Monthly Create-A-Servant Contest

[Baron Magnus]

Swords.

Often thought of only as tools of battle.

Yet in history they often served many purposes.

Swords have been used for ceremony, used as grave markers, used to bind and used to break, used to conjoin or sever.

Swords have many, many uses in myth and history.

One however stands above all.

One that was fire itself.

Laevateinn.

The sword of the fire king Surtr.

A reflection of the sun itself holding within the might of the king of fire giants, its flames were used to burn eight of the nine worlds of norse mythology and set fire to the Age of Gods. Its flames alone slew many gods and is said to have slaughtered many life forms.

Yet despite this humans survived.

From the ashes humans rebuilt the ruined north.

They progressed forward despite losing their gods.

All as was fated to occur. The Age of Gods ended and the Age of Man begun.

All thanks to the sword inviting the Age of Gods to be destroyed.

Beginning not with a great sword slash, but a simple decision.

To lock a mere child in a gilded cage behind 9 locks representing the 9 worlds and demanding an impossible treasure from each.

A child named

Haevateinn

Greetings, Novum Chaldea. I am grand saber Laevateinn. I seek your assistance. My target is Beast V and I cannot defeat it alone... tell me, Novum Chaldea, will you help me?


AnimeSaint369, DeviantArt

True Name
Laevateinn

Class
Saber

Alignment
Chaotic-Good

Height/Weight
5'9/211

Region
Northern Europe

Source
Poetic Edda

Other Classes
All Stanadard Classes

Parameters

Strength	Endurance	Agility
B	B	A
Mana	Luck	Noble Phantasm
A	E	A

History

Haevateinn.

My original name.

Given by my mother, Sinmara, and my father, Mimir.

Both normal if extraordinary humans.

I myself was simply a normal human… yet I did not know then that I lived in a gilded cage. I cannot say I was unhappy… but I can say I did not know true happiness. I did not know grief, pain, or sorrow.

I knew… nothing.

Not until he came.

Surtr, the king of fire giants.

He who would burn eight worlds to cinders. Bringer of twilight, slayer of gods, and primordial flame made manifest.

To say the flames he was made of enchanted me would be… inaccurate.

I was wholly bewitched. The freedom those flames promised, the power I felt radiating off that form. The heat of desire they ignited within me. When he offered his hand to free me from that cage, I ignored the pleas of my grieving mother and took it.

If I had perished right there, I perhaps would be a little sad but ultimately satisfied with having felt like a human for the first time. Yet that mans flames did not engulf me in pain but bliss. He took my hand and freed me from the cage.

Despite my mother trying to stop him, he had fulfilled the conditions of the locks. He brought nine treasures from the nine worlds and destroyed them on the locks, breaking them. She was only human while he was a fire giant.

He need not do anything.

She could not stop him.

She could not stop me.

She could not stop us from leaving that illusory paradise.

For the first time I breathed real air. For the first time I felt wet. For the first time… I saw the sky.

For the first time I was free to be human.

For a time, he let me be. He allowed me to frolick the fields, to traverse the glaciers, to pass through the glades. He allowed me to do a great many things. He was only ever there to prevent fatal injury and dress minor wounds.

Then, destiny called.

The rooster.

I knew it well as it was my destiny to slay it.

Surtr knew so too as he had told me, when we talked, of my role.

To slay the rooster announcing Ragnarok. To then become the sword Laevateinn.

I accepted this fate.

How could I not? He had given me the world and my humanity… if destiny asked me to become his tool? Of course. I had no problems with it. The gods, as benevolent as they may be, were ultimately a burden on humanity.

Even my father, Surtr, was a burden.

So let it all burn.

For the sake of Humanity…

Let the Age of Gods become Kindling for the future.

Class Skills

Magic Resistance
EX

To say he is immune to magecraft is a misstatement of fact. Rather it is that all magecraft burns against him. Mysteries, knowledges, even alchemies fail to affect him. They all burn when they come near him. Only something potent, that ignores heat in its own right, can hope to affect him. Something like a true magic or a supreme mystery can do so. Even then he has defenses against those. That is how all-consuming his flames are.

Riding

Sealed due to his Noble Phantasm.

Personal Skills
Invitation to Destruction
A
A product of what he has done.

He climbed the world tree with purpose. He slew vidofnir with intent. He began Ragnarok fully knowing the consequences. He did all this because he realized the burden gods had on humanity. He was hidden away due to his power. His parents feared it, but feared how covetous the other gods, Odin in particular, would become of it. Never knowing truthfully that it would be their enemy that sought his power and gained it. Acknowledging this truth, the solution was clear to him.

To burn that world to cinders and let humanity start anew.

From this skill, Laevateinn acquires the ability to make use of the Authority he gained from Vidofnir. To always achieve Victory. Despite his low-ranking Luck, he cannot ever fail a Luck check. Further he cannot encounter truly impossible situations. Such is the authority of 'Victory' he gained from Vidofnir.

Mana Burst
(Flame)
A+++
A product of what he was always meant to be.

A sword of flame. The flame that would reduce the Age of Gods, eight of the nine worlds, to cinders under the guiding hand of Surtr the King of Muspelheim. Surtr kindled and burned Haevateinn into Laevateinn, the pure loving flame of humanity. Whether that was Surtr's intent or simply a product of his hate, it does not matter. Laevateinn regardless loved humanity and for them he burned every god he could.

He brought about the Twilight that would allow Humanity to be free of the gods.

Similar to others possessing this power, he enhances his clothing and weapons with fire-elemental mana to far exceed their normal capabilities. Even without weapons or clothes however he can utilize the fires he produces as both; able to block attacks lower than C-rank and his flames being as strong as A+-rank armaments.

Protection of Innocence
A

A product of what he once was.

An innocent child in a gilded cage. Placated by an illusory world constructed by his father, locked behind nine locked representing the nine worlds and demanding nine impossible treasures from each as constructed by his mother. Only freed from this prison by the King of Muspelheim, Surtr, who desired the pure flame of Laevateinn to burn the world to ash.

Haevateinn, his old name, did not desire to burn anything. He simply wished to see the outside world.

This skill allows him to envelope himself in that false world momentarily to clear himself of malignant curses or conditions. In essence, so long as his has any shred of himself he can instantaneously recover from anything that would change or debilitate him.

Personality

Laevateinn is very similar to how he was before he became the loving flames that Surtr would wield in his final battle. He is fascinated by the world around him, he finds comfort in other humans, he enjoys his freedom to the fullest, and he will fight to protect the freedoms of others often going to extremes.

Underneath this lies his doubts, fears, and insecurities. His worry that his flames might get out of control if he doesn't restrain himself, forgetting that they are flames of love and not hate. That while he loves humanity, they do not reciprocate that love. That for all he's done it ultimately amounted to nothing at all. That he actually stunted humanity beyond belief.

These two sides ultimately come from the same place. His sheltered life. While he learned of hardship from his time with Surtr, he is always unsure of whatever he does. No matter how wide his smile, there is an underlying doubt behind it. Him doubting the impact he has... yet, regardless, he will ultimately, even at his lowest, shrug off his worries and do what he thinks must be done.

If he is cooperating with another, he will generally seek their advice to ensure he isn't being hasty in decisions.

Interactions

Ritsuka Fujimaru
Bond 0
I'm glad you've agreed to cooperate. Our foe is not an easy one... yes. Perhaps the trickiest opponent of all. I'd even say, the hardest foe you'll ever face. It must be fought though. Of all the evils, that one must be conquered. To that end, I am happy for the assistance.

Ritsuka Fujimaru
Bond 5
I spoke no lie. Just because he's helped you before does not change that he is an evil of humanity. He must be slain for the sake of humanity... I thought we agreed on this?... That was harsh, apologies. I assumed you knew and acted on that assumption.... let us start again. Odin is Beast V. He is our enemy. Novum Chaldea, in spite of his aid, will you aid me in slaying him?

Ritsuka Fujimaru
Bond 10
Hmm. This is as far as human power will take us. Even my power is not enough anymore... there is one chance left. Master of Novum Chaldea. Take me in hand. You must fight on the front lines for once... I know it'll be scary... you might even die. You can do it though. You have a shield at your side... place your faith in her and me, and you can survive.... the rest is up to you, young human. Now let's finish this fight!

Odin
Hm. As long as you remain a lancer, or god, we have no quarrel. No... only when you slip into your Beasthood shall I act and you have cause to fear me... but then you knew that, didn't you?

Cao Cao
You are quite an interesting fellow. No, though. Ultimately, I would not entrust my fire to you. Only because I know your ambition would override any promises you made to me... don't change though. You don't need me to succeed in your ambitions.

Edward
Hm. A callous, cruel man. Yet... undeniably human. I need not act for I know others will... I can leave this to them.

Tam Lin King Arthur
Hmm. I am fine with believing you. Dreams are a part of humanity... so long as those exist, humanity will persist and you are proof of that. Keep dreaming, fairy knight. I shall enjoy your dream with you, if you'd permit it.

Sultan Baybars
A cold existence... almost the precise opposite of my own. Yet I do not pity you... no, I am glad to have met you. You affirm to me one thing... that my decision back then wasn't merely the correct one, but the right one. Thank you.

Lugh
Hmmm. Another god... a rather selfish one at that. You remind me of home quite a bit... oh, don't worry. My flames are not to be wantonly used... I reserve them only for when needed. That is the purpose of a sword. Only to cut when needed.

John Henry
Hmm. Hmm. I have to admit, I'm impressed. Seriously. You've got a cool style to you. Don't lose it, if you can. I like it... and I can tell you, others do too.

Karolina
I continue to be shocked. A simple, normal girl at her core yet... you have such strength to you. It is... humbling, yes. It was for people like you to flourish that I burned what I did... and people like you are why I never regret it.

Louis
Hmmm. What an odd fellow you are. I don't mind though... humans are of all stripes... and for all of them, not just one kind, I burned eight worlds... and I have no regrets. I suppose thats all about you that makes me sad. You do have regrets, don't you?

Mousseline
We are... so similiar, aren't we?... but the reasons are wholly different. I was caged out of love... and you hate.... yes. I wouldn't mind being wielded by you... I think you of all would understand me, no?

Olympia
Hmm. Your one of the more fun gods i've learned about... I suppose since your meddling is minimal, I can overlook it... no. Your intentions are not merely benevolent, but temporary, huh? Much different... much different from him.

Temujin
... Tsk. I was hoping one like you wouldn't show up. He's bad enough... forcing me to work with that shitty old man. That's in bad taste ain't it, Evil of the End?

Yeonsangun
We... you and I. We're like a mirror, aren't we? We both destroy. We both lived in cages... yet we do so for entirely different reasons. I cannot hate you for that... but I canno respect you either. Thankfully, we don't have to. Unless you side with the evils of humanity, we need not quarrel unless you force the issue. Even then though... I only burn to protect humanity. You included. So no, you'd not face my flames. Not unless my wielder chose such an action.

The Antikythera Mechanism
Hmmm.... tell me, great mechanism that can chart the very stars and skies. You claim there must have been another way. So I ask... would the gods have ever been willing to let humanity be? Would they really stand aside and let humanity's wonders swallow the world like it has?... 'For their own good'. I was a victim of that mentality... and even the gods most agreeable to humanity will intervene with that mindset. I'm sorry, o' grand observer of the heaven, but... it was never meant to be. Now excuse me.... I have an old friend to... 'meet'.

Francis I
Of course... and if needed, you may wield my flames. I am a sword, after all though I choose who uses me... and milady, you are on that list. Though... I admit. I am biased as its exceedingly rare that one understands my flames like you do!

Ronald Knox
.... and you are? Some great evil from beyond? Some detective solving their own cases? Some... mastermind villain guiding us along? Doesn't matter. I'm gonna do my best to burn through it all!

Libuše
It would be my honor to accept the improvements of one with eyes that see the future like yours. Whatever they are, they can only aid me in defending humanity... how could I possibly refuse?

Beast V
... So you didn't heed my advice. I see... I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. You have a fondness for meddling. You can't help it... one way or another you slip back into this habit. No matter how many times I defeat you, you always eventually begin meddling again... and unlike a god I know, you never make it temporary. You can't help yourself... come beast of salvation. Your false promises end here!!!

Laevatein
W-well now. This is.... strange. Yes... strange. Same story, different interpretations.... and different fathers. We're... kinda like siblings then huh...? Well. I won't make a big deal of it if you don't... but if you do, then alright. I've wondered what having a sibling would be like. Though... hrm. Would you prefer sister or brother...?

Noble Phantasm

Loptr Laegjarn

Shining Brighter than the Sun!

Type
Anti-Fortress

Rank
A

A technique he adapted from his time with Surtr. Each time he was swung, it was akin to a shooting star impacting the Earth itself. Such was the force needed to fight the gods and burn eight worlds. As the sword behind such blows, it is only natural that such strength, such a technique, would imprint upon him and allow him to utilize something approaching it.

However unlike the King of Muspelheim he cannot call upon the techniques full might. It cannot compare even to a half-hearted attempt from the weakest version of Surtr as it cannot overturn the rules of reality when he utilizes the technique. At most, he could wipe out a city with it if a truly prepared and potent mage backed him. Otherwise, it is generally an Anti-Fortress noble phantasm.

The advantages he gains with it are twofold compared to Surtr's; that unlike Surtr the flames he produces with this technique cannot burn living humans and that his flames are not destructive but protective, only burning his enemies or the divine. He need not worry about harming human life when he utilizes this potent noble phantasm, only that his attack may not be enough and too obvious.

Naturally, when his other Noble Phantasm is utilized, this noble phantasm passes onto the one who wields him.

Einn Laevateinn

I Shall Become as the Sun For Love

Type
Anti-Self

Rank
EX

Laevateinn, the legendary fire sword and Laevateinn, the human, are ultimately seperate beings.

He is the human who became the sword. Like in reality, he is destined to become the World-Killing blade. As a servant however this fate changes. Not that he will not become the blade, that fate is unavoidable. Rather it is who shall wield him. It will not be Surtr the Fire Giant, even should he be summoned. Not unless Surtr is the one who can resolve the cause of his summoning.

It will be a human of his choosing. A human he selects, whether they are a master, a mage, or even just a simple bystander, will be the one to wield him when the fated time comes. To this end he will protect that human with all his might, utilizing even his alternative noble phantasm. When that time comes he will instruct the human on how to say this noble phantasms true name.

Once they say it together, his very spiritual core changes. Used as an anchor to the world to manifest the Divine Construct Laevateinn. His saint graph used as the foundation and the flames within him as the materials. He becomes the Sun-Blade itself able to only be wielded safely by the one who utilized his true name. Despite being over 4-million degrees this heat does no damage to the surrounding area nor is the human he chose harmed.

The flames emitted by this blade are flames of love and protection, meant only to sear enemies of mankind.

As part of this noble phantasm all of his skills and noble phantasms and parameters are transferred to his wielder for the duration of this noble phantasm. As a grand, the duration tends to be for however long it takes for the Evil of Humanity he is targeting to be defeated. Sometimes it persists for a little longer to deal with lingering dangers caused by the evil, or shorter if his purpose is less than defeating it such as maiming the evil.
------------------

I am surprised I am throwing my hat-er-sword into the ring. I honestly thought I was going to skip.... then I got an idea that wouldn't leave my head so I just went with it. I have a second entry of course but that'll take a few days. So yeah. Here's my first one. Grand Saber.

As for notes... not many.

Perhaps the sole note is that with this stuff there's a lot of... wiggle room. In the actual myths themselves these figures (Mimir, Sinmara specifically) are never stated one way or another what they are. They just... are. So i've taken advantage of that vagueness to concoct my own tale. As for Surtr.... I hope it came across but I tried to keep to his characterization in LB2 only hinting at some of his characterization there. With that I take my leave to write Beast V, my second entry.

Also forgot to mention. His Lopt Laegjarn is an orbital dropkick.

Enjoy that mental image.

Note: realized the edit tag might give the wrong impression so to be clear I added the Laevatein relationship... and that's the only edits I've made.

[DracoScribe]

Oh boy, my entry's no Fairy Queen, but with the themes she has, they'll definitely get along. Can't wait to write the relationship lines.

when I first saw the words "Tam Lin King Arthur" together I thought to myself "This better be a Pretender", and you FREAKING COOKED. It's just so sweet, I love your adorable Fairy Queen already

even though my contest entry might have some mixed feelings...

DRACOSCRIBE YOU FUCKING COOKED HOLY SHIT

Amazingly done Draco-cooked with some gas on this one

I love her so much.

The twist of the sheet, the way you tie it into another Arthurian story for the pretender aspect, TO HER PERSONALITY ITSELF BEING REMINISCENT THAT SHE IS FUNDAMENTALLY A PLAY CHARACTER AND ONE NOTE. AND IT'S JUST SO WELL WRITTEN AND PRETTY IT BREAKS MY PEABRAIN

I LOVE HER SO MUCH OH MY GAAAAWWWDDDD

Draco, you cook so much, I'm jealous. Chef's kiss.

...OH MY GOSH GUYS. thank you so much for your nice words on titania ToT im so glad you like her so much when i was so nervous. I wish I had more to say for each of you, but there's only really three I have more to say than just "thank you so much", because then I'd be repeating myself. So, ahem...

@BnEl15 ooooh...well now i am very curious who you're entry will be and am looking forward to it!

@Spelror ...wait wha. You too?! Er, okay, not exactly. But still, if I had a penny for every time someone making a comment on Titania also mentions their contest entry's very specific reaction to her...I'd have two nickels. Which isn't much but it feels weird that it happened twice. Ahem. Either way...I'm curious and looking forward to it also!

@Saron AHHHH THANK YOU AAAHHHH I WAS REALLY HOPING YOU'D LIKE HER
I wasn't really trying to make any kind of "twist" since I remember some people saying on how tiring Pretender sheets can be, I think partially because of length/"you never know how long those kinds of sheets can be", hence any foreshadowing I did was intentionally noticeable, so I'm not sure what kind of "twist" you're talking about ^^; But I am really glad you like her "bland personality" being a "feature" instead of a "bug"/"glitch" since, like, I was trying to make her personality a "girlfailure" but I couldn't tell if I was doing it or not...but then I went "well at least this way it can be like a foil to Oberon and a reminder that she is a fictional character". So again, thank you.

Okay, that outta the way...
Yup! Finally! I'm commenting while the submission period is still going! Booyah! Glad to be up for it... here's hoping i can keep going So without further ado!

Cao Cao: ...wait, is this the guy that tried to assassinate his enemy with a special sword, thinking he would totally able to assassinate him easily, but then got spotted and went "aha. aha. What? What am I doing here? I was...uh...here to give you this cool sword!" before legging it? -checks- It is. My gosh. That incident has really colored my impression of Cao Cao, especially since I haven't finished learning about "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", because the Cao Cao in my head and the Cao Cao depicted here kinda feel like night and day. In my head, he's the kind of guy that's like...Starscream. Very ambitious, keeps trying, succeeds a few times, but ultimately fails, and rather ridiculous manners. But here...he feels like, well, a conqueror. And as I said, since I haven't finished Romance of the Three Kingdoms (or even got far in it...or actually read the actual text...ill do it eventually. hopefully. damnit), I can't comment how similar he is to his depiction there, or if this a good spin on it. What I can say is that my preconceptions about him are making this sheet amusing to me as it treats him seriously, but my perception of him is very different and comically so. The actual content I feel is pretty good, and the technical side too, just...nothing stands out to me I guess? The closest might be the relationship lines by virtue of how it compares and contrasts him with Iskandar.

Edward the Black Prince: I think the biggest thing that sticks out, and not in a good way, is that...on one hand, I think I get why IM has a low rank. This is simply the side of Edward that was so ruthless it became infamous, hence his qualification for it and it being a separate class instead of, say, layered on/added to his other two classes. But on the other hand, I'm with Morg on it being too low, since you explicitly say that Berserker has "exceedingly little of what was right with him, at best ignoring, at worst lying, about the man Edward was," I don't think IM should be E. At least a D or C, maybe a B, but I think that would be pushing it/depends on just how much the Berserker version is "lying" about how bad Edward's character was. ...is that nitpicky? A part of me feels like it is...but the point on why I bring it up in the first place is that, when the sheet is otherwise competent, things like that stick out. On a bit more postive (or at least I intend it to be positive) stand out, I was surprised at his wish. I'll admit, I was thinking he'd wish for his crown, but no, he wants to give it to his son who never had a chance, like how he barely got a chance for it as well. I think that was neat. A little hint of the actual person behind what formed this ruthless incarnation.

Sultan Baybars: ...I think I need to reread your other recent sheets again, because it felt like you were taking a step back again with the grammar/mistakes. Not too many, but it was noticeable. Like wrong tenses, or wrong punctuation marks, or just feeling awkward but I can't quite place why even when it isn't "wrong". It doesn't help that I swear your last few sheets before this one were better than this... But past that... oh boy has this man been through the wringer. My favorite part is tying him a bit to the Camelot Singularity, but now I can't help but ask...is there any particular reason the Demon Pillar you mentioned is Halphas? Wasn't that in supposed to be featured in the American Singularity? Or am I missing something?

