Originally Posted by Arashi_Leonhart
More seriously, may as well guess the Herald as Hel.
It's mostly based on her faceclaim, but the Herald as Hel is my guess as well. Half-burned woman somewhat linked to the Ragnarok, found sleeping in a graveyard.
The Singularity being norse-themed, could Assassin be Skuld ? She's a female character using undead minions and seeking to betray her allies, so... Not really convinced myself, but that's by best guess.
Ok, then. My guess is the Herald is either Garm or Baldr.
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Honestly, it's a shame we can't spitball for the other Servants, because I'd guess Lancer is Naram-Sin of Akkadia.
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Not all Servants are Norse, though. We know for a fact Rider is a Nazi, and Lancer is someone from Mesopotamia, for instance.
The Herald is Garmr I think.
- She only eats meat, like a carnivore Eg. A dog
- Her profile mentions taking a different shape. Explaining why she isn't a dog right now.
- Her profile also mentions a master, maybe Hel.
This also probably rules out Hel as her identity, as she isn't quite the serving type.
- Garmr's howl is said to announce Fimbulvinter, literally heralding it.
No clue on Assassin though.
False face must hide what the false heart doth know.
Huh, that's a good point, the FC has red coloring on her face like a bloodstain too.
That's why my best guess isn't really a good guess. :P
1 & 5, to further solidify that.
I’ll leave deductions to the master though.
*Waves $39.99 SpoonyViking promotional flag.
Last edited by Draconic; December 21st, 2018 at 12:52 AM.
Likes attention, shiny objects, and... a ball of yarn?
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I joined two years too late...
Guesses on the Herald's identity:
- Baldur - his death is traditionally the beginning of the stages of Ragnarok as the long cold of fimbulwinter begins afterwards. However, if you look outside it's really cold so it's more likely that if Baldur or whatever counterpart summoned/incarnated etc has already died.
- Hel - Half burned and found in a graveyard as Prussia said, however it's more likely that it's...
- Garmr - The howl of Garmr is the more literal initiation of the winter and ragnarok, also shapeshifting and eats meat exclusively. 'She' may be taking the appearance of Hel
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Oh, here's a thought, if the Herald is Garmr, her sleeping in the graveyard was something like a pet sleeping on its owner's clothes.
Now that would be cute.
False face must hide what the false heart doth know.
Lutheran Church of the Holy Cross, Atkinson Promenade, Valparaíso
Day 03
Morning Phase - 05
Severe Cold (-22 °C/-7.5 °F)
“So, are you all Pseudo-Servants or what? Did I end up in the Great Pseudo-Servant War? ‘cause that would be lame as fuck.”
Assassin finds it in herself to laugh at that.
“Ahaha, no, no, not at all.” A brief pause. “Well, we’re all…we were not, um, conventionally summoned. But that doesn’t really matter in the end. We’re all Servants. How we were summoned doesn’t change that.”
“Then whadabout the Herald?”
Maria cannot see the other girl grimace on her seat above.
“Ah, that one. That one’s not one of us. To be honest, I’ve got no idea what her deal is…well, I can sorta guess, what with the connection to this Fimbulwinter, but I don’t know where she came from. She could have been summoned by the World itself, or maybe the Grail arbitrarily summoned her. For all I know our Master is just messing around.”
The Master of the Singularity.
“You really can’t tell me anything about your Master?”
“I said it already.” Assassin grunts. “That’s the secret of secrets. Can’t even use the right gender pronoun. Sorry, but you won’t get that person’s name from me.”
“Nah, no biggie. You already told me plenty enough.”
Maria could only lament she could not see the look on Assassin’s face right now.
“But we were talking about the Herald. If she’s not one of your side, what do you plan…?”
“Ah, well, the Nazis want her dead, of course. They’d want her dead even if she hadn’t saved you. They’ll remove anything that’s not on their side.”
Maria’s grin grows wider than it ever has since the city froze.
“So she’s alive.”
“Well, yeah. The Chivato’s got’er.”
“The fuck is a Chee-vah-toe.”
