(Bi)Monthly Don't-Create-A-Servant Contest

**DracoScribe** · June 1st, 2023, 04:50 PM

I know I didn't participate but I'd still like to say congrats to the winners.
I wasn't able to think of any ideas despite the amazing primer from You for the contest (seriously that alone made me want to join in on.the contest but gah my muse refused to cooperate) and I wasn't able to read all the sheets in time to cast a vote, so I'm really hoping next time that, if I can't think of an idea for the next contest, I'll at least be able give my votes.

**PA270** · June 1st, 2023, 04:55 PM

Congrats Zikari! As much as it stings a little to be the only entry not to get a single vote, there were so many good entries that I can't be too upset. Amazing work, everyone, and thanks in particular to everyone who commented on my entry! I'm glad that my work was enjoyable, and I've got some really helpful feedback as well! Looking forward to the next contest!

**zikari8** · June 5th, 2023, 08:13 PM

Muahahaha, once again, I have reclaimed my crown. I am now without doubt the master of making magi. Bow before me, peasants, and bask before my prolific majesty!

In seriousness, I would like to thank everyone for their kind words and votes. This month’s entries were all creative and well-done in their own ways, and though mine happened to barely edge out with the most votes, I can confidently say that each and every entry deserves praise and accolade for the work and thought put into them.

I’m a little late to say this, but I can’t stress enough how happy I am to see MCaM (or rather its successor MDCaS) back and receive such great submissions. Because of that, I’d like to give some unwarranted reviews to every entry as I believe each and every one deserves to be looked at with care. Of course, my opinion is just that and holds basically no weight, but if you’d like to know my brief thoughts on the sheets submitted this time around, feel free to peruse below.

Allerleirauh by PA270

It takes a lot of courage to be the first to submit their sheet for a contest and then even more courage to go for a non-magus sheet. For that alone, Allerleirauh garners a lot of respect from me.

On its own, I certainly think it’s an interesting Mystic Code with some cool abilities and concepts tied to it. It not only feels fitting for the Zoology department but the incorporation of Nrvnqsr into a Zoological Mystic Code is also an inspired idea. What I am less impressed by, however, are the details surrounding the Mystic Code. How it connects to the Taxemic family which uses it feels hollow.

For example, we know that the Taxemics are the previous heads of the Zoology Department before the Gaiuslink, but we are also told that their Mystic Code was not on a level worthy of a Supreme Mystic Code yet, which suggests that the family themselves were not on the level of a Department Head. How then were they able to be the heads of the Zoology Department? At the same time, the name of the Mystic Code references the Brothers Grimm and the sheet specifically mentions that it was particularly based on that fairy tale, but the Grimm fairy tales are from the 18^th to 19^th centuries. The fact that the Mystic Code is named after it makes it seem like it was made at least around the time of the fairy tale or even later. Are we to believe then that such a recently created Mystic Code could be the pride of the family and the symbol of their Lordship? Of course, these are ultimately minor details which could be explained, but when taken at face value, they give the impression that the Taxemics are a relatively weak and young family, which makes it difficult to believe that they stand among the twelve most powerful families in the Clock Tower.

A familial Mystic Code is ideally a representation of the magus family that wields it. Even more so for something as significant as a Supreme Mystic Code. It is something that generations have put their blood, sweat, and tears into and thus should represent the pride, troubles, and legacy of that family. In comparison, Allerleirauh tells us little about the Taxemics. Worse, what it does tell us seems to contradict what the rest of the sheet tells us. That’s why, while I think it’s a cool magic item, I can’t consider it an excellent Mystic Code. That is what I consider the biggest flaw of this sheet.

To add, I should also mention the use of canon characters in the sheet. This isn’t a bad thing. If anything, it should strengthen a sheet’s connection to canon and make it feel like even more like a part of the world. Here though I feel like it’s too shallow and instead leaves an unsatisfying feeling to their inclusion. What a canon character brings with recognition, it equally demands with expectation. Because readers are already familiar with canon characters and their backgrounds, when something about them is mentioned outside of the things we are already familiar with, it gives the readers pause. For example, because we know who Lio is pretty well, it’s harder for us to swallow the existence of a brother out of nowhere. A proper explanation of how this sudden addition relates to what we already know is needed to help readers swallow that pill easily. Otherwise, it just feels jarring and unsatisfying like it currently does.

