[Quest] The Lost El-Melloi Files - Part 1 [Drainiing Vortex]

[Daiki]

The year is 2004.


And an old ritual is about to begin...


From all over the world, preparations have been made, alliances decided between individuals who freely manipulate powers mundane human could never hope to achieve.


The die have rolled and only a handful will remain to judge whether risking their existence was worth it. Gathering all the participants would take a bit of time but after waiting for so long, only a few would arrive late, placing themselves in a position of inferiority.


Nobody wanted to the be the odd one out, for as long as they participated in this gathering for people who had inherited the right to rule the planet, as the superior kind to their brethren, they were meant to rule.


As such, one could not allow the reward to escape their grasp. Even if outsiders would try to pick the crumbles from their betters, from those whose efforts led to the ritual to be in a state of completion, only one of the founders should be rewarded with the crown of victory.


In terms of scale, it should belittle petty rituals that could have preceded it. In terms of leylines it was one of the best for their set goal. The spiritual land had been thoroughly examined and carefully picked as to provide the necessary mana to trigger the age old formula carved into the landmass. But...


"...it's still too soon."


He, as one who counted among the few who contributed to the completion of this event, had made calculations and preparations for when the time would come.


"It wasn't supposed to activate before decades had passed. There shouldn't be enough Mana running through the vessel for the formula to activate."

And yet, it had.

Which meant that something or rather, someone had interfered with the process.

But who? And why?

The old man smiled for himself.

"Oh well, even if it came to fail, it should provide decent data nonetheless. I'm not really eager to see something go out of the measuring scale but, entertainment is good, yes."

At that, he took his glass of wine, enjoying its scent. One of the few things that remained even long after losing his humanity.

"Fascinating, huh? You live as old as myself and yet, a mere olfactif trigger and my memory jumps back to when I was two hundreds years younger. It's all fascinating, isn't it?"

His interlocutor, who had remained silent until then, simply shrugged, all the while sipping on a different drink with a grimace.

"In English, the term is olfactory. Ew, that stuff is awful, how do you even digest it?"

The older man laughs it off.

"It's like most things you are forced to accommodate to, at some point you simply stop caring about it tastes or feels. Just take it in as part of a daily ritual and then, you simply do it on automatism."

"I see... Well, I mostly taste it, right now."

Another chuckle from the gentleman who rises to his feet.

"I think it's time to make preparations for ourselves, after all, half the fun is in participating."

Even if indirectly.

"You're going to risk your life for a ritual you don't care about?"

The older man frowned at the younger man, his voice nothing but a chill resonance.

"Oh, you're mistaken my young friend, I want it to succeed, but only on my terms."


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"Why would even about doing that? What is wrong with you?"

The scene was one could see anywhere. A mischievous and curious young lad, getting a earful from an exasperated mother.

To be fair, when a parent puts so much efforts and investment for the grooming of their child, they should expect at least some common sense from them. However, what the angry woman doesn't understand yet, as a first mother dealing with a son who is naturally opening his mind to the outside world after years of private and solitary training at home, is that kids learn by interacting with the world.

Experience new things on their own is beneficial to their development and no matter how many you say "don't do this," they will push the red button ten times out of ten if they think that they can get away with it. Even if they do understand the logic, there is the temptation to see WHY or IF the reason something is forbidden really is worth that much caution.

They will repeat this process, until they get bored of trying new things, usually when they approach adulthood.

Meaning for the magus teacher, there's not much she could do at this point. Of course, as it is her first child, she doesn't know that much, and she ends up coming up with the reason that she failed at some point during the boy's education. He is only nine however, so she should have plenty of time to curb the worst of his behavior yet,

"Did you do this to punish me? Because I forbidden to attend your friend's birthday? Is that it? You would cause that kind of ruckus as a form of payback?"

The young boy scratches the back of his head, looking for an excuse allowing him to get away and not further antagonize his mother.

"Yeah, sorry but, I just thought it would be fun."

No excuse whatsoever. One could admire the boldness to come out so honestly after the fact, especially when being cornered by an angry adult, one who was utter power over your life schedule as it were. But the reality is that the son isn't even the least remorseful, and way too lazy to come up with a sort of excuse that he himself wouldn't believe.

"Noah, my son. Half of the Faculty of General Fundamentals' secondary building is gone."

The boy looks pensive, as if remembering the amount of damage he caused by tweaking the magical barrier surrounding the school ground.

"It was more like three quarters, but only half caught on fire, so I guess... you're not wrong."


"..."


"I mean, it's all good right? Dad said they were thinking about renovating anyway. It was empty too, so... And it's always faster to start from nothing that adjust with decay and stuff."

"Noah, the Trambelio are furious."

A raised brow, then.

"Dad says the Trambelio are stinky usurpers who tagged along when the Barthomeloi were busy and he told me that I should never bend to some filth-..."

"ENOUGH!!"

There is little to do when your mother scold you with the might only an angry parent can muster. Even more so, when it's enhanced by magecraft. The attack was effective alright, making Noah falter few steps back before helping steady himself using the wall nearby.

"Your father, is in trouble too, already, but I will have a discussion with him about that too."

Noah looked away with a look of pity, that could only mean "oops, sorry dad."

"You are to be grounded for the rest of the day, in your room."

"Not possible," Noah answered with a shrug.

"Oh, and why is that? You have plans to ruin another ancestral building, is that it?"

The sarcastic tone is not needed here, mother of mine.

"No, I have a lesson, remember? At the faculty of summoning."

His mother looks conflicted for an instant, then she sighs.

"Fair enough, you go and you behave properly this time. If I learn even an echo that you caused any kind of trouble for the Dean, you will regret being born, trust me."

"Okay, so I'm going then."

The boy looks hesitant, waiting confirmation from his mother that the scolding is finished.

"Just go, little monster. And don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

"I won't, I've grown tired of being bitten by spectral dogs."

"Hm, at least the pain is ephemeral, unlike what you did, Noah."

At that, he sees his mother massage her temples, she seems more tired than angry now, a sign that she is thinking about dealing with the situation rather than punishing him.

"But, perhaps I'll ask your personal instructor to teach me that spell," raising a brow in turn for emphasis.

