Create-a-Servant

[You]

And that's why I said if, because there's no evidence that they wouldn't either. It'd depend on the story purposes.

[BlackField]

Apart from the lack of prana.

[You]

Caliburn having a couple hundred times Shirou's max? Some of those swords are rolling in prana.

[qsurf]

Saber's still on another level Prana-wise compared to EMIYA...plus I don't think EMIYA can use Caliburn anymore...

[BlackField]

I don't even think its the amount of prana in the object, the object would be completely cut through destroying its image. Saber regenerates her armor through prana burst not just cause the spear has left.

[You]

Right, so if the image holds, prana could filter in via diffusion. Thereby keeping the sword fine.

[qsurf]

Right, so if the image holds, prana could filter in via diffusion. Thereby keeping the sword fine.

Nope, the World steps in at that point and goes, "You're not supposed to be here." And poof!

Ever noticed how the stuff Shirou makes don't disappear unless they are shattered? Same thing in this case.

[Vagrant]

I doubt it works that way. Given how projections fade after a certain period of time, it seems there isn't a constant flow of prana to them to stabilise them, unlike how I imagine Arturia's armour works. It's 100% assumption but I figure if he's using them as projectiles he's probably not maintaining the prana to them so if they're vanished somehow they don't reform around Gae Dearg, or whatever.


It seems like entirely different situations, since one is for constant defense, and the other is not. Of course, there are issues with Gae Dearg anyway, since I figure if it can cut through armour it should be able to bypass NP weapons too, making parrying it away nearly impossible with spiritual weapons. I'd normally shrug it off as lolPhantasms, but Prelati's Spellbook getss sliced pretty handily. I know, it's a book and not a weapon, but the fact it seems so vulnerable to the anti-prana thing and other NPs aren't is still a bit weird to my mind.

[qsurf]

I doubt it works that way. Given how projections fade after a certain period of time, it seems there isn't a constant flow of prana to them to stabilise them, unlike how I imagine Arturia's armour works. It's 100% assumption but I figure if he's using them as projectiles he's probably not maintaining the prana to them so if they're vanished somehow they don't reform around Gae Dearg, or whatever.


It seems like entirely different situations, since one is for constant defense, and the other is not. Of course, there are issues with Gae Dearg anyway, since I figure if it can cut through armour it should be able to bypass NP weapons too, making parrying it away nearly impossible with spiritual weapons. I'd normally shrug it off as lolPhantasms, but Prelati's Spellbook getss sliced pretty handily. I know, it's a book and not a weapon, but the fact it seems so vulnerable to the anti-prana thing and other NPs aren't is still a bit weird to my mind.

Relevant:

and any item that acts as a prana source, such as Prelati's Spellbook, will have all connections severed to its recipients.

[You]

The Kanshou used to pierce Archer.
Caliburn.

The World doesn't 'step in,' it's just always there judging the sword and trying to destroy it, shattering the sword just makes it lose it's image and therefore destroyed; however,

“Your arm, Ishizue-san, is only missing, but it’s still connected to you. As
long as your arm doesn’t disappear, you can’t attach a new one.”
Kaie told me that even if the physical arm is gone, I still have the conceptual
one.
“After all, you, don’t have any lingering attachment to your lost left arm,
no?”
Those words, that point itself, was the first psychological wound I received
since losing my arm. It was true that I didn’t think about getting back my left
arm. To me, that left arm had never been there. Which was why—
Even if the physical form is gone, a form that had been non-existent from the
start won’t change.
“Its sensations are alive. A normal artificial arm, for you, is like wearing
clothing on the insides of your body. Of course that would make you so sick as to
pass out.”
Yes. Even though the corporeal arm was gone, the sensations, and only them,
were still there.
I’m talking about images. This is an extreme way of saying it, but as long as
I close my eyes, my brain can perceive my left arm just like it used to, work it,
even grab things. ‘Course it’s only a sensory trick. There’ll be times when
existences flows into non-existence, but there’s no such thing as non-existence
moving existence. The only things non-existent sensations can touch are the
similarly non-existent forms. A formless sensation. Because it is non-existent, it
cannot touch what exists, but because it is non-existent, it can intermix with the
non-existent. In other words,—
“But⎯⎯—an imaginary sensation will accept the same imaginary beasts.
How marvelous, Ishizue Arika. That left arm of yours, is the ideal demon—”

If the conceptual part of the sword still exists and the image happens to strong enough to hold even when Gae Dearg cuts it, prana, being imaginary, should be able to diffuse and thereby making it all better again.

[qsurf]

The Kanshou used to pierce Archer.
Caliburn.

Confused here. What are you talking about?

The World doesn't 'step in,' it's just always there judging the sword and trying to destroy it, shattering the sword just makes it lose it's image and therefore destroyed; however,


If the conceptual part of the sword still exists and the image happens to strong enough to hold even when Gae Dearg cuts it, prana, being imaginary, should be able to diffuse and thereby making it all better again.

Except that, that's what it is...an image, a fake​, it shouldn't be there in the first place.

[You]

Confused here. What are you talking about?



Except that, that's what it is...an image, a fake​, it shouldn't be there in the first place.

Those swords didn't shatter when they disappeared, they just disappeared.

Right, but the jewel sword stayed in the world for a good two hours... and then Rin blew it up. But the fact remains it stayed there for a good two hours. Same with the pots and pans, those lasted even longer.

[qsurf]

Those swords didn't shatter when they disappeared, they just disappeared.

Oh, those...to quote EMIYA, "Your ability to conceptualize the basic framework is weak."

If Traced without that Basic Framework, they just tend to fall apart.

Right, but the jewel sword stayed in the world for a good two hours... and then Rin blew it up. But the fact remains it stayed there for a good two hours. Same with the pots and pans, those lasted even longer.

...did they get damaged in that time? No.

Shirou mentioned to Rin that he thought that it was normal for Projections to last as long as his did until they got damaged...don't have exact quote on me, but that's what led him to Tracing.

[firloz]

So on a related note, do we happen to know what the prana cost of creating and reshaping Rule breaker would be? Somehow I get the feeling that if it is low enough firing a hail of pact-breakers seems borked... or rule breaker caltrops littering the battlefield, it doesn't need a GOOD hit, it just needs to hit. Plus something pathetic like caltrops is exactly the kind of thing most servants would just ignore thinking it was a petty trick.

Also does anyone know the specifics on how materializing items from UBW works (in terms of the limits/capabilities of determining 'where' they are in 3 dimensional space?) I know he can make them appear in midair, so does that mean he can control where it ends up in the world? If so couldn't he realistically generate rule breakers from various angles (say, like stabbing them in the foot from underground) on a servant he was fighting in order to break their link with their master really easily?

also just had a scary idea, if EMIYA is with Kiritsugu then would archer be capable of reforming his various NPs into bullet form (literally) so that kiritsugu could use them (they have a limited duration, but that is pretty minor all things considered.) from say his sniper rifle or submachine gun?

[Seika]

Name: Hōichi the Earless
Gender: Male
Alignment: Neutral
Master: Ryūdōji Issei (anchor) / Mount Enzō (prana)
Class: Caster


Appearance

Irrelevant flavour. But perhaps interesting.

Issei wasn't sure about this. In fact, he was sure. He was sure this was a truly terrible idea. He was sure that messing around in some bastardisation of western 'magic' to summon an ancient hero for the sake of fighting for the Christian Grail was not what a proper Buddhist acolyte should be involved with. It broke every precept, and a few more had probably come into existence for the sole purpose of being broken in order to show just how wrong this was … but. But this War was responsible for the fire in the centre of Fuyuki, and hundreds of deaths besides.

He thought of Shirō. His orphaned friend would undoubtedly jump into this to save lives and wish for world peace, not questioning it for an instant. Not thinking of all the ways it could go horribly wrong. Issei wasn't that sort of person, though he suspected that the Shirō's utter lack of concern for himself put him rather closer to Nirvana than Issei was. But if he wasn't the sort of person to put himself at risk for total strangers … he could do it for his friend. A Servant could let him put an end to the unholy war quickly. It could stop bystanders getting involved, and Shirō was just the sort to be pulled in by this mess, whether chosen randomly by the monsters who willingly took part in this unholy ritual, or trying to protect others who had been swept up in it.