Lugh: Well. This certainly is a big step up from the Cao Cao sheet. I applaud you. But first, lemme get a more rant-type criticism outta the way, i.e. "rip off the band-aid": that head. i cant quite put it into words but it makes me feel like someone stretched it and forgot to put it back. And it feels especially jarring when your other drawings (Momotaro and Cao Cao) didn't have anything wrong with them...AND I think the design is pretty neat. ...so yeah im basically frustrated. Ahem. Anyways, that's all I wanna say on the FC...the rest of the sheet meanwhile... Uh. I don't think I have read any other Lugh sheets, and I don't know that much on Lugh, so like, to me, this feels pretty cool. The "Lugh" that Balor "killed" was his Divine self, the fact that his "Authority" is that he's damn good at a lot of things and can keep adding more to that, and that one of his NPs is similar to Fragarach, on top the details you put into it, feels pretty cool. Though I'm not sure what to think about the...mystery? I guess? you were trying to do about Lugh being summoned despite being a Divine Spirit. I think it's because I keep forgetting Divine Spirits are really effin' hard to summon without a vessel, but when gods are always running around in both sheets and FGO without vessels, not to mention Beasts, I guess that's what happens... Ah, basically I'm saying I think I get what you were doing with the mystery, but it didn't really matter when we keep getting, and making, Divine Spirit Servants without a proper vessel (aka Psuedo-Servants), not to mention Beasts. Don't know if that's just me or if it even matters though. Either way, I'd say this is the best sheet I've read of yours so far.

Question tho: what is up with having Titania mistake Lugh for Lleu? I don't mind, but I'm just having a hard time figuring out the why and if it makes sense, I'd love to reference it in my sheet as well.

Doc Holliday: what is it with me knowing of more names from the "wild west" than i thought i did. 'Cause I swear I heard the name Doc Holliday before... Ah, but I digress. We got somebody taking advantage of tooth crowns. Nice. It's always fun when someone can use such an out there interpretation of the prompt. Meanwhile, the man himself...is every bit the rogue one expects of a wandering cowboy, but that's not to say he's heartless. His skills are straightforward but I definitely like his NP. Idk. I just do. I think it's neat.
Mostly unrelated but lol at the fun fact about Thunderer. ...tho i aint one to talk. sometimes i come up with np names i'm proud of, and sometimes it's just "boots of the master cat" but in italian.

Karolina Olsson: I think those interludes help in making this engaging for me, because yeah, this is one of my fav sheets by you so far, but well. My tastes lean to "wanting sheets be chonky" so take that as you will. Either way, I just like the whole vibe of her and the addition of those interludes sections are my guess why. Okay that and the images pairing well with what you're going for. I think the only thing negative I have to say is more because of my perception of Foreigners and not being sure if she counts. 'Cause like, I think it's super neat it's Hypnos...but is that really enough to count as Foreigner...? I know a lot of the Greek gods are practically aliens, so I guess you could maybe excuse that Hypnos is alien too, that Foreigner Psyche sheet comes to mind, but...idk. I guess the sheet didn't convince me much of Hypnos being an alien/"foreign to Earth". Though even saying all that, it doesn't really diminish my fondness for this sheet. Just something I wanted to point out. because holy crap this woman. I can definitely see why you picked Foreigner for her. It's just perfect material for all the dream shenanigans you did for the backstory of her in this sheet.

Laevateinn: Oh. Laevateinn. And...as a "good guy"?? Wha??? The Sword of the End being a Grand Saber was the last thing I was expecting, let alone his backstory. I mean, child of Sinmara and Mimir, caged because of the prophecy, then broken free by Surtr and destroy the world after some time, but not only that...end up having his flames be fueled by love and protection??? I find it unexpected but neat, and I can't help but like it and feel like it works.
...still. it's really hard to not compare this to vididii's laev 'cause i love them so much.
But I think still I like it on its own enough. ...helps one of his NPs is basically a "RIDAAAA...KIIIIIIICK!"...
I'm definitely looking forward to this Beast V Odin you're gonna do.

Tho speaking of Vididii's Laev... Aw...no interaction with them? ...man.

[Ismail2002]

I choose Halphas since that is the one that fits with the motive of the armory and weapons that I am going for. Baybars need to find a better weapon to counteract the Lion's Kings Rhongomyniad. After I posted it, I realized that Haplas was part of the American Singularity, so that is just a bit of an oopsie on my part. As for the awkward feeling with the grammar, this sheet has been in a drawer for, I think more half of a year by now. So it is kind of old. Maybe in dusting it off, I forgot to clean up the grammar a bit for the earlier parts of the sheet, and I haven't been posting any sheets lately, so I just got rusty.

[OddEyedDuelist]

Question tho: what is up with having Titania mistake Lugh for Lleu? I don't mind, but I'm just having a hard time figuring out the why and if it makes sense, I'd love to reference it in my sheet as well.

Okay Lleu Llaw Gyffes is a primary character in one of the Branches of the Mabinogion, and often perceived as a Welsh Equivalent to Lugh Lamfada/Samildanach. Since Titania was masquerading as King Arthur (who was also in bits of the Mabinogion) and is also connected to Fae lore centered around Britain (ie.where Wales is), I figured it'd be a fun little bit of comedy to have Lugh sensitive about being mistaken for his counterpart, while keeping it in his post-reveal line was kind of meant to be an icebreaker of sorts, to ease any awkwardness he might have set up by the previous sentance.

[Vance]

Mmm, I thought of doing a Woman of the Apocalypse sheet since she has a Crown of Twelve Stars but doing the Karolina sheet probably sapped more motivation than I thought it would. If I had to take a gander, SimpleScribe could do it as part of that little story thing they've got going on.

[MuramasaMachII]

"Senpai, are you sure this will work? After the French Lostbelt—"

That day in the Storm Border was... different than others. The Chaldeans were relatively relaxed after having entered a small Singularity located in Nördlingen, Germany during the Thirty Years' War. However, the relaxation wasn't really real.

Recently, they had discovered that the enemy they were facing was the Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus and none other than the Sun King Louis XIV, and Ritsuka Fujimaru had been stumbling around because of this. When asked by Mash, she only responded that she was reminded of the House of Bourbon's horrible actions, and especially one of its greatest victims: a certain Avenger Ritsuka had made friends with in the French Lostbelt.

"It has to, Mashu. If anyone should help us kick that so called "sun god" where the sun don't shine, it should be him."

"But how? His Spirit Origin was supposedly removed from the Throne."

"That's the thing! You said supposedly, which means it might not all be gone. And, since we learned about a new Saint Graph Designation..."

"No... you aren't going to try to purposefully summon someone as a Stranger, are you?" Da Vinci suddenly cut in, using the intercom. "You're going to use this to fuel your gacha addiction by somehow hijacking the FATE Summoning System... aren't you?" Ritsuka shrugged innocently, trying to hide the smirk she was giving off.

"Of coooourse not. Would I ever do such a thing?" The only response was utter silence, and the Technical Advisor giving Humanity's last Master the most deadpan face possible, as if she was a disappointed parent finding out about a child's grade.

"...I'm just about tired of your shenanigans. But let's do this, just this one time... because you're right."

The summoning system activated, machinery flaring to life as the magic circuit drawn in the ground activated. However, it did not glow the light blue which was expected from an average Servant, but rather a flickering gray as the catalyst synced to the Throne. The summoning room would dim, the light being stolen from it and the room being dyed a grayish red, as if the light was being stolen.

"...Senpai, I don't think this has ever happened before... this seems dangerous."

The five orbs appeared, spinning faster and faster, though counterclockwise instead of how they would normally spin. Three rings stained a murky gray, moving erratically as if they were glitched. Pixelated bursts of magical energy rose up in a roughly conical geyser, gathering until it reached the ceiling before spreading out.

Then, it dissipated, leaving behind only a small presence covered in shadows, the proof that it was a success. As Ritsuka walked forwards, the shadows faded around her leaving behind a man in his teenage years. He was kneeling down, hands covering his face as if he was repeatedly praying fervently, a prayer to leave the world behind. His clothing, the remnants of royal garb once covered with dust, was covered with dust and stains from the gaping wound in his neck that repeatedly dripped out semi-solid blood that was semi-congealed. The pale, neck-length hair drapes over his face like a mourning veil.

~♬~
╼┫S T R A N G E R┣╾

⌜ Shadow of le Bien-Aimé ⌟

= Louis-Auguste =

⏴══════════╡❖╞═════════⏵


"Grand-père... why did it have to be me? I never wanted to be king!"

STR	AGI	END	MP	LCK	NP
D+	C	A++	B+	E-	D

Stranger's parameters would normally be absolutely pitiful, since he is closer to being a Phantom than his Avenger incarnation.
The positive modifiers are due to his Noble Phantasm, and one of his Personal Skills.
His luck is given a negative since he is constantly receiving the grudges of the people, and the Innocent Monster Skill.

Alias: Louis XVI, The Man who Should've Never been King Alternate Classes: Avenger Origin: France, Historical Facts and Rumours Alignment: Lawful Good ~ Evil Attribute: Man

Likes: lock-making, research, vacations, France? Dislikes: Ruling, the Bourbon dynasty, bloodshed, cats Natural Enemy: Louis XIV, Charles-Henri Sanson Armament: The longsword he was crowned with, Crown Jewels of France Catalyst: An old handkerchief, stained with dried blood

Louis XVI was born Louis-Auguste, Duc de Berry as the second surviving son of Louis, Dauphin of France in 1754.
His life would come to be known as one of the worst, with his legacy describing him as foolish, incompetent, arrogant, and having no sense of care for the French people.

"No... that isn't true! It isn't! Ce n'est pas, ce n'est pas, ce n'est pas..."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~
⏴══════════╡Personal Skills╞═════════⏵Innocent Monster A
A Personal Skill represented by those whose legends have been distorted by the reputations they gained both in life and as a legacy. As a result, their abilities and appearances have been distorted.

Louis XVI’s reputation while he was alive and his legacy notoriously depicted him as incompetent, pitiful, and arrogant. His marital “issues” were especially mocked, with numerous political cartoons being made of him. As such, his rank in this Skill is notably high, and takes up a large percentage of his Saint Graph.

As a result of this Personal Skill, Stranger has gained both the Contradictory Mind Skill and has manifested with the gaping wound in his neck from his execution. And unlike his Avenger incarnation, whose shy personality has been overwritten by the Phantoms held within, Stranger’s nature as a quiet and anxious person has been elevated to its highest extent.

"Non, non, non! All I ever wanted was to please the people…"



Fleur-de-Lis Finale A+
A Skill conceptually similar to Imperial Privilege, but pertaining specifically to the French monarchy.
Unlike his Avenger incarnation, who can only borrow Skills at a rank less than A, Stranger, who has been incarnated as the "foolish king," borrows them at the rank of A, and can temporarily mimic the Personal Skills of his predecessors… at a cost.
Whenever Louis-Auguste imitates a Personal Skill, his mind becomes plagued with the fragments of that monarch’s regrets, and grudges.

"Heh... I should've known that the previous rulers were just regret filled fools wearing a pitiful golden mask... how ironic."


All Kinds of Talents C
Though Louis XVI was considered by most to be incompetent, and useless at just about anything, in reality, it was the exact opposite.
Louis-Auguste was a learned man who believed in the abolishment of the serf class, and who was a lover of physical sciences, lock-making, and Latin. He hosted aeronautical expeditions in 1783, with the Montgolfier balloon, and Pîlatre de Rosier being airborne for 25 minutes, all right by Versailles.
Maybe his tutors were only bad at teaching him politics, or maybe... Stranger only ever wanted to do what he loved: reading in his magnificent library, and learning about the world.

Stranger can use any of the skills he learned in life at the rank of D or higher, and learns faster than the normal person.

"Yes! This is what I should be remembered as, instead of the king who doomed his country..."



Contradictory Mind B
Stranger was a shy man who wanted only to research and please the people.
However, his legacy made him into a monster of incompetency, foolishness, and arrogance.
Both have merged together, arising into this Personal Skill.
Stranger's Alignment changes between Lawful Good and Evil randomly, with the swap boosted by the grudges he bears from his Fleur-de-Lis Finale Skill.
"Ahahaha! Who- no, What even am I?!"



However, the reputation and legacy of Louis XVI isn't entirely true.
Louis-Auguste was neglected and seen as a disappointment for his soft personality, all while his older brother was praised.
Just because his older brother was considered smarter, and more handsome, the young boy was shoved to the side and became a shadow.
However, Louis-Auguste kept on studying, even when his education was highly strict and harsh. He became a master at Latin, the sciences, and became fluent in both Italian and English.

Still, he was put to the side.
Even when his older brother died at the age of nine, Louis' parents did not pay attention to him.
Instead, they excluded him further, holding onto the death of Louis' brother. They stared at him, and saw him as a disappointment.
Still, the boy who never wanted to be king, shy as he was, always stared outwards from his marble prison and observed the French people.
He saw the people, and while he knew they suffered, all he wanted to do was please them.

When his father died and Stranger became the Dauphin of France, the advisors cursed him as an inept boy who would doom France.
The people he loved hated him, made disdainful stories about him, and ended up rebelling against him.
Louis-Auguste himself knew that he was far too inexperienced, far too indecisive, and wasn't ready or meant to be king.

Why then? Why did his father and older brother die? Why did he become king? Why did his actions cause the end of the monarchy?

It's simple.


He was cursed.Le Roi Inepte A+++
A Personal Skill describing both Stranger's failures as a king, and the grudges placed upon him.
In other words, it uniquely expresses his existence as the receptacle of France's curses.
Similarly to a certain Avenger's Wildfire Skill, the first effect of this Skill is that it turns the defamations and stories of the people into an intense mental attack.
Moreover, the blood dripping from his neck spreads outwards and functions as a downgraded form of Grail mud, cursing those who get near him with the reputation he gained. It drives those with low tolerance to mental effects to madness, giving them the urge to revolt against the world and themselves.

Finally, Stranger is bound by fate in a Geas. He is fated for every summon to try and please the world, and do his best efforts, only to always fail in the end. Truly, a pitiful existence.

"Maybe I was only ever meant to fail... maybe, my existence was meant to be a scapegoat, an utter joke."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
⏴══════════╡◈╞═════════⏵
It is only fitting that Stranger's life was cursed.
The more he tried to please the people, the worse off they saw him: he wasn't strong enough, or fitting enough.
He wasn't even a monarch, or a person at all. He was just a tool: a receptacle for the machinations of the nobles, and the grudges of the monarchy.

And when he tried his hardest, in the most important moments, he always failed.
He knew he wanted to support the people, however, when it came to the decision of the Tennis Court... he was too indecisive.

"Fail after fail after fail after fail... WHY DO I ALWAYS FAIL?! I'VE ONLY EVER WANTED THE BEST!"

After the country he loved had hated him, had tried to kill him... it only makes sense that Louis XVI tried to escape the place that traumatized him, so he could start anew.

However, it was not fated to be.

Louis XVI—no, Louis Capet—no, Louis-Auguste died by the guillotine on the 21st of January, 1793.

His final words were never heard.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
⏴══════════╡Noble Phantasm(s)╞═════════⏵

The Cursed Crown

Le Règne Chuté

Rank: D / A

Class: Anti-Fortune

The Regalia of France, in specific, the Crown of France. The symbol of the French monarchy and all the glory it represented.
While it should manifest as a literal crown, due to the Crown Jewels being lost on Stranger's death, it now manifests as the tattoo of a fleur-de-lis on his hand.

Passively, being a link to the French monarchy, Stranger is able to use this Noble Phantasm to summon copies of the previous monarchs’ legends as Noble Phantasms. However, due to both Louis XVI’s legend and his nature of disliking ruling, these imitations can only be used as Broken Phantasms and manifest at the rank of D.

The Cursed Crown

Le Règne Chuté

’s maximum rank of A can only truly be expressed by releasing its True Name, turning it into a Broken Phantasm. Louis-Auguste raises his hand upwards, and a rusted yet ethereal crown manifests in his hand, a single ocean blue gem visible: The French Bleu. The cursed diamond which supposedly caused the death of all its wielders, Stranger and Marie-Antoinette included.

The crown shatters, causing a black and crimson putrid miasma to expand around Louis-Auguste, affecting anyone it is near with a curse. It essentially rigs the dice of causality by turning fortune against those it hits, inflicting them with the "fate of Louis XVI." Needless to say, against a monarch type Servant, this Noble Phantasm is an instant kill.
⏴══════════╡Personality & Dialogue╞═════════⏵
In his Stranger incarnation, Louis XVI is even more of a pessimist and mildly mannered than his Avenger incarnation. Without the Phantoms within him, there is only Louis, the foolish king. Louis, the boy who was always forgotten. Louis, the boy who was never good enough. Stranger knows all of his failures, and absolutely hates himself for it.

Even when his Contradictory Mind Skill takes over, and he becomes irritable and arrogant, Louis still is at heart, an indecisive man who only ever wanted peace. Indeed, the love towards his wife, Marie-Antoinette, wasn't even romantic. No, she was more like his best friend.... she was his emotional support.


"...A-About my hair? Why isn’t it red? Oh... that's because it was a result of the Phantoms representing the blood they shed… I-I know, it's weird..." (Bond 1)

"The Holy Grail? I would make a wish on it, but why do that when I know I'll always fail in the end..." (Bond 5)

"...Quoi? You really see me as a... friend? Heh... I guess that means I'll have to help you with this Human Order business then, at any cost." (Bond 10)

Records of the Throne

Charles-Henri Sanson: "I feel like I should hate you... but I don't. You were only doing your job, weren't you?"

Louis XIV "You! Roi de Soleil!You will pay for what you did with your greed! If you must be Apollo, I shall be your Python!"

Crowns (Un)Worthy

Cao Cao(OddEyedDuelist): "You were able to march towards your goals... be grateful."

Edward (Voikirium): A simple face of disgust is given towards the mention of the French Crown.

"Tam Lin King Arthur"(DracoScribe): "...Mm."
A nod is given towards the Fairy Queen, empathizing with a similar existence.

Sultan Baybars(Ismail2002): "Heh... I get you. I know why you want to burn up the world. If I was more decisive, maybe I would have done the same."

Lugh(OddEyedDuelist): Skill Activated: Contradictory Mind "Roi de Soleil! Meurs! Meurs pour tes péchés!" "...Ah, wait. Wrong Sun God. Sorry...."


"Doc" Holliday(MorgVanDestro): "...Hein? How can someone even live so... freely?"

Karolina Olsson(Vance): "Tell me... was it peaceful in your dream? Forgive me for asking, but I'd like to know."


Laevateinn(Baron Magnus): "Grand Saber… I don’t know if I’m worthy of fighting with someone like you."

"Mousseline"(BnEl15):
"Ma chérie, my little fleur-de-lis...I’ve missed you.

I wish I could’ve been a much better father to you… but it looks like your mother was the better one out of the two of us. Hehe… Marie always did outdo me.

Ah… I guess the best I can do is this:

You don’t need to pretend anymore.

It’s fine for you to be sad, now that the Crown’s shattered… so let me be sad with you."

Nader Shah Afshar(Scotcheroos): "Y-You have a cursed gem as well? So maybe... I wasn't alone? No, he dealt with it."

"Olympia"(RoydGolden): "While I never really got to see any games like yours... you remind me of a time before I was king, when I played with my brother."

Temujin Conquest(fleshprism): "Master...keep me away from this thing."

Yeonsangan(sutaa): "Ah. So this is what the people saw me as... Heh. It's almost hilarious... almost."

Napoléon III(Frigix): "I feel like I should hate you, because you're related to him, but at the same time... I can't help but empathize. How could someone be so...similar to me?"

The Antikythera Mechanism(gears): "Wait wait wait... an ancient mechanism that predicts time in relation to planets? You're amazing!! You remind me of my researching days!" *The Persona of a King fades away, leaving Louis-Auguste and his utter love of research, the strange Servant giving an intense joy to him.*

Francis I(Marethyu77): "I thought all of the previous monarchs were horrible... but she's nice.. she was a good King."

Richard Knox(WhiteFrenzy): "So... you can change reality? I sometimes dream of that... to change my fate.. but maybe, maybe it was necessary?"

Niccolò Paganini(Morg van Destro): "The Devil in Music. That music, when I listen to it, the inner devil in me...it grows."

Libuše(Vididii): "I don't know why this lady is treating me like her son, Master, but it's not to say that I don't like it... she's almost like the mother I never had. It's strange."

Yinlong(Spelror): "So a romantic story truly can exist."

⏴══════════╡⚜╞═════════⏵~♬~

Ritsuka Fujimaru collapsed in a corner, breathing heavily. She had already used two of her Command Seals in the ongoing fight against the Holders of the Grail.

Three of the Servants she summoned–-Charlotte Corday, Nikola Tesla, and Paracelsus–had fallen fighting the Lion of the North, Gustav II of Sweden. It was only with the assistance of both of Fujimaru’s Command Seals and Charlotte Corday’s Noble Phantasm,

Love to the Homeland, a Dream of Drowning

Le Rêve Ensoleillé

that the Gatekeeper class Servant had been defeated.

Now, there were only two Servants left.

