Caster Identity: Inari no Ōkami Gender: Female (manifested); secret (authentic) Height: 151 cm Weight: 38 kg Alignment: Neutral Good Origin: Japan Weapons: Sickle
Parameters: Strength: D Endurance: C Agility: B Luck: EX Mana: A++ NP: C
Background
Inari is the Japanese deity of foxes, rice, sake, tea, industry, agriculture and prosperity, as well as the spouse of Uke Mochi, goddess of food. There was a time when they also were worshiped as a patron of swordsmiths and merchants, apparently. They have been associated with the Buddhist spirits called Dakini since they're a god related with foxes, Japanese substitutes of the jackal from India. They also have been associated with Benzaiten of the Seven Gods of Fortune, whose origin is the Indian river goddess Saraswati. Currently, Inari is one of the most venered Shinto deities in Japan, with more than a third of all the shrines in Japan being dedicated to them.
Multiple theories about their aspect have been made. They've been depicted as a fox, an old man carrying rice, a snake, a dragon, an androgynous bodhisattva, and even a monstrous spider. The truth about their appearance is unknown to the point of not even their gender having been discerned. Only other fellow Shinto gods know how they actually are, although it seems they're quite similar to a certain Japanese Caster, what suggests that they may be a fox girl.
During this summoning, Inari has decided to manifest by possessing the body of one of their attendants. Since the attendant is a miko, this time their gender is read as Female in their profile. The reason behind this kind of summoning is unknown, but it could be related to the similarities with the aforementioned Caster.
Personality
Unfitting for the petite and cute body of the host, Inari displays a mature behavior.
Generally speaking, she's kind and polite with everyone, the example of a true adult. As a god of prosperity, she likes people that work hard and will thank them for their work. Those that overexploit themselves, however, aren't of her liking. "One must know to rest from time to time. What are you going to achieve by overdoing it like this, huh?". Logically, she despises lazy people as they don't contribute to prosperity.
She doesn't like wasting food, as expected from the spouse of the food goddess. If she sees someone leaving leftovers, she'll hit them on the head.
She's been accused of trying to steal the role of cute fox goddess waifu, and receives several threat messages from an unknown place. She doesn't care about it as she is summoned to fight for a wish and not for a beauty contest, but "the spam is starting to be annoying...".
Skills
Class skills:
Item Construction EX The ability to create objects with magical properties. As the old patron of swordsmiths and god of agriculture, swords and farming tools can be created. These items don't show a quality deserving of the EX rank. The reason of this rank is Inari's capacity to create a wish-fulfilling jewel, although it can’t compare to the Holy Grail. This jewel is very similar in nature to a Philosopher's stone, also known as photonic crystal, and can be considered a sample of great purity, what grants it the capacity to display several effects, like a counterfeit immortality.
Territory Creation A Creates an advantageous ground for one. Creation of a Temple, superior to a Workshop, is possible.
Personal skills:
Divine Core of the Goddess A A set of properties that represents one's status and absoluteness as a god. It provides Divinity, repels mental interference and prevents growth. Additionally, the figure won't change no matter how many calories are consumed. Although Inari isn't summoned as a pseudo-Servant, she isn't a bunrei either. She's possessing the body of a human girl, and has decided to demote this skill to A rank to lighten the burden on her body.
Inexhaustible Bale (Body) A++ A skill quite logical for the god of rice. Allows the generation of rice from one's body as a kind of Projection. This skill is a combination of Inari's own power with Affections of the Goddess, as the goddess of food Uke Mochi is their wife. Uke Mochi could generate food from her cavities, and Inari has earned the capability to do the same but with rice only. Since coughing up rice would be gross, she shoots it from her hands as any other Caster would do with mana blasts.
Animal Dialogue A+ Since Inari is a fox god, she can understand the language of animals. Complex nuances can be conveyed with ease. At this rank, it could probably be mistaken with the Familiar skill, since the foxes are generally used to provide information, but it differs in the inability of Inari to order them.
Shapeshift A (C) A method used by millenary spirits of foxes and badges that allows one to change shape at will. Given the different aspects in which Inari is depicted, she gets this skill at A rank, although its effects are the same as C rank for not being a pure bunrei. Originally, it would allow to transform into a snake, dragon or a large spider, as well as changing genders at will. During this summoning, it'd only let her to transform into a fox.
Noble Phantasm
Kusaka no Tōzai Tanbo
The rice fields from East to West under the Sun
Type:Anti-Famine, Anti-Country (originally), Anti-Army Rank: C+ (degraded from EX) Description:
A landscape in the shape of seemingly endless rice fields, reminiscent of a Reality Marble, is displayed by this Noble Phantasm. The soil is one of the richest in nutrients that one could imagine, and the water is extraordinarily pure. The sunlight is gentle and isn't excessively hot. All these conditions make the rice plants of this landscape be of the best quality.
Inari controls every single grain on this field, what allows her to amplify greatly her powers by attacking without spending mana for Inexhaustible Bale (Body). The high quality of the rice also allows to recover stamina and provides a very slight healing if eaten.
This Noble Phantasm originally was EX rank and would affect the whole area of Japan, blessing every single rice field in the country. It has been degraded to C+ rank in this shape as a demerit from the summoning system, and its type has been changed from Anti-Country to Anti-Army. The party receives some boost in their mana efficiency, as they can get better results at lower costs. However, the effects only last for a few minutes.
Creator’s notes
I originally wanted Inari to be a pseudo-Servant, but due to my lack of experience, I abandoned that thought. According to Tamamo’s profile, Inari and her can be easily mistaken. To make a difference while not entering the pseudo-Servant domain, I made Inari do a Jeanne.
Although she has a sickle for close combat situations, her main combat style revolves around her Inexhaustible Bale. I based this skill on the True Fist of the Rice, used by Rice from Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo (I know the series has an extremely high level of absurdity, but some combat styles are cool and this is one of them).
Last edited by King of Padoru; September 22nd, 2018 at 01:51 PM.
Inexhaustible Bale (Body) A++: Allows to generate rice from one’s body. Although the rice is edible (and delicious, by the way), it can be used during a fight by generating massive amounts in sudden bursts.
I think you have some nice ideas and Inexhaustible Bale (Body) is a fun skill, but i also think you could do with delving a bit more with your ideas.
Theres is nothing wrong with brevity, but i feel like you stay too much at the surface level description. I mean do you even need to hid that under spoilers?
Okay i get the Feeling that venomking has a bad repute her and to be compared with (although i dont know him) is somehow displeasing.
Daga i strive to make better profiles as before ,not only but also because i have made ( mostly in my native language )dozen of Profils id like to Show here and im Thankfull for the constructive critics.
What im interested to hear is:have every Servant-creator here their own individual style (in personallity ,ability,Appearances design) or because the most are making the Sheets/profiles in a similar Quality so that there arent real style differences in them??
Last edited by Kabalisto Koga; February 28th, 2018 at 08:20 PM.
What im interested to hear is:have every Servant-creator here their own individual style (in personallity ,ability,Appearances design) or because the most are making the Sheets/profiles in a similar Quality so that there arent real style differences in them??
Obviously everyone has their own writing style and quirks (for instance, I tend to genderbend a lot, one guy from a while back wrote up a lot of Nazi and dictator Servants...). The thing is though, you need to have reached a certain basic level of quality before you can even talk about meaningful differences in style. As is, any "style" you might have is drowned by the poor formatting and ungodly number of typos...
Inari is cool, her rice blast is really funny but also sounds actualy usable, like jetkinen said maybe give more in depth descrition to your concepts . You have cool ideas, you just need to execute them, which can actualy be very hard (trust me, i know a lot a about not using your own ideas to the fullest).
Alternate Class: Saver
Epithet: True Buddha of the Latter Day
Alignment: Lawful Good
Origin: Historical Fact, Japan
Parameters
Strength: D
Endurance: B
Agility: C
Mana: D
Luck: C
NP: B
Class Skills Magic Resistance: D
Magic Resistance grants protection against magical effects. Differing from the Resistance effect that merely rejects Magical Energy, this ability cancels the spells altogether.
Cancels Single-Action spells. Magic Resistance of the same degree of an amulet that rejects magical energy. Only by the absolution of his body through the chanting of sutras is Saber able to reach even a D rank in this Skill.
Riding: D
Riding is a Class Skill of Rider and Saber class Servants, denoting the ability to ride mounts and vehicles. Rider-class Servants will typically possess a high rank. It is said that dragon type mounts are an exception, requiring a different ability other than Riding.
A monk who traveled across Japan on foot has no need for such contraptions as buggies or automobiles, but indeed Saber has an extreme fondness for horses. He believes that man’s relationship with the horse is an integral part of finding one’s inner peace. Or maybe he’s just saying that. “If you should ever have cause to travel, do not begrudge the cost of a horse. Make sure that you ride a good horse. Bring along your best men to defend you against a surprise attack, and ride a horse that can easily carry your armor.” (--Nichiren Gosho Book Five)
Personal Skills: High-Speed Sutra Chanting: A
High-Speed Sutra Chanting is the ability to speak magical incantations at an accelerated speed in regard to sutras.
At Rank A, Saber is able to finish powerful Greater-Thaumaturgy incantations at the speed of a Single-Action spell.
The man who read and memorized every single instance of Buddhist scripture in existence at the time. Twice. Over the course of 20 years, Saber traveled Japan and studied the various denominations of Buddhism on his quest to reach enlightenment.
However, despite his intense study of other sects, he refuses to do anything but repeat the Lotus Sutra.
Kaimokusho: B+
Kaimokusho is a unique Personal Skill of Saber’s, reflecting his written work of the same name and the events that lead to its writing.
Translated as “The Opening of the Eyes”, Kaimokusho is a Skill that can only be obtained by one who has submersed himself in the “Truth of the World” to the point where the prediction of future events becomes possible. Not the revelation bestowed on an individual by a god, nor is it the instinctual prediction of the warrior. Rather, it is a level of pattern recognition akin to a “satellite signal that cannot be ignored”. Above a certain level, Kaimokusho may even resemble the wielder manipulating fate to suit one’s own purpose, but it is merely an illusion.
Derided before as the ravings of a zealot, Saber’s constant and insistent proclamations on concurrent Japan’s degeneration caused several prophecies to be described and fulfilled. Saber threatened that if Japan failed to reject the false sects and embrace true Buddhism, the country would be visited by a series of calamities. Epidemic and several attempts at Mongol invasion are only a few examples of what Saber ultimately “foresaw.”
Functionally similar to Revelation minus its capacity to assist in direct combat--such individual conflict is meaningless to the Buddhist. Fate is directed by the action of groups. As Saber is but a single component of the Dharma, the actions others take have the potential of triggering calamity; greater than what he himself can overcome alone. The result is a “Humanoid Typhoon” exasperated at his own foreknowledge.
Enlightenment of the Sacred Fig: C++
Enlightenment of the Sacred Fig renders protection to one who has reached "the Truth of the World" or "the Answer of Humanity" - a Protection Against Purging that marks the Servant as a "Protector of the World."
Unconditionally reduces the damage dealt by physical attacks, conceptual attacks, and interdimensional attacks by a value equivalent to a third of the Servant's total health. This Skill also shuts out the probability of mental interference by 100%.
Saber possesses the Rank in this Skill reserved for Bodhisattvas--however he is able to be summoned as Saver with an EX Rank.
In the case of Saber, who reached enlightenment through the repetition of a single sutra, he is a being who has rejected the path of enlightenment laid out by Gautama Buddha as annoyingly vague. Saber is capable of teaching the Lotus Sutra to others with remarkable success.
More concerning is his ability to retain degrees of heightened emotions, which he calls “a Buddhist wrath” and “a Buddhist pride” so it’s okay as long as it falls in line with the Dharma. Isn’t he supposed to be a monk?
Noble Phantasm
Juzumaru Tsunetsugu
Destroying of Iniquity and Establishing Righteousness
(Anti-Unit, B) “The Lotus Sutra is a fine sword, but its might depends on the one who wields it.”
The sword that Saber wields is the holy Juzumaru. Once a simple blade that was gifted to Saber by his friend Nanbu Sanenaga for protection from bandits and the like on the treacherous mountain paths. Although the blade was smithed by the famous Tsunetsugu and quite expensive, Saber treated it as nothing but a tool for the progress of Buddhism, going so far as to hang a Japanese rosary on the hilt as a constant reminder. After Saber’s death and subsequent rise to godhood, Juzumaru became one of the Tenka Goken (Five Great Swords of Japan) centuries later as of its rediscovery. Thus is the importance of Saber to Japanese religious culture. Juzumaru also happens to be the only member of the Tenka Goken that is also a holy artifact.
It is less of a true Noble Phantasm and closer in theory to the Scriptures of the Church. A Conceptual Weapon that is merely a vehicle for Saber’s technique, but neither is it a technique found within the art of swordsmanship itself. By filling Juzumaru with the enlightening power of the (you guessed it) Lotus Sutra, Saber turns Juzumaru into “Buddhism given the physical form of a sword.”
Juzumaru can be said to be an imitation of the Bodhisattva Manjushri's own blade
Manjushri Vimala
Cutting Away Delusion, Sword of Enlightenment
, although it shares a difference in elemental alignment as well as overall power. While Manjushri's variant of the Sword of Buddhism is Fire based, Saber espouses his Earth alignment as the reincarnation of Viśiṣṭacāritra; one of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth.
As Buddhism is a conceit that aims for the attainment of the almighty, so does Juzumaru become “a blade that pierces through to the Truth”. It enforces the Buddhist concept of treating all souls as if they possess the same weight--as only one who is a model “human being” may reach Buddhahood--as well as “ignoring the imperfections and complications of life”. Things like Divinity, Bounded Fields, magical armor, or mixed-blood status: all are meaningless in the face of Juzumaru. The effects are lessened by half for every rank above B an opponent may possess in a status that Juzumaru affects.
History
Nichiren also known as "Nichiren Shonin" or "Nichiren Daishonin" born as Zen-nichi-maro, was a Japanese Buddhist priest who lived during the Kamakura period (1185–1333).
Nichiren is known for his sole devotion to the Lotus Sutra, asserting that it was Shakyamuni Buddha's ultimate teachings and was the exclusive method to attain enlightenment. He believed that the Lotus Sutra contained the essence of all of Shakyamuni Buddha's teachings related to the laws of causality, karma, without any distinction to enlightenment. His interpretation of the Lotus Sutra centers on the emphasis of its 16th chapter, “The Life Span of the Thus Come One”, where he asserts his revelation that the chanting of Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō is the superior practice of today's age of Mappō.
Nichiren strongly proposed the chanting of Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō by attributing the natural and social calamities of his time to his claim that the Pure Land, Zen, Shingon, Ritsu, and Tendai schools were unable to supernaturally protect Japan. Ultimately, Nichiren drew the anger of Japan's ruling Hōjō clan when his two Lotus Sutra-based predictions of foreign invasion and political strife were seemingly actualized by the Mongol invasions of Japan and an attempted coup within the Hōjō clan. The religious remonstration in which he made these two predictions, Risshō Ankoku Ron (立正安国論) (On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Security of the Land), is considered by Japanese historians to be a literary classic illustrating the apprehensions of that period.
While all Nichiren Buddhist schools regard him as a reincarnation of the Visistacaritra or Jōgyō (上行), the lineages from Nikko Shonin proclaim Nichiren as the "Original Buddha" from infinite aeons ago, addressing him the title of Daishonïn as well as "True Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law" as taught Three Ages of Buddhism.
Today, Nichiren Buddhism includes traditional schools such as Nichiren Shōshū, the Nichiren Shū confederation of schools, and modern lay movements such Kenshokai, Shoshinkai, Soka Gakkai, Risshō Kōsei Kai, and Honmon Butsuryū Shū and various others each claiming their own interpretations of Nichiren's teachings.
Last edited by Express; March 1st, 2018 at 02:47 PM.
Destroying of Iniquity and Establishing Righteousness
Okay, hold up.
You have a sword channeling the principles of Buddhism as an NP, but you don't have it reference the Buddhist Concept of the Sword of Enlightenment that cuts away all delusion?
This irks me g r e a t l y.
Still a pretty good sheet though. There's only one problem....
What the hell
That alternate FC makes me want to call the fbi.
Last edited by WhatShouldNotBe; March 1st, 2018 at 12:28 AM.
A blade that pierces through to the truth sounds like it's cutting away delusion in the process to me. Just not worded exactly the same.
What I mean is that there is a specific concept in Buddhism that is literally a sword cutting to the truth, and it's really weird to me that it doesn't mention the other Buddhist depictions of that concept at all, or any of it's history.
That Bodhissatva, is the oldest and most significant of the Bodhisattvas in Mahayana literature, and spoken of multiple times in the Lotus Sutra. He's usually depicted with a big flaming sword which represents transcendent wisdom cutting through ignorance and duality.... and not mentioned at all in your description of 'Buddhism given the physical form of a sword'.
It'd be like if I wrote something about a Christian Saint who uses water to wash away sin without mentioning Baptism and it's history even once.
Okay, maybe not that egregious of a mistake, but you get my point.
I guess I should have specified more clearly that it's Nichiren's Buddhism that's given form through Juzumaru, specifically that it rejects every other possible practice as a futile effort.
I'm no Buddhist and thus don't have any level of familiarity with the Lotus Sutra outside of reading it a few times for this sheet, but I focused mainly on its application to Nichiren and not the sutra in a wider context. Maybe that was my mistake. I also didn't really go into his Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō, and just alluded to it instead.
I'll give it another look, but thanks for the feedback.
Or maybe he gets an upgraded version that becomes Manjushri's sword when he's summoned as Saver, as I tried to keep Saber Nichiren relatively grounded for a Buddha in the making, if that makes sense.
Last edited by Express; March 1st, 2018 at 01:07 AM.
I guess I should have specified more clearly that it's Nichiren's Buddhism that's given form through Juzumaru, specifically that it rejects every other possible practice as a futile effort.
I'm no Buddhist and thus don't have any level of familiarity with the Lotus Sutra outside of reading it a few times for this sheet, but I focused mainly on its application to Nichiren and not the sutra in a wider context. Maybe that was my mistake. I also didn't really go into his Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō, and just alluded to it instead.
I'll give it another look, but thanks for the feedback.
Originally Posted by WhatShouldNotBe
That Bodhissatva, is the oldest and most significant of the Bodhisattvas in Mahayana literature, and spoken of multiple times in the Lotus Sutra.
-_-
But yeah, it's still pretty good for a sheet if you ignore the errors about Buddhism. Don't mind my nitpicking.
Or maybe he gets an upgraded version that becomes Manjushri's sword when he's summoned as Saver, as I tried to keep Saber Nichiren relatively grounded for a Buddha in the making, if that makes sense.
Sure, that works.
Last edited by WhatShouldNotBe; March 1st, 2018 at 01:20 AM.
Because Express said;"A blade that pierces through to the truth sounds like it's cutting away delusion in the process to me. Just not worded exactly the same." If delusion is the fog then the truth is the Landscape behind.
i go with Express ,that is like a paperwall and behind is the real target. And sorry if have some grammar/sentence error made.
Heh... its kind of fitting that I'm uploading this remake of my 2nd ever Servant on my birthday. Well, kind of fitting. Sort of. Maybe. If you squint. I guess.
Class: Rider Alternate Classes: Berserker Master: True Name: Alaric I, King of Plunder, Sacker of Rome Sex: Male Height/Weight: 220cm/130kg Alignment: Chaotic Neutral Likes: Glory, his people, the “Golden Age of Rome” Dislikes: Subjugation, disrespect, manipulation Talents: Siegecraft Natural Enemy: Flavius Stilicho
Appearance
Stats
Strength: B Endurance: C Agility: C Magical Energy: D Luck: A (C) Noble Phantasm: A
Skills
Class Skills: Magic Resistance: A Skill that grants protection against magical effects. Differing from the Resistance effect that merely rejects Magical Energy, this ability cancels the spells altogether. D: Cancels Single-Action spells. Magic Resistance of the same degree of an amulet that rejects magical energy.
Riding: A Skill denoting the ability to ride mounts and vehicles. It is said that dragon type mounts are an exception, requiring a different ability other than Riding. B: Most vehicles and animals can be handled with above average skill, even vehicles that did not exist in the time period one was alive in, for they are no exception. However, cannot ride the likes of Phantasmal Species such as Monstrous Beasts.
Personal Skills: Charisma: A composite Skill consisting of a person's charm as well as the natural talent to command or unify an army or country. Increases the ability of allies during group battles. B: Having B-Rank in this Skill is sufficient to lead a nation as its King/Queen. The morale of military forces he or she commands is extremely high.
Golden Rule: A Skill that refers to the measurement of one's fortune to acquire wealth. B: The sacking of Rome would have left Rider wealthy for a very long time, had he not died shortly after acquiring it.
Military Tactics: A Skill representing tactical knowledge used not for one-on-one combat situations, but for battles where many are mobilized. Bonus modifiers are provided for using one's own Anti-Army Noble Phantasm or when dealing with an enemy’s Anti-Army Noble Phantasm. C+: Notable in life for having sieged, sacked and sometimes even destroyed multiple notable cities in both the Eastern and Western Roman Empire, as well as being a recognized military commander, Rider receives further bonuses when in a ‘siege’ situation such as using an Anti-City Noble Phantasm or facing an opponent using a Fortress Noble Phantasm.
Curse of the Pantheon: A negative Skill that represents the bearer holding the enmity of a significant number of Divine Spirits. It decreases the Servant’s Luck and feeds them false information as if it was a distorted version of the Revelation Skill. On the plus side, it also presents the Servant as possessing Revelation to opponents. Incidentally, this Skill cannot be removed. C: Rider’s ending of the last remnants of the Eleusinian Mysteries at Attica, wiping out an esoteric tradition that predated the Greek civilization, earned him the hatred of Demeter and Persephone while his destruction of the Mausoleum of Augustus and the Castel Sant'Angelo earned him no favour with the rest of the Olympians. Persephone fed him false assurances of victory from a sacred grove while Demeter inflicted upon him the malaria that ended his life. At this Rank, his Luck decreases by two and his false Revelation Skill is registered at D-Rank.
Noble Phantasms
Direptione Romae, Plunder the Heart of Civilization: A (Anti-City) The crystallization of Rider’s sacking of Rome and his primary Noble Phantasm, Direptione Romae is a bounded field, so advanced that it borders on a Reality Marble, with Rider himself as the catalyst. Although its size is supposed to roughly be that of a city, it doesn’t really compensate for the urban sprawl and growth that many modern cities have and as such wouldn’t cover all of Fuyuki City if Rider was summoned into a Fuyuki Grail War.
Although the actual sacking of Rome was remarkably ‘gentle’ and humane in reality, the popular conception of it as the symbolic fall of Roman civilization to barbarians among both modern and ancient populations has resulted in a phenomena reminiscent of Innocent Monster affecting the Noble Phantasm. When manifested, all forms of ‘civilization’ (such as technology, statues, buildings, etc…) that aren’t highly ‘primitive’ (simple) or magical in nature located within the bounded field will begin to break down and deteriorate, generating magical energy which feeds back into Rider - making Direptione Romae semi-self sustaining.
Direptione Romae also has a ‘secondary’ effect which exists solely due to the Noble Phantasm’s ‘corruption’, which is that a ‘barbaric-ness’ will begin to infect people and spirits within, increasing their aggressiveness and violent urges while decreasing their self-control and reservations. Heroic Spirits are simply too high of an existence to be affected and even an incompetent magus would be able to use the same self-hypnosis they use to cast spells to resist it, so this Noble Phantasm would be of little use against enemy Servants and Masters. However, normal humans would be unlikely to have the necessary techniques or natural defences to resist Direptione Romae while wraiths and spirits of a similar calibre aren’t immune to it like a Heroic Spirit.
If Rider chooses, he can redirect Direptione Romae’s mana gain from himself to the spirits being affected by it, which will allow them to manifest with physical forms while tying them to himself. These pseudo-contracts, when combined with his Charisma and Military Tactics Skills, give him an army that is at least theoretically capable of killing enemy Servants. In practice, however, these spirits are only as loyal to Rider as he can make them and they are unlikely to be capable of doing much more than slowing down a Servant - although they are certainly capable of slaying an unprotected Master.
Berserker
If Alaric is summoned as a Berserker this Noble Phantasm will receive a power boost due to him being much more strongly tied to the concept of ‘barbarian’. While still retaining the A-Rank, Direptione Romae will be even more effective at driving its ‘inhabitants’ wild and will require enemy Servants to actually make an effort to resist it.
Busento Scindo Sepultura, River-dividing coffin: A+ (Anti-Unit (Self)) The crystallization of the legend of Rider’s burial manifested in the form of the armour which adorns the forms of both himself and Signy, the legendless horse he can summon that he rode in life. Unactivated, Busento Scindo Sepultura has no real effects beyond being armour of a slightly off-putting design that Rider wears which provide him with moderate protection by the standards of most armour-type Noble Phantasms.
Activated, Busento Scindo Sepultura has two effects. First, it seals away his Golden Rule Skill due to the fact that his treasure was buried with him in his legend. Secondly, it gains the concept of ‘splitting the stream’ due to the fact that the river Busento/Busentus was diverted so that he could be buried beneath it in accordance to the customs of his people. It would have a third effect of boosting his Magic Resistance due to the fact that his armour conceptually becomes ‘his grave’ which included some ancient artefacts with their own Mystery, but the fact that it is conceptually ‘his grave’ also weakens his Magic Resistance due to him surrounding himself with ‘his own death’ - these two effects cancel each other out. Deactivating Busento Scindo Sepultura will get rid of the ‘splitting the stream’ concept applied to it but will not return his Golden Rule Skill to him, nor will reactivating it.
Busento Scindo Sepultura’s ‘splitting the stream’ effect causes things that could be considered streams to divert themselves away from his form if they are going to contact it. The most obvious way this would be done is a river or other stream of water moving itself around him as he walks through it, but it can also be applied to attacks that can be considered a stream - such as a beam of energy or ‘stream of weapons’. While the unactivated form of Busento Scindo Sepultura has no prana cost and the activated form has a rather low one, when it is actively being used to divert an attack away from him the Noble Phantasm’s cost increases dramatically. As such it is usually still better for Rider to try and dodge attacks, should he not wish to rapidly drain his Master of magical energy.
Berserker
When Alaric is summoned as a Berserker, Busento Scindo Sepultura remains fundamentally the same in terms of effects. The Noble Phantasm’s physical appearance will be that of a more intimidating suit of armour resembling a skeleton which also has fewer gaps in it for his enemy’s to strike at, however.
Lore
Rider is Alaric I, chief of the Visigoths from 395 and leader of the army that sacked Rome in 410, an event that symbolized the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
During the fourth century, the Roman emperors commonly employed foederati: irregular troops under Roman command, but organized by tribal structures. To spare the provincial populations from excessive taxation and to save money, emperors began to employ units recruited from Germanic tribes. The largest of these contingents was that of the Goths, who had been allowed to settle within the imperial boundaries, keeping a large degree of autonomy. Alaric served as a leader of foederati under Theodosius I in the campaign which crushed the usurper Eugenius. Theodosius died soon after, leaving the Empire to be divided between his two sons Arcadius and Honorius, the former taking the eastern and the latter the western portion of the Empire. Honorius was still a minor; as his guardian, Theodosius had appointed the magister militum Stilicho. Stilicho also claimed to be the guardian of Arcadius, causing much rivalry between the western and eastern courts. During the shifting of offices that took place at the beginning of the new reigns, Alaric hoped he would be promoted from a mere commander to the rank of general in one of the regular armies. He was, however, denied the promotion.
Among the Visigoths settled in Lower Moesia, the situation was ripe for rebellion. They had suffered disproportionately great losses during the defeat of Eugenius and, according to rumour, exposing the Visigoths in battle was a convenient way of weakening the Gothic tribes. This, combined with their lack of post-battle rewards, prompted them to proclaim Alaric king. Charging that his tribe had not been given subsidies promised by the Romans, Alaric marched westward toward Constantinople until he was diverted by Roman forces. He then moved southward into Greece, where he sacked the port of Athens and ravaged Attica (wiping out the last remnants of the Mysteries at Eleusis), Corinth, Megara, Argos, and Sparta. The Eastern emperor Flavius Arcadius finally placated the Visigoths by appointing Alaric magister militum in Illyricum.
In 401 Alaric heard a voice from a sacred grove telling him to "Break off all delays, Alaric. This very year thou shalt force the Alpine barrier of Italy; thou shalt penetrate to the city." After spreading desolation through North Italy and striking terror into the citizens of Rome, Alaric was met by Stilicho on Easter and, trusting the sanctity of the great Christian festival, was attacked and defeated. While the invasion failed, it did cause the transferal of the imperial residence from Milan to Ravenna. Alaric went on to become friends and allies of his erstwhile opponent, the Roman commander listening to Alaric’s demand of legal rights to their land with annual payments of gold and grain. In return, Alaric was to assist Stilicho in his plan to invade the east and dethrone Arcadius. The deal would never come to pass, however. Despite honest intentions, Stilicho was delayed due to problems elsewhere in the west whose setbacks made money scarce and negotiations impossible. Alaric’s patience wore thin, and his demand for 4,000 pounds of gold as ‘mobilization costs’ went unheard. As a result, he began to slowly move his army closer to Italy. Despite the urging of Stilicho to pay the demands, the fiercely anti-barbarian Roman senate disagreed and deemed Alaric’s actions a declaration of war.
Stilicho, himself considered barbarous by certain members of the senate due to his half-Vandal heritage, was murdered under the justification of plotting with Alaric to murder Honorios and take the throne for himself. The senate then incited the Roman troops to massacre the wives and children of tribesmen who were serving in the Roman army. These tribal soldiers thereupon defected to Alaric, substantially increasing his military strength. He accordingly led them across the Julian Alps and, in September 408, stood before the walls of Rome (now with no capable general like Stilicho as a defender) and began a strict blockade. No blood was shed this time; Alaric relied on hunger as his most powerful weapon. When the ambassadors of the Senate, entreating for peace, tried to intimidate him with hints of what the despairing citizens might accomplish, he laughed and gave his celebrated answer: "The thicker the hay, the easier mowed!" After much bargaining, the famine-stricken citizens agreed to pay a ransom of 5,000 pounds of gold, 30,000 pounds of silver, 4,000 silken tunics, 3,000 hides dyed scarlet, and 3,000 pounds of pepper. Along came 40,000 freed Gothic slaves. Thus ended Alaric's first siege of Rome.
Throughout his career, Alaric's primary goal was not to undermine the Empire, but to secure for himself a regular and recognized position within the Empire's borders. His demands were certainly grand: the concession of a block of territory 200 miles long by 150 wide between the Danube and the Gulf of Venice and the title of commander-in-chief of the Imperial Army.
