Create-A-Servant 2

[Shiki-pon]

So, I'm wanting to do a Central American Lostbelt but don't really know what to do for it beyond Cortez failing to conquer the New World. Does anyone else have any ideas that I could use for this?

Ah, I see. Personally though, I would still like to try my hand at making some Lostbelts. I find the idea to be extremely interesting since I just really like to think of the "what ifs", what could have happened if a certain event ended different.

Now that i think about it, I don't think that anyone's made an African Lostbelt...

I'd suggest that you consider what you want to get out of said Lostbelt before trying to come up with what caused the situation. I mean, if the idea is just that 'things turned out differently', then the possibilities are almost endless.

-Rather than instigating the Flower Wars, the Aztec Triple Alliance goes full-on Rome and subsumes the tribes into a unified whole, rather than terrorized vassals. When the Spanish arrive, they don't face an alliance of three cities while being aided by the natives the Aztecs oppressed, but rather a full-on empire.
-The Europeans arrive much earlier than expected and lack some of the advantages (possibly widespread gunpowder weapons, non-full-plate metal armor and so on). Rather than marching to Tenochtitlan as would-be gods, they're forced into guerrilla warfare.
-Similar to the above, only with the caveat that the plague that devastated the Americas either didn't hit at all or hit much earlier and was recovered from by the time the Spanish arrived. I would assume the plague heightened the discontent of the non-Aztec natives (probably due to an increased need for sacrifices in order to lessen the calamity), so this would rob Cortes of any allies he might gain.
-The slumbering Mesoamerican gods wake up (just one will do). The outcome can vary wildly depending on who it happens to be. The Aztecs are saved, one of them tries to kickstart a sixth World while the others are napping. Some problems with this might come from the nebulous nature of the Mesoamerican gods in the Nasuverse (though the myth about iterative worlds could just be the gods' travels throughout the universe or something).
-A Quetzalcoatl figure does show up, only in opposition to the Spanish. Whether or not they're legit matters little, as their presence motivates the Aztecs and their erstwhile allies to rescue Moctezuma II and kick the invaders out.
-There's also the possibility that the Aztecs meet up with the Inca through expansion, either waging war upon each other (and developing their technology while at it) or forming another alliance and benefiting massively from the result.

An Africa Lostbelt would be even more nebulous due to the varied cultures and great amounts of history (and interaction with other continents) therein. So definition of what the divergence was or when it took place is necessary to narrow things down.

[Kamera]

what if

Euros just don't have any incentives to explore the world, thus leaving the Americans to an independent historical development

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what if

The conquerors are Asians

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also where the fuck is Zheng He sheet

[Shiki-pon]

Coming up.

[Kamera]

also

what if

It was the other way around and the Americas conquer Euros

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imagine the possibilities once you leave your Euro-centrist lense of history behind

[Shiki-pon]

Where would they get the boats for that though? Polynesians notwithstanding (mostly thinking Hawaii), the natives of North, Middle and South America did not seem to have much interest in sailing. Granted, most of their centers of power were pretty far inland, so...

I mean, a Lostbelt based fully on the indigenous peoples of the American continent kicking European ass is interesting, but it tends to run into that problem.

[Kamera]

When their material condition incites the need for boats, there will be boats.

[Shiki-pon]

Development of the proper technology and technique for overseas sailing would still take time, however, so the divergence causing this would have had to occur quite early. A divergence forcing them to rely more on the sea would probably also affect the cultures (as we know them, anyway), so much of what would be left might not be recognized as the cultures a possible writer would like them to be recognized as.
E.g. If somebody wants to write Aztecs invading Europe, they want those Aztecs to be recognizable as Aztecs, I would assume.

[Kamera]

Read Guns, Germs and Steel.

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Also who fucking cares. That is the point of alternative history.

[Shiki-pon]

That... Doesn't really tackle the issue I raised at all. Though this isn't the thread to argue about that (and I'd be interested in continuing the argument somewhere else), the point I was trying to raise was that the end result cultures developed they way they did because of the circumstances surrounding said cultures. If the circumstances were to change (especially prior to a culture's development), so then would the cultures (probably).
So writing a story about Aztecs invading Europe would be difficult if the change in circumstances that allowed the Aztecs to cross the Atlantic (or the Pacific, though that would be a far longer trip) would result in them not being the Aztecs as they are understood (= poorly and with a massive European/Christian bias) in the "main" history.

