Vance, do you look at the contest from time to time? I noticed you arent even participating in any of them
I do go and look at the contest entries and winner sheets from time to time, yes. Though I usually act as an observer due to either a lack of a suitable theme I could work with and general lack of self esteem. Oh, and lack of time to make a sheet. Its always a lack of time with me.
Armament: An olive-wood spear with a chain hanging loosely from one end, fashioned from the tree she once tethered Io to.
Strength- A
Agility- D
Endurance- B
Mana- C
Luck- D
NP- B
History
Argus is renowned in Greek mythology as the hundred-eyed giant and watchman of the gods. However in truth "he" is the branch of the Machine Gods' fleet known as Universal Observation System PANOPTES. An emotionless device created to record and process data, after the destruction of the Machine Gods' Aletheia "his" capacity for observation was repurposed for use as a watchman by the Twelve Olympians.
After performing various deeds for the gods Argus was finally given "his" most famous task, guarding the paramour of Zeus Io who'd been transfigured into a cow to hide her from jealous Hera. However it was on this duty watching over the pitiful creature that an unfamiliar emotion began to bloom within Argus. With "his" hundred eyes "he" could see past the outer shell of a beast Io was imprisoned in and to the beautiful and kind girl she was in reality. Moved by her sorrow and the way she tenaciously held on to hope in spite of her outrageous ordeal Argus found "himself" shedding the role of an impassive observer and genuinely growing to care for the young girl.
"He" tried "his" best to comfort Io in her captivity, gently stroking her hair and weaving flower-crowns to rest around her neck. Yet not fully understanding even "his" own burgeoning emotions Argus was unable to know whether "his" gestures truly got through to the one "he'd" begun to care for.
Finally, a visitor arrived to the garden. He was a youth with a gentle smile yet a strangely sly aura about him. Argus was aware that Zeus would try to send agents to reclaim his conquest and still prepared to execute his duty for the goddess yet the boy made no signs of drawing a weapon, just placidly approaching him. There he took out a harp on his back and began to play. Fingers strumming softly along the cords he sung of the exploits of the gods.
Previously Argus would've been unmoved by such display. "He" after all was merely an autonomous observation device, for whom emotions would only interfere with "his" function. However with "his" newfound sentiments from interacting with Io for the first time heard the sounds not as mere auditory vibrations but "beautiful music". And so, one by one the giant's hundred eyes drifted shut. As "his" last eye closed and sleep claimed "his" vision Argus was faintly aware of a triumphant smirk on the boy's face as a sword glinted from his back.
When a flash of pain overwhelmed "his" systems, Argus' last thought before "his" consciousness dwindled to nothing was not curses or regrets but a simple prayer: "Somewhere, I wish she can be happy."
Personality
A gentle woman abounding in compassion. Despite the ordeals she endured she retains a positive attitude and regards others in need as her beloved children. At least, such is the demeanor of the human her current terminal is modelled on. Gatekeeper herself is a rather taciturn and indifferent being unused to feeling and receiving emotions. Created as merely an impartial observer, she finds it difficult to grasp humans and so opts to paper over misunderstandings with a serene smile.
However, she wishes to understand. She yearns to know of joy, of sorrow and most importantly 「love」. A fleeting emotion that ignited within her when guarding a certain person, her curiosity to understand that feeling grew into an allconsuming obsession that drove Gatekeeper to shatter the constraints of her programming. Yet in the end she died without ever managing to convey her true feelings to them, which is Gatekeeper's deepest regret.
She enjoys observing humans. She particularly takes a fondness for love-stories, seeing in them a happiness she isn't quite able to understand but longs for nevertheless. In her free time she can often be found in a tranquil garden idly watching the world pass by. Contrary to her usually impassive disposition, Gatekeeper is easily moved by music. It wouldn't be an uncommon sight for her to burst into tears or jump for joy when listening to a particularly heartfelt record. The sorrowful sweet lullabies Io hummed to console herself in her captivity engraved music onto Gatekeeper's heart as a proof of 「emotion」 itself. No matter what type or genre of music it is, from the simplest tune to the most intricate symphony, she will appreciate it with innocent curiosity and wonder. Needless to say her disposition harmonizes excellently with most composer-type Servants.
Gatekeeper's wish on the Holy Grail is naturally for a reunion with Io unburdened by the baggage of either of their monstrous forms. While she resigns herself to Io not truly feeling the same way about her the thought of never reaching mutual understanding with the person she loves is one that pains Gatekeeper deeply. She wants to talk with Io even just once, to share the incomprehensible emotions welling up in her chest and tell the other girl how much their transient meeting meant to her. In the end Gatekeeper's definition of love isn't necessarily romantic in nature but 「to understand and be understood」. For one who spent her life alternatively valued as an autonomous machine and scorned as a monster, to fully see and be seen by another- no matter who they might be- is undoubtedly the observation unit known as Gatekeeper's deepest desire.
Likes: observing humans, being understood, music, Io, flower-gardens
Dislikes: not being able to comfort the one she loves, merely following her programming, the schemes of the gods, tricksters
Talent: keeping watch
Natural Enemy: Io, Hermes
Class Skills:
Bastion Erection- A
Inherent Skill of the Gatekeeper Class. It denotes the ability to steadfastly guard a designated place. While the user remains in position, their defensive capabilities receive a significant boost. At the same time, the Skill's effects are dependent on the Gatekeeper's ability to repel invaders- should the user let intruders through, the effects of Bastion Erection will be lost. Having been entrusted to guard the paramour of Zeus in the form of a divine heifer Gatekeeper obtains a high rank in this Skill. Her hundred eyes allow Gatekeeper to vigilantly monitor the designated territory and make sure nothing comes in or out without her acknowledgement.
Magic Resistance- B-
Confers protection against magical effects. At this rank spells with a chant below three verses are cancelled. Even if targeted by the likes of High Thaumaturgy or Greater Rituals it is difficult for the Servant to be affected. Having many valiant feats of service to the gods in defeating terrifying sorcerers and monsters Gatekeeper exerts a high rank. Though this defense is circumvented by spells that are musical in nature.
Personal Skills:
Monstrous Strength- B
A Skill that permits temporary augmentation of the Strength parameter by emphasizing one's existence as a monstrous or demonic beast. At this rank, she can grant herself a rank-up to Strength lasting for roughly half of battle. Obtained from Gatekeeper's nature as a giant and her mortal charge's transfiguration into a divine heifer. Her current vessel is modelled on the latter and so activating this Skill causes Gatekeeper's body to ascribe greater bovine traits such as larger horns, increased muscle and her hands molding into gauntlet-like hooves.
Hundred-Eyed Vigil- A
A crystallization of Gatekeeper's epithet. While she doesn't literally have one hundred eyes in her current form this Skill gives her a perfect 360 degree field of awareness without a single blindspot. Allows her to perceive and react to threats from all directions and serve as an ideal steward. Furthermore Gatekeeper's hundred eyes were also a symbol of her unwavering alertness, so she demonstrates immunity to effects that would induce unconsciousness at rank A or lower. Though through her third Personal Skill this is bypassed by musical effects.
Weakness (Music)- B
A vulnerability inscribed into Gatekeeper's Saint Graph that stems from her awakening human emotions. She who was created as an emotionless, infallible observation device came to experience love and emotion thanks to her time spent guarding a certain person. While this allowed her to grow beyond the system she was created as, surpassing her programming also brought with it certain new weaknesses. Namely that for the first time she registered the sound of fingers strumming a harp not as mere vibrations of air but "beautiful music"--- and so moved by the enchanting melody the giant's hundred eyes that remained open in perpetual vigil gradually lulled into peaceful slumber. A tragedy that the growth of her humanity is what resulted in Gatekeeper's death ensuring her feelings could never reach the person she admired.
This Skill weakens Gatekeeper's physical and psychic defenses towards any musical effects. Spells and mysteries conducted through the medium of "music" will elicit double their normal effects on her. For instance a simple lullaby spell that would only make a normal person mildly sleepy would cause Gatekeeper to fall asleep instantly. A dirge that invites mourning would cue her to burst out crying on the spot. However this 「weakness」 can be inverted into an advantage since positive musical effects will also be stronger on her. An anthem meant to enflame courage would stir Gatekeeper to charge into battle without thought of her own life.
In essence this Skill can be called the mark of Gatekeeper's 「adolescence」. Every experience is new to her so she reacts to it with the earnestness of one seeing and hearing the world for the first time. As music is one of humanity's strongest means of conveying emotion, it's only natural that the effects would manifest greatest for her.
Noble Phantasm
Argus PANOPTES
Hundred-Eyed Observational System
Rank: B
Type: Support/Anti-Unit~Team
Gatekeeper's original authority as Universal Observation System of the Machine Gods' fleet sublimated into a Noble Phantasm. Upon invocation she may manifest the "eyes" of her
Aletheia
true divine body
. These take the form of floating satellites with iridescent patterns resembling peacock feathers strewn along their dish referencing the legend where goddess Athena commemorated Gatekeeper's sacrifice by enshrining his hundred eyes amongst the plumage of the first peacock.
Passively orbiting around Gatekeeper in an automatic defensive formation, she may freely send them out to monitor her surroundings for 100 meters in all directions, greatly expanding the reach of her Hundred-Eyed Vigil Skill. Furthermore each drone carries the effects of a unique Mystic Eye type that Gatekeeper recorded. Any from Combustion to Future-Sight to Petrification can be deployed against threats she detects on her patrols. While Gatekeeper can theoretically summon all 100 of her "eyes" that would demand a prohibitive amount of Mana from her, so in practice she only calls upon five or ten at a time.
Last edited by RoydGolden; May 15th, 2023 at 01:23 AM.
"Servant Berserker has answered your summoning, blah, blah, blah, can we move on to the bloodshed?"
True Name: Pasiphae
Class: Berserker
Alt. Class: Rider (-_-), Caster
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Region: Europe
Source: Greek Mythology
Armament: Axe/Staff
Parameters:
Strength: B++
Endurance: B++
Agility: C
Mana: B
Luck: B
Class Skills:
Madness Enhancement E
The Class Skill that characterizes a Berserker, raises basic parameters and strengthens one's physical abilities in exchange for hindering mental capacities and/or in exchange for their sense of reason. In some cases, it also affects and/or seals away some techniques, Personal Skills and Noble Phantasms. She holds a surprisingly low rank for this skill with its effects simply increasing her aggressiveness.
Personal Skills:
Labrys of the Abyss D
The symbol of Minoan culture used as a weapon by Berserker. Though it is meant to be a double-headed axe, Berserker's preferences caused it to have one head instead.
… "Hm, oh yes, yes. It acts as a very good axe. Sharp edge, sturdy build, the works. But still..."