Having said all this, I want to make it clear that I don’t actually dislike this sheet. I wanted to give you a detailed review because I see how much potential there is here and how great it can be with just a little extra polishing. A fantastic try PA270 and I expect even greater things to come

Noe Crivelli by GilgameshKingofMemes

Sveinn Herydir Dragilaz by Random

Abiothales by Salt Pillar

Cryptomorph Shipping by FarewelltoMrA

Fidelco Redoloc by Morg van Destro

Brevig Gaiuslink Grottwader

Mereidwyn by Bugs

That’s all I have to say about this month’s entries. I look forward to even more amazing ideas next month. To that end, I promise to do my best and come up with a good prompt that can inspire even more creative ideas. See you all next time!

**You** · June 22nd, 2023, 11:21 AM

Voting for July's prompt, thank you Zikari. Will go on for 6 days, ending on June 28th morning.
https://strawpoll.com/polls/7rnzm5XeayO

Background information:

Tsuki Remake

**pinetree** · June 22nd, 2023, 11:52 AM

Um, am I blind? What's the prompt?

**zikari8** · June 22nd, 2023, 12:10 PM

It's in the poll, but for ease of reference,

Prompt: In 300 AD, the Holy Church began developing weapons to combat Dead Apostles.

**pinetree** · June 22nd, 2023, 12:13 PM

Blindness confirmed. I literally checked the poll twice and still missed it damn

Really cool prompt, one more reason to finish TsukiRe

**PA270** · June 24th, 2023, 07:14 AM

Originally Posted by zikari8

Prompt: In 300 AD, the Holy Church began developing weapons to combat Dead Apostles.

Ideas are already percolating! This is going to be a fun one!

**You** · June 30th, 2023, 12:22 AM

There is a reason why the former Heads of Zoology are known as

Pattern Lost

crestfallen

—

The First could not be allowed to exist, the Second were a disappointment, the Third sinned, and the Fourth gave up.

The Fourth exiled Head of Zoology questioned Mystery. In his despair, he found it to be an impossible dream.

An empire was built to study that Mystery and that wonder was lost.

His descendent, a product of that research questioned Mystery. In her despair, his descendent pledged herself to that lost dream.

Was she merely one link in a cycle, or was she the one to break that cycle?

The answer is meaningless. The question, ripe with present possibility, is the

sheet

answer

one Seeker presented to the Giver of all Sealing Designations.

— Cidney Queensford, former heiress of Yahoo Park, has been designated as a First Representative of Mystery —

The words resound through the Carillon Observatory shaking the Ancient Heart which serves as the ceiling —

No, that was the earth itself crying.

“Report! The Calamity has invaded Magisfair! Over 30% of the Composite Workshop Criegula is facing existential collapse.”

Panicked chatter spreads through the Seekers of Carillon Observatory. Created by the Materials Branch of the Secret Autopsy Division, the Composite Workshop supplies the tools necessary to

excavate

strip bare

the Pure Dragon Corpse. The end of the Composite Workshop is the end of the Spiritual Tomb Albion, and therefore the end of the Clock Tower.

It’s wrong to think that way. If the Spiritual Tomb has been infiltrated, it's likely the Twelve Departments have already been destroyed.

Anxiety and helplessness permeate the underground observatory, sending the Seekers into a frenzy. All except one, the very one who had discovered Cidney Queensford’s sheet in the archives.

Representative of Mystery. . . what exactly is a Representative of Mystery?

Queensford was certainly special, but so were many of the other sheets that had been found and presented. More importantly, the prompt itself was about the past of the Clock Tower. Was the Giver of All Sealing Designations attempting to create an eternal record of the Clock Tower that would survive

World End

the next five hours

?

The Second: In 300 AD, the Holy Church began developing weapons to combat Dead Apostles.

Nevermind.

☉座座座座座

If you were to ask a

Mystile

General Fundamentals

freshman class the major possible divergences in the history of Magecraft, all of them except two would say the battle between Crimson Moon and Wizard Marshal Zelretch. Of the two, one would say the end of the Age of Gods and the final one would state, when pressed, that humans hold countless possibilities so every future, every moment is a possible divergence — we can only create the present. That kid gets assassinated or end up going down in the annals of the Clock Tower.