EDIT: Although, from there it occurs to me just how much of a difference it would be if certain species of animal capable of being domesticated ended up on a different side of the pond than in the 'main' history, and the results of this particular hiccup. That would a surprisingly subtle but vastly important cause for a Lostbelt or alternate timeline.

[Kamera]

That... Doesn't really tackle the issue I raised at all.

I was trying to add to my previous post. But anyways, that book is great, so anyone planning to write alternate history, or history in general, should read that book.

Though this isn't the thread to argue about that (and I'd be interested in continuing the argument somewhere else),

I would argue that it should be appropriate to discuss history in general in a thread dedicating to the creation of characters based on history and mythology.

the point I was trying to raise was that the end result cultures developed they way they did because of the circumstances surrounding said cultures. If the circumstances were to change (especially prior to a culture's development), so then would the cultures (probably).

Correct, but cultures mainly develops from the ideas imposed by the ruling class.

So writing a story about Aztecs invading Europe would be difficult if the change in circumstances that allowed the Aztecs to cross the Atlantic (or the Pacific, though that would be a far longer trip) would result in them not being the Aztecs as they are understood (= poorly and with a massive European/Christian bias) in the "main" history.

I don't think so. It's not hard to imagine a Meso-American civilization with functioning naval technology.

[Shiki-pon]

I was trying to add to my previous post. But anyways, that book is great, so anyone planning to write alternate history, or history in general, should read that book.

No argument on that front.

I would argue that it should be appropriate to discuss history in general in a thread dedicating to the creation of characters based on history and mythology.

Granted. That was poorly thought out on my part.

Correct, but cultures mainly develops from the ideas imposed by the ruling class.

Agreed. However, what I'm trying to say is that if, say, the Toltecs got wiped out by a disaster that then forced the Mesoamerican natives closer to the sea (which then pushed their culture into seafaring, thus resulting in the technology and technique necessary for long distance sailing), the Aztecs just lost a significant cornerstone of their culture, as they mimicked many aspects of the Toltec Empire (starting from hereditary rule) and considered them their predecessors in many senses. Disasters capable of shifting the path of cultures are often less than picky about who they kill, so if we're still going with the Toltecs being targeted, many Mesoamerican cultures would've lost a significant portion of their ruling class, seeing as that consisted mainly of people descended from the Toltec Empire's rulers. This would most likely result in the alternate Mesoamerican cultures drifting further away from regular history's version.

I don't think so. It's not hard to imagine a Meso-American civilization with functioning naval technology.

Do you mean a Mesoamerican culture that has a basis for functioning naval technology or Mesoamerican cultures that have naval technology tacked on? The latter is easy, the former requires some cultural shift, I'd say.

Though with further research I've just discovered that though the Aztecs had little to do with the sea, the Mayans sure as hell did. There is at least one recorded case of their canoes travelling over a hundred kilometers from the mainland for the purposes of regular trade (though with several smaller islands in between). Also, though their canoes were big, they don't seem to have had more advanced naval technology in the 16th century.
If I had to guess, the Maya probably had more opportunities for sea travel due to their domain being around the Bay of Honduras, where I would assume the weather is more favorable for small craft than in the Gulf of Mexico that the Aztecs had access to.
Interesting nonetheless.

[Kamera]

>Aztec develops maritime as they expand further south to the Caribbeans
>Inca also grows large enough to conquer northern Latin America and also develops maritime as they come into contact with the Caribbean Aztecs Empire^TM
>This leads to a war which makes them develop more sophisticated maritime technology
>???
>Aztec-Inca Empire conquers Europe

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a century later Global Incan Communism with Aztec characteristic^TM marks the end of history

[Bugs]

Sounds about right for communism's track record.

[Kamera]

Also this is supposed to be a Lostbelt, which is a wacky alternate history concept at best, so be creative please

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Sounds about right for communism's track record.

There is no Communism track record. It has never been achieved.

inb4 "muh not reel gommnizm"

[Shiki-pon]

FC Link
Alternate Classes: Caster
True Name: Zheng He
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Origin: China (15th century)
Armament: Sword

Parameters:
STR: D
END: C
AGI: C
MANA: D+
LUCK: B
NP: C

Skills

Class Skills

Magic Resistance - Rank D: Grants protection against magical effects. Differing from the Resistance effect that merely rejects Magical Energy, this ability cancels the spells altogether.
Cancels Single-Action spells. Magic Resistance of the same degree of an amulet that rejects magical energy.