The monks of Ryūdōji had long watched the Holy Grail War play out below them, wary of both the battle and its consequences. But now they believed they could not stand by any longer. The massacres of the last War had been unconscionable and now that horror seemed to be returning only a bare decade later. From the vaults, the copy of the ritual which had been stolen as a safeguard centuries ago was unearthed. And their most devout and promising young member was to use it.

Issei went through the chant, trying to offset it with a mantra in his head. Distracted by balancing the two, he jerked in surprise when the circle flashed and a form actually began to take shape within it.

His shock was redoubled when his Servant stared up at him with sightless, glassy eyes. Caught in that moment of astonishment, Issei took in the rest of his body almost involuntarily. His face, his hands, his shaven head - even the chest bared by a loose, plain robe - were all covered by lines of black paint, forming nonsensical patterns. His ears seemed to be the only visible part of his body unmarked, and Issei saw that red trails in a colour which reminded him uncomfortably of dried blood curved down his neck from his ears to his shoulders. They overlaid the black ink and pale skin in a way that Issei could only feel was unnatural, despite the strangeness of the black scrawls themselves. His Servant brushed back his short-cut sleeves and produced an instrument which would have looked laughably quaint in any other situation, with anyone other than a figure of legend holding it. A unpolished, hand-made biwa – the old, four-stringed lutes of storytellers from folktales.

“I am Servant Caster. Would you like to hear me play, Master?”


Legend

Spoiler:

Hōichi was once a renowned musician in the Akamagaseki region, surpassing his masters in childhood and becoming famous for his recitations of the Genji and the Heike. If the Genji was more appealing nationally, the Heike and its tale of the great battle at Dan-no-Ura, nearby, was popular with all the locals. Being born blind was apparently no hindrance to his incredible talent. As he grew into a man, he ended up staying with a friend of his for a time – a priest at the Amida temple – and giving personal performances in exchange for room and board.

One night, Hōichi was approached by a person who said they were a samurai retainer to a particular lord travelling through the area, and that they wished Hōichi to attend to them. Hōichi could not disobey, for it was the prerogative of the samurai to kill those who dishonoured them in that age. So he followed the unknown voice, guided by its servants. And it happened that the lord asked that he perform the part of the Heike which told of Dan-no-Ura, and Hōichi gave the most moving recital that he had ever accomplished in his life. The lord and his entourage were astonished, and asked that Hōichi perform for them on the remaining six nights of the week, in order to be given a lavish reward. Hōichi agreed, mollified by the prospect of repayment, and was led back to the temple.

He did this again on the second night, but this time his absence was noted, and the priest sent a few of the lesser attendants to follow his friend. They discovered Hōichi giving a performance in the graveyard made for the dead at Dan-no-Ura, and surrounded by the ghostly flames of the dead. They brought him back, struggling, and the priest begged his friend to tell him everything. Though the lord had demanded that Hōichi not reveal his presence, Hōichi could not refuse the kind priest and told him what he thought to have happened.

The priest told Hōichi that the spirits of the dead were the true listeners to his recital, and that by acceding even once to their requests, Hōichi had put himself in their power. Angered, the spirits would now surely try to kill Hōichi – more violently than they would have before, at any rate, since the priest had no doubt that Hōichi would have been made a part of their ranks to play for them forever if he had sung to the graveyard for the whole week.

To prevent this, the priest and his acolyte painted holy scriptures on Hōichi's entire body, keeping him from harm and the sight of the spirits. When the samurai returned on the next night to seek Hōichi, he could not see Hōichi, nor hear him since the musician had begun a silent meditation – but the acolyte had failed to mark Hōichi's ears. The samurai was frustrated by the wards and feared the anger of his lord. Thus, he tore Hōichi's ears away to show that his task had been carried out as best it could. Hōichi remained silent and unflinching, and the samurai was denied even the satisfaction of hearing his hurt.

In the morning, the priest discovered Hōichi still in meditation to stave off the pain. After staunching the bleeding as best he could, he apologised most sincerely for letting a lazy acolyte fail to protect his friend. Hōichi ended up staying at the temple for the rest of his life instead of travelling as he had before, but it made no difference to his fame. Drawn by both the mysterious tale surrounding him and the beauty of his playing, many patrons came to listen, and both he and his adoptive home prospered.