Either way, the centuries-old conflict between the Dead Apostles and magi culminated with the defeat of the Crimson Moon. The period after that time is known as the Winter of Magecraft. Having depleted talent and resources in that war against the Dead Apostle threat, the Clock Tower was unprepared for the rise of the Holy Church. Fueled by religious vigor and unstable power vacuums, the Holy Church established the most widespread Magic Foundation and took up the hunt for the Dead Apostle remnants.

Against Dead Apostles, ordinary weapons are not lethal. One can think of Dead Apostles and Magi as the same type of creatures, beings who utilize Mystery. A Dead Apostle is a higher level of Mystery than a magus who is still fundamentally human. The blood of a Dead Apostle is comprised of or contains Ether. They can easily heal most wounds. Thus, the only effective way to destroy a Dead Apostle is to continuously eradicate them with a single blow until they run out of blood. During the peak of Dead Apostle activity in the Fourth Centaury, this required what we consider a set piece moment: a burning ship, being thrown into a volcano, trapped in a hall of mirrors reflecting the sunlight from all directions, etc. To lure a Dead Apostle into such conditions and then to execute the plan cost the Church too many lives to be sustainable.

Rather than trying to enchant weapons with anti-heresy properties with prayers, liturgy itself was turned into a conceptual weapon. The laws inscribed in that liturgy are inserted into the undying flesh, compelling the flesh to remember its human form and therefore be harmed. This was the newest approach against the Dead Apostles whose souls were no longer human and therefore could not understand the word of God.

Three approaches against the Dead Apostles from the most widespread Magic Foundation in the world: Scriptural Weapons, whole surface, and inscribing prayers on weapons, which of these is the Representative of Mystery, the Archivist has stored and the Giver of All Sealing Designation seeks?

座座座座座座

Representative of Mystery . . . the culmination of magecraft quantified by the Carillon Observatory that represents the level of mystery in the modern era. With its dying breath, the Observatory will create an

Ars Magna

great work

for whatever later generations may inhabit this planet. Yes, that sounds plausible; however,

“The
Representives of Mystery
seats
worth preserving number six. Find them.”

There’s another definition of Representative of Mystery that is fairly recent. Roughly one thousand and five hundred years ago in this very country that served as the navel of the World, there was a battle between a Representative of Humanity and a Representative of Mystery.

Is it possible the

sheets

seats

are the Last-Seeds to be planted in a Garden?

**GilgameshKingOfMemes** · July 12th, 2023, 03:20 PM

Aelius

“Even if forgotten, weak and worthless, overshadowed in the face of infinity, it is the bulwark against the night not even you can cross.”

Gender: Male
Birthdate: June 24th
Age: ????
Birthplace: Rome

Magical Attributes
Elemental Attribute: Wind

Magic Circuits
Circuit Quantity: C
Circuit Quality: A
Circuit Composition: Standard

Thaumaturgical Foundation
Relic Casting

Days Past

Background
“We humans should live aware that we are miniscule folk, the meek who shall inherit. We live in the shadow of forces unfathomable, at the mercy of beasts who’ve lived so long in the dark they miss the specter which dwarfs them from beyond our small pond. In arrogance they’ve mistaken their place because we seem hapless against them. Even so, from Keter to Malkuth, the puny kingdom of man connects back to the light of God, the powers of the low and the high are inherently intertwined. I will ensure these creatures learn this well.”

An old man crushes the vampiric scourge under heel. The weight of memories long forgotten push down harder than any man could upon their skulls. He holds deeply in his heart that even the weak will have the strength to stand against the unfathomable strong, it is the might of wisdom.

But what is the might that keeps such insignificant beings firm, and prevents such fragile backs from breaking under the weight of the world? At the end of everything, Aelius felt he had forged the answer all along. And this answer we present to you, as a representative mystery.

In The Age Of The Romans

When compared to the massive complex of the modern era, the Church of 300 AD was a far smaller and inexperienced group. Starting with the persecution they experienced at the hands of Rome and left with mostly their wits against the forces of the night, the Church felt desperate to advance. While occasionally a powerful figure might find themselves within their ranks that could tackle these problems with their own unique might, the rest of the flock only had the strengths of human ingenuity to cling to.