Territory Creation - Rank A: A Caster-class Skill. It is the Skill to build a special terrain that is advantageous to oneself as a magus, such as for the purpose of collecting mana.
Rather than a ‘Temple’, construction of a ‘Treasure Ship’ becomes possible.

Item Construction (Fake) - Rank B+: A Skill that acts as an equivalent of Item Construction due to the user's lack of magus aptitude.
As he is not a true magus, Rider instead draws from the vast array of magical items gifted to him during his travels. Due to the vast quantity of the items and the various traditions that created them, he is capable of drawing forth an item for almost any situation. In addition, though not a true magus, Rider possesses some aptitude for magecraft and as such is able to slightly alter the workings of the items in his possession.

Personal Skills

Voyager of the Storm - Rank B: The talent to sail vessels recognized as ships. Because the ability as a group leader is also necessary, this unique Skill also has the effects of both Charisma and Military Tactics.
Having commanded a fleet through many battles during seven voyages, Rider is a gifted naval commander.

Double Summon - Rank C: A rare Personal Skill possessed only by a few select Servants, it permits a Servant to simultaneously possess Class Skills from two distinct classes. It is limited only to some of the extra classes, the cavalry classes, and "modern classes" like Gunner.
As his careers as a scholar and as an admiral are all but inseparable, he also possesses the Class Skills of the Caster class while manifesting as a Rider.

Golden Rule - Rank B: A Skill that refers to the measurement of one's fortune to acquire wealth.
Bestowed with a stupendous amount of wealth to spread to his liege’s vassals and receiving magnificent gifts in return, financial problems are essentially unknown to Rider.

Protection of the Heavenly Princess - Rank B: Protection received from Tianfei, a Chinese goddess of the sea.
Through divine protection, many kinds of advantages can be gained. The benefits are greatly increased in maritime operations.

Noble Phantasms

Floating Treasure Palace

Baochuán

Fortress, Rank B+

Image Link

A grand sailing vessel, of a size incomparable to lesser ships. It sails as a declaration of wealth and power, amounting to a maritime palace rather than simply a ship. Even the internal decks are the size of palace halls rather than the cramped quarters of lesser vessels. Despite its ponderous size, the nine masts holding twelve sails allow it to move with a speed one would not expect from such a vehicle. For defense, it mounts twenty-four bronze cannons.
As Baochuán is essentially a floating fortress, it is capable of standing up to attacks up to B rank without issue. The ship serves as both Rider’s base of operations and his workshop as a magus, greatly strengthening his physical and magical performance whilst within its confines. In addition, its decks hold a magnificent array of treasures and beasts from all over Asia and the Middle-East, including magical artefacts of many traditions as well as varieties of Phantasmal Species. As they are the property of Rider’s emperor, and he is acting in the emperor’s stead, their power is his to command. The prize jewel of the collected valuables is a Divine Beast qilin that Rider collected during his journeys. As he lacks the Riding Skill, however, he controls the beasts within Baochuán through magecraft.
Unlike other marine vessel Noble Phantasms, Baochuán can only travel in water, rather than being able to sail along the ground or even fly. Its construction is sturdy enough for it to be able to support itself on land, however, allowing for its use as a fortress. With additional effort, he can also summon auxiliary ships to defend Baochuán, though these are more akin to Familiars in the shape of vehicles, being little danger to Servants.

Bestowed Imperial Authority

Tiānmìng de Fúwù

Anti-Unit, Rank C

A Noble Phantasm that utilizes the quirks of the Chinese understanding of authority as a means of direct control. Recorded in history as a “tribute system”, Tiānmìng de Fúwù uses the understanding of the roles and duties of lord and vassal in order to gain control over others.
Tiānmìng de Fúwù can be activated once Rider has bestowed a gift of some kind to another. As the giving of gifts is a show of the superiority of the giver, the acceptance of a gift from Rider places the target into the position of vassal. Unless they return the favor through action or a gifting of wealth, Rider can then call upon them to fulfil their duty, essentially forcing them to act in Rider’s favor as though ordered to do so by a Command Spell. Unlike a true Command Spell, Tiānmìng de Fúwù’s effect can be resisted with greater ease through various means, and the recipient of the order cannot be ordered to directly harm themselves.