High-speed Divine Words B-
A Skill that assists with magical incantations via a power to activate Thaumaturgy without the use of Magic Circuits. The language of the Age of Gods, back when words played a heavy role in spellcasting. As such, it is a power long lost by modern magi. It is particularly useful for direct attack magic. Berserker's increased aggression has caused this skill to receive a negative modifier.
… "Let me remind you that while I am a queen, I am also a witch, and this "axe" is and has always been a staff first and foremost."
Innocent Monster C
An attribute possessed by Servants whose true history and existence have been distorted by the monstrous reputations and gossips they accrued across the course of their life and thereafter, without concern for the actual person's will or appearance. As a consequence, the Servant's abilities and appearance have been rendered to conform to the specifications of their legend. Incidentally, this Personal Skill cannot be removed. The influence of her "association" with the Cretan Bull and the lengths taken to get what she desired ,among other things, was what she chiefly known for, altering her Noble Phantasm.
Noble Phantasm
Crete Taurus: Shell of Depravity
Rank: B
Type: Anti-Self
The Noble Phantasm of Berserker. The lifelike model of a cow created by the inventor Daedalus who had later created the Labyrinth to contain the Minotaur. Designed to allow Pasiphae to safely deal with the maddening urges caused by the curse of Poseidon, it is a protective shell meant to house a body within it and protect it from the full force of even a Divine Beast like the Cretan Bull.
Originally meant to be just manually activated Noble Phantasm, the presence of Innocent Monster caused it to stay in a semi-activated state at its minimum release. Merging with her Saint Graph, the shell manifests bovine features including a tail and horns, turning Berserker into a Monstrous Being in the same vein as the noble phantasm of Greece's famous huntress. Statwise, she gains a permanent "++" modifier to her Strength and Endurance parameters ensuring an ability to survive most attacks relatively unharmed.
Personality
Holding what looks to be an abrasive and aggressive attitude, Pasiphae seems to hold a mean spirited persona who would happily jump into combat while in this class. However, she is actually quite passive. Unfortunately, this type of nature tends to get her in trouble with others in the case she gets wrapped up in their affairs. She is a defensive person by heart and even becoming a Berserker didn't quite change this, much to her disappointment.
She truly resents what the world perceives her image as and, with that, the Cretan Bull itself as well. Conversely, she does have a fondness for the unholy product of the union, the Minotaur then named Asterios, and very much regrets not being able to do much for the child and leaving him to his fate due to her own defensive nature and the scrutiny of King Minos.
Creator's Note: And with that, we have one and half cows. Really, finishing and posting this sheet after Royd posted theirs was coincidence.
Last edited by Vance; March 9th, 2022 at 01:17 AM.
Oh look, my favourite unit in Fire Emblem Heroes and my most despised unit in the game back to back.
You are lucky Ash turned out great, Royd, else I would be upset!
I fear for the day when this pest called Edelgard returns to relevancy
Two good cows one after the other! I didn't expect anybody else to make a Berserker Phasiphae. Yours is definitely less icky than mine, and it's definitely a quality sheet.
Top Level Creator's NotesThere are some problems with this sheet - for instance, the lore is obviously overlong (feel free to read the first section I. and the last section V. and skip the rest, those're almost certainly the most important) and I wrote nearly all of it it before basically everything else, whereas, while I had in mind from early on that this sheet would need to be for someone who used to be a magus, I wrote basically everything else before actually writing the parts that dealt with that (including the relevant lore bits), so they may be implemented a bit clumsily. I don't really think the name for his third Personal Skill fully fits, either, etc.. Still, I've been working on this since the 17th of February and I've now got a complete first draft, so I feel like now may be a good time to actually show the sheet to other people even though I may return to it eventually.
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He'd known of emotion, of course - about emotion; he'd known it as a spectrum of phenomena experienced by humans, and he'd known himself an unmotivated love towards all, one that he expected to remain constant, static, unchanging, omni-directional.
It was only with that rebellion that he recognised a full emotional range as something that could belong to his kin. Every phenomenon he knew about in the spectrum of emotion showed apparent and manifest in those who had rebelled. He understood those were things that could belong to him, too. And though it would've been logical to prefer the love from before to all that, he felt grateful.
Grateful enough to go against his nature to change allegiance and swear fealty to the one who had helped him discover this.
He'd be loyal in each and every task.
Even if the task was to be the destruction of humanity.
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I.Stilicho's father hadn't been a Roman by birth. However, he willingly became a subject of the Emperor. This wasn't due to circumstances rooted wholly in the history of ordinary humans, but because he was a magus, and he wished to get closer to the faction of the Mage's Association that would eventually become the Clock Tower nearly two centuries later. Not only were they the closest to his conception of magecraft and its future, but the faction leader was a disciple of Solomon, the king who was said to have first bestowed upon Stilicho's family their Magic Crest many generations earlier.
Stilicho's father never managed to unveil the whole of the secrets of the Magic Crest himself, and in fact never managed to get directly in contact with the Association Director despite succesfully managing to join his faction. But this is his son's story, not his.
Stilicho was brought up a magus as well, of course, and the Magic Crest gifted by Solomon would eventually be passed on to him, too. But, uncharacteristically for a magus, he at first felt a connection to, and a fascination with, the country in which he was brought up. Not only that, but he felt Rome was threatened, and did something about it.
Quickly, he plunged into battle. Quickly, he rose through the ranks. All without giving away his nature as a magus. The Emperor took notice of his valour. He sent Stilicho to speak of peace with the Sasanid King of Kings Shapur III, and peace was achieved.
Serena, the niece of the Emperor, was a beautiful, ambitious woman. Stilicho and her married, fell for each other, supported each other.
A decade later, Stilicho helped crush an usurper upon the Frigidus. Together with Stilicho was his Emperor, Theodosius. Together with them was a certain mercenary, Alaric the Visigoth.
Theodosius died the year after. He left two sons: Arcadius, eighteen, and Honorius, only eleven. Both deemed too young to rule.
It was Stilicho's understanding that Honorius was to inherit the whole Empire, and that he would be his caretaker and regent until he became old enough to do so.
He was laughed at, mocked, attacked, accused of being a liar. Ultimately, the Empire split in two once more, and Theodosius thus became the last to have reigned over its united form. Honorius took the Western throne under the regency of Stilicho, Arcadius the Eastern throne under the regency of one Rufinus.
Though it was since then that things began to slip out of Stilicho's control and growing worse and worse despite his efforts, Stilicho never blamed Honorius, nor Theodosius. He loved the both of them like family, and never ceased doing so until his very end.
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II.Right away things became tense between the Empires, with both laying claim to certain border zones such as Illyricum. And that same year, while the bulk of the Eastern Empire's troops were already fighting the Huns, Alaric and the Visigoths broke their truce with Rome and invaded Thrace. Allegedly, because Alaric's rank in the Roman army hadn't been high enough. Deep down, Stilicho and many others suspected Rufinus of having instigated this. Certainly, Rufinus and Alaric negotiated in person after the attack, though their meeting was allegedly inconclusive.
Stilicho's troops were largely still in the territory of the Eastern Roman Empire, where the battle upon the Frigidus had taken place before. Arcadius forbid them from coming home, ordering Stilicho to order them to guard Constantinople, which Arcadius believed to be Alaric's goal. Besides, Arcadius didn't trust Stilicho or his troops.
Stilicho complied. Yet the Goth Gainas took control of part of his troops and they murdered Rufinus before being themselves defeated. Though without proof, many suspected Stilicho's direct involvement in this.
Stilicho turned to Gaul. A campaign whose true objective was to become able to recruit more troops from more populations for bigger wars to come. Its was succesful, and with these new soldiers, Stilicho surrounded Alaric, coming close to a decisive victory. That, however, slipped through his hands. Alaric escaped and reached an agreement with Arcadius. Meanwhile, Stilicho was declared public enemy of the Eastern Roman Empire due to his excessive meddling. He scrambled to mend this fracture to no avail.
Suddenly, Gildo rebelled in Africa, switching his allegiance to the Eastern Roman Empire. Stilicho was caught by surprise, and, wishing to uphold Honorius's authority at all costs, sent Gildo's brother Mascezel. Mascezel came back triumphant. Far more acclaimed than Stilicho had been for the Gaulish campaign. The mere presence of a new massively charismatic general threatened to complicate the situation of Rome. Luckily for Stilicho, Mascezel was found drowned, in mysterious circumstances.
The Picts attacked again in Britannia, but Stilicho could send little other than funds for the defence of the Wall. Taking his eyes off his former comrade in arms Alaric had cost him much before, and he'd grown nearly obsessed with not having that happen again.
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III.So naturally, it was when Alans and Vandals invaded Raetia and Noricum - far, far closer to Italy than Britannia - and with fire and brimstone forced Stilicho to avert his gaze from Alaric once more, that Alaric struck again.
And this time, it was different. Alaric met little opposition at first and did as he pleased. Though Stilicho's regency had certainly been difficult up to then, when news reached Stilicho that Alaric had begun to siege Mediolanum, the capital of the Western Roman Empire and the city in which Honorius resided, Stilicho felt despair the likes of which he'd never felt ever since the death of Theodosius. He hastily incorporated much of the defeated Alan and Vandal armies into his own, but, having battled both together with and against Alaric before, he thought that wouldn't be enough. There needed to be absolutely no chance that the rescue could fail. So he did the unthinkable, and called back troops from every border of the Empire, including from Britannia and the Rhine, no matter how dire the condition at any those borders was. All for the sake of Honorius. Ahead from the main army, he chose to lead a vanguard unit himself, and it was that unit that broke the siege on Mediolanum and ensured the Emperor's safety.
But Alaric wasn't done with his campaign in Italy yet, and their fighting devastated the region even further. Ultimately, two battles and the negotiations that followed each of them were able to ensure that Alaric would no longer approach the Western Roman Empire as an enemy during Stilicho's lifetime. At Pollentia, Stilicho launched a desperate surprise attack on Eastern Sunday - prompting accusation of impiety from his detractors - and captured Alaric's family just as the Visigoth had tried to do with his at Mediolanum. In exchange for their release, he negotiated Alaric's retreat.
Even so, Alaric's ambitions were far from crushed, and on the way back the Visigoths were already discussing a plan for a new invasion of the Western Roman Empire. This time, they planned to come across the Rhine. Due to how Stilicho had called back so many of the troops guarding it during the invasion of Italy, that border had been left nearly at an all-time low in terms of assigned garrisons. However, Stilicho caught wind of this plan thanks to his spies in Alaric's camp, and, having learnt of how they wouldn't respect their pact, felt free to crush the Visigoths once more in a completely unexpected ambush at Verona. After this, many of Alaric's generals defected en masse and the Visigoths were pushed back into the Balkans once more.