And cling to they did, pursuing what strategies the mind could conjure until a revolution of techniques and weapons suitable to slay Dead Apostles emerged. It was an arms race to try and close the gap enough that these plagues upon humanity might be cured. It was within this age that a variety of

Foundations

fundamentals

through which humanity might overcome their vampiric adversaries emerged.

In pursuit of these ends in one of their most troubled times, the concealed side of the church had begun elevating magi that researched and developed the methods and techniques that would be inherited by executors of following generations. Aelius was a

Magus

priest

of such occupation and persuasion whose unique talents allowed for the expansion of the Lord's arsenal.

Beasts of Cruelty.

Aelius believed humans to be creatures of ingenuity. They had dominated this planet and brought the end to Gods and mysteries they were helpless to face in normal circumstance for they had the blessings of wisdom. They were to be humble on their lonesome and strong as the flock of God for they were in his image. The world bent to their will for they had the reason and divine guidance to do so. Regardless of the strength or the cruelty Dead Apostles had possessed or the sin of man's heart, they stood with God in their glory, and those who rejected the light must bow.

In his youth he was most certainly an optimist despite these painful days and crushing waves of nightmare that washed away the shore. Faith was the foundation in the storm, so it was unsurprising that many would be attracted to his words. A faith that would one day be cemented and challenged all the same. Not by the creatures he opposed, but by the humanity he held dearly. He had simply not dug deep enough. A question he would tackle with time and time again, seeing the answer but not recognizing it was there.

When the Watch Stopped

On a certain, uneventful day, Aelius met Cassius. While magi were used to hoarding secrets from everyone possible, for the Church who wanted mysteries developed to be spread through their ranks, the needs of this scenario had produced a rare opportunity for collaboration. Cassius was the magus Aelius had worked with to develop the craft that remains their legacy. They were a spiritual surgeon that had seemingly forsaken their golden road to assist the persecuted Christians in their holy cause.

They ran into each other in a humble church, simple and hidden, as coworkers. Aelius had operated his life with certain philosophies, but Cassius, Aelius felt, was properly idealistic. A man who conceived of not a goal or end but a future. Every man can birth one of humanity's endless paths, but Cassius had made his apparent from their first meeting. He was a true believer and held a certain hope deep in his heart. Aelius was certain smitten by his words.

Aelius was the architect of the craft, but Cassius was his visionary. His North Star.

“I don’t like to watch the weak suffer through what little time they have on Earth.”

That was the explanation he gave to me. The reason why a magus would forsake the life he knew to tinker with developing Church weaponry. He said it like it was the most obvious choice to make.

“I dream of a future where people don’t have to cower just because their adversary is strong. That they’d be able to see past the dark with firm resolve, and face these ordeals without relying on the powers that be.”

He spoke boldly of an impossible dream. Back home, it would have been merely laughable. A waste. But this was the Church. Here we were given the blessing to believe in miracles. I, a man who had a philosophy to live by in the now, but lacked a vision for the future, decided to follow along.

A man who spoke of his plans and aspirations with an open heart and earnest desire. After seeing the despair the Dead Apostles had wrought, he felt his talents in making artificial mystic eyes were better suited here than in the world of the Clocktower. That maybe, somehow, they’d be able to see a clear path forward so that they might plant their feet firmly on the ground.

Aelius decided clearly then, that this would be the path he would follow, until he reached the end.

For Those Who Passed.

Aelius would spend many years toiling in search for something tangible. He had saw the rise of many items that could help combat the scourge more easily than the likes of tricks and burning. Creations such as Black Keys were major step forwards, but such things could only take you so far. He was sure some of the Dead Apostles who seemed more like unstoppable forces of nature then monsters merely scoffed in amusement that the apes had finally started building tools.

He had still sent off many executors to their death with his poor products in hand. He felt callous then, when such tragedy was the birth of inspiration. Death would be the fuel of his works it seemed, everything beginning with a clumsy wooden cross.

People have always held a deep reverence for the deceased, and in turn held onto mementos like relics. Even when the person is gone from the present a shadow remains, lingering in the hearts of those who still hold their image in their minds' eyes. It is merely an illusion, that image is and isn’t them. The persona without the flesh filtered through others. True and not, and as Aelius slowly realized, a fantasy.