Standing like an omniscient being, looking down at the Chaldeans as if they were dirt, was that man. A man who was the state, a man who claimed to be the god of the sun himself. A man who was the founder of absolutism: Louis XIV.

Across from him, breathing heavily and barely standing, was the King who never should’ve been one. And though he was weak, he stared forwards at his fated foe with the eyes of one who has nothing to lose, a man who had nothing to lose because he had already repeatedly lost it all. His limbs trembled, and his body dripped blood from the radiant wounds by Louis le Grand, but yet, that man was still standing. Clinging onto the last vestiges of life, the Stranger classed Servant dug his fingers into his marked hand, and brought out a blade to slay the God of the Sun, a blade said to be the source of the French monarchy: Joyeuse.

In one singular sweep, Louis XVI brought down the imitation of the beginning, and yet… it shattered. The blade crumbled harmlessly and the strike was met from a brilliant light, the arrogance of

Apollo

Le Roi Soleil

, piercing through the Fallen King’s chest.

"Did you really think you could defeat me?? Mais, non! You cannot, because

I am the State

L’État c’est moi!

To kill me is to kill France!"



"Haha…kill France? Thank goodness that’s just about the only important thing recorded in my legend… If ye want the bloodied Crown, take it. Just know: all who hold it shall meet La Veuve—"

"Le…

The Cursed Crown

Règne Chuté.

"

Stranger—no, Louis-Auguste’s hand reached upwards in a gesture of absolute surrender, and as he did, energy gathered, manifesting for a singular instance in the form of a rusted crown with a brilliant blue gem shining like the last star in the night. Then, it suddenly shattered, destroying the once glorious dream of absolutism. And in the shattered fragments, the gem which looked like a last star now looked like the last star of Revelations, the harbinger of misfortune. Miasma extended before gathering around the King of the Sun, and all that could be heard were pounding drums… then the sound of a singular lonely bell.

When all was calmed, neither Louis-Auguste nor Louis XIV remained. There was only a letter.

Craft EssenceMes Mots Perdus

“Dear Master… no. Dear Ritsuka Fujimaru.

Thank you for seeing me as just Louis, not some sort of fool or someone who needed to be pitied.

I…at least hope that this will serve you to help remember me.

Au revoir.

Author's Notes

This sheet, though it took some time to write up (especially with the formatting), was very fun to do!
Though I normally do put some effort into my sheets, I can't help but see this one as the sheet I poured all of my heart and soul into.
I especially think that I improved on the personality... buuuut, onto the fun notes.
1. In the intro, "Le Bien-Aimé" refers to Louis XVI's grandfather, and king before him, Louis XV.
2. The introduction music, Requiem in C Minor by Luigi Cherubini, is actually supposed to be a commemoration service for Louis XVI.
3. Two references in the sheet are the name of the Noble Phantasm, and the music for the final section. "Le Règne Chuté" actually means something like the "Fallen Reign," or... The Fallen Kingdom. That, combined with the fact that I used an instrumental version of Viva La Vida... there's a reference to a certain parody about a fallen king. (Yep, Fallen Kingdom by CaptainSparklez. I made a Minecraft reference in a TYPE-Moon sheet.)
4. If I were to continue this "Louis series," just know that a certain Sun King is on my list to appear (which is why I did some foreshadowing.)
5. Oh, and La Veuve is another name for the guillotine. Almost forgot to say that hehe.
Aaaanyways, hope you all enjoyed it and feel free to comment on it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Voikirium]

Edward the Black Prince: I think the biggest thing that sticks out, and not in a good way, is that...on one hand, I think I get why IM has a low rank. This is simply the side of Edward that was so ruthless it became infamous, hence his qualification for it and it being a separate class instead of, say, layered on/added to his other two classes. But on the other hand, I'm with Morg on it being too low, since you explicitly say that Berserker has "exceedingly little of what was right with him, at best ignoring, at worst lying, about the man Edward was," I don't think IM should be E. At least a D or C, maybe a B, but I think that would be pushing it/depends on just how much the Berserker version is "lying" about how bad Edward's character was. ...is that nitpicky? A part of me feels like it is...but the point on why I bring it up in the first place is that, when the sheet is otherwise competent, things like that stick out. On a bit more postive (or at least I intend it to be positive) stand out, I was surprised at his wish. I'll admit, I was thinking he'd wish for his crown, but no, he wants to give it to his son who never had a chance, like how he barely got a chance for it as well. I think that was neat. A little hint of the actual person behind what formed this ruthless incarnation.

My thinking on the E for Innocent Monster is, essentially, He Did That Shit. Like, he really did brutally sack Limoges, and he really did ride around burning the French countryside, and he really did let the Routiers run wild in France. His crimes were exaggerated, not invented whole clothe, say, the way Vlad was turned into a vampire.

On a separate note, I just wanted to double check, are we allowed to edit the Character Sheet's relationships? Simply because I think Eddy probably has some thoughts.

[MuramasaMachII]

I think one of the only things we're properly allowed to edit is relationships, so yes?

[Vididii]

On a separate note, I just wanted to double check, are we allowed to edit the Character Sheet's relationships? Simply because I think Eddy probably has some thoughts.

Yeah, totally! Buncha people do it, It's nice to see on review, too.

[BnEl15]

Louis XVI:
Well... this is going to be fun. Looking forward to what he'll say to my entry.

[BnEl15]

Binder of the Distant Longing
-- Final Heiress to the Crown of Lilies --

"Ohohoho, you certainly took your time, but I have been summoned at last! The nerve, keeping a Queen like me waiting for so long... do you have any idea just how long I have been waiting for this moment!? A-And 'final'!? Seriously!? Er, I mean, that's not wrong, but still-! Hmph, for that slight alone, I shall withhold my True Name from your ears for a little while longer! If you truly must refer to me in any way other than my Class designation, um... I suppose 'Mousseline' would do. Other than that, um... O-Ohohoho! It would be best for you to keep me entertained, peasant! Ohohoho! That should do it, right..?"
~ ♬ ~


Source

"Papa, maman... I finally made it. Can you imagine that? Someone like me? Who's spent so much of her life just- WA-WA-WAIT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!? I-IS IT NOT COMMON COURTESY NOT TO INTRUDE UPON A LADY'S PERSONAL QUARTERS!? Hmph, out you go! Out! A-And you did not hear anything just now, okay!?"

Class: Binder
Other Classes: Stranger, Avenger
True Name: "Mousseline"Marie-Thérèse Charlotte
Alignment: True Neutral
Origin: France (18th century)
Parameters:

STR: E
END: C+
AGI: C
MGI: E
LCK: D-
NP: EX

Likes: Her family, cake, books, expensive luxuries (?), charity work (?)
Dislikes: Cramped spaces, screaming, feeling hatred, acting (?)
Talent: Reading, staving away boredom, accepting curses and resentment
Natural Enemy: Napoleon Bonaparte, Maximilien Robespierre
Armament: Jewelries, mystic codes, and weapons produced through her Noble Phantasm
Catalyst: Pages taken from a pair of old books, The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis or Voyages by Jean-François de La Harpe


Class Skills

Binding and Fettering (A?)

The Skill to establish a network of connections with oneself as a focal point. Binder's attacks create tethers that drain Magical Energy and lower Parameters from the opponent. The bonuses obtained from these attacks are then shared with allies. An expected rank for a Queen who supposedly held an entire kingdom together, even at the brink of collapse (or so she says). Beneficial buffs can be freely shared and distributed among allies. However, there seems to be a certain... distortion that you can't fully understand as of yet.

"W-What's so strange about that!? Sigh, I swear... I know you must have questions, but can't you please let me play my part for a little... um... I-I mean-! Tis' would be unbecoming for a mere retainer to scrutinize their employer so much! Now get back to work, peasant! O-Ohohohoho!"

Magic Resistance (E)

Grants protection against magical effects. Differing from the Resistance effect that merely rejects Magical Energy, this ability cancels the spells altogether. Being a relatively modern figure with very little contact with magecraft and the supernatural, she only has the bare minimum rank afforded to her by the Class.

"Magic? ...Bollocks, all of them. If such miracles were truly real... my family wouldn't suffer the fate they did, wouldn't they? They'd... still be here, right..? Ahem, apologies. Just musing to myself."

__________________________________________________


Personal Skills

Imperial Privilege (EX)

Binder's only personal Skill. An ability that, due to the insistence of the owner, Skills that are essentially impossible to possess can be obtained for a short period of time. Grants Binder a wide array of usable Skills, including but not limited to Charisma, Beautiful Princess, Riding, Alluring Euphony, and Grace of God. As a Binder who sought to protect her family's legacy, it's only natural for her to possess this Skill... supposedly.

"Ohoho, that's right! Tremble before the true might of the Crown of Lilies! Come what may, no matter the fate that befell us... this is the proof of our bonds. And it is by our combined might that you shall fall! Ohohohoho!"

__________________________________________________


Ascension 2

"Ugh, n-no... please, just for a little while longer... sigh, I'm... at my limit already..."
~ ♬ ~


Source

"Twenty minutes... that's how long I am allowed to dream. And then I wake up once again, my expensive clothes, jewels, and accessories replaced by this dress. I wake up again, reminded that... they're not here. Er, w-well, that's all right! That whole charade is getting exhausting anyways! Now, allow me to reintroduce myself properly. Servant Binder, my True Name is Marie-Thérèse Charlotte, eldest daughter of the honorable King Louis XVI and the beautiful Queen Marie Antoinette. 'Mousseline' was... a childhood name my maman used to call me by. It didn't last forever, but hearing that name again, it... brings a certain warmth to my heart. Ah, um, I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get all teary-eyed on you! As for my previous appearance, well..."

__________________________________________________


Noble Phantasm

Twenty-Minute Queen - Crown of Fleeting Dreams
Fleur-de-Lys Rappel

"Another encore, huh... very well. For but a moment, I shall put on this crown once again. Just as they did, I shall continue to smile and shine brightly until the very end, even if the world would tear me apart for it. That is my promise... Fleur-de-Lys Rappel."

Type: Anti-Unit (Self)
Rank: EX
Range: -
Max Targets: 1 (Self)

The Queen of a fallen monarchy, who ruled for a mere twenty minutes on August 2, 1830. Between the time her father-in-law signed the instrument of abdication and her husband signed the same document, Binder was truly considered as Queen of France. Her family was no more and the luxurious palace of Versailles she once called home was barred to her, but for that mere twenty minutes, she felt as though she had it all back. Not the priceless luxuries nor power over the state, but the warmth of family.

A Noble Phantasm manifesting as a royal crown, putting it on reinforces her status as Queen and strengthening her ties to her parents, relatives, and forefathers. This is the true nature of her Imperial Privillege, allowing her to freely borrow the abilities of those who came before her (Skills and in the case of immediate family members whom she was especially close to, Noble Phantasms, albeit as mere imitations paling in strength compared to the originals). As maintaining dozens of active abilities simultaneously could cause a significant strain on her body, Binder usually limits herself to abilities belonging to her closest family members. While this transformation is in effect, she could also project weapons, armor, and even phantom soldiers to fight for her, though she is hardly proficient in wielding these projections due to her lack of fighting experience.

While Binder only assumed the crown for twenty minutes in life, her earnest longing for her family has changed this Noble Phantasm's nature to an extent. Instead of a hard twenty-minute time limit, twenty minutes is merely a "safe" limit for her. It is possible for her to exceed that time limit, in which case, her ties to her family would be further strengthened, the ranks of her borrowed Skills would increase, alongside her proficiency in wielding them, as though her parents are there, guiding her hand. However, just as her parents had learned, to become a monarch amidst the French Revolution (and the turbulent era that came after) was to become a target for the people's all-consuming hatred. As she surpassed the time limit and felt her loved ones' presences, her mana cost gradually increases and her personal Skill, Curse of Unhappiness, is amplified. She would become a walking magnet of curses, attracting all manner of negative emotions and inflicting DoT on her Saint Graph. And unlike an Avenger, while she can absorb curses, she cannot convert them into strength, only pain that gnaws at her very being.

It is perhaps her greatest tragedy as a Servant that the closer she feels to her family, the closer she would be to death.

"Urgh... No, no, no! this is fine, Maitre! This pain is nothing! A Queen should be able to endure much more than this, just like what maman did! I... I can feel them right here! Aah, everyone! T-That's why, Maitre, please... don't you dare stop me! Just... a few more... minutes... I... I'm so sorry..."


Source

Class Skills (Updated)

Binding and Fettering (E++)

The Skill to establish a network of connections with oneself as a focal point. Binder's attacks create tethers that drain Magical Energy and lower Parameters from the opponent. The bonuses obtained from these attacks are then shared with allies. A Binder who never truly bound anything, her empire fell and her family massacred. However, if one were to liken the French monarchy as a single, long chain forged by numerous rulers spanning centuries, it can be said that Binder was the very last link of the chain, the one who bound all of them together. While the monarchy was initially after the execution of Louis XVI, it wasn't until the Bourbon Restoration was crushed in 1830 that the dream of a monarchy truly fell, once and for all. That said, on a more personal level, Binder showed little regard for politics and conspiracies. To her, this Skill simply represents her desire to tightly hold on to the memories and feelings of her family, long after they left her side. As such, without her Noble Phantasm's augmentation, this Skill's rank is exceedingly low, though its effectiveness is still quite impressive when used to share/redistribute beneficial effects with those closest to her.

"Haha, is that a weak excuse for me to qualify for this Class? Maybe so, though with me deprived of almost everything following the revolution, I don't know if I could qualify for any other Class. Ahem, anyway, following... that whole thing, hatred against any perceived trace of the monarchy was at an all-time high. The people pictured my parents as inhuman monsters responsible for all their suffering, and everyone associated with them were not spared from the vitriol. I... understand why they thought that way, but I would be lying to say I didn't feel at least a little bit hurt by those accusations. Ah, but despite the way everyone cheered for my family's deaths and spat on their graves, the way they saw my parents as the worst people to ever exist... I still wanted to cherish their memories. Everything my parents held dear, those days I shared with my siblings back in Versailles... I wanted to hold on to what remains of these memories and never let go... even if that would condemn me to follow the very same fate."

Magic Resistance (E)

Grants protection against magical effects. Differing from the Resistance effect that merely rejects Magical Energy, this ability cancels the spells altogether. Being a relatively modern figure with very little contact with magecraft and the supernatural, she only has the bare minimum rank afforded to her by the Class.

"Magic... it's a very nice word, isn't it? I did not hear of my maman's death until my release from the Temple in August 1795. Sometimes I wonder... what crossed her mind as she made her final steps to the guillotine? Can you imagine how she must have felt back then? Did she truly accept her unjust end with solemn resolve, or was there a part of her somewhere that... still wanted to be saved? Ah, if magic were real, imagine some... majestic crystal horse swooping in to save her at the last moment, ready to take her away from the chaos of it all! Perhaps a part of her wished for such a miracle. Hahaha, that... would be nice, wouldn't it..?"

Personal Skills (Updated)

Understanding of the Poor (B)

"I should have liked to have given you all these as New Year's gifts, but the winter is very hard, there is a crowd of unhappy people who have no bread to eat, no clothes to wear, no wood to make a fire. I have given them all my money; I have none left to buy you presents, so there will be none this year."

- Marie Antoinette to her daughter, New Year's Day 1784

A variant of Discernment of the Poor and Human Observation. A natural empathy that allows Binder to observe and understand people. A valuable lesson Binder learned from her mother. Not wanting her daughter to grow up haughty and spoiled like her husband's unmarried aunts, Marie Antoinette was determined to educate her daughter on sufferings of others, in contrast to her image as a materialistic Queen who could never understand the plight of the poor. From Binder's childhood, her mother would often invite children of lower rank to dine with her, took her to visit the slums, and even encouraged her to give her toys to the poor. As such, despite not being born into poverty herself, she still displays a good understanding of the life and troubles of the commonfolk. Despite everything that happened, this strong sense of empathy continued to stick with her throughout her entire life.

"Of course I understand what they did. Hearing news of what happened to my family from Madame de Chanterenne was... really painful, but more than that, the most difficult part came because I understood why they did it. These people were starving and impoverished. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them also lost brothers, parents, or other family members due to these factors. Worst of all, they felt abandoned by a royal family whom they believed could never understand the struggles they had to go through just to make a living every day. Knowing that... could I really bring myself to resent them? My parents loved the country in their own ways, and while they could have done better in some things... I figured I should try to keep that love alive, if nothing else."

One Who Severs the Links (B)

A personal Skill typically given to those of the Avenger class. Representative of the permanent impact they had on the world by severing the connections built by Binder-class candidates. One’s ability to deny bonds between Servant and Master, as well as their allies, is strengthened. At this rank, it allows one to attempt to sever the ties established by binding contracts, long-lasting relationships or magical connections within a certain range. Despite not being summoned as an Avenger, the fact remains that the general public perceived Binder's act of surrendering her crown as an act of "severing". The illustrious history of the French royal family, spanning almost a thousand years. The people's suffering amidst the French Revolution and the following Reign of Terror. The hope of a monarchist revival during the Bourbon Restoration. Many considered Binder's forced abdication to be the definitive end for those things. Thus, she has gained this Skill at a high rank.

"Funny, isn't it? Wretched as it may be, I wanted to protect my family's memory. I wanted to hold on to them as tightly as I possibly could. It must be an ironic joke for history to remember me for the act of 'severing' instead. Ah, anyway, me as an Avenger, huh... I... It's shameful for me to admit, but maybe that's not entirely impossible. It's not something I want to consider, though! My maman raised me better than that! It would be wrong for me to resent others for wanting to live, or wanting a better future! That's why in my cell, back in the Square du Temple, I promised to myself, to my parents, who weren't there... to never hate the people, despite everything that happened. To go back on my words now would feel like I'm... letting them down, somehow."
...
...
...
"Still, Maitre, don't speak of this to anyone else, but if I may ask another shameful question... um... what do I do with these feelings? This uncomfortable, sinking sensation in my chest that haunts me whenever my mind wanders back to those days..? How do I... process them without succumbing to grief or hatred?"

La Grosse Tour: Hopeless Isolation in the Mud Prison (B)

A recreation of the Square du Temple, Binder's place of imprisonment amidst the Revolution. A Noble Phantasm Binder would have shared with her brother, were she summoned as an Avenger. An inescapable prison tower filled with curses that isolates its targets from the outside world. However, outside the Avenger Class, the tower has been degraded into a Skill, and its functionality altered. Binder spent three years inside the tower, with nothing to entertain her but the two books she was allowed to bring from the outside world, The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis and Voyages by Jean-François de La Harpe. She read them over and over, so much so that she grew tired of them. But her appeal for more books was denied by government officials, and many other requests were frequently refused, while she often had to endure listening to her brother's cries and screams whenever he was beaten. During her imprisonment, Binder was never told what happened to her family beyond the information that her father was dead.

Instead of "a prison that traps its inhabitants in despair", outside of the Avenger Class, Binder has reinterpreted the tower as "a place where she may find comfort in

delusion

dreams

". So long as there were no information stating otherwise, the girl could dream that her mother was alive and well, that her friends and relatives were able to escape the Revolution unscathed, or that her Uncle Fersen actually arrived in time to liberate her family and that she, her brother, and her mother would be released from the tower very soon. The sorrows and tragedies of the outside world would not be able to touch her... Of course, these thoughts could provide nothing more than a very brief comfort amidst the looming despair of her imprisonment. Not to mention whenever she drifted too far into this realm of

delusions

dreams

, her brother's screams were sure to forcibly bring her back to reality.

A Skill that invokes the tower's innate attribute of "isolation" to conceptually cut off Binder from her surroundings, at the cost of putting her in a state similar to complete sensory deprivation. Completely cut off from the outside world for a few seconds, even the most powerful attacks would harmlessly phase through her body. However, activating this Skill takes a heavy toll on Binder's mental state. While she would be safe from external damage, activating this Skill for more than a few seconds would reignite her trauma and send her into a panic attack. As such, she is extremely opposed to using this Skill outside of the most dire of emergencies.

"Are you wondering how this Skill works? Well... I just have to steady my breathing and close my eyes, and... I'd find myself there again. That part is uncomfortable, sure, but it's nothing I can't handle. But if I do that for too long, I... I'd hear it again. Louis, his- his screams, how he begged the wardens to stop. He... HE WAS TEN, FOR GOD'S SAKE! What crime could he possibly commit!? A-And one day, the crying and the screams just stopped, and the cells went silent again, and t-that's when I knew... Oh God, Oh God..."
...
"Sigh, deep breaths, deep breaths. I... I'm sorry you had to see another unsightly side of myself. I'm... fine now. Really. Just... please don't make me relive those screams again if you can help it. Please."

Curse of Unhappiness (A)

"Marie-Thérèse Charlotte is the most unhappy person in the world. She can obtain no news of her mother; nor be reunited to her, though she has asked it a thousand times. Live, my good mother! whom I love well, but of whom I can hear no tidings. O my father! watch over me from Heaven above. O my God! forgive those who have made my parents suffer."

