Sense (Mind), thinking and feeling.
Self (Body), struggling and bleeding.
Spirit (Soul), striving and seeking.
Magic, burning bright.
Cutting through time, conquering space, we light a beacon in the night.
We call out to saviors and killers, heroes and braves, legends long faded, to cut through the dark and take their rightful place.
Heed my call, I beseech you. Plunge with me into the abyss.
Let us face the chaos of battle and its cruel bloodshed.
Together, we will seek out a wish.
A flame, consuming the world.
A flower, born from the remains.
A kindness, long awaited justice.
A Truth, hidden behind veils.
That is our desire. That is our wish for the Holy Grail.
United minds, we feel together.
Bodies side by side, we bleed together.
Two souls become one, we seek together.
Heed my call! Obey my magic! Sign the pact!
HERO OF LEGEND, COME FORTH!
-Fate/Caótica-
December 23rd. Today, your life will change forever, for good or ill. Today, the predictions of a centennial prophet will finally come true - and an unexplainable, wonderful phenomenon will become manifest. Its name is the Holy Grail, the legendary Cup of Wishes. Seven legends from the past will be summoned to fight for it and linked to a handful of modern souls. You are one of them. Together, you will fight for a prize beyond anyone's wildest dreams: A true, almost limitless wish. But to receive it, the six heroes you have not bonded with will have to be vanquished in combat until only one remains. Of course, neither they nor their Masters will go down quietly. What dream makes this wish worth killing for? What dream makes it worth dying for? Tell me your answer, and join this unprecedented contest, the Holy Grail War.
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Premise and Rules:
-This will be a somewhat unusual Quest/Choose Your Own Adventure game, in the style of the original Fate/Stay Night visual novel. You will make choices to guide your Master throughout the war, hopefully towards victory, but potentially towards an untimely end at the hands of another player's Master.
-Submit a master for consideration. Seven (possibly eight) will be picked to participate in the Holy Grail War. Include a brief personal description (personality and abilities primarily, though physical appearance is of course helpful) and history, two preferred classes (standard only) and one backup third class (anything goes). Additionally, include their wish for the Holy Grail as well.
-Masters will receive servant character sheets containing basic details about their servants. More will be revealed over the course of play.
-There is only minimal plot armor. Courage and daring will not be punished, but straight up stupid choices will lead to a swift end, as no player will be favored over others.
-All servants will not be made equal, but no servant will be hopeless or gimped by a deliberately weak class container (looking at you, Assassin and Caster). Everyone will be capable of winning the war by fighting smartly but not necessarily perfectly.
-Those whose submissions are accepted will become Players, and have the right to unilaterally determine their own Master's course of action for a brief period after a choice is posted (usually 24-48 hours). Afterward, if no decision has been made, voting will become open to all readers (but not other Masters, for obvious reasons).
-Submissions may be posted here or sent to caoticahgw @ gmail . com. All masters will have their profiles publicly revealed once all seven have been chosen.
-Expect follow-up questions after submitting a Master, requesting both additional details about them as well as potential questions about narrative and tone. As updates will tend to be large and cover a solid chunk of narrative, with choices limited to important moments (look to F/SN for inspiration here), this is to ensure every Master is properly portrayed.
-This is my promise as Questmaster: the Holy Grail is real. A true miracle awaits the victor.
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~Questions and Answers~
Q: Can I request my favorite Servant?
A: No. I will select Servants to fit the themes of each Master and provide interesting narrative beats. Please don't ask for your waifu, because you will likely only set yourself up for disappointment. Wait and hope you are reunited instead.
Q: Will Servants be limited to canon choices only?
A: No. The Servants will most likely be brand new ones, never used in official Fate materials, as I prefer to write in my own style rather than copy someone else.
Q: Can I give my Master (Insert ability here)?
A: The answer is probably yes. In fact, you're encouraged to give your Master some remarkable skills, whether they are magical or mundane. Weaker Masters will NOT necessarily receive stronger Servants to 'balance' them. If you submit an ordinary high school student, expect them to be forced to make extremely hard choices to achieve victory in the war, balancing weakness out with ruthlessness. Of course, being a wielder of True Magic, or a True Ancestor, or anything else does not at all guarantee your submission will be chosen - I expect particularly strong characters to be interesting to write about and dynamic, and not just boring stat blocks.
Q: Does my Master have to be a Magus?
A: No. Civilians are fine too, so long as they are unique and entertaining.
Q: Is there something I should keep in mind when submitting a Master?
A: Be unique. Be interesting. Above all, make it clear and compelling why your Master is willing to fight, kill, and die for their wish. Your Master may not be consciously aware of their heart's desire at first, but Masters who truly have no wish for the Grail will be rejected outright without a second thought. Your Master will be one of seven protagonists in this story. Make them someone worth writing a book about.
Q: How many Holy Grail Wars have taken place in this world?
A: None! No one has managed to create the Holy Grail before this day. For whatever reason, the three magical families involved in the 'classic' HGW's creation (the Einzberns, Tohsakas and Matous) never created their own Grail system. This could be out of discord, repeated failures in research, or any other reason - the specifics are left vague so as to enable anyone who wishes to submit a character belonging to the families to define them as they will.
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~Master Submission Template~
Name:
Physical Description:
Talents:
Background:
Favored Classes: (Two primaries, standard classes only) / (One secondary, extra classes allowed)
Personal Wish: