[FF] Grail Works, Ltd.: Fate/Anarchy (Type-Moon/Scion crossover)

[Xamusel]

Kieran's has had a ton of issues with working out a solid, long term partner for his SI character. This is him setting the scene for him to better figure out who will work best without breaking him as an SI or the Grail Works entirely...

O_O I see what you mean... hopefully you and Kieran work this out properly.

[RanmaBushiko]

O_O I see what you mean... hopefully you and Kieran work this out properly.

Look closely at how the Elven deities worked over each type of subset of Solar exaltation, Xamusel. Most types would break the Grail Works entirely, or leave Kieran torn between a position of "helping the Solar Waifu" no matter what he wants to do contrary to that. Or simply "make things worse by far". And with his notes still GONE... ugh. I think you get it?

[Xamusel]

Yeah, I get it... this is gonna suck.

[Arbitrarity]

A very meta take on your conundrum, just write a side story describing the issues you're encountering

The idea of a contest between love goddesses, and comparison of the the Seldarine to the Greek gods is quite entertaining. It does make me wonder a bit about the differences between the Forgotten Realms paradigm of divinity and the Scion one. Not so much the details (though I'm not very familiar with them in 5e D&D) as the metaphysical implications, it's one of those fun things that gives Grail Works some extra depth (the Exaltation is another facet of this entire meta-divinity problem). What's especially odd here is I wouldn't expect the Seldarine to be in the same setting/paradigm/ruleset as Greek gods, at least not directly, which implies some underlying order, but I doubt that the Scion ruleset provides that order.
I assume the gem was sent by Labelas, since he tends to have the most direct contact with Zelretch.

Zelretch referring to Rin as Rin-chan in private is greatly amusing. Just hilarious on its own, no additions required.

The information about Godafrid's... reality-warping effects? is very interesting. We haven't seen that pointed out so explicitly in the story before, though it is implied by his nature as an SI, occasionally by events, and some other stories (Foreigner Galen in some older Trinity cross-overs, for example). A Zelretch's-eye view into the effects and implications of that is really cool. His perspective on temporal paradoxes is also thought-provoking. I wonder what the consequences for Zelretch are of invalidating timelines, and if/how that relates to the Pruning phenomenon.

So the eventual plan might be to have Godafrid sacrifice his Exaltation to become something else entirely? That's a pretty valid solution. I do feel like there's a lot of narrative space still to explore with his capabilities and nature, but I can understand feeling... constrained? by it, thematically, and you do have the entire space of the Servant-verse trip at minimum. The Sin-Eater concept seemed like an interesting way to further explore the entire death theme he has going on, and I'd expect it's not too hard to integrate (since Exaltations reincarnate, they presumably move on after death, but after you're dead, if something else happens...)

It's also incredibly silly that Zelretch's biggest problem here is shipping. There's some cosmic irony here.

[Kieran]

Kieran? What the heck did I just read?

Kieran's has had a ton of issues with working out a solid, long term partner for his SI character. This is him setting the scene for him to better figure out who will work best without breaking him as an SI or the Grail Works entirely...

Basically this, yes.

While Lunars do work fine on their own, a large chunk of what they are (and at least one mechanic) is rooted in the existence of their Solar mate. The problem being, as the chapter said, that Exalts aren't exactly low-powered elements, and the Solars, as the rightful inheritors of the god-kings of Creation, even less so - and most TYPE-MOON characters who'd qualify for Exaltation are either Servants (who, by definition, don't need it), or are major problems.

Sion Eltnam Atlasia, for example (or her sister, for that matter), is a textbook Twilight Caste; she's also the director of Atlas, and while their mission and the Works' does coincide, if we take Fate/Grand Order as gospel, it's not exactly an alliance that would go unnoticed . . . And annoyingly, a lot of those who could benefit from an Exaltation wouldn't really qualify - it'd be a way for Ayako or Kohaku and Hisui to gain powers, for example, but they don't really stand out at anything to catch the Exaltation's attention . . . Well, Kohaku might, given her ability to spend almost a decade planning the murder of her employers and successfully hiding that intention, but would you really want to give her something that emphasised that side of her . . .?

. . . Really, the only TYPE-MOON character I can see qualifying with minimal issues is the female Ritsuka Fujimaru from the First Order anime - because she IS there, and would otherwise presumably have been wiped out by the bomb, since the anime focuses on her male counterpart, otherwise. She would be a natural Eclipse Caste, I think . . .

But it's not a decision to make lightly, assuming it should be made at all . . .

A very meta take on your conundrum, just write a side story describing the issues you're encountering

It was the best I could think of, I'm afraid - it was intended as an omake, initially, but grew in scope to the point I basically decided, "the heck with it."

The idea of a contest between love goddesses, and comparison of the the Seldarine to the Greek gods is quite entertaining. It does make me wonder a bit about the differences between the Forgotten Realms paradigm of divinity and the Scion one. Not so much the details (though I'm not very familiar with them in 5e D&D) as the metaphysical implications, it's one of those fun things that gives Grail Works some extra depth (the Exaltation is another facet of this entire meta-divinity problem). What's especially odd here is I wouldn't expect the Seldarine to be in the same setting/paradigm/ruleset as Greek gods, at least not directly, which implies some underlying order, but I doubt that the Scion ruleset provides that order.

The easiest answer is "yes, and no." Members of the Earth's pantheons have been part of the Realms' "human pantheon" since its inception - the Norse Tyr being the biggest example, though the Egyptian gods of the Mulhorandi are a close second - as the "Forgotten Realms" used to literally describe Aber-Toril (the planet) as lost pieces of Earth . . . This was refined over the decades, and a lot of them have fallen out of general use, but they're still there. Hence, Hanali Celanil (and the human goddess Sune Firehair) being a rival of Aphrodite, and Freyja, is actually canon.

As to how it relates to Scion - well, Second Edition, for all its (many, many, albeit mainly mechanical) flaws, actually solves that issue by introducing the concept of mantles: identities, or pieces of identities, that a deity can discard in order to change their mythos, or gain worshippers they otherwise wouldn't. In-game examples include the Greek gods, who took on Roman mantles, or Vishnu, who keeps reincarnating as different avatars (i.e., Krishna), while remaining himself. So it's not impossible that the deities as they exist in the Realms are the mantles they wear there, as opposed to on (Scion) Earth . . .

I assume the gem was sent by Labelas, since he tends to have the most direct contact with Zelretch.

Yup - partly a polite head's-up, partly "I'm not suffering through this alone . . ."

Zelretch referring to Rin as Rin-chan in private is greatly amusing. Just hilarious on its own, no additions required.

Thank you.

The information about Godafrid's... reality-warping effects? is very interesting. We haven't seen that pointed out so explicitly in the story before, though it is implied by his nature as an SI, occasionally by events, and some other stories (Foreigner Galen in some older Trinity cross-overs, for example). A Zelretch's-eye view into the effects and implications of that is really cool.