Parameters
Strength – D
Agility – E
Endurance – D
Prana – B
Luck – C
Noble Phantasm – A


Personal Skills
Eastern Magecraft – C++: One of the biwa-hōshi – 'lute-priests' - of ancient Japan, singers who spread traditional tales and with them, the foundations of religious magecraft. Never a true priest himself, Hōichi has little natural affinity for thaumaturgy. However, having been tattooed with verses from a sacred text, Hōichi is able to use them as false magic circuits in the manner of a Western Crest – and his knowledge of the religion was understandably improved by it being engraved on his body.

Eastern magecraft deals particularly in binding and exorcism, and Hōichi's early experience with spirits drove him to exploit that as far as he could. Even outside combat, Hōichi is accustomed to using minor, bound spirits to help guide him if he needs to move quickly and certainly. They may also serve in other basic capacities of a familiar: watch-guards, scouts and so forth.

Blind Artist – B: Like many of the great musicians or poets throughout history, Hōichi was one with whom the gods toyed. Through the loss of his sight, he gained unparalleled ability. One can think of this as a 'curse', bringing blindness which brooks no healing and skill which admits to no impediment.


Class Skills
Item Creation – D: As befits a master of music, Hōichi made his own instruments: precisely tuned instruments of his craft which he could make sound like waves on the shore, or arrows thrumming through the air or the clash of armies.

All this is perhaps irrelevant, thanks to the fact that he cannot make mystic codes out of them. Instead, he has a certain ability with the inscription and wielding of sutras to project appropriate effects.

Territory Creation – C: In his youth, Hōichi wandered the lands as befitted a biwa-hōshi. However, once he had lost his ears, he remained at the Amida temple, and all who could came to him. He is therefore at least capable with the mechanics of bounded fields. His magical ability is capped more by skill than a lack of power, so that this workshop will not improve his potential in that regard. However, a system of alarms, wards and guards will make approach difficult, especially to the spirits whom Hōichi fears.


Noble Phantasms

Battle at Dan-no-Ura

Wringing Out The Kijin's Tears

Recounting the ancient tale of battle and a child-emperor's death, playing on his biwa, Hōichi is able to induce the utmost awe, melancholy, and fascination. Enthralled by his song, enemies will halt in place and give themselves over to listening, weeping and wailing at the tragedy of the battle. Fixed in place, they become unaware of their surroundings, and all their parameters and skills are lowered by two ranks. Because this is purely thanks to the beauty of Hōichi's playing and singing, many skills which would protect against magical domination are not proof against it.

Rank: B
Type: Anti-Army
Maximum Targets: 200
Range: 1-80

Hannya Shin-gyo

Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom

The Heart Sutra, the key mantra found in Prajñāpāramitā. The verses tattooed onto the entirety of Hōichi's body. This Noble Phantasm is only unsealed once Hōichi has played his masterpiece song. At this point, the messy lines of ink covering him will resolve into the sacred mantra: Nirvana reached through absolute loss of self. Against all spiritual entities, complete invisibility and intangibility is acquired - except for his ears.

Indeed, because his ears were not tattooed with the verses of emptiness, they were seen by his enemies and torn away. Hōichi was still well able to live his life without the use of eyes or ears, through his other senses and the binding of some minor spirits to guide him, and can repeat that feat as a Servant. However, penalties relating to reduced hearing are obviously acquired in the case that an alert enemy destroys them. A healing spell is insufficient to replace them, Hōichi's soul recalling that much of his life was spent without ears, and his legend descending as 'Hōichi the Earless'. Moreover, jealous wraiths who once demanded that Hōichi play only for them will appear in the nearest graveyard or shrine to the dead, and begin hunting Hōichi down, desiring to take his ears once more.

At this point, the priority is not to strike down Hōichi, since such a thing is impossible, but to use his weakness and assault his Master before an inexorable assassin kills your own. For this reason, the Assassin class is particularly suitable for use against the singer. And in turn, such a Servant will be an immediate target for Hōichi's Master upon discovering his identity.

