True Name: Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin
Alt. Classes: Foreigner, Caster, Avenger?
Source: History
Region: Poland and France
Catalyst: Sheet music never published in his life that weren’t burned against his wishes. Alt: A jewelled ring given to him by, ironically, Tsar Alexander I.
Armament: Darkness, tuberculosis contagion (against his will), pianos
Character: One of the greatest piano composers and performers in history, despite dying before he could turn forty from eventually succumbing to tuberculosis complications. A frail, fragile, sensitive sort, at times hyper-sensitive, he avoided large crowds and orchestras and composed almost exclusively for solo piano.
While there’s some controversy around whether he was Polish or French, as his father was from France and Assassin spent the latter half of his life there, he himself would tell you he’s Polish. He was forced to leave Poland for safety during the November Revolution, spending the rest of his life as a refugee in Austria and then France, never returning even after the Uprising ended due to Russia remaining in power, and his own guilt. Assassin regrets that his poor health meant he could never do anything more for the Revolution than compose an Etude, however he then tried to make up for that by becoming a major promoter of Polish musical culture, popularising the Mazurka while giving the Polonaise authenticity, all while Polish culture was outlawed in Poland proper. Unlike modern nationalists though, he does not let his love of Poland turn into hate for any other country, save perhaps Russia.
Despite his antisociality, he was still capable of forming strong, if turbulent, friendships throughout his life. Two main examples were fellow pianists Franz Liszt and Charles Valentin-Alkan, the former despite or because of being his total opposite, the latter even more reclusive than he was. Opposites attract applies to his love life too, being romantically involved with stronger, more dominant women like the infamous author Aurore Dupont (better known by her pseudonym George Sand). There’s the possibility Chopin may have been bisexual too, given his correspondences with the Polish activist Tytus Woychiechowski would look like love-letters from a modern viewpoint.
His feelings on the Grail War are conflicted. On one hand, he sees it as the opportunity to serve Poland in conflict where he never could in its November Revolution. On the other, lacking the sheer force of your standard orchestra-blasting musical Servant, this means the most effective way he could serve in battle is as a disease-spreader, something he is not happy about doing. He sees being summoned as Assassin of all classes as something of an insult and source of shame, as he never killed anyone in life. However, given his secrecy, tuberculosis’ contagiousness, and that his two most famous pieces revolve around death (Funeral March) and darkness (Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2), the class is more fitting than he thinks.
Attribute: Star
Alignment: Chaotic Good against Russia, True Neutral elsewise
Likes: Poland, constantly composing, solitude, masculine women
Dislikes: ‘Interpretations’ of his pieces, naming his pieces, performing in public, Russia
Relationships:
Mozart: “I… I looked up to your music so much, in youth and in death. Although, ah, it seems music and the musician can be surprisingly different…”
Salieri: “You did teach Beethoven after all; I believe your place in music history’s secured.”
Tesla: “Huh, everyone’s confused about your homeland too, I see?”
Cathy Morland: “What? N-no, Ms. Sand did not base that prince character on me. You’re- you’re spreading complete misinformation!”
Mereaux: “Oh, I do recall you! We… er, we performed together once, I think? I do sympathise with your reluctance to travel.”
Berlioz: “I rather ought to apologise to Liszt, you make even him look restrained…”
Marie Curie: “My Lord, it’s not every day I meet another Polish migrant to France, especially one so outstanding in the field…”
Camille Saint-Saens: “Sorry for not recognising you, I believe you were after my time. But it’s something to meet another musician made an Assassin, though at least you got to live to a ripe old age…”
Gesualdo: “How dare you, you soulless creature! If any musician should be in this Class, it’s you.”
Master: Refugees from their homeland, would-be revolutionaries, dominant women, and/or those stricken with sickness like Tsubaki Kuruoka, Caren Hortensia or her mother Claudia would make fitting Masters.
Natural Enemy: Tsar Nicholas I.
Wish: That Poland would never have to fear Russia.
Rarity: 2/5.
Parameters
- Strength: ***** E- -> E
- Endurance: ***** E- -> E
- Agility: ***** B -> A
- Magic: ***** C -> B
- Luck: ***** E -> D
- Noble Phantasm: ***** B
Class Skills
Presence Concealment
The ability to mask one's presence and remain undetected.
- Rank B -> A: It is possible to disappear and become almost impossible to be detected. Assassin was a recluse in life and was notoriously difficult to get in contact with for anyone outside his social circle, and sometimes even they had trouble getting through to him. He also notably composed and played in pitch darkness (Rank Up from 'Homeland').