With the Nasuverse set up as it is (potential for fictional Outer Gods being genuine entities, so much of its magic being conceptual, etc.), I felt I really should consider what a "self-insert" would really mean. I mean, they have the concept of the Root, so how would they contextualise someone who, on some levels, can decide what the Root actually contains/is, and on others, has absolutely no power or authority (not working for TYPE-MOON, and all) . . .?

This is basically what I came up with in response.

His perspective on temporal paradoxes is also thought-provoking. I wonder what the consequences for Zelretch are of invalidating timelines, and if/how that relates to the Pruning phenomenon.

The only time I know of Zeltretch's actually using Kaleidoscope being discussed, he notes that any possibility he perceives becomes "locked in" by virtue of his having observed it (in Prisma Illya,) specifically - which is why he wouldn't use "future sight." I have to presume that, like the Moon Cell, he has some relation to it, though.

So the eventual plan might be to have Godafrid sacrifice his Exaltation to become something else entirely? That's a pretty valid solution. I do feel like there's a lot of narrative space still to explore with his capabilities and nature, but I can understand feeling... constrained? by it, thematically,

At least partially because he technically covers a "Caster" or "Assassin" slot all on his own, in terms of abilities - and most of the Servants I would think of to pair him with - that aren't completely impossible to justify, anyway - (and Okita or Nobu being obvious exceptions) are in those Classes . . . It's the redundancy of it, if that makes sense.


And yeah, if I went with a Solar Exaltation, I could expand my pool; Kaede Fuyou of the Shuffle! verse might make an interesting Twilight Caste, since it would let her compete with Sia/Kikyou and Nerine - or Shion Sonozaki has the skills to be a Night Caste - but that would kind of defeat the point of its being on a TYPE-MOON fan board, no . . .?

and you do have the entire space of the Servant-verse trip at minimum. The Sin-Eater concept seemed like an interesting way to further explore the entire death theme he has going on, and I'd expect it's not too hard to integrate (since Exaltations reincarnate, they presumably move on after death, but after you're dead, if something else happens...)

True enough - and not something I'd considered . . .

It's also incredibly silly that Zelretch's biggest problem here is shipping. There's some cosmic irony here.

I did want to aim for lighter, after all.

[Kieran]

Somewhere outside and above of Trifas, Romania









He drifted in the dark, only aware enough to realise that he was drifting, that it was dark. It was like dreaming . . .

Dreams and death—two of the elements of Sehanine Moonbow’s divine portfolio, second only to the Moon whose name she bore. Was that why he seemed awake, even as he floated? In truth, he couldn’t even focus on the questions long enough to think about the answers—the veil drawn over his mind was like a sleep-heavy blanket, its weight dragging him down into the depths, into the dark . . .

Where would he go, he wondered idly. He wasn’t a part of this world, just playing the part—and his powers came from faerie deities of another realm entirely, whose claim was just as tenuous in some ways, and unable to act upon the firmer aspects. Maybe he’d just go out . . .?

The things you think about as you’re dying . . .

The pull strengthened—

And something brushed against him.

Cold shot through him—adrenaline, or terror, he wasn’t sure, but it was like all the blood in his body had suddenly been replaced with ice water. The shock of it surged against the pull, trying to drag him . . . Awake? Or was it simply away . . .?

It didn’t matter—he didn’t have the strength left to fight it, and he couldn’t see ANYTHING, and HE WASN’T ALONE IN THE DARK . . .!

His chest began to burn, hot enough to supersede the panic as the source of his mind going blank. For a brief moment, white-hot agony was all he knew; and then, cold again, ice streaking across the burn. Not enough to end it, but enough to alleviate it—

(Faintly, he heard metallic pings, like coins hitting the ground.)

The thought came to him, out of nowhere: cold, like Ymir . . .? He’d been fighting the Frost Titan, hadn’t he . . .? No—those icy streaks had been . . . Fingers . . .?

He struggled between awake and dead and asleep, a consciousness panicked and dreaming and thinking and not able to settle on any of it—

Cold again, but not the cold of ice—the cold of numbness, when all feeling had left. Cold wrapping across his chest, binding his arms . . . And then the tension against his chest lifting, as the burning heat in it returned, even as the chill traced down his arm.

Fingers, trailing across his own. And a whisper, like a death rattle.

“Not yet . . .”








Frid came awake with a start, feeling like his lungs were burning where that unseen hand had trailed across his chest—no, wait, that was probably the shrapnel . . .

Dream, memory and reality swirled in his head, their overlap causing a blurriness not helped by the cold; at the moment, though, he couldn’t really do anything about it. Northern Directional Mastery would probably cut down on the issue (so long as it the cold wasn’t manipulated as an attack, it wouldn’t bother him), but it needed six motes of Essence to be activated, and he had . . .

One.

It was, Frid realised, probably the only reason he was conscious again—and definitely the only reason XX was still present. Going by game rules (which he had no reason not to assume applied), he regained four motes per hour, meaning a mote every fifteen minutes, but would that be fast enough to keep her anchored . . .?

Just in case, since he was far from Erik’s ship (and presumably, anyone’s attention), Frid released the mote that was hiding his tattoos, dumping it back into his Essence Pool and causing the moonsilver glyphs to reappear on his skin. That left him with only an hour to go before he could use that Charm—but it might as well be a year, for all the practical good it did him.

Oh, God, I’m tired . . .








Writer's Notes: Because we've been stalling for too long, even if various things do have us stuck - sorry about that.

[Xamusel]

A hiatus over three months long? *blinks owlishly* I can't believe it... at least you're not George R. R. Martin.

[Kieran]

A hiatus over three months long? *blinks owlishly* I can't believe it... at least you're not George R. R. Martin.

It wasn't intentional, but both of us ended up having unexpected (or at least, immediate) home renovations/repairs need doing which bogged down our writing time, and a few other RL issues crop up which have been chronic, hence my missing a few weekly updates . . . Again, sorry, and I'm hoping things will settle, shortly.

[Arbitrarity]

I'm assuming this is Godafrid paying the price for his Kaleidostick-empowered shenanigans, particularly given that he remembers fighting Ymir.
While there aren't really rules for an alternate version of yourself taking over your body, I think I can generally assume he still drains from a similar Mote pool, and plausibly Willpower.
We also get an indirect view of... probably Hel, if I remember my continuity correctly, though Ereshkigal is also a possibility.

The interesting bit of ambiguity is whether the sensations he's experiencing are something in the underworld, or a muted version of what his actual body is experiencing. It seems likely some of the earlier experiences give us some hints at what's happening while he's unconscious. We know he was picked up by Mordred, but what happens after that is much less clear, and he wakes up alone.

Best of luck with writer's block. I can't work effectively without at least some uninterrupted focus time, and it's probably harder to recover mental context on the state of a story's world.

[RanmaBushiko]

A hiatus over three months long? *blinks owlishly* I can't believe it... at least you're not George R. R. Martin.

Yeah, life got long and hard, and the writer's block for getting the next scene right, even as Kieran keeps *adding to them* has made things interesting, shall we say?