“Eh?” Assassin is honestly surprised. “You don’t…? I thought you’d…by now…um, never mind. We really don’t have time, so better ask Javier. I’d bet my hair he knows all about it. Just remind him of the legend of the Chivato. It’s the demon in that cave at the base of this hill.”
“A demon…?”
“Well, yeah. I don’t think the Herald has strong Magic Resistance, so the Chivato likely keeps her in a deep sleep. Otherwise she’d just tear him apart.”
The words revitalize the smile on Maria’s face.
“Yeah, she’s really strong.”
“In terms of sheer physical parameters, she’s at the top in this Singularity. Only you and Archer get close.”
“Hmm…so, she’s really not Hel after all.”
“Oh, so you went with Hel too,” Assassin replies with some mirth. “I get you: I mean, scarred face, drawn to this Singularity of ice and snow, that really screams ‘Hel’, doesn’t it? Even the physical power could be attributed to her Jötunn blood.”
“No, I mean, but, there are no major physical feats in her legend.”
“Yeah, that’s the problem, isn’t it?” Assassin assents. “Well, not that she gave me a ‘Hel’ feeling in the first place.”
“A Hel feeling…?”
“Ah, I can’t say anymore. Too close to my Servant identity. So, you figured out the Herald?”
“Yeah,” Maria admits with a somewhat placid smile, like a tired adult thinking back on the friends of her childhood. “She is the Hel hound, isn’t she?”
“The ‘Herald of Fimbulwinter’,” replies Assassin. “She is basically telling us she is Garmr, isn’t she?”
Maria nods, even if Assassin should not be able to see it from her place on the balcony.
“Well, there’s also her love of meat,” she then says in a light-hearted voice. It elicits a chuckle from the top level.
“That too. And there’s that time she played catch with a tank shell.”
“Oh, right, that happened!” Maria chortles briefly. “I guess that leaves the question of why she looks more like her mistress and not, well, like a dog.”
“I think only she can answer that question for us,” concludes Assassin, and Maria has to assent to that.
“But really, we talk and you only ask about the Herald? She your type or something?” Assassin shrugs. “I mean, I’m bad with her type, but, well, to each their own I guess.”
“I owe her my life,” Maria replies with some sharpness. “And she could be my best ally in this hellhole.”
“Hnn. Fair enough.”
“But if you really want me to change the topic, then tell me about ya.”
“I told you I can’t—”
“I mean you,” Maria interrupts. “The woman who shares her body with a Servant. You can’t tell me about yourself, either? Come on, you from that Villarrica place, right?”
When Assassin takes a few seconds too long to reply, Maria clicks her tongue and insists.
“Alright, I think I’m already at a disadvantage her, but might as well start. I’m Maria Westinghouse. I’m nineteen, fresh out of school, taking a sabbatical to bash some Nazis and get away from this creep who after three years of high school didn’t get the memo I’m not into him. Your turn.”
Maria cannot see Assassin scratching her temple.
“You…girl, you are rather easygoing in these circumstances.”
Maria shrugs.
“I just have nothing to hide. Does it bother ya?”
“Actually, yes, you kinda piss me off.”
The voice sounds lighthearted and easygoing, but something very familiar stirred within Maria’s chest. Saver is sensitive to true hostility, much more so than Maria herself.
“But, I do have enough pride to respond properly.”
Maria could only roll her eyes at the woman playing hard-to-get.
“My name is Liria Colhuán, twenty-six years old. Never went to school; I spent every day in this city selling knick-knacks to tourists looking for a cheap memento. My mother called them ‘original native handicrafts’, but they were just worthless crap. I don’t have stories of high school creeps, but my mother sold my virginity to a group of American mongers when I was fourteen. Became a registered prostitute at nineteen, made a bunch of videos and got ripped off just as many times. I always manage in the end, I guess; there is always demand for ‘legal jailbait’.”
An awkward, heavy silence follows, in which Maria quietly, desperately waits for the other woman to laugh it off as a joke. But the silence stretches endlessly, tearing apart her hopes without mercy.