"Aha, there's no need for that mother. I'll be good."


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"... so yeah, I need to learn how to deal with summoned black dogs," he exclaimed few hours later.


His interlocutor, who doesn't seem interested in hearing the story simply doesn't want to engage right now. Especially because she suspects half (and she is generous) of it is all nonsense she should never get awareness of. However, Noah's frowning face transfers sufficient anxiety that she feels like she has to indulge the younger boy. Classmate he may be, she can't abandon him just yet.

As a fellow noble with seniority, it was one part of her duty after all. She could always let fate works its course, if he's wasting her time.

"And why, pray tell, would you be telling me? I study astronomy, as you are aware, not necromancy. I'm as much ill-suited to banish those summoned familiars as you would be grasping the moon."

Noah reacted at that, as if he had perceived a challenge in the girl's tone. At once, the metal that covered his ears and the bangle he carried on his right wrist turned to a solid form of mercury. Noah grabbed it before it could fall and gestured for his hand with triumph.

"See, I just seized the moon!"

His interlocutor, tired of this childish line rolled her eyes and turned back to her book. A reference to its alternative name, which goes by Moon Spirit's something. It's all poetical, like much of the fancy gear created by nobles. Her own family has her own share too.

"It's just the name of your idiotic mystic code, it doesn't hold any meaning."

"Hey, don't call Lacrima Hydrargyrum like that, that's offensive." Petting the ball of silver, he adds; "Don't listen to her, 'Crima, you're alright by me."

As if measuring whether she should ask, she turned to the boy once more.

"Why Lacrima anyway?"

Noah smiled, as if he had caught her red-handed with a bag of chocolate after dinner.

"What you don't know that? You're still green behind the ears, my friend."

"I am not your friend. And I don't want to be called immature by someone younger than me."

"Not a question of age, Marie, 'tis all about having knowledge or not. Which you don't."

The girl emitted a very unlady-like grunt at that, her inner self battling for supremacy against the external self meant to keep acting properly.

"Then teach me, since you're a master of secret knowledge."

"Well, you know that my dad made this one using a piece of his Volumen, yeah?"

The girl nods, now a little more curious since Noah wasn't directly involved.

"You know what Volumen means in Latin?"

"Yes, I know, that still... oh."

Noah didn't bother to react to the sighing coming from the astromancer, she had obviously understood the level of thought that went into naming the mystic code.

"Means volume, as in a book, yeah? Well, what do you get if you take a piece, that would be from a page, so..."

"Yes, a tear, great. I suppose the fact that it's liquid, makes it a drop, or in other terms, a tear again."

"Exactly! See, how cool 'Crima is?"

"I do not care, Noah. I would also welcome the fact that you didn't speak of it as a person, it is weirding me out."

Spoiler:

"It's just the guilt that makes you feel like that, little Animusphere."

Spoiler:

"I don't want to hear that from you, Archibald the dwarf."


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So, yeah a Quest that pops outta nowhere suddenly!

Well, I was thinking the other day about how we don't get to see much of the other side. You know how it is, Fate / Tsuki world being different and all that jazz but we ain't seeing much of what's different, besides footnotes and occasional mention that. Doesn't help that Tsuki was rebooted and happens now a decade after FSN when it all happened earlier in the old lore.

So here, I am, a (not so) brave soul who decided to have a little fun with the setting and the characters. In order to explore this fresh new setting, what else but a new perspective as well. When I decided that I would write a Quest exploring the less hopeful side of the Nasuverse someone who is all happy, who never knew struggle and was spoiled from his birth would be ideal.

In fact, I thought that doing so with an OC would be boring but, I'm not writing a fanfic and with the almighty power of consensus voting through majority, we shall explore what this little guy (who is expected to grow up as the quest advances, should he survive) and the setting has to offer. Since we're not doing a Fate Quest, I thought that I would establish few things, and remember a few others to those who might want to know.

What I am about to list here, is what is supposed to be canon to the Quest. In no way do I claim to establish anything about the lore as it has been revealed and will continue to be revealed. For the sake my own sanity, and yours, we will thus abide by what is listed here.

If further down, stuff is proved wrong by official canon, we will treat the quest as a world that strayed from the truth. Yep.

Spoilers ahead for those who aren't up to date with Tsukihime Glass Moon.

What to keep in mind

The year, as stated at the beginning is 2004. That's nearly three years (as it starts in October 2004) after the French Incident, or for those who follow the remake story, the great buffet-game Dead Apostle Ancestors had with Roa in Ciel and Noel's hometown. It's also a decade earlier than Tsukihime / Melty Blood Lumina events.

The Throne of Heroes isn't accessible at all.

The Human Order is weaker, but humans are still advancing nonetheless, with the DAA busy playing territory board games, and the Church hitting hard when an upstart causes trouble.

The Kron Battalion (previous mistranslated as Chelon Canticle Brigade, wtf), is also active to kick asses whenever Lorelei Barthomeloi goes on a hunt. The people who are part of this group are all magi who specializes in combat and destroying boundaries - needed when you deal with vampire territories which are akin to concealed realms.

The Counter Force works differently, for Alaya at the very least. Details TBD at some point.

Gaia still has access to her incarnated elementals (True Ancestors). In certain instances, it appears that the Planet would use the Counter Force to deal with dangerous threats, including humans. While the details escape us, it is likely that a Counter Guardian would have interacted with Lev Uvall, which led to his suicide (Clock Tower 2015), which messes Goetia's plan.

No Grail War, so Noah's parents are alive (well, he wouldn't exist otherwise) and enjoying a comfortable life. No NTR from Diarmuid, means their relationship is more stable, if still political in essence.

Also the El-Melloi Faction fares way better. They are in a good enough shape to squabble over pointless stuff with their rivals, the Trambelio family. Still in charge of Zelretch (Faculty of Mineralogy), with Kayneth acting as both its Head and a lecturer for the faculty of Spiritual Evocation (same as his previous occupation). Sola-Ui teaches spiritual channeling as well at Eulyphis.