Immense as his terms were, the emperor would have been well advised to grant them. Honorius, however, refused to see beyond his own safety, guaranteed by the dikes and marshes of Ravenna. As all attempts to conduct a satisfactory negotiation with this emperor failed, Alaric, after instituting a second siege and blockade of Rome in 409, came to terms with the Senate. With their consent, he set up a rival emperor, the prefect of the city, a Greek named Priscus Attalus.
Attalus appointed him magister utriusque militiae but refused to allow him to send an army into Africa. Negotiations with Honorius broke down, and Alaric deposed Attalus in the summer of 410, besieging Rome for the third time. Allies within the capital opened the gates for him and for three days his troops occupied the city, which had not been captured by a foreign enemy for nearly 800 years. Although the Visigoths plundered Rome, they treated its inhabitants humanely and restricted the damage to the city. Christian churches were exempted from ravage and protection was granted to vast multitudes both of pagans and Christians who took refuge therein, vessels of gold and silver which were found in a private dwelling were spared because they "belonged to St. Peter" and, apart from some gardens near the gate and some pagan religious buildings, few buildings were burned.
Alaric afterwards marched southwards into Calabria. He desired to invade Africa, which, thanks to its grain, had become the key to holding Italy. But a storm, brought about by his curse, battered his ships into pieces and many of his soldiers drowned. Alaric died soon after in Cosenza due to malaria and his body was buried under the riverbed of the Busento in accordance with the pagan practices of the Visigothic people. The stream was temporarily turned aside from its course while the grave was dug wherein the king and some of his most precious spoils were interred. When the work was finished, the river was turned back into its usual channel and the captives by whose hands the labor had been accomplished were put to death that none might learn their secret.
Personality & Relationships
Alaric I is, above all, someone who yearns for ‘better times’ - in his mind, these ‘better times’ are highly reminiscent of what he believes Rome’s golden age to have been; an empire where the strong could sate their battle lust and achieve glory for themselves and their people, then return home to a healthy family and a full table.
Wanting glory for himself and welfare for those he considers himself responsible for, Alaric is a stern man who has no fear of using force to attain his desires. While certainly capable of levity, he usually makes a conscious effort to treat everything seriously - he believes the world to be a serious place, if he wants to make anything of himself he needs to treat it as such, or so he thinks.
Ambitious but loyal to those he cares about, Alaric is remarkably soft when relaxed and around those he considers friends. His voice is not boisterous, his form is not imposing, he gives the impression of someone who is resting in between fights. He does have his moments of eccentricity, however, such as insisting that he be called ‘Alaricus’ or demanding that he be compensated by his Master for ‘false starts’.
His wish is straightforward and simple; that he had been given ‘a real chance’ of attaining his desires in life.
Flavius Stilicho: “So, we are adversaries again, Flavius? I hope that you’re prepared to lose this time.” If summoned in a regular Grail War, Alaric will view the situation as he and his friend once again having conflicting interests; he might attempt to convince him to be an ally again, but he will ultimately not hesitate to kill him when the time comes. If summoned in Chaldea, however, where they are not required to kill each other, the two will alternate between quietly drinking together and competing in various strategy games.
Altera: “To think that you were the one who ruined my ancestors… perhaps it was fate that brang us here?” He will initially treat her warily and respectfully, viewing it as the smartest thing one can do when faced with the King of Combat as an enemy. However, should he discover her background, he will be incapable of ignoring certain similarities in their lives and will begin to fixate on the idea that they are destined combatants. A similar process will happen in Chaldea, despite them being allies there, although there his little obsession may begin to resemble a crush over time.
Caesar: “Oh my god, you’re… wait… you’re Caesar?” He’ll initially experience something of a ‘fanboy’ reaction at the idea of meeting the legendary Caesar, but upon actually meeting the Servant, he will find himself to be incredibly disappointed. From that point on, regardless of whether they are allies or enemies, he will bitterly refuse to say a word to the man.
Keywords
Christian: Alaric considers himself to be a good Christian, however his status as such is rather debateable. The branch of Christianity that he believes in was deemed heretical by the Church, even in his days, and he was more than happy to welcome non-Christians into his army and felt no real need to force conversions - although he did destroy pagan temples and graves during his sackings. He also saw no contradiction between being a Christian and continuing the practices of his ancestors or following advice dispensed to him by a sacred grove.
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sigh I might fix this up a little tomorrow, but for now it will do. Enjoy, I hope.
Last edited by Crying; April 4th, 2018 at 12:59 AM.
Originally Posted by WhatShouldNotBe
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