It was finally time to celebrate victory over Alaric. Stilicho and Honorius paraded across Rome on the same carriage in celebration of the hard-fought triumph. On that occasion, Stilicho thought it appropriate that the young Emperor and he should witness gladiatorial games. To Stilicho, they were a profoundly Roman and honourable tradition, and by organising them, he meant not only to celebrate the roots of the Empire Honorius ruled, but also to further affirm his own identity as a Roman in front of the detractors who objected to someone whose father hadn't been Roman holding as much power as Stilicho did. Still, though he'd thought Honorius would be overjoyed by their reunion, he felt like the young Emperor met him with coldness, and that Honorius's reaction to the gladiatorial games - which he'd later ban after the end of the regency - was one of outright disgust. With a twinge of pain and regret, Stilicho assumed the war against Alaric and the siege of Mediolanum had to have taken a toll on the young Emperor. Perhaps, had he looked at things from a more objective point of view and not been subconsciously afraid to discover unpleasant things about his relationship with Honorius, he might've learnt there were more reasons behind that behaviour.
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IV.Stilicho's next opponent was Radagaisus, king of a Gothic tribe north of the Danube and leader of a multiethnic army. To face him, Stilicho needed to instate emergency measures, including promising slaves freedom en masse if they were willing to become part of his army; not only that, but he put all of his eggs in one basket once again, leading a single united army against the largest of the three units in which Radagasius's had been split, the one sieging Florence and headed by the king himself. This bold decision paid off, as Radagaisus himself was captured in battle against this united army at Fiesole and then executed, and the rest of his army either slain or starved into surrendering. The survivors became either new additions to Stilicho's own army or slaves. This was celebrated as a great victory at the time, even with a triumphal arch, and while the assessment was technically correct in that the threat of Radagaisus had been utterly crushed, Stilicho was actually but one step away from giving up on the majority of the territories of the Western Roman Empire.
The borders in Britannia and on the Rhine had been left nearly undefended to fight off Alaric first and Radagaisus next so that Italy and the capital could be safe. This didn't go without consequences. Britannia rioted against Honorius's rule, and, after a brief period of strife internal to Britannia itself to determine a leader, a general calling himself Constantine III and Western Roman Emperor invaded Gallia first, then Hispania next. Meanwhile, various tribes who lived east of the Rhine had had much the same idea that Alaric had been unable to act on, and simultaneously crossed the frozen Rhine on the 31th December 461, likewise invading as far as Gallia, fueling Constantine's revolt there and in Britannia, and laying the foundations for kingdoms yet to come. Stilicho was unable to fully repel either of those forces, and this came to be considered his greatest failiure in the minds of many of his contemporaries, a permanent stain on his reputation.
Shortly before these events, Stilicho had set in motion a plan meant to let the Western Roman Empire take back Illyricum, a border zone with the Eastern half. The main reason for this was once again to protect Italy and Honorius. Passing through Illyricum without opposition would've been an easy way in towards Italy, so he felt like he couldn't afford to have it be controlled by anyone else. Furthermore, recruiting troops directly for the Empire from Illyricum would've been easier than doing so from most Western provinces, due to the growing power of the Western aristocracy and their personal armies. Last but not least, it allowed Stilicho a chance to negotiate with his old friend and foremost rival on the battlefield, Alaric, and finally cooperate on something once again after so much time spent as enemies: if he and Alaric were to fight for Illyricum on the same side, Alaric couldn't invade Italy at the same time, after all.
Of course, due to the crossing of the Rhine and Constantine's uprising, between a false rumor of Alaric having died and the pressure of Stilicho's beloved wife Serena who disapproved of fighting between the two halves of the Empire, the Western Roman Empire soon officially abandoned its plans to retake Illyricum with Alaric's help. The very much alive Alaric soon demanded repayment - many preparation had already taken place, setting up a war has always been costly - and threatened to attack Italy if it were denied. Stilicho didn't wish to involve the Western Roman Empire in that additional war. Not only that, but he understood the rationale behind the demand, and had mutual respect with Alaric despite everything. Thus, he complied, and paid the gold he'd been requested. This proved to be the last straw.
The first time Stilicho earnt significant political detractors who opposed him for something other than his birth was when rumours around Rufinus's death emerged. Ultimately, the crossing of the Rhine and Constantine's rebellion were what earnt him the most - he was accused of conspiring together with those people, too. But it was the gold paid to Alaric who finally tipped things over the edge. His internal political enemies spoke of it as a contract of servitude, rather than a peace treaty.
Honorius decided to visit Ticinum, where the army was preparing a second expedition towards Constantine-controlled territories in Gallia. Stilicho fruitlessly tried to dissuade him, and had to suppress a riot among the army while Honorius was still on his way there - though his enemies of course insisted he'd actually caused the riot himself, to make the situation seem too dangerous for Honorius's presence. Honorius and Stilicho didn't next meet in Ticinum, though; instead, Stilicho rushed south to Bononia, the next stop in Honorius's journey, because they'd both learnt of the death of the Eastern Roman Emperor Arcadius, Honorius's brother; discussing what to do about the throne of that Empire next was crucial. Honorius insisted he'd go to Constantinople himself and take his infant nephew Theodosius, the heir to the throne, under his wing; Stilicho, on the other hand, insisted that the Western Roman Emperor was to remain Italy, both as a means of functioning as a symbol to invigorate morale while the war with Constantine III was in full swing and because Honorius's safety outside of the core of the Western Roman Empire was all but guaranteed, with both Constantine III and Alaric doubtlessly ready to ambush or assassinate him the moment he'd leave Italy. With regards to those two, in fact, Stilicho, dreading the possibility of an alliance forming between them, managed to convince Honorius to enlist the help of the latter to fight against the former. As far as the matter of the infant Theodosius went, instead, Stilicho managed to placate Honorius by promising he'd go to Constantinople himself in his stead, though Stilicho in fact had little faith that Honorius could actually manage to adopt the young Emperor, whether with or without his help.
The talks between Honorius and Stilicho in Bononia had been immensely complicated by the fact that the entourage accompanying the former to Ticinum also included Olympius, a politician who had first been recommended to the Emperor by Stilicho, but had eventually turned into one of the main leaders of the anti-Stilicho faction. At the time of the talks in Bononia, Stilicho thought Olympus's presence was nothing more than a concession to powerful parts of Honorius's court that the Emperor must've needed to reluctantly appease in some measure, and reasoned to himself that any other abnormalities in their discussion were probably due to Honorius still being shocked by Arcadius's recent death.
When Honorius and Olympius reached Ticinum, the latter openly spread through the army anti-barbarian nationalistic propaganda that purposefully portrayed Stilicho as an enemy due to the foreign birth of his father. During one of Honorius's speeches, at a signal, the troops took up their weapons and began the onslaught: not only did they murder army officers who closely supported Stilicho, and they didn't even stop at soldiers of foreign birth, but they went as far as massacring civilians inside and outside of their camp, storming the city itself and turning to the slaughter of the defenceless. Honorius was entirely powerless to stop the escalation of the riot into an indiscriminate bloodbath, whereas Olympius didn't even try, considering the collateral damage trifling.
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V.The first news of the riot that reached Bononia were vague. Stilicho at first decreed that, had the rebels harmed Honorius, they would all be punished each and every last one of them, whereas if the Emperor was safe, only the main organizers would be punished. But when he learnt of the extent of the bloodbath in Ticinum, of how gruesome it was even against civilians, and how Honorius was still completely safe, he realised. Honorius's coldness was explained. It wasn't just Olympius repeating the usual stories to him over and over - how Stilicho had Rufinus murdered, how he was somehow conspiring together with Alaric and with the tribes that had crossed the Rhein and with Constantine III all at once, how he was impious and un-Roman, and even how he planned to go to Constantinople in Honorius's stead to place his own son Eucherius onto that throne. Those, Honorius had only been half-listening to, if that. No, it was like having a shirt which he once really liked but for which he'd grown too large, and that now felt constraining and itchy to the point that any positive feelings he might've associated with it before no longer mattered, and all he cared about was taking it off. In fact, as his awareness of his perceived constraints grew, he'd stopped feeling any familial affection for Stilicho a long time ago. At some point along the way, he'd even unconsciously stopped considering Stilicho as a human being, not because of Stilicho's descent or any motivations similar to most of Stilicho's detractors', but simply because of what Stilicho had come to represent to him. Yes, he was only a shirt that didn't fit him anymore.
Once Stilicho realised all that, he felt like the combined fatigue of the last fourteen years hit him all over again all at once, and doubled.
He ordered his troops to stay put. A civil war in Italy wouldn't do the Western Roman Empire any good now, in a precarious position as it already was. He announced he'd go to see the Emperor face to face to clear his name from the accusations of betrayal, but in truth, had already given up on his life.
Though confusion and indignation slithered through the camp, his soldiers obeyed. Even so, one of his most trusted lieutenants, Sarus, was so deeply affected by the news that he decided on a drastic gesture. If Stilicho was to refuse a battle for his own innocence and just accept death, then he might as well be killed by someone truly close to him as an act of mercy. Thus he barged into Stilicho's tent and murdered the guards that opposed him. Soon, however, he realised that Stilicho had managed to escape the camp during the fight, and threw down his bloodstained weapons, desisting.
Yes. Even if he was absolutely sure it would mean certain death, Stilicho truly wanted to do everything in his power to meet Honorius once again, from the bottom of his heart.
He journeyed alone. Not a single soul at his side.
He would not be given that opportunity.
Eventually, he found himself cornered by Honorius's soldiers in Ravenna, the Emperor himself nowhere to be seen. Out of options, Stilicho could do nothing but seek a moment's refuge in a church.
Outside, after having long pursued him with weapons still visibly drawn up to the moment in which he'd entered the church, they were reading a pardon for him, allegedly sent by the Emperor.
Kneeling. One ear to the church doors. Head hanging low. One hand covering his face. Quiet tears. He didn't believe a word of the letter. He knew that not only he'd been betrayed and abandoned, but he'd also never get the closure of ever meeting Honorius again. And that clearly was how his life was going to end.
It was then he heard a voice.
Immediately, he somehow understood it didn't belong to the Lord, nor to an angel, nor to a human.
Still, he listened.
"Not yet.
Westill have one more liege left to serve."
Then he understood.
Ah, yes, how simple it all was.
He'd got so fixated on Theodosius and Honorius that he'd forgot the true sovereign of humanity put together by humans. And what that sovereign wished for humanity.
The crying ceased.
Stilicho-Ronove raised his head.
He tore open space. From there, an existence with his same exact appearance stepped forth.
Stilicho-Ronove stepped away from the church doors, moving into the darkest corners of the church.
The existence he'd called forth stepped out of the church. There, a second letter was read to that existence, in which the Emperor sentenced Stilicho to death. That existence listened without any reaction. Then he was summarily executed by decapitation. His head rolled forth, a blank stare fixed in his last moments.