Waver never got to meet Iskandar, nor did he go to Japan in the first place, and simply graduated before pursuing another career. His potential doesn't change however, so if he is still pursuing self-betterment, there is a limit he cannot overcome as a magus. Yet, he is stronger than his Fate equivalent nonetheless, because he remained stubborn about proving his teacher wrong, and focused on himself rather than splitting his time between students and playing detective.

Of course, no Lord El-Melloi II, means no El-Melloi Classroom as it is known in Case Files or Strange Fake. Without his guidance his students are still managing decently - most of them being from prominent families, except for a couple of them;

Svin obtained good grades, yet hasn't managed to connect with anyone yet. He is currently studying at the Faculty of Botany, learning secrets about Eastern Shapeshifting from a certain magus, who is both an acceptable teacher but a terrible person. Still, without Flat to act as a rival, Gray to feel a sense of comradeship and Waver to look over him, he is not in his happy place at the Clock Tower.

As for Flat, after been rejected by numerous teachers, he ended up departing the Clock Tower without gaining valuable bonds that would help define him as a good person. His whereabouts are currently unknown, but one can assume that he never went back home.

Gray doesn't exist in that setting and never does the Blackmore Cemetary, for the Dead Apostle Ancestor is still alive and kicking.

In the previous lore, he was affiliated with the Magic Association, much like Merem was with the Holy Church, however whether it remained canon has yet to be answered. Although Crown's seat at the Burial Agency is the only one without a name attached to it, so...? I may have to choose whether that remains canon or not, depending on the course of the Quest but, if we were to be fair, Blackmore should still be sealed by the Church.

The Tohsaka's foundation does not involve Jewel Magecraft, which came from merging with the Edelfelt, they instead chose to follow their ancestor's example and kept working on improving the body and spirituality of the individual. Nagato never met The Second Magician, and as such, his descendants are closer to the Church and Demon Hunters. Well, it was the case a century ago, at least.

They are not involved with the Magic Association at all, and thus do not act as Second Owners of Fuyuki. The town is supervised by another family altogether.

The Einzbern family (the magus line) is still alive and pursuing their (pointless) quest to get back the Third.
Illyasviel was never born, as well. Irisviel wouldn't exist for she was modeled after Justeaze, who was not created in the first place - as there was never a need for her to as as the Great Grail in the first place. Most Einzbern homunculi are of a weaker quality, as a result.

Jubstacheit (Illya's "grandfather") never came to be, for the Einzbern faculty is ran by the magus family and their homunculi, not a golem who specializes in failure.

Makiri Zolgen has been dead for centuries, having never met Justeaze and never pursued the path of humanity's salvation. As such, he had no reason to extend his life further. He passed his magic crest onto the next generation instead. His descendants might still be alive somewhere, but not in Japan. Matou Shinji, may or may not exist. But even if he did, he would be a much different invidual. And no, he would still be lacking circuitry, as the family's decline is still a thing. The current family head has circuits though, but what they do with that, well...

Emiya Kiritsugu never met Shirou, who lives happily as a mundane dude in Fuyuki. He is also unrelated to Fujimura Taiga. Rumors says that he is shaping up to be the next Captain of the Archery Club at school.

Olgamarie is in a better relationship with her father (since he isn't obsessed with the Grail this time around), the latter which encouraged for her to join the Clock Tower in an effort to get her to broaden her perspective of the World, rather than learning everything at home. As someone who is meant to observe the stars, it is also her duty to do her part to not forget that Earth is also part of the system.

I think that about covers it up. If something becomes relevant I will update, so don't stress out.

Now let's give you a bit of a rundown about Noah, the protagonist.

Noah El-Melloi Archibald

So, the nine years old son of Kayneth and Sola-Ui.

Faction: Aristocratic Party.
Faculty: Mystile [General Fundamentals] - Third Year Student.
Rank: Frame [I] with skills of a high-end Cause [III]

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Circuit Quality - A++ | Circuit Quantity - A | Circuit Composition - Sturdy and Flexible.
His origin is Resonance. His element is Water. His personal attribute is Rippling (Thinking Jojo but no solar power)

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Foundation: Western Alchemy.
Thaumaturgy System: Material Transmutation [Alteration]
Favors: Alteration, Channeling, Self-Hypnosis and Spiritual Surgery.

Unique Casting Method:
Uses a combination of Formalcraft and Yantra Painting to turn completed spells into mystical tattoos which he ties to his magic circuits. As a first-rate medium, Noah can maintain the spells in a form of "suspension" for about two weeks - and release them with a single action trigger, since the incantation has already been chanted.

His form of casting came with the idea that since he couldn't store his magical energy withing a mystic code (like would and Edelfelt), he went around the issue to have the chanted spell itself being stored. Only a child his age would come up with such a ridiculous way to deal with a problem, and only someone born with boundless talent would manage it without crippling oneself. What Noah accomplished was enough to stun his teachers into silence and motivated the decision to move two whole years of study ahead.

Note that he could cast the normal way, but he finds it boring.

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A young magus with great potential. Polymath with talents in Alchemy, Spiritual Evocation, Formalcraft and Yantra Tradition.
Didn't inherit his father attribute of liquid manipulation but can through "rippling" affect remote targets in combination with a decent medium.

As an alchemist, Noah can alter freely between the three states of water, granting a significant array of usage. He is also a potion maker with affinity for it, albeit he only started on that path and has only met mediocre results so far.

Was taught spiritual channeling, and most particularly spiritual healing by Sola-Ui, because of his tendency to end up in trouble. His mother thought if he had to learn one thing first, it should be to heal oneself.

Has knowledge about runecraft, but has absolutely no talent for the discipline, to a laughing material degree.

Also, his boundary fields are good quality but lack sustainability, always failing when it matters. Is it karma? Being that much blessed yet, failing when it matters. I see he has something in common with a certain Red Devil.

Uses his mystic code - Shard of the Moon Spirit - Lacrima Hydrargyrum - by altering its shape and properties to serve either of these;

1 - To gain access to its ability to process information and provides feedback at a faster rate.
2 - To serve as an extension of the self, by changing it into thin threads of silver wire, extending his range as a medium. Also serves to attack, captures and tickle targets.