Description

Likes: Exploration, proper etiquette
Dislikes: Pirates and thieves, isolationists
Talents: Seafaring, court politics
Natural Enemy: Zhu Zhanji

Rider’s true identity is Zheng He, the Admiral of the Treasure Voyages.

As a well-educated court official, He prefers to act according to the standards of formality and politeness in any given situation. Regarding this as showing respect to others, he expects those who would treat with him to follow suit. This stance is not born from habit, but is a method of shifting the arena to one He is intricately familiar with: politics. As long as others play along with the rules of formal behavior, he believes he has the advantage. Crude behavior incenses him, as he feels he represents China itself on the expedition that is the Holy Grail War. An affront to his person is an affront to the Ming Dynasty, and is therefore deserving of extreme punishment.
Despite his aptitude for court life, He thrives in the act of exploration. Even though his native land has disparate and varied traditions and cultural elements, the world outside has the same in bewildering amounts. He is interested in the discovery of the new and is generally curious relating to the world around him. Due to his interests lying in the exotic, he finds the standardized appearance of the modern world drab and uninteresting.
Among other Heroic Spirits, He respects the appearance of civilization and graceful conduct. Though those that do not meet his standards are mere barbarians when compared to the majesty of China, he still treats them cordially, as long as they do not insult him or otherwise mark themselves as his enemies. Indeed, he views the other participants of the Holy Grail War with the eyes of a talent scout, wishing to find worthy allies to accompany him in his endeavor to claim the Holy Grail. He finds kinship among fellow explorers, as long as their conduct is suitable.
Used to service, He approaches his existence as a Servant without complaint. He will loyally follow orders and strive with his all to complete his mission. As the Master is his avowed lord, he will stop at nothing to secure their safety and interests. However, the one incongruence in his behavior is his stubborn refusal to allow his Master access to the treasures he holds within Bǎochuán’s hold. They are the property of the Emperor, and as such only He, acting on his authority, is allowed to wield them.
He strongly feels that Zhu Zhanji, the Xuande Emperor, was mistaken in his decision to not pursue further Treasure Voyages. As such, his wish to the Holy Grail would be to change the Emperor’s mind on the subject, even though he understands how presumptuous this sort of desire is.

Lore

Zheng He was born in 1371, into a Hui family from Kunyang, Yunnan. His original name was Ma He. Zheng He had one older brother and four sisters. He was raised a Muslim, and he studied Islam when he was quite young. Zheng He’s grandfather and father had made pilgrimages to Mecca, and were very familiar with faraway lands. His grandfather and father influenced his interests in other lands.
In 1381, the Ming armed forces killed his father and captured him when he was ten years old. He became a eunuch and was sent to Nanjing to serve in Prince Yan’s household. As a young adult he was very tall, most likely around six and a half feet. He learned military and fighting tactics, as well as studied the works of Mencius and Confucius and became a very close confidant of the prince.
For four years, He fought on Prince Zhu Di’s side and accompanied him on numerous battles throughout China. He was a key player in Zhu Di’s gaining imperial power. In 1404, Zheng He was promoted to Grand Eunuch. The Yongle Emperor appointed He commander of a large treasure fleet and over twenty thousand men. Zheng He, at thirty-five years old, had the highest rank of any eunuch in the history of China.
The fleet left Nanjing in the autumn of 1405. Zheng He’s armada sailed for Calicut, located on the west coast of India. This was the first of seven expeditions of the treasure fleet that Zheng He commanded from 1405 to 1432. Over the years, he travelled to many areas such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Siam, India, Yemen, Somalia, Keyna and Saudia Arabia. He traded and made many diplomatic acquaintances during these expeditions.
The Yongle Emperor died in 1424. By this time, Zheng He had already finished six voyages and had brought back many emissaries from various foreign lands to meet the emperor. However, these excursions were very costly to the Chinese treasury. The Yongle Emperor’s oldest son, Zhu Gaozhi, was made the Hongxi Emperor. In his nine month rule, the emperor stopped all treasure fleet repairs and construction because of the expenses. The emperor wanted to spend money fighting the Mongols and also feeding his people in the provinces that were experiencing famines.
The Hongxi Emperor passed away after ruling for less than one year, in 1426. The new ruler was the Xuande Emperor and he made a decision to send Zheng He and his treasure fleet out once again. In 1432, when Zheng He was sixty-one years old, he left with one of his largest fleets for his final sea voyage across the Indian Ocean. He sailed to Malindi, off of Kenya’s coast, and stopped at many trading ports on the way. Zheng He died on the return voyage in 1433 as his fleet was sailing east from Calicut. He was laid to rest at sea, though legend states that his crew returned to Nanjing with a piece of his hair braid, along with his shoes for a burial on land.