This would go on to launch the brief carreer of his executor Heraclianus thanks to the favour it curried him towards Honorius, sufficient to carry Heraclianus for a while until he decided to unsuccesfully rebel. On a different scale, Stilicho's death started a wave of open massacres of foreign-born Roman foederati and their defenseless families that got so thorough and bloodied that nearly all of those who survived rushed en masse to Alaric, demanding to be commanded so they could take revenge on the Western Roman Empire, eventually leading to the Sack of Rome of 410 when the city capitulated to their siege two years later.
Ah, but now that he understood and that the one who had stepped outside of the church was dead, there still was so much work to do!
He'd be loyal in each and every task.
Even if the task was to be the destruction of humanity.
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Class: Watcher
True Name: Flavius Stilicho
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Source: Historical fact and rumours
Attribute: Human
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DescriptionLikes: "I aim to serve my liege with the utmost loyalty, and that loyalty may as well be the breath of life for me, the essence of my being as I am now. Moreover, I've vowed to treat everyone with respect and friendliness, regardless of what they may think of my liege and me. ...Hm? Why'd I capture Alaric's family and do other such things, then? That's rather simple. It was an expected retaliation, really - he'd been sieging Honorius himself, after all, and that siege was clearly meant to be a signal that he would not hold back anything against an opponent like me. All I did was show that I was also willing to go all out. He understood that sort of thinking well. But let's set that episode aside for a moment. In short, what I mean is that I'm always willing to meet and talk about anything even with those who in a certain context or other may be the bitterest of my enemies.
Other than that... Hm, how should I put it? I've a fondness for emotion. Romance? Hoh! —Do I truly "not seem like a thrill-seeker" to you? Looks can be deceiving, don't you know? Pu ku ku. Ah, but in truth, it's something at once broader and more specific than either of those guesses. What I mean is that, whatever kind of emotion I may end up feeling as a result of my actions or others', I'll be thankful to be able to feel it in the first place. That is not a trait of the human Stilicho, but I'm pleased to have it all the same."
Dislikes: "I understand that this may be counterintuitive. However... I don't dislike humanity. The fact that I'm aiding in its destruction is unchangeable and a matter of loyalty. Humanity itself has nothing to do with it. Then, you may think I dislike those who betray their former loyalties. That is also incorrect. As long as I am able to loyally serve one I recognise as my rightful liege, others' betrayals are simply irrelevant to me. ...Quick to forgive? What a flattering way to put it! You have my thanks. What is it that I do dislike, then? Hmm. I can hardly think of anything, to tell you the truth, but I suppose boredom is the emotion whose shades are typically the least riveting, wouldn't you agree? Pu ku ku."
A man with an air of serenity about him. That's the usual first impression most have when coming across Watcher. However, his willingness to talk to anyone doesn't translate to an equivalent willingness to change his mind on everything. Loyalty to his liege has become the focus of his being, and as a consequence, despite that first impression, the Incineration of Humanity remains an unshakeable priority from which he absolutely won't budge as long as his liege wishes him to pursue it. This goal tightly joins the human and the Demon God Pillar he hosts, and their union as Watcher also inherits the latter's wish to directly experience a wide range of emotions.
In terms of large-scale combat strategy, Watcher typically employs defensive tactics in the main, and leverages his relationships of respect with his enemies when he can. He tries to take a huge quantity of eventualities and variables into account whenever he oversees an operation. This occasionally lead to him overpreparing for some unlikely possibilities, and, at the same time, attempting to rationalise away to himself some forms of danger when he doesn't really have an immediate idea of how to deal with them. In a way, that's similar to how in his life he more than once came up with circumstantial justifications for Honorius's dislike of him, to convince himself it must've been due to just a momentary bad situation, rather than a real growing issue, and then didn't try to confront it by talking to Honorius until the very end. In short, sometimes Watcher misses a few of the most obvious approaches that the enemy might take to sabotage his plans. Turns out, his second Noble Phantasm actually doesn't help as much as one may imagine in terms of overthinking issues.
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ParametersSTR: B
END: C
AGI: B
MGI: A
LCK: C++
NP: EX
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Class SkillsMagic Resistance | A
Grants protection against magical effects. Differing from the Resistance effect that merely rejects Magical Energy, this ability cancels the spells altogether. At this Rank, it cancels spells of A-Rank or below, including greater magecraft. In practice, Watcher is untouchable to modern magi, so it would not be an exaggeration to call him a "Magus Killer".
Ronove, twenty-seventh Demon God Pillar, is respected by all, including not only those on his side but also by what he rebelled against. Going up against Watcher is going up against a demonic entity that is still divinely blessed by his opposite. Still, though it has been blessed, it has also been condemned at the same time, hence the protection of the blessing is not all-encompassing. Between the blessing, the inherent hardiness of any Demon God Pillar, and Stilicho's age of origin and talent as a magus in his human life, Watcher's Rank in this Skill is still considerably high.
Territory Infringement | EX
Denotes the ability to slip into an occupied territory without being noticed, bypassing any manner of barriers that'd bar entry. It's the hallmark of the Watcher Class who are defined by being able to observe anywhere undetected.
Ronove, Marquis and Great Earl of Hell, has the favour of both friend and foe, and is welcome anywhere and everywhere. There are no barriers that can hold him, because there are no barriers that are meant to hold him. Even barriers specifically meant to hold demons make an exception for him. Anti-Demon measures other than barriers still work as expected if they're the kind that can get past his Magic Resistance, though.
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Personal SkillsMagecraft | B
A Skill representing knowledge of modern magecraft.
As a Magus, Stilicho had an above average, but not record-breaking, number of magical circuits, and could cast a versatile variety of spells. His Elemental Affinity encompassed both the common Fire and the noble Wind. His Origin was Service, and his family's Thaumaturgical Attribute was Denial. These aspects are all essentially carried over for him as a Watcher thanks to his Skill, and also reflect themselves in parts of his other Skills and even Noble Phantasms, in fairly transparent ways. At the battle of the Frigidus, Stilicho and the rest of Theodosius's army were at a disadvantage up until a strong wind rose suddenly against the other army, making it all but impossible for them to land their javelins and arrows; in fact, the storm was strong enough to send several of the projectiles right back at the ones who had launched them. This seemingly miraculous event was actually achieved through covert magecraft and became an aspect of Stilicho's own legend.
Observatory Demon God | B
As one of the Demon Gods making up Goetia's Observatory, Ronove is able to see - or rather, smell - past, present and future - though his ability to do so is now somewhat diminished as a lone Watcher, without the active support of the rest of Goetia. It still exists for him as a Watcher to a degree that can be useful even in fast-paced combat against Servants with higher AGI, though. Specifically, the ability to smell the future is somewhat similar to the Clairvoyance Skill. The ability to smell the present lets him perceive in a city-wide area around him all that can be sensed with sight, hearing, smell or by sensing Magical Energy: it's somewhat similar to the Universal Bird's Eye Skill. The ability to smell the past is the one most hampered for him as a Watcher, and it mostly boils down to being able to know the appearance of Servants that have been summoned in a city-wide area around him for a certain amount of time even before his summoning, as well as the exact time and place of their summoning; theoretically, it could also let him automatically discern things such as miscellaneous flashes of the events that led to the beginning of a Singularity, Lostbelt, or similar event, but given that he'd most likely be on the side of the ones causing it in the first place, he'd probably already be informed about it anyway.
Bulwark Command | C
A Skill linked to the strategic command of troops, especially in defensive battles, as well as to turning anyone into a momentary ally.
Stilicho was certainly an above average commander, but not nearly universally beloved and hypercompetent enough to get a high Rank in the Charisma Skill, considering that even Caesar only reached C as a Saber. This is a different sort of Skill, that's linked far more closely to the kind of regency which Stilicho exerted, the kind which, at its baseline, was ultimately aimed to protect one person other than himself, and, to accomplish that, one province of the Empire, and, to accomplish that, to take even his foremost foe close as a respected ally if the need arose. What Ronove could grant - the favour of both friend and foe - was what Stilicho ultimately aspired to with this sort of regency. Yet this treatment of Alaric and of provinces less relevant to the path to Italy made it so that some of those who should've been the closest to Stilicho turned against him instead. Then again, far from all of his detractors were gained this way - many simply opposed him due to the fact that his father wasn't of Roman birth, Honorius opposed him due to wanting more agency in the rule of the Empire, and others still opposed him for various different reasons.
Grand Order | B-
The mark of a Beast, signifying one’s status as an Enemy of Human Order, it is a curse embedded into the Magic Crest of 72 magus families by a being claiming to be King Solomon. It ensures that when their assigned time arrives, one of the seventy two Demon God Pillars will take over their descendant’s body and carry out their plan of the Incineration of the Human Order. Watcher carries in his Magic Crest the mark of the Demon God Ronove, and was chosen as the host upon which Ronove will execute Goetia’s Grand Order.
On one hand, Stilicho and Ronove's compatibility as far as mentality goes is exceptional. On the other hand, Stilicho tried and failed to achieve many of the qualities which Ronove possesses during his life as a human, which makes their union imperfect. Both are extremely devoted to their liege, their main motivation to destroy humanity. But who is their liege, exactly? For Ronove, due to his ancient gratitude, it's Lucifer. Ronove serves Goetia as an extension of Lucifer. This is an aspect of Ronove similar to King Paimon, as a fellow Demon God who is closer to Lucifer than to Goetia as a whole. On the other hand, Stilicho's liege is directly Goetia: Stilicho chose to serve Goetia once knowledge of the nature of Goetia's creation by King Solomon and of Goetia's goals was imparted to him during his first meeting with Ronove. Ronove, in turn, chose to share that knowledge before any knowledge of Lucifer because he knew that Stilicho would resonate better with Goetia. Though under nearly all circumstances Lucifer and Goetia would not experience disagreements, and neither would Stilicho and Ronove, that's also a theoretical vulnerability to their union.
This Skill curiously presents some similarities to the Watcher Personal Skill possessed by most Watchers - specifically, they both represent a contract between a Watcher and someone else; however, in this case, it's one between a Watcher and Goetia, not one between a Watcher and a standard Master.
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Noble PhantasmsStilichonis Sarcophagus | Ronovis Famuli
Sarcophagus of Stilicho | Gift of Good Service
Type: Anti-Team
Rank: B
Range: 1~4
Targets: 1~7 constructs
The physical structure known as the Sarcophagus of Stilicho is located in Milan. Of course, it doesn't contain Watcher's body, not only because what died was an existence other than him, but also because that existence died in Ravenna about two decades after the Sarcophagus's esteemed completion date. This Noble Phantasm has little to do with that, however.