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Now, I know that most enjoy the creative process when starting a quest, and here I am having complete the protagonist's profile like a selfish bastard, yeah? Well, part of it is because the character needs a bit of both of his parents' quality so that limits his build somewhat. The other one is that I had another character to have you build instead.

This great character who happens to be Noah's homie is actually a lot more customizable.

He will act as a NPC and PC depending on the situation. You may find yourself in need of some back up, well this is the guy for you. Mind you, he won't be as efficient as Noah, but he is less likely to get himself killed in the process by running his mouth. (Unless you really suck at raising sim.)

He starts the quest with the personality traits set as Shy and Humble. Of course, that may be subject to change for the currently nameless best friend will develop as he gets familiar with the lifestyle in London.

You are free to write a short background story if you like, but it's not necessary for now. I'll come up with something if you don't anyway, so don't overly think about it and go with what you want.

So here is stuff for you to answer;

Character Creation

1. A name. Whichever you want, really, but he is a newcomer first gen with no tie to the Clock Tower.

2. Pick a foundation among Orphic Magecraft [Harmonics], Astromancy [Agrippa Planetary Formation] and Black Arts [Cursing Methods].

The first one leads to the path of the Tuner, becoming someone who can heal people and fix magic circuits. He will get better Od / Mana control, and passive regen to lifeforce. No specific bonus to attack or defense. He will be mostly a mid-range cleric (heal & buffs)

The second one leads to the path of the Seer, being able to contemplate the firmament and divine the course of the future threads. Can synergize with the movements of celestial bodies, which means his stats are constantly adjusting to them, making harder to read or counter. Also gets the neat ability to see few seconds ahead, and thus obtain a "can't touch this" skill for the amount of time he can sustain it. More defense, obviously but less opportunity to focus on attack as well. Basically your magical rogue (dexterity tank with the occasional cast in).

The third and final option leads to the path of the Hexer, becoming someone who can cull another's destiny and redirect hostile curses to a better target. Will also receive basic training in potioncraft and witchcraft. Best offense out of the three and can inflict various ailments as well. Classical black mage stuff (spells + debuffs)

You get a more or less cool mystic code to go with your specialization.


3. Element, between either Fire, Earth or Wind. No Water (because Noah already has it). Ether is for people truly special apparently so no go. And we need a scrub magus at Level 1.


4. Familiar, which has to be either a small animal (spying & recon, can either shapeshift or conceal), automaton (mostly physical but it can shoot beams through its... nostrils?) or shikigami (only if you take the Black Arts, they are single-purpose pieces of paper channeled with energy, can do plenty but can't hid the magical link to the guy).


5. He'll be automatically assigned a mentor, chosen by Noah, who will make the introductions.

This guy might not look like much at first but, like Noah will. No,more than Noah will, his best friend will grow and react following what he learns at the Clock Tower. He is also particularly trusting of Noah who is someone with ten generations worth of magi behind him. So when the two of them interact, it's best to keep in mind that whatever you say, he will take it to heart.

He is like a piece of clay. Untouched and vulnerable. Since he knows absolutely nothing when he arrives, he defers to Noah's (and thus, your) judgment about what is proper or not, what he should do or not, and who he should give his trust to or not. Even the choices made through the creation process are a result of Noah's influence so be mindful of all that.

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Should / Should Not Expect

Now let's see what you should expect or not (sorry it's long but bear with me for a little while longer)

Should expect:

1. A dumb protagonist (I mean, he is nine), in the sense that he is naive to the reality of the world and thus will see it beaten into his flesh. Because I can, and it's hilarious for all of us.

2. Magecraft babble, but just enough to get by, I don't want to spend long on it, especially if we go delve into additional lore for vampires and other stuff I have in mind. Wouldn't want to burn myself out on mechanics and bore people who prefer action and interaction.

Plus, I'm sure most participants will be at least familiar with magecraft. If you aren't, you shouldn't expect a quest made for fun to delve deep into it. Unless the QMs are masochists. (looking at you fellow QMs out there!)

Because I am a shameless lazy fuck, I picked a MC that seems familiar (he has nothing truly unique about him, really) yet can still surprise. He is a possibility that we weren't allowed to experience (as the son of Kayneth and Sola-Ui), so I think it should be interesting. I also find the idea of having a spoiled kid messing things up for centuries old plans quite thrilling.

3. A variety of places to inspect, and I would encourage you to explore, for its through these steps that you find clues to solve situations that arise around you. However, be careful where and when, for there are times when one should sit patiently at home, hidden by dozens of magical barriers, while this part of the town is put to the torch by the crazies out there.

Interacting with characters is also a good thing, but the way you do that also matters, as you would expect. Circumstances also changes, as visiting your father's office when he has a break in his schedule may be acceptable, but committing errors such as doing so when he is discussing political business will not reflect greatly on either of you.

And yeah, you do fit the position of potential candidate for Roa's selection, in case you didn't pay attention. Heir of a long family, a position of wealth and power, with boundless magical potential... On top of that, Noah as perfect compatibility with the supernatural (as a medium), especially spiritual fusion and the likes. But hey, you gain cool sparks magecraft at the cost of losing yourself. Equivalent exchange, right?

I'm going to have fun with this, yes.

4. Bloodsuckers, gore and likely mental trauma for Noah. I promise not to be too graphic, but that's the kind of setting, right.

5. Crazy strong enemies facing the absurdity that only (insane) brats can pull off!


6. Catch your own pokem- familiar. There should be enough of a choice to pick one you like. You can only have the one, but you may enhance it further by accomplishing certain tasks. The choices will be either animal type, artificial type, spiritual type. Each will have its strengths and weaknesses of course. You can even give them a name of your choice!

7. Gain additional skills, some legit, some a lot less, and others completely made up by yours truly! As long as it works...

8. Accomplish the impossible! Yeah, it comes in pair with the level of danger really. I couldn't describe it another way but "a miracle" to survive the ordeals incoming. Herakles had his Twelve Labours, you will have your Three Gauntlets! Rejoice, in another world, you might have become a Hero from the Future!

9. Become the disciple of someone/thing inhuman! Through hell and back you will struggle but, by fulfilling requests (yes, fetch quests are a thing too) you may unlock lessons from powerful individuals who transcends or genuinely never belonged to, humanity.