Notes

As a full-on Caster, he would probably have something relating to his last title of Sanbao Taijian, connecting his name to the concept of the Three Treasures in various traditions.

[King of Padoru]

I'd like to point out that, while a weak excuse for a change in Mesoamerican society, you can use the Mormons' belief on Jesus going to America. Starting with that, you could kinda mess a bit with History and add that he also shared some knowledge about technology from the Old World, thus making civilization develop faster. Advance in time and you get the Europeans finding out a civilization on a close level to theirs that doesn't treat them as gods and can defend themselves. With that, History radically changes. For example, the Spanish Empire is unable to conquer the Americas, thus losing lots of power and falling earlier/surviving for longer as a smaller nation. You may even go much forwards into time, to the present era, to show that the USA never was created, something we know it's important thanks to E Pluribus Unum.

[Bugs]

Class: Foreigner
Other Classes: Caster
True Name: Edgar Allan Poe
Epithet: The Tomahawk Man
Alignment: True Neutral
Place of Origin: America

Parameters:

STR: E
END: D
AGI: E
MGI: A
LCK: D
NP: A

Class Skills:
Existence Outside the Domain: A
Existence Outside the Domain is a Class Skill associated with Foreigners, one who wanders the boundless eternity beyond all understanding, as if but a dance among the stars. Rather than having a connection to a specific divine existence, Poe is one who has traveled the paths of the Dreamlands themselves extensively.

An alternate dimension only accessible by dreaming, the Dreamlands are inhabited by many fearsome creatures and deities incomprehensible to man. Poe’s “entry point” into the Dreamlands is the East, which contains the dream-city of Celephaïs. Created by the mortal man known as King Kuranes, Kuranes eventually tired of life in the Dreamlands and ascended to a proper god of Celephaïs. Upon their discovery of Poe within their lands, the inhabitants of the Dreamlands determined he was the “second coming of Kuranes” due to their very similar shared life experiences and personalities.

Upon his mysterious death, Poe traveled once more to the Dreamlands, where he was officially crowned as King in the East. Kuranes, his predecessor, was the greatest dreamer the Dreamlands had ever known, appearing before the court of Azathoth and surviving in both body and mind. It is unknown whether Poe followed in Kuranes’ footsteps, of if it is even physically possible, but it seems he might allude to the greatest of all Outer Gods in his poem about his new home, Dream-Land:

By a route obscure and lonely,
Haunted by ill angels only,
Where an Eidolon, named NIGHT,
On a black throne reigns upright,
I have reached these lands but newly
From an ultimate dim Thule—
From a wild weird clime that lieth, sublime,
Out of SPACE—Out of TIME.

Divinity: E

“All religion, my friend, is simply evolved out of fraud, fear, greed, imagination, and poetry.”

Divinity is the measure of whether one has Divine Spirit aptitude or not. At high levels, one is treated as a mixed race of a Divine Spirit, and the level declines when the Heroic Spirit's own rank as a Monster or Demonic Beast raises. It can also decrease due to one's dislike for the gods. Those who have A Rank Divinity or above have reached the Throne of Gods. It also has an effect which reduces special defensive values called "purge defense" in proportion to the Divinity's Rank. It can break through Skills such as Protection of the Faith and Enlightenment of the Sacred Fig.

A modern man without a shred of divinity within him, yet one who walks beneath the eyes of gods within the Dreamlands. Poe is afforded a minimal rank simply by being in their immediate presence...but that doesn’t mean he has to like it.

Insanity: A

“Men have called me mad; but the question is not yet settled, whether madness is or is not the loftiest intelligence– whether much that is glorious– whether all that is profound– does not spring from disease of thought– from moods of mind exalted at the expense of the general intellect.”

