Monthly Create-A-Servant Contest

[BnEl15]

And just like that, she was gone. For the second time. Forever.
The cavern was cold and empty, but he could feel the winds blowing on his face, and the gentle rays of the sun just ahead.
He was so very close. Just one step away from escaping Tartarus with his beloved.
...But now, he was alone.

Aah, what... what have I done..?
No, no, no, this can't be happening! Eurydice, my love, I-!

The man looked down to his hand.
It was still warm.
He could still feel her hand gripping his as they made their way out, just moments prior.
But now, there was nothing, save for the empty air.

Lord Apollo! Gods! Anyone, PLEASE!
Give me one more chance!
I won't fail next time!
I'll do everything right!
I'll pass any trial Lord Hades has in store for me! Anything!
Just... please... one more time...

And yet, despite his desperate pleas, the gods were silent.

If I could see her just one more time, I swear...

"...I won't ever let her go."

​Lover of Reunited Melodies
-- Musician's Reprise, Towards Our Happy End --
~ ♬ ~

"Ah, apologies for the improper introduction. Those visions... even now, they continue to come and go. Not as bad as how it was in my youth, but still... An echo of a past life. One that felt so familiar, yet ended in a way so very different from my own. Ahem, allow me to start from the beginning... Salutations, Master! I am Sir Orfeo, former Lord of Winchestreshire and ever-so-faithful husband to the fair Lady Heurodis. It appears I have manifested under the Class of Lover. Fufufu... as expected! Come then, Master! Let us weave new melodies in the name of love!"


Source

Spiritron Dress: Modern Entertainer

Source

"Something more modern, huh? Is this how bards in this day and age normally dress? I've always felt a certain connection with my armor- as if something about it just calls out to me somehow- but this attire isn't so bad. Ooh, I feel like a brand new me! I can feel my artistic senses tingling! Yes, yes, I think this attire just gave me a burst of inspiration! I should write this next piece down!"

"Hmm, it appears my beloved isn't here... so be it. Don't get me wrong, Master, I am certainly disappointed. It's just that... I'm sure we'll meet again, one day. It could be tomorrow, or a thousand years from now, but I'm sure I'll see her again. After all, we already reunited once. Regardless of distance, even if the entire world conspires to drive us apart, even if I must cross another foreign realm to reach her side... I'll get her back."
...
"Now, now, don't look at me with those sad eyes, Master. There is nothing sad about this! If anything, my premature appearance here only gave me a much-needed opportunity to hone my musical skills even further! She always did love to listen to my performances, so I'd like to present her with something new the next time we meet..."

Class: Lover
Other Classes: Caster
True Name: Sir Orfeo
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Origin: Middle English literature, Greek mythology

Parameters:

STR: D
END: B
AGI: C
MGI: C
LCK: B
NP: A

Likes: His wife, music, art, romantic gossip, overcoming the impossible
Dislikes: The fae, nightmares about his "past life", letting go, silence
Talent: Playing his lyre, bettering himself, giving love advice
Natural Enemy: Oberon
Armament: Lyre
Catalyst: Remnants of an ancient Grecian lyre buried somewhere in Winchester

Class Skills

Devotion (A+)

Class Skill of the Lover Class. A skill which corresponds to the strength of the Servant's feelings towards those they love. With the skill increasing in rank the more people they loved and the more impressive their 'acts of love' towards those people were. Lover's brand of "love" is one that transcends lifetimes and otherworldly planes. He may not fully comprehend his "past life" beyond the occasional nightmares and flashes of vague memories, but one thing is clear: he loves Heurodis. Despite his initial attempts to escape his fate back then, his heart prevailed, eradicating all doubts he may have had about his feelings. It was this same single-minded love that allowed him to escape the fairy realm, succeeding where his "predecessor" failed.

"I was already aware of the fate that met my namesake when I first met my wife. For a time, I tried to distance myself from her. I feared the terrible fate that would befell her, and the tragic loneliness that would befell me should I follow my heart. And yet, despite my best efforts, I fell for her regardless. Back then, I considered myself weak for succumbing to the 'script'. For dooming both of us to that fate. But later on... I realized something; to love is to be vulnerable. To open your heart to the chance of hurt and sorrow. And that same love which I considered a weakness once? Oh, it became a source of power I never even knew I had."

Object of Desire (C)

Class Skill of the Lover Class. A skill connected to the feelings of love and obsession which this Servant inspires in someone else. It functions as a passive charm skill on the level of a mental attack. So much as being in the same place as a Lover Servant can incite feelings of affection, obsession, protectiveness and lust. Lover is no stranger to being an object of praise and admiration thanks to his musical talents. His skill with the lyre even earned him the affection of the fae folk. That said, this "affection" is strictly different from the romantic kind. If anything, there's a chance his "fans" could get dangerously attached to his playing, doing everything in their power to keep the music going.

"Perhaps it wouldn't be hard for me to receive all the love in the world upon the moment I strum my lyre, but that's not the sort of love I desire. Not then, and not now. Listen here, Master; people with talent will often find themselves loved for their talent. There is nothing surprising about that. You may love a musician for a song they produced, or an author for a book they wrote. That's all well and good, but if you ever find someone capable of looking past your 'talent' and seeing you for who you truly are... that sort of person is special. Don't ever let them go."

Personal Skills

Blessing of the Forgotten God (C+)

Vestiges of Lover's "past life". Boons received from an ancient deity who had long retired to the Reverse Side by the time Lover faced his trials. As a Servant, Lover is naturally skilled in most music-based magecraft. That said, this Skill- despite seemingly being nothing more than a small fragment of a greater whole- seems to amplify his talents even more. Each note he strums on his lyre carries a powerful mental interference effect, causing fascination, trance-like states, as well as amplifying and/or manipulating the listener's emotions to an extreme degree. Combined with Lover's own legend, this effect surpasses the boundaries of "humanity", as even otherworldly species such as fairies and phantasmal beasts would soon find themselves succumbing to this music. Aside from his magecraft, it is also possible for Lover to attack using sound waves, and conjure strings from his lyre to bind and trip up enemies. As another effect of this Skill, it is also possible for him to infuse these strings with an intense heat, though he doesn't seem to have much control over this specific ability. He simply considers this odd heat-manipulation ability as another vague remnant of his past life.

"I've always found respite in music ever since I was young. I cannot remember how or when, but the lyre had always called out to me, and the moment I first strummed its strings, the notes just... flowed so naturally from my mind, down my fingers. So imagine my surprise when I first learned of my namesake! Hahaha, no wonder that very same musical talent also became a significant source of my problems throughout my life! Still, with the benefit of hindsight, I wouldn't have it any other way. Without the lyre, I never would have met Heurodis. I wouldn't have married her, and perhaps the fairies wouldn't bring her to their world. Without her, I'd never know pain, but at the same time... I don't think I'd ever know true happiness either. And what's life without a mix of both?"

Fate-Breaker (Resolve) (EX)

A rare Skill bestowed upon those who avoided the unavoidable and triumphed over fate itself. The ability to forcibly overturn a "scripted bad end" not through supernatural ability or otherworldly blessings, but through human resolve alone.

1) Or___ will fall in love with __di_
2) __di_ will get spirited away into an otherworldly realm.
3) In search of his love, Or___ will pursue her.
4) Or___ will play his music before the lord of that foreign realm, earning their favor and allowing him to leave the realm with __di_ under one condition.
5) Or___ will fail that condition at the final moment, permanently separating the lovers and dooming them to tragedy.

Such were the core tenets of "their" legend, and whether he realized it or not, Lover spent most of his life following them. Any attempt to deviate from the "script" (distancing himself from Heurodis, sending guards to prevent her kidnapping, not pursuing her to drown in misery as a wild man, and so on) were seemingly remedied by the world itself. From birth, it was as though his life was fated to become a reenactment of that very same tragedy that befell his "predecessor". And yet, at that crucial, final moment... he defied the "script", in a way his predecessor could not.

He refused to let go.

There is nothing inherently special about that action. He received no divine blessing or superhuman ability. It was simply the resolve of one man who refused to lose the love of his life a second time. And that resolve was powerful enough to triumph over the world's "corrections". This manifests as a composite Skill with effects similar to Unyielding Will and a more limited version of Pioneer of the Stars. Should Lover find himself confronted by the inevitable- whether it be an unconquerable foe or certain death- so long as he still possesses the resolve to defy that fate, a new possibility will be open to him, even if it means temporarily rewriting the laws of the world itself. Due to the inherently subjective nature of this Skill, Lover prefers not to rely on it too much. Still, it might provide him with an unexpected trump card when all seems lost.

"I know my circumstances aren't exactly common when you think about it, but history really does have a funny way of repeating itself. Still, at the end of the day, I'd still like to think the choice remains ours to make. Whether to succumb before the path laid before you, or to fight against it with all your might... I chose the latter, but in such situations, I don't think there is always a right answer. Should you ever find yourself in a similar predicament, I want you to properly consider your options. Your principles, what you wish to protect, whether they're worth the pain... think long and hard before you embark on your chosen path. Well, Heurodis will always be the right answer for me, of course! If it means seeing her again, I'll make as many trips to the fairy realm as necessary, hahaha!"

King's Return (Performance) (A)

A Skill belonging to the legendary king returned to his kingdom with his loving wife after ten long years of self-imposed exile. Initially, there was nothing glorious nor triumphant about his return. Due to his haggard appearance and not having a single penny to his name, no one even recognized him. Many treated him as just another beggar on the street, and it took considerable effort for the couple to make their long way home. When the two finally arrived before the castle, the castle's residents refused to grant him entry. That was, until he took out his lyre. The moment the first note resounded across the castle halls, the truth became clear as day; the king had returned at last.

A Skill similar to Powerless Shell that serves to conceal Lover's presence. Furthermore, the first music-based magecraft performed with his lyre after discarding this disguise will have their effectiveness (range, damage, support effects, etc.) greatly enhanced.

"Oh yes, I retired almost immediately following that episode, after trusting the kingdom to a steward I trusted most. Irresponsible? Perhaps. But I also realized something after my journey. Between all that trouble caused by the fae, those overbearing fans of mine, my political obligations as lord, and whatever was going in the neighboring kingdom of Camelot, which I thought was likely to impact Wessex sooner or later... life is too short for you to spend it doing things you do not love! Even if I were to stay as Lord of Winchestre- and Lord of Wessex by extension-, I would not be able to execute my duties well, simply because my heart was not in it. In that case, wouldn't it be better to leave the kingdom in the hands of someone who truly possessed the passion and competence required to protect it?"
...
"What happened next? Well... my story ended rather uneventfully, I'm afraid. I retired to the countryside with my wife. We built a simple hut, and spent the rest of our days savoring that happy ending, which felt so long overdue. Haha, after returning from that realm, nothing else feels impossible for the two of us! As for what happened to Wessex... Last I heard they entrusted the crown to this up-and-coming rebel leader named Cerdic. He did quite well for himself, I think."

Noble Phantasm(s)

A Melody of Love Resounds Across the Land of Fairies
Canticum Prædictas

"Now, be silent, please. It is time for my next performance. Open your hearts and ears to the tune that pacified the otherworldly fairy realm... Canticum Prædictas."

Type: Anti-Army
Rank: D+
Range: 1-200
Max Targets: -

A testament to Lover's brilliant skills with the lyre. Despite popular belief, the fae are generally considered dangerous beings. Chaotic and unrestrained, most of them can be considered inhuman. Their whims are unpredictable, using their supernatural capabilities to help humans in one tale and hurt them in the next. This sheer unpredictability, combined with their incomprehensible moral compass, places most of them as an existence beyond the scope of what humanity can understand. And yet, the moment Lover strummed his lyre before their court... it was as though something fundamentally changed inside them.

The fae wept before his performance. Those who had previously laughed at him and considered him a source of entertainment, those who threatened to tear him limb to limb, livid that a mere human dared to enter their domain... they all wept, touched by his performance. The fae- chaotic, unpredictable creatures that do not adhere to human sensibilities- wept and gave an applause at the end of Lover's performance... much like humans do. If just for a moment, Lover effectively introduced them to the human concept of "beauty".

A passive Noble Phantasm ingrained to Lover's music. Aside from the usual magecraft he is able to perform, Lover's music is also capable of "applying human qualities to inhuman beings", while gradually eroding their "inhumanity" in the process. Unlike his "predecessor", this music lacks both mystery and sorrow to force absolute obedience upon its listeners. Even so, the emotions contained within them, expressed so skillfully through Lover's fingers, are still powerful enough to pierce any mental, metaphorical, and metaphysical barriers and touching the listeners' hearts without fail. This translates into weakening or outright sealing abilities that stem from one's "inhumanity" (divine blessings, fae blood, eldritch influences, and so on). It's worth noting that this effect will only continue to transpire so long as Lover is playing his lyre. The moment he stops- whether it be due to exhaustion, distraction, or simply being separated from his lyre- this entire "humanizing" effect would be instantly reset. While this presents a fairly obvious weak point for enemies to target in combat, following up on this weakness is much easier said than done, considering a plethora of other spells Lover is able to perform simultaneously with his music, as well as the general fascination effect brought about by his performance.

Source

Orphic Reprise: With Her Hands in Mine, I...
Lai d'Orphey

"I see we are in quite the predicament... So it's come to that. By my name, I vow to get you out of here alive, Master, no matter the cost. Now hold my hand. Noble Phantasm True Name release... Lai d'Orphey. Whatever you do... don't look back, and don't ever let go."

Type: Anti-Unit (Self) 
Rank: A
Range: 1-200
Max Targets: 2

Lover's absolute last resort. A reenactment of his return from the otherworld. He was not the first to make this journey alongside a loved one. Even so, he is the only one capable of using this journey as a Noble Phantasm. After all, a Noble Phantasm is a cornerstone of a Heroic Spirit's legend, and (generally) a manifestation of their most brilliant feat. For both him and his "predecessor", the journey was a turning point in their respective legends. However, while Orpheus failed his trial and his tale spiraled into tragedy, in complete defiance of fate, Lover succeeded in rescuing his love from the otherworld. Thus, it is only natural that he would be able to recall this past triumph of his.

If Lover's first Noble Phantasm is a recollection of him playing his lyre, this one is a recollection of what happened the moment he stopped. To activate it, Lover has to designate an "end point" reachable in standard human walking distance, before holding the hand of one person he would like to take with him to this "end point". From there, the world seemingly begins to twist, and textures are temporarily overwritten to replicate the condition of the fairy realm as its denizens attempted to stop the couple from escaping through any means necessary. Strong winds would blow, assailing Lover and his partner. Plants and animals in their surroundings would gain minds of their own, using roots, vines, and claws to impede their movement. Illusions would scatter across the land, taking the form of voices and shadows of loved ones demanding them to go back. In time, even the very air grows thick with mana, causing breathing and movement difficulties for beings born in the Age of Man.

These numerous interferences primarily target Lover and his partner... though they are both rendered completely immune to physical damage so long as this Noble Phantasm is active (though he is also equally incapable of performing any offensive action while this Noble Phantasm is active). The same cannot be said for others caught in its range, as they would experience what is practically a full-blown natural disaster brewing all around them. Ultimately, the purpose of these interferences aren't to harm Lover and the partner. It simply tempts them to turn back. The longer they walk, and the further the distance required to reach the end point, the more severe these interferences become. The illusions grow increasingly more difficult to ignore, the winds stronger, and the air more suffocating (though they still won't be fatal).

Should the two reach their destination, these disasters would instantly cease, and all damage to nature magically undone (though injuries and death inflicted throughout this Noble Phantasm would still remain). That said, should the two fail this trial by either of them looking back at any moment while this Noble Phantasm is active, or one letting go of the other's hand, Lover's Saint Graph would be struck with a fatal curse, putting him in a near-death state and permanently sealing this Noble Phantasm.

Lover generally dislikes using this Noble Phantasm, fearing the risks and collateral damage. In order to make it through this trial unscathed, Lover and his partner (not necessarily romantic in nature) must possess both immense resolve and the utmost trust in one another. Only then will their "bond" be rewarded with safe passage through the storm.

"Keep walking, Master. Just a little further. The voices, the shadows... It's terrible, I know. Even so, they are not real. Difficult as it may them no mind. Close your eyes, if you must. Just trust me, hold on, and keep moving forward... one step at a time. Yes, just like that..."

Lore (long)

Aha, my dedicated lore section! I've prepared a ballad just for this moment! Ahem, allow me to begin with one, two...
ooooooohh~♪

-Eh? You'd rather take the usual narrative format. Aww...
Then, where to begin... most of your sources seem to paint me as a simple retelling or adaptation of that one Greek tragedy, so you might think it's best if we jump straight to the end, where my story truly diverged from his, but you would be mistaken. See, even if that assessment is not entirely false, despite all our similarities, I like to think my life is unique enough to truly call my own. So... ah, this should work fine as a prelude.

Act 1

Have you ever woken up with this heavy, sinking feeling in your chest? As though you just dreamed of a very sad dream, but you failed to recall what that dream was about?

Such occurrence was rather common in my childhood. Oftentimes, I would wake up in tears, feeling as though I just made a terrible mistake, one that could never be undone. My heart was filled with a flurry of emotions; anger, panic, sorrow, despair... and yet, I could not for the life of me recall any of those childhood dreams. And so those feelings would just rampage in my heart with no place to go, causing me no small amount of heartache. One that I could not even pinpoint the cause.

Perhaps I should tell you a bit about my parents. Pluto and Juno... ah, no, I am not talking about the Roman deities. They are devout Christians, though... they just happen to admire those ancient mythologies, to the point they named themselves, as well as their son after characters from those tales of old. Supposedly they had their fair share of adventures in their youth, to the point some people regaled them as gods, but I never inquired much further about their past exploits. In any case, I was born as a prince of Thrace... no, not that region near ancient Greece. This is an area that would later be called Wincestreshire, or Winchester, England in your time.

I learned to play the lyre before I could walk. This lyre I am holding now... it is a family heirloom, partially constructed with materials hailing from distant lands... or so my parents used to say. I do not share much of their passion for history and mythology, but I do admit that there is something... unique about the design, even if I cannot speak much on the matter. Whatever the case, music soon became my respite whenever my royal obligations and the occasional odd nightmares started to overwhelm me.

Act 2

I came to learn of my namesake through my father's books at some point during my teenage years. Out of all the legendary heroes and demigods of old, they chose to name me after a tragedy. All the while, the nightmares... they never stopped. If anything, they only seemed to grow more vivid as I grew older. The entire thing had not completely "clicked" yet for me, but I grew increasingly wary of these "prophecies" all the same. It was at around the same time that I first met Heurodis.