It wasn't intentional, but both of us ended up having unexpected (or at least, immediate) home renovations/repairs need doing which bogged down our writing time, and a few other RL issues crop up which have been chronic, hence my missing a few weekly updates . . . Again, sorry, and I'm hoping things will settle, shortly.

This in a nutshell. I've had a student in Ki manipulation move up here, amongst other things taking up my time. Between this chapter, juggling writing that next D&D campaign when it's my turn again, and tons of other IRL issues, like trying to get my driver's license and a motorcycle permit... it's adding up.

I'm assuming this is Godafrid paying the price for his Kaleidostick-empowered shenanigans, particularly given that he remembers fighting Ymir.
While there aren't really rules for an alternate version of yourself taking over your body, I think I can generally assume he still drains from a similar Mote pool, and plausibly Willpower.
We also get an indirect view of... probably Hel, if I remember my continuity correctly, though Ereshkigal is also a possibility.

The interesting bit of ambiguity is whether the sensations he's experiencing are something in the underworld, or a muted version of what his actual body is experiencing. It seems likely some of the earlier experiences give us some hints at what's happening while he's unconscious. We know he was picked up by Mordred, but what happens after that is much less clear, and he wakes up alone.

Best of luck with writer's block. I can't work effectively without at least some uninterrupted focus time, and it's probably harder to recover mental context on the state of a story's world.

*Chuckles* Yeah, it's definitely interesting, isn't it? Just hard to work around what exactly happened to him, and shoehorn it into what already happened, what with the story having to be very, very inventive with takes on YMIR and his cosmological UTTER BULLSHIT... when crossed with that golem.

[RanmaBushiko]

Chapter 76: On the Razor’s Edge



5 Minutes Prior
Somewhere outside and above the battlefield




Much to her own annoyance, XX spent a great deal of the battle flitting around the edges of it, peppering the enemy with what shots she could get away with. It was hard to say which was more annoying: her needing to fight in a manner that was so contrary to her usual style and her own instincts, or the fact that she did so little damage in the process. Sure, end-of-season bosses were usually tough—but normally, she’d be able to pull out the higher-end attacks by now . . .!

But “normally,” she wasn’t forced to rely on a human Master to anchor her existence; a human forced to shoulder even more of the burden with the violently abrupt absence of the Holy Grail. Her Cosmoreactor might amplify a lot of the energy she had—drawing and twisting the threads of Fate to operate in the favour of heroism and drama—but she was still limited by what reserves were available to her. Just because she could make a ripple of prana hit like a tsunami, it didn’t mean much when she only had a cup of water to work with instead of a lake . . .

It was irritating in the extreme, because this, taking down reality-warping eldritch monstrosities, was the kind of fight her armour had been designed for—

(And it suddenly occurred to her, in the back of her mind, that this battle might have been the reason WHY . . .)

But she had no way to cut loose; not without doing more damage to her Master than even he could likely endure . . .

And that, of course, was when almost every sensor her armour had went berserk.

The burning creature resembled a Mecha Eli-chan, if you eliminated the “mecha” and “Eli-chan” parts of it . . . All right, there wasn’t that much resemblance (and what there was resembled Kirijo Koyo more than Elizabeth Bathory), but a big lizard that used some kind of horrible-sounding attack did bring a comparison to mind. Even with the sound baffling she had in place, XX winced at the first pulse—and the second felt like her ears were being scrubbed out with a power sander . . . Instead, she focussed on what Avalon was telling her—and nearly bruised her jaw when it smacked into the interior of her helmet.

A Kaleidostick energy field, binding two familiar prana signatures into a wholly unfamiliar, but massive pattern . . . Part of her wanted to cheer at the use of a transformation sequence (even if by cheating), another part wanted to whine about how she was supposed to be the one doing that kind of stuff—but ultimately, Artoria Pendragon just grinned to herself. Because she really should have known better; even weaker than she’d ever seen him, forced to stay undercover and without more than half of his usual arsenal to draw on, of course her Master still would find a way to conjure one last trick.

Ritsuka-san was a lot like him, that way.

The sheer power of his assault surprised even her, though—if he’d had it in him for another shot, even the lesser one, he’d have drained its energies totally and inflicted permanent, if minor damage; a second shot of the greater-intensity pulse would’ve literally left it at least half-dead—




Meanwhile




Mordred snarls, struggling to land her Valkyrie as YMIR’s attempts to bash her out of the sky nearly succeed, jerking her mech turned jet around her. Flickers of instinct and intuition flare, as she desperately dodges, instinctively retracting her helmet. Immediately afterwards, her instincts flare, as she spots the slightest distortion in the air, and pulls the Valkyrie into a dodge.

It’s the only thing that saves her, as an icy claw rams into the cockpit, nearly taking her head off as she barely manages to duck in time. Wide eyes from Mordred look up, barely seeing the form of a squirrel in some sort of ice armor, the armor acting as some sort of visual obscuration, from carefully carved grooves in the surface of the ice.

Carefully, Mordred rolls, pulling herself higher and abandoning the plan to park the Valkyrie to getting distance from the nearly invisible thing… then desperately pushes down, as her intuition flares again and again, barreling downwards to dodge the dozens of clawing blows.

Claws, and… horns? She barely makes out, as she desperately pushes the Valkyrie to it’s limits, trying to dodge around the battlefield. Two types, her mind desperately notes.

Then clawed hands rip off the cockpit from her fighter, and she has more concerns on hand, as Godafrid goes flying out of the cockpit towards the ground below.

“Oh, SHIT!” Mordred snarls, wide eyed. Then she breathes out a sigh of relief, as she spots Godafrid’s own servant rushing down to reach him.




Whoops—speaking of “half-dead” . . .

Mid-air rescues were easy. XX had literally done them in her sleep before (in her defence, those first few weeks at her new job had been just exhausting). As such, she coasted in under the plummeting form of her Master and caught him with almost no effort or concentration required—and just before terminal velocity would intervene, too! But the medical stuff was a bit trickier for her. Prana exhaustion, she’d learned to diagnose at Chaldea; she couldn’t do anything about it, but she knew when her Master—either of them—was suffering from it.

The half-molten shrapnel penetrating his chest, on the other hand . . . Well, OK. technically, XX could do something about that, as long as everybody would be all right with another “Okita J. Souji” situation—but since her Master hadn’t seemed to be a cyborg, back then, that implied that she hadn’t, so she probably shouldn’t. . .?

Now she understood why Master had proclaimed a hatred of time travel—and why Sensei had never had anything good to say about it, either.

She had to do something—but all her armour’s on-board medical equipment was calibrated and designed for her. Without access to Du Stallion, more general equipment was out of reach beyond a basic first-aid kit, and that wasn’t really going to help here.

“What can you do, Tori?”

He hadn’t asked her, though the voice was his—it was just her memory of his training. Training her to know her options, go through them quickly, and see what might apply; and if nothing at hand would work, see if anything around her might . . . But really, nothing was coming to—

Sudden realisation brought her thoughts to a complete stop. That was the answer: nothing!