A Mental Pollution-like skill gained from contacting an evil god that can easily erode the fragile common sense and morals of humans. However, the main qualification for the Foreigner class is to defy this erosion, either by maintaining their integrity as they descend into madness, or instead of being consumed by madness, they consume the madness itself.

Having struggled with his own madness in life, the threat of the latent madness of the Dreamlands on Poe’s weak psyche is a very great one. But the strength of his wonder, and the mutation of his mind caused by rumor, has rendered madness but prey. And so he devours it, a true king of the mad dreamers.

Personal Skills:
Innocent Monster: E
Innocent Monster is an attribute possessed by Servants whose true history and existence have been distorted by the monstrous reputations and gossips they accrued across the course of their life and thereafter, without concern for the actual person's will or appearance. As a consequence, the Servant's abilities and appearance have been rendered to conform to the specifications of their legend. Incidentally, this Personal Skill cannot be removed.

A “Curse of the Readers” that has grown and mutated into something more after Poe was subject to a character assassination after his death. A literary rival under the pseudonym “Ludwig” published Poe’s obituary, as well as his first biography. In it, Ludwig made Poe out to be a degenerate, drug-addled madman who enjoyed putting his fictional characters through hellish terror. The curse of the readers of his works, compiled with the curse of the readers of Ludwig’s interpretation, has created perhaps a completely new personality that simply shares the name “Poe.”

While still soft-spoken and intelligent, Poe seems unable to stop himself from mumbling misanthropic curses under his breath, even while wearing a cheery smile. He displays inward glee when watching others fail, sometimes even bursting out into fits of deprecating laughter. An unkindness of ravens is constantly seen following him, even as he openly declares his hatred for them and wrings their necks.

Eye for Art: B
Eye for Art is infatuation with works of art.

A spiritual disciple of Lord Byron, Poe exhibits the sensibilities of his hero by concerning himself only with art of an objective, perfect beauty. However, beauty does not necessarily have a single standard. This is what allows Poe to conceive of even the most macabre scenery as inherently beautiful, so long as it is authentic in its horrible purity.

This foundational belief that art can be about anything and still be beautiful, so long as it accurately captures the intentions of the artist--otherwise known as the “unity of effect” theory--served him well when he worked as a magazine poetry critic. The brutality and cold efficiency with which he delivered his critical sentences on his peers earned him the nickname “the man with the tomahawk”.

If one happens to see a Noble Phantasm that possess artistic anecdotes, there is a high chance that he or she might be able to figure out its true name.

Natural Insight: A

By the “cant of the day” we mean the disgusting practice of putting on the airs of an owl, and endeavoring to look miraculously wise; — the affectation of second sight — of a species of ecstatic prescience — of an intensely bathetic penetration into all sorts of mysteries, psychological ones in especial. . . .

Natural Insight is the ability to grasp the essence of things. Perceptive eyes for observation that will not overlook any information.

A man born with the potential of genius. A prodigy never properly fostered. A Skill born from Poe’s Cartesian method of inquiry of the world. What would be a Human/Era Observation Skill appropriate in other author-type Servants, Poe’s hatred for assumptions into another’s mental state stems from his own issues with mental illness--and the relatively new science of psychology, at the time. Therefore, he has turned that matter of insight inward. “If it is inappropriate to be so arrogant as to pretend to know how one thinks, then I will explore the minds of those I create.”

The Murders in the Rue Morgue is the pinnacle of this thought process. Considered the seminal work in the genre of detective fiction, Poe’s detective Dupin is a direct inspiration for later sleuths such as Sherlock Holmes. Although the principle is entirely different, he can perform foresight equivalent to the future foresight of Clairvoyance--the ability of one who not only solves mysteries, but creates them.

Noble Phantasm(s):

Croatoan Redaction Order

CRO

Type: Anti-Army
Rank: A
Range: 3-300
Max Targets: 1000

A Noble Phantasm encompassing all that is dark, all that is mysterious. The disappearance of the Roanoke colonists in the late 1500s is infamous not only for its large scale, but the fact that to this day there is no single answer given to the ultimate fate of the colony. The only clues have been two trees located at the site of the colony, one with “CROATOAN” etched into the bark, the other bearing the word “CRO”.

