begin, and the map of Tarot be charted!
Fate Determined By Cards
Profezia di Cattura del Gioco
Type Anti-Causality
Rank D
Tarot is a game.
It always has been.
Beginning humbly as Tarocchi it evolved into a game of divination.
Yet in this evolution it also became symbolic of life; attested to by several occultist who realized the order of the Major Arcana reflects the path many take through life. Thus this simple game evolved rapidly over centuries into a tool of divination.... before regressing back to a simple past time.
This noble phantasm reflects this history.
Tarot creates a large table and spreads 22 cards across it left to right.
A candle will burn to represent the length of time their turn and they may reveal any number of cards they wish, however doing so activates those cards effects. The specific effect and its target is determined by its position; Upright cards invoke the effects on the opposing player which reversed cards target the player themselves. Each arcana's effect is as follows in order;
Saint graph regression, a spell is cast, the position of a random card is revealed, player gains an additional 30 turns, 10% mana of master is replenished, player cannot receive mana from master for 30 turns, player is charmed, damage is suffered, a parameter is swapped, a card's position is swapped, 10% mana lost from master, a phantasmal is summoned, a negative modifier is applied randomly, critical damage is suffered, a skill is sealed, a random card's effect is reversed, a master suffers an injury, all parameters ranked down, a card effect is nullified, player loses 30 turns, a command seal is lost, skill acquirement.
Player, in this context, refers to whomever is drawing the cards.
The effects are not immediately invoked. They are invoked upon the passing of a turn. Further the results of the effects do not occur until the conclusion. That is to say that while a master cannot use their command seal during the game due to Judgments invokation it is not lost until the World is drawn.
Naturally, as the opponent must agree to the game in the first place, the effects bypass protections that would normally protect them.
Originally Posted by asterism42
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