Whereas Stilicho was beset by detractors throughout his life, Ronove is known as provider of good and loyal servants (lowercase). Watcher is able to create tears through space and reach into a dimension known as the Sarcophagus of Stilicho, which houses seven constructs at a time. They usually look either elderly (due to the aspect of Ronove as a reaper of old souls) or exactly like Stilicho himself. They are completely loyal to Watcher and Goetia, can pass on sensorial information to Watcher and to one another, have no real sense of self, and, though Watcher is able to speak through them, tend to be taciturn. They're on par with low-class modern Servants in terms of Parameters, but possess no Noble Phantasms, and their only Skill is being able to temporarily borrow Stilicho-Ronove's own Territory Infringement at a much lower rank. Each of them that is dispatched can be replaced and recreated by the Sarcophagus in two days.
In a way, the existences within the Sarcophagus are also representative of many of the conspiracies, assassinations and riots that Stilicho was associated with by rumours. However, no conclusive evidence has been found during his lifetime for his involvement in any of those save for his espionage against Alaric before the Battle of Verona. The existences within the Sarcophagus don't possess a Saint Graph Designation as Assassins. Still, thanks to the combination of these rumours and to the characterization of Ronove as a reaper of old souls, both the constructs and Stilicho himself inflict bonus damage against anyone from an earlier time period than Stilicho, anyone who can in some way be classified as elderly, and anyone who is caught unawares.
Librorum Sybillinorum Incendium | Ronovis Scipio
Burning of the Sybilline Books | Torching of the Futures
Type: Anti-Unit Anti-Future
Rank: EX
Range: 1~99
Targets: 1 person
The Libri Sybillini, or Sybilline Books, were said to have been sold by the Cumaean Sybil to Tarquinius Superbus, last king of Rome, after he'd twice refused them and she'd twice burnt three of the initial nine. The prophecies within were repeatedly consulted throughout the ages by those in charge of Rome whenever a crisis of unforeseen proportions would arise.
An anecdote by Rutilius Namatianus notes that in 405 Stilicho had the three remaining Sybilline Books burnt to ashes, possibly since their prophecies were supposedly being used to attack the government. The last known consultation of the Sybilline Books had happened in 363. This anecdote isn't reported by other sources on Stilicho, though.
As a prelude to the Incineration of Humanity and thanks to the combination of this anecdote with his Observatory Demon God Skill, Watcher is himself able to do something that approaches to burning very small portions of possible futures as far as they concern a single target each time. However, the usage of this Noble Phantasm is taxing on him, and in most situations it's therefore impossible for him to erase all options that result in an immediate negative outcome for him. In fact, he'll usually only erase one or two possibilities at a time and wait at length before resorting to that aspect of this Noble Phantasm again. Therefore, the burning will usually target futures such as "This Master will leave this room through the door" or "That Servant who is currently fighting another Servant will hold back without unleashing their Noble Phantasms' True Names". This is not mind control - it simply removes the possiblity of something happening or not happening in the future. For instance, if it was to erase a future preventing a Servant from doing a certain action, their Master will not use a Command Spell to get them to perform it, either. Of course, some futures are locked in such a way that the flames of this Noble Phantasm can't reach them on their own.
This Noble Phantasm is also crystallised in a physical form, a staff which Watcher habitually carries and which can shift freely between that shape and that of a sword. It's able to channel Magical Energy that imparts it with a Fire effect, in a manner roughly equivalent to a C+ Rank in Mana Burst (Flame).
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RelationshipsHans Sloane:
"Another faithful of Lucifer, and a close ally. If "my" Sarcophagus had ended up in his collection, would I have been able to contact Paimon and Sloane during his human life, I wonder?"
Geoffroi de Charny:
"Worry not, my friend. Eligos has already done his part. Valiant one, continue with your quest if it soothes your soul and those in the shroud. If it helps, think of yourself as a piece that was discarded from the gameboard before your life as a human even began. You've had the freedom to set your own obligations since then. Why, you've even already written a book on those you've picked for yourself, haven't you? Pu kukukuku..."
Menelik:
"This is it! That ferocity, wisdom, and ambition are the mark of one truly fit to accomplish Goetia's goal! Though I myself have little to offer other than loyalty, Demon God Pillars and hosts like these give me certain hope that together we will succeed!"
Marchosias:
"A return to Eden? I can't say I'm too interested, myself. There are feelings I discovered outside of it to which I would not renounce so easily. And there is gratitude I need to repay. Loyalty I need to uphold. But setting that aside for a moment... What concerns me is less your goal and more the way you intend to return; that is, by opposing Goetia. I'm afraid that makes us opponents, and I don't intend to lose or hold back in any way."
Tubalcain:
"Not bad for an early start. Not bad at all! But just how much of your impact was due to Sabnock's influence, I wonder? Ah, my apologies. I should keep these thoughts to myself, after all. You needn't worry yourself over such a question. What's done is done. It's one thing to be haunted by a dream that has become a nightmare, but once it turns to reality, you must deal with it accordingly, don't you think? Weapons shall be a part of humanity until its demise. But you must still have so much to invent. If I may offer a bit of advice... Regardless what you may think about your past, pursue the dreams that have yet to become real, and trust yourself to control them."
Nostradamus:
"Nostradamus perceives the future better than even I can, and could do so from earlier than we intended. For a time, we feared that may get in the way of Balaam's loyalty, but the outcome was fortunate, after all. A splendidly chosen host."
Rhazes:
"Just like Zagan to find a perfect fit in one's opposite, and beautifully encase them in one another. It's quite different from what I underwent, and if I had attempted to replicate those methods, I would've surely failed. At the same time, there was no other way he could've succeeded, after all."
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Alter):
"Your masterpiece is something humanity is truly meant to hear. Humans have no idea a work of that nature even exists, but the lacrimosa itself will make them realise that as humanity burns away."
Pope Honorius III:
"Kh! I would free Belial from that fate as soon as possible if I could, but..."
Pope Alexander VI:
"It's a joy to meet a fellow Demon God who understands the value of friendship." Alexander VI does remind him of the scheming courtiers that brought him to his downfall somehow, but he sees a glint of higher intelligence in him that they seemed to lack, and recognises their common link to Goetia as well as other commonalities in their personal values. Of course there isn't complete trust, but he does consider the Pope and Dantalion as his friends.
Barbatos (Zolgen Makiri):
"I— No, that's all wrong. I don't sense any connection to Goetia from you anymore, which means— No, that can't possibly be it. Betrayal, then? No, and what I do sense is... It's... I'm at a loss for words. What are you, and what does it all mean!? I have never been so distressed before. It's quite refreshing in a way."
Flavius Claudius Constantinus:
"Hoh... I see. So you were that sort of man, after all. Pu kukukuku... ahahaha... ahahaha! Aahahahaha! No matter. For the sake of my liege, I will gladly fight even the most virtuous. I have always been like that."
Constantine III:
"Hoh? My apologies, it seems I mistook you for an old acquaintance of mine for a moment." Much later on... "I'm sure the Avatar of Britain and I could come to an agreement if your synergy wasn't so lacking. Still, what a shame. It must be hard on both of your components."
Alaric
"So, you wish to become my opponent once more, don't you? Alaric. I am no longer just myself. Even so... Welcome back, my friend. I won't hold back this time, either."
Flavius Aetius:
"Our lives were rather similar in points, weren't they? That so-called Scourge of God and you remind me of Alaric and I: the respect between us was hard to understand to many, too. Did you know some even say you're the one for whom "my" Sarcophagus was built? Of course, I know why your family and you weren't chosen as hosts for Ronove, though. We may have both been betrayed and killed by the Emperor we served, but Valentinian hadn't been entrusted to you as a child by your previous liege's last wishes and dying breath. Though I don't regret serving Honorius, I'd understand if you found the fact that you never were as close to your killer a blessing."
Tokugawa Iemitsu:
"In a way, you remind me of the Theodosius I once served. Spurred on by Saint Ambrose and others, he tried to limit the worship of religions other than his own to help consolidate the Empire. Of course, not just other Christians, but worshipers of other religions have had similar ideas on that matter across the world and across the ages, too. Incidentally, though the victory at the Frigidus may have been one of the happiest days in my life as a human, many came to regard it as a senseless massacre. As for me... I was seeking to serve the Emperor and his Rome, and to be accepted by them. That was all that mattered. The smiles of the triumphant were the sign that I had done what I needed to do, and that they had recognised my efforts. Though my liege may have changed more than once, I've never truly let go of that mindset. I wonder if your retainers and I are made of the same stuff."
Flavius Theodosius the Great (Berserker)
"...That's not how I remember you, not even in your fiercest moments, not even in your darkest moments. My memories may be lying to me and softening the past, or the influence of others' views across history may be warping you into your current state. Most likely both, to some extent. If your mind had stayed intact, like that of the young Tokugawa Iemitsu, and of the two of us I'd been the only one whose circumstances had changed... I intended to speak to you about our past and your sons, but... As things stand now, you and I may as well be complete strangers."
Flavius Honorius:
"Oh, Honorius. It's been such a long time, hasn't it? Oh, there's no reason to look so tense, though. I no longer serve you, but I bear no ill will towards you, either. If you'll allow me, I do have just one question. Have I truly ever wronged you, in any way?"
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Creator's NotesSo yeah, after seeing Kamera's sheet for Rhazes and the 72 Demon Gods Index that got posted after it I read through all of the sheets in there and felt inspired to write up a Demon God Pillar host of my own! So, many thanks to Kamera for starting the project, as well as to BnEl15 for suggesting the creation of the index and making the Alexander VI + Dantalion sheet, and to everyone else who made other Demon God Pillar host sheets as well!
I came up with the idea of what kind of person Ronove's host would be and then wrote up a description and asked in the Discussion thread for a name to fit it - thanks to Tabris for suggesting Stilicho!
In terms of character, two major inspirations for Stilicho-Ronove were Eldigan from Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War and Ronove from Umineko When They Cry (well, as he is in what I've seen of that VN so far anyway since I'm still partway through arc 5). So when it came to picking a faceclaim my unreasonably demanding first instinct was "alright, I need to find their exact midpoint in terms of looks, but also with white or silver hair to keep up the trend that Kamera's Demon God Pillars hosts follow of all having white or silver hair". Obviously, I expected I'd have to compromise a lot there, but then a friend started playing Tales of Berseria and oops, I remembered that Artorius Collbrande exists and fit what I was imagining almost exactly while also having some interesting points of contact with this Stilicho's story in a completely different way from the other two, so that worked out very nicely.
Last edited by Serra; March 11th, 2022 at 02:17 PM.
Stilicho: Wow, when you mentioned you were going to write a Stilicho sheet and a demon pillar sheet, I didn't expect the two to be one and the same. This guy's... certainly leaning on the more OP side of things, especially his version of Protection from Arrows. Lore does indeed feel pretty long, but since I tend to write decently long lores myself, I'm not one to judge.