Shifting to secure her grip on her Master, XX plunged down towards ground level, trying to put as much distance as feasible between herself. It irked her to run from a fight; the phrase “tactical withdrawal” sounded cool, but that’s what it was (justifying it to herself as a “medical evacuation” was easier, though). With her Master drained and unconscious, though, she didn’t dare risk his safety—as such, she was several miles away (though sadly, not out of the chill that thing radiated) when she set down.

Once landed, and her Master’s body settled comfortably, XX shut down all of Avalon’s operating systems. Weapons, sensors, reactor, life-support—anything that might draw power from him, she either turned off or dialled back as far as the system would allow, leaning as hard as she dared on her Independent Action Skill. For this to work at all, never mind effectively, her Master needed as much of his own prana available as possible . . .

And it was with an immense sigh of relief that almost immediately after her actions, XX saw his wounds begin to close, even as lines of silver emerged to form strange patterns upon his skin, and his form shifted to an appearance that she, at least, found familiar.

The Mysterious Heroine felt the vise clenched around her throat and heart loosen. While the appearance of those tattoos always meant trouble—generally, that the situation or opponent, whatever it was, was enough that he could no longer afford to waste even the tiny amount of effort used to hide them—it confirmed that she’d remembered right. Master’s self-healing abilities could trigger spontaneously, even while he was unconscious, so long as he had the energy to power them.

And by the look of things, that took the last of his, she thought grimly.

Frustrating as it was, that meant that XX wouldn’t be re-entering the battle for a while, if at all. Unlike a mortal magus, her Master could restore his prana reserves quickly—even burning himself out entirely like this wouldn’t take more than hours to fully recover from—but it likely wouldn’t be quick enough in the timescale of a fight for it to matter.

“Curious,” noted an unexpected voice, and XX jumped, whirling to find—

“Sa – SAPPHIRE?!” the Foreigner blurted.

“Hello, Servant-san,” the collapsed Kaleidostick said, doubling over in a formal bow. “I am pleased to see your Master well, given the efforts he undertook—though this secondary transformation is puzzling . . .”

“He’s vain!” she exclaimed, seizing on the first excuse that came to mind. “The tattoos put people off, and the other appearance makes him look better!”

That his normal appearance was remarkably close to that of his “Godafrid” disguise, XX thought, made it possible that Sapphire might buy it—

“I see,” the Kaleidostick said neutrally. “If you are certain that you will be all right, then, I must return to Olga Marie-sama.”

“Of course,” XX said, trying not to visibly show her relief. “As soon as Master is recovered enough to move, or there’s a clear path back to the Wolfen, we’ll head straight there.”

“Understood.”

Artoria made sure the Kaleidostick was out of sight—and earshot—before letting out another sigh of relief, thanking the Artorium that it was Sapphire she was dealing with. While the “younger” Kaleidostick wasn’t exactly innocent, she was far less trolling than her sister . . .

XX shivered, shoving down the hostile memories of the “~Prisma Causeway~ -Re-Install-” event.

Taking another breath to centre herself, the ultimate Anti-Saber/Anti-Foreigner weapon settled into a guard position. Until her Master woke up, they were out of the fight—but that didn’t mean that the fight wouldn’t come to them. Still . . .

“It looks like it’s up to you, now, Sensei,” she murmured. “May the Artorium be with you . . .”



4:20 AM
The Radioactive Crater

For a moment, Ymir and Erik glance at Arcueid Brunestud near the Wolfen’s left foot. Then Erik nods towards her, before adjusting the massive shield in the left arm, and opens fire with the plasma cannon with the right.

He isn’t exactly surprised as Ymir blurs out of existence, managing to dodge it entirely. Then a chain snaps out into existence, moving to wrap around Ymir’s fleeing form.

It freezes solid, instantly, as it goes close. Arcueid’s eyes go wide in shock as her chain freezes, then shatters from Ymir’s cold.

“Oh, fuck…” Erik breathes out, even as he fires the railgun repeatedly, trying to drive the massive form of Ymir back. Distantly, he can hear sirens wailing in the Wolfen as some part starts to fail nearby.

It doesn’t matter. Not at this point. The Wolfen is doomed anyways, after all. He may as well make sure his ship goes down swinging…!

Erik moves, skills coming to mind and being rapidly discarded as he desperately fights Ymir, trying to hit him with guns hard enough that the bastard will go down and stay down.

Another chain from Arcueid, another failure, as Ymir grins at them both. “Now then, grandson. Those little gnats full of legend that fled from me, hmm? I would ask for whatever power source of legend is in your boat turned metal man, or golem, but I suspect that would be already yours and taken.”

A mechanical scream is his only warning, before Mecha Fafnir drops on him, having dismounted from the Wolfen sometime during it’s impromptu launch away from the blast.

“Accursed metal beast, get off of me!” Ymir snarls, struggling to get out of the grapple.

A third chain from Arcueid snaps out, freezing solid again. Idly, Erik focuses, granting her protection from cold, as he straps the formerly spinal mounted cannon to the Wolfen’s back, and pulls out a massive rod from his shield. Mirrors at the end snap out, before it glows, as Erik’s grin widens.

A glow appears under Mecha Fafnir’s jaw, as it also moves to aim it’s laser cannon at Ymir.

Erik dashes forwards, plates around the bridge section snapping up to give him a perfectly clear view of Ymir, no metal or anything else in his way, as he goes for a weak point…!

Then it all goes wrong as Ymir impossibly moves, breaking Mecha Fafnir MK3’s grip on him, and launching the massive war machine straight into orbit. Moments later, a laser sword carves through Ymir’s ice shield, grazing the titanic golem.

Laughter erupts from the Golem, as he grins at Erik. “Good, good, grandson! It wouldn’t be a fight without actual danger, would it? I remain impressed! Come then, show me what you’re made of!”

Erik pushes the Wolfen further, as far as he dares to, pushing his melee skill in combat to it’s utter limits in an attempt to damage Ymir.

Melted ice armor, shattered ice shields and ice swords that have huge gouges in them is his only answer, as Ymir effortlessly stops him.




Meanwhile…




Mash sits, thinking, as the Mecha Fafnir unit carries her off, along with the other Servants. Petting Fou, while thinking, as the words Godafrid had said minutes before echoing through her mind.

“The alternative is literally watching the world freeze to death,” Frid had pointed out, minutes earlier. “If there’s a better reason to pull out the final transformations and suicide attacks, I don’t want to know what it is.”

After a moment, Mash sighs, closing her eyes. “We’re going to have to do the sort of thing that’s going to be stupid, Fou.”

“Fou!” is Fou’s answer and agreement.

After a moment longer, Mash looks up at the mechanical dragon carrying her off, then points down. “Get us down, I’ll help the fight.”


Mash doesn’t notice the other Servants doing the same thing, as she carefully watches for a moment to strike so she can intervene in the fight.



Erik focuses, watching carefully as he pushes Ymir as far as he can safely dare.

Taking time to aim his blows carefully works to give him better options, but not enough to make up the difference in speed, he finally admits to himself.