Ahem, allow me to ask you another question, Master. Have you ever met someone for the first time, and something deep inside of you just gave out the feeling that someday, somehow, you will fall in love with this person? You're not sure how or why, but something in the back of your mind just tells you that it will happen? Back then, I did not know if those feelings were truly mine, or if they were born of those "prophecies" that had tormented me for so long. Whatever the case, I did not welcome these feelings. Much unlike the romantic, perpetually-lovestruck bard you see before you now, I regarded them not with warmth, but fear. Even her name sounded very familiar, and if those old legends I read were to be believed... I feared for both our fates. As time went on, I grew increasingly convinced that something supernatural was at play, forcing my life to follow a certain "script" of sorts.

And so I resisted those feelings. If they called them "fate", then I fought "fate" with all I had. I ran away, distanced myself, and rejected her time and time again. Ironically, perhaps my fear came on too strong. I did not know if Heurodis felt the same during those early days, but she grew concerned for my well-being. She continued to seek me out, not out of romantic interest, but out of genuine concern. For me, who enjoyed her company deep down, but still feared the tragic fate that awaited us should I succumb to these feelings... that was practically the worst possible scenario. When all my other methods failed, I confided in her about the nightmares, the "prophecy", and my deepest fears. I fully expected her to consider me a madman. Perhaps my ramblings would finally drive her away for good. Should that happen, well... I might feel a little sad afterwards, but at least she would be spared from that tragedy. Once that sadness concluded, I was sure I could be content with that.

...As you know, that did not come to pass. She accepted me despite all my troubles. Ironically, my attempts to push her away only solidified these feelings I tried so hard to deny. Thus, in a self-fulfilling prophecy reminiscent of those classical tragedies, I fell for her, and the two of us married sometime later. I remembered feeling especially anxious as the day of my wedding approached. I was especially wary of snakes, and surveyed the venue repeatedly just to ensure there were no hidden serpent dens in the area. Luckily, there were no such thing, and my wedding went off without a hitch. Of course, I was not foolish enough to believe that the "prophecy" would just conclude itself in such an uneventful manner. Even so, just for that day... I felt as though I could disregard those foreboding omens and truly enjoy myself, not as a man desperately running away from his own fate, but simply as a groom about to marry the love of his life. Haha, even now, that was still the second-happiest day of my life. Eh? Second? Well, the first comes later...

Act 3

Nothing especially of note happened during the first few years of our marriage. Well, I was undeniably happy during those days, and my wife gradually taught me to let go of my fears. Deep down, I still felt as though the worst had yet to come, but should the day ever arrive... rather than running away, I promised that we would confront it together. I suppose that's just the power of love for you; even if your opponent is the metaphysical concept of fate itself, and a legendary hero of the past had tried and failed when he attempted such a trial, love gives you the strength to move forward despite it all.

Then one day, my fate caught up to me at last. That day, my wife had been sleeping under a cherry tree when she was visited by a certain Fairy King. Even the mere sight of him was enough to drive her mad. She was inconsolable, wailing and scratching at her own face all night long. I tried my best to help her, of course. I stationed dozens of guards to watch her every move, and tried to spend as much time with her as I could, but the moment I turned my eyes away from her, in just a second... she vanished.

I was devastated, to say the least. There was no way any human being could have gotten past the guards, and I personally ensured that the castle's security was foolproof. Thus, I arrived at the conclusion that the fae must be responsible for her disappearance, following her dream just a day prior. Then I sought to look for her myself. After entrusting the kingdom to a steward I trusted the most, I exiled myself indefinitely to search for Heurodis, with nothing but my trusty lyre in my hands.

...Well, that was the plan, originally. I started out earnestly searching for my wife, studying about the fae, and following incidents where they might have been involved, but before I knew it, weeks turned into months, and months into years. As my attempts all ended in vain, despair gradually began to consume. In my sorrow, I left civilization entirely, living as a wild man in the forest. My old fears started to resurface to the forefront of my mind, accompanied with regret and anger at myself, for leading her into that fate.

It was the tenth year of my exile, and I was at rock bottom back then. I briefly contemplated taking my own life, thinking it would help me "atone" and whatnot, but just before I did it... I saw them. A parade of fairies, marching through the forest in the dead of night. I thought I had finally gone mad from grief then, but thinking I had nothing left to lose, I ignored my better judgment and secretly tailed them from behind.

I was not sure just how long I had been following them, but at some point I felt it. An odd feeling, as though I... slipped into a different realm.

Source

Act 4

As I stood before this otherworldly realm, I felt as though I had finally woken up from a long dream. Those years I spent in the forest, drowning in anguish... I almost forgot the time I spent with my wife. The reason I embarked on that quest to begin with. I recalled our promise back then, to confront my fate together... and I finally knew what must be done.

I loudly declared my presence and demanded an audience with the Fae King. The denizens of this strange world pointed me a way to the palace, but I could feel their gazes piercing my soul wherever I went. They looked at me like a predator ready to pounce on their prey, or a child who just found a new toy. Along the way, I came across several disturbing sights, a stark contrast to the seemingly serene exterior of the land. People many thought to have died or went missing, tortured or taken by the fae as playthings. Really, despite whatever image may come to your head when you hear "the land of fairies", the place actually bore some resemblance to classical depictions of the underworld. A part of me feared that I would share the same fate as these captives, but I steeled myself as I made my way to the palace.

And there she was. Heurodis, my love. Asleep in a glass coffin displayed in the Fae King's throne. The King welcomed me, as if he had fully anticipated my arrival. Even now I cannot understand the motive behind my wife's abduction. I know it's a fool's errand to theorize about the fae's reasons for doing things, but... could it be they heard of my musical talent, and used her to lure me to their realm? Not that there is any way to know for sure now...

In any case, I demanded the Fae King to give my wife back. He smiled, no doubt planning some cruel trick to deceive me. He agreed, under the condition I offer a gift equal to her life. Unfortunately, I had nothing but my lyre. Fortunately, I am ever so confident in my skills with it. And so I played like I had never played before. I poured the full extent of my feelings into every note, to the point I stopped caring about the audience. The Fae King, his subjects eyeing my every move, whatever terrible fate that could have awaited me after my performance... none of those mattered to me anymore. I simply wanted to have my wife back, and I channeled all that feeling into my piece.

After a few minutes that felt like hours... the performance was finished, and I gave a humble bow before the fae court. Knowing the Fae, I fully expected the King to deny me my reward, or for his subjects to tear me to shreds then and there. Instead... the entire palace erupted into tears and applause. Still in tears, the king allowed me to choose any reward I desire for my performance. Blessings, wealth, sacred treasures belonging to the fae... none of those were out of my reach. So naturally, I ignored their pathetic attempts at distracting me from my main goal and chose my wife. He did say any reward I desire, after all. Admittedly, it did feel good to turn the fae's penchant for vague wording and deception on themselves.

Realizing he had driven himself into a corner... the king relented. He applauded my ingenuity, before releasing Heurodis from her sleeping spell and allowing the two of us to leave his realm... with one condition; the two of us should leave from where we came from, without ever looking back.

Act 5

...If only it was that easy.
I briefly wondered why the king issued that very specific rule. My past nightmares, the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, came to mind. I thought it was the curse of the land, which the fae king held absolute authority over. Instead... it was something else entirely. The fae weren't too happy that I stopped playing, and that I was about to leave their realm once and for all. To say they went absolutely berserk would be an understatement. This whole time, they held back their more terrifying aspects since I was considered a guest of honor to their king, but that was no longer the case now. Since looking at them directly was enough to drive my wife mad the last time around, I had no doubt that should either of us look back, right into their eyes, we would suffer the same fate... if not worse. And so I grabbed her hand and ran as fast as our legs could carry us.

What happened afterwards was... not easy. The fae did everything they could to stop us, assailing us with magecraft, disasters, illusions, and more. Anything to separate us and hopefully entrap me forever in their realm. I did not know if the following was an effect of their magecraft, but... it was also at that time that foreign memories flooded my brain. Memories of a life that was not my own, yet felt so familiar to mine. A powerful compulsion to turn my head around, the hoarse voices of old hags- possibly the furies I read about in those legends- screaming my name, the feeling of my hand grasping air, a heavy, sinking feeling in my chest as I realized what I had done...

In my youth, I read the tale of Orpheus many, many times in an attempt to avoid my fate. I knew how his life went, chapter by chapter. But it was at that moment that I truly felt as though I had walked in his shoes and lived his tragic path. And then...

Say, do you believe that every life has a certain "decisive moment" associated with them? A single, ephemeral moment in time that would define your life for years to come, if not longer? It's not easy to describe, but for me, that moment amidst the chaos, with my hand still intertwined with my love's, as the entire realm itself seemingly tore itself apart just to stop us from leaving... that was my decisive moment. I had a feeling that whatever I did next will stay with me for the rest of my life. And so, in that fleeting moment that felt like an eternity, bolstered by memories of my past life, I...

Fufu, do you even have to ask?
I held on even tighter to her hand, and we continued to move, one step at a time. All without ever looking back.

Epilogue

And so... that was it. The two of us defied the very fate laid out before us. Thus concludes the tale of Sir Orfeo; the man who refused to let go. The two of us returned to Wincestreshire, convincing everyone that we really were the missing king and queen through my musical performance. After a brief test, I entrusted that steward from back then to choose my successor, before leaving the kingdom in their hands. As for what happened to me and my wife next... hahaha, suffice to say, we had our entire lives ahead of us, free for us to spend it however we see fit.

...And so, we lived happily ever after. The end.

Creator's note (extra lore)

Hello, BnEl15 here. This is the part where I really explain where the syncretism(?) comes in, in a way I can't do in the first-person lore section. The following explanation may ruin any semblance of seriousness left in the sheet, so it might be best to save this part for last. No, seriously. You're going to see my brain emitting smoke and making unholy noises as it struggled to complete this sheet. Unless you're absolutely fine with seeing that now, turn back and save this section for last.

...
...
...Okay, you have been warned. Here goes nothing. :gudako:

So, irl, Sir Orfeo is practically the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, adapted into a British/Celtic context. In-universe, however, I wrote Orfeo as a "reincarnation" of Orpheus. This is how this "reincarnation" came to be...

So, it was said that the entirety of the underworld wept during Orpheus' performance, and that his head continued to sing mournful songs even after he was decapitated. That part was not an exaggeration. Unfortunately, that also wasn't the only thing brought upon by his sorrow. His deep regret over his failure to save Eurydice was so strong, that it birthed a curse upon the land. Call it the... Orphe-juice (I did say this section would throw all semblance of seriousness out of the window). This curse caused the entire world to be very sad for a while, sure, but more than that, since the curse contained Orpheus' regrets, it also contained the earnest desire to do things differently if he ever gets a second chance. This desire was so strong that it ensured that in the future, "another Orpheus" would arrive, and he would definitely rescue his Eurydice without fail. Unfortunately, the tale of Orpheus was soon immortalized as a tragedy, and the fact that "Orpheus fails at the end" became cemented into the very textures of the world itself, ensuring that any subsequent Orpheuses would fail at rescuing their loved one. Between the Orphe-juice that would ensure the rise of new Orpheuses in the future, and the world that would guarantee their failure no matter the cost, this created something of a recurring minor quantum time-locked event; there will be another Orpheus one day, but they will fail much like the first one.

On a related note, it was said that Orpheus' lyre was carried to heaven by the muses, forming the Lyra constellation. This was wrong. The muse did create the constellation to honor him, but the actual lyre was lost when his body reached the ocean. A fragment of it somehow found its way to the shores of Britain, and was taken by some noble family of the time (before you ask how the lyre could end up there, it was some kind of mecha-lyre who received blessings from Apollo, I'm sure it's durable enough to make the journey, even if it's only a fragment of the original thing).

Fast forward to the 500's AD. The Orphe-juice had spread far and wide, eventually reaching Britain. Naturally, most of the juice converged in a place that held remnants of the actual Orpheus. In this case, Thrace/Winchester, England, where remnants of his lyre- which had been fashioned into a family heirloom- could be found. This led to the birth of Sir Orfeo.

And then there was the whole legend, which you've read above. Everything seemed to fit the established "script" until Orfeo miraculously broke through a time-locked event through sheer willpower, nullifying both the Orphe-juice curse and the world's "scripted bad end" simultaneously (wait does that make sense lorewise? Is it possible to break a freakin' quantum time-lock event through the power of love? Eh, I dunno, but let's just say it is for this particular story. Besides, this is a minor QTL event, nowhere as major as the fall of Camelot for example, where preventing it could really screw up the Human Order, so the world might be more lenient in letting Orfeo "break" it... at least, that's my justification). In any case, had Orfeo failed, the Orpheus motif (people getting separated from their romantic partners, pursuing them to some other world and almost succeeding in getting them back, only to fail at the last moment) would have been a more universal thing, possibly as common as the flood myths you can find in almost every culture. Fortunately Orfeo put a stop to that cycle before things came to that.

So there you have it! The syncretism is totally there if you squint! Definitely! Hahahahahaha I'm tired, send help pls

Description

Likes:
"My wife, naturally. I can spend an entire day regaling you with tales of her many virtues, but I'm afraid time is not on our side at the moment. Be sure to keep your schedule open tomorrow if you are interested, though. I am quite proud of the ballad I've composed to her name. Ahem, Heurodis aside... music. You can consider them a 'universal language' of sorts. Regardless of culture, value, and upbringing, a string of expertly-played melodies will find a way to touch our hearts without fail. If that incident with the fae is to be believed, you don't even have to be human to appreciate its beauty! Isn't that just wonderful?"

Dislikes:
"Here is something I learned from living most of my life under that 'prophecy'... most humans only have one life to live, so make it count. Spend it with those you hold dearest. Make the most of every day, so that when the time of parting inevitably arrives, you can say with absolute confidence that you have no regrets. Do not let fear chain you down to a boring life of following the 'script' laid out before you, and I'm not strictly talking about the supernatural kind. As much as I despise the fae, even I have to admire their outlook on 'freedom'... er, within reason, of course."

Wish:
"A chance to reunite with my wife once again sounds nice, but I don't think you should use that wish-granting artifact for my own personal whims, Master. My story had concluded long ago, and I'm certain that I'll see her again once this whole thing is over. Your story, on the other hand, is still in the middle of being written. This is not something you necessarily need a Grail for either, but... I wish you may one day find a love as wonderful as the one I have. It doesn't have to be the romantic kind, as I am aware as there are many kinds of love. Still, that feeling of loving and being loved in turn... it's a feeling like no other. One that I think every human should experience at least once in their lives."

A loud, free-spirited young man obsessed with love. Lover wears his heart on his sleeves and marches to the beat of his own drum, never missing any chance to seek romantic gossip as "inspiration" for his next piece and offering (unwarranted, borderline cliched) love advice such as "the power of love can overcome anything if you believe hard enough!" to anyone interested in hearing him out. Advice that might sound vague, unrealistic, or just all-around extreme to his audience. It's not that he is naive in the ways of love. Rather, it just so happened that his actions back in the day- single-mindedly reckless and nonsensical as they may be- were continuously rewarded, which shaped his rather simple-minded yet extreme outlook on romance. Upon being summoned in the modern day, he seems somewhat disappointed at the fact that the lessons he learned at the very end of his journey, after risking everything to save his wife, had become such a commonplace message repeated ad-nauseam in popular culture. He would never wish for anyone else to face the trials he did, but a part of him believes that these constant repetition makes these lessons feel less "special" somehow.

Laid-back and carefree, Lover picks up new interests as easily as he drops them. Save for his constant interest in music, he's quick to abandon recent hobbies the moment he grows bored of them. While this may give him the impression of a chaotic, irresponsible person, none of these actions come from a place of malice or arrogance. Rather, after breaking free from the ruinous fate that awaited him and earning his happy ending, he genuinely believes in making the most of every day, whether by spending them with loved ones or doing things that bring you happiness. The notion that someone would willingly spend years slaving away at a job they do not even enjoy when they could be doing something more worthwhile puzzles him to no end.

Despite how different his tale turned out, there is no denying that Lover displays some similar characteristics to his "predecessor" beyond their shared love for music. Occasionally, he may reveal a more melancholic side to himself underneath his usual loud, outspoken persona. While his views on love might be somewhat problematic under certain contexts, he is also perfectly capable of giving sound advice. One that mostly highlights the importance of protecting your loved ones no matter what, as he knows full well just how painful partings and separation can be. All in all, he is most definitely sharper and more emotionally-aware than how he normally presents himself. On another note, once the music stops and no one is looking, he might also find himself missing his wife in silence. Even so, different from Orpheus, he does not let this sorrow consume him. He acknowledges these feelings, yet he continues to look forward to tomorrow, certain that one day, they will be reunited once again.

Relationships

Tristan:
"Your Failnaught... I have to admire its craftsmanship. Combining the bow and the harp, offense and aesthetics like that... ah, but I'm more interested in your musical skills! Care to give me a demonstration?"

Oberon-Vortigern:
"...No, you're not him. I mean, Vortigern, really? A doomsday device tasked with destroying Britain? No fairy I know had such a powerful sense of purpose. Still, I'm absolutely certain that I met a fae king back then, so I don't think your existence is purely fictional either. How curious..."

Loki=Rod:
"Family, hmm? It's truly wonderful how the simplest things in life can grant you so much joy, more than any crown or jewelry could ever give. After realizing just how easily they could all be taken from me, I grew to appreciate them even more."

Lleu Llaw Gyfess:
"Ah, I certainly know a thing or two about following another's footsteps..."
*Despite this initial similarity, Lover is somewhat hesitant to approach the king after learning just how differently their respective legends ended*

Agape & Chione:
"Naturally, love is almost inseparable from sex. What? Do you consider a bard like me too much of a prude to speak of such 'crass' affairs? Nay! If anything, we bards have simply mastered the art of addressing such matters out in the open through the use of flowery language!"

Ciabhán:
"A man who loved the fae queen... fufu, to think such a thing was possible... Oh, don't get me wrong, I have nothing against your relationship. If anything, I'm happy that your feelings managed to reach her. As for you, however... something tells me no amount of soulful ballad or romantic advice from me could get you out of that slump you're in. That is something only you can overcome, so I wish you the best of luck."

St. Richardis, Charles the Fat:
"There is nothing to be concerned about here, Master. It may not be an easy path to follow, but... so long as the Saint over there continues to reach out her hand, and the so-called 'mad king' could still muster up enough resolve to accept her... I believe things will turn out all right for them."

Hans Axel von Fersen, Robert Dudley:
"​Come now, you truly believe you failed? That you couldn't protect the person most precious to you? Then you try again. You protect her again. You do so until the day you die. ...Ahem, maybe that's not entirely accurate to our current circumstances. You do so until this second life comes to its end. And you do the same on your third, and fourth, should the opportunity arrive. That is the burden you decide to carry the moment you fall in love. Wonderful, is it not?"