An old executor clung to an old cross hanging off a thread. It was his in all practical sense, but in the heart it was merely in his possession. It belonged to another who was no longer with us but with God. Aelius had heard there was a Bishop who left behind a relic worth more than any precious stone. But to the executor, this lingering little thing contained more worth than any imaginable sum. A infinity greater than all infinites, a love that might have crawled up the [ ] itself.

It felt callous, but Aelius couldn’t help but recognize the potential of that subjective worth.

The Future Sight is Blind to the Present.

Aelius and Cassius were research partners, for better or for worse. Cassius struggled for he could see where he was going but not the path he walked in the now. He could not see the present at hand. But Aelius was only able to live in the present time.

Cassius was a magus who made mystic eyes. A few basic artificial types existed and it was quite lucrative to procure them. Yet to make a new type in a single generation, it was an impossible dream to even consider. After years, it never went anywhere.

All the failures did was tarnish the lives of those who bore the burden. Lack of sight, distorted sight, anyone who dared to try the craft would have their vision ruined. It was all acceptable in the pursuit of the end goal as far as the church was concerned, but it was hard to bear.

Those who couldn’t make it though was just more fuel for Aelius's own research. For a time they had a cruel, symbiotic relationship. Aelius for better or for worse had found what he needed, but Cassius needed a miracle.

“The dream is illusory. Regardless of how clearly I see it, that vision doesn’t actually exist. It’s the fantasy we call the future.”

I had always stood by his side. All he needed to hold in his hands were the future because he could leave the rest in mine.

“It must exist out there. You’re the one who said humanity was a well of infinite possibilities. It must exist by proxy. Perhaps the future only comes when we imagine an end to lay our eyes upon. That’s the human ingenuity in which I have placed my faith.”

Humble Relics

The youthful years had long passed. Wrinkles and gray hairs had set in and long life together stretched behind. Muddled in cruelty and ambitions, but it was done together. Yet now standing at the end of this long, bloody road, Aelius held the final fruits of his labors. The creation of a new foundation, a fantasy he was ready to entrust to the following generations.

Yet Cassius could not be seen.

All that lingered was a shadow of something far higher.

They had found more than they asked for.

“I’ve seen more than the light, Aelius.”

Cassius spoke with a bold cadence which didn’t fit the demeanor I once knew.

“We’ve made many a fools error, Aelius. Humans are a glorious savage bunch, it was right to call us sinners. This sin was taking on more from this world than we needed. Humans are only admirable when they are meek. Their weakness is their strength. The saints, forever humble in their fragility, understood this.”

He no longer had a soul that resembled anything human.

“So Aelius, promise me, let’s keep humanity the shining stars they already are..”

Ascended

Knight

**PA270** · July 13th, 2023, 06:50 AM

Aelius and Cassius: What a fantastic first entry this was! Both characters are really interesting, and the relationship between them is extremely well-developed! And of course their Foundations are both fascinating as well. Excellent work!

**jishara** · July 18th, 2023, 02:49 AM

Name: Elizabeta Mathias
Title: The Apostle of the Holy Church
Gender: Female
Age: ~1700
Birthplace: Roman Empire

History: Formerly a major practitioner of the Holy Church and a powerful and influential member of it, she was one of the members who researched into the nails that are said to be those that nailed Jesus on the cross. She believed they would be very powerful artifacts if used in the right way. But each use of them resulted in the sacrifice of one, and very few were in existence.

Elizabeta sought to get a way to utilize it, and found a way in the Creed of Nicene. By reverse-engineering the creed, instead of setting “Jesus and god equal to the same form, but two different things”, she might be able to utilize it to create identical Holy Nails with the same mystery and power without sacrificing much time to it. However, this went drastically wrong.

A Nail she was utilizing exploded, a shard landing within her neck. While the vast quantities of mana within it make it a very valuable resource, it also made it a highly dangerous substance to have within her body. And as such, she became transformed. But not quite in the way expected. The mystery provided by the Nail, as well as the other concoctions she was working on, transformed her into an entity far closer to a “Dead Apostle” than a normal Human, the nail itself providing an origin of “permanent death”, that is directly contradicted by the mana of the nail, producing a state of “undeath”, forcing her to regularly drain humans.