“Mordred. I’m going to need you to watch carefully for this, so listen carefully.” Erik finally sends, launching another set of strikes as he does so.

“No problem, Erik. A little busy here, he’s been launching odd creations and they’re doing their best to overwhelm me, but I’m keeping up for now. What’s the plan?” Mordred asks, carefully watching.

“First, your mech should be able to tap into the links to the Legion of Coal. Do so, and-” Erik moves, putting the shield in the way, ignoring the screeching of mystically made ice carving against the former top hull of the Wolfen. “tell them to link your controls to the laser cannon in orbit. When this bastard is at a spot where he’s still and your gut says he won’t move? Shoot him.”

“Got it. Anything else?” Mordred asks, already grinning in anticipation.

“You’re our heaviest hitter if what you did in Yggdmillenia Castlevania is any indication, and we need to get him into position to take a bad hit. So I’m going to prepare for the worst, just in case. I’m going to use two command spells to ensure that we’ll end him, okay?” Erik sends, lashing out with the laser sword again, testing Ymir’s monstrous skill before doing his best to parry and block more attacks.

“Got it. I’ll be ready and waiting, Erik!” Mordred sends, as she starts working.

Moments later, Erik slides the Wolfen backwards, sheathing the laser sword and switching back to the railgun and plasma cannon.

“Not as good with the sword as you are with ranged, hmm? I’ll help you fix that later.” Ymir admits, as he starts advancing towards Erik. “For now, though, I think I have your measure.”

Erik fires, bombarding Ymir with missiles and the railgun as he moves backwards. Faintly, he can see Arcueid disappearing through a doorway as he retreats.

Then he focuses. “By the power of my first Command Spell! Mordred, when your attack is perfectly timed and your intuition tells you it’s the moment, strike him to kill with all your might, skill, ability and power!”

Ymir moves, watching Erik, then pauses to look behind Erik instead. A wide grin covers the golem’s face, as he studies the changing battlefield, before he starts striding forwards.

Erik focuses, as he moves, pushing the shield up to block Ymir, only to blink as Ymir tries to move past him instead.

A glance at the damaged screens answers his questions, as he stares at the 4 Servants on the ground, readying to attack Ymir.

Then Erik snarls, and launches the Wolfen at Ymir, shield moving to bash Ymir back. “By the power of my second Command Spell! Mordred! Use every bit of power in the Gem of Power, to fuel your Noble Phantasm and kill the bastard when the time is right according to your intuition!”

Distantly, Erik can hear tanks groaning somewhere above, as the Wolfen continues to slowly break around him, as he pushes Ymir back, though his eyes narrow as he spots Ymir carefully searching over the Wolfen. For his location, perhaps?




Somewhere outside and above of Trifas, Romania




He drifted in the dark, only aware enough to realise that he was drifting, that it was dark. It was like dreaming . . .

Dreams and death—two of the elements of Sehanine Moonbow’s divine portfolio, second only to the Moon whose name she bore. Was that why he seemed awake, even as he floated? In truth, he couldn’t even focus on the questions long enough to think about the answers—the veil drawn over his mind was like a sleep-heavy blanket, its weight dragging him down into the depths, into the dark . . .

Where would he go, he wondered idly. He wasn’t a part of this world, just playing the part—and his powers came from faerie deities of another realm entirely, whose claim was just as tenuous in some ways, and unable to act upon the firmer aspects. Maybe he’d just go out . . .?

The things you think about as you’re dying . . .

The pull strengthened—

And something brushed against him.

Cold shot through him—adrenaline, or terror, he wasn’t sure, but it was like all the blood in his body had suddenly been replaced with ice water. The shock of it surged against the pull, trying to drag him . . . Awake? Or was it simply away . . .?

It didn’t matter—he didn’t have the strength left to fight it, and he couldn’t see ANYTHING, and HE WASN’T ALONE IN THE DARK . . .!

His chest began to burn, hot enough to supersede the panic as the source of his mind going blank. For a brief moment, white-hot agony was all he knew; and then, cold again, ice streaking across the burn. Not enough to end it, but enough to alleviate it—

(Faintly, he heard metallic pings, like coins hitting the ground.)

The thought came to him, out of nowhere: cold, like Ymir . . .? He’d been fighting the Frost Titan, hadn’t he . . .? No—those icy streaks had been . . . Fingers . . .?

He struggled between awake and dead and asleep, a consciousness panicked and dreaming and thinking and not able to settle on any of it—

Cold again, but not the cold of ice—the cold of numbness, when all feeling had left. Cold wrapping across his chest, binding his arms . . . And then the tension against his chest lifting, as the burning heat in it returned, even as the chill traced down his arm.

Fingers, trailing across his own. And a whisper, like a death rattle.

“Not yet . . .”








Frid came awake with a start, feeling like his lungs were burning where that unseen hand had trailed across his chest—no, wait, that was probably the shrapnel . . .

Dream, memory and reality swirled in his head, their overlap causing a blurriness not helped by the cold; at the moment, though, he couldn’t really do anything about it. Northern Directional Mastery would probably cut down on the issue (so long as the cold wasn’t manipulated as an attack, it wouldn’t bother him), but it needed six motes of Essence to be activated, and he had . . .

Two.

It was, Frid realised, probably the only reason he was conscious again—and definitely the only reason XX was still present. Going by game rules (which he had no reason not to assume applied), he regained four motes per hour, meaning a mote every fifteen minutes, but would that be fast enough to keep her anchored . . .?

Oh, God, I’m so tired . . .

But it wasn’t over yet, because as tired as he was from the effort, he hadn’t managed to slow down Ymir; hadn’t managed, at a glance, to do much of anything at al—

“Actually, Master,” XX interrupted, “you managed to deplete over eighty percent of its estimated energy reserves in repairing the inflicted damage. If you could’ve managed another barrage like that, you might’ve killed it yourself. I won’t pretend that I couldn’t have done better,” she admitted, “but for someone who isn’t a professional hero, it was most impressive.”

Particularly for a single mortal, Exalted or not, Frid allowed.

Hell, considering that historically it took entire pantheons to take one on, the fact that he’d almost run it into the ground was one hell of a feat—except . . . Except that he hadn’t killed it, he had crippled his Servant (who was much better suited to the circumstances) in so doing, and now the pair of them were running on fumes in a dangerous situation which was still ongoing . . .

In short, he’d pretty much botched this entire operation.

Objectively, it wasn’t entirely his fault. Erik and the nature of his usual shenanigans played a big part in things (as Scions, and that one in particular, always did), and the setting of Fate/apocrypha was a disaster by design (given that it basically took a literal deus ex machina to fix things at the end). Combining the two was just never going to end well. . . But at the same time, Frid had screwed up, too— after all the time he’d spent trying to reinforce the idea of covert action and subtlety, at the first opportunity, he was pulling a Shirou and trying to be a Big Damn Hero, instead of working out how to let the locals fix the mess.

And as a result, here they were.

Aloud, Frid said, “I still messed up—sorry, Tori. Can you do anything . . .?”