Personal Skills
Contagion
The spread of viruses and bacteria that infect other lifeforms.
- Rank B+: Assassin suffered from tuberculosis, which went active is one of the most contagious diseases, for a good portion of his life, finally dying either from the disease or complications caused by it. The spread of tuberculosis can be further accelerated by him performing any of his works linked with death or disease, such as the Funeral March, or the Suffocation, Hades, and Raindrop Preludes, that last one being linked with a severe health scare of his.
Familiar (Sylphides)
Allows the use of dancing wind spirits, or sylphs, as familiars.
- Rank C: Assassin’s association with sylphs didn’t come until after his death, when the non-programmatic ballet Les Sylphides was performed entirely to his music. Assassin is uncomfortable with suddenly being surrounded by all his air-elementals he never saw in life, but that they appreciate his music and can be used to interact with others in his stead has helped him adjust to them. They move in time with his playing, and can gain additional attributes from certain pieces, such as tornado-like fierceness from Revolution, a blizzard-like chill from Winter Wind, or becoming flying whirlpools with his Torrent. Being immune to human diseases, they can also carry his tuberculosis in a form of germ warfare, though one would need to force a Command Seal on him to have him do such a thing.
Protection of the Music God (True)
The divine protection of the Muses, achieved by having great skill in music. Allows for masterful musical performance and an ear for all kinds of sounds.
- Rank EX: Assassin has a stronger link with the Muse Euterpe than would be expected from a Servant of his era, with her sculpted into and watching over his gravestone. One additional effect gained by an actual link to a Muse is that any piano, the instrument Assassin wrote almost solely for, he plays is considered an E-Rank Noble Phantasm.
Shadow Lantern
Ability to become one with the shadows.
- Rank B: Assassin preferred to play in pitch-dark rooms with only a candle for light. Many of his works are also associated with darkness, most prominently his famous Nocturnes, a genre he helped popularise. Playing any of his Nocturnes, or another piece associated with the night and dark, surrounds and transports him through a mass of shadows the size of a salon hall.
Noble Phantasms
Polonaise Revolution
Oh, My Heart
Rank: B
Type: Support
Range: Self
Assassin’s love for the country of his birth and youth was so strong that, upon death, he was buried in imported Polish soil and had his heart removed and sent to be entombed separately in Poland, finally returning to his homeland upon death.
Wherever Chopin may be, this ensures his heart is forever in Poland and his feet always touch Polish soil. Thus, he receives the full benefits a Servant gets from their Homeland regardless of where the Grail War takes place, as the World or Moon Cell themselves always registers him as being 'in Poland'.
Though his Noble Phantasms is his two tombs, its title comes from the names conferred on the compositions that most signify his passion and love for Poland, the ‘Revolutionary’ Etude in C minor and his series of Polonaises, most famously the Heroic in Ab Major (the two scales only apart by one note).
However, there’s the question of how this Noble Phantasm would even work in a hypothetical Poland-set Grail War. Most likely it would either cancel itself out or grant him the double the benefits that a Servant’s Homeland usually does. There’s the chance he could shroud the entire Grail war in darkness if the latter was the case.
Adieu de Tristesse
Oh, My Homeland
Rank: B
Type: Anti-Army
Range: Earshot
Assassin’s Etude Op. 10 No. 3, considered by him personally to be the single most beautiful melody he ever composed. Famously, when he heard it being performed by one of his students, he suddenly burst out with the cry “O, ma patrie!”, subsequently linking the piece with the sorrow he felt over Poland losing the Revolution and the guilt and isolation of him having to leave his homeland for life.
This acts as the flipside to his first Noble Phantasm. Whenever Chopin plays this Etude, any Master or Servant within their own Sphere of Influence will have any boost or benefit that comes from being there nullified. However, that also Chopin himself, as his first Noble Phantasm will be deactivated for the duration of this one. He will also refuse to use this Phantasm on Polish Mages and Servants and will hesitate to use it against French.
If summoned in a Moon-Cell Grail War though, there’s the likelihood that this Noble Phantasm would be rendered utterly redundant, unless he somehow was to find himself up against a Servant whose Homeland was the Moon (e.g., Kaguya, Chang’o, Arcueid).
Notes: Given their similarities (born in Poland, moved to France, genius in their field, contagion) yet differences (powerful woman, effeminate man), I thought a Chopin sheet would be a natural follow-up to my one for Marie Curie
Some parts were definitely inspired by the previous BL sheet of Chopin by Sunny, like the Sylphides and link with Euterpe. I did try to make things separate enough, like while his Heart is also an NP here its effect is very different
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Originally Posted by Vididii