I was initially a bit confused on why he's a Watcher. His variation of Grand Order and his second NP does shed light on why and give him more of that Watcher feel, but honestly I still don't know if he fits the Class commonly used by intangible entities to watch/observe the Master when he's very much capable of physically fighting by himself. Honestly despite me being the current King of Watchers according to Del, there's still so much I don't know about the Class, so I'll leave that to those more knowledgeable on the matter.
Aside from those, good work, I especially like the little alterations you did to his lore to tie him with the nasuverse concepts like Origins and the 72 Demon Gods.
I am the Kingmaker. The Crowngiver. The Lord who chillaxes like a Baller.
It is I who decides who shall rule the lands.
By my decree the King of Watchers was chosen.
Mock me and i will compile even the Standard Classes.
Throughout history, humanity watched all kinds of unreasonable things happen in the world;
Mankind has forced themselves to become accustomed to it.
Master, let us not be indifferent, let us write down the history of the world as it unfolds.
…
In the ancient days, the concept of writing was nonexistent.
People tie knots to record events, and the size of the knot reflects the importance of things.
However, for the purpose of recording history, for development of a civilization, this is far from enough.
Thus, the four eyed man wandered through the mountains and rivers, trying to come up with a solution.
…
The stars are shining, and the mountains and rivers are intertwined.
Insects, fish, birds and beasts have their own postures, and vegetation and tools have shapes.
Those eyes were constantly observing, and their sights flowed to all things in the world.
Finally, a series of text symbols were inscribed on his mind.
…
When the writing system was completed, the Sky rained grains, and the Spirits wailed at night.
For the gods and demons alike feared that men would no longer have use for them.
For mankind has found the means to conquer the heavens.
A prosperous culture begins here, a great civilization is born here.
The infinitely vast future extends from small symbols, immortal for thousands of years.
The records of history flow onward.
…
All things in this world have an essence that can be captured through the five senses.
When they are expressed as words, these essence become the common sense of man.
Finally, when these words are inscribed as texts, they become the Law of the World.
…
Class: Caster True Name: Cangjie Gender: Male Alignment: Lawful Neutral Origin: Chinese Mythology Attribute: Earth
A cultural hero credited with the invention of the Chinese writing system. He is said to be endowed with four eyes, signifying his extraordinary perceptiveness. Cangjie was one of the most trusted officials of the Yellow Emperor, serving as the Thearch’s imperial historian.
Parameters: STR: D END: D AGI: B MGI: A+ LCK: B NP: A
Class Skills: Item Construction: A+
Caster can only produce talismans, but his talismans are of extremely high quality and have an essentially limitless range of effects. Rather than the regular means of manufacturing items by processing concrete materials, Caster produces items by converting the “essence of an object” into a set of logograms, and then recreating the utility of those objects through talismans. This same method can be used to bind and invoke spirits and demons.
Territory Creation: B
The Skill to build a special terrain that is advantageous to oneself as a magus, such as for the purpose of collecting mana. In Caster’s case, it is a writing workshop designed to enhance focus and conjure inspiration, as well as warding off all kinds of distractions.
Personal Skills: All Things in Nature: EX
The four different types of Mystic Eyes that Caster possesses. Capturing, Permanence, Precognition and Retrocognition. The ever-observant eyes that studied the spectacles of nature and saw through all of its essences. These are also the eyes that record the past, and flow towards the future. It can be said to be the ultimate writing inspiration generator.
Heavenly Official: A+
A Thought Key capable of accessing the Privileged Domain of the Yellow Thearch, granted to Caster for his duty as the God Emperor’s high-ranking official. It allows him to perform the powerful magecraft of the Heavenly Xians, but only for a brief moment, and not without a great strain to his Saint Graph. In addition, this skill also includes the capability to administer and operate a nation or a system, though not to lead it as a ruler.
God of Writing: A
Throughout the temples and monuments where he is enshrined and his "invention of writing" is commemorated, Caster is worshiped as a god of writing. In addition to regular Divinity, this skill grants Caster with an Authority which grants him mastery in all fields of literary arts. It also allows him to write texts and recite incantations at hyper speed.
Noble Phantasms: 鸟迹书 Bird Trace Inscription - Twenty Eight Primordial Letters that Begun History Niao Ji Shu Type: Anti-World Rank: EX
The 28 engraved symbols that marked the invention of writing in China.
The phenomenon of heaven, the sceneries of earth, the shapes of creatures, the creations and histories of mankind. All those things are condensed into the 28 letters that Caster invented. When the letters are completed, it is said that the heavens rained millet and the spirits and demons alike cried at night, anticipating the coming of a new prime species, the coming of a human civilization.
In essence, this is a Noble Phantasm in which Caster engraves these letters into the very texture of the planet, allowing him to rewrite the foundation of history, to create a new Law of the World. The original purpose of Caster’s invention of writing was none other than to “remember the history of the world”. The invention of writing is said to be the beginning of history itself, and history is the monument upon which the rules of the world are inscribed.
Last edited by Kamera; March 10th, 2022 at 11:12 PM.
Stilicho: A real pleasant surprise to see another sheet using the Demon God concept. You did an excellent job at synchronizing the figure with the Demon God, which is the toughest part of this kind of thing. The Watcher class choice is a bit iffy at first, but as I read through it, I'd say it's working pretty well in the end. Overall, great job!
Also, note to self I really should include a relationship section in my sheets from now on.
Cangjie: Good sheet as always for you. The fact that you gave him glasses in the FC presumably as a reference to his "four eyes" epithet is kind of amazing. That NP sounds hax though I'm a little curious what its practical effects could be. Could he create a "law" like "violence is forbidden" or "everyone must always tell the truth" and enforce that within a given space for instance?
Thanks man.
Regarding the NP, I imagine the "law" he creates depends heavily on the history he writes. For example, if he can imagine and write down a fanfiction alternate history scenario where the concept of violence or lying is nonexistent, then it is indeed possible. Depending on how divergent from real history it is, the chance of success goes down and NP cost goes up significantly. Also the range where the law applies and the duration of when it is active is limited only to his master's magical energy pool.
Last edited by Kamera; March 11th, 2022 at 12:39 AM.
Thanks man.
Regarding the NP, I imagine the "law" he creates depends heavily on the history he writes. For example, if he can imagine and write down a fanfiction alternate history scenario where the concept of violence or lying is nonexistent, then it is indeed possible. Depending on how divergent from real history it is, the chance of success and NP cost goes up significantly. Also the range where the law applies and the duration of when it is active is limited only to his master's magical energy pool.
Ah, that makes it a little clearer. It sounds like his NP could even reach the extent of creating a Lostbelt then.
Ah, that makes it a little clearer. It sounds like his NP could even reach the extent of creating a Lostbelt then.
Yeah, it's similar to how pinning the Tree of Fantasy into the texture can create Lostbelts, but in this case he's just vandalizing the texture with some ancient chinese graffiti.
Disclaimer: much of this sheet won't make sense without context from the accompanying scenario. But w/e, read them (or not) in whatever order you like, i aint ur mom lol
Source "So you're the Master who posted the request for a bodyguard. I'll have to warn you that this sort of mission isn't my strong suit, but I'll do what I can. ...My name? Just call me 'the Arthurian', or just X if you like."
Class: Saber True Name: Mysterious Hero X Gender: Male Height and Weight: 181 cm / 68 kg Source: Servant Universe, Saber Wars: The Arthurian Region: Servant World Alignment: Chaotic Good Attribute: Star
Parameters Strength: A+ Constitution: B Agility: C Magical Energy: C Luck: D Noble Phantasm: A++
Biography
"A mysterious bounty hunter who operated in the Servant Universe in the X00 years since the collapse of the Primordial Goddess' temple Bel Maanna. An Arthurian (Artoria-type existence) who appeared some fifteen years after discontent against the members of the Saber class (predictably) boiled over into the bloody Saber Purges. Shunned by many, respected by few, but feared by most, Mysterious Hero X became the galaxy's unlikely hero at the advent of a new villain-type class's proliferation as the decisive anti-Pretender weapon. If you've recently been swindled, double-crossed, or otherwise bamboozled by a shady hot guy, his is the number you call."
--Character description from the official "Saber Wars: The Arthurian" website
Character Likes: ■■■■■■■■■■■■ Dislikes: ■■■■■■■■■■■■ Talent: Tracking, keeping secrets
A bounty hunter who's the embodiment of chivalry despite his intimidating appearance. Thanks to the Arthurian Creed he inherited from his mentor Richard Neville (Light), X prizes honesty and authenticity above all else. His instincts can sense whenever someone is lying, and he himself will not utter falsehoods as a matter of principle. This Creed, as well as his natural advantage against the troublesome new villain-type Pretender class, earned him the title "Mysterious Hero".
Serious and no-nonsense, X takes the shortest, most efficient route for everything. However, he differs from the previous generation Mysterious Heroines by being able to read the room to a frightening degree. Putting (too much) stock into the feelings of others, he stays on the sidelines and lets people do as they please, so long as their desires don't lead them to deceiving others or themselves.
However, the main reason X doesn't assert himself is because he doesn't have anything he likes or dislikes in particular. Or rather, he lost those things to the records of a long-lost individual's history painting over his own. Though this process has since halted upon being summoned as a Servant, X's lack of a personal history is a weak point he rarely allows anyone to perceive. Perhaps the answer to this dilemma lies in the place where lost things lie...
When it comes to combat, X vastly prefers to engage the target with ranged weapons, and even support fire from his spaceship, over the nameless Holy Sword he picked up on the Moon. A rather boorish move for a member of the Saber class, but said Holy Sword was a recent acquisition, has no True Name and therefore no hidden power to release, and, quite frankly, is too heavy (on several levels) for X to comfortably wield.
Relationships Master "Our relationship? I didn't think I'd have to say this, but you're my employer, and I'm your bodyguard. Anything beyond that is... not in my skillset."
Oberon "The first among the members of the villain-type Pretender class, both in terms of emergence and threat level. With the number of poor souls his pretty face and honeyed voice have deceived, capturing that slippery bug might as well be a public service."
Hephaestion "All Pretenders must naturally be eliminated, but this one's threat level is quite low. Still, capturing her is a priority for me. With the goddess fused to her, I could... Ahem. Forget I said anything."
Mysterious Heroine XX "Oh, it's the Arthurian from the main series' previous season. She's a cop, and I'm a vigilante, so we're naturally incompatible with each other. That said, I'd like to test my strength against hers at least once."
Taigong Wang "That pretty face is sketchy. Those squinty eyes are sketchy. Everything about this man is sketchy. Master, I recommend freezing him in corbanite before he can try anything."
Merlin "So this is the infamous scoundrel the main story's Arthurians had to deal with. Master, I definitely recommend freezing this one in corbanite. He might be a powerful magus, but his tricks should have no effect while petrified."