“I can power my armour’s manoeuvring thrusters, sensors and some of my secondary weapon systems, now that your available reserves have increased,” XX admitted. “In that regard, I’m lucky that your prana is so naturally high-density, that it can do so much with so little . . . But on this scale, I’m relegated to just an observer.”

Even as she lowered her head to let the brim of her cap conceal her face, it wasn’t hard to imagine the frustrated scowl she wore, regardless. XX might be more of an “office lady” type than her younger self, but she was still a woman of action by nature—and he’d completely messed that up for her.

Some “partner” I am . . .

Frid closed his eyes in self-disgust—and jolted, as it brought back remnants of his dream . . . If it had been a dream.

Of course, he scolded himself. Hel was one thing, but she’s no longer involved in this; and XX might get away with this “time travel” excuse, but neither Exalts, Scions or even the Nasuverse are a more reasonable excuse for what you felt than your own subconscious. You’ve been thinking about Tori’s little “La-” slip since she made it, and you know who your favourites are when it comes to Lancers.

Nor was it hard to guess who his subconscious had picked. Neither Jeanne Alter Santa Lily nor Elizabeth Báthory was appropriate for a near-death experience dream, after all (nor his favourite incarnations of either), whereas Ereshkigal was a perfect fit, even if the logic was beyond specious. After all, she didn’t exist outside of space and time, to have met and remembered him before it happened—nor was there any reason she’d do so fondly. In fact, if she was as bad as Ishtar was without a host to filter her (and as a self-proclaimed “Evil Goddess,” she was undoubtedly worse), any meeting between them was guaranteed to be nightmare fuel. And even if they did meet exactly as his inner fanboy might wish, it would require Rin to be her host—which was hardly fair to her—and how would it even happen?

Really, if it weren’t for the fact that that kind of gentleness is more believable from her Saber Alter incarnation, it’d almost be easier to believe that it was Lancer Arturia Alter, given that she and Krampus share a connection to the Wild Hunt, and thus, the restless dead in general . . .

Frid’s musings were suddenly interrupted by unexpected gunfire, causing his eyes to snap open alongside a sudden jolt of adrenaline.

“Sorry, Master,” XX apologised, her voice distorted by her now-armoured form. “I should’ve warned you—it’s beginning to spawn minions, and some of them were getting close.”

“My own fault for not paying attention,” Frid said, shaking his head and causing his body to shiver reflexively in the cold—

As well as a rattle.

The Exalt glanced down at the chain at his waist—the soulsteel chain.

Frid’s mind worked furiously. “. . . XX, your sensors can track power levels, right?”

“Correct, Master.”

“Can you funnel the weakest of the minions to me?”

The Titan was spawning servitors—or its golem drive was “populating” its “garden”—which was not good . . . But not all Titanspawn were god-tier creatures. The Hero-tier creatures could theoretically be matched or beaten by mortals, if they had enough firepower, skill, or luck. And even Essence-deprived to the point he couldn’t even shift his shape, Frid was still an Exalt—with a soulsteel weapon. If he managed to land enough blows, his Essence Pool could be back up to full strength in sixty seconds, not minutes—maybe even less.

And while he’d never pull off that stunt against without Sapphire’s help, he didn’t need to—that was what XX was for.

Comparatively young she might be, there was nothing wrong the Foreigner’s mind when it came to battle—she grasped his meaning instantly.

“On my way, Master!” she proclaimed, blasting into the air.

Frid grinned. They might be far from out of danger—but they weren’t out of the fight yet, either . . .




The Radioactive Crater




Erik snarls as he pushes the Wolfen further, using the massive shield as cover while he pushes the Wolfen to its limits. Distantly above him, he can hear water tanks detonating, and raps controls to snap open vents to channel the water away from the room.

A flood of water entering the room tells him that the vents aren’t operating at all due to the sheer amount of damage the Wolfen is taking both internally and externally, and he needs to take more drastic measures if he wants to keep breathing during the fight.

Moments after hitting other controls, the armor plating over the secondary command bridge snaps open, letting Ymir and Erik stare at each other, eye to eye. The look of utter glee on Ymir’s face as he spots Erik leaves a sinking feeling in the pit of Erik’s stomach.




Mash frowns, looking up at the massive giant, then the hordes that keep trying to distract her so he can eat her. Then she pauses, looking down at Fou.

“Fou?” Fou asks, carefully.

Mash pauses, looking up at the massive Titanic golem again, duking it out with the Wolfen. Then down again, thinking more, as she bashes another foe away with her shield.

“Yes, Fou. I know it’ll probably destabilize me as a proper heroic spirit if I do this. But you know what? FOR SEMPAI! SIC ‘EM, FOU!” With those words, Mash picks up, then throws Fou at the enemy, unveiling her final Noble Phantasm.

For one comical moment, Fou blinks, eyes wide with shock. Then understanding comes as the Noble Phantasm takes, and the massive form of Primate Murder takes his place.

Immediately, Fou’s eyes narrow, as he realizes the truth.

He cannot win this fight. He cannot defeat this foe. Noble Phantasm empowered or no, Kaleidoscope empowered or no, he cannot win.


But as he glances at the Wolfen, he spots something that makes his canine mouth grow into a grin.

Holding this foe down for the one moment that Erik needs, on the other hand?

With a leap, Fou’s teeth crash around Ymir’s leg, stalling the massive giant.

Ymir’s eyes glance down at the being holding him still, wide eyed with surprise. “Volunteering to be dinner first, then?”

Then Ymir’s eyes snap up at the Wolfen rushing in close, a frown growing rapidly on his face. “Grandson first, I suppose…”

With those words, Ymir adjusts himself, arms glowing as a skill or spell of some form prepares, shifting from ice blue armor to a deeper blue.

The Wolfen’s left arm raises up, adjusting the shield so it won’t be in the way of things, a brightly glowing structure underneath, as hundreds of smaller Radiant Wave Surger units fire up simultaneously for what Erik hopes to be the finishing blow.

Ymir’s right fist moves to stop the left arm, only to slide off the shield instead as Erik somehow moves impossibly fast, adjusting his blow to hit instead of miss…

The Wolfen’s left arm hits Ymir’s golem body in the head, as Ymir’s left fist, glowing with a spell, impacts right in front of Erik, and floods him with the effects.

For one moment, the battlefield goes quiet.

Then twin screams erupt from Ymir and Erik, as they both struggle to stumble through the agony they’re feeling enough to draw back, or perhaps kill the enemy first...


Author’s Notes:

Two chunks of chapters, written by us both, put together, blended and mixed into something whole.

Ymir was an exhausting pain in the ass to research, due to Scion first edition having barely anything on him, and Second Edition only barely mentioning anything. Aside from Ratatoskr and Cattle being linked to him and his allies.

The ice armor that they’re wearing, on the other hand, is based on this video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJvGOI263po


My reasoning? Ymir was old, and had to have some trickery and methods to handle his foes. Consider exactly how many pantheons it took to finish him off, which resulted in the Great Flood in most myths from most religions, according to Scion canon.


As for what Ymir did to Erik? You find that out in the next chapter. Where we finally get to the end of the matter...