Pedro I of Portugal, Carl Tanzler:
"I see, so you are... no, it is not my place to judge. I am self-aware enough to admit that my definition of love is not without its problems. Let us leave it at that."

Savitri & Satyavan:
"Oh my, so you had an audience with the king of the underworld, and successfully brought your spouse back? I am... having another deja vu moment here. Still, to think you could have him by your side now... N-No, I am not the slightest bit envious, I swear it! I bring you nothing but well wishes for the future! For now... I will continue to pray for a Christmas or Summer miracle where Heurodis can finally make her appearance! Just you wait!"

Cerdic:
"My successor who created a united Wessex, whose descendants managed to unite most of the British Isles even in the far future... well, I seem to have left the kingdom in good hands following my retirement. It's good to see my favorite steward appointing the right person for the job. Truly, you have my thanks for all you've done."

Orpheus:
"So it's you... I read about you countless times throughout my youth, and those nightmares tormented me to no end for many years. Seeing you now... ahem, it may be of little comfort to hear this from me, but for what it's worth... things will be okay. Perhaps not today or tomorrow, but one day... I'm sure you'll see her again."

Bond CE

Epilogue and Prologue
~ ♬ ~


Source

...And just like that, everything stopped.
The winds, the lightning and thunder, the ground shaking beneath them, the screams of a thousand raging fae...
Everything was silent.

The man continued to hold his beloved's hand tightly, fearing it was all another trick to deceive him.
He closed his eyes, and slowly, he turned to face his wife, fearing what he might see the moment he opens them.

...She was still there.
He immediately embraced her. Ten years. Ten long years, and his efforts were rewarded at last.
He refused to let go, a part of them still fearing that she would disappear the moment he does so.
And yet... she was still there.

---

The man took one last look at the forest.
The forest was quiet, serene.
There was not a single fae, no gate that led to that other realm, and no trace of that terrible calamities that had befallen the two of them just moments prior.

Still, he could have sworn he saw another man there. A pale-skinned man with unkempt hair, holding a lyre similar to his own.
He smiled, and he could have sworn the man returned his smile, if just for a second.
The moment he blinked, the man was gone, leaving him to wonder if the figure was ever there to begin with.

---

"So... what's next?"
"First things first, we make our way back to Wincestreshire. We've been away for far too long."
"And then?"

The man laughed. He laughed, like he had never laughed before. Like a huge weight had finally been lifted from his shoulders.
"My love, we have an entire life to find out!"

Something tells him he was finally going to get a good night's sleep after so long, free from those nightmares.

Thus concluded the tale of Sir Orfeo.
And yet, in a way... perhaps it could be said that his life had only just truly begun.

Creator's notes

Can't believe Orpheus was so sad they made Orpheus 2 :isntitsad:

- Another supposedly simple sheet that somehow became much more complicated than I initially expected... or maybe I overcomplicated this sheet myself. Not my best work, but here he is. I think he's a decent enough sheet on his own, but I dunno just how well he fits into the prompt. Pine said he counts (even if he may not fit syncretism in the strictest sense of the word), but I'm still feeling iffy about this one.

- For a while, I was a little torn on whether to post him to the contest thread or to the standard thread. I know Pine said he counts, but I'm still feeling pretty meh over the quality of this sheet. Feels like I really could've done better, though I'm not sure how specifically. Still, in the end, I decided to post him here anyways. Go on, then. Rip me to shreds.

- There's a lot of blanks I had to fill in his legend, cuz' most of it just feels so bare-bones, to the point this guy feels like 30-40% OC. Unfortunately, this also caused a very long lore section as you can see above. Imo it still adds to his character, but it's perfectly understandable if some might see it as just bloating the sheet.

- The "hoarse voices of old hags" mentioned in the lore section, act 5? Yeah, those aren't the furies. It's an easter egg about a legend involving this other guy who went to the underworld to get his wife back, looked back, and got chased by his zombified wife and a bunch of old ladies from hell. Unfortunately, I'm not brave or crazy enough to fully commit to integrating that guy to this sheet, so that easter egg is the only thing you'll get. I can neither confirm or deny anything else about his involvement. :umu:

- Okay, hypothetically speaking, if I had been crazy enough to do that, this is how the timeline would've looked like:
Mysterious Japanese god "I" (Japanese AoG) --- (centuries of mythology spreading, mystery weakening, and divine authorities diluting) ---> Orpheus (Greek AoG) --- (a few more centuries of the same thing) ---> Sir Orfeo (500's AD). Now how did "I" end up in ancient Greece? Was there a similar curse going around? That's a giant can of worms I'm not ready to touch with a 20-foot pole.

- Any references, explicit or otherwise, to Pine's Orpheus is merely a homage, and is definitely, totally, absolutely not an attempt to get extra points from him. Nothing of the sort, I tell you. :umu:All in all, this prompt is the death of me, and I think I'm going on a Katabasis experience of my own after this. Fare thee well.

[TheOnePaladin]

Sir Orfeo: I really like this one! I don't know enough about the underlying lore on both sides to be able to cross examine what makes sense historically and what doesn't, but I love the "breaking free from his script" narrative going on throughout his story. Its nice to see a version of Orpheus that gets a happy ending, thats for sure.

[Drangle]

Lover of Genesis

Faceclaim

“Ah, for fuck’s sake. This again?”
“Hey. I don’t love this either, but can we try to be civil?”
“Pfft. Be civil, he says. Fine, fine, whatever.”
“Ugh… ahem, so. Servant, Lover. You must be our Master. You should know up front that… well, there’s been a mistake.”

Class: Lover
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Place of Origin: Abrahamic Bible / Norse Mythology

“Yeah, the first mistake is this class container. Is Lover even a real class?!”
“Well, if it were only me, I could see Lancer, or perhaps Assassin. But what were YOU hoping for?”
“I don’t fuckin’ know, Caster? They let anybody into that class these days. Look, my point is, there’s no love between us! It’s a total mismatch!”

Parameters
STR: D
END: EX
AGI: D
MGI: C
LCK: EX

“Ugh. Look, the class isn’t Lovers. It's singular. We’re both best known for an intimate connection with someone. Hence the class.”
“Speak for yourself. I am known for a tenuous relationship of circumstance, at best.”
“Oh, for—Can we move past the class? Or do you want another hour to cry about how hard your life is?”
“DON’T you start with this! This is CLASSIC you!”

Likes: His wife, nature, the human spirit, breaking taboos
Dislikes: Her husband, censorship, arrogant deities, social situations
Natural Enemy: Adam
Attribute: Star
Armament: Rudimentary spears and axes, none

“Listen, I have sympathy for your situation, I do. You know I do. But…”
“Uh huh, mmhm. Watch close, Master, he’s about to turn suffering into a competition, so he can win it.”
“I’m not—YOU’RE the one who’s always playing the victim card. I’m just saying, in advance…”
“Lalalalala, no one asked, no one ASKED!”
“…That getting the silver spoon yanked out of your mouth kind of not really comparable to, I don't know, surviving two apocalypses?”
“Ohhh, it’s TWO apocalypses now?! Well, La-Dee-Dah!”

Class Skills

Object of Desire E
A skill denoting one’s natural ability to inspire love in others. This is at an extremely low rank due almost entirely to circumstance; each had ever only been loved by one person.

Devotion A-
A skill denoting one’s capacity to love deeply. This is naturally at a very high rank; each had only ever loved one person. Receives a minor demerit, as one of them now feels… differently.

Magic Resistance B
While not a normal feature of the class, both halves of Lover are from the tail end of the Age of Gods, granting them a natural resilience to newer-age spells.

“We were just normal folk of the field, never had nothin’ handed to us…”
“Sweet Christ, we’ve been here for not even five minutes and you’re already wheeling out the folksy survivalist story.”
“It wasn’t easy, sure, but carving your place into fame never is. Well, ALMOST never, I suppose.”
“Oh please. Famous? Don’t you think you’re overselling yourself? The whole reason we’re like this is because you’re such a nothing figure you can’t stand on your own!”
“Hmm. And what’s it say about you, given that you’re here?”
“I’LL HAVE YOU KNOW—"

Personal Skills

NOTE: All Personal Skills are derived from Lover's female half. In compensation, she is worthless in direct combat compared to the male half.

Forbidden Knowledge B
A skill concerning the distinction between good and evil, the essence of free will. As the first human to possess this gift, Lover can tell any other sentient thing’s moral alignment at a glance. This skill can also cause her to recall esoteric information about the nature of the universe, but the reliability of this functionality is spotty.

Natural Body (Protoplasm) A
Hand-crafted by the Lord himself, it is difficult to argue that Lover is anything but the perfect woman, upon which all future women were based. By this authority, her physiology is highly resistant to alteration, and in fact, other nearby Servants suffer a minor rank down in their own such resistance. She elects to partially share this one with her other half, though likely out of necessity for working together.

Be Fruitful and Multiply EX
A double-edge sword of a skill, both a blessing and a damnation from God. This grants Lover dominion over the birds of the sky, the fish of the sea, and all the plants and animals of the land. In practical terms, she is preternatural at animal handling, and foliage flourishes in her presence. However, it also makes her in turn subservient to “her husband”, which in this case means her male counterpart. He is generally too reserved a person to exert this authority over her, but the very fact that he holds it is a constant source of frustration for her.

*incomprehensible crosstalk*

Noble Phantasm

Become Mother to All Disobedience
Fall of Man
Anti-Humanity, Rank EX

"O Father, who art in heaven. With this betrayal of your confidence, I casteth myself and all my kin down from the lofty shackles of unthinking bliss. Come! With this bite, I damn you with wisdom, and carve you from the bosom of ignorance!"

A Noble Phantasm befitting the first human. Lover’s female half, by invoking this Noble Phantasm’s True Name, conjures a species of fruit exclusive to the domain of heaven. It is unlike anything on Earth, and defies physical description, but Lover has likened it to “a crossbreed between an apple, a tamarind, a fig, and a collapsing star”. Lover is able to “tempt” others to partake of this fruit, though really, if she throws it very hard and it hits someone, it "counts", so she usually goes for that.

Once one has “partaken”, they will have their mind flooded by divine, universal, and objective truth. Not just of what is good and what is evil, but answers to questions humans can scarcely imagine. The target will reflexively look back on their past actions and present circumstances through this lens of true knowledge, rather than the comparatively trivial morals and ethics of their upbringing. This has an extreme psychological effect on absolutely anyone, though the potency varies greatly from person to person, anywhere from immobilizing guilt, manic gibbering, or suicidal shame. This is only truly effective on targets who are, at least in some part, mortal men; higher beings and lower beasts shrug it off more easily.

Most brains are unable to retain this kind of information for more than a few seconds, so the psychic effects are rarely permanent.


Shelter Against the Absolute End
Hoddmímis Holt
Anti-Doomsday, Rank A+

"All the ends must begin anew. By the good grace of Yggdrasil, let us be spared even from the bitter bite of Fimbulvetr."

A Noble Phantasm befitting the last human. This manifests as thick, white, gently glowing tree roots which emerge from the ground and surround Lover. While enclosed in these roots, Lover is impervious to virtually all forms of harm. Extreme cold, extreme heat, blunt force, radiation, even causality manipulation. However, it takes a large amount of energy to conjure, and Lover is functionally imprisoned in place until the Noble Phantasm is dismissed.

“*sniffle* I’m sorry, I know none this is your fault, I just… I try so hard, you know?! Nobody cares!”
“It’s alright. Nobody can understand what you went through but yourself. Best we can do is persevere.”
“You’re so right. Hey, were we doing something?”
“Introductions.”
“Oh hell, really? Still? Look, Master just keep me out of harm’s way and let Mr. Wilderness handle the fighting, and we’ll be fine.”

Lore

Thousands of years ago, a cataclysm of massive and preordained proportions occurred known as Ragnarok. All of Scandiavia’s myths, legends, gods and culture were wiped clean off the map by a three-year winter, a massive sea of fire, and ceaseless bloodshed in between. All humans in the region perished save for two: Líf and Lífthrasir. Together, they repopulated the world.

At least, so the story goes.

Due to this cataclysmic event, most of Norse culture was passed down orally. The Prose Edda was written and compiled in or around 1220, in large part by one Snorri Sturluson. It was a monumentally comprehensive historical document, and modern understanding of Norse culture would be nearly nonexistent without its publication.

However, there is no such thing as a perfect historian. Scandinavia had already been thoroughly Christianized by the 13th century. The Prose Edda was meant as more of a history textbook than a bible, to be sure, but there was no doubt invisible pressures on the authors and editors. They had to make sure that nobody who read it would get any funny ideas about who they should be worshiping. All the Norse gods being helped with this agenda, but it is speculated by modern historians that Snorri and company may have done some editorializing to make Norse lore just a bit more copasetic to Christianity.

Problem was, the Prose Edda was pretty much the only source modern historians have for Norse mythology. With virtually nothing to compare it against, there’s no way to be certain what was always there and what was snuck in. This is the main contributing factor to this unusual summon.

The Throne appears to have come to the conclusion that Líf and Lífthrasir were equivalent to Adam and Eve, given their shared role as progenitor of all modern humans. But while their concepts were very alike, their circumstances were practically opposites. And the end result of this contradiction… was this. Two figures of completely different origins being married to each other. Lífthrasir and Eve.

The historicity of either figure is nebulous at best, but based on behavior in this manifestation, neither has met each other in life, but seem to have a... rapport of sorts from past manifestations. Some even speculate that minor traits of Adam and Líf were cast over the pair to make them more compatible, but the evidence is lacking. Generally, Lífthrasir is a man of few words, and concerns himself mostly with keeping alive, but Eve is much more talkative, especially about the injustices she sees in the world. She is also very enthusiastic about sin and rebellion, despite appearances.

(Note: Explaining who Adam and Eve are seems needless.)

Bond Lines

Bond 1
“...”
“... *nudge*”
“...Hm?”
“Oh don't give me that. Am I expected to initiate every conversation?”
“I've nothing to say right now. You meanwhile have so much to say, constantly.”
“I'm going to pretend that was praise, for the sake of time.”

Bond 2
“...Oh, Master, you're asking about my story? Not much to tell. Lived an average humble Nordic life, wandered into the forest, survived the end of all things by the whims of fate alone, and carved out a living in the blasted wasteland."
“Yeah, but that's boring ol' common knowledge. Master's asking about details!"
“Not something I have. You know what I mean, yes? It must be because of our summoning. Everything's... blurred, like a snowstorm in my mind. Like I'm barely real.”
“...”

Bond 3
“...'Which Eve am I?'! What do you mean? Like, from the Garden of Eden, you dumb bastard!”
“I reckon our Master is more asking which bible was closest. For example, in the Christian narrative, you were cast out by the Lord, but in other Abrahamic traditions, you and your mate were forgiven, and left on your own accord.”
“Hm. Aren't we well-read. Well, I feel, almost, like... they're all right? The Christian take feels like it's the most prominent, probably because it's 'more famous' or some shit. But the Gnostic one feels closest to my heart.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, the big man upstairs is the bad guy, the original humans are victims, and the desire for sentience in place of ignorance isn't treated as something to feel shame or guilt about.”

Bond 4
“...What was she like? I've bitched about dogshit partner enough to fill a book, but you haven't spoken of Líf hardly at all.”
“Heh. Well, she was a lot like you, if you can believe it. Spirited, opinionated, wouldn't let anyone put her in a box. Not so quick to swear, though.”
“Pfft. Pussy.”
“She was always... I'm not a people person, you've noticed. And I don't even have your excuse because I actually grew up around people. Socializing always struck me as... extraneous. Líf was plenty sociable, but she was also empathetic. I wouldn't even need to talk to er, with how easily she could pick up on my feelings. But I did. By Odin, could that woman get me talking. And good thing, too, because I don't think we could have survived the aftermath by just foraging in silence.”
“...”
"Everyone in the village would always make jokes about our names, you know. The obvious ones. My name means 'lover of Líf', I'm sure you know. But Líf also means life. Lífthrasir was already a sort of slang word for someone with... a passion for being alive. It was a popular name. And of course, no kid growing up with it ever thinks they're gonna be THE Lífthrasir, from the prophecies. Even when I met her, and we wed, I still thought it was all... just a funny coincidence.”
"Do you think the names fit?”
"Oh her, for certain. Me... Hel, I don't know. Maybe at one point, I had that spark, that verve, but after everything? There were plenty of good memories after Ragnarok, and I had the best companion through it all I could ask for, but... I've rummaged through few dozen too many burnt ruins of human dwellings to say it hasn't changed me. Sometimes I wonder if... what? What's that look?”
"Heh. Just surprised to see the snowstorm clear up so suddenly. Don't think I've ever heard you talk so much.”
"Hmph. Don't get used to it.”

Bond 5
“Wish for the Grail? Hmm. Would it be greedy to say... I'd want to go hunting with her, even just once more, in the world we helped rebuild?”
“...Yeah. Yeah, it would be greedy. But you wanna know what I think?”
“I'm sure you'll tell me.”
“I think being greedy, or lazy, or prideful, or vulgar, none of those are good reasons not to do something. Sure, if it hurts someone else or some shit, that's a reason, but don't consider anything off-limits just because of some simple adjectives.”
“...Huh. There may actually be a kernel of wisdom in that.”
“That's why I'm going to bring my husband back to life so I can kill him myself.”
“Never mind, you're a lost cause.”

Relationships

Quetzalcoatl: “Hey, I know you. You’re the bitch that got me to eat that—oh, my mistake. Thought you were someone else.”

Serru: “…Is it you, then? You seem even more like him, but… I feel like something is missing…”

Avicebron: "Tch, trust me, pal, you're wasting you're time trying replicate that dipshit."

Loki=Rod: "... ... ... Hmph."

Santa Claus: "*gasp*! Odin, in the flesh!? Gosh, I completely forgot about the Wild Hunt this year! Eve, we need to set out the boots, now. I've been such a mighty warrior all year!"

Matarisvan: "See? It's always the same. Gods want nothing more than to keep humans stupid, cold, and helpless..."

Lt. Mars Thingsus: "Is that...? No, couldn't be. But time does change us all, I suppose..."

Agape & Chione: "I don't know what the fuck is going on with these two... but I think I love it!"

The Horned God: "Okay, I'm almost positive this is the guy from the garden!"
"He has hooves. Not very serpentine."
"...God fucking DAMMIT, this is gonna drive me crazy!"

Creator's Notes

Holy crap, a Drangle sheet where the Servant is more than one person?! Astonishing.

This one's... weird, I grant you. But the moment I read the prompt, they popped into my head, almost exactly as they were now. I hope you all take to it well, and also, that it, like, counts? I feel like it counts, but that's been a hot topic lately.

[Wyvern]

Two Lover servants, one after the other?

Man, don't I feel embarassed to see my original Class being used by so many different creators with their own takes. From Sir Orfeo living through his namesake's legend and trying to avert it. To the mismatched couple who are being forced to work together.

