Yo! Listen to the theme on this one, it's good- in the epithet as usual.
The history of magecraft on the North American continent is a topic of varied historical debate by scholars. Due to the proportionally vast space as compared to the relatively sparse number of inhabitants when comparing to the rest of the world, and the large majority of its various civilizations only reaching an equivalent to the bronze age by the time that europeans entered the playing field, it presents a large scale mystery-sanctuary and thus fostering of unique magical heritage. The influx of european mages upon the establishment of the colonies provided an opportunity for many theorists and researchers to experiment in a land as rich in mystery as it was opportunity, to the point that future discussion is still prefaced to this day by declaring studies as Pre or Post-Colonial.
From the mid 1600’s to 1864, this environment fostered a sort of golden era for magical study in this (European-perceived) land out of time that would grow into the fledgling United States of America. It was a sort of miniature renaissance, with many great american mages being alive for some part of it- Berzinsky, Morrison, Heiderserdht, Lemuel, Vulmarian, Sketch, Franklin, Montour, Handcock, Jyuranorillo, Von Ordelia, Oddens, Smythe-Botacelli, Adair, Whitman, LeFleur, Douglass, Twain, Murasame, even Baum, who was but eight years of age at the end of the era. However, none of those revolutionary figures would have such an effect as the one who single handedly brought the end of it.
When speaking of him, there is a certain air of indignation among some mages- he himself was certainly not one, and when confronted with their presence in society as his importance grew, he wholeheartedly rejected them. It was not denial, but complete acknowledgement and rebuke. Despite knowing nothing of spells or curses, he was fully conscious of what he had done- and there was a complete acceptance of it, and total repulsion from him at the same time. It was an odd, offputting refusal to engage with a mage’s mage mindset in any way, despite his scorched-earth method being something one could easily find similarities in. A human atom-bomb.
America’s Flame-Baptism Bodhisattva
True Name: William Tecumseh Sherman
Class: Foreigner
Other Classes: Watcher
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Place of Origin: United States of America
Parameters:
STR: B
END: C
AGI: B
MGI: C
LCK: D/-
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 152 lbs
Likes: Theatre, Painting, Whiskey, the works of Shakespeare, his wife, Grant
Dislikes: Warfare, Journalists, Politicians
Talent: Work-Life Separation
Natural Enemy: Nikola Tesla
Attribute: Man
Traits: Divinity, Hominidae Servant, Humanoid, Servant, Seven Knights Servant, Weak to Enuma Elish, Anti-Hero
Armament:Flame and Fist
Catalyst: A tied railroad spike rolled in ash
Lore:
Born to a Presbyterian family in Ohio in 1820, Tecumseh Sherman (later gaining the Christian name William after being rebaptized as a Catholic, his father having died and he having been given to a foster family to raise), would grow up as a bright, occasionally odd, but still well-liked young man. At the age of 16, he would be enrolled into the prestigious military academy at West Point at his foster-family's behest. This action would start a lifelong set of paradoxical happenstance. All four years there, Sherman stood at the near top of his class- he was extremely intelligent in both traditional academics and those regarding warfare, but his taste for the military lifestyle and adherence to its values was horrible- by his own estimation, he recieved approximately 150 Demerits per year.
Joining the army in its artillery division after graduation in the Second Seminole war. The actions against the native people were notably, by his own memories, very distasteful to him, to him there was no reason to remove a population so small, they were of no threat; he seemed to purposely distance himself from service after this, getting himself assigned to purely administrative duty all the way off in California, where he would accidentally help to kick off the Gold Rush by doing the inspections and signing off the papers to the Gold Mines in the Monterey region. Retiring as soon as possible, he would engage in a series of misadventures as a civilian (Surveying the land for Sacramento, Owning a Bank, getting Married, Passing the Bar Exam without studying, etc), before becoming a Military College Superintendent in 1859. This venture back into the sphere of the military however, would be a poor decision for him.
The rumblings of the south's secession were starting- when the news of the first to leave traitor states, South Carolina, reached the academy, Sherman could be found pacing, crying, and spouting prophecies of ruin, that it would be the end of the whole country. As others left, this merely compounded, and by 1861, he had resigned from his institution- heading now to President Lincoln in Washington DC, to convince him to appoint him as a member of the military- a fast bid to try and fix things while they were still in the beginning stages. This is what he told himself anyhow- as Lincoln called for men to join the Military for a 3-month venture, Sherman would reportedly remark, “You'd be better off trying to put out the flames of a burning house with a squirt gun.”