[Xamusel]

Well played, RanmaBushiko, Kieran. Well played.

[RanmaBushiko]

Well played, RanmaBushiko, Kieran. Well played.

Glad you enjoyed it! *chuckles* Trying to write that up, and figure out what the hell Mordred would deal with that wouldn't let her land the Valkyrie was a pain in the ass, though.

Kieran giving me content that should have been for the last chapter didn't exactly help, either, but I managed to make it work... I think.

And the last chapter is edited, since Kieran caught on the posted re-read what he missed in the pre-reading.

[Arbitrarity]

I can see why that would take a while to put together. The blending is fairly seamless, and I think it's a good choice this late in the story, since all the threads are coming together. We're cashing in on a lot of setup from earlier story elements, which is always incredibly satisfying.

It feels a bit odd that Mordred is under attack while XX is relatively unscathed. I guess Avalon is a lot more manoeuvrable than the Valkyrie, has better sensors, and is stealthier, but it seems odd that XX doesn't even reference those attackers. I do kinda love the Okita J Souji reference, it's very topical. Maybe gratuitous, but still good.

Arceuid feels very ineffective in this chapter, but I suppose either Ymir effectively cuts her off from Counter Force backup, or she's empowered just enough to make the fight winnable when considering her allies, which means she won't necessarily be able to beat Ymir down single-handedly. Still, I definitely feel like we could see a bit more from her.

It feels really funny to see Erik having Mordred use what is essentially orbital-laser-powered Antares Snipe when Chiron is in the story. I'm not exactly sure what kind of reaction Chiron would have to recognizing that, but most options seem funny. Maybe more omake material than main story. That also hasn't actually fired yet, so I guess we'll see it next chapter.

I am very hype for Godafrid blatantly cheating cross-system mechanics with Essence draining via Soulsteel. Elegantly set up, great payoff, satisfyingly munchkin-y trick for this situation.

The Foushadowing has also paid off, of course. Why do I get the impression this is specifically an Anti-Merlin Noble Phantasm?

Also a fun real-world reference with lenses. A squirrel is definitely small enough that it feels more plausible than something human-sized, though I might expect condensation or the motion and varying angles that occur in flight to make that less effective, it still probably wouldn't be useless, especially if Mordred is limited to sight, rather than having radar or something.

[RanmaBushiko]

I can see why that would take a while to put together. The blending is fairly seamless, and I think it's a good choice this late in the story, since all the threads are coming together. We're cashing in on a lot of setup from earlier story elements, which is always incredibly satisfying.

Glad you're enjoying it. This was written, rewritten, and written again multiple times over the course of things, as you can sort of tell.

It feels a bit odd that Mordred is under attack while XX is relatively unscathed. I guess Avalon is a lot more manoeuvrable than the Valkyrie, has better sensors, and is stealthier, but it seems odd that XX doesn't even reference those attackers. I do kinda love the Okita J Souji reference, it's very topical. Maybe gratuitous, but still good.

Yup. That half was written before we wrote about what possible attackers might be existing, but considering she was getting out with her Master and focusing on the shrapnel in his chest...

Arceuid feels very ineffective in this chapter, but I suppose either Ymir effectively cuts her off from Counter Force backup, or she's empowered just enough to make the fight winnable when considering her allies, which means she won't necessarily be able to beat Ymir down single-handedly. Still, I definitely feel like we could see a bit more from her.

Might be more, might not be. Just depends, really. At the same time, keep in mind, Arcueid is very much empowered by her link to Gaia.

It feels really funny to see Erik having Mordred use what is essentially orbital-laser-powered Antares Snipe when Chiron is in the story. I'm not exactly sure what kind of reaction Chiron would have to recognizing that, but most options seem funny. Maybe more omake material than main story. That also hasn't actually fired yet, so I guess we'll see it next chapter.

Right?

I am very hype for Godafrid blatantly cheating cross-system mechanics with Essence draining via Soulsteel. Elegantly set up, great payoff, satisfyingly munchkin-y trick for this situation.

Agreed. I particularly enjoyed his writing of that part. It got me out of my writing funk and got me writing the last few bits to the chapter today, after all!

The Foushadowing has also paid off, of course. Why do I get the impression this is specifically an Anti-Merlin Noble Phantasm?

Quite likely developed as one.

Also a fun real-world reference with lenses. A squirrel is definitely small enough that it feels more plausible than something human-sized, though I might expect condensation or the motion and varying angles that occur in flight to make that less effective, it still probably wouldn't be useless, especially if Mordred is limited to sight, rather than having radar or something.

*wiggles my hand* To be fair, God made bullshit is utter bullshit even in myth. So something coming from one of their enemies? I had to figure that Ymir had to have been hunted down by multiple pantheons for GOOD REASON, to deal with him so.

[Kieran]

I can see why that would take a while to put together. The blending is fairly seamless, and I think it's a good choice this late in the story, since all the threads are coming together. We're cashing in on a lot of setup from earlier story elements, which is always incredibly satisfying.

I'm very pleased to hear that. Though, as you can guess, writing chapters this way takes longer, since we need to integrate them smoothly; and, as RB noted, we're not immune to messing up as pieces are often written weeks in advance - more than long enough for details to be forgotten or missed.

It feels a bit odd that Mordred is under attack while XX is relatively unscathed. I guess Avalon is a lot more manoeuvrable than the Valkyrie, has better sensors, and is stealthier, but it seems odd that XX doesn't even reference those attackers.

One drawback of doing things piecemeal, I'm afraid.

I do kinda love the Okita J Souji reference, it's very topical. Maybe gratuitous, but still good.

Thank you. Honestly, how could I not, when I'm writing for TYPE-MOON fans, and it's XX . . .?

Arceuid feels very ineffective in this chapter, but I suppose either Ymir effectively cuts her off from Counter Force backup, or she's empowered just enough to make the fight winnable when considering her allies, which means she won't necessarily be able to beat Ymir down single-handedly. Still, I definitely feel like we could see a bit more from her.

Arcueid's (in)ability to curbstomp Ymir has definitely been a point of contention - hopefully, the resolution will be satisfying for all parties.

It feels really funny to see Erik having Mordred use what is essentially orbital-laser-powered Antares Snipe when Chiron is in the story. I'm not exactly sure what kind of reaction Chiron would have to recognizing that, but most options seem funny. Maybe more omake material than main story. That also hasn't actually fired yet, so I guess we'll see it next chapter.

I'll see what can be done . . .

I am very hype for Godafrid blatantly cheating cross-system mechanics with Essence draining via Soulsteel. Elegantly set up, great payoff, satisfyingly munchkin-y trick for this situation.

Which is the kind of thing he's meant to do, really . . . No commentary on his other musings, though?

The Foushadowing has also paid off, of course. Why do I get the impression this is specifically an Anti-Merlin Noble Phantasm?

Because you are very intelligent, and well-versed in Fate lore . . .?