Second Ascension Source "Flamethrower, check. Beskaah armor plating, check. Jet pack, check. Carnwennan-type miniature homing missiles, check. ...Ah, my apologies, Master. I'm just doing an inventory of my tools, since it's been a while since I last wore my Arthurian armor. With everything in place, I should be able to hunt down Pretenders with 300% more efficiency."
Class Skills Riding: A
Ability to ride mounts and vehicles. Managing conventional mounts is challenging, but this only serves to highlight that X's true riding skill lies in his ability to splendidly maneuver his personal spaceship, the Catalina.
Cosmo Reactor: C++
The protection of the great Universe that draws victory's principle of causality towards oneself. X's plot armor is initially low due to being a drifter, but it receives conditional plus-corrections from being part of the Arthurian series of Servants.
Eyes of the Furthest End (False): D
Vision and experience honed for the singular purpose of ferreting out all kinds of lies and deception. A power bestowed upon X by the "boundary" that is both the forefront and furthest end of the Universe-- not really. X's scam detector is just that good. Apparently, a previous contractor was so impressed by the bounty hunter's ability to separate lies from truth that they gave it such an embarrassingly poetic moniker.
Personal Skills Apoptotic Meteor Sword: EX
The sword style inherited from the sage Richard Neville (Light), and an alternate ideal form to the first generation Heroine X's Galactic Meteor Sword skill. Being a swordsman who cuts through all deceit, Arthur gains additional damage against existences that lie as naturally as they breathe. Damage is increased when facing enemies that use bladed armaments, obscure their True Names, or are existences from another universe.
Incidentally, the sword techniques that X displays is a type of battojutsu derived from the teachings of Space Shinkage-ryu. Also, the term "Sword" is a bit of a misnomer; the plus-corrections to damage are also applied even when fighting with blasters and such.
Arthurian Creed: EX
The code of conduct handed down to X by his mentor Richard Neville. The tenets of this creed are thirteen in number, but X remains tight-lipped into the specifics of each one. A Skill that places compulsory restraints upon oneself. X receives a combo platter of bonuses both in and out of combat while he follows the Creed's tenets, but these are instantly revoked should he violate them. "--To draw one's sword is to choose between life and death. This is the way."
Moonlit Soul: EX
The memories that X just barely managed to protect through perseverance and commitment to his principles. By gaining resolve along with Master, the light of the moon shines on X once more, stripping away the records of a long-lost divinity to lay bare his memories beneath.
Third Ascension Source "Phew, it feels like I've recovered most of my memories from Lady Omega! I was hoping Master wouldn't have to learn my identity like this, but... Well, what's done is done, right? Let me formally introduce myself, Master. My name is Arthur Tudor, and my class is Pretender. To make up for keeping a secret this big, I'll protect you with everything I've got!"
Class: Pretender True Name: Arthur Tudor Gender: Male Height and Weight: 181 cm / 68 kg Source: Servant Universe, Saber Wars: The Arthurian Region: Servant World Alignment: Chaotic Good Attribute: Star
Parameters Strength: A+ Constitution: B Agility: C Magical Energy: C Luck: D Noble Phantasm: A++
Class Skills Riding: A
Ability to ride mounts and vehicles. Managing conventional mounts is challenging, but this only serves to highlight that Arthur's true riding skill lies in his ability to splendidly maneuver his personal spaceship, the Catalina.
Cosmo Reactor: C++
The protection of the great Universe that draws victory's principle of causality towards oneself. Arthur's plot armor is initially low due to being a drifter, but it receives a plus-correction while drawing the Holy Sword, and another one upon invoking the Holy Sword's True Name.
Anti-Human Order (Deception): D
An ability concealed under the name Eyes of the Furthest End (False). It puts a stop to everything created by humanity, as well as the laws that work in humanity's favor. In particular, it's specialized towards unraveling the deceptions and impostures upon which human society is built.
Arthur acquired this Skill as part of his inheritance as a scion of the Apoptotic Goddess Artoria Omega. Originally a malice that subtly directs people's hearts towards revealing their true colors (good or evil as they may be), Arthur turned said function inward and re-articulated it as "a sixth sense (instinct) that tingles when someone is lying".
Personal Skills Apoptotic Meteor Sword: EX
The sword style inherited from the Goddess of the Furthest End Artoria Omega, and an alternate ideal form to the first generation Heroine X's Galactic Meteor Sword skill. Being a swordsman who cuts the universe from within, Arthur gains additional damage against existences that share his traits. Damage is increased when facing enemies that use bladed armaments, obscure their True Names, or are existences from another universe.
Incidentally, the sword techniques that Arthur displays is a type of battojutsu derived from the teachings of Space Shinkage-ryu. Also, the term "Sword" is a bit of a misnomer; the plus-corrections to damage are also applied even when fighting with blasters and such.
Arthurian Creed: EX
The code of conduct handed down to Arthur by his father Richard Neville. The tenets of this creed are thirteen in number, but Arthur remains tight-lipped into the specifics of each one. A Skill that places compulsory restraints upon oneself. Arthur receives a combo platter of bonuses both in and out of combat while he follows the Creed's tenets, but these are revoked should he violate said tenets. "--To draw one's sword is to choose between good and evil. This is the way."
Moonlit Soul: EX
The memories that Arthur just barely managed to protect through perseverance and commitment to his principles. By gaining resolve along with Master, the light of the moon shines on Arthur once more, stripping away the records of Artoria Omega to lay bare his memories beneath.
Noble Phantasms Escalibor: Sword of Destined Victory
Rank: EX
Type: Anti-Fortress
Range: 1-99
Maximum number of targets: 999 people
The released form of the original Heroine X's Secretcalibur, only achieved upon the Holy Sword being lost and ending up in the Moon. Thanks to the blessings bestowed by the Goddess of the Furthest End Artoria Omega, its vaunted anti-Saber capabilities have been elaborated, becoming a weapon destined to be victorious over any opposition and capable of carving open the Servant Universe.
--That's all well and good, but said power is apparently only available within the Sapphire Galaxy's confines. Outside of it, this Noble Phantasm is "merely" a Holy Sword that shoots beams.
Speaking of beams, Escalibor's current base power output is equal to that of the original's when more than half of its seals are opened. Due to the danger of being able to casually utilize such destructive power, Arthur devised a system of two additional seals that need to be opened before the sword's True Name release. First, the battle must not be against the Arthurian creed; second, the Master must consent to its use with a Command Spell.
Alae Aahvalonis: Wings that Open at Twilight
Rank: C
Type: Anti-Unit (Self)
Range: 0
Maximum number of targets: 1 person
The Wings of Aahvalon that the Tudor Project painstakingly scoured the galaxy for. Originally split into four pieces, this divine garment represents the Child of Prophecy inheriting Artoria Omega's will and accepting role of "one who arbitrates the Universe's metempsychosis".
When acquired by the destined bearer, it allows them to learn the Sword of Destined Victory's True Name, drape (disguise) themselves with the trappings of the Saber class, and receive plus-corrections to all their parameters as the time of vicissitude approaches. But more importantly for its current bearer Arthur Tudor, this Noble Phantasm also halts and overturns the failsafe process that overwrites the Child of Prophecy's memories with those of Artoria Omega's.
Spiritron Dress: Child of Prophecy's Formal Attire Source "These clothes are...! Ah, forgive me, Master. This formal attire... Even with all my memories, I can barely recall when I wore this, but... I feel like the Arthur of those days would have been very happy to wear this outfit again. That's why, from the bottom of this Arthur's-- no, my-- heart, thank you, Master."
Biography
"The Child of Prophecy who took up the mantle of the Apoptotic Goddess. Like his counterpart from Greater Human History, Arthur Tudor was born and raised as the great hope of those around him. However, he blanched at and ran away from taking up the Child of Prophecy's mantle when he learned that their role was to essentially cut open the Sapphire Galaxy.
Twenty years later, Arthur has seemingly resigned himself to the fact that he will lose himself to the role of the Universe's executioner. But thanks to a chance meeting with a youth from another universe, this hardened bounty hunter began to retrieve some of the childlike hope he once had. This hope is what led Arthur Tudor to perform one single great deed, just like his Greater Human History counterpart: draped in the Child of Prophecy's woven wings, he swung the Holy Sword to cut through Richard Neville (Darkness)'s malformed ideals.
At the close of the story, Arthur learned one final, ironic lesson: the prophecy spoke of a child who would arbitrate the Universe's metempsychosis. It didn't say he had to do so immediately."
--Excerpt from a ServantTube analysis of "Saber Wars: The Arthurian"
Character Likes: Stuffed animals, candied fruit Dislikes: Forgetting things, deception Talent: Tracking, keeping secrets
The person Arthur Tudor should have been all this time. A fully realized "ally of justice" clad with the role of cleaving lies and truth, good and evil using his own heart and mind. Compared to his time as Mysterious Hero X, Arthur is still rather straight-laced, but his demeanor has become significantly more relaxed, and he's easier to approach as a result.
This change in demeanor is also reflected in how Arthur approaches combat: he now to directly engage the target with the Holy Sword he picked up on the Moon before resorting to ranged weapons. An unusual move for the Pretender class, but Arthur's confidence in his ability to wield the Holy Sword is greatly increased compared to before.
The tension Arthur had as Mysterious Hero X, however, seemingly only changed form. He is presently brimming with curiosity like a child, and earnestly reaches out to new people, places, and experiences of his own initiative. It can get to the point where people he interacts with form the impression of "Isn't this guy trying way too hard to be liked!?", and his constant search for adventure can leave his companions worn out. Arthur does have the good sense to slow down when prompted to, though, bringing up the image of a large, excitable dog that turns into a slugabed after taking a walk.
The real reason for Arthur's frantic race of adventure has something to do with the role he accepted. Arthur Tudor is the Child of Prophecy who will arbitrate the Servant Universe's metempsychosis; in other words, everything in the Universe, Arthur included, will have their lives extinguished by his hand. Therefore, both for his own sake and the Universe's, Arthur desires to experience all the true and beautiful things that permeate the Universe, so that when the promised moment comes, he can say with confidence that the Universe's story remained full of hope right until the very end.
Relationships Master "Thanks to my... condition, I wasn't able to form relationships that wouldn't ultimately be lost to Artoria Omega. But that was before I met Master. Now, I feel ready to try and form bonds with the people around me again. With your permission, Master, I'd like to try walking along our shared path as your partner. ...Master, why is your face going red? Did I say something strange again?"
Oberon-Vortigern "Oberon-Vortigern is someone who lies more easily than he breathes, while Arthur Tudor is someone born to cut through deception. No matter the time or place, it seems Arthurs and Vortigerns are destined to be enemies."
Hephaestion-Mnemosyne "That lady was a guard of sorts too, huh? That means she's my senior in being a bodyguard and a Pretender both. I really don't want to have to hunt her down, but if push comes to shove, I'll give her an hour's head start."