It's really fun, and takes that I never expected to see from this class.

Even if I don't win, I'll have the knowledge that I created something that's never leaving the server and the creator's memories.

Cheers!

[Morg van Destro]

It's really fun, and takes that I never expected to see from this class.

Even if I don't win, I'll have the knowledge that I created something that's never leaving the server and the creator's memories.

Cheers!

I had no doubt from day one, man. You made something that filled a niche, and it was recognized, which is something anyone should be proud of.

[Kamera]

Is there any other story you would like to tell me, Master?
It doesn’t matter how banal or commonplace it is.
Countless tales may be about the same thing. But they are never the same story.
Even if it has already been told One Thousand and One times,
Depending on the person telling it, and the person listening to it,
Depending on the place where it is narrated or time it was chronicled,
—It is already a different story.

That which is fiction is from that which is reality,
And that which is reality is from that which is fiction,
To narrate the All the World's Tale.
As all things were from One.

…

The Caliph sat in his palace, wondering if there was anything left in the world that could possibly give him a few hours’ amusement. Though he has access to All the World’s Wisdom, and enthroned as the leader of the One True Faith, none of these seems to grant him the contentment he desires.

At the suggestion of his vizier, Ja’far the Barmakid, he decided to go out and wander around the opulent streets of Baghdad, disguising himself as a common merchant.

…

Baghdad was the capital of the world. All manners of characters and beings converge here, at this Round City, like moths to a flame. Traders, sailors, scholars, mages, warriors, thieves, priests, each bringing their own stories to tell. Each night the Caliph stumbled upon myriad fascinating personalities and characters, and was involved in many strange adventures and incidents.

The next day, the Caliph summoned those he encountered last night to his court—to narrate to him their tales.

…

Thus, the cycle continues for countless nights. New tales were brought by all manners of storytellers from all corners of the world, bringing with them their faith, their wisdom, and their dreams, all converging at the Caliph’s court.

The legendary wanderings of the Caliph becomes a myriad whimsical phantasms, a sea of flickering mirage that would outlast even the stored wisdom of Baghdad.

…

Alas, that festive illusion must eventually reach its end, as the illuminated Caliph finally woke up from his long night dreams inside the House of Wisdom. The purveyor of dreams, including his mentor and close friend, the Barmecides, were put to death on his order.

The Caliphate has long since crumbled, the city of Baghdad past its former glory, and the knowledge stored in the House of Wisdom had turned into ashes—All that remains were the One Thousand and One Nights weaved from All the World’s Tales.

…

Class: Saber
True Name: Harun al-Rashid
Gender: Male
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Origin: Historical Facts and Rumors, Arabian Nights
Attribute: Man

The fifth and most famous Caliph of the Abbasid dynasty, who ruled the Caliphate at the zenith of its power during the late 8th century. The figure of Harun al-Rashid is almost synonymous with the Islamic Golden Age, a period which saw unprecedented growth in the economic, political, scientific, cultural and religious sphere of the Middle East.

The opulence and prosperity of this era is immortalized in the One Thousand and One Night, where the character of Caliph Harun al-Rashid featured in a lot of the stories, overseeing his domain from the court in Baghdad. Perhaps it can be said that the idealized character of Harun al-Rashid told in these stories far outshines the historical figure of the Caliph.

Parameters:
STR: A
END: B
AGI: B
MGI: C
LCK: C
NP: EX

Class Skills:
Magic Resistance: A
In addition to his status as the head of a major religion, Saber has numerous legends and tales of encountering magical entities and has been taught measures against magecraft under the tutelage of his Vizier and court mage, Yahya the Barmakid. It is no exaggeration to say that Saber is virtually invincible against all modern magecraft.

Riding: A
Can sufficiently handle all manners of mounts and vehicles, including Phantasmal Species and Divine Beasts, except for Dragons.

As a young prince, Saber led a cavalry raid that penetrated deep into the Byzantine territory, up to the Bosphorus strait across Constantinople. He also possesses a Flying Carpet Mystic Code, a legendary vehicle capable of reproducing the Earth-Folding miracle of the Sufi mystics. If summoned as Rider, he could probably also summon the mechanical white elephant Abul-Abbas.

Personal Skills:
Command of the Caliph: A
The special prerogative of the Abbasid Caliphs, the Commander of the Faithful who reigns as the highest authority in both the political and religious domains of the Islamic World. It can be said to be a combination of God’s Resolution and Imperial Privilege.

Allows Saber to access a diverse array of skills through sheer royal insistence. Also includes a unique Charisma that provides an equivalent of low-ranked Protection of the Faith to allies, as well as an advantage against foes of Demonic and Divine nature.

Rightly-Guided Enlightenment: A+
The crowning insight of the Sage Caliph who oversaw a Golden Age of economic prosperity, cultural achievements and scientific discoveries in his domain. By reciting a poem of tranquility, this skill allows Saber to enter a meditative state that greatly boosts his perception and heightens his senses, allowing him to pierce all kinds of illusion and break through all mental interference.

It is a kind of Enlightenment brought about through the guidance and teachings of his Viziers, the head and heir of the Barmakid family, his tutor and childhood friend, Yahya and Ja’far. The Barmakid (Barmecide) family were formerly Buddhist monks who administered the Nava Vihara, a major Buddhist site that Xuanzang visited on his westward journey. Previously, they are said to have been Zoroastrian magi, and before that—

Wanderer Upon Dreamlike Nights: EX
A set of covert and suspicious skills befitting more for a Spy than a Caliph, testament of Saber’s famous night adventures where he would disguise himself and wander the streets of Baghdad in search of amusement and stories to hear. It includes low-ranking Presence Concealment, Espionage, Interrogation and Information Gathering. The effectiveness of this skill rises during night time, and when used in large urban areas. When using this skill, there is a chance that Saber would “stumble into the world of dreams” and transform into the “fictional version” of himself.

Barmecide Feast: C-
The ability to invite someone to a banquet of deception, which requires the designated target to knowingly partake with the illusion for long enough for the desired illusion to manifest into reality.

A legacy he inherited from the Barmakids, whose massacre he ordered, from a bloodstained chapter in Saber’s real life history, which involved the execution of his own close friend and Vizier, Ja’far. There exists many theories of why Saber suddenly disposed of the Barmakids, one of these is that because Ja’far was possessed by a powerful Djinn, a Demon God.

Noble Phantasms:
Khizanat al-Hikmah
Emerald Garden of Aggregated Wisdom
Type: Anti-Unit (Self)
Rank: A+
The House of Wisdom.
The legendary Grand Library of Baghdad which symbolizes the Islamic Golden Age. Originally being Saber’s own personal library, it has since grown into a storehouse that collects, interprets, and uncovers all forms of knowledge, be it pertaining to science, religion, or magecraft, attracting sages, scholars, teachers and students from all over the world.

The House of Wisdom was originally built as part of a contract that Saber made with the Atlas Institute. It is a Noble Phantasm that manifests in the form of a blade-shaped device that serves as both the key and the catalog for the whole library, a miniature of the TRI-HERMES of Atlas.

It allows Saber to access the library’s contents at will, akin to a Philosophy Key, or the skill Librarian of Stored Knowledge of the highest rank. Also allows Saber to summon an array of living Grimoires as familiars. This Noble Phantasm also acts as both a “secondary artificial brain” and an “artificial Magic Crest” for Saber, allowing for instantaneous thought process and rapid spell casting, as well as the capability to update the contents of the library in accordance to the era Saber is summoned in.

Upon a True Name release, Saber is able to temporarily access the secret weapon that Atlas lended to the Abbasid Caliphate as part of their contract, obtained through Saber’s close associate, the legendary alchemist Jabir ibn Hayyan, and placed at the deepest chamber of the House of Wisdom—the Emerald Tablet. An artifact which is said to hold the power equivalent to a Holy Grail, capable of elevating one who invokes it into a God of Wisdom.

Alf Layla wa-Layla
The Court of Fantasy Where A Thousand and One Tales Were Told
Type: Anti-World
Rank: EX
The One Thousand and One Nights.
A Noble Phantasm that Saber obtained based on the theory that “the character of King Shahryar is based on Harun al-Rashid”. Due to its nature, it can only be activated when Saber has successfully reconciled his “historical self” with his “fictional version”.

At its essence it is the same Noble Phantasm as possessed by the “Storyteller of One Thousand and One Nights”. It is a Noble Phantasm capable of bringing about “an encroachment of fiction into reality”. In this case, this Noble Phantasm works the exact opposite to the one possessed by the Storyteller. Instead of being the “one who is narrating the tale”, Saber is the “one the tale is narrated for”.

In other words, rather than “narrating a tale into existence”, Saber is capable of “manifesting the tale narrated to him into reality”. It is a Reality Marble that invites and often forces others into narrating a tale capable of sparking the Caliph’s curiosity and amuse him for the night. “You are an interesting person, please tell me your story.” So the Caliph commands.

[Serra]

Right, since this morning, my second entry's been done aside from Relationships and the n-th general once-over after I add Relationships, so it's time to respond to some feedback!

Apep = Apophis = Hou Yi = Chang'e = Orion = Artemis = Diana

Jesus, WHAT A MOUTHFUL. THIS DAMN SERVANT.
Me thinks you jumped the gun a little. I understood the joke and laughed at it, but that’s because I’m dumb and I laugh at anything… Someone with a bit more of restrain would be pressed to question what the hell and so on, so forth. But the idea behind this concept is absurd, and precisely because of this absurdity it will stay in our minds. Which, in a contest, is already a win by itself, so curse you for thinking about this amalgamation that speaks in funky kaomojis before me! *shakes fist *

That sounds fair, I'm pleased that at least sheer absurdity made the sheet somwhat memorable

The Skrunkly: YEAAAAAAHHHH!!!! I LOVE this little shit, the sheet's absolutely a delight to read. Great job with the skills and everything too, and with who they are? Absolutely takes the prompt-cake, so great job!

Thanks a lot! I'm really glad it worked that well for you!

And now for some light commentary on everything - don't feel like you have to take it too seriously

Spoiler:

Mononobe-no-Moriya
I love that the Chart of Doom is getting more use, and this Servant's story is awesome! You made a great move by having him come from an Hadai that didn't exist in Proper Human History and was culled by the Theoretical Pruning Phenomenon; and, in the continuation of the story, it really feels like you really took full advantage of that. The cosmic radiation leading to quasi-reincarnation, the fight over the old world slipping through the cracks of the new one... Just, really great job! As for the mechanical bits, the Noble Phantasm is my favourite, its illusionary nature is great and makes perfect sense with the character as you've presented him. The actual Skills feel a bit odder in that it's mostly canon Class Skills forced together in a Class to which they don't normally belong, but they paint a neat picture nonetheless.

Demetrius of Thessaloniki
Simple but pretty effective. Saint who protected the city, goddess who protected the city, same name, same patronage over agriculture, reincarnation rites, it's pretty straightforward even if you don't go too in depth into explaining their specifics. I like the connection between the first NP making someone ascend to the status of Demetrius's spear and the second NP being Demetrius's own ascension, and I like the fact that he denied himself more power to avoid self-destruction of his own identity but he's stuck in this halfway state due to the throne nonetheless. Wish there was more elaboration on how different the post-ascension self is, though. We know it's a stronger state in theory, but little else.

Loki=Rod
Great use of the Gatekeeper Class. The explanation of "Loki's pranks being mistaken for assistance leading to worship as a family god -> Loki actually somewhat mellowing out due to that and finding his wife who knew what was actually going on -> Ragnarok -> Rod letting his family add or take away aspects of his identity for their sake -> Rod freely letting migrants worship him as Loki's aspect as a god of the hearth under a new name" is pretty solid. The kit feels definitely more Rod than Loki, save for Silver Tongue and the Rank in Shapeshifting being a bit higher than usual, but I like seeing the influence of Loki's individuality on a god who, in your interpretation, had become so 'dispersed' that he'd almost lost himself. I agree that connecting the NP to the migration would've been really cool but oh well.

Sukunabikona
Mechanically pretty solid and original, and the lore justifications for the individual Skills and the Noble Phantasm work well: the interactions driven by his protectiveness of the hot springs also definitely make sense. In terms of syncretism and overall story, though, there's kind of a lot going on here. While I appreciate the clickable notes and we get a pretty good picture of his feelings towards abandoing Ookuninushi, perhaps the rest of the backstory and syncretism might've benefitted from a slightly different style of narration, maybe something overall more emotionally involved.

Santa Claus
Very fascinating. The idea of *all* discarded possibilities as a Stranger-Class Servant is quite interesting, and it certainly does explain his attitude in a very fresh way, but I wonder if that'd be even better if it went beyond Santa Claus. That said, the winter theming is also beautifully executed.

Matarisvan
This is a fantastic first sheet that makes great use of the prompt and makes the syncretism feel seamless. I like everything here, really!

Erzulie Freda
Pretty simple. Nothing wrong with it, but not much to like either, honestly. It doesn't really touch on how the syncretism came to form, which, granted, is less of a problem because it uses syncretism that occurred in real life, but, still, would've been nice to see. Doesn't really expand on the backstories of the individual entities that form Alter Ego, either.

Cuca, Witch of the New World
The barely-a-villain who embraces acting silly for the sake of the kids.... Pretty endearing! Her Skills represents her and her links with her previous forms well, too! The Noble Phantasms all feel more like her switching between states that don't seem necessarily more powerful than her current self, so I wonder if they could've been unified as a single Noble Phantasm that carried through that concept. Anyway, nice work!

Lieutenant Mars Thingsus
Legend! This execution of the Tyr-Columbo idea you'd been talking about is better than anything I could've imagined. The Tyr-Thingsus-Tiwaz connection is used well here, and the idea of him being a reincarnating deity not limited to being a god. I love how the Fenris-Suetus NP is intrinsicably tied to him due to their legends, but in this manifestation is just there and doesn't do anything except than being a dog with an ominous chew toy. Great doodle for it, too! And the pun in the second NP, combined with an actual link to The Columbo Dimension and with Thingsus disappearing off to another episode after the Thing, is fantastic. All the Skills are great, too. If I had to nitpick, I'd probably have given Pax Romana a different name by adding something between parenthesis since I can imagine that Roman Emperors with a Skill named Pax Romana would have it function quite differently. But yeah, very fun sheet!

Lleu Llaw Gyffes
Represents the various aspects of his legend in a smooth way with his epiteths translating into skills very well. The personalities and roles in combat of his two lances feel very distinct, too. The real-world syncretism flows well and isn't over- or underexplained. Bit more subdued than some of the other entries here, but the Bond CE really brings it all together. Very nice!

The Corn Husk Doll
The harvest shtick comes through her personality, Skills, and NPs, though she doesn't seem exactly suited for combat, or most Holy War scenarios really, lol. The second NP being derived from her own punishment (scaled down appropriately to account for her own lack of power) is a good way to break away from that, and one of the things that contribute to making her feel like more than a generic harvest spirit. The two aspects of the sheet I like the most are related to her backstory: I definitely like her taking care of the discarded Corn Dollies and how that connects to the second chance she's been given; having the syncretism relate to technological advances is an interesting move, too! I can tell that a bunch of thought has been put into this. Nice sheet!

Agape & Chione
Seemingly nonchalant attitude in martyrdom because they've already been through it before... Connection between ancient nymphs and new saints, reimagined triads, between love ceremonies and early Christian rituals... Ok, I'm following. Them having an incomplete kit due to being summoned in this incomplete state is pretty clever. Does beg the question: in the end, can they actually become something other than the Alter Ego they now are, and if so, what exactly do they become? And I think it's an interesting question to raise given the context, so, great work! By the way, pretty funny to think that if Agape & Chione who went up in flames sincerely were to show up in Chaldea, they'd be the Alter, whereas Alter Ego / Gatekeeper would still be the regular version.

The Horned God
First of all, thank you, but it actually wasn't my idea to make an artificial Horned God for that faceclaim, it was originally sutaa's (two s___a names, not the first time we get confused for each other lol); I just said I liked their idea, added a link to a different Horned God sheet to serve as possible inspiration, and commented an idea for the faceclaim completely unrelated to the Horned God stuff. Anyway, that aside, I like what you've done with this! The family aspect helps round out his personality, the E-Rank is a great way to represent the artificiality of his Divine Core, the beastly form is fitting, the many spectacular deaths are also well represented, and the purifying fire he shares with another of our entries adds a lot to his Noble Phantasm. Nice!

The Langlands Program
Yep, I can see how that'd count as syncretism, and I can see how you wanted to exploit Type-Moon concepts to explore how the future of the setting could be like. I think the result is interesting. It's a sheet that I see as very solid and that tells a lot not just about itself but about the three ages of the world at whose crux it stands - of Men, of Will, and of False Gods. Maybe this could be just me not being too familiar with certain classes, but I also didn't really get the impression that it was building up to a Voyager, and I thought the description of their alternate Classes was fitting for them, so, yeah, I don't really see an issue with him being a Binder.

Sir Orfeo
I had no idea his legend was a thing, it's great! I really like what you've done with Orfeo's characterisation and the progression of his love towards Heurodis. It feels very fitting that he has a line for Richardis and Charles given the similarities between his first Noble Phantasm and Richardis's second NP. Speaking of which, I also really appreciate his introducing human emotion and thought to something that should normally be wholly incompatible with it - I loved when Lazar did that last contest, and I love that when Orfeo does it with his first NP. Oh, and Fate Breaker (Resolve) is an awesome Skill! Sure, you couldn't come up with a better name for the Orphe-juice in time, but that really doesn't matter lol. Just, great sheet all around!

Lifthrasir and Eve
Lots of fun dialogue and an amazing concept behind the sheet. I see what you did there with the faceclaims, also I have mixed feelings about the sheer unevenness of certain parts from a mechanical point of view. When it comes to their kit Lifthrasir only contributes one Noble Phantasm and zero Skills, whereas Eve doesn't actually fight outside of her NP. At least Eve contributing more Skills than Lifthrasir matches their relative fame, but it's a bit odd that they still have the subservience baked in the last Skill even in this state. Speaking of which, I'm assuming Eve's hostility towards Adam has something to do with that, though it's not really made explicit anywhere.

Harun al-Rashid
Great sheet! Since the One Thousand and One Nights are largely linked to his own culture nonetheless, in a sense he feels less like a syncretised Servant himself and more like one that can 1- access syncretised weaponry and knowledge through his first NP (bringing Atlas into this was a fun move), 2- enable syncretism and let it manifest into reality through his second NP. Anyway, this sheet feels like a solid and original take on this figure, so, yeah, I definitely enjoyed reading it!

[Alexcoene]

Thanks for the feedback! And sorry for the mixup.

[sutaa]

Sleep is waking, waking sleep
We Ride the Broom across the Deep

The Horned God is a syncretic deity from the wider scope of Indo-European mythology, comprising a number of horned or otherwise antlered human figures. While his exact nature varies between incarnations, he is primarily a god of wild things, be it the untamed wood or the bestial urges of humanity, representing likewise the idea of boundaries, be it between life and death or beast and Man. Greatest and oldest of gods, a primordial patriarchal figure, it still was not until the 20th century that the writer Margaret Murray correctly identified that the horned gods of Europe and India were, in fact, but one Horned God. A god who had until then been supressed, forgotten, for the Horned God was the chief deity of the race of Dwarves who once inhabited Europe - who when driven into hiding by the Christians persisted as the fairies of legend, condemned as witches, and the image of a man with horns distorted to be that of the Devil. Eventually, Murray's writings were used as the basis to resurrect this forgotten lord of the wilds, incorporating him into the Neopagan faith, the Wicca practice of witches, and even the fields of psychology and occultism. There is he the Horned God reborn, worshiped as he always was.

“I still remember the old names. Janus, Pan, Zagreus-Dionysus. Old Scratch, Wodan, Cernunnos, the man in Green. … Heh.

I sense them within me in much the same way one of your ilk senses a connection with the mighty ape when visiting a zoo. Anything I feel there is naught but affectation, an echo, a malformed hand desperately clawing back at a history it’s no claim to. The wild things are not as wild as they once were, so why should a god of the wilds still walk these lands? The men who made me knew nothing of adversity as their ancestors did, coddled by the same comforts that let them cobble together a god of things they knew nothing about. And while there are those who still live at the mercy of the wild – it is not they who call my name.”

...
...
...

In actuality, however, no evidence of this Horned God can be found. Not one scrap of proof that a singular Horned God was ever worshiped by witches, that any one connecting figure ties together the recurring motif of a horned deity across different faiths. Murray's suggestions of a Witch-Cult and their Horned God, then, were naturally ignored by most of her fellow scholars - and having gone unchallenged, were allowed to flourish. By a thirst for the olden days, by an obsession with the imagined pagan past, by faith alone, a god who never existed came back to life in the 20th century. And even if his worship was never serious, is already on the decline a hundred years later, sits entirely without basis, still here he stands. A god, born to answer the summons of Man.

“Mind if I drop this already? We already covered the part where I’m a Fake-ass bitch, and pretending like I’m one of the big guys is killing me. I’m practically a newborn on the godly side of things, y’know? Actually… Nah, I guess I’m a teenager now. And you know what? I think I feel my rebellious phase coming on.

A bunch of stuffy old privileged fucks got tired of their mainstream sky-boomer Daddy and tried making their own god, only without the blackjack and hookers - the end! No moral. But hey, you guys want wild? Fine, I’ll give you wild. "

Here’s a quick one for you
Imagine something’s outlived its purpose
But it sticks around
Even though it should have faded
It lives on as a mockery of itself
Corrupting everything it encounters
We have a word for that
You call that
Cancer

m o o n c a n c e r
HORNED GOD
what mankind merely remembers



ALTERNATE CLASSES
Faker, Pretender, Ruler
ALIGNMENT
Chaotic Neutral
IMAGE VA
Lounsbery Arthur
IMAGE SONG
Into Free ~ Dangan / Ulolo
NATURAL ENEMY
Tamamo Vitch

Parameters
STR B
END C
AGI C
MAG A
LUK D


« Class Skill »Class Skill
The Great God Pan is Dead
Light & Shadow B
A power that has seized control over the Moon Cell, freed from its prison in the Far Side by sheer happenstance. Mooncancer has no business appointing himself Administrator, and yet, by sheer instinct, his 「duty 」compels him to attempt to interface with the supercomputer.

Although actual control of the Moon Cell’s higher functions is naturally impossible by dint of their incompatibility, brute-force solutions allow Mooncancer to achieve a number of effects.

“Harder than it looks, let me tell you. But back when people first started putting me together, I used to be the head honcho of the whole Witch-Cult thing. Shocker I know. And the goddess with three faces, the Moon, was my wife! But… Hehe, I’m guessing you already figured some bullshit Authority like that ain’t enough to put me in charge of this place. Let’s keep going!”

The Horned God is a Frankenstein of syncretic divinity borne of academic negligence and New Age bullish misinterpretation. Lacking in history, lacking in basis, from beginning to end his existence is wholly unverifiable – wholly suited for seizing control of the Moon Cell.

The wild deer does not think as to why it flees the hungry wolf.
The simple youth does not think as to why he fears the woods at night.
The existence of a rational explanation does not preclude the supremacy of the irrational explanation.

“Thing is, your race never stopped respecting the power of the wild. Or like, you haven’t got around to that part yet. Sure, you grew up! You’re way older than me, even! But man, when you figured out you lived in a rational universe full of rules, that didn’t change a damn thing, huh? You know why the dark is scary, why you don’t want to walk in the woods alone, why you fear the unknown, but you can’t escape the 「why」of it. Deer don’t fear wolves, and humans don’t fear the dark, it’s the 「why」that they fear, and I happen to be the New God of 「why.」”

That is 「qualia.」 Not even a quantum supercomputer can truly record the things written in Man’s bones. Mooncancer’s Authority consists of those things that cannot be written down or remembered, only felt.

“Well… Uh, scratch that, it’s the Authority of a bunch of other cool dudes we’ll be namedropping later; you guys just stuck their names on my ass like pinning a tail on a donkey and told me to strut my stuff, but that just makes it even better! Even after defining the world as rational, people still came up with me. You following me yet?

The Moon’s a big ol’ logical ball, and you got it to record a bunch of illogical cancer called the Horned God. And hey, I’m not just wildly irrational, I’m the wildly irrational God of wild irrationality! This place can’t comprehend or categorise me, so it can’t contain me either. Throw in the tiniest, tiniest bit of Authority over the Moon so I can handle it trying to delete my file a gazillion times a second, and bingo! I’m in charge now.”

« Personal Skills »Personal Skills
Anti-Human Order ★
An Anti-Man attribute of impossible purity, the ability that puts a stop to everything created by humanity, along with those laws that work in humanity’s favour. A Skill inherent to beings of the Beast classification, marking them as the eternal enemies of Man destined to be defeated – a category of which the Horned God falls terribly short. To be a Beast is not only to oppose Man, but to love them – even more be 「of 」them, and that more than anything Mooncancer can never be.

The Horned God is Cernunnos, he is the shadow seen between trees.
The Horned God is Dionysus, he is the fire felt thick in the veins.
The Horned God is the Green Man, he is the harsh pounding of the heart fleeing an unseen beast.
The Horned God is Pan, he is the chill down the spine hearing a branch crushed underfoot.
The Horned God is Lord of the Wildwood, he is the frantic wracking of the heart pondering its last beat.
The Horned God is Janus, he is the mystery and the majesty of what waits in the hereafter.
He is what Man fears.
He is what Man defines himself by.
He is the Woods, the Wild, everything Man is not.

Nature as a force against Man is but an imposition, but it is one Man clings to all the same. And utterly irrelevant as a god of the Wilds may be in this modern world, Mooncancer acts in accordance with the nature Man appoints him. He does not love Man, but nor does he hate them. Absent of malice or will, an uncaring force brimming with the unknown. A 「presence 」that exposes and invades the flaws in the human spirit, reopening a mind closed to the powers of the Wild. That fierce, unmastered, terrifying power of which Man has yet to truly overcome its fear.

Without any ill will, for the concept is as foreign to him as he is to modern Man, he slowly breaks down the civilised mind of humans, bidding they slowly but surely regress to a more childlike, primitive state of mind. He opposes humanity as easily as he breathes, challenging their condition by his existence alone.

“You’re a real piece of work, Master. In the general sense, I mean, like your whole species. Even the word, Master, because you guys just loooooove imagining you were born to tame the untameable. You rally against what you didn’t create and call it 「civilisation, 」but in your hearts you long for what you left behind. The forest at night was so, so scary, but it was full of Mystery, too.

Honestly? Kinda lame. Scratch that, super lame. You get that the Woods were just a mirror, right? Your race only saw what you needed to see. And once you’d run your spirits raw, you panicked, and scrambled to build something in its image, my image. The worst part? There was never any need. Evil haunts today’s neon streets as it did yesteryear’s moonlit trees, but it was never the trees that were evil.”

Authority of the Sorcerer A
A High Servant that has lost definition, or rather, lacked true definition to begin with; a patchwork leftover from another age ushered piecemeal back into the Age of Man, akin to a cancerous growth, and like any cancer is his a purpose to propagate and pervert, his the will to infect and become.

The Sorcerer is a cave painting discovered in modern-day French territory, dated to around 13000 BC. Depicting a horned humanoid with animal traits, this rare find was for years initially taken as a portrayal of a shamanistic figure, the hunter-as-mage found within the writings of Breiul. Hence the name Sorcerer. When Margaret Murray stumbled upon the painting, however, she formulated her own thesis – that this was a depiction of 「God.」Not only that, the undisputed oldest depiction of God in all human history, an ancient divinity predating even the primordial Mother Goddess of Catal Hyouik by several thousand years. A god of man-as-animal, master of the wild things, of the untamed over which mankind held no dominion. The first appearance of a Horned God who would be worshipped in secret millennia later all across Europe.

“In case you were wondering, no, there’s not a lick of proof that the Sorcerer was a god – hell, we’re not even sure if it was a dude with horns, or if Breiul made that part of up. And sure, I could take a lil peek back in the Moon Cell’s archives to see what that painting was meant to be, but why would I wanna do that? It’d be like looking at my own baby pictures! Plus totally screw with the Authority I’m mooching off mommy Murray’s random theory. I’ve got a lot in common with the Sorcerer now, see? We share an origin of being 「impossibly ancient」and 「impossibly bullshit.」”

Establishing a wider syncretic framework for her Horned God, the Sorcerer was but one of the figures Murray used to stitch together his myth. The Horned God’s worshipers in Britain were a race of dwarf-humans, explaining the link between witchcraft and fairies in British folklore – and making the Horned God by proxy a god of fairykind. His supposed followers were persecuted for their worship of the Devil – and so the goat-headed, hooved archenemy of God and his later name of Baphomet became identities of the Horned God. Janus, master of boundaries, intertwined with the lord of the seasons, any deity with bestial trait integrated into the Horned God’s whole. Carried across by later occultists and theorists, a god who had never existed was incorporated into the lore of the Greek and Norse pantheons, the folk faiths of wider Europe, propelled to places it had no business being. The Horned God did not supplant these deities, but rather became intertwined with them, a name and invented identity applied to that what had been – what remains – a mere recurring motif of gods with horns. And it starts with the Sorcerer.

Having fully integrated the Sorcerer’s Authority into himself, Mooncancer’s power as ever is to 「distort. 」To 「insert 」the idea of the Horned God into other Authorities, as Murray did all those years ago. For example, were Mooncancer to encounter the Child of Light from Irish folklore – the figure of Lugh would become an emanation of the Horned God, the warp spasm of Cu Chulainn but an example of the Horned God’s prominence within the faith and within a matter of minutes, the record within the Moon Cell itself distorts to resemble this rearranging of the facts. From there Mooncancer’s Authority will automatically infect adjacent files such as, say, those of the Lady of Shadows or the men of Fianna, adding his presence erroneously to their histories.

Doing so provides Mooncancer with no new power, but rather insulates him against any Noble Phantasm to which he has syncretised himself. When Man first beheld the sunrise, the blossoming of flowers, the footsteps of savage beasts, surely it was this power – the presence of the wild so out of his control, that he attempted to tame by giving name and offering tribute. The sorcerous Horned God of wild things must then be first of the gods, their father – and what child can turn their own father’s power against him?

“Impressed? Eh, you shouldn’t be. There’s a whole bunch of us in the Far Side who can pull stunts like this; anything that can mess with other files without the proper privileges gets shunted there. You should be thankful I closed the hole lil miss 「kyaaa senpai~」made after I squeezed through, or else you’d have a ton of phoneys screwing with the records. Instead of just the one.

My creators did their best when they were making me, sure. But Cernunnos, Janus, Pan? Dionysus, Wotan, even Baphomet of all people? C’mon, humanity doesn’t know what those guys even stood for anymore! They can’t, they know too much – they know, deep down, that there aren’t really monsters in the trees or under their beds, that no-one’s really there when you hear a bump in the night, that getting hit by a truck won’t really send you to another world and make life feel special again.

If I gave you all the parts of a plane, could you put it together? I'm guessing no. You might recognise an engine in there somewhere, but you don’t even know what all those bits and pieces are. Putting a god together went the same way; the concepts all those old gods represent don’t exist in this age, but did that stop people from trying? I’m the sum of my parts, but the parts are all thrown together like something you got at a thrift store.

Still, I am a god. I bless my flock, by keeping their houseplants alive a couple seconds longer. I curse my enemies, by flinging dust motes at their eyes. A mid god, but a god. I can tell you now that, like, maybe 99.9999999999999999% of my so-called followers? Don’t really believe in me. But hey, that’s fine! Because they want to believe in me, deep down. They wanna feel like they’re part of something. They want what I represent.”

Civilisation Erasure B
A subconscious Skill, it causes anything one grasps to be transformed into its best possible iteration, as perceived by the individual. In Mooncancer’s case, this is a process that fulfils the role humanity entrusted him with as god of barbarism, the power not to necessarily improve what he holds, but rather to 「remove 」what he judges unnecessary. A Skill that prunes and displaces the very concept of 「human civilisation, 」restoring Mooncancer’s environment to a purer, more transient state, that condition in which all things existed before the hands of Man imparted such ideas as craft and purpose, name and shape. The 「freedom 」Man knew before he slipped on his shackles.

The Horned God as imagined by his creators is a god over boundaries. That barrier between light and shadow, day and night, life and death, man and beast only given meaning by the vagaries of human perception. The appellation is correct, insomuch as boundaries are indeed Mooncancer’s domain, albeit far off the mark.

In the rise of modernity there was the awareness, however slight, that a new Age was at hand, a veritable twilight of the Gods for the species that had cast off the old order and embraced the Common Sense of Man. And yet, humanity held itself back.

“God’s dead, folks. Y’all killed him, her, they/them, long before a bunch of occultists dragged the body round the countryside or kids started posting #cottagecore on their instas. You grew beyond your limits. Cementing your power over the world’s common sense should’ve got you all set for swimming in the sea of stars! But that was the problem, huh?

Your power was way beyond what you knew what to do with. You could cut down the biggest tree, hunt the fiercest beast, fly among the birds, scrape the sky, reach the unreachable star! – but what did it mean? You accepted that you lived in a material world and tried to cast off spirituality, but all you had was more materialism to fill in the hole. You plumb the deepest, darkest depths of your beastly appetites, and still the well never runs dry. The moment Man realised he had the power to do everything was the moment he lost the power to achieve anything.”

Mankind found new ways to accommodate for their waning spirituality. Intellectual pursuits, indulging base pleasures. Sighting mountains and daring to think one could climb them, digging into ancient history and unearthing gods that never were.

Humans are toolmakers at heart, after all. And so a small minority – occultists, enthusiasts, the intellectual and the absent-minded and the hungry and the just plain bored – created what should not have been created.
They reinvented God.

“Sure, new gods pop up everyday! Not like me though. If I hadn’t caught on and just stayed as some dumb folkloristic curiosity Murray had churned out, then that would’ve been fine, but people actually took me seriously. And it wasn’t because they bought the idea that an ancient god had been discovered – hardly any of my worshipers ever believed that – but because I meant something to them. In this world where god is dead and Man’s cursed to be the master of his own fate, a wild, unknowable god of nature and mysteries… sounded kinda appealing!

What do you think a 「god」is, anyway? I’ve heard that we’re your punishment, your parents, your kids, your way of explaining all the funny stuff that goes on, and I agree with all of ‘em. But to me, god is a 「wish.」That’s what I am, personally. It doesn’t matter if only a minority of humanity decided to buy into me because even if you won’t admit you all want to buy into me.

Imagine the first time you saw the sun rise. Or snow fall, a rainbow, or a flower bloom. Felt magical, right? Your parents might’ve tried to explain the science behind it, but that didn’t matter. The way you felt back then, all mystified… Heh, we’ve been throwing the word 「wild」around a whole bunch but when you get down to the heart of it, that’s all I am. The feeling of wonder you just can’t get anymore. You call me other names too, 「Magical Thinking」or 「Mysticism」or 「Inner Child,」but I’m still just a wish you enshrined one day and happened to give the name Horned God to. The wild’s gone, Master; nothing’s left but your thirst for it. No God here, only Me.

And as a wish? I plan on seeing myself granted.”

As this is a power that nullifies human civilisation, its true effects are less noticeable within the bounds of the Moon Cell. Merely prelude to what he can truly achieve.


« Noble Phantasm »“Moon Cell Human History assimilation at… 51%! Let’s get this party started.
O pitiful Man, spurned by modernity, spurning modernity, hear my words.
To the species that emerged from Enlightenment not feeling enlightened, feel my gift.
A butterfly cannot go back to being a caterpillar.
Yet know I return everything you have lost!
Behold the power that will make 0 from 1!”
Imbolc Anakunosai Sabbati
Riding on the Way to Lost Woods
WWW


Also known as Wild Woods Witchcraft.
The Noble Phantasm created by Mooncancer Horned God in response to the accumulated desires of those who created him, his attempt to fulfil the 「wish 」that comprises his very being. In another history, a wish for a being that would represent all the world’s evils attempted to incarnate itself through a Holy Grail – a path the Horned God is barred from. As master of what is external to humanity, he cannot utilise a power so entwined with them.

But the Moon Cell is no human creation. It is a power that predates and escapes human understanding. It is something Man can interact with, perceive, even command, and yet, it is forever outside of their reach. It is then, in a sense, no different from the 「wilds 」Mooncancer calls home, exchanging the haunted wood for the abyssal depths of the Lunar Sea. Bit by bit, second by second, he tightens his hold over the supercomputer’s architecture, distorts more and more of the historical record to contain references to himself, reifying the veracity of his middling Authority, until such time as his position of Administrator brings the unthinkable within reach. Through manipulation of the Moon Cell’s function to observe possibilities, even imposing the abstract concepts that comprise him on the planet – even removing the concept of 「civilisation 」from the Earth’s surface – is no longer beyond his power.

“Hah… This sounds a lot more dangerous than it really is, so don’t worry your little head about it. No-one’s going to die from what I’m planning – not directly, anyway. If I had to explain it… Oh yeah, let’s go with this.

Every single day on Earth, a burning ball of hydrogen becomes visible in the sky. But now, that won’t happen.
Instead, every morning, 「the sun will rise. 」And there’s a difference!

Some of you will say that it’s a blazing star, and the Earth goes around it. Some of you will say it’s a hole in the sky, with light pouring through.
Some of you will say it’s a god being pulled across the horizon.

And the best part is, there’s no way to prove who’s right! By restoring Mystery, I’m not messing with the laws created by your common sense. I’m just making it so you can’t understand ‘em. You won’t forget how to make tools, or organise yourselves, or all that jazz, but you won’t really get it anymore, right? I’m shoving you back down from wannabe-divines to enlightened apes.

And while we’re on it, don’t worry about us going too far off-track from the way history’s meant to go. This worldline’s nice and set for you to get to the sea of stars one way or the other, and I don’t plan on screwing with that. You don’t exactly understand how they work anymore – I’m guessing you’ll think there’s a god involved somewhere –but you still have the raw knowledge on how to build yourselves a rocketship, so it’s all good! I'll steer you from here so you stay on the path."

As their material conditions do not change and the Human Order is left untouched, there will be no response. Humans are still capable of engaging with the world’s natural laws, even if they are barred from ever objectively understanding them. Humans are still capable of creating and enforcing social laws, even if they are barred from ever truly comprehending them.

Scientific principles and philosophical concepts fade from Man’s collective consciousness, as humanity returns to a state where meaning no longer has to be created, but rather can be found. Mooncancer cannot bring back the gods of old, the legends, the creatures that fled to the Reverse Side of the World, nor does he need to. In the reset of man’s rationality alone, he achieves his end.

It is regression.
It is a return to childhood.
To when there were things to believe in.


« Relationships »Relationships
Beast IV: L
And here's everything I'm not! Natural as whatever that is where I'm manmade, not to mention she actually loves you guys, apparently. Can't relate! I guess she gets to technically count you guys as the animals she likes so much or whatever? But humanity loves to draw a line between itself and the animals, even when it's worshiping guys with animal parts stuck on their heads, and you gave me the job of pretending to give a shit about that boundary. Saying that, though... I feel just a tiny bit of common ground, here. I'm too abstract and she's too concrete for us to get along properly, but we're both real opportunists, and I kinda like that."

Kaguyahime
"O-oh... Someone else trying to usurp the system got out, huh? That's, uh...... Okay, really not in the mood to see what happens if she screws around with my file and I kinda get the feeling nothing will happen if I try screwing with hers, so you know what, I'm gonna just. Head back to the Far Side for a bit! Yeah."

William Randolph Hearst
"Hah! You're kidding me, this is what he's supposed to look like? Seeing him smile for once is freaky enough, but.... Oh, how do I know him? Well, see, back when all the files were sorted alphabetically, up until they added Hir-- Wait, hang on. Let's not spoil things. Why do you humans get suckered in so easily anyway? Not even the dumbest wild beasts fall for some of the stuff your species does. You tried using that so-called amazing brainpower between twiddling your opposable thumbs?"

Henry David Thoreau
"Now I'm not gonna say I like seeing him like this, but... Man, I love seeing him like this."

Aradia
".................... Sis! ............ Cousin! ....... What. Ever we are to each other! You managed to manifest yourself? Man, we've gotta find a chance to fit in a date and talk about old times. Think we can drag Triple-chan and Mommy Memmy in too?"

« Craft Essence »
Eternity
Now, I've said it before, but I don't hate your kind
I don't hold any love for you either
You see something you like in the idea of being weak again, ignorant for once, helpless in a controlled environment, and you asked me to provide that
And I do
So, speaking as a dude contractually-obligated to have no real opinion on you?
This ain't gonna last
You know that indomitable human spirit you’re all so proud of?
I know it means you’ll advance back to this point eventually
You were children before, back when there was a real wild to worry about
You grew up then, and I'm nowhere near as much of a threat, so you'll grow up again
So I guess I'm staying here in the Admin seat to kick you back down
And if you win?
Heh
Then I guess you deserve it

« Art Sources »Collapse art by BARA
Light & Shadow art by sfc
Anti-Human Order art by x_xxowari
Authority of the Sorcerer art by hizuki_0525
Civilisation Erasure and Noble Phantasm art by kaohom503
Craft Essence art by rinneko

« Notes »AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA this guy was meant to be finished two weeks ago before I came down with the world's worst flu, press F for me. I also seriously didn't expect someone else would do the Horned God! But I think our interpretations are pretty different, thankfully. My general idea was I wanted to mix the syncretism prompt with the idea of god-as-redundancy and framing neopaganistic ideas as a spiritual response to the problems of modernity... Does it come across, I can only hope

[Serra]

Saver of the Yavanarajya Singularity

"Based on all I've learnt so far, you're clearly enemies of the king who turns the wheel of dharma, trying to prevent his coming. If that's where you stand, then I can't stand with you. By all that I am, I've sworn to become the ideal guide for a true chakravartin!"



"Prepare yourselves! I come bringing wisdom. I come bringing knowledge. I come bringing war. I come bringing lightning! I shall defend the people and aid humanity on its road to enlightenment! Now, make way!"

Class: Saver
True Name: Menrva
Alignment: Neutral Good
Source: Etruscan mythology, Macedonian mythology, Indo-Greek mythology
Region: Former Etruria; former Kingdom of Macedon; northwestern Indian subcontinent
Aliases: Co-Saver; Athena Alkidemos; Defender of the People; Guide of the Chakravartin

Parameters

STR: A
AGI: A++
END: A
MGI: A
LCK: B
NP: C+

Attribute: Heaven
Armament: Mace-sword, lightning
Likes: Lightning, thunder, mentoring, sharing of knowledge between humans
Dislikes: Evil, envy (including her own)
Talent: Speed-reading
Natural Enemy: Altera

________________________________________________________________

I. MenrvaBack in the times of the Atlanteans, the Twelve Machine Gods once were on the verge of a crisis due to internal strife. To avoid its escalation, Zeus agreed to partition a certain quantity of his Authority of Lightning between twelve tertiary terminals. Eleven of them were controlled by the other Machine Gods, whereas the twelfth, Tinia, had access to an Authority of Lightning that surpassed the others', but needed to get permission from the other eleven terminals to unleash lightning with more destructive power than theirs, and directly from the Machine Gods to fully unleash the Authority of Lightning that had been given to him.

Of these twelve terminals, three were destroyed by the White Titan as collateral damage during the clash between Sefar and the Machine Gods. The other nine ceased to function with the death of the Machine Gods. However, they were eventually reactivated by their remnants, who had become the Twelve Olympians. Even so, the damage that had been dealt to them was extensive enough that, in comparison to their former selves, they may as well have been powerless husks.

With the blessing of the Twelve Olympians, and after making a deal with the Divine Spirits that had been worshiped by the Etruscans up to that point, the nine terminals became an integral part of the Etruscan pantheon.

Even then, their influence didn't necessarily stop there. The Etruscan divinity Menrva had once been the terminal for the Machine God Athena; in Macedonia, a link between her and the corresponding Olympian was recognized, though those people thought the two to be one and the same. Among the Macedonians, the goddess of war and wisdom armed with crackling lightning came to be known as Athena Alkidemos, 'defender of the people".

In Proper Human History, as with many other gods, her capacity to interact with and influence humanity eventually wanes to nothing, and she is mostly notable not so much as an Etruscan or a Macedonian deity, but as an entity on which the Greek Olympian Divine Spirit Athena based herself when reinventing certain aspects of herself to become the Roman Minerva.

However, things didn't go that way in this instance.

________________________________________________________________

II. Athena AlkidemosWhen Alexander the Great embarked on his wars during the fourth century BCE, many among his followers believed that they were being observed by the Twelve Olympians and other deities. More than one of the dynasties of his generals had Athena Alkidemos as one of their main symbols. And one of those dynasties would eventually lead to Menander I Soter, a king of Bactria and later of Yavanarajya - the so-called Indo-Greek kingdom. He was of Macedonian descent and ruled in the northwestern reaches of the Indian subcontinent. Though Menander's position was at times endangered by the high amount of warring factions in the area, he was certainly an excellent general. In Proper Human History, the Greek geographer Strabo once claimed that Menander had conquered more tribes than even Alexander the Great himself. But there was more to Menander than that. He had a thirst for knowledge and an understanding of the differences between his ancestors and his subjects that led him to become extensively well-learnt on the cultures and religions of the area.

Eventually, Menander's research led to him embracing Buddhism. On the coins that once bore only his face and the representation of the Hellenistic gods, Athena Alkidemos more than the rest of them, the symbols of the Buddha began to appear at their side. Though implicitly, Menander drew an association between the domains of Athena Alkidemos and the qualities that should be possessed by a chakravartin.

Gautama Buddha is said to have set the wheel of the dharma in motion with his first sermon, causing a revolution in humans' view of spirituality. A chakravartin in the Buddhist sense is a counterpart of the Buddha, capable of setting the wheel of the dharma in motion through secular kingship. It's said that Gautama Buddha could've become a chakravartin instead of a buddha, had he so wished, and that the appearance of a true chakravartin will coincide with the coming of the Maitreya, the true successor of Gautama Buddha.

A divergence occurred during Menander's reign, leading to the formation of a new Singularity.

________________________________________________________________

III. Yavanarajya SingularityA certain entity appeared, wielding a Holy Grail, and followed by a summoned Servant. The Servant was forced to use his Noble Phantasm, Otia Imperialia: Book of Marvels, whose main effect is "increasing the strength of Mystery in a certain area, without becoming any more capable of controlling it". The Grail summoned other Rogue Servants as well. Having anticipated this, the duo then amplified the effect of Otia Imperialia through the Master's magecraft by offering up defeated Rogue Servants as sacrifices. Finally, they arranged for Menander to find the grail and hid away in wait. When Menander first got a hold of the Grail, Menrva, who should have been long gone, was able to manifest with a physical form once again and spoke to him.

Menrva, Athena Alkidemos, could never become a chakravartin. Her nonhuman nature was only one of many obstacles. Even so, with the knowledge of local Mystery she derived from her link to Menander, she decided to undergo a partial reconfiguration and modify herself to the best of her ability to become a model for an ideal chakravartin. In her view, a divinity of war and wisdom ought to not be inferior to any aspirants to that title. With that meeting, Menander took his first step on his quest to become a true chakravartin following her guidance.

Of course, a Divine Spirit in the flesh leading a human that far into Human History went against the Human Order, and the appearance of the Maitreya Buddha brought on by a chakravartin that early on would've damaged it irreparably. Menander and Menrva were eventually defeated by Chaldea. Even so, on that occasion, the Master who had first brought the Grail to the Singularity and their Servant managed to escape...

________________________________________________________________

Class Skills

Charisma | —

This Class Skill has become a component of the Guide of the Chakravartin Personal Skill and therefore appears to have been lost.

"The Hindu and the Jain speak of chakravartin too, and so did others. Their chakravartin are just as real as me or as most Servants of Chaldea. However, they're not the kind of chakravartin who could herald the coming of the Maitreya. Becoming a king with universal reach isn't enough! That's why my disciple needs a guide of my calibre!"

Counter Hero | E+++

Saver isn't properly a Saver without a chakravartin candidate to guide. Therefore, her usual Rank in this Skill is negligible when facing her on her own, but as long as she's facing an enemy along with a chakravartin candidate, she's able to lower their opponents' parameters by up to two Ranks. Even then, due to the Skill's inherent weakness against anti-heroes, it'll reduce anti-heroes' parameters by at most one Rank.

"Without a disciple, I can hardly be called a Saver. Even then, my role is to lead one to become a true chakravartin. Our work's essential to set up the coming of the Maitreya, the one who'll bring enlightenment to all of humanity. But neither my disciple nor I will become that person. In a way, it's more fitting to refer to me as Co-Saver."

Divine Core of the Goddess | C+

Crafted to be inferior to those of the Machine Gods and of their main terminals, heavily damaged and momentarily deactivated during the time of the White Titan, reactivated by the Twelve Olympians without managing to mend most of the damage, on the brink of vanishing entirely by the end of the Age of the Gods, once again partially restored thanks to the events of a certain Singularity. In the end, this Rank is the result.

"Yes, I'm a Divine Spirit, through and through. I haven't experienced life and death as humans have. Even so, unlike most gods, I've been functionally activated and deactivated more than once. ... I understand why humanity would strive for the best ending they could possibly achieve."

________________________________________________________________

Personal Skills

Mana Burst (Lightning) | B+

What her portion of Zeus's Authority of Lightning has degraded into. Among the Etruscans, Saver was one of the guardians of the southeastern sectors of the sky. A return stream of lightning can bounce back towards south-east after each of her bolts lands. Interestingly, the return stream doesn't need to bounce back right away after the lightning that generates it connects with its target. Rather, it can return at any time afterwards, making this Skill useful to set up traps, too.

It should also be noted that, when the Etruscans practiced divination by observing lightning, they determined whether it was a sign of great luck, good luck, bad luck, or terrible luck depending on which quadrant it seemed to return towards. Due to this, Saver can channel her lightning to favour any attempts to look into the future: though it's usually done to enhance divination magecraft, it can also affect certain kinds of ESP and even effectively boost the quality of one's Clairvoyance or similar Skills for a short time. Moreover, since Saver inhabited a sector of the sky from the second most lucky quadrant, her allies are somewhat less likely to fail Luck checks if she's wielding her lightning alongside them.

"The circumstances behind my creation were turbulent. The Authority of Lightning, the symbol of Zeus's power, had to be in some way shared among the Machine Gods. It was a risky move without a guaranteed payoff. But it restored a peace between gods that was about to crack apart, and it saved us all. From that day on, my lightning was already a means to defend!"

Sagacity of the Defender | A

A Skill representing her domain as a goddess of wisdom. Multi-faceted in nature, it includes the ability to heal and several utility spells, including ones that can alter the landscape to favour agriculture and the spread of human civilisation. This Skill also encompasses various Skills based on perception, such as Instinct and Mind's Eye (True). Moreover, Saver has an extraordinarily high data processing speed that enables her to acquire knowledge tremendously fast. Not only that, but this Skill also encompasses her ability to momentarily bestow this processing speed onto others.

"No one could turn the wheel of the dharma without wisdom. Slaughter that denies human civilization offers nothing. Many human warlords have been closer to the White Titan than to an ideal chakravartin in how they ruled. Fools, the lot of them!"

Guide of the Chakravartin | A

A Skill that originally represented the martial components of her domains as a goddess and was self-reconfigured to better match her newfound role. In addition to being a composite of Charisma, Riding, Tactics, Hero Creation, and many warfare-related Skills, it also grants Saver the possibility to manifest some of the material attributes associated with a chakravartin. For instance, this Skill can be used to invoke war chariots, elephants, charging horses, or a gem capable of emitting light bright enough to guide an army during the night as if it was midday. Due to Saver's nature, these invoked attributes may have some high tech mechanical features.

"I have mountains of knowledge about war of all kinds. That includes the most cruel. The most futile. The most despicable. Even before, though such wars, too, would be within my domain, I wouldn't give them my blessing. However! A war must be meant to end! A war must be meant to lead to peace! Most of all, as I've come to understand, a war must be meant to lead to enlightenment! The blessings I used to bestow and the blessings of the goddess I am now are incredibly different! Therefore, a true chakravartin must only fight wars worthy of the latter!"

________________________________________________________________

Noble Phantasm(s)

"By this lightning of diamond, by this diamond of lightning, I claim my name as the Defender of the People!"

Alkidemou Ateires Keraunos
Pseudo-Vajra





Type: Anti-Army
Rank: C+
Range: 1~99
Targets: 100 people

A vajra is a kind of club with a ribbed, spherical head and significance in various religions. It possesses the indestructibility of diamond and is an irresistible force like lightning: in fact, the word vajra can mean both 'lightning' and 'diamond' other than having its own meaning. It's the weapon of god Indra, the Vedic king of devas and heaven, as well as one of the attributes of the ideal chakravartin in Buddhism. Due to being too distanctly connected to Indra — more connected to Zeus, Jupiter, and others — and not being a human — therefore not being capable of becoming a chakravartin — Saver is entirely unable to call forth the true Vajra. However, due to her former Authority of Lightning and to her Guide of the Chakravartin Personal Skill, she's able to utilize a weapon that visually resembles the true Vajra. Saver can also channel her Mana Burst (Lightning) through this weapon. Even so, compared to her second Noble Phantasm, the resemblance lies much more in form than in anything else.

The True Name Release of Alkidemou Ateires Keraunos discharges a massive amount of Magical Energy in the form of lightning. Thanks to Saver's aspect as Athena Alkidemos and to the nature of the true Vajra as 'indestructible lightning', the lightning from the True Name Release will harmlessly coat those Menrva wishes to protect and unleash destruction on the rest. As long as the lightning coating persists, it'll serve as a shield against the impact of any oncoming attacks and in addition harm any hostiles trying to attack the people it protects, thus fulfilling Athena Alkidemos's role as the defender of the people.

...

Chakravartin Prototype
Turner of the Wheel



Type: Anti-Humanity
Rank: N/A
Range: N/A
Targets: N/A

Chakravartin Prototype can be considered a joint Noble Phantasm that Menrva can't manifest without a chakravartin candidate to guide, hence the lack of classification specifics other than Type. It can also be seen as an imitation of Saver Buddha's Noble Phantasm Chakravartin: Turner of the Wheel.

Instead of manifesting as two concentric wheels, a seventy kilometre one and a seven kilometre chakram of light, it first manifests in the southeastern quadrant of the sky as a quarter of those wheels, with the pure light replaced by lightning. They're able to turn in the sky as usual, and their nature as mobile artillery platforms is the same, but they are far from complete. They will autonomously build themselves and progress towards their state as full wheels the more Menrva's candidate approaches the state of being an ideal chakravartin. Once the wheels are complete, they'll emit concentric rings of arc lightning at whose centre the Maitreya will eventually appear.

Upon manifesting, the Maitreya will immediately activate their Noble Phantasm, all humans will lose all individuality in spirit and in form, all of humanity will achieve enlightenment, and Human History will effectively end. Due to her nature, Menrva will be unable to follow. If the possibility exists, she may dedicate herself to a new Age of the Gods without humanity, to the enlightenment of every god, or to her own. More likely, she will vanish to another place.

________________________________________________________________

Description

"Yes? What is it? Have you finally changed your mind about our plan by now? ... I see. I'm patient, you know. In the meantime, let's take the opportunity to grow from our meeting and both learn something from one another, shall we?"

Likes: "Warfare, wisdom, knowledge, agriculture, trade and all manner of human activity that makes up civilization were within my domains as a goddess, if that's what you mean; particularly the first three. But if you meant otherwise, well, it's none of your business. I've got to say, you picked an odd question to start with. You already know what I've set out to accomplish, and how attachment becomes detrimental on such a mission."

Dislikes: "Chaldea and your mission to uphold the Human Order got in the way of my goal. I've got no sympathy for you, and that shouldn't surprise you. But for now, I'll cooperate. After all, I've got no way to enact my plan left as of now, and if the Human Order ends in a way other than the one I desire, it'll still be a failure for me."

Wish for the Grail: "Me, wish on the Grail? How foolish! The whole reason I returned in the first place was because of a human's wish upon the Grail, and I still intend to realise that wish. If you take a moment to think about the quest to become a chakravartin and the role I will play in it, you'll find out there could be no better fate for a divinity of wisdom and war. That's why I won't break that oath so easily!"

Bond 5

Likes: "...I like the look of lightning and the sound of thunder. They're everyday for me, yet nostalgic. Their crackling reminds me of the tense time of my own creation, and of my purpose as a warlike instrument of peace. I expect that, long after you humans will be gone, thunder and lightning will still be here to keep me company. Yes... But in the meantime, I'll gladly share what I know with those capable of handling it. Most of all, I like humans trying to bring their wisdom and knowledge to other humans. Did you know that? I really hope that came through to you!"

Dislikes: "...All that is evil in the world, and causes suffering. And yet, so far I haven't been able to shake off completely my envy of good things I can't yet reach. No, for now, this'll do. Enlightenment will come for me as well one day, though perhaps not in the same form as it will for you humans. In the meantime, I'm fit for my duty as a guide as I am now all the same."

A person guiding others down a path she can't follow due to not being a human. Saver recognises how her envy and jealousy towards what she can't yet achieve can hurt others, but she can't always keep them in check. On the other hand, she takes great pride in her role as a deity of war and wisdom, and even greater pride in how she can put those domains in use in her current role as a mentor. Her chakravartin candidate is also a great source of pride, and she places utmost trust in the person she has chosen. But this deity doesn't seem to notice the contrast between her own pride and the detached quest for enlightenment.

Saver withholds or shares information as she pleases, depending on what she believes would benefit humanity the most. Despite this and her role as a guide that doesn't belong to humanity, she can't help but feel excited when humans share knowledge between themselves, even knowledge that she would normally have kept hidden from them if she'd had her way.

In terms of relations with others, she also mantains a certain distance from those she sees at opponents, including Chaldea. She'll patiently try to bring them to her side, while at the same time openly flaunt her hostility to them. This mixed attitude isn't entirely without meaning. Part of it is, again, pride, and at times envy. However, it's also related to the image she wishes her plan would have. Therefore, she tries to present herself as someone who no longer has any real doubts or weaknesses.

Ultimately, she loves human civilisation and humanity. However, due to having lived through the deaths of the Machine Gods and the decay of their remnants, she wants to bring humanity to the end that she believes humanity desires: the dissolution of the self and achievement of enlightenment. And, in her view, it's her duty to lead the course of Human History towards that singular endpoint; to keep that result from being altered; to avoid the possibility of any unwanted finale.

________________________________________________________________

Bond Craft Essence

Gearwheels, Still and Moving



You really think humanity would choose to keep trudging on as usual over eternal bliss and enlightenment?

Lately, you've been talking about things like that so often that sheer repetition almost makes the idea sound charming at times.

But I've been among dying gods who didn't get the luxury of either option.

And if the last humans to die out will still share your mindset, they also won't get to choose either.

Still, since you've come this far, I'll keep your prayer in my thoughts among the rest.

________________________________________________________________

NotesBelieve me, I absolutely did not expect I'd ever use Hijiri Byakuren from Touhou as a faceclaim for not-quite-Athena, but hey, I found the vajra art and got very much on board.

I haven't been able to find the original source for the main faceclaim artwork, but the artist is Sam Ashton. The artwork I used for the first Noble Phantasm was drawn by Hisona. The original source for the image in the Description seems to have been deleted, but it does have a signature. The artist is known as Cis, Cercis or Carcharias. Here are the safebooru pages for the three artworks: 1, 2, 3

The gradient was made by colourpicking the two extremes from Byakuren's official artwork from Antimony of Common Flowers and automatically generating the rest in browser with https://colordesigner.io/gradient-generator (setting for 32 colours because that's how many letters there are in Saver's title and using HSL mode because it gave the closest result lol).

The image used for the Bond Craft Essence is the artwork of the Magic: the Gathering card 'Clock of Omens', specifically the Magic 2013 version drawn by Ryan Yee.

The image used for her second Noble Phantasm was one of the key visuals for Fate EXTRA/Last Encore. It represents Chakravartin, Noble Phantasm of Saver Buddha, who's a canon Servant. The Otia Imperialia NP that's mentioned at one point during the third section of Saver's backstory, on the other hand, isn't canon, and would belong to a sheet I've been meaning to write for a while, though, before I wrote Saver, I had really never imagined that the Otia Imperialia NP could lead to a story involving other Servants or Masters and play a role this important in it, so, that's neat, lol.

The Personal Skills may be a touch overloaded with composites and stuff, but I like the current 'characteristic lightning + wisdom deity stuff + war deity stuff' split well enough.

In the end, since the Relationships/Interactions section is pretty much the only one that can be edited and/or added after a sheet is posted, I decided to go ahead and post Saver without that section.

This is the first sheet I'm making that relates so closely to the Machine Gods and to the end of the age of the Gods: I hope it went well. I didn't go with Menander himself because I wanted to cover the Etruscan stuff too and I was more nebulous on how to best represent his knowledge of the occult and various religions, but he'd probably have been a fun choice, too.

I also considered making Menrva a Gatekeeper rather than a Saver, but that didn't quite feel right, as she's someone who aids in the passing of trials rather than setting trials herself. Still, there's potential for an alternate class there, I feel. Perhaps in Summer lol.

[WhiteFrenzy]

Oh hey, I've updated my entry's relationship tab to welcome all these amazing entries.



And in other news, speaking of amazing entries...
HOW COME Y'ALL ARE DROWNING IN SO MUCH CREATIVITY? YOU MAKE THIS PROMPT SEEM SO EASY.


Mars Thingsus: Like, HOW? JUST HOW? The idea behind this Servant is so absurd but at the same time it’s so… It makes you think OF COURSE as if it’s the most obvious thing to say. You’ve created something really good there, my good sir, and I bow to your creativity. Plus, DOGGY. It already nets a great place in my heart for Fenris alone.

Corn Maiden: You’ve made that art yourself and I always am of the opinion that someone that goes above and beyond like that is already a winner in my books. But the Servant is actually pretty interesting too? Now that’s a lore I was ignorant about, and I loved to learn about this. It helps a lot when the character is interesting enough too!

Alexcoene’s Horned God: Deliciously anarchic, so full of life and with a quite endearing type of selfishness, this is a character that’s easy to love… Which is fitting, considering his class, I suppose. Now that NP knew how to make an impression. I was very intrigued by his powers, and the lore helped to tie everything together really nicely. A great entry, by all means.

The Langlands Program: You truly thought outside the box this time, bravo. I wasn’t expecting this at all! It has all of the ingredients of the quintessential DelRey sheet: that lyrical quality in their words, the way in which the sheet always flows so nicely, Skills tying in the overall narrative without breaking the flow, the love you held by this creature you helped breath life into… It just pains me this idea is so ambitious that it almost flew over by my head. I had to read like, twice, thrice to truly get it. But that’s a ME problem, this young man is so good.

Sir Orfeo: Holy shit CAN’T YOU JUST PIPE DOWN? STOP CREATING 1ST PLACE SNATCHERS LIKE THIS ONE AND LET OTHERS HAVE THEIR DAY IN THE LIMELIGHT PLEASE? But no, seriously, absolutely amazing idea + absolutely amazing execution = absolutely amazing sheet? Profit? I didn’t expect any less from you and I still left the sheet so in love with him.

Lífthrasir & Eve: This was SO entertaining. It was a sheet entirely carried by its component characters, much more than anything technical in it, and it just WORKS. Eve is a riot and she’s clearly never wrong in her life. Poor Lífthrasir has to just stay there and withstand her barrage? But that’s a job only he can do. I believe in you, man. Anyway, they already own my heart and that’s the tea.

Harun al-Rashid: Alhaitham FC? I already love him, take my vote.
Bias aside, this idea is so… So… SO GOOD? It’s definitely an interesting way to interpret the prompt, that’s for sure! Imagine the power play of not being a syncretized existence per se, but rather being the reason for a whole syncretization. I have no choice but to stan. You did it again.

Sutaa’s Horned God: Holy shit. As always, your Servant is oozing passion, care and research. Your concepts are always up there and your executions always immaculate, it’s truly difficult to not expect nothing less but perfection, you know? Which I suppose it’s a burden, but really… WHAT CAN I DO? YOU JUST DROPPED THE SERVANT OF THE CENTURY OUT OF NOWHERE? LOOK AT THE MATERIAL… LOOK AT THIS IDEA, HOLY SHIT… Allow me to gush over him non-stop.

Menrva: I have nothing but the deepest respect for those who are brave enough to comply with Nasu’s Greek bullshit. Or Nasu’s bullshit in general. It’s such a tall order. So by this standard alone, this sheet already rules. But you went and actually made it such a great experience, with a character I wasn’t expecting and with a story that was so interesting as it was amusing. And these abilities? And the delicious way you wrote this sheet, making it so good to read? Damn son. Lemme simp real quick over everything.

[FarewellToMrA]

Thanks for the compliment, but I didn't actually make that art myself. I included a link to the original in my post.

[asterism42]

Submission deadline is in eight hours

[Morg van Destro]

Alright. Contentious entry, attempt 2.

---

BRAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWW


Source
Class: MonsterFaker
Other Classes: NoneMonster
True Name: The Stronsay BeastThe Globster
Alignment: Neutral
Place of Origin: ScotlandWorldwide
Height: 458Varies cm.
Weight: 906 kilo.
Likes:
Dislikes: Forensic science
Natural Enemy:

Parameters:
STR: A
END: B+
AGI: C
MGI: D
LCK: C
NP: -STR: B
END: A+
AGI: C
MGI: B
LCK: B+
NP: A

Class Skills:
Dread Visage (B):
A beast whose body alone was enough to cause fear and discourse of what it could have been in life, Monster comes with a fairly high rank in this Skill.

Monstrous Strength (B):
A large beast, Monster is naturally able to call upon it's size and build to perform great feats of strength, able to temporarily raises its Strength and Endurance.Camouflage (A):
A master of disguise, Faker was mistaken every time for non-existent or mythical creatures, allowing it to mask its True Name, Skills, Parameters, and Noble Phantasm as those of the beasts it was claimed to be.

Magic Resistance (B):
While originating from close to modern times, Faker's inherent Mystery has raised its own resistance to magical attack.

Personal Skills:
Information Erosion (A)
A creature mistaken for multiple things, and that even now many question the true identity of, Monster passively causes other to distribute misinformation about it. It’s features, Class, abilities, and appearance become warped and distorted after they have left the scene. A series of large sea creatures’ carcasses that appeared across the globe and mistaken for multiple things, Faker passively causes other to distribute misinformation about it. It’s features, Class, abilities, and appearance become warped and distorted after they have left the scene.

Trunko (A):
The name of one of the more famous globsters, this Skill denotes Faker’s claim on Skills and Noble Phantasms that could have been attributed to those creatures, both fact and fiction.

Shapeshift (B):
Described as a mysterious mass with little form, Faker can change and modify his body at will, able to go from viscous mush to solidified body in rapid succession. However, it can only take on animalistic forms.

Dread Visage (C):
While it would normally have a higher rank, its Class container lowers it due to it engaging its more amorphous state than a solid form to propagate fear.

Noble Phantasm
The Stronsay Beast: The Beast That Could Have Been (A)The Globster: Mystery Without Eyes, Head, or Bones (A)
RealityMystery
Monster’s existence as a beast whose identity and appearance are both still in question has created this Noble Phantasm that is Monster itself.

This Noble Phantasm is a gatherer of ‘reality’. While Mystery is born from a lack of understanding, this Noble Phantasm instead gathers understanding and imbues it into Monster. This is all in an effort to make Monster ‘real’ and allow it to incarnate. By doing so, it actually becomes weaker as it becomes more grounded in ‘reality’, but it still brings it closer to its goal.Faker’s existence is constructed entirely around its inscrutable nature, its appearance and strange physicality mystifying and confusing onlookers and investigators. It can be said Faker’s sole purpose is to continue confounding others.

Faker’s Skills for causing fear and modification feeds directly into this Noble Phantasm, creating and empowering Faker with more Mystery. As the ‘Myth’ of Faker grows, so too does its power, raising its parameters and a few Skills while also potentially giving it new Skills as the ‘Myth’ grows more absurd and detailed, turning Faker into a creature deserving of the stories and theories surrounding it.

However, were its Mystery to be removed, all that would be left is a simple, lifeless blob that likely shed from some aquatic mammal.

Lore

The Stronsay Beast is a mysterious and fictional animal created when an unknown carcass washed ashore Stronsay in Scotland. The carcass, now believed to be a basking shark, was the subject of much debate and theorization by the populace, some even drawing up pictures of what it must have looked like from the strange body they found themselves with.

In the end, as new cases began cropping up and the advent of forensic science, it was discovered that the many later cases were simply the deteriorated carcasses of whales, and the Stronsay Beast was deemed no different.

While it was only for a short century, the Stronsay Beast brought the further mysteries of the ocean to the forefront of many minds and stoked their imaginations that there perhaps still were mythical creatures somewhere in the world.A globster or blob is an unidentified organic mass that washes up on the shoreline of an ocean or other body of water. A globster is distinguished from a normal beached carcass by being hard to identify, at least by initial untrained observers, and by creating controversy as to its identity.

Several of these globsters have been spotted across the globe, beaching the shores of beaches at seemingly random times, many of which outright dismissed while the massive mounds of flesh are given scrutiny and often a subject of curiosity.

Despite the knowledge of the modern day that there is nothing truly mysterious about these, they are still a topic many find enticing. The idea they embody that perhaps a beast lurks in the deep beyond our comprehension. A modern day sea monster that never was.

Personality

The Globster has little to no agency or desire within its globule body. Its mind is simplistic and easily malleable, grafting its Master’s intentions and desires onto itself. It seeks only to enact their will, single minded in this to the detriment of their own existence.

Despite this, it cannot be said that the Globster has no wish for the Grail, but this wish is in essence no different from following its Master. Taking on the hope and fear of those who witnessed it, it wishes to become what they sought, fulfilling their desires long past the time they gave up on them. Simply a monster that borrowed the wish to be real.

Relationships

Glatisant: Glatisant is distressed by the strange creature. Nothing that large should ooze like that.

Surgeon’s Photo: The two entities of similar existence recognize one another, though one is obviously more aware of it than the other.

Crystal Palace: The hateful skeleton is oddly accommodating to the blob. Perhaps he recognized their similarities.

Craft Essence

The Beast That Never Was

The metamorphosis of unknown animals into fabulous beasts and of fabulous beasts into known animals can often be both intellectually exciting while also spiritually conflicting.

For a creature to pass into the realm of legend, mythologized by communities while rejected by the era’s scientific concept of the world, can be an incredible thing. Then the reality of the original myth is revealed and quickly, the myth is once again bound by terrestrial ways of thinking.

Fabulous beasts are relegated to the more respectable, less spectacular title of known animals.

Monsters are not about to die. Not that they are eternal: surely they were born with human thought and will vanish with it. Let us wish a long survival to all the animals of flesh and blood that were successively embodied in them, that somehow fed them and kept them alive, all for the comfort of our souls. We owe them that at least.

And so, can we not believe, if only one more moment, that a blob could possibly be some great, mysterious creature?

---

Creator Notes

It was either Globsters or Bigfoot, and, frankly, I'm saving Bigfoot for something else, so I decided to have some fun. Even if this is a roundabout way of doing it, I wanted to make a sheet that somewhat celebrated us making Servants in general. We look at figures that can be somewhat grounded in reality and raise them up to interesting and inhuman heights, taking them to extremes and giving them, in a way, new life. It's just fun, and doing that for big-ol' blobs washing ashore across several countries of the world seemed interesting in celebrating that and just celebrating imagining giants out of mountains.

I really wanted to use The Angler from Inscryption as the theme, but that was a bit too dark for the general globster-ness of the sheet.

[Bryan Kaufman-The Globster]

[DelRey]

I wish i couldve made a better 2nd entry but im too sick rn

[Mycielhasbroken]

Rider
of the Night Sky



“We are Rider, Huwawa Nemean! We normally wouldn’t be together unless a specific set of circumstances occurred, but thanks to you and some luck we are now here. Now let the invincible duo that is us be at your side till the very end, Master! Isn’t that right kitty?”
“Grrrrrr…”
*He nods his head somewhat reluctantly agreeing with her*

Class: Rider
Alternate Classes: Berserker
True Name: Huwawa Nemean
Aliases: Humbaba the Terrible, The Nemean Lion, King of Lions
Gender: Female & Male
Source: Mesopotamian Myth & Greek Myth
Region: Mesopotamia & Greece
Alignment: Lawful Neutral & Chaotic Evil
Attribute: Heaven
Armament: Nemean’s claws and teeth, along with Huwawa’s claws
Catalyst: A picture of the constellation Leo

Parameters

STR: A++
END: A++
AGI: A++
MAN: B
LCK: D
NP: A

Class Skills

Riding: EX
As the Constellation Leo essentially “rides” the night sky, Nemean and Huwawa gain this skill at its highest Rank and are able to fly through the skies because of it.
“Nemean and I share a constellation, but I thought he wouldn’t like me for wanting to live as a human…,but he is really nice once you get to know him. We are best buds who fly through the pretty night skies together forever right Nemean?”
“Grrr…”
“He’s quite a mean kitty, but he’ll protect you so long as I’m okay and if we can get our wish.”

Magic Resistance: B
Cancel spells with a chant below three verses. Even if targeted by greater magecraft and Greater Rituals, it is difficult for them to be affected. It is of no surprise that they have this at a decent rank as they were both “monsters” that fought against Heracles and Gilgamesh during the Age of Gods. However since both weren’t sorcerers this skill is mostly from Nemean that he shares willingly with Huwawa.
“It makes sense that kitty resists magecraft better than me. While I fought against that goldie, he didn’t really use magic against me. Nemean fought many others who used sorcery to try and hurt him, but we are monsters of myth that are pretty strong even when separated, but combined we are the unstoppable duo that is Huwawa Nemean!”
“Grrrrrr.”
“Thanks Nemean.”
*Huwawa smiles warmly at Nemean as she rubs his head while he closes his eyes at her touch*

Personal Skills

Monstrous Divine Beast: A++
A Skill unique to both Huwawa Nemean as their essences combined to create a terrifying divine beast. It essentially allows Huwawa Nemean’s STR, END, and AGI to be increased as if they were in in the Berserker class for they were known as a rampaging beast and a terrifying guardian monster throughout their homelands.
“…I hate using our combined form, because it reminds me of my…painful past. I can live like a human again, but I know this dream of mine can only last so long before it is gone once more...”
“Purrrr…”
*Nemean hugs Huwawa with his large body*
“You're right, best buddy. We should focus on helping our Master so our wish can come true…

Thanks for being my friend, Nemean.”