“We come from different worlds, Maria Westinghouse. You’re a poster child of the upper middle class, the kind of girl who can afford to take a sabbatical and leave on a backpacking world trip, with the certainty that you can return to a stable home and higher education whenever you like. I come from the dregs of society.”
Assassin finds herself strangely amused by Maria’s scowl. As far as she remembers, this is actually the first time she uses the “social disparity” card on somebody else. Perhaps she should do it more often.
“So, spare me the friendly bullshit attitude. I’m not here to be friends with you. I’m not interested in being friends with you. The only thing I want from you is that you fix this Singularity, and then go your merry way. For that purpose, I’ll help you however I can without arousing the Nazis’ suspicion. That’s it. We’re not buddies. We’re not allies. This is me using you to get what I want.”
“You suck at manipulating people,” Maria retorts back with perhaps more than a little venom.
“I’m not manipulating you; what you want to do and what I want you to do have always been the same thing.”
Maria clicks her tongue. She’s got her there.
“I’m just gonna help you do it while keeping myself and Javier as far from harm’s way as possible. I don’t think you have a problem with that.”
Maria looks down and to her left, as if Assassin stood right in front of her and Maria wanted to avert her gaze.
“So, since you keep asking only worthless questions, I’ll make this quick,” continues the cloaked Servant. “First, Rider.”
Maria hardens her gaze. So Assassin is some bitch with a sob story. Whatever. She can use the intel.
“I couldn’t figure out if he has plans for this afternoon, but he is definitely making his big move this evening. His Noble Phantasm will be ready, and I honestly don’t see how you’re gonna deal with that. I can only wish you good luck, and for fuck’s sake, keep Javier away from that fight.”
“What do you mean, ready…?”
“I can’t give you the details, but Rider’s Noble Phantasm, the thing that makes him Rider, is not something he can just conjure by invoking its True Name. It has to be literally built, like an actual physical object. Second: Sakura Edelfelt.”
Maria blinks.
“I escorted her to the Costa Mirador building while you were fighting Lancer. We met Fiore Forvedge, and Sakura stayed with her for the night. Right now she is a block away from the Drakes’ house.”
Maria does release a long sigh of relief, but then she remembers—
“Alicia Drake! How long—”
“I don’t know how long she has left. That goes for every other person trapped in an ice block.”
“The ice blocks, who made them—”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Was it Caster—”
“I can’t tell you. Now, because you asked: yes, I was born in Villarrica, and I lived there the first eleven years of my life.”
Maria feels a bit bothered by the abrupt dismissal of her questions, but right now she has no choice but to run along the lanes offered by the other Servant. So, she latches to what she is offered.
“Are you one of the thirteen Children? I thought they were all dead, except for the Vee-something siblings.”
“So you know of the Children—no, wait, what do you mean they’re dead?”
For a moment, for a split sliver of a moment, Maria considers holding to the information apparently Assassin does not know. Perhaps, Javier would have carefully considered using the piece of info as leverage for something else.
Just for a moment. And Javier is not here.
“The Children of Villarrica are all dead, except for those siblings, Diego and María Whatever.”
“Magdalena. Diego and María Magdalena. Mierda.”
Maria frowns. She could swear she hears a very distant, very faint…buzzing?
“Are you—are you sure—”
“The priest told me.”
“Mierda. Mierda, mierda, mierda, mierda! Puta la wea!”
Maria doesn’t need Spanish knowledge to recognize cursing. She then hears sounds of feet striking wood. Assassin has stood up. The hooded Servant’s next words come out faster.
“The Vyhmeister siblings. Those entitled pieces of shit. I’d bet the children I don’t have that time hasn’t made them any better. Keep them away from Javier at all costs. I don’t know if they even remember him, but, fuck, I’m not gonna take that risk.”
“By the way: whenever you can, try looking at the top of the hills from a tall spot. Look for the source of the aurora. That should give you a better perspective on things.”
That’s right, the bluish aurora that envelops and illuminates the city in lack of electrical lighting.
Maria then catches a few steps. Assassin is moving…away? Towards the windows?