She hid this from the Church as much as possible, even personally killing an Ancestor of the Dead Apostles. But they eventually found out, and tried to seal Elizabeta away. This caused her to snap. The organization she had devoted her life, and even her unlife, to, merely because of her existence, attempted to seal her. So, she decided to forge her own path, breaking out against the Church, and becoming a separate Apostle, taking on the absent slot in the Ancestors that she created through murder to become the 26th Dead Apostle Ancestor. Her origin is Salvation, but it is not the salvation that wishes to bring others to peace and happiness, which she threw away a long time ago. It is the salvation that wishes to drag all others down with her into the abyss, brutal demises bringing others closer to her.

Personality: A loner. She is deeply focused on the “salvation” of those around her. But her definition of salvation is twisted, the doesn’t wish to actually save others. She believes Salvation stems instead from others feeling just as much despair as you, as opposed to feeling as much hope. Her usual way to bring others to Salvation is through draining them.

Likes: Salvation, magi
Dislikes: Dead Apostles, True Ancestors, the Holy Church

Magical Origin: Salvation
Elemental Affinity: Nothingness
Circuit Quantity: B
Circuit Quality: A
Circuit Composition: C

Magecraft Abilities:

Salvator Mundi: The salvation of humanity. Smothered under a cloak of endless night, humanity gradually grows to forget about the day. The main goal of Elizabeta, in particular for Magi, for she will refuse to allow Apostles or the Church to see her “holy sanctity”. A shroud of night that envelops those around her, sinking them into deep despair at every waking moment. Tendrils of shadow stemming from around her, the sadness of humanity powering them.

Sanguis Dei: The blood of humanity. The apostle’s constant requirement of blood. Elizabeta has transformed this somewhat, though she still requires blood. Instead of “consuming blood”, this has become “salvation through blood”, a bloodbath serenity that allows all within her grasp to be held. In other words, a form of control over all blood that enters the area near her.

Yaldabaoth: The sinners who control the world and the church. The primary way that Elizabeta utilizes her affinity of nothingness. If something can be right or wrong, Elizabeta denies them both, the morality of the actions becomes irrelevant. A spell that nullifies morality, Elizabeta’s presence shredding the existence of any level of moral compass, whether Evil or Good, leaving behind nothing in its wake. The despair of perpetual unknowing tapping into Salvator Mundi.

Nicean Creed: If an existence can be in one place and yet another and still be the same existence, can’t all existences do that? An attempted spell Elizabeta has been working on for a long time. An absolute duplication that nears the level of a True Magic. However, in practice this can’t be used very much, so it is limited to merely splitting Elizabeta into two identical and equal parts, both containing all of the whole.

Mystic Codes and Familiars:

Holy Nail of the Revenant: The holy nail still embedded in Elizabeta’s neck. It serves a simple purpose, to channel her attribute of “Nothingness” continually through her body. If life and death are two alternate states, then this nail denies them both, resulting in the simple status of constant undeath, as if the very decision making is stopped in place, leaving both equally active.

Concoctions and Relics: The remainders of the concoctions and relics Elizabeta held while working for the Holy Church. She is incapable of using much of them, for they have parts that prevent Dead Apostles from touching them in any way, but if she were to numb that component thee would become useful weapons for her to use.

**PA270** · July 18th, 2023, 06:28 AM

Elizabeta Mathias: Ooh, very interesting! I think it flows together really nicely, and it has a very cool concept! So would Salvation be her Principle, or would she not have a proper Idea Blood as a nonstandard DAA?

**jishara** · July 18th, 2023, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by PA270

Elizabeta Mathias: Ooh, very interesting! I think it flows together really nicely, and it has a very cool concept! So would Salvation be her Principle, or would she not have a proper Idea Blood as a nonstandard DAA?

thanks so much! Oo yep I definitely misworded that, Salvation would be her principle.

**NINE-lives** · July 19th, 2023, 10:47 PM

GLORY TO THE DYNASTY AND LINEAGE OF SOLOMON AND DEATH TO THE DEAD APOSTLE MENACE. GLORY TO PRINCE MENELIK III OF THE HOUSE OF SOLOMON

"Some people believe that the only true path to freedom is through strength. This is wrong. The strong are bound by the responsibility they have to protect the weak. This is the way things are. This is the way they are meant to be"

Height: 5 foot 11 inches.

weight: 155 pounds.