- Words scratched on the walls of Binder's room in the Square du Temple

A declaration of anguish made within a lightless prison. A self-inflicted affliction born of the ideation of Binder's own sorrows. To be royalty is to be hated, and this Skill takes that premise to its natural conclusion. Similar to the Skill Avenger, Binder's Saint Graph holds the passive attribute of attracting and breaking down curses within her body. Within a certain small radius, this process is automatic, redirecting curse-attribute attacks and negative emotions to strike her instead of their original recipients. Unlike an Avenger, she cannot convert these curses into strength. If anything, they cause a mild pain that only gets worse the more curses she absorbs. However, by accepting these curses, she could spare others from the same fate, or at the very least mitigate the damage they would receive. She could also utilize this Skill more actively, completely absorbing another individual's curses and debuffs at the cost of inflicting more pain upon herself. A Skill that seems to cause more demerits despite the noble undertones. Even so...

To be royalty is to be hated. And yet, her parents, flawed as they were, never stopped loving their people. Her father pardoned those who caused his death, even as the drums drowned out his final words. Her mother walked towards the guillotine with dignity, her final words a simple apology to her executioner for stepping on his shoes. Thus even without knowing the specifics of their fates, the princess grew up learning nothing but compassion and forgiveness. As time passed, this understanding transformed into resolve, one that allowed her to keep moving forward instead of being devoured by rage or sorrow. The curses and the hatred directed towards her may be painful, but despite it all, even as "the unhappiest person in the world"... she will continue to persevere.

"Do you think my act as 'Mousseline' was a bit much? You know, the whole 'Ohohohoho~!' thing? Haha, well, I can't say I'm any good at it either. As for why I did it, though... would you believe me if I say it makes me feel closer to my parents? H-Hey, I never said it was a good, rational reason! Compared to what my parents had to endure, these curses are nothing, of course, but I figured if I could put myself in their shoes for a moment, as the 'object of hatred' that everyone believed them to be... maybe I'd understand them better. And maybe I'd finally learn how to get rid of these pathetic, unsightly feelings I hold deep down. I want to bask in their warmth for a little while longer, so... please don't stop me, Maitre."

Mysterious Dark Countess
Dunkelgräfin

"'Sophie Botta', huh... a woman who bore a name foreign to me, who lived a life so different from my own... for some inexplicable reason, it seemed as though fate had brought us together. Apologies, Mademoiselle, but allow me to borrow your name again. Mysterious Dark Countess... Dunkelgräfin."

Type: Anti-Unit (Self)
Rank: D
Range: 1-100
Max Targets: 1 (Self)

A mysterious individual who occupied a castle in Thuringia, Germany from 1807 until her supposed death in 1837. A woman who introduced herself as "Sophie Botta", always dressed in black, never spoke in public and was never seen outdoors without a veil concealing her face. She was accompanied by one Leonardus Cornelius van der Valck, a secretary who worked for the Dutch embassy in Paris from 1798 to 1799. It was said that Van der Valck addressed the woman as "Your Grace" and they only spoke to each other in French. The two were referred to as the mysterious Dark Counts of Hildburghausen. For a time, people believed that Binder was the true identity of the Dark Countess. Heavily traumatized from her imprisonment, she allegedly swapped places with her adoptive sister Ernestine Lambriquet and retired to the peaceful countryside. For years, the citizens of Hildburghausen scrutinized her identity, trying in vain to confirm her identity. It wasn't until almost two centuries after her death that a DNA test put the theory to rest. The test confirmed that "Sophie Botta" was neither Binder nor her sister Ernestine. Her true identity remains a mystery to this day, and many questions remain unanswered, from her wealth and ownership of the castle, to her connections to Paris and the Dutch embassy.

A crystallization of the people's scrutiny and their idea that Binder and this "Sophie Botta" were one and the same. If the Fleur-de-Lys Rappel is the Noble Phantasm that declares Binder to be a Queen deserving of hate and resentment, this is a Noble Phantasm that declares her to be a "nobody"... who was still deserving of hate and scrutiny either way. Upon its activation, Binder cloaks herself in shadows, and from these shadows emerge an identical copy of herself. These pitch-black copies are eerily silent, though they seem to behave in a manner similar to Binder herself. The most important part, however, is that they possess a more potent version of Curse of Unhappiness, redirecting all spells, projectiles, curses, and other misfortunes into themselves at an even greater radius. Finally, upon surpassing a certain damage threshold, they would detonate, damaging their surroundings and quite probably the enemy who pushed them over that threshold. Theoretically, Binder could summon up to three or four "Dark Countesses" simultaneously, but the more copies there are, the lower their damage threshold and curse-absorbing abilities would be (distributed equally between the copies), so she mostly prefers to summon just one at a time to act as a decoy, or to take attention away from herself.

__________________________________________________


Lore

The eldest daughter of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette of France. The Madame Royale. The Twenty-Minute Queen. The only survivor of the immediate French Royal Family following the French Revolution.

Act 1

Marie-Thérèse Charlotte was born at the Palace of Versailles on 19 December 1778. It was said that during the birth process, Marie Antoinette almost died of suffocation due to a crowded and unventilated room, and only recovered after the windows were opened to let fresh air into the room. Upon learning of the baby's gender, ministers and court officials were initially disappointed, hoping for a male heir to the throne after the royal couple's eight years of marriage. However, after the Queen regained consciousness, she greeted her daughter with joy.

"Poor little one, you are not desired, but you will be none the less dear to me! A son would have belonged to the state—you will belong to me."

The baby was baptized on the same day. She was named after her maternal grandmother, the Empress Regnant Maria Theresa, and her second name, Charlotte, was from her mother's favorite sister, Maria Carolina of Austria, Queen consort of Naples and Sicily, who was known as Charlotte in the family. The young princess Marie-Thérèse enjoyed a privileged childhood befitting of royalty. Louis XVI was an affectionate father who delighted in spoiling his daughter, while Marie Antoinette was the stricter parent who sought to educate her on the arts, etiquettes, and most importantly, empathy since a young age.

As the princess matured, discontent between between the French populace began to grew. The monarchy grew more and more unpopular as the country's economy worsened. A bloody uprising seemed almost inevitable by that point, but all this had little effect on the princess. More immediate tragedy struck when her younger sister, Sophie, died in 1787. This was followed two years later by her brother, Louis Joseph, who died of tuberculosis on 4 June 1789, one day after the opening of the Estates-General. For little Marie-Thérèse who was clueless about political matters, the loss of her siblings felt like a more significant blow.

Act 2

When the Bastille was stormed on July 1789, Louis XVI finally realized the true severity of the situation. Even the ten-year-old Madame Royale's life began to be affected as she saw several members of the royal household sent abroad for their own safety. When it became clear that even the royal family would not be safe in Versailles, the King planned to evacuate the palace with his family, assisted by a close family friend, Count Axel von Fersen. However, this escape plan was intercepted in the town of Varennes, just a few miles away from their destination, the royalist stronghold of Montmédy. Thus, the entire family was arrested and brought back to Paris.

August 1792, the entire family was imprisoned in the Square du Temple. Louis XVI was executed five months later, while royalists proclaimed Marie-Thérèse's brother Louis-Charles as King Louis XVII, a move that backfired horribly and only subjected the child to beatings and torture. When Marie Antoinette was moved to a different prison in August 1793, the princess was placed in the care of her aunt Elisabeth, her father's youngest sister. Unfortunately, even Elisabeth was taken away on May 1794 and executed the next day. Two days later, Robespierre visited the princess in her cell, though there are no records of their conversation.

Marie-Thérèse's three-year imprisonment was one of solitude and boredom. She was not informed of what happened to her family, only that her father was dead and her brother was imprisoned in a different cell close to her. She was only granted two books for entertainment and her requests for anything else were denied. Meanwhile, she often had to endure hearing the sounds of her brother being beaten. Things began to calm down in 1795. In late August of that year, she was visited by a friend of her mother, one Madame Renée de Chanterenne, who finally told her each of her family's fates. It was said that upon hearing this information, the distraught princess cried openly for the first time since her imprisonment, letting out loud sobs of anguish and grief. She was finally released four months later in December 1795, on the eve of her 17th birthday, in exchange of several prominent French prisoners. Of all the royal prisoners imprisoned in the Square du Temple, she was the only one to survive the Reign of Terror.

Act 3

Marie-Thérèse spent her next years in exile. At first she went to Vienna under the protection of her uncle, Louis Stanislas Xavier, who had proclaimed himself Louis XVIII. With no children of his own, Louis wedded his niece to her cousin Louis-Antoine, Duke of Angoulême as a political marriage in hopes of rejuvenating the French royal family. Unfortunately, the couple were not blessed with any surviving children of their own. For a time, they also moved to England and settled at Buckinghamshire. Their exile ended with the abdication of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1814 when the house of Bourbon- led by Louis XVIII- returned to power and sought to restore the monarchy. That was the year Marie-Thérèse could finally visit Paris once again, almost two decades after she was released from imprisonment. She visited the site where her brother had died and the cemetery where her parents were buried, and for a moment, she could finally over her respects to them after so long.

The Bourbon Restoration was briefly interrupted in 1815 when Napoleon returned to France with an army. Louis XVIII fled the country, but Marie-Thérèse, who was in Bordeaux at the time, attempted to rally the local troops. The troops agreed to defend her but not to cause a civil war with Napoleon’s troops. She initially stood her ground despite Napoleon's orders to have her arrested, but later believing her cause to be lost, she finally relented and ordered her troops to stand down. Impressed by this decision, the Emperor remarked that she was "The only man in her family" before allowing her to leave the city unscathed. In any case, Napoleon was soon defeated once again and exiled, and the Bourbons returned to power.

The following fifteen years was a period of relative peace. Louis XVIII died on September 1824 and was succeeded by the Count of Artois, Marie-Thérèse's father-in-law, who dubbed himself Charles X. However, anti-monarchist sentiments continued to rise, and Charles' ultra-royalist sympathies alienated many members of the working and middle classes. Realizing that a monarchy was no longer feasible, and not wanting a second bloody revolution, everything finally came to its definitive end in the three-day July Revolution of 1830. There, Charles signed the instrument of abdication, which placed Marie-Thérèse's husband Louis-Antoine as King of France and her as Queen... for twenty minutes before he was also forced to sign the document.

With no royal titles and privileges left, Marie-Thérèse spent her second exile Edinburgh, and then Prague. After her husband's death in 1844, she moved again to a castle in the countryside just outside Vienna. There, she spent her remaining days taking walks, reading, sewing, and praying. It was a completely mundane life that lasted until her death in 1851, just three days after the 58th anniversary of her mother's execution.

__________________________________________________


Description


Source

As "Mousseline"

Likes:
"Such obvious questions... Um, a Queen deserves nothing less than the best! They should be the most irrational, selfish individual possible in spreading their love to the kingdom! If the people has no bread, they should eat cake! ...Er, by which I mean I would order my chefs to cook a giant tower of cake and sweets to distribute them to the poor. A-As I said! Such selfishness is perfectly on-brand for a Queen! Ohohohoho~!"

Dislikes:
"Boredom truly is a plague upon the human mind. I should know. That's why you peasants should try your hardest to entertain me! Come now, sing and dance for my amusement! Ohohohoho~! Wait, I know I've been saying it for a while now, but is the 'p'-word still acceptable in this day and age? Ever since the monarchy was abolished, does the word carry some kind of... insensitive, negative connotation? H-Have I been committing some kind of terrible faux pass this whole time!? How unbecoming of a Queen such as myself!"

Wish:
"You're telling me all sorts of heroes and villains from across human history actually risked life and limb for a mere golden cup such as this one? Such simplistic desires, though I suppose you shouldn't expect much else from the... ugh... c-common rabble. Ahem, still, assuming that cup truly could grant wishes, then I suppose I do have one thing I desire... to educate those clueless masses on the brilliance of my family, of course! I, um... couldn't possibly wish for anything else! Ohohohoho~!"

Bond 5 (As Marie-Thérèse)

Likes:
"Mmm, I'm not sure how to answer this one. Not because I have no answer, no. Rather, there is too much for me to say. I love my family first and foremost, but if they're not present, You could say I'm capable of enjoying... almost anything, I suppose? I could read the same two books a thousand times and still find new things to be amazed about every time I turn the pages. The same goes for any other work of literature, arts, music, prayer... or maybe just losing myself in my own imagination! I had to keep finding new ways to keep the boredom at bay, you see... otherwise I doubt I could have survived the Square du Temple without losing my mind, haha..."

Dislikes:
"Hatred is such a poor, unsightly thing, is it not? It devours you whole, like an invisible warden that keeps you locked inside a tower in your own mind long after you've left it in reality. No amount of tears or rage could bring back everything you've lost, and holding onto it would only lead to pain, both to yourself and others. It takes little effort to hate, all for little to no benefits whatsoever. Non, the true challenge is to love, and my parents demonstrated that lesson splendidly until the very end. To scatter love so selflessly and endlessly, no matter how many times life had scarred you... If I could rid myself of these unpleasant feelings... I wonder if I could feel any closer to them."

Wish:
"M-My wish? Would you really like to hear it? I mean, it's embarrassing that I need to rely on some magic wish-granting device for it. Besides, even if I do end up coming into possession of such a thing, a Queen should only use it for the good of the people, and not for some kind of... selfish, juvenile reason! Why, that would go against everything I-"
...
"WAIT, WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M NOT A QUEEN ANYMORE!? A-Ahem, apologies. You're absolutely correct, of course. It doesn't make it sting any less though, haha... Then, if you would excuse my selfishness for a moment... I would like to see my family again. I wonder what face papa and maman would make if they could see me now! Oh, and who could forget little Louis-Joseph and Louis Charles! I... wasn't much of a big sister to them back then, but if I could just see them again in this life, somehow, maybe I could... I..."
...
"Ah, um, I... apologies, but this topic is... *hic* difficult for me. W-Why, my vision's gotten strangely blurry again. This... *hic* must be another side effect of my Noble Phantasm! Probably some curse I absorbed without realizing it... *hic* A-Any other explanation would just be unbecoming of someone of my position! Now, I'd appreciate it if you could leave me to myself for a moment. A-AND DON'T LOOK OVER HERE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!"

A Queen. A pinnacle of selfishness who lives only to indulge herself in the world's finest luxuries while regarding everyone else as lowly subjects beneath her station... at least, that is the role she tries so hard to perfect... only to fail miserably. Every mocking remark at the "peasantry" is immediately followed by profuse apologies behind the Master's back, while every charitable act is claimed to have been done out of "a true villainess' selfish whims"... or something like that. She is just fundamentally unsuited to play this role, considering she feels extremely bad at practically everything she does as an "evil queen"... that said, she forcibly keeps up this role anyways out of an irrational desire to feel closer to her parents. A monarch exists to be hated. In order to fully understand what they went through, she too must become "an existence worthy of receiving hatred"... obviously, despite her insistence otherwise, she does not have much success on this department. If anything, her failure at playing the evil queen only hints at a core aspect of her character.

Binder is a girl who feels too much. Empathy is her strongest trait, and it has brought her boundless joys and troubles in equal measure. The sorrow of losing her family continues to gnaw at her heart, but understanding why the revolution turned out the way it did forbade her from showing any form of resentment towards those who took her family away. This mindset is unintentionally further reinforced by her parents' characters, or at least how she perceived them to be. Both Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette held nothing but love for their people despite the tragic fate that befell them. "Love" was also a lesson she inherited from her mother, who inherited it from her mother in turn. However, a child's innocent idolization of her parents, combined with a lack of guidance throughout an important period of her life, has morphed this message into something else entirely. A Queen must never resent her people. In a more general sense, a Queen is not allowed to hate. Therefore, she is selfless to a fault, oftentimes concealing her own emotions out of consideration for others and silently berating herself whenever she feels any hint of negative emotion towards those responsible for the revolution. It is only by "loving everyone" just like her parents did that she may protect their legacy, after all. In fact, initially, her only display of selfishness can only be found in her Noble Phantasm, where she would willingly suffocate herself in curses and inflict excruciating pain on herself just to feel their warmth for a second longer, even if it means ignoring orders, throwing plans into disarray, or even putting herself a mortal danger.

All in all, a depressed individual who doesn't seem to realize she's depressed, or has gone into complete denial because she subconsciously fears that acknowledging that problem would only make her a burden for everyone else, which is obviously the very last thing a Queen should do. However, if someone could help her confront these feelings head on and accompany her through all these unprocessed grief and rage, perhaps she might display a different side of herself. A pure-hearted young girl, single-mindedly determined to hold onto everything her family once cherished, no matter how much the everything has changed around her.

__________________________________________________


Ascension 3

"I see my dress continues to lose its luster the closer I get to my... ideal state? Is that how this 'ascension' thing works? Anyway, this is closer to what I wore in the Schloss Frohsdorf, the estate where I spent my final years. My former titles were all but meaningless by that point, and what little fortune I was allowed to keep from my family's treasury ran thin already, but... um, the peace and quiet of the countryside was a welcome change of pace. I took regular walks around the neighborhood, picked up sewing, and most importantly, I still had enough money to buy all the books I wanted and enough free time to finish all of them! S-So like I said, I had an excellent time there! I wasn't bored in the slightest!"


Source

"...Well, perhaps I lied, just a little bit. I had nothing but time, and it's true that boredom was the last thing on my mind most of the time, but in truth, there was something else that weighed on my mind. I spent almost every night in my study, reading or sewing. Once I got tired of them, I'd turn off the candles and head to my bedroom. Now sometimes, as I made my way through the dark halls of the estate, that sinking feeling would hit me again, just how... empty the whole building was. It reminded me of Versailles, in a way. For a moment, I could imagine myself as a little girl again, looking for her mother after being awoken by a terrible nightmare. I'd walk to where I remembered her room was, but I'd always stop myself just before I could open that door. Then I'd open my eyes to the empty hallways of the Schloss Frohsdorf again, reminding myself that they're... not there anymore. Um... I think a part of me was afraid to open that door back then. Afraid of what I'd found, or... afraid if I'd lose all motivation to come back from that dream if I were to do that. W-Well, that's just a little story of how I spent my days in that estate. It's... not a very comfortable thing to relive, but I suppose you deserve to know, and... maybe it would do me some good to talk about these topics as well? At least, I imagine that's what Monsieur Freud or Monsieur Jung would say..."

__________________________________________________


Relationships

Banquet of Crown-Bearers

Cao Cao (OddEyedDuelist):
"I wonder if papa ever dreamt of that sea of blood like you did... I was 'Queen' for no more than twenty minutes, so I'm not sure just how much my words are worth, but as a child of royalty who had to give up almost everything, save for a single dream I continued to hold within my heart... parting with the crown did give me an entirely new perspective of how the world works... for better or worse."

Edward the Black Prince (Volkirium):
"Had our roles been switched somehow... had papa been the one to endure the Temple, while I meet my end upon the guillotine... I wonder if he'd... N-Non, it's nothing. Not to be presumptuous, but as a child separated from her parents, I feel like I could understand his anguish, to a certain degree. Er, that aside...Angoulême, huh? I spent a good few years there. Quite the pleasant town for vacation. I'd love to go there again one day."
*She says, while staying far, far away from the Black Prince*

"Tam Lin Arthur" (DracoScribe):
"Human or fae, fictional or not, I believe to dream is one's interminable right. The one thing that the world could never fully take from you no matter how many times it tries to put you down. In that dark cell, with no news of my family, no fancy dresses or priceless jewelries, and so far removed from the life I had known in my childhood, dreaming was my only source of comfort. And it seems that I'm still clinging to that dream even now. You see, Mademoiselle, I too am hoping to meet someone dear to me here. And this time, even after that twenty minute passes... I'll never let them go, ever again. You are familiar with the sentiment, non?"

Sultan Baybars (Ismail2002):
"I respect his resolve, but I doubt he would be too fond of me. After all, despite how things turned out, I too was born with everything handed to me on a silver platter, in a manner of speaking. Saying something like 'I can understand where you're coming from', regardless of how true or false that may be would just be insensitive of me."

Lugh (OddEyedDuelist):
"A god who chose the simple life like that... self-satisfaction, huh? I say I'm... mostly satisfied with how my life turned out. N-No, really! For a Queen such as myself, the people's happiness should be my happiness, so if that's the path they had happily chosen for the country, I should be nothing but happy for them. That's... all there is to it, yes."

Doc Holliday (Morg van Destro):
"To fight and live so freely like that... W-Well, I'm sure me and the Monsieur over there has completely different definitions of 'fight' and 'live', but... I think it's a wonderful thing nonetheless. Um, anyway, I think I'd like to ask him to show me how to wield a gun! I've stumbled on those so-called 'western flicks' in the break room just the other day, and I believe seeing the real thing in action would be a most entertaining experience!"

Karolina Olsson (Vance):
"I suppose at some point after I had truly exhausted the books, after my brother had gone silent and aunt Liz was taken away, I began sleeping a lot. Because foolish as it sounds, my dreams were the only place where they could be 'okay'... Haha, I can't imagine what would happen if I were to meet some otherworldly creature in my sleep like you did, though! ...Er, or maybe I could. Maybe. I think having someone to talk to, even if it's only in your sleep, would make that prison tower a bit more bearable, haha..."

Laevateinn (Baron Magnus):
"To love humanity so wholeheartedly, in their best and worst... you radiate an entirely different kind of warmth, but you remind me a little of them..."

Residents of the Throne

Maria Theresa (Nuclear):
"G-Grandmother! What an honor it is to make your acquaintance at last! Maman told me a lot about you, and I... have been positively looking to our fateful... um..."
...
...
"AAAAHHH, I CAN'T DO IT! She radiates such a glorious, domineering presence that I can't even bear to look her straight in the eyes! She seems to radiate that brilliant light that makes me feel extremely small in comparison! Not to mention I heard stories of how strict she was to her children. I-I'm sure she's silently judging me now, I can feel her piercing gaze just burrowing into my soul. O-Oh dear, I'm panicking again. What should I-"
...
"Eh? What was that? Deep breaths? Y-Yes, of course. Um... thank you... grandmother... It still doesn't feel real that I'm... actually here, talking to you and addressing you like this... anyway, you said you'd like to hear more about... maman? Oh yes, if I remember correctly, you didn't hear much about her aside from the occasional letters after she moved to France, did you? Very well, it would be my honor to spend the afternoon with you. I'm sure I have plenty of stories you'd like to hear as well."

Joseph II (Nuclear):
"Uncle Joseph! Did you... eh? More toys and fancy trinkets from your treasury? Um, I appreciate it, really, but my room is getting a bit full, so... W-Wait, are you asking me if I'd prefer more expensive jewelries and statues instead of these trinkets!? I mean, I am no child, but that's really not the point here!"
*The "cool uncle" of the family who spoils his niece greatly with priceless treasures from his vault and regales her with amazing stories of arts and culture from his empire. Binder is deeply fascinated by these stories. The overwhelming amount of gifts, however...*

Princess Elisabeth of France (Jishara):
"Aunt Liz... please don't look so sad in front of me. You may think your life meaningless for failing to protect my parents, but for that one year or so, your companionship was invaluable to me. The prison tower was a dark, dreary place, but your presence helped me find the will to carry on amidst those sorrowful days. A-And I turned out all right after they released me, too! So... I believe you saved at least one person, if that gives you any comfort."

Marie-Jeanne Rose Bertin (Spammin Spiff):
"Madame Bertin! I thank the heavens that you managed to escape the country just before the revolution truly erupted. And how wonderful it is to see you again! Is your business still open? You see, I took up sewing as a pastime in my later years, and I'm wondering if you have any tips for me. I also have several sketches I'd like to try out, if you don't mind..."

Hans Axel von Fersen (Rider) (BnEl15):
"Uncle Fersen... please believe me, what happened at Varennes wasn't your fault. I'm sure maman would tell you the same thing. And for you to go so far as to travel across Europe, begging for the other kingdoms to declare war on the revolutionaries until the very last moment... anyone could tell that your resolve was truer and more sincere than anyone else's. So please don't blame yourself over how things turned out."

Hans Axel von Fersen (Avenger) (BnEl15):
"...You truly did love her, didn't you?"

Napoleon Bonaparte:
"That... stupid, thick-headed, muscle-brained excuse of an 'Emperor'... I didn't say anything back then, but now that I think about it, isn't he... kind of messed up!? I mean, calling me brave for recalling my troops, isn't that practically like, I don't know... like a mugger calling his victim brave for not fighting back!? Seriously what's the deal with him!? Ugh, I'd never think about saying these sentiments out loud before, but there's a certain... therapeutic feeling to expressing myself freely like this. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll air my grievances on him for a little while longer. From a safe distance, of course. Grumble, grumble"

Josephine Bonaparte (BnEl15):
*The two of them get along surprisingly well, due to their shared interest in the arts and awareness of the struggles of the common folk. Binder almost considers her an "honorary aunt", but this friendship is held together by a mutual agreement to never, ever mention the French Revolution under any circumstances*

Maximilien Robespierre (Avenger) (RoydGolden):
*There are no records of what Robespierre supposedly said to her during his visit to the Square du Temple. However, based on the utterly horrified expression she has on her face whenever she even notices him in the same room, you figure it's best to keep them separated.*

Victoria, Princess Royal (WhiteFrenzy):
"A princess of Britain, huh... I can understand your dream, Mademoiselle. Even long after... everything happened, I still dreamed often of my parents. My Versailles, your Osborne House... ah, what I wouldn't give to turn back the clock and return to those days again! But I suppose we both know life goes on, whether we like it or not. A-Ahem, anyway, enough of this somber mood! From one Madame Royale to another, would you like to join me for tea this afternoon? I tried reproducing the gardens of Versailles in the simulator, and I'd be delighted to have some company. And, um... if your parents allow it, maybe I could get a tour of your home as well one day?"

Louis XVII (Avenger):
"Aah, Louis, Louis! My dear little brother... you've endured so much, haven't you? I heard your voice back then, and every night I cursed myself for how powerless I was. You were so close, but those cold iron bars made it feel like there's an immeasurable distance separating the two of us. I... couldn't save you then, and the memories from those nights haunt me still. That said, I know I'm terribly late, and I will not tell you who you should or should not hate, but for what it's worth... your big sister is finally here. It's wonderful to see you again, little brother."
*A meeting between two siblings separated only by a set of iron bars. A very short distance that the two could finally cross after an entire lifetime. A tearful reunion is a given.*

Marie Antoinette, Louis-Auguste (MuramasaMachII):
"Merci beaucoup, Maitre, but I believe this is enough. I truly appreciate you trying to cheer me up this way, but I know... things are never that simple. Just seeing them again for a moment like this is enough to lift my spirits beyond measure. Now whoever Caster is projecting this illusion here, you can stop now. This is... enough... yes..."
...
"Eh? W-What do you mean they're not... non, non, I mean... how-? I can't... Is this... actually happening? Th-Then, I... um..."
...
"WAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!"
*After so long, the girl could finally embraced her parents. Her parents are far from perfect, all--loving rulers, as she had come to learn. Even so, enveloped in their warmth once again, the girl finally lost all reason to pretend. The royal attire born of her Noble Phantasm fades away, and for that moment, she was no longer the fallen Queen of France. Once again, she was her parents' one and only Mousseline*

__________________________________________________


Final Ascension

"I lived. Not my papa who tried his best to bring happiness to his people despite his shortcomings. Not my maman who radiated kindness and shone brightly until the very end. Not my brother Louis-Joseph, the innocent boy who... still had so much to live for. I lived. That was the realization that hit me as I finally left the dark halls of the Square du Temple after three years. Madame de Chanterenne had told me what happened prior, but it wasn't until I saw the moving, breathing Paris just outside the tower gates that the realization... really sank in. And then, as much as I tried to deny it and paint it as some kind of... awful, unsightly feeling, it took me so long just to acknowledge that... maybe a part of me was still trapped in that tower. A terrified, lonely young girl who could only hope and pray that everything would turn out all right... ah, but Servanthood is a funny thing, isn't it? After seeing them again, something I never even thought possible... I think I'm finally ready to leave now. I'll continue to cherish the things my parents held dear, and maybe I'll learn to love the people just like they did, even through my tears one day. But for now... I think it's time I say my farewells to this dreary prison, once and for all. Come now, Maitre. Escort your Queen on the way out. My parents are expecting me."


Source

__________________________________________________


Bond CE

Holding On
~ ♬ ~

A reproduced painting that Binder proudly displays in her room. The features aren't entirely accurate, which she simply shrugs off as "Some creative liberties can be excused when it comes to portraying the royal family in all their brilliance!", but you can tell that this painting means a lot more to her than any other treasures she could possible have.

---

I've certainly changed quite a bit since then, and I'm sure the world has changed as well over time.
At least, that's the impression I get whenever I look at it and reflect on my life.

The France that my parents knew had long since came to an end... or maybe it's more accurate to say they'd changed, just like everything else?
In the end, I couldn't save them, nor could I accompany them to the great beyond... though I doubt they'd want that for me either.
They were no longer there, but I still remained, and all I could do was live.

I could only save their memories in the only way I knew how.
Even as the world changed, as banners were replaced, La Marseillaise resounded with joy throughout taverns and streets, and new governmental representatives were elected, I promised to hold on to everything they held dear, and to never let go.

That way, I'd feel like a part of them is still there, accompanying me into this new era.
...And maybe I'd feel a little less lonely that way.

Creator's notes

- Disclaimer: I have not touched Genshin since Sumeru dropped, so I have no clue what Furina's character even is beyond the memes. Then again, I guess this is for the best, since I could write without the character's prior impressions influencing me.

- "Being the last link in a very long line of metaphorical chains" and "wanting to hold onto something so tightly to the point you're practically chained winkwink to it" may be the stretchiest Binder justification yet, but honestly idk what other Class to put her in. Rider/Caster seems way too basic and doesn't entirely fit her, Ruler is a nope when she still has so much unresolved baggage, Avenger also a nope without some kind of Alter/IM justification since she never allowed herself to be devoured by her (mostly suppressed to an almost subconscious level) hatred (and making her another vengeful French Revolution victim would feel like taking the easy way out for me anyways). And I'm not confident enough to touch Stranger.

- On a related note, you may not count Anti-Binder Iemitsu into your Binder comp Del, but with this one, I can hereby challenge you to the throne... if you don't kill me first, at least.

- It is an honor to be the first (I think?) sheet to use Spelror's Binder card.

- I read Vance's Caster version and Muramasa's Avenger Louis XVI as an inspiration, but after seeing Muramasa post Stranger Louis today, well... any similarities in NP titles, descriptions, or anything else is purely coincidental.

[MuramasaMachII]

"Mousseline":

Right, I have a few things to say about this.
First things first... THIS IS BEAUTIFUL OMG IT'S JUST SO GOOOOOD!!!!
Really though, this is utterly amazing. I enjoy this for a few reasons, like what you've done with the impeccable layering of personalities, and the skills, and the lore is sweet and short.
Maybe I'm biased as someone clearly obsessed with the French Revolution, but still, aaaaaaahhhhh!
The other thing is on your comment about the Noble Phantasms being similar... while it's definitely a coincidence (and a most hilarious coincidence at that), I think that actually fits perfectly.
The last queen who idolized her parents having a similar Noble Phantasm to her father, the man who never should've been king... It works too well, in fact.

Speaking of similarities, I can definitely see some between her and my Louis sheets. Especially with the idea of hiding the fact that they're both just...depressed, with Avenger Louis' whole Phantom shtick as his cover-up being similar to Marie-Thérèse's queen persona.

All in all, utterly amazing sheet. I think I have a good idea for what my sheet's relationship line will be.

[asterism42]

The Furina FC feels like a definitely conscious choice

[BnEl15]

"Mousseline":

Right, I have a few things to say about this.
First things first... THIS IS BEAUTIFUL OMG IT'S JUST SO GOOOOOD!!!!
Really though, this is utterly amazing. I enjoy this for a few reasons, like what you've done with the impeccable layering of personalities, and the skills, and the lore is sweet and short.
Maybe I'm biased as someone clearly obsessed with the French Revolution, but still, aaaaaaahhhhh!
The other thing is on your comment about the Noble Phantasms being similar... while it's definitely a coincidence (and a most hilarious coincidence at that), I think that actually fits perfectly.
The last queen who idolized her parents having a similar Noble Phantasm to her father, the man who never should've been king... It works too well, in fact.

Speaking of similarities, I can definitely see some between her and my Louis sheets. Especially with the idea of hiding the fact that they're both just...depressed, with Avenger Louis' whole Phantom shtick as his cover-up being similar to Marie-Thérèse's queen persona.

All in all, utterly amazing sheet. I think I have a good idea for what my sheet's relationship line will be.

Aww, thanks. As a sheetmaker who's mostly just a jack-of-all-trades witj no specific specialties, it's always great to see I've managed to impress someone who's (probably) deeper into the rabbit hole than I am. Looking forward to her papa's line.

The Furina FC feels like a definitely conscious choice

The only thing I know is that she has something to do with acting, and may or may not be depressed, and that's enough reason for me.

My other fc candidate was HSR's Firefly (white hair, similar wholesome-yet-melancholic vibe), but there's too little fanarts of her atm so the transformation schtick wouldn't work as well.

[Vance]

Mousseline: Ah, this is a thing of beauty. Though I, uh, find it funny that that you used my caster version sheet as inspiration. Then finding the Avenger version within this thread would've been annoying. Nonetheless, I'm flattered. Would not have guessed to see Furina as a faceclaim.

Avenger version is in page 258 (in the this thread) btw.

[TrueMrMultiverse]

Very niice sheet Bnel-the fancard use is nice and her NP is fascinating

[BnEl15]

Me @ Louis-Auguste's new line. Instead of trying to cheer her up or anything like that, a father who just wants to be sad together with his daughter brings me feels like nothing else.

[Scotcheroos]

"Life's battle is a conquest for the strong. The meaning shows in not the victor, but the defeated things left behind."
-John Masefield

---

This is the second Servant in a collab series Bn ended up inspiring me into doing, by accident. I'm saying it's the second and not the first, because the first sheet was his Shah Jahan I and I will not accept otherwise. Accept your rightful place as the one who accidentally started this series, Bn.

Here's to hoping y'all like the continuation (Beginning? Continuation? I have no fucking idea.) of the 'Inherited Grief' series!

Inherited Grief Saga

[Episode 1 - Proof of Eternity]

[Episode 2 - Proof of Conquest]

---

"Remind me why I should be here again, Master? I was enjoying discussing the appeal of regional aesthetics with Sir Georgios when you so rudely barged into my beloved's mausoleum and begged me to accompany you here."

The summoning room was unusually abuzz with activity, even more so than usual. Serenity and Okita stood by the entrance, uncharacteristically tense as they glared at the summoning platform; Achilles sat by the control console alongside a grim-faced Da Vinci as she tapped away at the screen, while Bazett tapped her fingers against her arm, standing by the few staff members required to be in the room and ready to jump to their defense in an instant. The staff themselves all seemed on edge as Ritsuka walked up to the summoning platform, ready to begin chanting. Mash, ever the stalwart protector, was hesitant between setting her shield on the platform, eyeing it with trepidation.

"We received a notification from TRI-HERMES earlier today, telling us to prepare for a hostile Summoning takeover sometime today. It said to bring a specific number of Servants to safeguard the summoning room in case something goes wrong." Da Vinci replied in lieu of Ritsuka, who seemed too focused on the platform to speak.

"I don't see just why that includes me, though. The longer I stay away from my beloved, the more irritated I grow, Da Vinci. Get to the point."

"Chief among the listed Servants was you, Shah Jahan. Ever simulation we ran without your involvement ended in collapse or some unforeseen force destroying Chaldea. For whatever reason, you are integral to stemming this pseudo-Rogue Servant's activities at the source."

"...A Natural Enemy, then. If even TRI-HERMES was unable to even see a way out for the vaunted Chaldeans without blatantly stacking the cards in your favor I can understand the amount of tension everyone is displaying." Shah Jahan groaned softly to himself, running a hand down his face. "Very well. Do try to speed this up. I still wish to ask Sir Georgios about this 'Gothic architecture' he's seen in-"

Whatever else he was about to say was abruptly cut off as an alarm blared from the console. The screen began to flash red as, unprompted, the chamber began glowing in bluish-white light. Magical lightning crackled violently, a far cry from the semi-controlled state that came with usual summoning rituals in the chamber.

"Wh-What the?! Da Vinci, I didn't even begin the chant yet, what's going on?! Mash hasn't even set her shield down!" Ritsuka cried out, backing away from the gathering gales from the spontaneous summoning. Serenity immediately pulled Ritsuka away from the platform as Da Vinci frantically typed away at the console.

"This doesn't make any sense! The program shouldn't have been activated yet, none of the pseudo-leylines have even begun to converge yet! It's like something's recreating them and forcibly connecting them together! I can't stop this!" Da Vinci yelled, typing faster and faster only to constantly get error after error in return. "But this shouldn't be possible without an outside catalyst and a Grail....unless...."

"...I know this presence. No, I know part of this presence. It's incomplete, but I know it all the same. I hear it every day, whispering to me desperate promises and promising me godhood." Shah Jahan gasped, his eyes widening as the light intensified, yet never once looking away from it's glare. It's as if there's something from within that only he can hear, and it's a voice he desperately hopes is not what he thinks it is. "That can't be possible. The Taj Mahal is still intact! I know it is still intact, so how?!"

"We made a grave error! Shah Jahan isn't just the lynchpin to stopping the Rogue summoning, he's also the catalyst to the summoning in the first place! It's a chain summon!"

"How can I feel Yilkith's presence from there?!"

Magical energy, thick enough to be tangible and heavy enough to weigh even a Servant down, pressed down on everyone's shoulders. The ever-familiar spheres of lights rotated amongst each other, pure marble white in contrast to the usual bluish-white of the Chaldean-activated summonings. Even so, despite the numerous errors on the screen, something, somehow, managed to get through. Connecting to the hijacked tech, a window managed to push it's way through the errors and display it's contents to an increasingly agitated Da Vinci. As the geyser of magical energy gushed up, touching the ceiling but seeming to gain a more solid shape rather than spilling into the walls.

It looked almost like a marble pillar.

"Saint Graph identified! It's a Foreigner, Fujimaru-chan! The Outer God's Spirit Origin is the same as the attached to Shah Jahan's! Everyone, assume the Rogue is a hostile enemy and prepare for combat!"

"Sh-Shit! Everybody, brace yourselves!"

The pillar of light seemed to explode violently, causing machinery to shift from the force as staff members held on to countertops or even each other to avoid flying back. Ritsuka herself, being closer to the epicenter, was blown back and barely caught by Serenity and Mash as the other Servants quickly gathered around her and the staff members, cautiously analyzing the dying light, and the figure seated within.

It was a man, dressed in a blue cloth tunic, baggy brown pants and leather boots fit for desert traversing. The tunic was held to his body by a collection of crude belts fastened around his torso, and his forearms were covered by what seemed like reinforced cloth bracers. A sheath hung at his hip, and an elegant curved sword was held in his right hand.

It was obvious to everyone watching that he was a true warrior, a fighter through and through who was skilled both in combat and in military matters. At the same time, though, his gaze looked down upon them all as if they were worth less than the dust on his boots, and his very presence seemed to sneer at them for simply existing in his field of vision. It was enough to rankle even the calmer Servants in the room.

The man experimentally, lifted his left hand and flexed his fingers, humming in thought while white marble shards seemed to glitch in and out of existence around him. Shah Jahan staggered back in disbelief as the unknown man, a deep and reverberating cruel laugh that sent chills down Ritsuka's spine.

"Hah! Hahahah! I see! So this is what Servant manifestation feels like! How wonderful! Perhaps with this, I can-....Tsk. It seems I've been hooked with a most irritating caveat to my summons." He said, examining his body before turning his attention to Ritsuka, "It seems I won't have long by myself. Accursed summoning limitations. If this is so....you. Rejoice. The greatest day of your life has come today. A King of Kings shall stand under your banner. Your only job is to praise me and supply me with magical energy when I demand it."

"Master, get back. I don't think this guy's planning to get all happy-go-lucky with the others." Achilles murmured, his voice drawing the man's attention to the others in the room. Seeing them defending Ritsuka so protectively, the man threw his head back and laughed in amusement. Pure and genuine patronizing amusement that grated their very patience without even trying. As he stepped forwards, marble beginning to form around him, Shah Jahan choked out a stiffened gasp.

"Is something wrong, Your Highness?" Ritsuka murmured to him even as she watched the man, her Command Spells beginning to glow faintly as she prepared to fire one off to restrain him. She expected a reasonable explanation. Perhaps he recognized the man before him. Perhaps there was some form of connection that had inadvertently bridged the two together, mortal enemies pitted against one another at long last, or some other reasonable event that could answer just what was going on.

"Hahah! Fools, the lot of you! I, the King of Kings, have decreed that she shall serve as my energy supply. The bickering of lesser beings has no merit to my royal decision. In other words..." Marble cracked, forming a cruel white armor around the man as he sneered. "She will become my magical energy supply. She has no choice in the matter."

Never, never in her life, would she expect Shah Jahan to turn to Ritsuka, staring at her with eyes wide with the faint flickering embers of primordial fear. And as the marble grew, and the pressure with it, the embers sparked and bloomed into something terrible. Something Ritsuka wished with all her heart she could unsee.

"I am Servant Foreigner! The man who crushed the Safavids and brought an end to a 200-year dynasty! The who reunited Iran under my banner, and drove away the Ottomans and Russians from my land! All that I stand upon is mine, and all that I gaze upon is mine! Therefore, the world in it's entirety belongs to me!"

"I understand why." Shah Jahan gasped, "I understand why the Fortress is so desperate for me to sit on the Throne now, Master.

The room rumbled. Alarms blared and staff fled the room in a panic as Chaldea finally registered the unprecedented threat of a being of the Outer Realm attempting to lash out in full. In a distance both close yet far, something ground against the fabric of reality. Light and subtle, yet ever so insistent. Like a tomb was forming in Chaldea, around each and every single person. Or perhaps that was simply the temper tantrum of an unseen force trying to get away, yet unable to do so by sheer dint of connection.

"Master. The Fortress is screaming in rage."

"I am Nader Shah, the Sword of Persia! My desires are law, my commands are absolute! So I have proclaimed, so it shall be done! Prepare yourself, Master of Chaldea!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Class: Foreigner

Other Eligible Classes: Berserker, Saber, Shielder, Rider, Alter Ego

True Name: Nader Shah Afshar

Aliases: King of Kings, Sultan of the Sultans of the World, The Second Alexander the Great, Sword of Persia, Last of the Greatest Asiatic Warlords, Founder of the Afsharid dynasty, Persia's Napoleon Bonaparte, Usurper of The White Fortress

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Attribute: Man

Origin: Historical Fact

Region: Iran

Height: 6'0/182.9 cm

Weight: 175 lbs/80.3 kg

Traits: Male, King, Humanoid, Hominidae, Servant, Weak to Enuma Elish, Divinity, Existence Outside the Domain, Threat to Humanity

Catalyst: An ancient Naderi silver coin. Alternatively, the presence of a Servant connected to a certain palace.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Talents: Military campaigns, bloodshed, cruelty, tyranny, ruling kingdoms, conquest, going mad with power

Natural Enemies: Shah Jahan I, Salah Khan

Likes: Warfare, combat, an austere and humble lifestyle, strong enemies to test himself against, meritocratic policies, fried or roasted peas, Sharbat-e Khakshir

Dislikes: Betrayal, disobedience from his soldiers, lavish lifestyles, peaceful eras, weak-mindedness, nepotism, cowardice

Personality: Cruel. Bloodthirsty. Arrogant and condescending beyond all measure. Nader Shah is a monster in human skin, a natural-born warmonger who lived to spill blood and trample over corpses for the sake of expansion. So addicted to war and battle was he, so greedy and lustful for power and land, that he was said he lived more in in his military tent than his actual palace, and his imperial court was the war camp he would set up during campaigns. Nader Shah is a man who embodies the concept of 'conflict for the sake of conflict', always itching for a good fight and determined to trample over everyone in his way. In his mind, he is the greatest human, moreso than even older heroes like Achilles and Gilgamesh. Thus, his word is law, and everyone who disagrees can fuck off.

Despite his arrogance being so prevalent, he is surprisingly cunning and pragmatic. Meticulous with plans and unwilling to leave even the smallest detail to chance, Nader Shah was not only a charismatic leader and a sly tactician, but also a generous and fair ruler who made sure to reward his soldiers fairly if they distinguished themselves in war, and a strict disciplinarian who would punish dissenters or major misconducts amongst his army with the death penalty, no matter the rank or importance to his plans.

In addition to this, Nader Shah surprisingly pursues a humble and austere lifestyle as a simple soldier on the march over the auspicious lifestyle of the ruler of Iran. In his eyes, there is no men and women on the battle field, no peasants and merchants and nobility. There are only soldiers, and if one soldier were to be shown such favoritism for his position, how then would that reflect on the army's morale. It is to that extent that he sheds his royal persona and lives among his subjects not as Nader Shah, ruler of Iran, but another simple soldier on the march when he is campaigning.

However, do not forget. Nader Shah is first and foremost a monster who tears and rips apart sacred monuments and crushes innocent people under his heel for the sake of his own insatiable greed. Sooner or later, his greed will resurface and he will give anything, anything for his endless ambitions.

Wish for the Grail: "My wish? Have I not already said my wish earlier? All that I gaze upon is mine. All that I stand upon is mine. If I could not fulfill that dream in life, I will fulfill it in death. That is my wish for the Grail. To rule the world, unconditionally, unopposeable. Seated as king of the world, my rightful place."

ParametersParameters:
Strength: B
Endurance: B+
Agility: D
Mana: A
Luck: B
NP: A++

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Bond DefaultThe legendary founder of the Afsharid Dynasty, an unparalleled general and military commander in Iranian history to the point where he inspired Napoleon Bonaparte as a teacher and icon through his military skill, and was often considered to be Persia's own Alexander the Great. When he lived, he was considered 'the horror of all of Asia, the pride and savior of Iran, who restored it's freedom and trampled upon India with his bare feet'. So fearsome was he, so dreadful his presence and skill, that an ancient Punjabi historian claimed that 'every second Nader Shah lived was a second in which the countries of the world quivered in fear'.

A genius of the battlefield, Nader Shah ran multiple campaigns to reunite Iran under his reign and drive out encroaching invaders from the Ottoman and Russian Empires. A great fan of the tales and victories of Genghis Khan and Amir Timur, Nader Shah strove to follow in their path and build a grand world-spanning empire of his own. Only this time, he wouldn't settle for Asia alone, or even the entirety of Eurasia from ocean to ocean. No, when Nader Shah declared that he would conquer the world, he meant that he would aim to conquer the entire planet and hold it within the palm of his hand from the moment of his victory until the death of his lineage. To that end, he overthrown the over 200-year old Safavid Dynasty and took the throne for himself, ruling as shah of Iran for eleven years and slowly but surely expanding his empire to the point where he was the most powerful ruler in all of Asia, before his untimely death from assassination.

And yet....it doesn't make sense. How could it ever make sense? How could such a man, with a storied but clear-cut history and almost always surrounded by soldiers and his court, ever come in contact with an Outer God with so many people watching his every move? The answer, perhaps, lies not with his death nor with his personal life, but within the very achievements that landed him in the Throne of Heroes in the first place.

---

"It seems my reputation precedes me. Yes, I was the man who reunited all of Iran when the dynasty filled with utter incompetents finally imploded into themselves. Pushing the Ottomans back was incredibly annoying, and pushing back the Russians just didn't make any sense! I mean, they were fighting the Ottomans at the time but they didn't even bother asking for Iran's hand in cooperation! They just gobbled up the land and called it a day!"

"....'To be fair, the ruler back then was mentioned as incredibly incompetent and probably colored their views of Iran'? That's....ugh, you have a point there."



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Bond 1Born in a fortress in Dastgerd, Khorasan to a nomadic family who doubled as herdsmen, Nader was ambitious and far-reaching even during his youth. Despite being born to humble origins and into a family of low status, he'd dreamed of leaving behind the nomadic lifestyle full of deprivation, and began to better his body through training even as a child. When he was only 13, his father died of illness and he was forced to work to support both himself and his mother by transporting twigs and firewood to local marketplaces by himself. His physical training at such a young age aided in this endeavor, allowing him to earn money to keep his family safe and secure.

But still, he never forgot his original goal of leaving behind the nomadic lifestyle, and only two years after his father passed away, he enlisted into the personal army for a local governor as a musketeer and climbing the ranks until he was the governor's right hand man and personal confidant at only the age of 17, two years after he joined the militia. For the next twenty years, Nader would continue to work as a consultant and soldier for the nameless governor, slowly but surely cementing himself as a figure of great regional importance and using his political status to oversee the province of Khorasan under the governor's orders in 1708. For two decades, it seemed as if Nader Shah, while destined for greatness, had had his progress towards kingship grind to a halt as nothing more than a governor's close assistant, were it not for the weakening of the Safavid Dynasty.

Over the last two hundred years the Safavid Empire had stood, its authority and power were disintegrating by the day. Rebellions and insurgencies sprang up and assaulted the nobility's armies by the dozen, encroaching invaders poked and prodded at the lands to see which were the juiciest pieces to carve up and devour, and to top it all off, the head of the Empire was little more than a weak-willed, inexperienced and overly incapable ruler who spent too much time pursuing an excessively lavish lifestyle to even begin to care about the declining Empire. The entire dynasty was a powder keg ready to explode, and the spark that lit the fuse was the failed quelling of an Afghan rebellion in Kandahar, when the governor sent to quash the rebels and his entire army of 30,000 was brutally, decisively destroyed down to the last man.

Suddenly, the facade of royal invincibility was gone. Suddenly, the entire empire was up in arms, joining the now-moving rebellion under Mahmud Hotaki's banner to overthrow the incompetent ruler, even driving back the royal army at the Battle of Gulnabad and sieging the capital. Suddenly, the invaders who had only been poking and prodding had swooped in to take over huge swarthes of land for themselves, further diving the lands and causing Iran to shrink and it's people turn to anyone in hopes of a hero.

Suddenly, Nader Shah saw his chance.

---

"You won't believe how overjoyed the entire province was to hear that the Safavids were coming to an end. The day it was announced by the governor that the rebellion was sieging the capital, the peasants literally cheered with joy and held a party right in the town square. In front of the governor, at that. The very much Safavid-supporting and pleasure-addicted governor. You should have seen his face when his own army joined in.

"What happened when the rebellion won and the new governor was appointed to Khorasan? Well, when....what was his name again? Ah yes, Malek. When Malek was appointed and arrived, he ended up being inexperienced and hired the former governor as an advisor. There wasn't much change to the lives of the people afterwards. It just felt like a repeat of the Safavids being in charge.

"That was why I rebelled against Malek, in the end. Nothing had changed. The crown had merely swapped from one incompetent to another. Oh, I had thrown my hat in with the Safavids for the time being, but they had already proven their own uselessness when their empire collapsed because they cared more about who got more slices of cake at the royal banquet over their entre country.

"....No, I am not exaggerating. When I asked Tahmasp just why he was so desperate to return to the throne, he complained that he wanted the throne as the heir of the former shah...and because while on the run he didn't get to gorge himself as much on the cakes they served during banquets. He cared more about his desserts than he did the fates of his people. Demonize me however you please, I stand by by my claim: I was still an infinitely better ruler than them."

...Dude, holy shit.



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Bond 2Class Skills:

Existence Outside The Domain E- (EX)
The Class Skill of a Foreigner, which denotes the descent of a being from the void of outer space unto the World. Normally, this Skill would be an unquantifiable amount, thereby gifting it the EX Rank. However, the 'Outer God' in question rejects Nader Shah to such an extreme degree that it seals off all but the most basic abilities attached to it's presence and attaches multiple self-inflicted deterrents to attempt to stop Nader Shah from even using those abilities in the first place. The only reason this Skill is not completely sealed off is because this was the absolutely lowest the Fortress could even lower the connection's capabilities.

Having become connected to a sentient anomaly even amongst Outer Gods, a being that makes even the likes of Nyarlathotep question just how such a connection is possible, Nader Shah has gained access to an otherworldly fortress of non-euclidean ice and eldritch marble, a connection shared by a certain ruler of the world. However, that is where the similarities end.

Where the ruler of the world has incredibly high, almost perfect compatibility with the Fortress, Nader Shah's compatibility with the Fortress is practically non-existent. Where the ruler of the world was the 'chosen master of the Fortress' who was personally handpicked by the Fortress to reign as it's Lord, Nader Shah is a usurper who invaded the Fortress' halls, looted it's Throne and tore it's very notion of control from it's grasp, an unwelcome invader it despises with all it's heart. Where the ruler of the world resisted the influence of the Fortress to his last breath, and still resists to this day, Nader Shah wholeheartedly embraced the otherworldly powers granted by it's Throne, and his mind was left devoid of the whispers as the Fortress refused to communicate with him unless for it's own plans.

In essence, Nader Shah shares an unbreakable connection with the Fortress, one formed purely by coincidence and ruthless human action. However, it is an incredibly imbalanced and unfair connection, and one the Fortress wants out of as soon as possible, something it's willing to do anything to erase. With this Skill, Nader Shah gains access to 'marble' as the 'usurper of the Fortress', but because his presence is so vehemently rejected by the Fortress, he can only manifest limited quantities of 'marble' at a time and doing so drastically causes his body temperature to drop. Even now his body temperature is far lower than the norm, though he seems to be used to it.

Divinity C- (B)
A Skill denoting 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.

A man of marble and ice. A cold-hearted tyrant who gained unearthly power and drowned himself in it's Faustian splendor. Thanks to his connection with the Fortress and his wholehearted indulgence in it's power, he has gained a high rank in this Skill as well as a portion of the Fortress' Authority over 'marble'. However, because the Fortress in turn attempts to seal it's Authority off when Nader uses it, this has caused the Skill to drop by a full Rank, and the longer the Authority is used, the weaker it will get.

Insanity C
A Skill similar to Mental Pollution, gained from contracting with an otherworldly being that can easily erode the fragile common sense and morals of humans. This Skill denotes a form of heterogeneous thinking that exerts an influence even on the worldviews within the mentality of the people in one’s surroundings. In other words, it is a Skill that forces a 'different', eldritch form of thinking outside the Common Sense of Man into the surroundings of the user, thereby creating a mobile black spot on the concept of human rationality and moral thinking. Or, in laymen's terms, it creates a passive mental interference field that slowly drives people insane just by being near them. The range, strength and progression rate of the field's effects depend on the Skill's Rank. Can be resisted with Magic Resistance as Rank C and higher.

In life, Nader Shah's paranoia and tyranny in the latter half of his life whipped people around him into a frenzy with his mere presence, gripping them with the terror that their life could end just like that. Coupled with the capabilities of the Fortress, this has manifested as an 'aura' that subtly incites peoples' fight-or-flight instincts and aggression, making it seem as if every single action he makes is purposefully done to incite them while also occasionally trying to inch their aimed aggression at him as a result.

Territory Infringement B+
Normally a Watcher-Class Skill, and a Skill denoting the ability to pass through all manner of security, be it mundane or otherwise. Well-suited for Servants who specialize in infiltration. Gains an advantage when attempting to slip through 'territorial borders' rather than 'security measures'.

In life, Nader Shah was a great conqueror who cared not for the borders of his enemies' lands, and he would constantly charge through and invade them all the same. Rather than 'establishing a permanent territory of his own', he 'invaded and took over the territories of other people', hence why he has this Skill over Territory Creation. At B Rank, no mundane measure of security, no matter how sophisticated or all-seeing it is, can stop his advance, and he can invade most Bounded Fields, having trouble only with high-level Bounded Fields and above.



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Bond 3Personal Skills:

Conquest Tactics A
A sub-variant of the Tactics Skill, itself a Skill denoting a Servant's amount of tactical knowledge used not for one-on-one combat situations, but for battles where many are mobilized.

In life, Nader was a prominent general and conqueror even before he was crowned shah of Iran. Through his military prowess, he conquered and reconquered massive tracts of land under his rule. He is considered to be a major factor of the fall of both the Safavid and Hotaki Dynasties before his rule, and overseeing numerous wars war both before and as shah, Nader Shah had lost only one singular battle throughout his entire military career, and won every single war he was involved in before his death. He has rightfully earned his reputation as 'the Second Alexander the Great', and it shows.

Imperial Privilege B
A skill denoting the ability to, through sheer insistence and stubbornness from the user, manifest different Skills that are essentially impossible to normally possess for a short period of time. In cases when the Rank is А or above, even the "burden to the body" can be acquired (aka Divinity).

For Nader Shah, the corresponding Skills are Riding, Swordsmanship, Arts, Marksmanship, Magic Resistance, Independent Action, Eternal Arms Mastery and a slew of other minor Skills. He, who possesses a bloodthirsty will and endless ambition, rose from a simple soldier to the ruler of all of Iran and a good chunk of Asia, and learned himself in the ways of the nobility and the Imperial Court not to cement his position as Shah to his citizens, but to stay on equal footing with foreign diplomats who looked down on Iran and elevate his country to one of the great powers of the world through his leadership.

Though his experiences as a soldier and warrior, he is learned in warfare, the way of the sword and shield, the way of the cavalry horse rider, the way of the marksman. Through his royal studies, he is learned in the way of the scholar, the way of the refined artist, the way of the worldly man. Despite his warmongering ways, he is still learned enough to understand and appreciate the finer, more aesthetically pleasing parts of kingship, though secretly he's not very fond of such lavish luxuries. This Skill is what allows Nader Shah to fight as a truly versatile jack-of-all-trades and borderline supersoldier skilled in all manner of weapons.

Tyrannical Charisma A
A composite Skill of Charisma and Sadistic Constitution, themselves a composite Skill denotingof a person's charm as well as the natural talent to command or unify an army or country, and a Skill denoting the ability to augment one's aggression in battle. At first it's a completely positive Skill, but the longer its owner stays in battle, the more their abusive and bloodthirsty disposition grows, causing them to lose their usual composure.

The more one attacks, the stronger one becomes, but the more one's defensive abilities drop as well. In addition to this, the Charisma that at first drives the user's army forward regresses from a reason of 'faith and belief in the user' to 'fear and an unwillingness to disobey the user', turning the powerful army of loyalists into an equally powerful army...of terrified sycophants unwilling to risk their necks in the face of a true tyrant. The army experiences a boost in offensive capabilities, but the longer they fight, the more prone to hysteria and confusion they will be.

Near the end of his reign, Nader Shah became a paranoid and nihilistic ruler who would order the executions of suspected enemies and anyone who could ever begin to oppose his paper save for his family. In fervor of his idols, he stacked high towers of skulls as posts to quell rebellions and a sign of terror to his enemies, like that of Amir Timur's own methods. His army, once reverent of their hero and savior, now looked upon him as an irredeemable monster they themselves had propped up as shah, and followed his commands not out of belief in their ruler but of the fear that to disobey was to lose their lives. It's no wonder they turned on him in the end.



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Bond 4With the fall of the Safavid Dynasty came the incredibly short-lived Hotaki Dynasty, raised by the successful rebellion under the Hotaki banner. It promised the people a better life, better conditions, anything to placate the desperate citizens to garner their support. In reality, there was little change to the peoples' lives. Mahmud Hotaki was revealed to be as weak, inexperienced and depraved as the Safavids themselves. With a woman in his arms and a glass of in his hand almost all the time, it grew clear that Mahmud had wanted to indulge in luxury over properly ruling his people. So when Tahmasp escaped his prison and declared himself the true claimant to the throne, looking for allies in his cause, Nader promptly joined his side.

At first he was yet another footsoldier in Tahmasp's rebel army under the command of Fath Ali Khan, but when he found that Khan was a traitor and double agent, he promptly revealed the fact to Tahmasp, resulting in Khan's execution and Mader becoming the chief of the entire army, and thus the right-hand man of Tahmasp himself. Under Nader's command and ingenious tactics, the army carved a path through Iran and constantly pushed back the Hotaki army, despite said army being at least ten thousand men stronger. Quickly making his way to Isfahan, Nader led a ceremony that liberated Isfahan from the Hotaki tribe and restored Tahmasp to the throne, leaving him none the wiser to his true goals.

As Tahmasp's head of the army, Nader promptly left on a military expedition only a month later, setting out to retake the lands the Ottomans had taken during the Hotaki rebellion. During that time, Tahmasp attempted to recapture Yerevan in order to assert his restored position but failed miserably and lost everything to the Ottoman Empire. When Nader returned two years later in the middle of the war to report progress on the battlefront, he was enraged to find that Tahmasp had lost all his hard-fought victories. Only two years after Tahmasp had regained the throne, he was forced to abdicate the throne via Nader's machinations. Three years later, in March 1735, Nader Shah successfully drove away every Ottoman and Russian invader and once against reunified all of Iran. So impressed with his military record and constant successes were the Persian elites that they proclaimed his lineage was fit to rule Iran as a dynasty.

In the beginning of 1736, only a year after his victory, Nader was crowned the shah of all of Iran, establishing the Afsharid Dynasty. Finally, Nader Shah had reached the kingship he'd always craved. He'd grown from a poor herdsman's son to the ruler of all of Iran. A picture-perfect rags-to-riches tale that could tug any person's heartstrings with ease.

And still, he wanted more.

With the throne of Shah his and the last bastions of the Hotaki Dynasty's supporters being systematically wiped out under his guidance, Nader now turned his attention to the Mughal Empire of India, seeing it's crumbling military and it's abundance of riches to loot for himself. The dynasty was practically disintegrating thanks to a combination of conniving nobles, neighboring rival countries inching their way into Mughal territory, and droughts and famines souring the population's belief in their ruler. Under the pretense of hunting down any remaining Afghan supporters of the Hotak, he and his army marched into Mughal territory, initially intending to do only what they had claimed they would do.

And then, while marching to Kabul after having taken over Ghorband and Bamian, both of which were Afghan territory, the governor of Kabul, Sharza Khan, decided to instead attack the oncoming army with the town's garrison to attempt to drive them away.

All of a sudden, Nader had an excuse to invade the rich Mughal Empire. After all, they had simply marched in to drive away Afghan warriors from the Empire 'as a token of good will', and for their efforts the Mughals had attacked his army instead. Now that the Mughals had lashed out in such a cruel move, he could now use the reason of 'retaliation' to justify his conquests. With that knowledge in mind, Nader immediately ordered his army to lay siege to Kabul, starving the city into a weakened form before immediately taking the town over, destroying the tower of Aqa-bin and causing the citadel to surrender. While overseeing Kabul's affairs in order to keep a potential cash cow running, he sent an envoy to the capital to attempt to reason with the Emperor that his army had acted only in self-defense since Kabul had attacked first.

The envoy was promptly killed while in Jalalabad by a vengeful Afghan refugee. When Nader heard of his envoy's death, he finished handling the province of Kabul's problems and complaints, roused his army, traveled to Jalalabad and promptly destroyed the city in revenge of his envoy's death, almost three months after it had actually happened.