Since then, the word Croatoan has appeared variously throughout history, always in the case of disappearances. It was found in Amelia Earhart’s journal after she disappeared in 1937. It was carved into a bedpost by author Ambrose Bierce before he too, vanished. While imprisoned, it was found etched into the walls of Black Bart’s cell, who disappeared from history upon his release.

And Edgar Allan Poe was discovered after a weeklong disappearance--and days before his death--shambling along the streets, muttering “Croatoan, Croatoan” to himself over and over.

It is a Noble Phantasm relying on Poe’s authority as King in the East of the Dreamlands, and representative of overpowering mystery. If human progress is by nature the natural destruction of mystery, then CRO is the means by which mystery reclaims itself and rejects the world of humans. A self-correction ability that shunts abnormal human developments off to where they truly belong; the land of dreams.

A massive flurry of crows or ravens descends from the heavens, blanketing the offending target in black feathers. Upon dispersing, the target will have vanished completely, joining the ranks of those who dreamed beyond themselves.

They too, shall become Croatoans--inhabitants of the Dreamlands.

Lore:
Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism in the United States and of American literature as a whole, and he was one of the country's earliest practitioners of the short story. He is generally considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre and is further credited with contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction. He was the first well-known American writer to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career.

Poe was born in Boston, the second child of actors David and Elizabeth "Eliza" Arnold Hopkins Poe. His father abandoned the family in 1810, and his mother died the following year. Thus orphaned, the child was taken in by John and Frances Allan of Richmond, Virginia. They never formally adopted him, but he was with them well into young adulthood. Tension developed later as John Allan and Edgar Poe repeatedly clashed over debts, including those incurred by gambling, and the cost of Poe's secondary education. He attended the University of Virginia but left after a year due to lack of money. Edgar Poe quarreled with John Allan over the funds for his education and enlisted in the Army in 1827 under an assumed name. It was at this time that his publishing career began with the anonymous collection Tamerlane and Other Poems (1827), credited only to "a Bostonian". Edgar Poe and John Allan reached a temporary rapprochement after the death of Frances Allan in 1829. Poe later failed as an officer cadet at West Point, declaring a firm wish to be a poet and writer, and he ultimately parted ways with John Allan.

Poe switched his focus to prose and spent the next several years working for literary journals and periodicals, becoming known for his own style of literary criticism. His work forced him to move among several cities, including Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City. He married his 13-year-old cousin, Virginia Clemm, in 1836. In January 1845, Poe published his poem "The Raven" to instant success, but Virginia died of tuberculosis two years after its publication.

Poe planned for years to produce his own journal The Penn (later renamed The Stylus), but he died before it could be produced. He died in Baltimore on October 7, 1849, at age 40; the cause of his death is unknown and has been variously attributed to alcohol, "brain congestion", cholera, drugs, heart disease, rabies, suicide, tuberculosis, and other causes.

Poe and his works influenced literature around the world, as well as specialized fields such as cosmology and cryptography. He and his work appear throughout popular culture in literature, music, films, and television. A number of his homes are dedicated museums today. The Mystery Writers of America present an annual award known as the Edgar Award for distinguished work in the mystery genre

Creator Notes:

Yet another attempt at a Foreigner. And a sheet appropriate for spooky season in general.

A friend of mine through Discord suggested the idea recently of writing a subspecies singularity in the vein of EoR based on the lost colony of Roanoke, at least partially inspired by the American Horror Story season on Roanoke.

Having never seen a second of AHS, I did my best to help bounce ideas off of him. I don’t think we have a thread for “Create-A-Plot”, so I’ll just throw what I have in a spoiler here in case anyone cares. Poe here was intended to be one of Guda’s guides through the singularity, his own mysterious connection to “Croatoan” made him an obvious choice. If something doesn’t make sense it’s probably because I linked it to another point in the hypothetical singularity in my head and didn’t elaborate lol

Singularity Subspecies V: Redacted Demonic Sanctum: Roanoke: Lost Colony of Roanoke

Set in the Roanoke Colony of the year 1587.

Plot:
Scathach, dwelling in the Land of Shadows, hears stories about the New World and its first colony--Roanoke. A new land full of unknown men and creatures, a bevy of opportunity for the eternally restless witch that she can’t possibly ignore.

Making her way to England, Scathach boards the Golden Hind in secret. Francis Drake, on orders of the Queen, has been dispatched back to Roanoke to investigate the apparent disappearance of fellow Sea Dog and Roanoke governor Sir Walter Raleigh.