Starting off as a Colonel, Sherman would be one of the few commanders to come out of the disastrous defeat at Bull Run with any sort of distinguishment, fighting alongside his men while leading them out without major losses, grazed by bullets in doing so. His regiment was of notably higher morale, and while his faith in his ability to lead was shaken due to the loss in battle, when Lincoln made the rounds to visit the troops, he promoted Sherman to the rank of General. This was seen as a betrayal by the man, who had made it known that he was not comfortable with the lives of so many soldiers- which made more and more sense, as his mental state rapidly declined. He would maintain positions, fighting defensively, and keep winning battles, but there were more and more losses.
This all would culminate in a complete mental breakdown- he would be shipped back to his wife in Ohio. His (birth) family had a history of mental instability (and a burgeoning set of Mystic Eyes across the last few generations), and his wife, Ella, a mage of little renown, would use magecraft to try and figure out how to bring her husband from the throes of madness. When she looked within his mind, however, she saw only flame.
Through the effects of aforementioned eyes, Sherman had (by his later recollection) “fallen in to the holes”, his unique vision allowing him to peer through the tears in the warring country into the space beyond reality- until something stared back. Ella would end up having to toss Tecumseh upon their home's hearth, she would recall, as one day he burst into a cocoon of flames- a state which he would remain in for a period of two weeks. They did not touch his body, but wrapped around it like a second skin, trying to sink into it. Ella would do what she could over the period, but she feared she would have to end his life to break whatever unidentified spell it was… until one moment, the flames were gone, and he was awake.
As he would explain it, Tecumseh had locked eyes with some being from beyond the stars, looking in on their realm due to the smell of conflict, as it occasionally did in times of conflict. This was the Adversary of Flame, and as the man had locked eyes with it's own singular one, it attempted to take over his corporeal body- however, unlike others who would look into the realm of the old gods, Sherman had not fully lost his mind- was it waning and degrading under incredible guilt and duress? Yes. But he had only reached the realm of insanity through a superhuman ability- and thus he fought in a contest of wills. At first to free himself, then to escape without the eldritch being following him back to reality. Thanks to Ella's assistance, eventually calling on his military contacts to send various mages to assist, he would make it back- only taking a minor portion of the Nemesis's flame with him.
This all however, had caused a revelation within Tecumseh. He knew that if you could solve the source of division, you could close the tears- and as the southern states breaking away were the start of the holes appearing in the land… he saw only one course of action.
The following military Tenure of Sherman as a General marked him as a pioneer in the field of warfare, advancing the fields of Maneuver and Hard warfare- he is seen by modern military scholars in the same category of strategist as Scipio Africanus and Napoleon Bonaparte. During his march to the sea/the Savannah campaign, his burning of anywhere that he walked was so thorough, due to welding the flames of the Nemesis, that he would burn the mana out of the soil, completely ruining the state of Georgia in terms of suitability for practitioning magecraft. Even in the modern era, its leylines have a hampered output- showing the fragility of America's mystery-haven monniker.
After the war, Sherman would be tasked with handling the Indian wars, which he notably tried to proceed peacefully with, and later became the Commanding General of the entire United States army, and Secretary of War for a short time. Retiring, he would live out the rest of his days in New York with his family, a patron of the arts, before dying of pneumon in 1891 at the age of 71.
Personality:
For the inventor of hard/absolute war, and summoned under the Foreigner class, Sherman is an incredibly casual sort. There are few grand speeches, no crazed shouting, low murmurs of terrible things from beyond, no desire to spread flame. Instead, the moniker used by his troops, “Uncle Billy” makes much more sense. He's a responsible, yet wry sort of fellow, at the same time no-nonsense, yet with a twinkle in his eye that contains an undeniable human element. He's a soldier who doesn't think highly of soldiering, a commander who has no real wish to tell others what to do. He'd much rather be there for someone rather than be in charge of them. He doesn't seem to ever get actually angry, and is more of a people pleaser than anything else- though dislike and disgust are certainly on the table, he will absolutely mouth off. Again- Uncle Billy. Great for watching the kids, but they may learn a few bad words.
In combat situations though, this somewhat unassuming, yet sturdy personality disappears. Colloquially known as, “locking in”, Sherman, when on the battlefield becomes a deadly mixture of serious and serene. Away goes the casualness from his demeanor, and in settles America’s supreme commander- utterly unshakable, with the ruthlessness and efficiency of something that has detached themselves from humanity. It is kill or be killed- this is the man who coined the phrase, “War is Hell.” after all.
Despite all this, at his core, the feeling that there is worth in every human life is what is most integral to characterizing him as an individual. This is the principle that guides his decisions.
Class Skills:
Existence Outside the Domain: A
A skill of the Foreigner Class, denoting association with a being who descends from the void of outer space. Sherman hosts a section of the Nemesis of Flame’s authority. While normally this would result in an EX ranking, it is due to the circumstances of their “contract” that it does not rise to such a rank.
Divinity: D
A skill that marks a heroic spirit as having aptitude as a divine spirit, as well as being a skill of the Foreigner Class.