Each of the mentors will teach you invaluable things (in the form of points of fate, additional skills, knowledge to unlock treasures, weapons etc...), which could mean victory when there was only despair. However, those are not mandatory and totally skippable. As they are not without a risk either.

10. Getting your ass handled to you (you're nine years old at the start, and thus lack critical levels of experience, preparation and common sense) - a lot. You may be a talented kid with quality education but, you're facing the stuff of nightmares which doesn't die when killed.

Dying doesn't mean dying either for you. You could be brought back as one of the Undead (or becoming Roa), essentially ruining your family hard-earned reputation, as well as becoming the target for those who hunt Dead Apostle. Being a member of the El-Melloi family will not protect you from Executors, The White Princess of the Moon or perhaps worst, the Burial Agency.

So be careful not to die, undie and die again for it's game over for good!

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Stuff you shouldn't expect:

1. A fixed update rhythm (sorry).

2. Heroic spirits (not sorry).

3. Decisions that go in an unexpected decisions.

Let me explain a bit, you'll be responsible for the decision process but, you see, Noah is grossly unreliable, even when it comes to decision-execution. His brain makes strange leaps and turns at times, which might end up going beyond what you (or really I) would assume.

In case you're confused, I'll be rolling a pair of die for the duration of the quest and will deduce how our protagonist acts based on the decision made. It could roll perfectly with the scene, overblow, or just... yeah, flow backwards and cause utter chaos.

You know when you sometimes don't want to say something but ending up saying it anyway? That kind of stuff but cranked up (sometimes with magic stuff too), because it wouldn't be fun otherwise. Except you'll be interacting with characters beyond your strength and more than often not, they'll have little patience for Noah's stupidity naiveté.

Of course, failure to roll properly will not mean instant death or penalties, but those may come around if you screw up on a choice and rolling a bad combination of die.

4. A competent protagonist, yet with his own downsides.

Yeah, Noah is a top tier magus in the making, however he is far from being perfect and takes immense risks if the decision is left to him (read me). So I encourage that you think carefully when facing a matter that requires the boy to go with his own ideas. It may bring up great boons, but you should curb the worst of it.

Through repetitions you get a pattern, and Noah's instinct will naturally follow that new habit he developed, which may cause you to miss on some (potentially) important choices (Noah skipping your input, by not even thinking about it, since it became an automatic response).

Why?

Remember that the character is still shaped (like a kid would while growing) by the experience he goes through, and as the people who direct his morality and fate (ultimately), you share a part of how he is raised, don't you think?

Telling him to be nice to people constantly, will have him doing just that, right? Eventually he won't have to be told to. But what happens when he acts nice and obedient to the vampire in disguise, hm? You catch my drift, I'm sure. Getting too comfortable with your choices may thus backfire splendidly, even more so if it's something Noah's entourage would genuinely disapprove of.

For example, repeatedly doing good actions is perfectly acceptable, but it has repercussions, for magi are not usually caring about fellow humans, especially those who are ignorant or don't understand their drive for the root.

Doing "unmagus" things may result in damage to your reputation, depending on the gravity of the offense, you might even receive punishment for it. The Magic Association and the Clock Tower have their own way to function, and dynamics between factions play a large part of it. Associating with Dead Apostles or the Holy Church have implications of their own, much as it is to use technology as a magus. Just like being too much of a stereotype, will make those who don't like the MA, dislike you as well.

If you save people for the sake of protecting the magical masquerade, it's all good, however if letting burn a group of folks means protecting it, things are not so clear cut.

You should evaluate it from the perspective of the character you want to be, however it's Noah who has to pay the consequences for it. Remember that there are other candidates for the Archibald source crest. You are also putting political pressure on your Lord family when you do stuff that resonates poorly with your education level, etc...

But in the end, the decision goes to you, quest players. If you want to have fun with a couldn't care any less magus, it's fine on its own too.

What doesn't benefit you from one faction, might from another, but be careful who you can trust or not, for people will be using you for their own ends, regardless of their alignment or affection. Do not ever doubt that.

You are also free to ally, befriend, and even date (eventually) whomever you wish that is available. Just try not to get backstabbed, some of these guys could end you much thoroughly that I could describe it in text.

Few questions you might be willing to ask, so I'll answer them directly now;

Preemptive Answers

1. No there won't be Servant or Heroic Spirits involved in this quest. The basis is that the system doesn't even exist in this world, and couldn't happen even if the character had the knowledge for it.

2. There will be cameos, yes.And there will be guests characters, some who may even remain among the main cast. The decision is largely yours, as spending time with them will increase the frequency of Noah's interactions.

3. I can't tell you who will show up, but I can at least tell that I don't like when characters are a/ killed too fast, or b/ never given a chance to be explored. As such, don't be surprised if you see characters that I feel had potential that was botched for the sake of something else in their respective work.

Also, as a general rule, I may want to explore territory that we haven't yet in the Nasuverse, so characters that were only scribbled down in a material entry might show up as well.

4. Romance (in the feeling attracted to someone sense) will only start when you reach the second part of the Quest - which should place Noah in the 14/15 years old ballpark. Flirting and hanging out as a couple will be available from the get go, granted you have already scored enough affection points with the character. I reserve judgement for adult things happening further down. But you'll have to still push for points even after being a thing.

5. Can we date ****? The answer is most likely to be no, for I have locked down the choices for romantic partners. Olgamarie is potential option butn she starts with one of the lowest affinity with Noah. If you have to ask, that probably means that I didn't tell you the character was a potential romantic interest, which I should have already.

6. Keeping tracks of relationship progress shouldn't be hard, no, for I will notify significant changes when I update. When you score enough APs (affection points) or EPs (enmity points), your odds to trigger a Unique Event with a character will increase upon your next encounter. Failing to attend positive event may cause a damage to your relationship (usually losing more than you would have gained). Negative events cannot be ignored, for obvious reasons.

7. You accumulate points naturally with characters through your actions and decisions. You will score higher during a Unique Event if you can satisfy the one who triggered it. If you fail, you will be given the strict minimum point, which results in neither loss or gain.

Maxed out characters, positive or negative will grant you something, what it will be depends entirely on the character in question, and the kind of relationship you have. In some occasions it might be worth it to antagonize an individual to obtain the reward, however do keep in mind that maxed out characters are locked in that position forever.

There's a significant difference between A being hostile and A wanting to murder you in your sleep every night until you find a definitive way to deal with that situation. Not being allowed to rest and fighting for your life every night would impede you severely until you died of fatigue.

8. Yes, you can act like a complete Renegade (100% evil playthrough) if you want. Some characters will disapprove obviously, and some will support you, or even admire you for it. You may even gain affection from unexpected people by acting that way. However do remember, each action as a consequence. Even benevolent ones will get you in trouble.

There's no 100% safe way to go about the Quest, you can act like you wish, but you will be held responsible for what happens next. If you think being a 100% good guy will prevent you from bad things happening to you, you're sorely mistaken.

The same goes for the opposite as well. If you keep ignoring people being attacked, something might come around at a later point, that you might not like.

You have to compromise at times, it's all about the context and how to survive. Often times, you will find yourself struggling as the lone and weakest piece on the chessboard. You will have to play fair and unfair in turn, sometimes being good, sometimes less so, and you'll have to kill as well.

Each time, you run the risk of triggering people, in a good or bad way. You just can't survive and hurt nobody. There's no "I'll pick both and pay the price for it" in this Quest, for paying the price means game over. If you're asked to sacrifice a friend between two, you have to do it, and live with the consequences. No write-in, no hidden third choice, and no begging the QM, as you expect.

Doing otherwise would devalue the meaning of your decisions.

The structure of the story will be divided in three sections, which I should cover different threads.

The First part will have you take part in the surrounding events of a certain ritual, not in Fuyuki obviously.

The Second part will have you go on a spelunking adventure with comrades you'll get to pick.

The Third will lead you to pursue your archnemesis until the both of you find yourself involved in a huge mess.

At last, if you have some questions, feel free to ask. (This was way too long, my bad)

[SleepMode]

Ohh, a new Quest, and with a unexpected direction no less. Will be watching on with interest.
Just to be sure, we can vote for Noah’s proverbial Watson, yes?

[Daiki]

Yes, you can start voting.

Here's the faceclaim.

Spoiler:

If you have the time and motivation you can write stuff about his background. As long as your remember that he had no prior knowledge of the Clock Tower and kinda got there on his own, somehow. (ala Guda)

I'll be updating soon.

But here's the first vote for the quest, your starting point. (Affects NPCs affection points)

1. At home, reflecting on your behavior as mother required.
2. At the faculty of Mineralogy.
3. At the faculty of Spiritual Evocation.
4. Wandering the streets of London.

[zikari8]

Character Creation:

1. Shinseki Daiki (Last Name/First Name)

2. Astromancy

3. Earth

4. Small animal

Starting Point:

3. At the faculty of Spiritual Evocation

Backstory:

Shinseki Daiki is a boy who seemingly came from nowhere. Being a first generation newcomer with no ties to the Clock Tower, his origins are unknown, even to himself. He does not remember his family or know why he has powerful magic powers. He seemingly just showed up at the Clock Tower one day with no memory of the past and no connection to anyone.

He only knows one thing: he wants to kill Chaos. He needs to. It's not a hope or a dream; it's like a hunger, a thirst...

The vampire known as Nrvnqsr Chaos is Daiki's only purpose and only memory. All he cares about is seeing Chaos dead.

The Clock Tower is merely a stepping stone towards that goal. In this darkness so thick that he can taste it, he will become stronger and one day he will finally kill Chaos.

[Sunny]

+1.

A compelling motivation!

[Spartacus]

+2

This is too good to pass up XDXD

[SpoonyViking]

Character Creation:

1. Shinseki Daiki (Last Name/First Name)

2. Astromancy

3. Earth

4. Small animal

Starting Point:

3. At the faculty of Spiritual Evocation

Backstory:

Shinseki Daiki is a boy who seemingly came from nowhere. Being a first generation newcomer with no ties to the Clock Tower, his origins are unknown, even to himself. He does not remember his family or know why he has powerful magic powers. He seemingly just showed up at the Clock Tower one day with no memory of the past and no connection to anyone.

He only knows one thing: he wants to kill Chaos. He needs to. It's not a hope or a dream; it's like a hunger, a thirst...

The vampire known as Nrvnqsr Chaos is Daiki's only purpose and only memory. All he cares about is seeing Chaos dead.

The Clock Tower is merely a stepping stone towards that goal. In this darkness so thick that he can taste it, he will become stronger and one day he will finally kill Chaos.

I have faith in Zikari. +1.

[Daiki]

Leaving the office this early in the afternoon was an unusual thing.

Obviously, circumstances as they were, one as lowly ranked as he was, in spite of the recent promotion, was not only mandatory, but expected by his higher ups.

Someone was amiss since few months back. It had all started up with a recent change in the flow of leylines, which in turn caused an odd amount of seismic activity all over Great Britain.

Fortunately, up to now, the tectonic movements hadn't been enough to be alarming, let alone could any of being qualified as earthquakes. But the fact that it happened while the mana was redirected to the same direction could only be seen as an invitation of sort. As if the culprit was purposely baiting those able to perceive the correlation between weak tremors and the pulse of the planet.

The man, who was already placed under daily stress that could justify having a couple of decades shaved off his lifespan, could only frown in disapproval. Whoever was hiding behind this course of event lacked subtlety. Even when you were preparing an ambush to kill, the best way to do it was to remain hidden. The confidence displayed was hard to put into word, for not only the Magic Association was already moving, but the Holy Church were likely to inspect the matter.

Too simple, and too risky for the one doing it. Which speaks of potential incoming headaches.

With an exhalation, the man gestured for his coat, quickly making sure his equipment was in place before turning to his approaching colleague.

No, he is supposed to by my underling now. How odd, when he is over half a decade older than me.

Granted, the man in the green suit didn't look his age, perhaps it was because he was an alchemist from an old line. In fact he looked younger than his superior, who had to put the blame on the extra unpaid hours.

