Archer
Prideful Divine Sunslayer, Hou Yi
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Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Region: China
Gender: Male
Height: 185cm
Weight: 73kg
Likes: His wife, hunting, tea
Dislikes: Disobedience, thieves, those without pride
Parameters:
Strength: C
Endurance: B
Agility: A+
Mana: A
Luck: C
Noble Phantasm: EX
Class Skills:
Independent Action: AA trait of the Archer Class. Due to his high level of magical energy and a strong will, Archer is capable of remaining in this world without a Master for up to a week as long as he does not utilize his Noble Phantasms.
Magic Resistance: CArcher possesses some degree of resilience against being affected by magecraft. His rank in this skill is decidedly average, but due to his highly-tuned senses and agility he is virtually untouchable to most modern magi.
Divinity: BArcher was originally a divine spirit. However, he willingly discarded the mantle of godhood in order to serve as a beast hunter for the sake of humanity. Due to this, his divinity became reduced. As opposed to operating as a god, he preferred slaying monsters.
Personal Skills:
God of Travelling on the Wind: AAn inherent capacity to utilize the wind as a method of transportation. It is more akin to magecraft then any form of technique. Archer can move on the wind as if it was a solid object, a platform is is capable of directly interacting with in order to achieve a form of "flight". Additionally, his agility is is increased by one rank while he is walking on the wind. Due to his inhuman senses, he is especially suited to unleashing arrows from the air towards foes who are below him. His Noble Phantasms, however, require solid footing and cannot be utilized while travelling on the wind. A proud and and capable beast hunter, it is only natural for Archer to stand far above his quarries.
Giant Beast Hunt: ACountless man-eating beasts plagued ancient China, threatening its people and destroying their settlements. It was due to Archer's intervention that the people survived, his unerring aim allowing him to strike down every single monstrosity that stalked the land without fail. His hunting and slaughtering of hundreds of monsters is sublimated in this skill, honing his capabilities against such opponents and those of a monstrous nature. It was not only for the sake of China's people, but for his own enjoyment that Archer sought out and destroyed maneating monsters.
Affections of the Moon: BIn order to keep the pill of immortality from falling into the hands of a traitorous apprentice, Archer's wife swallowed it. This forfeited her existence as a human being and forcibly ascended her to the moon. However, despite their separation, she never ceased loving her husband. This love confers as blessing to Archer, granting him a beneficial status that accelerates the healing of injuries and renders him resistant to curses and other forms of negative effects. Above even his pride is Archer's longing for his wife, but their separation is impossible to overcome.
Clairvoyance: C+The greatest beast hunter in China during his life, Archer's sharp eyes can surpass even material things in order to acquire his targets. It is the eyesight of a peerless hunter who was capable of hitting his mark no matter how distant they may be. At this rank, it extends beyond mere eyesight to become a supreme awareness of his targets that borders on the realm of precognition. For Archer, time itself appears to slow every time he readies and arrow, which allows him to perfectly adjust his aim as he tracks his targets. To take pride in such skill is befitting of a hero.
Noble Phantasm:Resplendent Weapon of the Beast-Hunter
Hǔ Gǔ Gōng
Rank: B
Type: Anti-Army
Range: 1-50
Maximum Number of Targets: 200 people
Archer's trusted weapon, a bow that can only be strung by his hand. Crafted from jade and the bones of a great phantasmal tiger, it surpasses all Chinese bows made before and after its creation. The finest bow in an entire nation, suitable for the chief weapon of a hunter of monsters. It serves as Archer's primary weapon, but it can also be utilized as an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm. By aiming skywards and invoking his bow's name, Archer can unleash a blistering wave of arrows that descend from the upper atmosphere, becoming superheated as they hurtle towards the earth at terminal velocity. Upon impact with the Earth, these arrows erupt into flames and scorch any targets caught within range. While it is highly potent, it sacrifices accuracy in order to delivery a wide-ranging attack. As a result, targets with exceptional agility may be able to evade the rain of arrows. Additionally, targets who possess powerful self-recovery can survive and regenerate even after being struck directly. However, those of a monstrous nature are unable to escape, and will undeniably be perforated and set ablaze by countless arrows. It is a beast-slaughtering attack that felled hundreds of monstrosities.
The Hero Who Shot Down Nine Suns
Rìguāng Yānmò
Rank: EX
Type: Anti-Sun
Range: 0-1000
Maximum Number of Targets: 1000 People
Archer was once summoned to quell divine spirits that had taken the form of ten suns. Their shortsighted rampage scorched the lands, rendering them inhospitable and killing entire villages. While at first he attempted to reason with them, eventually Archer felt he had no choice but to draw his bow. He felled nine of their number, only to be stopped before slaying the final sun as its existence was required for life to flourish. This Noble Phantasm is a crystallization of the slaying of nine suns, recalling their death throes. By calling its true name and unleashing one of the crimson arrows used to slay the nine suns, Archer can recreate the death of a celestial body. A localized supernova is generated from the arrow's point of impact, expanding and incinerating absolutely everything caught within range. Nothing is left behind but scorched, smoldering earth, for the death of a sun is a truly devastating event. This attack may be evaded, but survival within the supernova is impossible. Additionally, Archer may target the sun, instead. While the common sense of man dictates the sun cannot be destroyed so easily, Archer may temporarily darken the the land by doing so, cutting a region off from its light for a timespan of roughly five minutes.
Lore: Originally, the Chinese texture contained ten suns. These were both celestial bodies and divine spirits, that would proceed across the sky one by one, never to meet one another. In this way, the lands would be lit and life could flourish.
But the suns were of a fickle, and childish nature. They grew bored with this organized existence, frustrated with never being allowed to meet one another. And so, one day, they chose to emerge all at once, casting the sky in blinding light and scorching the lands. Crops burned. Entire villages went up in flames and the people within them perished and burnt to ash. And yet, the suns continued to remain in the sky, their selfish nature causing them to disregard the destruction that they were inflicting upon the world beneath them.
It was by the desperate request of Emperor Yao, believing that all humanity could be exterminated by the foolish suns, that the god Hou Yi descended to put an end to the rampage.
At first, knowing the suns were fellow divine spirits, Hou Yi attempted to reason with them. He explained that they were burning the world that they once illuminated, that China's people were suffering and dying due to their shortsightedness.
---But the suns would not listen.
Next, Hou Yi drew his bow and readied an arrow. If they would not listen to reason, then perhaps they would understand fear. A god of archers and hunting, he had nothing but faith in his ability to fell the suns if so required, and so he took aim. It was his hope that the suns would understand, and end their foolishness.
---But the suns would not listen.
No reason reached them. No warning reached them.
But his arrows would certainly do so.
And so, Hou Yi shot down the first sun. Then the second. Then the third. Each sun was struck in turn, dying in flames and falling from the sky. They had clearly failed to understand the error of their ways, and so only death could follow.
He was even prepared to slay the final sun, but his hand was stayed by the intervention of Emperor Yao. After all, while the suns' antics had been devastating for China, at least one was still required to provide life-giving light to its people.
And so, the hunter lowered his bow.
The crisis ended.
And yet, the troubles of the Chinese people did not. In the aftermath of the death of the nine suns, hundreds of maneating beasts emerged and began to rampage across the land. Despite efforts to rebuild going well, these creatures were devouring humans and destroying villages during the night.
Hou Yi saw this and grew angry. He had destroyed nine suns for the sake of humanity, but now they faced the appetites of ravenous monsters who would destroy crops and take lives. This, in his mind, was not only a threat to the people of China but also an insult to his pride. Additionally, his wife, who was a human woman by the name of Chang'e, pleaded for his assistance.
As a god, he could not freely intervene just for the sake of human beings against the monsters who resisted their development.
And so, he discarded the mantle of godhood and descended to the world once more, this time to take the role of a hunter of beasts. Despite the loss of his divine nature, his skills remained impossibly sharp. The sunslayer slaughtered hundreds of beasts such as the voracious Zaochi and Fengxi. He became a hero of the people, renowned and beloved for his beast hunts that purged the land of monstrosities for the sake of humanity.
Each hunt removed a threat to the lives of China's people. Each hunt caused Hou Yi's heart to soar with exhilaration. The slaying of beasts as a hero of humanity was far more exciting then the hunts of a god.
His pride only grew.
He took to the mantle of "hero" swiftly. A hero of humanity. One who shines brilliantly due to their actions. One who holds deep pride in oneself.
That is who Hou Yi became. That is how he defined himself.
But the gods desired his return. In the guise of a reward for his actions, they gifted the hero-archer a pill of immortality, that would restore his godhood and return him to the heavens. Hou Yi accepted the pill, but his love of being a hero and his affection for his wife prevented him from taking it. He did not desire to return to the heavens unless Chang'e could also become a god alongside him, and he greatly desired to continue his beast hunts.
One day, entrusting his wife to keep the pill safe, he embarked to slay another great beast that threatened one of China's largest cities.
While he was away, one of his apprentices decided to act. Having eavesdropped upon Hou Yi and Chang'e, Feng Meng knew of the pill of immortality and desired it for himself. Having trained under the sunslayer, he knew he was more then skilled enough to easily subdue Chang'e and take the pill.
When he broke in, Chang'e was well aware she would be unable to defeat him, and that his target was the pill of immortality. Someone who would betray his mentor's trust and commit an act of theft could never have such a thing, but she would surely be killed if she attempted to flee with it, and a hunter trained by her husband would be able to track the pill's location easily.
And so, she took the pill herself.
Chang'e ascended to godhood, and was removed from the earth to be taken to the Heavens. She arrived at the moon and refused to travel any further, as such a great distance was already so far from her beloved husband.
When Hou Yi returned, he realized what had happened and was overtaken by sorrow. He wept for their separation, and began to leave offerings to his wife every night. The great hero cursed himself for departing, for leaving Chang'e alone, for trusting his apprentice so thoroughly.
This continued for many years.
One night while he was leaving offerings to his wife, Feng Meng ambushed Hou Yi. Still enraged at the loss of his chance of immortality and believing Hou Yi had weakened with the years, he took it out on his aged mentor and blungeoned him to death with a club before he could draw his bow.
The hero-archer's last thoughts were of his wife.
Personality: A serious and proud figure, who deeply values loyalty. As such, his relationship with his Master is placed in high regard, and he will endeavor to follow their orders closely. With that being said, he is not without pragmatism. If Hou Yi judges his Master's orders to be in error, he will not reject them. But he will instead interpret them as best suits his situation, believing that such an act is also an example of loyalty. Despite his conduct towards his Master, there is one situation in which he will wholly reject them. If ordered to harm innocent people, Hou Yi will first draw his bow and administer a warning. If his Master does not retract this order, he will draw and loose an arrow with the intent of slaying them where they stand.
Hou Yi's pride in himself is unshakeable. While he is polite and respectful in his manner of speech, the fact that he is also rather arrogant cannot be ignored. He perceives himself as a hero who can judge others, one who can match the legends of all other Servants who could possibly oppose him. That is not to say he lacks respect for other legends. But if he did not have this unshakable pride in himself, then it would be an insult to himself. To the title of "hero".
Indeed, Hou Yi believes that to be a hero is to be proud. To carry oneself with assuredness and conviction, to hold nothing but confidence in one's skills. A hero's legend is resplendent, so that hero should be resplendent as well.
It is this pride that allows him to believe that he may judge the legends of others. That he can operate as a test for his opponents, to see just how brilliantly they shine as heroic spirits. Even in more friendly situations, he enjoys challenging others, especially other hunters. While Hou Yi will always believe himself to be the more likely victor, the better his opponents perform against him, the more brilliantly they shine.
Hou Yi enjoys hunting, and also appreciates good tea. To peacefully enjoy a cup of tea after an exciting hunt is a cherished pleasure for the sunslayer.
But above all else, above even his pride, Hou Yi loves his wife. Deep in his heart there is an emptiness, a regret that he was unable to be there for her, that she was forced to take the pill and ascend to the heavens. Without fail, Hou Yi will leave offerings to the moon, and will take any opportunity to appreciate the moonlight. To him, it is the same as the loving gaze of his wife.
As such, it is no surprise his wish for the Holy Grail is to reunite with her.
Dialogue
Summoned: “So, you are in need of hero who hunts beasts? I am Hou Yi, the beast-hunter and the slayer of Nine Suns. My class is Archer. No matter what manner of creature you require to be slain, man, beast, or divine, my bow is yours to command. I will not miss, I will not falter, and I will not fail.”
Level Up 1: “Mm, this is good.”
Level Up 2: “The more I receive, the better I may hunt.”
Level Up 3: “To become stronger is merely part of a hero’s story.”
1st Ascension: “While those robes are somewhat nostalgic, a hero should shine resplendently. In that regard, there’s no question that this is a far more suitable visage. I shall show you the brilliance of a slayer of countless monsters.”
2nd Ascension: “A hero should take pride in their skills, and in their appearance. I shall wear these clothes a while longer.”
3rd Ascension: “Ah, I see---These vestments remind me of a distant time, before I chose to cast off the mantle of godhood and become a hero of humanity. It’s hardly unpleasant, but I cannot say I thought I would take on such an appearance again. Take pride in your accomplishment, Master, for I could never have foreseen this.”
4th Ascension: “---Ah. Hello, Master, I didn’t expect you. I was simply admiring the moonlight. I suppose some may find it fitting that I prefer the light of the moon to the light of the sun. It’s simply that, on quiet nights like this, I want to watch the moon cross the sky. We can never reach one another, but right now the distance between us is smaller. If only for tonight.”
Battle Start 1: “Ready yourself, for I have arrived.”
Battle Start 2: “It is time for heroes to shine beautifully.”
Battle Start 3: “Your foe is the Slayer of Nine Suns.”
Battle Start 4: “Prepare for the end, for you won’t escape it.”
Skill 1: “I’m taking aim.”
Skill 2: “Behold!”
Skill 3: “I won’t miss.”
Skill 4: “This is a hero’s resplendence!”
Skill 5: “No beast can withstand my arrows.”
Skill 6: “The moonlight is surrounding me…”
Attack Selected 1: “Understood.”
Attack Selected 2: “They won’t escape.”
Attack Selected 3: “My arrow flies true.”
Noble Phantasm Selected 1: “Behold, the bow that struck down nine suns.”
Noble Phantasm Selected 2: “Witness brilliance and be destroyed!”
Noble Phantasm Selected 3: “Very well, master. They shall be annihilated, utterly.”
Noble Phantasm Selected 4: “Today is their final sunset.”
Attack 1: “Hah!”
Attack 2: “Dodging won’t help you!”
Attack 3: “Take this!”
Attack 4: “Yah!”
Attack 5: “The moon guides me.”
Attack 6: “Pierce through them!”
Attack 7: “Fall.”
Attack 8: “No matter the distance---!"
Attack 9: “Hmph.”
Attack 10: “Fade.”
Attack 11: “Strike true.”
Attack 12: “Witless!”
Extra Attack 1: “You can neither defend nor escape: Hǔ Gǔ Gōng!”
Extra Attack 2: “Be incinerated and disappear!”
Extra Attack 3: “The arrows of Hou Yi fall upon you!”
Noble Phantasm 1: “Once, I struck down nine suns that threatened to scorch the lands and destroy all life. This arrow is a recreation of the moment a sun falls. Behold, Rìguāng Yānmò!”
Noble Phantasm 2: “The purging heat and light will wash away all wickedness and banish all evil. Beast, man, or spirit cannot stand before the death of a sun. Witness your end – Rìguāng Yānmò!”
Noble Phantasm 3: “The legend of a hero can be symbolized by a single action. The true essence of a Noble Phantasm embodies this moment. For me, it is the death of a sun. Burn – Rìguāng Yānmò!”
Noble Phantasm 4: “To be a hero is to be tested. To stand before me is bold. Shall we see if you can survive this arrow? Rìguāng Yānmò!”
Damage from Noble Phantasm 1: “Nnngh---!”
Damage from Noble Phantasm 2: “I… have to make it, Chang’e---!”
Regular Damage 1: “Ah…”
Regular Damage 2: “It’s nothing.”
Defeated 1: “So this is… my defeat…”
Defeated 2: “Chang’e…”
Defeated 3: “So this is the power of our foe…”
Defeated 4: “I may fall… but this isn’t the end---!”
Battle Finish 1: “They couldn’t stand against a hero.”
Battle Finish 2: “The enemy has been eliminated. A celebration wouldn’t be unwarranted, would it?”
Battle Finish 3: “Once again, my aim is true. They have been utterly destroyed.”
Battle Finish 4: “I won’t ask for your attention, but I hope you’re watching now, Chang’e.”
Bond 1: “As a hero who slew monsters for the sake of humans, my duty is to assist in any way I can.”
Bond 2: “A hero’s legend should shine brightly, and encapsulate the meaning of their actions. Those who don’t shine brightly, those who do not carry with them that resplendence, cannot truly be called heroes.”
Bond 3: “I have no regrets about giving up the mantle of godhood. I slew nine suns and a multitude of beasts and I do not wish to take back any of it. However, if there is one thing that I want to change…”
Bond 4: “That day, I had been preoccupied with a new hunt. Even though the immortality pill had been entrusted to me, I left it behind. And so my wife was alone, with no other option to keep it out of the hands of that traitor. If I’d been there, then perhaps things could have been different…”
Bond 5: “The moon stands as a symbol of my failure, but its gaze is also the gaze of my dear Chang’e. Our separation is painful, but I can feel the warmth of her presence as well. That is why I shall continue to be a shining, resplendent hero. So, Master. No matter what beasts you need slain, no matter what obstacle must be destroyed, my bow will always be ready.”
Dialogue 1: “My arrows will find any mark they must. There is nothing that can escape my view.”
Dialogue 2: “You’ve contracted quite a few heroes, Master. I can only hope they shine as resplendently as their legends.”
Dialogue 3: “That little creature… Fou, you say? Hmmm. I have a feeling that in another time, we would be enemies.”
Dialogue 4(Atalanta): “A lady beast hunter of another land? Splendid. I understand you hunted some of the greatest beasts in Greece. Would you care for an archery competition?”
Dialogue 5(Super Orion): “… In some ways, I feel some level of kinship with the Grecian Superhuman. But in others… Well, at least his legend shines resplendently.”
Dialogue 6(Gilgamesh Archer): “So it is the King of Heroes who shines most brilliantly. No matter what his attitude may be, it’s undeniable he lives up to his status, in both power and pride. Still…”
Dialogue 7(Tawara Touta): “Another archer and slayer of beasts? Excellent. Care to demonstrate the resplendence of your legend? … And the flavor of all that rice, while you’re at it.”
Dialogue 8(BB): “… She may originate from the moon, but this one is absolutely nothing like Chang’e.”
Dialogue 9(Mandricardo): “Hmph. You’ve been summoned as a Servant, you’ve made your place as a heroic spirit, and yet this is how you treat yourself? Those who can say such things should carry themselves with nothing less than the greatest pride.”
Dialogue 10[(Ozymandias): “… Tell me, is that Pharaoh associated with the sun? He is? That explains why I feel so compelled to draw my bow.”
Something you Like: “What I like? Demonstrating the extent of my skills is always enjoyable, as is a lovely cup of tea. One must adequately split their time between their pleasures.”
Something you Hate: “If there is one thing above all else that I cannot abide, it’s thievery. Those who attempt to steal from others never truly comprehend the extent of their actions.”
About the Holy Grail: “The holy grail… It’s an infinite wish-granting device. The kind of prize a hero would claim at the end of their journey. If I had it… I’d wish to be reunited with Chang’e.”
During an Event: “It seems some form of festival is occurring. This is the perfect time for me to demonstrate my archery, is it not?”
Birthday: “Today is your day of birth, isn’t it? Therefore, it’s only fitting to show some form of appreciation. Perhaps you would appreciate some of the finest Chinese tea?”
Notes: The second, and last, rewrite of the batch! Admittedly not as much changed as it did with Skuld, I just wanted to elaborate and expand on him. I know Hou Yi's popular as an Archer option, but I liked my take on him and wanted to bring it up to the same standards as my other two Servants so far, especially since I did a new sketch of him. My general goal with him was to make him a bit of a powerhouse. The kind who'd be a big obstacle in a Grail War setup both due to his firepower and his personality. I know there's other way you can interpret the sun-slaying that are less literal, but... I really want to do that supernova NP, okay? I reaaally hope the Chinese for his NPs is right, but relying on online translators is risky business.
Originally Posted by Skull
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