A skill that was achieved through a state reached in life, bolstered an extra rank through the captive flame of the Nemesis.
Insanity: -
A skill often seen on servants of the Foreigner class- while not a Class Skill per say, it is common due to the context by which many bonds are formed with otherworldly entities. Sherman had a complete mental break during the early stages of the American Civil War, owed both to a family history of extreme mental illness, and the experience of war. He would be shipped home to his wife, where his insanity would be documented, before eventually returning to service.
”I got better.”
Personal Skills:
Charisma of Absolute Conviction: B
A composite skill involving the effects of Charisma. A special sort, fueled by an unflinching nature.
”Those who come after me can call me what they wish, they can say whatever they want, think whatever they do about my skills as a general. I however, firmly deny any form of military tactics skill showing up on my Saint Graph. I’ll take a classification under charisma, I’m proud to bear the respect of my men, but God help the throne, keep that dreck off my spiritual core.”
Mystic Eyes of Fission: A
Historically referred to as Eyes of Tearing by Sherman for the sake of simplicity, Fission is the technical designation. However, even this moniker is not technically correct, as the ability of the eyes is to, “gaze upon that which will be torn asunder, and explode”. It is a form of clairvoyance specifically tailored to viewing disaster, as regardless of what is being split, whether it be a physical object, magecraft, an emotion, or even a notion or sentiment, Sherman can see it.
Should it be split enough though, Sherman is able to ‘activate’ the divide, causing a combustion to occur. Whether it is a physical, magical, or emotional explosion, depends on what is being split. Additionally, the initial separation must not be by design- something like a human brain, despite being split in two hemispheres, naturally forms that way meaning that technically, it is still whole.
"I had known for the longest time that there was something wrong with how I saw things- at first it was just intuition, a feeling, that something would go wrong. Then, these little black marks- sooty little divots in things and people that were gonna crumble… Now- I hadn't confessed this to anyone but my wife, and not but once- we’d had a fight, it was over something… so trivial that I can't remember it, but something so personal that it put a legitimate strain between us. I'd gone down to the woods to cut some lumber for the stove-pile, but when I went to pick up my axe, I'd found one of those little divots, those holes, in my wedding ring. Needless to say, I went and apologized to my wife that evening, and it went away. NOW. Imagine you were me, knowing these little holes lead to things breaking, but you still had hope of fixing it. Imagine, knowing that, and seeing them pop up, and grow wider, deeper, and more plentiful, every day. Would that not weigh on you?”
Mana Burst (Otherworldly Flame): B
A version of Mana Burst that infuses weapons with Magical Energy that imparts a flame effect.
Sourced from the gate split by Sherman’s Mystic Eyes, they are not extinguishable by ordinary means, instead being quenched by electricity or Foreigner’s command.
Heaven Through Violence: EX
A skill which only activates while in combat.
Represents a form of enlightenment reached through the absolute relinquishing of feeling, and acceptance of consequence. Reduces all damage taken by a fixed percentage, and nullifies all mental, and luck checks.
"In my time, I had heard the American motto was that of ‘Manifest Destiny’- the dream was to be allowed to do as you would, should you be able enough to do so. However, as I have been brought to the throne, it has occurred to me that this is not the case- instead, I feel as if it should be the name of this skill- to Reach Heaven Through Violence. As it has been explained to me, the nation of The United States of America is a divine inevitability- no matter what happens, in what timeline, it will eventually exist. And now, once established, when the greats of America are born, live and die, and ascend to The Throne to be as servants- it is because we are violent. It is because we eternally fight, we crave conflict, we have the will to carry out this most unholy curse placed upon us which compels us to go to war- and I have reached the pinnacle of that. By shedding all I could to engage in a practice so thorough that I had spiritually cauterized the soil of my homeland, do you know what went through my mind?
Nothing. Not until it was done.”
Noble Phantasm:
Mystery’s Curie Point
March to The Sea
Type: Anti-Mystery
Rank: A++
Range: 30 meters
Max Targets: -
A Noble Phantasm that activates when Sherman decides to pursue a target. Should they be close enough to activate, Sherman will be able to mentally lock on to them and reveal their location to himself at all times. As he begins to move, massive flames will begin to emit from the smoldering footprints he leaves behind, eventually spreading and melting into craters. A similar ungodly heat will emit from Foreigner, flames that normally only envelop his left arm, forming a sheen around him in his entirety. While he himself is immune, the flames are all-consuming, eating away at both mystery and Mana itself. It is a divine sobering, a metaphysical manifestation of the idea of an all-consuming war, that takes and takes and takes, until there is nothing left.