“And one last thing: you did well in focusing on finding Fiore Forvedge instead of my mother. Dead people can’t help you anyway.”
When Maria reaches the balcony, there is no trace of the other Servant, to the point she cannot tell whether Assassin actually left or she just cannot perceive her anymore.
“Damn it, I can’t make sense of…”
No. That’s not quite right. Maria can make full sense of Assassin, no matter that they come from “different worlds”. Because, for all her bile, Assassin has been honest with her.
She has not lied, only withhold information. Like how the hell she knew her full name before she gave it. A zombie spy network in no way explains that.
With another deep sigh, yet again wondering just what kind of mess she’s gotten into, Maria Westinghouse makes the short trip back to the hotel where Javier rests.
Really, it’s a short trip. The hotel is just at the end of the block.
END OF MORNING PHASE
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Oh boy, another possible NPC.this creep who after three years of high school didn’t get the memo I’m not into him.
Liria ;_;
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Also nice, more motive to explore the cave. Also shit, Giant Nazi Mecha's gonna be a bitch and a half to topple.
Oooooh. The thing in the cave is an invunche, then! Should be funny seeing either Javier or Maria kissing its ass (or was it the asshole, specifically?).
That doesn't help narrow down Caster's identity, though, except that it seems they're from Chile. Unless... Maybe they're a sort of conglomerate of legends of the warlocks of the island of Chiloé, similar to Nursery Rhyme?
Hm, Caster didn't really give me that kind of impression from what we've seen of her, but I guess we don't know much about her yet. Looking forward to seeing Rider's NP.
I’m starting to like Assassin, but her situation suggests that the Master of the Singularity is probably not the final boss, or else we’ll never actually get her on our side.
Also, Maria should assume that Liria will be willing to let Javier use the ZCN to communicate over distances once she meets back up with him.
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And we’d better hurry and have Javier and Maria get Drake’s wife out of that ice block this afternoon because if we fight Rider, we won’t have the energy for a pretty long time.
Likes attention, shiny objects, and... a ball of yarn?
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I joined two years too late...
Alright, so it's been a terrible end of the year/beginning of the new year for me. Long story short, aside from health issue no point detailing here, I had the bad luck to witness both my hard disk and backup disk break at the same time. I just got a new hard disk yesterday, and I'm currently in the process of reinstalling stuff. I did recover lots of important stuff from the broken disks (namely, the work stuff I had in more than one backup), but the Fimbulwinter stuff was not among it. The only stuff that's left are the images in Imgur and the scattered notes I stored in the cloud. Really, the only good thing that's come thus far this year is Verg's RP.
Now, do not misunderstand me: I have every intention to resume this quest. It just won't happen this week as I had originally planned. It will take a while longer to redo the absolute minimum I feel I need to confidently run the quest. I can only ask for your patience and understanding.
Edit: I took the chance and polished the "Path of Regression" section of Javier's character sheet in the OP.
Last edited by Daneel Rush; January 11th, 2019 at 07:41 PM.
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As someone who's been through 4 hard drive crashes that obliterated his one and only long-term fic, you have my condolences and my understanding.
Take as long as you need, you have a reader willing to wait.
Really sorry for the bad luck and general bad circumstances, Daneel! I'll make Raff's words mine, take as long as you need, we'll be waiting.
Hotel Manoir Atkinson, Atkinson Promenade 165, Valparaíso
Day 03
Midday Phase - 01
Severe Cold (-21 °C/-7.5 °F)
(BGM)Character Status
I must thank the existence of instant food, its quality notwithstanding. There is only so much cooking that can be done in these circumstances, so having food that only needs to be heated (and unfrozen) to be eaten is a modern miracle.
“Átanor.”
Maria, seated right in front of me, sharply looks up from her own meal.
“What are you—”
I sharply raise a hand, and Maria halts her words. Indeed, she knows not to interrupt the casting of a spell. Átanor feels like a heavy weight settling in my stomach, at the same time a formless spider weaves a mesh inside the walls of the organ. Transmuting a part of one’s own body to optimize its functionality is in no way comfortable. I release a long, relieved sigh when I’m done.