Rank: A
Type: Anti-Unit
Maximum Targets: 1
Range: 1


Notes

Servant

Was reading Natsume Yūjinchō, where the character is going to a gathering of exorcists and yōkai. One of his yōkai friends wants to give him a blessing, but will only say that she needs him to take his shirt off. He refuses very adamantly, so she just scrawls something on his arm. Then she tells him that it's a protective enchantment meant to go over the heart. His mentor remarks that now he's going to leave his arm behind if a yōkai eats him, whereas everything except Hōichi's ears was left. So I looked up Hōichi and thought his story was interesting enough to make a Servant from.

The apposition with Avenger amuses me. In ways which are probably not psychologically healthy.

Yet another of my “I'm sort-of forcing this because he needs a class” Casters, with terrible stats and a Noble Phantasm which may or may not make up for it.

Ended up delving a bit more into hōjutsu than I thought I would (probably a bad idea since we know so little about it, and me less than most). Kind of increased in importance when I realised that Hōichi stayed at the temple after everything resolved, and when I noted that he really did need something approaching proper magecraft (and preferably at least a bit of Item Creation/Territory Creation).

Except for that, though, this is one of my less off-the-wall Servants. Very close to the legend, and my version of the story is essentially a straight-up synopsis (contrast, e.g., Diomedes).

Issei's kind of a terrible Master for him. His Noble Phantasms are powerful, but he needs a capable Master to take advantage of them: kill everyone getting nailed by his song or protect themselves while Hōichi's inexorably wrecking the other Masters afterwards. Either gotta bust out the hidden dragon-fu, or this pairing is gonna fizzle out pretty quickly. Mind, an alliance with, as a completely random example, Shirō, turns that around very quickly.

I would normally try to use the translated terms instead of leaving romanised Japanese around. Biwa is a distinct form of lute, though, and 'lute-priest' or 'biwa-priest' just sound so awful. So … *shrug*

Whoever wrote the introduction for the wiki page on biwa has a gigantic chip on their shoulder. Seriously, wow.

A kijin is a sort of goblin-type creature. The source I'm using for Hōichi's tale puts 'even the kijin could not refrain from tears' in quotes, so I guess either this is/was proverbial, or the author found a part of the Japanese tale interesting enough that he chose to pull that bit across directly. It's just used as part of Hōichi's introduction, to show how good he is.

般若心経, Hannya Shin-gyo, derives from the text 'Prajñāpāramitā', translated as Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom. It's one of the key sutras, and is a common chant in Buddhist temples. You can find translation all around the net, but the gist is the truth and necessity of emptiness such that one can reach Nirvana – quite appropriate to make one invisible.

Introduction

Oh, poor, poor Issei. You are the victim of some severe dramatic irony. I mean, all fairness, Shirō could well notice and get drawn in just by Issei being a Master, but with the set-up of the Fifth … yeah. Failed before he's even begun.

[Spinach]

>Seika
>Japanese Servant
What.

[Seika]

>Seika
>Japanese Servant
What.

I've made a Sumerian, a Scandinavian and a Briton too, you know.

[Spinach]

But I never expected a Japanese Servant. Unexpected things scare me, Seika.

[Gunbazca]

An invisible caster huh? Now that's pretty neat~ he can sic spirits to undermine the enemy without being seen, pretty neat. Though it's pretty glaring that he is quite restricted to a support role, so allying to someone is pretty much a necessity. And since this is Issei, Shirou will surely notice... and lend a hand.

Now picture Saber in Kojiro's place doing pretty much the same thing.

[Mellon]

You're also assuming he was summoned in the 5th HGW instead of the 4th or some completely different HGW.

And I'm pretty sure even Saber's incredible Instinct isn't going to save her if he's sniping at her head while her back is turned from over 2 kilometers away. And Heracles? Really? If your best argument is "Well, he couldn't insta-pwn Heracles..." that's the same as saying "This guy is ridiculously broken and only someone even more broken than him can win."

Derp, sure as hell didn't save her in the Bridge scene where Archer was sniping at her from "kilometers" away. She definitely did not block consecutive surprise attacks from that range.

And Saber definitely cannot dodge an attack that has a lower rank LCK requirement then Gae Bolg does. Which she dodged. Well enough keep fighting with relatively little reduction in her combat capacity.

And I find it hilarious that you think that he would do better in the 4th. A war with Lancelot, Iskander and Gil were in. None of whom, his Gae Bolg at range could even properly damage. Heck, even Assassin could stomp him due to body spam cheese.