Age: 21

Birthday: January 22

Lore: Ethiopia is tied with armenia for the first country to convert to christianity. It stands to reason that the holy church there was strong but something made the holy church in ethiopia so much more powerful than in rome was due to the ruling dynasty of aksum (supposedly) descending from king solomon himself, the founder of solomonic magecraft, As spoken in the kebra nagast and their possession of the ark of the covenant as spoken in the kebra negast. While the church and dead apostles fought each other in europe. The solomonic dynasty princes desired to prove their strength to the rest of christendom and to their subject and dead apostles where the most obvious target. This led to a tradition of young solomonic princes going out into the world armed with holy scriptures to hunt down dead apostles and dead apostle ancestors.

Menelik the third is the newest of these princes. Born after the fall of the dynasty in the 1970s. He was unburdened by the pressure of being the next ruler of ethiopia that was faced by earlier descendents of solomon but this had the downside of draining him of any purpose in life and making him anemic. He found a new purpose in life in the old tradition of hunting down dead apostles to prove ones strength. So he took the sword of saint george, ascalon, (which his family claims to be legitimate) and went off to foreign lands. Now he wanders the world from country to country hunting down dead apostles that lurk in the middle of the night.

Personality: Menelik is a believer in whatever the exact opposite of might makes right is. He fully believe that the strong have an full responsibility to serve and protect the weak whereas some would see it as the other way around. He firmly believe it is a rulers duty to service their subject selflessly and that rulers that crush their subjects tyrannically are unworthy of living let alone ruling. Still he can be a bit... touchy when it comes to the legitimacy of his family possessions and the legitimacy of his ancestor.

"Hey how did your ancestors claim the sword of saint george? Shouldn't that be in anatolia or something?" "how about you DON'T FUCKING ASK" "okay okay i'll stop asking".

His attitude towards dead apostle is not one of hatred but one of pity. He pities those who turned into monsters for the sake of continuing their study and desires to help them find an alternative to consuming blood for them but he will kill if there is no other option and finds those who take pleasure in drinking blood disgusting.

REPRESENTATIVE OF MYSTERY

Ascalon yihuda

Many christian denominations claim to possess the sword of of saint george as a sacrament from britain to georgia (the country not the state). However none come as close to the real deal as Ascalon yihuda. A sacrament forged in the 300s AD from the myth of saint george and the dragon and the greater chaoskampf motif in mythology, it may seem like an odd choice to use an anti dragon weapon to hunt dead apostles but it makes a great choice given the greater chaoskampf motif.

Dragons are always anathema to human order in chaoskampf myths, humans are fragile thing and dragons represent the grandness and cruelty of nature and the gaia which unintentionally crushes humanity. They block out rivers which causes the collapse of civilizations who rely on them. The slaying of a dragon therefore represents the strength and power of man triumphing over nature and threats to the human order. Dead apostles are enemies of the human order therefore an sacrament that displays the power of humanity would logically harm them.

It's exact function is that it's much like a certain weapon from atlas in that it gains power the greater a target is separate from human order with it gaining obscene levels of power against dead apostle ancestors. However it is functionally useless against targets which are normal humans as anything other than a normal sword so... lets just say there's a reason he always carries a 9mm with him.

**PA270** · July 20th, 2023, 09:08 AM

Menelik III: Definitely an interesting concept! I like the backstory, and Ascalon Yihuda is a pretty cool weapon! Formatting's definitely a little wonky, but in terms of content, it's pretty solid!

**DelRey** · July 20th, 2023, 12:16 PM

it lacks a bit of meat. Details. His fighting style and magecraft? Its a fine start. Your sheets can stay short, befitting your attention span you mentioned a while back, while allowing you to explore something else quickly afterward. But keep in the details to build both concept and character.

**Random** · July 20th, 2023, 04:57 PM

ouroborosoroboruOUROBOROSoroboruouroboros
██████████████████

[ [ ACCESS FILE ] ]

**tsugumi** · July 21st, 2023, 01:54 AM

“How does the Holy Church fight its battles?”

An

catechumen

ordinary member

will respond as they have been taught:

“Through the power of prayer and divine intercession.”

During a rhetorical exchange between those with a deeper understanding of the Holy Church’s mission, albeit not engaged in more direct spiritual warfare themselves, the answer would probably go something more like this:

“Through prayer power, divine intercession… and through the assistance of

God’s grace made physically manifest

Sacraments

.

These are misunderstandings, deliberate in their cultivation, although not strictly untrue.