“It’s a spell,” I start by stating the obvious. “It lets me digest and metabolize food much faster, which should help me recover my strength just as quickly.”
“Hmm. Cool.”
It is weird.
If I heard something like this from another magus, my reply would be “teach me that”. But, well, it seems magecraft just doesn’t work like that?
I…really would like a deeper discussion on Mystery, and how magecraft actually works. I feel like I don’t have the full grasp of the idea. But Maria, I think, is not that far ahead from me in her knowledge of magecraft. Or maybe she just doesn’t feel the teaching type?
Anyway, let’s eat…
…
…it’s too quiet.
Maria seems focused on her meal, eating silently, even morosely. Compared to the very first meal we shared together—that chili con carne that feels happened a lifetime ago—, it’s like heaven and earth.
“Did something happen, Maria?”
That…when was the last time I asked something this? To anybody?
Maria…just frowns. Is she uncomfortable with the question? I guess I would be, if a stranger came up to me asking something like that.
With a sigh, Maria puts aside the glass of water she was drinking.
“I met someone just earlier. Who claims to know you.”
You know, it feels like everybody knows me in this frozen hell. When did I become the protagonist of some fantasy tale? I’ve spent over fifteen years hiding my magic from the world, and now it turns out the entire magical world knows about me? Should I feel embarrassed?
“Does the name ‘Liria Colhuán’ ring a bell to ya?”
“Nope—”
Wait.
(BGM Stop)
Liria Colhuán.
Liria…Colhuán…
I don’t know anybody by that name, but…but…
…it feels like I should—
*** ***
Maria lets it happen solely because it is so abrupt, so out of left field, that for several tremulous seconds she only watches in mute astonishment and growing horror.
Drop by drop, the vital fluid, an explosion of color in the monotony of the frozen Singularity, stains the white bedsheets. It drips from Javier’s nose, while he seemingly remains unaware of it, his eyes looking straight at the stains, yet not reacting to them.Spoiler:
“Ja-Javier, your nose is—”
And then he screams, clutching his head like he’s trying to keep it from exploding. The abrupt loudness stops Maria’s heart for an instant, as what remains of Javier’s meal is hopelessly spilt on the bed and the snow at its feet. He screams, and screams, voicing agony Maria cannot imagine. Pupils dart everywhere and nowhere, the white of his eyes now injected with blood. His nails scratch at his temples, as if wishing to dig all the way through to the gray matter.
“Javier—!”
The attempt at reaching for his shoulders meets dire failure, as Maria promptly feels the food in her stomach rise to her throat, as faintness strikes her head at the same time fiery heat grows in her chest.
A second later, she is panting on the opposite end of the large bedroom, wide, terrified eyes looking down at her right hand.
The right hand firmly holding to her blade conjured.
Javier screams unending, but Maria can only stare in abject fear at the ominous sword, and what its presence implies. She can only fight the food back down her throat, keeping it inside along with the power inflaming her. Her free hand rushes to cover her nose and mouth.
The scent, that unsettling stench of brimstone, it suddenly grew stronger…!
Her heart beats like it wants to burst out of her chest, her mind screaming at her that the…the divinity in front of her must be shown who is boss. Her grip on the sword remains firm; it is her entire arm which shakes.
“No…” She finally utters between bouts of panting. “I am not you…and this is not who I am!”
Perhaps a cosmic coincidence, but it is precisely at this point that the undesirable scent recedes, and Javier slumps until he falls face flat on the bed, shuddering and whimpering like he has just come out of a seizure.
“Javier!”
It is there, as she approaches him. The scent is there, as faint as it was before. Something twists wickedly in the center of her generous chest.
Maria pays it no heed. She does not allow herself to.
*** ***
(BGM)Character Status
The haze of pain recedes slowly. My body is on fire. I…it hurts to think.
I’m sweating. I can feel my sweat, in this cold. It’s the worst.
No, what am I thinking. My brain felt like it was on fire, and the fire spread throughout my entire body, like my whole nervous system was being coated in lava.
Holy fuck, to think something can hurt this much…!
But, it’s fading. It’s fading…good. Thank all the gods out there.
…fuck.
“Javier!”
Strong arms turn me until I am facing up.
Ah, I made Maria worry. Feels like I failed as a man, somehow.
“I…I’m okay now.”
“Like hell you’re okay!”
Her exuberant voice is now just shrilly. She has no idea what to do, how to react, how to handle this. I truly feel for you.
“I…I’m really feeling better now. Whatever…that was, it’s over now.”
“But, Javier…!” She half-gasps as her hands reach for one of mine. Girl, don’t get so close to strange men like this. You’d give other people ideas.
“Javier, there’s no way this is normal. Just what is…?”
She doesn’t allow herself to finish the question. Maybe we have more in common than I first thought, or maybe it’s just my wishful thinking.
I find it in myself to smile. It’s not like I’m tired, just a little winded from the sudden anaerobic effort. In fact, I’m almost sure Átanor managed to get its job done…ah, the rest of the food went to waste. And I still could use a bit more water.
When I ask for as much, Maria hurriedly goes for the jar. I knew I had molten and purified more than those two glasses.
“Maria, calm down,” I tell the girl whose trembling hands threaten to waste even more of the valuable liquid.
“Ah, um, right! Sure, sure thing.”
It only makes me feel worse, that I’m the reason a girl like Maria is acting like this. She pours a new glass, and then just looks at me like I’m going to fall apart in front of her eyes.
She wants an explanation I cannot give. I mean, I can guess it’s connected to the “divine spark” bestowed by the spirits of Villarrica for whatever reason, but that alone doesn’t explain why…this…happened.
Oh, my thoughts have sharpened before I could even tell. It’s the sudden assimilation of carbohydrates from the (regrettably unfinished) meal, of course. It would work even better if I used Sthūla-Śarīra right now, but turning on the magic switch right after what just happened doesn’t feel prudent, and I’m supposed to be frugal for tonight.
“I…really don’t know, Maria.”
It’s not completely a lie.
However, what started this was…
“Liria Colhuán…gh!”
I wince at the spike of pain striking my head on cue. Maria quickly hovers over me, so I have to placate her with my hands.
That name…it’s like my body rejects the very idea of remembering that person. Why does the “spark of the native gods” react to the memory of that person? Something…similar happened when I was fighting that zombie, right?
No, more importantly: Maria said that person is here.
“Liria Colhuán…” This time, I only wince, but it doesn’t escape Maria’s perception. “I have to meet her.”
The words bring further alarm to Maria’s eyes.
“But, Javier…!”
I know the unfinished statement. If merely thinking of Liria Colhuán—fuck, it’s like spears in my head!—causes this, then what will happen if we meet face to face?
However, the alternative is suffering like this for the rest of my life every single time that name sneaks into my mind. That would be unacceptable, even if I weren’t determined to fill the holes in my memories.
I’m sure Maria, too, gets it. That’s probably the real reason she did not complete her words.
What a good girl.
Slowly, perhaps unnecessarily so, for my body is just aching a little by this point—it’s only my head that’s bothering me—, I pull myself back to a sitting position. Maria assists me even if she doesn’t really need to.
“Really, I’m fine now. Sorry ‘bout the mess, though.”
“Don’t say stupid things. I…there are extra meals, you could heat another—”
“Nah, nah, no need. Átanor is very efficient. Better save them for the evening.”
The girl is not happy about it, but she cannot really make me do anything, can she?
Rather, we should focus on our next step. But first…
“Maria, please. Tell me about her.”
*** ***
END OF MIDDAY PHASE
*** ***
Warning!
This is a Save Point.
If your quest reaches a Dead End, you may choose to resume it from this point.
*** ***
DAY 3 – AFTERNOON PHASE SETUP
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Javier and Maria: Drake Residence
I feel like we should at least try to help the Drakes (and hopefully Sakura too) before visiting Father Scherer to try and find out more about Javier's past.
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