Also a fun real-world reference with lenses. A squirrel is definitely small enough that it feels more plausible than something human-sized, though I might expect condensation or the motion and varying angles that occur in flight to make that less effective, it still probably wouldn't be useless, especially if Mordred is limited to sight, rather than having radar or something.

Please refer all technical questions to my co-author - it's out of my league.

[Arbitrarity]

One drawback of doing things piecemeal, I'm afraid.

Yeah, that seemed like the most likely reason.

Which is the kind of thing he's meant to do, really . . . No commentary on his other musings, though?

Valid :P I suspect I had been spoiled by seeing so many snippets in the Grail Works discussion thread, so it wasn't really a novel development for me. It does clarify which death goddess we're probably dealing with, though.

Using "La" as "Lancer" in the context of XX's unintentional spoiler always feels a bit odd, just because you rarely see Servants referring to each other that way in Grand Order's setting, and it feels like the least-relevant part of many Servants' personalities. At the same time, my perspective is tainted by knowing that was an open bit of foreshadowing meant to work with several different possibilities.

Godafrid's complaints about plausibility... seem plausible? I wonder if Ereshkigal has a Servant-verse counterpart. Alternatively, there's this omake (I searched through the entire Grail Works discussion thread for the last year before realizing it was an omake). She is definitely one of the more adorable options, though I do like the darker characterization you have going on without Rin's moderating influence.

I feel like I have forgotten the context for

Hel was one thing, but she’s no longer involved in this

If I'm reading the canonized omake correctly... oh, I see.

My consort you are not, nor likely to be again—and though Baldur he was not, he was a balm, of sorts. So in memory of he who meted justice against those who earned it, there is Helgafjall, for those who had none, or did not. And for what remains of him . .

Right, that's a farewell of sorts. I don't think I properly understood that at the time.

Because you are very intelligent, and well-versed in Fate lore . . .?

Jokes are the deepest lore, every time. Also I'm really not well-versed by this forum's standards, I'd say basic english-speaking fan level at best, though I do go digging for references enough that I occasionally pick things up.
Definitely helps that I'm reading fanfic that references some of the more obscure spinoffs from time to time, it means I end up investigating a bit just so I can have enough context to comment properly.

[Kieran]

Valid :P I suspect I had been spoiled by seeing so many snippets in the Grail Works discussion thread, so it wasn't really a novel development for me. It does clarify which death goddess we're probably dealing with, though.

If we are dealing with one, yes. As noted, it's likely just his own subconscious, or could refer to someone like "Lalter" Arturia - though again, she's really not that gentle, by nature (though she's certainly possessive enough) . . .

Using "La" as "Lancer" in the context of XX's unintentional spoiler always feels a bit odd, just because you rarely see Servants referring to each other that way in Grand Order's setting, and it feels like the least-relevant part of many Servants' personalities. At the same time, my perspective is tainted by knowing that was an open bit of foreshadowing meant to work with several different possibilities.

Understandable.

Godafrid's complaints about plausibility... seem plausible? I wonder if Ereshkigal has a Servant-verse counterpart.

Sadly, she really doesn't - Space Ishtar is explicitly noted as not having been divided from her primordial self, unlike her "Proper Human History" counterparts . . . Then again, that's as a divinity - her mortal incarnation, on the other hand . . . Well.

Alternatively, there's this omake (I searched through the entire Grail Works discussion thread for the last year before realizing it was an omake).

Which is tempting, but awkward to implement.

She is definitely one of the more adorable options, though I do like the darker characterization you have going on without Rin's moderating influence.

Yes, which makes her perpetually one I want to include, if I could only figure how to do so believably . . . It is immensely frustrating.

I feel like I have forgotten the context for

If I'm reading the canonized omake correctly... oh, I see.

Right, that's a farewell of sorts. I don't think I properly understood that at the time.

My apologies for being unclear.

Jokes are the deepest lore, every time.

It certainly seems to be the case.

Also I'm really not well-versed by this forum's standards, I'd say basic english-speaking fan level at best, though I do go digging for references enough that I occasionally pick things up.

Definitely helps that I'm reading fanfic that references some of the more obscure spinoffs from time to time, it means I end up investigating a bit just so I can have enough context to comment properly.

Which is always nice - though I try not to make it too much work for readers, it can be a tricky balance, managing to drop enough information that newcomers can follow along, but not so much that longtime fans are bored.

[Arbitrarity]

If we are dealing with one, yes. As noted, it's likely just his own subconscious, or could refer to someone like "Lalter" Arturia - though again, she's really not that gentle, by nature (though she's certainly possessive enough) . .

Yes, which makes her perpetually one I want to include, if I could only figure how to do so believably . . . It is immensely frustrating.

Ah, so that's not a confirmation, but, as you called it, a musing on some of the associated difficulties. Gotcha.

I would say you might be overthinking it, but I respect the commitment to verisimilitude. You can handwave backstory for a snippet or omake, but pulling something into canon has a slightly higher bar.

For some reason I am trying to picture if there might be consequences from dropping the Sword of Atli into Age of the Gods Mesopotamia somewhere. I don't know what that might be, because the Sword mostly makes me think about Sefar, and that's probably going a bit too far into Nasuverse creation mythos to be somewhere the Works should tread. But if you gave the Sword to i.e. Gilgamesh or Ishtar, could that cause disruption in a way that Ereshkigal might find her way to the Works as a client? Perhaps that's a bit strained.

I also bet if we give FGO two years, we'll have Servant-verse Summer Ereshkigal somehow.

Which is always nice - though I try not to make it too much work for readers, it can be a tricky balance, managing to drop enough information that newcomers can follow along, but not so much that longtime fans are bored.

I think it's usually a good balance, though I'm far from an unbiased source.

[Kieran]

Ah, so that's not a confirmation, but, as you called it, a musing on some of the associated difficulties. Gotcha.

If I had a verifiable plan for Eresh, it would be - as I don't . . .

I would say you might be overthinking it, but I respect the commitment to verisimilitude. You can handwave backstory for a snippet or omake, but pulling something into canon has a slightly higher bar.

Exactly. It's the same problem with an uncorrupted Holy Grail; because of the Rhinegold curse, really the only sources I can think of without invoking F/GO are Miyu Edelfelt or diving into the mess that is Fate/strange fake . . .

For some reason I am trying to picture if there might be consequences from dropping the Sword of Atli into Age of the Gods Mesopotamia somewhere. I don't know what that might be, because the Sword mostly makes me think about Sefar, and that's probably going a bit too far into Nasuverse creation mythos to be somewhere the Works should tread. But if you gave the Sword to i.e. Gilgamesh or Ishtar, could that cause disruption in a way that Ereshkigal might find her way to the Works as a client? Perhaps that's a bit strained.

On the surface, yes - but there might be something workable . . .?

I also bet if we give FGO two years, we'll have Servant-verse Summer Ereshkigal somehow.

I wish - but she'd have to not be so silly as to be ridiculous, either (which is the Summer Servants' common problem). XX is a rare exception, and only because the Servant Universe is kind of silly by default . . .

I think it's usually a good balance, though I'm far from an unbiased source.

Fair.