A Noble Phantasm born from Sherman’s titular march to the sea- a nearly year long campaign of Sherman hunting down confederate general Johnston, characterized by a lack of fighting due to Sherman’s oppressive maneuvering, and the complete and utter destruction via fire of anything he came across, military or civilian. As previously mentioned, using the Flames of the Adversary, the earth would be so scorched that it would be rendered unable to produce any statistically significant amount of mana-
leading to the subsequent scramble at the tail end of the century to preserve its mana and mystery en-masse, spawning efforts such as L. Frank Baum’s Oz Project. He is undeniably the most significant figure in American magecraft because of it, in the same way that
Thomas Midgley Jr is to the earth’s atmosphere.
Relationships
Florence Nightingale:
“Even a lady such as yourself, to behave like that… well, s’pose that’s how it is with us, yeah?”
Geronimo:
“Well shit, if it ain’t the man himself! If I’d hadn’t managed to get on desk duty, I reckon I’d have been sent to die at your hands- y’got nothing but my respect, y’all got the rawest deal from us.”
Napoleon Bonaparte:
“Hey- Caesar was fudging those damn rolls at the Risk game last night, right? I don’t care what kind of charisma he’s got, that was bullshit.”
Xuanzang Sanzang:
“-So this buddhism thing- how’d that all start? I heard of the Gautma guy or whatever his name was, but I’m still confused if he’s the main guy-”
William Randolph Hearst:
“If I had my choice I would kill every reporter in the world, but I am sure we would be getting reports from Hell before breakfast.” (This is an actual quote from Sherman)
Jeanne D’Arc (Berserker):
“I was raised Catholic. My wife was a practicing catholic. While I myself don’t subscribe to all that, I DO have a base familiarity with a few saints, and let me tell you, meeting her has given me yet another reason to mistrust historians. That’s a madwoman-”
Samiel:
“-At least the devil over here’s polite.”
Cain:
"Again- not a religious fella, but I can't help but think that maybe you made it over the pond... would explain why we turned out like this."
Hamlet:
"Hey now your highness- you talk with the uh, the Bard recently? I'm actually a huge fan of his, so- you mind ah, getting him to sign this for me? I'd ask for your own, but I don't exactly know how you uh, feel about the adaptation, I know I get in a funk over that sorta thing."
Diomedes:
"Y'got involved with greater beings- gotta be careful with all that, especially if you can't trust your own eyes anymore. I should know, it almost got me."
Amleth Aurvandilsson:
"Gotta be honest, I'm envious- I only ever traveled outside of my home country when going around South America- I stopped in Brazil, it was a beautiful place- how's it like, voyaging that far, to all those places? Are the memories soiled by having to go there and fight? I can't think of a couple states without that worming its way into mine."
Raden Jipang:
"Apparently there's a name for it, but I always called it battle-burn in my head- that feeling you get when you go to deep into the fight, and then come out of it. It's all hollow, yeah? Well, its never gonna leave unless you start filling it again. S'why I started painting- I'd suggest doing something similar, or you're gonna keep falling deeper."
Hou Yi:
"Now you... you get it. That disconnect, that offness... once you're that high up, it feels weird when you go back."
Shamgar:
"Well son, that's a pretty neat trick you got there, sneaking around like that where I can't perceive ya- I'm sorry to disappoint you though, because, y'see, I'm reaaaaal good with spaces between spaces."
"Frog" & "Scorpion" (Cautionary Tale): "
That's an awful big hole your master's got in themself over there- don't talk to me about morality when I can just blow away the source of the problem, alright?"
The Big Bad Wolf:
"Hot damn, little lady, I'm liking the application here! Most of the folks with marbles around here just pop it like a fool and set it out, but you're actually using the thing with some mental gumption- you able to change what trees you have? I got some ideas for you, there's some stuff you'd probably make good use out of-"
'Rufus' (Demon Core):
"If it ain't the boy who's doing what my Eyes are named after! 'Course, I didn't call it that at the time, but it's good to meet the expert on it all."
Váli Odinson:
"Point that bow away from me if you know what's good for you, I'll burn the bolt outta the air. Don't be stupid now."
Fenrir:
"Don't bite me, you'll burn your tongue- learn some table manners."
Catherine Montvoisin:
"Can't stand poisons myself- though just killing a leader and sparing their forces, that's understandable, i probably would have hired ya."
Yíng Zhèng:
"Son. The downfall of many a man comes at the hands of hate and pride- these things cloud the mind, poison the soul- you can't burn someone to ash with that. If you really wanna kill a man, the flame's gotta be pure. A dirty flame, a burn that ain't clean, y'never know what that's gonna do. It may put them to sleep from the smoke for a softer release, it may not burn as hot, letting them get up and drag you in. I know you avengers ain't never gonna learn, but if you really want a bastard dead, you gotta put your shit aside. Don't even try it on me, that shit ain't nothing to me, son."
Jeanne de Clisson:
"Damn, another one? I gotta tell you off too?"
Creator Notes:
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Originally Posted by MuramasaMachII