After making herself known to Drake, the captain and Scathach arrive at Roanoke to find it completely deserted. The only clues are the words CROATOAN and CORA carved into different trees.

That is when (You) arrive.

“Reuniting” with the two women, the only thing you can think to do is stay the night, as the sun is already setting. You explain that in modern times Roanoke’s disappearance is far more famous than the establishment of the colony itself and what it meant for English colonialism, and that there are several different ideas about its fate but none of them have been proven even with modern forensics.

Scathach offers the explanation that Roanoke’s fate has been recorded in history as a “mystery,” and thus that overturning said mystery would be foolish and a waste of time: you should focus on locating the surviving villagers, if there are any. Although, it seems like she still has a “hungry” look about her after saying that…

Drake says that Roanoke was always a scam. Having known Raleigh personally, she says he could never let go of his dream of the Golden City--El Dorado. Sacrificing the people in order to achieve that dream wouldn’t be beneath him. As for the actual outcome, she can’t say, but hopes that it just might lead them to El Dorado anyway.

The next day, the party awakens to a mysterious man sitting with them at the campsite. He introduces himself as Edgar Allan Poe, a Foreigner Class Servant. Summoned by the peculiar machinations of the singularity, Poe has his own stake in Roanoke but remains guarded--if friendly--for now. He explains that because he has little offensive ability, he’s brought a bodyguard along who remains unseen (Zealot).

--Unfinished--

The concept of the Croatoans was originally going to be tied more closely to the likes of Lemuria and El Dorado--what with Raleigh being the main antagonist of the supposed singularity--but as a standalone sheet without context I tweaked it to be more focused on the Dreamlands.

I realize the Noble Phantasm is weird and un-Poe-like, but I promise it makes sense when taken with everything else.

[ItsaRandomUsername]

That Poe sheet slaps hard. I can't really complain about it. The story justification is also nice -- I like it when sheets seemingly have a context for why and how a Servant is, which I find to be more satisfying than simply making a Servant sheet just because (fun as that can be on its own, regardless).

[Lambda-Nu]

I'd suggest that you consider what you want to get out of said Lostbelt before trying to come up with what caused the situation. I mean, if the idea is just that 'things turned out differently', then the possibilities are almost endless.

-Rather than instigating the Flower Wars, the Aztec Triple Alliance goes full-on Rome and subsumes the tribes into a unified whole, rather than terrorized vassals. When the Spanish arrive, they don't face an alliance of three cities while being aided by the natives the Aztecs oppressed, but rather a full-on empire.
-The Europeans arrive much earlier than expected and lack some of the advantages (possibly widespread gunpowder weapons, non-full-plate metal armor and so on). Rather than marching to Tenochtitlan as would-be gods, they're forced into guerrilla warfare.
-Similar to the above, only with the caveat that the plague that devastated the Americas either didn't hit at all or hit much earlier and was recovered from by the time the Spanish arrived. I would assume the plague heightened the discontent of the non-Aztec natives (probably due to an increased need for sacrifices in order to lessen the calamity), so this would rob Cortes of any allies he might gain.
-The slumbering Mesoamerican gods wake up (just one will do). The outcome can vary wildly depending on who it happens to be. The Aztecs are saved, one of them tries to kickstart a sixth World while the others are napping. Some problems with this might come from the nebulous nature of the Mesoamerican gods in the Nasuverse (though the myth about iterative worlds could just be the gods' travels throughout the universe or something).
-A Quetzalcoatl figure does show up, only in opposition to the Spanish. Whether or not they're legit matters little, as their presence motivates the Aztecs and their erstwhile allies to rescue Moctezuma II and kick the invaders out.
-There's also the possibility that the Aztecs meet up with the Inca through expansion, either waging war upon each other (and developing their technology while at it) or forming another alliance and benefiting massively from the result.

An Africa Lostbelt would be even more nebulous due to the varied cultures and great amounts of history (and interaction with other continents) therein. So definition of what the divergence was or when it took place is necessary to narrow things down.

I've kinda narrowed things done for the Africa LB. A little. It'll most likely be an Egyptian Lostbelt.

[Wyvern]

I suggest checking the Thread I made for those. See if anything I put there helps. I am genuinely interested on what you'll come up with!