Disciplina arcani

The Holy Church found themselves with a conundrum most difficult.

The spirits of their precious adherents were indeed willing to carry out God’s will on earth, but their flesh was still weak. ‘Spongy and bruised’, even, some might even say.

What then, to do? A weapon is nothing without someone to use it. How could God’s followers best overcome this challenge handed down by Him?

For now we see through a glass darkly

βλέπομεν γὰρ ἄρτι δι' ἐσόπτρου ἐν αἰνίγματι

You awake in a dark, cold room without any apparent exits. A faint scent resembling wine permeates the room. At the centre: a torso-sized mirror, made of finely polished silver, surrounded by flickering candles. A disembodied voice instructs you: sit directly in front of it, and stare. Although kidnapped, and unaware of what lies ahead of you, you are still a candidate. You have an idea of why you are here. Thus, you obey.

Hours pass. How many, you might imagine, depends on the elect. The flickers produced by the candlelight gradually take on more consistent shapes, warping the viewer in more decipherable ways. It’s you, but it’s more than you. There are… things, happening. To you. The images become clearer still.

You are beholding scenes of your many, many deaths.

Your gaze feels glued to the visions before you. But then, why would you even desire to look away? Each catastrophe feels realer than the last. More real than anything you’ve ever seen. More real than anything you’ve ever felt. You can practically smell the scent of your burning flesh, feel the wind rushing past you as you plummet to your death. When you watch yourself drown, you too feel robbed of your breath.

A peculiar, piercing sensation floods your torso. All at once, your eyes are released from what was formerly holding them in place. You look down.

Four steel claws are sticking out from your stomach, your organs gently sliding out of the freshly-made crevasse, down onto the floor.

It is harder from here.

No longer a mere voyeur, but an active participant in your very own carnival of death. Your immolation no longer theoretical, but a screeching agony that rips itself from your throat as you wail for mercy. The lack of oxygen filling your lungs is no longer sympathetic, but something holding your head down in a body of water, or it’s lying weakly in a pool of your own blood as your perforated lungs drown in it. Sometimes the deaths are longer, and you lie for minutes crushed beneath rubble, experiencing the burn of the tissue death consuming your limbs. Sometimes they’re more exotic. You experience a number of variations on the concept of death via a thousand paper cuts. And so on.

The sight of your own brain matter dashed against the side of the rock you’ve been caned with. You and your body feel increasingly like two separate existences.

And yet.

After each time, each individual death, you find yourself flooded with the most profound sense of peace you have and will ever know. Again and again. It does not matter how unspeakable the cruelties you experience are. It does not matter how unjust the agonies. There is always relief. And the cause is obvious: God is with you. He holds you in the palm of His hands. What else could it be? Who else could grant such impossible mercy? That is the conclusion all will inevitably draw, as they are bathed in God's grace again, again, and again. The gospel is correct. He walks with you. Nay, he carries you. There is nothing to fear. You begin to greet each new death with a growing enthusiasm that threatens to overwhelm you. The world is full of delight and beauty, and you find your imagination liberated from the prison of everyday preoccupations - how could it be any other way?

Somewhere, a door opens.

The

mystai

initiate

will eventually emerge, be it in hours or days. Their soul is cleansed. Reformed. Fortified. They have been baptised as a warrior of God; their body, the vessel through which they will carry out His will: ready to learn the proper ways of eradicating the

blasphemers

undead

.

As with everything, there are of course, exceptions. Even amongst those who have partaken in the Mystery, their memory and thus dedication may… falter. Some may even leave.

And of course, some particularly observant, well-informed individuals may draw connections between this

legal

orthodox

initiation ritual with something the

illegal

heretic

magi of the Clock Tower are understood to practice under special circumstances.

It does not matter. All blasphemers shall meet the fate that is due to them in the end.

**TrueMrMultiverse** · July 21st, 2023, 04:14 AM

All of these are neat-Tsugumi's dark room of reforging is cool and Random's is very intriguing with

Spoiler:

Alias:		Magecraft:
Date of birth:		Origin:
Height/Weight:		Element:
Country of origin:		Circuit Quantity:
Affiliation:		Circuit Quality:
Image colour:		Circuit Composition:
	Day of decisive battle:	Parallel with the one who sees ■ea■■s for what they really are

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