---

"I wasn't satisfied with what what I had. Of course I wasn't. How could I be? I had ascended to the throne, and all I had was a piddly country where all my hard work had just had flushed down the drain, and I had to fight to reclaim Georgia and Armenia at that. I had worked hard to build the country up little by little, and I had gained a country that was worse off than when that braggart Tahmasp had taken the throne. If I wanted to fulfill my ambitions, I would need a rich country to take over, to act as a foothold for the beginning of my world-spanning campaigns.

"And...well. India was right there, practically holding up a sign that said 'Please shoot me' to every country around it, given just how much the country was basically falling apart at the seams. I wasn't going to say no to such an easy target. Stop giving me that look, it's not like the Mughal Empire was going to stand by the end of the year as it was. And the plunder we'd gained from the expedition was well worth the journey. If I had the chance to choose differently, I'd still choose to invade India first and foremost.

"...Master, why are you backing away? Is there somebody behind me?"



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Bond 5Noble Phantasm:

Bloodstained Invasion, The Marble Crown Crumbles

Delhi Qatl-e-aam

Rank: B
Classification: Anti-City, Anti-Populace
Range: 1-50
Maximum Targets: 5000 people

"For your transgressions against my men, and your foolishness in the face of my might, know that you shall pay the price tenfold over. The best way to beg for mercy is to understand that none shall be given.

Bloodstained Invasion, The Marble Crown Crumbles

Delhi Qatl-e-aam

. Grovel before me, you worthless things."

Perhaps the most infamous event Foreigner had ever been responsible for, this Noble Phantasm is a recreation of the Sacking of Delhi, where ten of thousands of Delhi citizens lost their lives at his command. It was the event that marked the peak of his military career, the event that earned him the reputation of the 'most dangerous monster of all of Asia'...and the mark of Foreigner's descent into true tyranny.

In life, Foreigner had hosted multiple durbars in Delhi to discuss the fate of the city with Muhammad Shah after the Persian army had encircled the city in preparation to siege it. During one particular durbar, a rumor passed around the city about Foreigner's assassination, an ignoble death at the hasnds of a vengeful female guard of the palace. Invigorated by the rumor, the citizens rose up in number, rioting all across the city and attacking the Persian invaders. Of the massive army of Persian soldiers, approximately 3,000 Persians died in the ensuing riots, and it was said that some were found in pieces, torn asunder by the feral rage of the mobs who had been whipped into a rabid frenzy by their own courage.

When Foreigner learned of the killings, he grew enraged and ordered that the city be sacked and the citizens slaughtered. Giving his entire army free reign to plunder, kill and desecrate as they pleased, he unleashed a massive force on the defenseless civilians of Delhi over the next six hours. By the end of the day, the approximate calculations of casualties totaled over 30,000 citizens massacred, with an additional 10,000 women and children taken for slavery. So great was the massacre, so ruthless his army, that it was said that before the sacking was even halfway over, the city was covered in corpses like a blanket over the ground. For the deaths of 3,000 of his soldiers, the city of Delhi had paid the price tenfold and over.

A Noble Phantasm that recreates this heinous act, it can only be activated once two conditions have been fulfilled:

1. Foreigner must either sustain a severe injury, or his enemies must believe he has died.

2. An ally of Foreigner must either sustain a severe injury or die. The time of said injury does not matter, so long as his ally has 'been harmed in the wake of his death'.

When activated, Foreigner summons forth a great Bounded Field that encircles an area of his choosing, and can encircle up to an entire city. Within the Bounded Field, Foreigner summons forth effigies and simulacra of his soldiers in life, unleashing them onto his enemies to indiscriminately wreak havoc and murder on the entire encircled area. Due to the limitations of his Saint Graph, he can only summon 5000 soldiers as opposed to the full might of his army, but even this is more enough to swarm everything within and butcher them wholesale.

---

Hoarfrost Throne of Endless Ambition

Takht-i Tāvūs Yilkith

Rank: A++
Classification: Anti-Territory, Anti-Unit (Self)
Range: 50
Maximum Targets: Everything in range

"Come, O Throne of Frost and Icy Tears. Devour all that is pure before me. Engulf all that is sullied before me. Go forth, and claim the land of my enemies in the name of the White Fortress.

Hoarfrost Throne of Endless Ambition

Takht-i Tāvūs Yilkith

. I will allow you to shiver as you die. Praise my generosity, worms."

When the Massacre of Delhi ended and the Mughals begged for mercy, the Mughals were forced to not only turn over the keys to the royal treasury and multiple other valuables to sate Foreigner's burning rage, but they also allowed Foreigner to plunder the region for several days as he pleased, desperate to keep what remained of their citizens alive however they could. Of the massive plunder Foreigner had gathered from his campaign, he'd taken the legendary Koh-i-Noor and Darra-i-Noor diamonds and the fabled Peacock Throne, but even that was not enough for him.

During the plundering, army used the chance to spread out and loot surrounding territories and monuments as well. Cities and towns were plundered for able bodies and what valuables they might have had, agreeing to reconvene with their respective plunder to return to return to Persia. Not just Delhi, but various cities in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh were plundered to maximize their loot gains under his command, as a cruel show of power to the Mughal Empire.

Of these ransacked monuments was the Taj Mahal.

Within the vaunted halls of the great mausoleum, the soldiers marched and stole whatever they pleased. The chandeliers, screens and golden shield reported to have been ransacked by the Jat State of Bharatpur were left untouched, seen as too heavy and unwieldy to bring with them across the desert in summer. Instead, the soldiers would turn to stealing the numerous jewels and precious stones adorning the massive tomb, sometimes resorting to ripping the very jewels from the walls if Foreigner ordered them to. This act was what ripped away the last bastion of hope for India, for now they saw that nothing was sacred, no corner of the world safe from Nader's endless maw of ambitions...and it was what wretched away control from the Fortress that once begged for the approval of the King of the World.

Originally a combination of 'the Peacock Throne' and the concept of 'authority of power', the inclusion of the Fortress' powers have manifested another ability to the Throne. When this Noble Phantasm is activated, a throne manifests behind Foreigner, taking the form of the opulent Peacock Throne covered in an eerie pale blue hue and an perpetual chill.

When Foreigner sits in the Throne, frost and stone immediately begin to branch out from under the Throne and crawl over the ground, engulfing the nearby vicinity and exponentially growing in speed the longer Foreigner sits on the Throne. The frost acts as an expanding border, marking the area as an ever growing 'territory' under Foreigner's beck and call. Within the territory, the temperature drastically drops to bone-chilling, the world seems to be put through a cyan filter as the natural light warps into a cold ice blue that grinds away at mental defenses, and, if the area in question belongs to anyone in particular, they will find that they have lost control of their own home field, leaving them trapped in a maze of their own making. Though the field is nowhere near as powerful or deadly as it's actual origin, it is still incredibly versatile as what can only be defined as a weaponized form of Territory Assimilation, and can be seen as grafting new areas to the Fortress.

Of cousrse, there are two major caveats to this Noble Phantasm. First, the Throne can only manifest in 'enemy territory'. It cannot appear in Foreigner's own lands, or the lands of those he is allied with, so trying to use the Throne during a fight in Foreigner's own turf will fail, and the Throne will fail to manifest. Secondly, the Fortress' fury at this Noble Phantasm's existence causes another side effect to sitting on the Throne. The longer Foreigner sits on the Throne, the more his own body hardens and freezes. If he isn't careful and spends too long on the Throne, he could be rendered into a living, if barely mobile, ice statue. To maximize the full usage of the Throne requires a careful balancing act to avoid screwing himself over.

Intrusion. Annexation. Authority of power, turned into a symbolic mockery of his enemies. The act of desecrating the mausoleum had inadvertently opened a path to a long-dead fortress of marble and permafrost, it's consciousness squirming and writhing in sheer rage. And yet, despite it's anger, it could do nothing against Foreigner, for even if he was but a pretender to the throne of Rlim Shaikorth, he was still the man who sat upon the Throne and drank deeply of it's inconceivable powers. Not a 'master chosen by the fortress' but an 'invader who usurped the crown for himself', a contrast to the Fortress' desired master in it's entirety. Perhaps that is why even though Foreigner sits upon the Throne, the Fortress refuses to transform him into another iteration of the White Worm.

Because to do so would mean that Yilkith would acknowledge him as a worthy master and king. And that is something it will never, never do.

---

Lightless Jewel of Subjugated Misfortune

Koh-i-Noor

Rank: C+
Classification: Anti-Unit
Range: 2-40
Maximum Targets: -

The fabled' Mountain of Light'. One of the most cursed jewels in all of history, said to bring death, despair and misfortunes abound to all who owed it, and said to be of particular renown to Foreigner. For you see, legends say that when Nader Shah first acquired the Peacock Throne and saw the diamond affixed to the throne, he exclaimed 'Koh-i-Noor!' to describe it's brilliance. In other words, he is a one who gave the diamond the moniker it is known as today, bolstering the connection Foreigner has with the diamond.

Housing over five hundred years of grudges, hatred, vengeance and curses, the Koh-i-Noor should be stronger than it's current state. However, due to the nature of Foreigner's Saint Graph, this Noble Phantasm was decreased in Rank to make room for the connection to Yilkith in the first place, dropping a full two Ranks in order for the connection to get through. A Noble Phantasm shared between the many people who possessed the diamond (more often than not dying from the curses within, it is rumored), the Koh-i-Noor's power and effects vary wildly depending on the Servant's association with the diamond.

Being the one who is said to have named the Koh-i-Noor, Foreigner's rendition of this Noble Phantasm allows him to accumulate curses and unleash them on a single target given enough time. In other words, 'naming' a target and unleashing a 'Mountain of Curses' as prevalent as the Mountain of Light on them. Not only do the curses gradually wear away at the target, increasing in power over time, thanks to the legend of the Koh-i-Noor inviting misfortunes onto their owner, it can also cause the target's Luck to drop exponentially. In stats terms, it would equal the target's Luck dropping by 2 Ranks, or 3 Ranks if the Servant is from the Middle East. An ultra-dense and ultra-precise targeted pseudo-Mystic Code that can be called the curse equivalent of a hollow-point sniper round.

...As one might understand, it's a surprisingly effective and dangerous Noble Phantasm, and one that should not be underestimated.



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Bond ExtraWith the conquest of Kabul and the destruction of Jalalabad followed two of Nader's most famous military exploits in history. As Nader's army moved on from Jalalabad towards Delhi, Nasir Khan, the governor of Afghanistan, heard of Nader's movement and hastily gathered a massive army of tribal warriors to attempt to fend off Nader's troops. Though they were barely trained and almost certainly inferior in quality to Nader's soldiers, they attempted to make up for that quality difference through sheer numbers, boasting an army size ranging from 20,000 to 50,000 warriors according to historians, in comparison to Nader's own 10,000 able soldiers, while he had 12,000 soldiers acting as reserve troops.

Hearing of the army awaiting him at Khyber Pass and understanding that the pass itself was a natural bottleneck, he instead had his army flank the army through a side mountain pass and ambushed the army, despite having been said to lead his entire army through some of, if the single single most, unnavigable terrain in the Middle East, taking the army by surprise. Despite the enemy army's sheer size, and their surprising successful rousing and call to arms in a valiant last stand, Nader's army won and took the warriors hostage, killing those who resisted to the bitter end. This maneuver has been called 'a masterpiece of warfare' by multiple military officers, and the ambush was so impressive that it is commonly known today as the Battle of Khyber Pass despite barely being a battle at all.

His single most famous exploit, however, is the famed Battle of Karnal, considered a true tactical masterpiece and the single greatest achievement Nader Shah was ever responsible for. After winning the Battle of Khyber Pass, and subsequently conquering Peshawar, Attock and Lahore in succession, the Imperial Court of the Empire was in turmoil over the repeated losses of territory to Nader. Even worse, the army was finally moving for Delhi, and thanks to their route and positioning they had a straight shot to the capital. With no other choice, Muhammad Shah personally organized a war camp and took to the field himself, bringing with him 75,000 able-bodied soldiers, 25,000 troops who would man the thousands of cannons and war elephants brought to the battlefront, and 25,000 non-combatants specifically dedicated to tending to the wounded and keeping morale up while acting as reserve soldiers, joined by two of his most trusted regents and their respective armies as well, for a grand total of 200,000 troops in all. Compared to that, Nader's army was vastly outnumbered with reportedly only 55,000 soldiers on his side with an even smaller war camp of 45,000 reserve troops and non-combatants for a grand total of 100,000 soldiers. It was a clean-cut battle. A conclusion as clear as day. The combination of superior numbers and military skills would win Muhammad Shah the day, even if their artillery was outdated and the army wasn't as coordinated as he'd desired. That was his reasoning as his army intercepted Nader's outside of Karnal, and his surety in his army's victory.

It was a clean-cut battle. A conclusion as clear as day.

It took Nader's army only one hour to destroy the Mughal army's front line and scatter the army, using a combination of feints and ambushes to drag the army into three fronts. It took them two hours to capture and imprison Sa'adat Khan, the first of Muhammad Shah's trusted regents, and would Khan Dowran to such an extreme degree that even when rescued, he would die of his injuries the following day. And finally, it took them only three hours to blockade the Mughal army's logistical lines and force Muhammad Shah to surrender. Of the Mughal casualties, there were approximately 10,000 dead and 20,000 grievously wounded and unfit for further battle. Of the Persian casualties...they had only 400 dead and 700 wounded, with most of these injuries being fairly minor in the aftermath.

It was a completely, utterly, definitively crushing defeat. One that no human alive, living or not, could ever even begin to attempt to refute.

Marching to Delhi in triumph, Nader was immediately brought to the palace to begin negotiations with the Court, hosting multiple durbars while occupying the capital in order to continue his goals. During one such durbar, rumors of his assassination began to circulate throughout the city, bolstering the courage of the citizens furious at the occupation. They rose up, lashing out and killing reportedly 3,000 Persian soldiers in their rage and...

...The Sack of Delhi is a still-reviled event in today's history. Even more so the callous demands for reparations for the lost lives of his men after the massacre itself. His men stormed the Mughal treasuries and cleaned them out, ravaged nearby towns for valuables and people to sell, and even went so far as to desecrate sacred monuments and temples for their precious and semi-precious stones.

And when the deed was done, when Nader Shah had returned to the province of Khorasan with the plunder he and his army had gathered, he sat upon the Peacock Throne he had taken from the Empire, deep in thought, and gazed upon the vast yet small expanse of his kingdom. And he was content.

...Later years would show that after taking the Peacock Throne, and the Koh-i-Noor affixed to it, Nader would grow afflicted with various illnesses, slowly going mad with paranoia and regressing into a monstrous, warmongering and increasingly cruel ruler who would punish his subjects over the most minute things. It was no wonder that during one of his military campaigns, his own soldiers would turn on him, and stab him to death in his sleep. He had, after all, become a monster in human skin, and his soldiers had seen it firsthand.

Or maybe he was always a monster in human skin. Maybe he was always the cruel and tyrannical despot he'd shown himself to be in later years. For when he ordered the Massacre of Delhi, he was said to have watched the people of Delhi die with a solemn face, steeped in something akin to sorrow.

And 'something akin to' sorrow meant that it surely wasn't actual sorrow.

---

"The Throne spoke to me when I sat down. Whispered eldritch secrets and words of hateful wisdom into my ear when I gazed over the land. I am not a fool, Master. Yilkith despised me for what I had done to steal control of it and I knew that perfectly, but I understood the implications of what I needed to rule the world. A simple human could never rule it in it's entirety alone and with mortal means. To even begin to piece together the world-spanning empire I desired, I would need all the resources I could get. All of them, supernatural and mundane alike.

"Do you want to know what I felt when I watched Delhi burn? The same thing I'd felt all my life, from the moment I was born to....well, not the moment I died, perhaps, but a day or two before then. Nothing. I felt nothing at all. Oh, do save that pitying gaze for those who deserve it, Master. I have long since come to peace with this affliction of mine. My dream was an impulsive decision, further bolstered by my ambition and self-confidence built over the decades. But for all that Yilkith despised me, it was still forced to give legitimate advice to my queries. In the end, it had no choice but to obey, it seems. Perhaps it's machinations didn't require me being oblivious to them, or perhaps it wanted me to know that my downfall would be my fault and mine alone in advance, but either way I used the Fortress, and in turn the Fortress used me. Neither of us were oblivious to that fact.

"And my downfall, in the end, truly was my own fault. My affliction, it is called 'psychopathy' in modern terms, yes? And, if I remember correctly, I went through a 'mental devolution' the longer my reign went....Yes, that sounds about right. In my last days, I was unsure of my subjects' loyalties. I had blinded my son in public view. I had spearheaded multiple military campaigns to conquer lands outside my empire's borders and spared just enough funds to support the people. I had punished my men for the smallest of offenses with the cruelest of options. I had to be sure. I had to pit them to the blade, and execute them for the slightest sign of betrayal. In hindsight, that decision was an impulse amplified to perpetual usage as well, brought by my untrusting thoughts and my inability to understand why they were worried of my reign.

"My court feared me. My soldiers wavered before my presence. My people could no longer bear to see my face without silently weeping in terror. And in my final moments, even when the grip of death's presence tearing it's way into my mind and soul, and Yilkith's presence finally leaving me in relieved ecstasy, I saw that the reason my empire feared me was all my fault. And do you know what I felt, Master, when I came to that final revelation at the very last seconds of my life? Right as the steel of Salah Khan's blade began to touch the skin of my neck and the fear of death seemed to vanish, as if accepting of the end?

"...Nothing. I felt nothing at all."



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RelationshipsArash: "I know of Arash Kamangir, of course. Any Persian worth their salt knows of the man who created the border between Iran and Turan with a single arrow, even if it cost him his life to do so. He would have made a truly amazing archer in the army back then. Perhaps he could have even become the head of my archery unit. Yes, Master, I still used archery as a tactic back then, the silent arrows were always good for long-distance silent kills in the right body part. Why do you mention him?

"...That's him, right there? Truly? Ahem, excuse me for a minute, I need to check to see if I can gain Golden Rule with my Imperial Privilege as well, one moment."

Darius III: "Darius? That is his name, correct? He's been following me for quite some time now. Growling the entire time, too. I understand that I was called 'Persia's Alexander the Great' but that doesn't exactly give him a reason to be enraged with me. Not that I can think of, at least.

"Oh. So he actually wants to study tactics from me for his own usage. Normally I would be against spreading my tactics to the masses, but given that he is a fellow countryman and seemingly genuine in his intent....Eh. I might as well. Perhaps we'll see a long-awaited victory for his army in this lifetime."

The Hassans: "The Hashashin were not lost from history when I ruled. I have heard tales of their supernatural prowess, their very bodies and souls having been rendered into perfect weapons honed for the sake of silent killing. Seeing them in the flesh, relatively speaking, shows me their true dedication to honing their craft. It's enough to make me want to commend them for their work. At the same time, their presence does feel quite underwhelming for some reason. Perhaps it's because their history was lost since my death. Hm."

Gramps: "...! This feeling....It's the same as what I felt before Salah Khan ended my life. The 'instinctive fear of death'. o that man is the closest humanity has to 'death incarnate'....I should retire to my quarters for now. Even Yilkith screams in terror in the presence of that wraith. If you need anything, just let me know."

Nezha: "A...highly advanced robotic chassis capable of self-autonomous control? Would you perhaps allow me yo examine you? Just, just for a second. I have incredible amounts of riches if you're willing to give me....five minutes, maybe six, maximum."

Nemo: "So this 'Nautilus' is a vehicle that was traverse the seas with the added benefit of going underwater and still being able to navigate the waters via technology? Tsk. If only blueprints for such a machine had existed in my time. Then again, I have no idea how to recreate such a grand mechanical beast with such complex internal workings with my people. And it's not like I had fully began expanding outside the Gulf yet. Truly a shame."

Lakshmi Bai: "I have heard word of her exploits, rebelling against a British annexation of India despite all the misfortunes and setbacks she faced during her time as Regent of Jhansi and one of the leaders of the rebellion as a whole. Even if her rebellion fell after a year and a half, she made do with the bad hand she wad dealt however she could. At the very least, I can commend her on her resourcefulness and her tenacity. Hmm...she would do well in a position as a tactician for the army, but at the same time given my sacking of Delhi she will surely have grievances with me. What to do, what to do...?"

Iskandar: "So this is the man they nicknamed me after? I can certainly feel his Charisma, even from here, and despite his boisterous demeanor his eyes don't really do anything to hide just how calculating and cautious he is at times. Hm. How interesting. I'd certainly like to speak with him one day. Perhaps he'll even be up to a spar in the simulator.

"Actually, Master, is the simulator occupied right now? I'm thinking of seeing if it can host a war game between him and I."

Napoleon: "Na...poleon? No, not the true Napoleon, but the idealized image of him. I've heard that historically, he states me as an idol of his, and called himself the 'new Nader Shah' in my image. Finding out that such a great commander looked up to me long after my demise is surely a great honor even now. I wonder if he may be willing to speak of his own exploits to me sometime. There are always hidden sources of information or lessons to be had in even what one might call their students, it seems."