I really need some vacation. Maybe once this business is finished, I'll talk to the lady about. Not likely that she would agree, however.

But for now, they had to investigate.

"Are we ready to depart, yet?"

The man nods, as he fastens his own coat.

Spoiler:

"Yes, sir. The team is ready to move as you will it."

"Don't 'sir', me Gordes, or I'll see that you share the same schedule as me for a full month."

"Ah, sorry. I just... thought it was justified given the circumstances, you know."

A hand wave towards the brand-new pin on his boss' shoulder.

The black-haired man groaned, "I didn't accept for the sake of platitudes or the way a rank sounds when attached to my name."

"It was for the free churros, right? Man, I'm so envious."

Those were undoubtedly excellent churros.

The two men looked at each other, then the younger turned away.

"There was that, too. In any case, we should get going. I assume Forte is already waiting?"

The blond man nodded shortly, "she's been quite eager for some action after the last job."

"Yes, I would imagine. I only regret that she had to shield me, I will take the measures so it doesn't happen again."

Gordes looked at his interlocutor's back, as they left the building. As prepared as ever, his new boss produced an umbrella to shield himself from the rain. It wasn't enough to a threat to one's hair or clothes yet, but bad weather could turn quick around this time of the year.

"You don't have to be so harsh on yourself, you know."

"Hm, what is it you mean?"

"What happened with Forte, I mean, that's the team. You're the one who does analysis and we keep the heat away while you do. It's our job to take hits."

The younger man shook his head slowly as they neared the parked car close to a woman in a suit.

"Your job is to retrieve, Gordes. Whether it's about an artifact, an overly zealous magus, some researched material, it doesn't matter which, really. The goal is to bring the target back into our supervision. We do things differently than the Holy Church and we certainly are better than those fanatics under the Vice-Director, whatever they might say about it. I won't see either of you guys getting unnecessarily wounded if I have a say in it."

Gordes sees about to answer to that when they reach the car, but their colleague is faster.

She doesn't wear any protection against the rain, nor does she shy away from it.

Spoiler:

"With all respect, this, is the exact kind of thinking that gets you to look so much older, Sir."

"Don't you dare Sir me, either. Let's make things clear, nothing has changed since we started forming a three-man cell. No offense, lady."

"None taken, Boss."

The dark-haired man stared long enough at his colleague and subordinate that she started squirming. Gordes shook his head in a way that told her the man was completely serious.

"It was just a jest, okay? But, I don't see where is the problem with us being respectful. It's just a title, right?"

The man frowns, before looking away.

Spoiler:

"A title that I don't feel I can carry the weight of."

Not yet, anyway.

****
****

"I didn't think either of you would come," announced the one who hosted the party.

A large gathering in a secret location, right about when the veritable festivities are about to begin.

About three hundreds vampires gathered in a single place. And you have a recipe for disaster, as each would try to use the opportunity to one up another. Most are young yet all are ambitious. Older bloodsuckers get stuck in routine and refuse to move away from their comfort zones, except eccentric ones, such as Van-Fem (the model gambler) and Alcatraz (who never make an appearance anyway).

So in order to affect true change, one needs to recruit among newcomers.

The highest ranked woman present, a Greater Dead Apostle, simply cross her arms with impatience.

Spoiler:

"Get to the point, some of us came from far away."

One could describe her a perfect beauty they would marry in an instant, if they were unaware of her true nature. Not as a member of the undead, no, but as a person, she was already cold-blooded and cruel as a human. Having raised beyond the grave and gained influence when her husband kill his sire and inherited the Idea Blood, only contributed to inflate her ego all the more.

The current status of her clan being endangered doesn't help her mood either. On top of that, she absolutely despises the man who summoned them all, far away from the prying eyes of the Elder Ancestors.

The ritual is so dear to them, to the point that these individuals who can't see beyond their personal interest on a daily basis would considerate a temporary truce. All for the sake of the vampiric race as they would claim. But the truth is another, they can't accept the idea to see a shard of glory escape their craving for dominance.

She doesn't mind hindering the old fools, but she certainly doesn't want to suffer questioning from someone improper like the man facing her. Even as he claims to be part of their kin, he also despises Dead Apostle as much as the Church. No, it would be more accurate to say that he feels an instinctive drive to destroy his own species.

As a beast who can only move following his nature, he is as far removed from her, as humans, if not more.

She doesn't want to suffer his presence any longer than necessary.

The man clearly isn't happy to see his "authority" challenged in front of the rabble, something that makes her smile.

Spoiler:

"I hope you understand that if I do not slaughter right you were you stand, it's because you benefit from guest privileges."

Where he gazer is cold enough to make fellow apostles step back a couple of steps, the man's reddening intensity makes a few jump back. He hasn't reached for either of his weapons, but that's no reason to expose oneself based on reason, when the man is famous for doing only what he wants. This is both a part of his charm and a source of endless fear.

"You would try, yes. Then we would find your ashes spread all other your garden."

The woman gestures to the location they find themselves in, with open arms.

"Would be a shame to see those bloody rose rot after being exposed to your filthy blood."

The tension rise a couple step higher, neither of the vampires look away from someone who could become the enemy in a mere second. Then as if unable to read the mood, a pair of hands starts clapping.

"Yes, yes, very entertaining. Please, dear seniors, starts killing each other so we all end up without knowing the reason for our presence."

Man and woman turn to the intruder with the same kind of hostility on their face. Clearly the bold man lacks manner to interrupt them, just when it became interesting.

"And who might you be, weakling," the question is thrown by the host, who's good will is running low. "Guest or not, do not think for a second about challenging me on my turf, it will not end well for you."

The man with a tattoo on his chest, smiles at that.

"And weren't you the one who killed the owner of this castle?"

The red-haired one smirks.

"Yeah, I did that as an intruder, while he was in his own realm. Yet I slaughtered him and his clan in one night."

Think what I would do when having home advantage, is what the man implies.

In answer, the younger vampire claps again.

Spoiler:

"Yeah, I see that my elder has quite the confidence, but if you would be willing to continue, I'm rather interested to hear what happens to the humans."