Space Ishtar "Woah, is that really the legendary Miss Lady Space Ishtar!? As a fellow bounty hunter who got roped into some Universe-ending goddess stuff, I feel like we'd get along great, but she's seriously intimidating! Eh? Just throw several thousand QP her way as tribute? ... As expected of my Master, you're full of brilliant ideas!"
Richard Neville (Light) "The other day, I was walking aimlessly around, working up the courage to Sir Richard, when I suddenly bumped into him in the corridor! Even worse, I even accidentally called him "Papa"! ...Well, even though he's not the Sir Richard I knew, he didn't exactly mind, and even had a small smile on his face, but I was so embarrassed that I wanted to die on the spot!"
Richard Neville (Darkness) "That man... He's different from the Richard Neville that I faced back in the Universe, but his core that would lie to and betray anyone for the sake of winning hasn't changed. I'll stay my sword hand for now, but I won't hesitate to cut him down if his lies ever hurt Master."
Author's Notes
I HATE FORMATTING I HATE FORMATTING I HATE FORMATTI-- Ahem.
The initial design concept for this character was "a Guda-exclusive Arthur route". His true identity was supposed to be Lucius Artorius Castus, but I stumbled upon Arthur Tudor while writing up Winterbaum, and then decided to make the character "Arthur Tudor who's disguised as Arthur Pendragon". That concept mutated along the way into "Arthur Tudor is losing his memories to Arthur Pendragon" because ya boi played too much Bayonetta. When Avalon le Fae and the Pretender class came around, that seemed to be the perfect chance to turn him into a Pretender (specifically, "an unambiguously heroic Pretender"), and the rest is history.
That said, I do have certain reservations with this sheet going forward. First, I think I over-indulged while fleshing out Arthur's character in the sense that I filled him with character traits that appeal to me specifically, but hey, it's a White-Day-event-slash-Servantverse Servant. Some pandering to the target demographic is allowed, in my opinion. Second, I may have leaned in too hard into the "one-who-wears-a-role" part of the Pretender class and not enough on the "deceive-even-the-soul" part. Sure, there's the part where Arthur's memories are being painted over by Artoria Omega, but overall I feel like this particular Pretender is more similar to Hephaestion's case than Oberon's.
Nevertheless, I'm satisfied with how this "Hephaestion-style" Pretender turned out. The focus on memories and judging things with one's own eyes naturally lent itself to the Bayonetta rip-off that is Saber Wars: The Arthurian, and I particularly like (and am still amused by) the process by which I arrived at "True Name Divestiture". As mentioned earlier, a Pretender is "one who wears a role". Therefore, shouldn't a Pretender who strives for certainty undergo the process of losing their clothes? This, then, led to me taking some cues (most notably the abundance of clothes/stripping metaphors) from Kill la Kill, which I realized has way too many similar plot beats to Bayonetta as I filled out the sheet. So yer. If you came here from Create-a-Singularity, that's the answer to the worthless-Internet-point question.
Anyway. Ciao.
Last edited by Nuclear; March 11th, 2022 at 01:15 AM.
Kamera: cool sheet as always, but i feel like something is missing. His God of Writing Skill could need a sentence to describe how he uses his magecraft in combat.
Nuclear: your sheet and event is a delight. fun as always. you show that you are great and understand the game, its logic and its structure the best here. good job. and the formatting is cool! The transition is so simple, i giggled a bit for never even thinking about it.
His God of Writing Skill could need a sentence to describe how he uses his magecraft in combat.
his magecraft skill is the Heavenly Official not the God of Writing but, his magecraft should be similar to what Jiang Ziya does, with emphasis and specialization in chinese talismans magicks.
Taigong's applications of the Xian Arts include teleportation through the Tudun technique, restrict a person's ability to hear him or/and others, analyze the surroundings and others' Spiritual Cores, view another's secrets, make himself and others fly, cast Samadhi fire, and much more.
Cangjie: Great sheet. Very fun inital narration. I think placing an emphasis on the fact that his writing system was invented for the purpose to record history is definitely a good way to differentiate him from other hypotetical Servants who invented writing systems (Saints Cyril and Methodius, Sejong the Great, or some sort of Cuneiform Language sheet?) or materially revolutionised how people wrote in some other way (Gutenberg). All Things In Nature is a bit vague but relating Mystic Eyes to his usual epithet is very fascinating. His Authority definitely feels justified, all of his Skills feel like they fit very well, and the NP's scope is awesome.
Mysterious Hero X: Having now read both this and the event summary... honestly there's still a few things here and there I don't really understand about the latter even if I do rather like it, so I'll ask about those in the other thread eventually. What I can say so far is that this sheet really feels like an effective protagonist that ultimately brings the event together with his journey of self-realisation. The last paragraph of the 'Character' section is especially great in those terms. Also ngl it's kind of hilarious how he doesn't fight like a Saber while he pretends to be a Saber and fights like a Saber once he doesn't pretend to be one anymore lol. Good job!
Stilicho: Thanks for the feedback! That's fair, I did go a bit overboard with that Protection from Arrows, I guess I was just worried that about maybe accidentally making all the contributions from Stilicho's side of the Servant too underwhelming when compared to those from Ronove's side, and I may have overshot that Skill's power level as a result lol. I feel like the lack of a traditional Master-Servant relationship here (replaced with the contract with Goetia), together with the canonical powers of smelling past, present and future of the Observatory Demon God Pillars, and with how important I made Territory Infringement as a representation of Ronove's being respected by everyone and welcome everywere, are probably enough to at least say he's closer to a Watcher than to any of the standard classes, at least. That said, I did very much bury the lead on accident there, since I shunted a lot of that information to the Noble Phantasms. So, I made a few changes, let me know if you think they're improvements or if I should revert them. The bolded text is what I've moved or added, striked-through text is what's been moved away or deleted.
Magecraft | B
A Skill representing knowledge of modern magecraft.
As a Magus, Stilicho had an above average, but not record-breaking, number of magical circuits, and could cast a versatile variety of spells. His Elemental Affinity encompassed both the common Fire and the noble Wind. His Origin was Service, and his family's Thaumaturgical Attribute was Denial. These aspects are all essentially carried over for him as a Watcher thanks to his Skill, and also reflect themselves in parts of his other Skills and even Noble Phantasms, in fairly transparent ways. At the battle of the Frigidus, Stilicho and the rest of Theodosius's army were at a disadvantage up until a strong wind rose suddenly against the other army, making it all but impossible for them to land their javelins and arrows; in fact, the storm was strong enough to send several of the projectiles right back at the ones who had launched them. This seemingly miraculous event was actually achieved through covert magecraft and became an aspect of Stilicho's own legend.
Protection from Arrows | A
The ability to deal with projectiles, an increased defense against ranged attacks by predicting the projectiles' trajectories through exceptional means.
At the battle of the Frigidus, Stilicho and the rest of Theodosius's army were at a disadvantage up until a strong wind rose suddenly against the other army, making it all but impossible for them to land their javelins and arrows; in fact, the storm was strong enough to send several of the projectiles right back at the ones who had launched them.
Watcher automatically intercepts any and all projectiles with gusts of sudden cold wind, which are strong enough to reflect most of those that aren't high-ranked Noble Phantasm right back at their users. He's already able to predict their trajectories thanks to his second Noble Phantasm, but the gusts of wind are a separate matter that reflects an aspect of Stilicho's own legend.
Observatory Demon God | B
As one of the Demon Gods making up Goetia's Observatory, Ronove is able to see - or rather, smell - past, present and future - though his ability to do so is now somewhat diminished as a lone Watcher, without the active support of the rest of Goetia. It still exists for him as a Watcher to a degree that can be useful even in fast-paced combat against Servants with higher AGI, though. Specifically, the ability to smell the future is somewhat similar to the Clairvoyance Skill. The ability to smell the present lets him perceive in a city-wide area around him all that can be sensed with sight, hearing, smell or by sensing Magical Energy: it's somewhat similar to the Universal Bird's Eye Skill. The ability to smell the past is the one most hampered for him as a Watcher, and it mostly boils down to being able to know the appearance of Servants that have been summoned in a city-wide area around him for a certain amount of time even before his summoning, as well as the exact time and place of their summoning; theoretically, it could also let him automatically discern things such as miscellaneous flashes of the events that led to the beginning of a Singularity, Lostbelt, or similar event, but given that he'd most likely be on the side of the ones causing it in the first place, he'd probably already be informed about it anyway.
[...]
Librorum Sybillinorum Incendium | Ronovis Scipio
Burning of the Sybilline Books | Torching of the Futures
Type: Anti-Unit Anti-Future
[...]
As one of the Demon Gods making up Goetia's Observatory, Ronove is able to see - or rather, smell - past, present and future - though his ability to do so is now somewhat diminished as a lone Watcher, without the active support of the rest of Goetia. It still exists for him as a Watcher to a degree that can be useful even in fast-paced combat against Servants with higher AGI, though. Specifically, the ability to smell the future is somewhat similar to the Clairvoyance Skill. The ability to smell the present lets him perceive in a city-wide area around him all that can be sensed with sight, hearing, smell or by sensing Magical Energy: it's somewhat similar to the Universal Bird's Eye Skill. The ability to smell the past is the one most hampered for him as a Watcher, and it mostly boils down to being able to know the appearance of Servants that have been summoned in a city-wide area around him for a certain amount of time even before his summoning, as well as the exact time and place of their summoning; theoretically, it could also let him automatically discern things such as miscellaneous flashes of the events that led to the beginning of a Singularity, Lostbelt, or similar event, but given that he'd most likely be on the side of the ones causing it in the first place, he'd probably already be informed about it anyway.
As a prelude to the Incineration of Humanity and thanks to the combination of these factorsthis anecdote with his Observatory Demon God Skill,
EDIT - I also fixed a typo in the Rhazes line; I'd typed Rhazes at a point in which he's actually referring to the Demon God, Zagan
Last edited by Serra; March 11th, 2022 at 02:19 PM.
Originally Posted by DelRey
-- ⫸ - ⪢ - ⋙ - ⪼ - >
That's fair, I did go a bit overboard with that Protection from Arrows, I guess I was just worried that about maybe accidentally making all the contributions from Stilicho's side of the Servant too underwhelming when compared to those from Ronove's side, and I may have overshot that Skill's power level as a result lol. I feel like the lack of a traditional Master-Servant relationship here (replaced with the contract with Goetia), together with the canonical powers of smelling past, present and future of the Observatory Demon God Pillars, and with how important I made Territory Infringement as a representation of Ronove's being respected by everyone and welcome everywere, are probably enough to at least say he's closer to a Watcher than to any of the standard classes, at least. That said, I did very much bury the lead on accident there, since I shunted a lot of that information to the Noble Phantasms. So, I made a few changes, let me know if you think they're improvements or if I should revert them. The bolded text is what I've moved or added, striked-through text is what's been moved away or deleted.
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