Angra Mainyu: "It's rancid. The stench of endless evils, endless grudges stained into your soul. I can practically taste the curses seeping from your body even now. And you say you're supposed to be just a scapegoat that was gained his name? If this was the amount of 'evil' a mere scapegoat had gained b being dubbed 'Angra Mainyu', I dread the notion of Chaldea somehow ending up with the real deal."

"Ahura Mazda": "He used his Noble Phantasm on me today, you know. It was odd, feeling it scour around my soul to help me reflect on my life and see how I'd left the world around me and if I'd ever change even one decision I could make. And I would. I wouldn't have executed so many of my subjects during my reign if I knew it would have led to my downfall. Perhaps then I could have truly conquered the world in life. There were some truly useful people I had put to the sword thanks to lack of knowledge. Hm. Perhaps I should go to see if ■■■■■■■ is up to using his Noble Phantasm on me a second time."

Peter the Great: "Peter the Great is here, in Chaldea? Yes, I know who he is. I know him very well. We fought on the battlefield more than once during the Russo-Iranian War. He's very good with a blade. Fairly annoying in his persistence, though. Convincing the Russian invaders to leave Iran was such a hassle with him leading them back then. Tsk. I'll need to avoid him for the time being."

Nur Jahan: "Grace? Elegance? What worth is grace when you are covered in sand and dust from endless travelling? What meaning is elegance when you desperately wrench your sword in the path of an enemy's blade to stave off injury? Your descendant attempted to follow your example, and exercise grace on the battlefield with his generals. It took me only three hours to take said army apart like a toy. Grace and elegance are unnecessary things. What is needed is ruthlessness, cunning and a cold heart, both in battle and out. That is all."

Jhalkaribai: "Well, Rani Jhansi told me that to stall her death, an imitator stepped up to create a diversion and led British troops away to allow for her escape, but I didn't think you looked like....this. My apologies for mistaking you for her, I wished to ask her a few things on the tactics she used during the rebellion....Oho? So you were her military advisor as well? Well now, this is interesting, but I'm all ears. Ah, before you begin, would you like anything to drink beforehand?"

"Little Vicky": Foreigner can often be found reading through history books and historical warfare accounts in his room while Victoria has fun in his room with some of the other Child Servants. When asked about it, he simply says 'She isn't bothering me. If anything, she likes looking at the Koh-i-Noor when she's around. Calls it a fairy tale princess jewel.'

Yeonsangun: "'Feel'? How should I know? More importantly, why is that of any importance? Such sights elect nothing of importance for me, in the end. Crushing rebellions, breaking the spirits of dissidents, those are mere chores I must deal with before my next sleep. What enjoyment is there to be had in cleaning a canteen? What joy is there to be felt in disposing of food scraps? Must I deign to express some modicum of needless awe at the sight of my subjects' terror? Even so....as a foreign ruler who dares to challenge my reign, I suppose I will have to fight you sooner or later, in the end. Do not worry, Yeonsangun, Tyrant of Joseon. I shall lead your fractured country far better than you ever could."

The Antikythera Babby: "I have been told that her Noble Phantasm allows her to know the positioning of any relative area given enough humidity or a water source....hm. She would make a fine compass for when I finish conquering the land and l need to move on to traversing the seas, but...not yet. I cannot jump ahead so quickly. For now I'll focus on my land campaigns first and foremost. The seas shall wait their turn."

Genghis Khan: "His tactics were quite enlightening to me in life when I first began my military career, and even now they never cease to surprise. I have some new notes on environmental hazards and subterfuge that I'd like to review later. Preferably in combat or a war game simulation. I hear one of those Grail Front War Simulations is being planned at the moment, I'd like to see how to participate in them."

Amir Timur: Seeing each other, they say nothing. Gauging each other carefully, with Saber squinting as her head tilts and her form relaxes. This continues for several minutes. When it seems like neither of them is going to move, she suddenly nods, and they shake hands. Afterwards, she's frequently seen chatting with Foreigner about Genghis Khan and her own exploits while he occasionally writes notes down on some parchment.

Mumtaz Mahal: "Ahem. Well....this is quite awkward. I don't exactly know what to even say here."

Shah Jahan I: "Do not speak to me, failed descendant of conquerors. In your depression, you lost the will to live, and in your resolution you lost the will to fight. I have no need attempting to speak with a frigid corpse. How ironic that a frigid corpse like I say such a thing as well."

Perhaps the closest thing you might ever see to Foreigner being genuinely angry despite his affliction, heonly interacts with Shah Jahan no longer than absolutely necessary and often refuses to have anything to do with the Mughal Emperor. Perhaps it is some manner of spite, or perhaps the classification of him being Foreigner's Natural Enemy is far, far more connected than one might expect.




Related DialogueArash: "...Truthfully, I'm not fond of him, Master. Something about his presence reminds me of Afrasiab, amplified to an almost-physical aura around him. I...I don't know, there's just something off about him, and it makes alarms go off in my mind."

Darius III: Darius is often found with Foreigner, mulling over war diagrams of theurs and each piecing together different approachesto the same situation and how best to attack hypothetical enemies. It seems that now that Foreigner doesn't need to worry about enemy countries stealing military secrets, he's loosened up and sort-of taken Darius in as a student of sorts, training him in the way of warfare for entertainment.

The Hassans: The Hassans are wary around Foreigner, opting to keep their distance whenever they're near. They're always ready to use their Noble Phantasms on him should they ever need to. Occasionally, if it becomes too much for her, Serenity needs extra cuddles from Ritsuka to handle Foreigner's Insanity field (to Mash's and Kiyohime's annoyance)

Gramps: "Contractor, thou art worthy of my trust. Thy actions hath proven such sevenfold. That is why, I must warn you. Tread carefully around that cruel ruler, Master. Even as he prays in faith, his words ring hollow, and his eyes hold no faith, no love, nothing at all. That man....is a shell both filled yet hollow. And of those men, all have been cruel monsters who had to die by the Order's blade. Whether he is different or not remains to be seen."

Nemo: "I don't like him. Not, not because of anything he's done to me, but I've heard of what he did to Delhi
back then. Just being around what could be called the arch-enemy of modern India, it makes my skin crawl and my rage boil....Sorry, Master. A captain's got to keep a cool head and all, I just can't do that when I'm around him."

Lakshmi Bai: "It feels as if he's looking down on me, Master. Even when he clearly isn't paying attention to me, something in my mind is constantly on edge around him, as if it's trying to incite me into anger all the time. I don't....I don't know. Something about his presence feels wrong, even morso than the other Foreigners'..."

Iskandar: "What? The 'Alexander the Great of Persia' is here?! Truly?! Wahahahahaha! Well, I'll certainly need to go meet him now! Maybe a few spars or some war games will give me some good insight on him! I'd love to see just how skilled at conquest he is, after all! Aaaaaah, I can't wait to see which one is the better commander between the two of us, heheheh."

Napoleon: "Nader Shah?! You mean THE Nader Shah is here, Master?! Of course I knew of him, even the historical me idolized his power and military skill as a child! Who do you think I fashioned my Grande Armee and their formations from? Oh, I'd love to hear about some of his campaigns from him when I can get the chance!"

Galatea: "A man who is physically incapable of feeling love....what a cruel existence. What a cruel and despair-worthy existence. I wish to teach him what it means to feel love, but at the same time part of me already knows that it'll fail. Even then....even then...."

Angra Mainyu: "...You managed to do it. I thought I'd never find someone else who'd ever feel like that Kirei guy, but you actually managed to do it. Master. How did you do it? How did you manage to summon a man more hollow than that priest?"



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Bond FinalWhat is a Father?



"....I'm not a good person Master. Even I know that fact. I'll squeeze every possible penny from a person if it means I can get away with it. I'll crush enemy countries and swallow them whole if it means I'll have more land to add to my kingdom. I'll cripple or kill anyone I even suspect of opposing me to secure my own reign. All these things, and if I had the chance to redo my life I'd do everything exactly the same.

"Do you understand, Master? When I yelled 'what is a father' when Reza's eyes were delivered to me, I wasn't saying it out of grief. I was saying it out of realization. No father would blind his own child in a fit of rage, however cruel they are. No father would ever accuse their child of trying to assassinate them in the first place. And yet, I suspected him for his knowledge of my trips and his motive of the throne. Only after my orders were carried out did I realize Reza couldn't have tried to assassinate me. That someone in my court was trying to frame him.

"....I spent so long asking myself just what it meant to be a father, and only then did I realize it. Perhaps that is why I wear the persona of the tyrant so frequently now. Because it is easier and simpler for me to do so, as if that mindset were something to naturally slip into. Being tyrant requires only cruelty and ruthless bloodlust. A father, at the very least, must be able to love their child.

"And I cannot do even that, in the end."

An ancient, almost-rustic stone throne, nothing like the Peacock Throne of fame. Sunlight shines on the emblems carved into the stone, and a damp chill rises from the throne itself, as if trying to cloak you in a cool breeze. It is not nearly as intricate or embellished as the other thrones you have seen before, but it surprisingly fits you to a tee and somehow feels comfortable to sit in to boot. Is it a throne that Nader Shah made himself, or a throne once connected to his life the same way the Peacock Throne is? Only he himself knows.

When you sit in the throne and the sunlight streams down from the sky, people have said that it's 'as if a crown made of sunlight manifested on your head'. Whether or not you are deserving of the crown lies entirely in yourself and your actions.



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Art SourcesThe faceclaim for this complete asshole was some Prince of Persia I found in a pinterest right here, though it doesn't actually say just who drew the original photo so I can't help you there.

The Bond CE is from this blog about Iran...and a bunch of other Iranian cultural legends and myths, even though there's not a lot to use. It's a pretty nice throne room pic, so I decided to use it for the profile ngl.

NotesI thought long and hard about how to characterize Nader Shah, in all honesty. I'd thought of ways to hammer in his callous, ruthless calculations. Storyboarded his personality and how to connect his genuine skill in military tactics and warfare with his clearly deteriorating mental state. Built him up as an uncaring, empathy-absent monster who was still considered an equal to Alexander the Great to this very day. I built him up as a legitimate psychopath.

So in the end, I turned him into a psychopath.

I'm not talking about the little 'haha jokey jokey' insult you throw at your friends when you call them a psycho. I'm not talking about the Hollywood dogshit where the hero or one of the hero's allies calls a mad villain a psychopath while they're laughing evilly and hamming it up. No, I mean Nader is now a psychopath by medical and psychological definitions.

Do you know how psychopathy is caused? It's not like sociopathy, which is a psychological disorder brought about by trauma or some form of event that stunted a person's ability to emphasize with other people. No, psychopathy is caused when a person's brain is physically defective. Specifically, it's when the section of the brain where emotion production and impulse control is underdeveloped and smaller than the norm. Psychopaths are quite literally born into the world, not created.

When I say that Nader didn't feel anything throughout his life, I'm not saying it to be edgy. I'm not saying it to be a cringeworthy dipshit. I am saying it because thanks to his brain defect, Nader Shah is physically and psychologically incapable of producing and understanding the chemicals linked to emotions. He quite literally can't feel anything. He's not a typical Chaotic Evil Servant screaming about how Chaotic Evil he is and how his ambitions will make men's blood curdle and yadda yadda yadda. He's not a card-carrying monster who wears his atrocities like a fine suit.

He's a psychopath.

In the strictest of definitions, he's a psychopath. He has no empathy, because he doesn't have the emotions needed to emphasize with other people. His dialogue feels janky and flat, because he's only pretending to display the semi-understood moods needed to make his intent come through as genuine, though occasionally he does a good job at doing it. His decisions seem impulsive because his impulse control is inherently stunted. And yet, he is a tactical genius and a military mastermind, because everything he does is calculated and planned through pure, cold logic, tinged only by his poor impulse control. He cannot feel sorrow. He cannot feel anxiety. He cannot feel doubt. He cannot feel even fear. He cannot feel anything at all.

....His existence is surely cursed, and blessed at the same time. You can even see his 'mask' drop if you pay attention, though it's kinda blatant tbh.

Also, apparently fucking Joseph Stalin called Nader Shah an inspiration and one of the historical figures he learned from, but I don't like Stalin so I'm leaving him out of the Relationships here.

[TrueMrMultiverse]

Quite the intresting character Scotch, makes me wanna see him interact with Rasputin

[RoydGolden]

Servant Watcher:

Appearance:

Source

True Name: "Olympia"

Alignment: True Neutral

Alternate Classes: Lancer, Rider, Striker, Binder

Strength- B
Agility- B
Endurance- B
Mana- D
Luck- A
NP- B

Personality

A vigorous girl gushing competitive spirit. As a Watcher-Class Servant her duty is overseeing her Master's growth, and Olympia interprets that by encouraging them on the path of an athlete. She insists on a training-regimen tailored to their talents and berates them if they slack off. While weakness is no sin Watcher has nothing but barbs for those who refuse to better themselves. However she genuinely cares for her Master and believes fulfilling your potential is true happiness.

Adores physical competition of all sorts and never backs down from a challenge. Holds great affection for Heracles, who she calls "Papa" for founding the Olympics in legend. Likewise, Watcher views the athletes who participated in her games as "family".

...Although that doesn't keep her from displaying less seemly emotions around them. The truth is, while seeming a chaste athlete, Watcher has a more lewd side enamored of muscles. She doesn't care whether they belong to men or women, as for her the constellation of muscle-groups is a beautiful harmony, akin to the Golden Ratio. Her usual composure evaporates to a blushing and drooling mess before such individuals. It's truly Heroic Spirit Watcher's greatest weakness.

Her wish on the Grail is simply to form a "harem" of all the powerfully built heroes from across history. That girl... who does she think she is, some Otome protagonist?

Likes: Heracles, muscle, competition, olive-oil
Dislikes: laziness, inherent limits, war
Talents: all the skills needed for an athlete, coaching
Natural Enemy: Theodosius

Class Skills:

Watcher- B
A Skill characterizing the eponymous Class, it signifies the Watcher's special contract status towards their Master. As spirit of the Olympics Watcher's summoning is accompanied by countless shades, those of past champions in her games. While wraithly and unable to interact with the world, they can tutor her Master by showing examples of what sort of strength they wish to attain. Ensuring her Master a finest pick of the ancient world's athletes to nurture and guide their development.

Shadows

Leonidas of Rhodes:

Source
One of Antiquity's most famous runners, whose lifetime record of twelve Olympic wreaths stood unmatched in the ancient world. His all-around physical prowess was said to have made all previous theories of racers' training and body-types obsolete. Despite his military bearing, Leonidas is an affable man who advises his Master to balance their training and not neglect any part of their body.

Melankomas of Caria:

Source
A boxer known for his peculiar style, evading his foes until they exhausted themselves to defeat without ever throwing a punch nor being hit himself. A serene man, his lessons emphasize footwork and knowing when to resolve conflicts without force. It's possible he hid an overwhelming power behind his pacifism, such that he never used in life for fear of not just killing his opponents, but destroying them utterly.

Cynisca of Sparta:

Source
Spartan princess and first woman to win at the Olympics. At the time women were forbidden to even set foot in the Games, but Cynisca subverted this rule by entering the chariot races, where the olive wreath was awarded to the chariot's owner rather than driver. Though Cynisca's chariot rode to victory, she herself was denied the stage to claim her reward.

A fierce warrior-princess, Cynisca emphasizes the importance of pride and breaking impossible boundaries.

Milo of Croton:

A towering Pankrationist known for his gigantic strength in feats such as carrying a newborn calf on his back every day until it were a four-year-old bull. Boastful and boisterous, Milo emphasizes strength-training although he has a surprisingly philosophical outlook from being educated by Pythagoras.

Heracles:

The Heracles. Mythic founder of the Olympics and all-round monster slaying badass. Summoned outside the Berserker Class, Heracles is for once allowed to show his true personality unbound by Mad Enhancement. A compassionate man burdened by guilt for what he did in the throes of madness. He teaches archery and controlling one's rage so it doesn't cloud their judgment.

Nero:

Infamous emperor, er, empress of Rome. Participated in the Olympics and while knocked off her chariot, declared she would have won had she finished the race. Upon that somewhat tenuous logic Nero was crowned 'victor'. A romantic and self-supremacist, the Empress of Roses emphasizes aesthetic in one's technique and believing one can accomplish anything.

Pelops:

Source
The other mythical founder of the Olympics. Yes, it's complicated. Seeking to marry Hippodamia, Pelops entered a life-or-death chariot race with her father King Oenomaus. He won appealing to Poseidon, who bestowed him a chariot pulled by four untamed pegasi, and sabotaging his rival's vehicle by substituting its lynchpins with waxen replicas. A headstrong man, Pelops secretly carries regret for his underhanded victory. He advises his Master on pragmatism and the importance of choosing their battles.

Territory Infringement- B
The ability to slip into occupied territory without being noticed, bypassing any manner of barriers that'd bar entry. A hallmark of the Watcher Class defined by being able to observe anywhere undetected. The Olympics in modern times are a celebration hosted all over the world, transcending national boundaries. As their personification wards and Bounded Fields will instinctively welcome Watcher rather than keep her out.

Universal Bird's Eye- D+
The capacity to understand everything within a limited territory in which they are summoned, limited to sight, hearing, and magical energy detection at rank D. This information is shared between the shadows, allowing them to notify the Master of these observations. Watcher can scry her surroundings from the view of an Olympic stadium. However this clairvoyance only extends to anything considered an athletic competition.


Personal Skills:

Arete

Wisdom

Of The Olive Crown- A+
An athlete masters their body, devoting to the utmost in their chosen field. Those lives who raced along a single unwavering path all converge on a single place,

Arete

excellence

- much as countless means of research can lead to the fount of knowledge Mages dub Akasha. And as spirit of the Olympics that very pool is within Watcher, allowing her to access the tributaries of talent that fill her.

From discus to javelin throwing, sprinting and long-jumping, horse and chariot riding, boxing and Pankration, even trumpeting all can be displayed at B~A rank. Even though a champion could train their whole life mastering just one of these crafts, Watcher can freely utilize them all just by borrowing that experience and muscle-memory. A "universal athlete" who excels at every Olympic event. "It'd be embarrassing if I couldn't win the games named after me, right?" she says beaming.

Furthermore, through her Noble Phantasm and Watcher Skill these prowesses may be taught to her Master. Although which ones they pick up and how well naturally depend on their personal proclivities...

Olympic Torch- A
The torch epitomizing the Olympic Games. While a modern symbol it traces back to rituals of lighting a hearth dedicated to Hestia to open the Games in ancient times. Either way that flame has come to stand for valor and perseverance of the Games, burning in the hearts of athletes everywhere. As a Servant that torch is a physical tool spouting fire she can manipulate. The sight of this flame imparts an inspiration effect and instead of burning fortifies the defense of those it touches. Watcher can strengthen herself akin to the Mana Burst (Courage) Skill or buff her allies by wrapping them in blaze.

Eye For Athleticism- B+
As spirit of the Olympics Watcher has an eye for identifying the physique of others. By focusing she can see someone's dominant muscles highlight beneath their skin in a golden glow. The target's musculature becomes a constellation Watcher can study with different groups lighting up when they use them. She can then read an opponent's attacks by seeing what muscles are emphasized, target their strongest point to debilitate, or tailor her training-regimen to optimize their growth.

However this Skill's drawback is Watcher can grow... distracted admiring the muscles of particularly fit individuals, often turning to a blushing and drooling mess around them. Despite being able to predict their attacks she may fail to dodge just because she's so busy ogling them.

Noble Phantasm

Kleos Kotinos

Olive-Crowned Victory

Rank: B

Type: Support

The Olympic Games were the most momentous cultural occasion in Ancient Greece. Countless souls gathered across the provinces to compete for glory and fame immemorial. Those who won had their names etched in myth forever as heroes or demigods, while even the defeated gained respect for their valiant efforts. Though mundane men and women of their era, victory at the Games elevated them to living legends. It could be said the Olympic Games of old were a means of transmuting ordinary humans into Heroic Spirits.

Watcher's Noble Phantasm is her very namesake, the Olympic Games themselves and everything they entail; a kiln of legend where heroes are born. Upon summoning, it passively warps the Grail War into the Olympic Games, forcing her Master into situations where they'll have to display wrestling, long-jumping, riding and so on. Should they meet these challenges head-on her Master will be slowly molded into an all-around athlete able to match blows with weaker Servants.

Then she may invoke this Noble Phantasm's true name to finalize their transformation. Watcher manifests an olive crown in her hands, a shimmering green wreath of light representative of those awarded to Olympic victors. She lays the crown on her Master's head, and it dissolves into wisps imbuing them. This allows them to channel one of the champions comprising her Watcher Skill, becoming a Demi-Servant with them. Which shadow they evoke depends on their compatibility, but they can gain Melankomas' flowing footwork, Milon's strength, Cynisca's charioteering or even Heracles' archery. These talents supplement any abilities of their own, so rather than merely aping the past it's taking what they've learned to surpass them, a true embodiment of Olympic spirit in Watcher's eyes.

The crown can actually be used at any time. This Noble Phantasm's first stage is merely acclimating her Master's body and mind to host the soul of a legendary hero. Should it be invoked without that preparation, they'd surely tear apart from the spiritual strain.