The two vampires exchange a look, the host gauging the other, while the one his the target of attention simply has a shining his eye that betrays genuine curiosity. And just as if the previous tension never existed, the red-haired one just laughs.

"Alright, I thought I was quite messed up, but I see we have some unique ones amongst us. So, if you really want to know.."

Words are pronounced, followed by a dead silence, until everyone present, including those who only paid attention halfway through start to throw questions in rapid fire mode. Within this utter chaos and outrage, the host smirks slowly, clearly anticipating the coming festival.

****
****

"Here you go, you only have to sign your name in order to complete your registration."

The young boy does so, not familiar with the way things are done in such a place.

If he had to speak honestly, he would claim that for a place where magic is studied, he imagined something else. No doubt influenced by folk tales, nursery rhymes, video games and even movies on the subject, the newly-discovered magus can't help but feel disappointed.

If this is the headquarters of their society, it's severely lacking in ambiance. From what he could tell, the registry office was nothing but just that. The person in charge of helping him out was a woman in her fifties, likely having spent decades here.

"Hm, excuse me, madam," he addressed the woman, who was now taking notes about him instead of using a pc. "I had heard that the place teaches magi-..."

"Magecraft, dear. Magic cannot be taught, it's something to discover. You could say that it's the life goal of any magus worth their weight to find their way to Magic, although it's not the ultimate goal. Only a bonus side-effect if you will."

Uh huh, I don't get it.

"...and what would be the ultimate goal?"

"The truth, my dear."

Huh, how does that help me deal with my goal. I just talk the guy's ear off until it rots?

"I see."

Perhaps it would be wiser to ask a fellow newcomer, instead.

"So, there's a school here, yes? Where do I go?"

"Here, let me show you the way, I'm sure your professor will be eager to meet you early anyway."

A few minutes and turns through confusing corridors and we reach a rather rich and elegant classroom. The students aren't present yet apparently, but an man elegantly clothed is taking notes. But since the door is open, it would make sense that he's not worried about being interrupted.

"Excuse me, Professor Craig, I brought you a newcomer. He just completed his registration."

The man turns in our direction, eyeing me with intensity, before getting up with a surprising amount of energy.

Spoiler:

"Welcome young lad. I must admit I didn't expect anyone this late in the year, but no matter. We shall to evaluate you at once. Come along."

Without even waiting for your answer, he starts walking away from the classroom, abandoning his current work to go who knows where.

You have to almost run to keep up the pace of the elder man, and yet he doesn't seem tired at all when you reach what looks like an empty gymnasium. Nobody is present you notice, but what you notice more is the sudden fireball that erupted from the man's cane and which is flying in your direction.

React fast!

1. Trust the old man's aim and intent, he wouldn't hurt you without a good reason, right?
2. Get the hell out of dodge, right now! Think after being alive.
3. You don't need agility, you need defense! Use the nearby pillar for some cover.
4. Take the shot on purpose, because why the hell not?

[Daiki]

I'll wait a little bit to see if someone wants to add something to Daiki's profile (so weird), but I'll lock his abilities.

Also congrats, you will be granted an Astral Watch as your first mystic code. Details will come upon receiving it.

You also unlocked two achievements;

"All Bite, No Bark" [Disobey Sola-Ui and meet your teacher] (as Noah)
"Cloudy Sky, Brewing Thunder" [Pick the Tsundere Teacher] (as Daiki)

You missed the achievements;

"Home Sweet Home, With a Maid" [Obey Sola-Ui] (as Noah)
"Face The Storm Together" [Disobey Sola-Ui and meet your father] (as Noah)
"Unsafe Outdoors" [Disobey Sola-Ui and explore London] (as Noah) - Bad End 1 avoided.
"It Starts with a Lullaby" [Pick the Worst Teacher] (as Daiki)
"A Murder of Crows" [Pick the Sadistic Teacher] (as Daiki)

Now to write Noah's part.

[Daiki]

At times, you would wander the faculty of Spiritual Evocation. As one of the few places you are allowed to be within the Clock Tower, it became a spot you would occasionally come to. You made sure not to overdo it, for there were rumors of bad experiences in classes about spirits escaping and attacking indiscriminately.

Even if one of your personal instructors belonged to this faculty, you usually stuck to the Summoning division, where the acting Head's office was located. The man's ideas were as old fashioned as the furniture within his personal space. He was a man who got along with and was equally trusted to run things smoothly whenever your grandfather was away or was simply busy.

You didn't like the old guy, your gramps, the dean of the faculty of summoning was rather chill, but not bothersome, compared to your relative. However, if Rufleus was annoying because of his looooooong lectures, your uncle Bram, was huh, not nice. In fact, you caught him and his sister, that would be your mother argue often. They didn't like each other much, probably because Sola-Ui hadn't been selected as the heir, in spite of her talent. That was a source of humiliation for her, and enjoyment for him.

In any case, not much would come from crossing path with either of the Nuada-Re, but there was always someone worse.

A pure demon who took a sick pleasure in making you suffer, physically too. Speaking of which, she was standing right behind you.

Spoiler:

"Oh, it's a surprise to see you still around Noah. I made it clear that our lesson was complete, however."

This is bad, what do you do?

1. Attempt to bluff your way.
2. Look for a potential ally within the hallway. Few students are walking around, some still in their classrooms.
3. Tell the truth, about wanting to escape your mother's wrath, for a while anyway.
4. Attempt a desperate escape. (It's the YOLO choice, you would be challenging your teacher on her turf)

Be aware that you will receive a punishment if you lie and get caught. You may also be punished upon revealing the truth. You will certainly be punished if you fail your escape. Have fun.

****
****

Daiki's personality updated to Shy, Humble yet Revengeful.

[SleepMode]

3. You don't need agility, you need defense! Use the nearby pillar for some cover.

1. Attempt to bluff your way.

[AUnderSave]

3.
If this is a test that we can use our Surroundings to show that we're a quick thinker maybe?
2.
Power of Friendship? Meeting more people just seems like a smart idea early on in a quest...

[Dracueri]

3. You don't need agility, you need defense! Use the nearby pillar for some cover.
2. Look for a potential ally within the hallway. Few students are walking around, some still in their classrooms.