Roar of Terror: A(++)
A roar that instills great instinctual terror in any living being that hears it. It is especially more effective against humans as Nemean's hatred of humans bended this skill to fit his needs more than Huwawa as he is the one most likely to be in combat more than her to protect her. It can be further strengthened when their second Noble Phantasm is used.
“I was known as a terror to humans and they weren’t wrong. I became a monster that had to be put down and because of that…I don’t want to fight”
“Grrr.”
“…Thank you for fighting in my stead in the meantime kitty.”

Mana Burst(Calamity): N/A (A)
Huwawa can emit a multitude of powers Humanity associates with the word “calamity” (natural disasters) through her halo. She can also narrow down the direction of the burst, so it can fly hundreds of kilometers and whatever is hit with the calamity will take damage according to its type. It is currently locked unless their second Noble Phantasm is being used.
“I am synonymous with the word calamity, that I can create hurricanes and earthquakes to bring horrible destruction to my enemies and the area. However I don’t let Nemean use this skill, because I don’t want to bring about death if I can and he respects my decision.”

Animal Communication: A
The Nemean Lion is known as the King of Lions because when a person thinks of a lion, the king of the jungle, they think of him. This gives him the ability to command other animals to follow his orders to the death excluding humans. Huwawa is also able to convince animals to follow her orders, but she is softer than her animal friend because she doesn’t have as much pride as him. This also allows them to converse with each other so Nemean can communicate with his Master.
“You know that Nemean likes his ears being scratched? Don’t tell him that I told you that, but he needs more friends in his life.”

Stars of Leo: A
As the two monsters are associated very closely to the Constellation Leo, they are now so interlinked that they are able to be summoned together in the Rider Class.
“You know I didn’t think we would get along, but even if kitty hates humans he likes me enough that he thinks of me as family and even lets me sleep on him!”
“Purrrr.”
“Hmph. See he’s coming around to liking you too Master. We may come from very different places, but we ended up liking where we are now. We will protect you Master as we are the inseparable duo that forms the Leo Constellation that is at your side!”

Noble Phantasm(s)

Skin of the Nemean Lion
Invincible Skin
Rank: A
Type: Anti-Unit(Self), Anti-Human Civilization

The First Labour of Heracles was the slaying of the Nemean Lion. The Nemean Lion was a monster that killed many that came across to hunt it, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be beaten. The human fists of Heracles however were able to beat the lion to death, because the divine beast was only able to “reject” human civilization and was therefore not able to be killed by human weapons, but a human hand managed to.
“Grrrrrrrr!”
“Nemean quite dislikes the hero that killed him, but thanks to his connection, Heracles’ fame is also kitty’s fame. That’s why he is here with me and can deal with being connected to him for now even if he hates it. He shares this with me because he doesn’t want to see me hurt and now I am invincible to all human weapons like him!”
“Purrrr…grrr...”
“He doesn’t like me getting hurt instead of him as he wants to protect me like a knight and a father for the most part…

…

“I get that, but sometimes…I have to get my hands dirty even if I don’t want to do it, because he is worth everything to me.”



Huwawa Nemean Chimera
Giant Terrifying Hybrid of the Stars
Rank: A
NP Type: Anti-Unit(Self)

When they have nothing to lose and are cornered, Huwawa will make the choice to sacrifice her new body to make sure Nemean survives to get their wish granted.

When the human body of Huwawa fuses with Nemean they unleash their true form, Huwawa Nemean, a mechanical starry golden lion that is destruction incarnate. It can increase its size, eat power sources like electricity generators to gain more magical energy, hide with camouflage, along with strengthening the Roar of Fear, and is finally able to use Mana Burst(Calamity) to its own discretion.

Huwawa Nemean is a terrifying chimera of a divine beast that exudes fear to all who see it as it is the combined traits of the Lion that terrorized Cleonae who opposed the greatest hero of Greece and the abomination that guarded Cedar Forest who fought the first hero in recorded human history. Truly if this form is ever seen then that means something has gone terribly wrong. This Noble Phantasm can be deactivated, but it takes quite a lot of magical energy to separate them back to two beings.
“I am Huwawa Nemean, the calamity in the night sky that will bring about destruction to all who oppose me.”

“For I fight to grant an innocent young girl her wish to live and I will make sure it comes true.

Now…

Perish.”

Lore

Huwawa was known as the Guardian of the Cedar Forest to Babylon and fought against Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, but was ultimately put to rest in the end.

The Nemean Lion was known as the King of Lions to Greece and fought against Heracles, the Greatest Hero of Greece, but was killed in the end.

These respective monsters would have never met unless they were summoned using the one string tying them together.

A picture of the Leo Constellation which represented these two beasts that it brought them forth together.

The Nemean Lion was just a divine beast hunting humans for food, that impervious hide made it well known when Heracles came by and heard what he had been doing. So like all heroes Heracles went to kill it and found out that human weapons weren’t up to the job so he used his bare hand to end its life yet it was a tough battle. This monster was a simple beast throughout his life that had nothing, but an animal instinct to just eat, sleep, and hunt till the end of its life which was cut short by the hero. That’s all there was to the beast that was the First Labour of Heracles.

Huwawa was made up from the souls of 2,891 human children who were given life by the gods.
Nonetheless somehow one small girl retained her mind from other insane souls and unsurprisingly befriended Enkidu, the Chains of Heaven. Enkidu then had to leave to gain humanity and later became best friends with Gilgamesh after fighting each other over a few days. They both then traveled to her forest to slay Huwawa as it became a monster to the people. When they arrived however Huwawa was overwhelmed by the other souls and became a monster that needed to be put down. That’s all there was to the beast that was human.

…


….


…However now forced due to unique circumstances into a duo has helped them in many ways.

Huwawa finally has a human body to live her life and not be bothered by the screams of the thousands of souls that were with her. While the Nemean Lion found someone to care for and protect. This made these unlikely partners into friends that would do anything to help the other no matter what.

For while Nemean was just a beast in life he now has found a cub to help defend from danger and Huwawa finally has the chance to live a life that was robbed from her by wishes of some selfish gods.

This has forged a bond that this unstoppable duo will cherish till the very end which has made them happier than ever before.

Personality

Huwawa is a kid at heart in a body that looks like a young girl. She is a sweet summer child that wishes to live her life to the fullest and create some happy memories to look back to. Huwawa loves flowers and gardening as that reminds her of her friend Enkidu. She can fight if needed, but Nemean won’t let her unless she is in danger, because he loves her and doesn’t want her to fight if she doesn’t have to.

Nemean is a lion that is protective of Huwawa that he would rather let her stay in the sidelines and fight for her and their Master. He would never want her to fight unless it was to defend herself. He can be lazily at times, but only in an area where he knows he can relax, because Nemean takes up the burden for Huwawa so she can focus on being happy than fighting. He also doesn’t like humans, especially Heracles, but he can tolerate them and their Master so that their wish can finally be granted.

They both are family to each other so if either is hurt then the other will show why they were feared monsters from the Age of the Gods.

Description

Likes: Enkidu, Nemean, Nature, Gardening, Children Games, Making Memories(Huwawa), Huwawa, Food, Head Scratches, Naps, and the thrill of a hunt(Nemean)
Dislikes: Gods(Huwawa), Heracles, Humans(Nemean)

Wish: “I wish for those souls that make up Huwawa to be saved and to be able to live their own lives that were cut so short.”
This is all that she really wants in the whole world. To free those who were with her and to finally get to live.

Nemean was with her no matter what. While he dislikes humans, he liked enough that he would help her get the Holy Grail to fix the mistakes that the gods made in the past.

His past wish was to hunt and food forever, but she guessed that he wanted her to be happy.

He growled and circled his body around her.

Her eyes widened at what he told her.

…

…Huh so that’s what changed about him.

She put a hand over where her heart was and smiled as a tear went down her right eye.

That’s what changed about her as well wasn't it?

They were family and that made her so happy as she laughed as her kitty purred to her happy laughter.

Yes this was some memory to cherish for all of time and as a family she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Relationships

Enkidu
“…I missed you. Thank you for being my friend and for the flower crown.”
“Purrrr...”
“Heh, Nemean thanks you as well. Do you want to visit my garden to see my flowers?”


Gilgamesh
“Ah! You!”
“Grrrrrr!”
“Behave, kitty! Anyway…thank you for releasing me and the other souls from that pain that those…gods did to us. Want to pay a visit to Enkidu with me and Nemean, my hero?”


Heracles
“Grrrrrrrrrr!!!”
“Calm down please for my sake.”
“Grrr…grrr.”
“Look mister Heracles, Nemean would rather not work with you unless he really has to, so can you leave please? I’m sorry, but he doesn’t like you for what you did to him so please stay away...”


Castor and Pollux
“Oh! The twins that make up the Gemini Constellation! Nice to meet you. We are the duo that make up the Leo Constellation. Can we be friends?”
“Grr.”
“My friend here wants to spar against you so how about a fight?”


Jack the Ripper(Assassin)
“I-I…I am so sorry for what happened to all of you. I…I know what you are going through. I’ve been through the same thing.”
“Purrr...”
“…Want to scratch my friend’s head? He wants to be friends with you the same as me. Maybe we can play tag later, I hope you can keep up with us!”


Atalante
“Hmph! Atalante, please promise me to not hunt down Nemean! I know he’s killed some people in the past, but I don’t want my friend to be gone please, h-he’s my…family.”
“Grrrrrr…”
“He promises to not kill innocent people. He pinky promised me he wouldn't ever again!”


Demetrius of Thessaloniki
“So the gods intervened in your life like mine did...”
“Grrr.”
“Well if you ever need help you can count on the unstoppable duo that is Huwawa Nemean to aid you!”


Apep = Apophis = Hou Yi = Chang'e = Orion = Artemis = Diana
“…Please stay away from me and my friend.”
“Grrrrr!!!”
“I don’t want to deal with more gods in my lifetime if I have to.”


Loki=Rod
“Hello, while I’m not fond of gods, can you tell me a story to pass the time please? I just want to live the life that I am gifted by my summoning with my lion friend here, for this is my chance to do so with a clear mind.”
“Grrr.”
“Kitty doesn’t trust you, but he wants me to be happy and live my life so he’ll trust me in me and my dreams so…”
*Huwawa blushes*
“Umm…I’m sorry if I’m being rude, but…can I hug you please?”


Lífthrasir & Eve:
“Huh it seems they are kinda like us isn’t that right Nemean?”
“Grrrrr…”

Bond Craft Essence

A Joyful Memory


There was once a young girl who along with many other children souls were used to create a monster called Huwawa.

She later died and would’ve never had a chance to live a regular life.

…However, somehow a miracle happened, she was summoned alongside another monster, but she had a human-like body.

She was so happy that she cried herself to sleep, but she forgot who was with her.

The Lion could’ve killed her and need not interact with the humans he hated, but…

He felt something he never felt before…

An emotion that made him happy like that monster in human form.

Something he wanted to have with a mate before his life was cut short after that human killed him, but never got the chance to experience.

Children

So even though this child wasn’t his…he would do everything he could to protect her and her dreams. Along with making sure she lived a long and happy life that they both deserved. For they were both monsters and if she wanted to live like a human then he would be a bigger monster than ever before to rip those who would crush her life.

He would tolerate all others for now, so long as his new child would live.

The Lion survived, but he never truly got to live and so he would make sure his child's days would be filled with warmth no matter what. Like his parents did for him before they died.

So with that thought, the Lion grabbed the child and laid her on his back before lying down on the ground himself and closing his eyes.

His cub would be safe.

She would have the joyful days that he never had many of and that of which it seemed she desperately needed.

Creator Notes

I barely got this done in time, but here it is.

I was thinking of ideas before a random thought came to mind.

Constellations.

Different Civilizations can see them and interpret what they mean in their respective religions and that seemed like a lead for me to follow, so I checked a few constellations out and found out that the Leo Constellation is connected to both the Nemean Lion and Huwawa/Humbaba so it all came together very nicely into this sheet. I liked writing about these two a bunch.

I was working on this sporadically until I found out I only had around a day left and so I had to rush this. I think what I wrote is simple, but okay and that’s alright. Next time I should really not procrastinate and commit to writing more as my motivation was spread between this and something, but now it’s finally finished and I'm proud to say I’m fine with how it turned out in the end.

Also I’m sorry how tall/large the second NP image is, but I was in a rush to get this out.

[Justiciar Hux]

Hello, good morning. How have you been?
It's been a while since we spoke, hasn't it?
In the Capital, facing down countless enemies. Opponents like demons, gods, and the bureau itself.
Sorry about leaving you with so many problems, but I had other things to attend to at that time, y'know?
Hm? You've never been in the Kyō-no-Miyako?
Must've been a different you. Give me a moment.
Ah, I see now. My mistake. You're the "you" of that calamity, not this one. Really, my mistake.
Well, either way. Now that I see that, would you care for a chat? It might take a while, but in the land of dreams and nightmares, even eternity can take just a moment.


Let's take a dive then, Master of Chaldea. A dive into your future amidst mud and sin.Let's take a dive then, Master of Chaldea. A dive into your future amidst mud and sin.

Caster of the Distant Sunlit Mountain
Class: Caster
Alternative Classes: Ruler, Alter Ego
True Name:

Anbei Qingming

安倍 晴明

Gender: Male
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Attribute: Earth
Height: 160cm
Weight: 49kg
Source: Historical fact, Mido Kanpakuki, Luwu-Daoman Daneijian, etc.
Region: Penglai, Japan



Parameters
STR: E
END: D
AGL: B
MANA: EX
LCK: A+
NP: A

First of all, Master of a distant Chaldea, let me tell you a story. Well, a few stories. They are stories that have not yet come to pass. Stories, perhaps, that speak of a certain future. Prophecies, as some might call them.

On the first matter; a tale of machines both past and present.On the first matter; a tale of machines both past and present.

This tale is one that dates back to a few centuries before that Messiah fellow was born. Not too old, but none to recent either. So why, then, is it relating to machines "both past and present"? Well, I can answer that without spoiling anything at all.
The Holy Grail.
The Holy Grail, so it is said by many practitioners of Western Arts, is an omnipotent wishgranter. Speak, and the Grail will fulfill your every desire. From the murder of the human race, to the Third Law, many dream of obtaining this holy artifact and using it for their own ends.
Perhaps to save a sister's legs.
Perhaps to save the family name.
Perhaps to become a hero of justice.
Perhaps, even, to save all living beings.
That last one is far more foolish than the others, but the sentiment is nice, don't you think? I think so, at least, and because I think so, it is.
Anyway, so the Holy Grail is how machines collide. Isn't that interesting? Oh there's something here about a peacock, a disowned son, traitorous bureaucrats, and something weird about some emperor? I'm not sure, I'll have to ask Mr. Ziya for advice.
The advisor discards the firstborn, the emperor dies, and with the Grail, the future becomes the present. The secondborn does not lose power as he is meant to, and instead holds the empire as a singular nation of intellect. The sword and the spear and the mighty fist of industrialization are born two thousand years too early. Hammer and tongs, the fire-spitting calamities. The warlord king is sent to the margins with the discarded firstborn.
Who shall rise as the ruler of these lands?
Where does this tale end?
In a history cut off from what is 'proper', do such notions even make sense?

An interlude; an expose on my own divided spirit.An interlude; an expose on my own Class Skills.

Item Construction B
The ability to construct tools tinged with magical energy. In Caster's case, he is capable of creating tools that can establish a national network of communication, divine locations for divine retribution, and frost even the most complex cake designs to perfection.
The third example was added on request from the user, with the note; "Even I can't get a Bundtcake out without breaking something! I needed something to fill the gaps with ganache!"
... What an incorrigibly senseless man.

Territory Creation A+
The ability to construct a workshop advantageous to oneself as a magus. In Caster's use, it is the power to create a central bureau, through which the magecraft of the region can be properly controlled and regulated in accordance with the will of the Heavens.
It would ordinarily be a temple to the Yin and Yang Arts, but Caster "isn't quite that sacrilegious", or so he says.

Divinity A+
The signifier that one has affinity with being a Divine Spirit. As an Immortal, and as one who holds the divine blood of the Sun, Caster is naturally perfectly well suited to being called such things.
He would prefer to be called "a simple bureaucrat", though.
Or perhaps that's his sense of reverse psychology...?

On the second matter; a tale of what should not be, yet will be.On the second matter; a tale of what should not be, yet will be.

Faith. A curious thing, isn't it? Faith can be called the seeds of possibility, the love for possibility, even if there is no proof that that possibility can exist.
For their entire existence, humans have defined what they don't know through faith. Faith in gods, demons, hypotheses, and even in each other.
No law ever declared that faith is objectively good.
Behold the carcass of a dead god, once adrift at sea, now revived.
No longer does its golden king hold faith in gods. The everdistant Olympus crumbled long ago. The faith of humanity is borne by that king, the prosperous lord of self-promulgation. Self-promulgation. What a pretentious word, who wrote this script? Oh? Me? Hm, I'll allow it then.
Anyway.
Behold his glorious adversaries. The Earth, Sea, and Heavens all tear the world apart, and even still, the golden king maintains the faith of the people.
But where will their faith go when his adaptive systems fail?
At the end of all things, who is the anchor of this story?
And...
what do the numbers mean?

The second interlude; an expose on more of my glorious self.The second interlude; an expose on more of my glorious Personal Skills.

Humble Dog EX
A skill which originates from the incident in which Caster saved the Dachen of the era from a mortal curse by means of a spirit, what some derivative magi in the East would call a "Shikishin". The Dachen's dog trapped him in his own house, and upon request, Caster divined and arrested the practitioner who tried to kill the most august minister.
Rapid Predictive Calculation-Type Interference Magecraft. In other words, divining the target, and calculating the incoming spell's properties to flawlessly reduce its power to zero, thereby ending it.
Functionally, it is not a Magic Resistance for oneself, but for one's allies.

Senzei Uranai A+
Exactly what the name implies.
Divination that requires material components.
With this skill, Caster is able to essentially lock the future in place by confirming it with his divination, although there are certain limits and prerequisites to that.
It also allows him to emulate Clairvoyance of any given rank through mental divination, and by comparison of divination to the Six Supernatural Powers, the formation of long-range instantaneous communications as a form of clairaudience.

Khandro'i Skar Ma A
The single greatest symbol in the study of Yin-Yang magecraft. A star that embodies an entire Foundation in a single simple form. An entire Privileged Domain that exists because of and for Caster.
Countless spells, including techniques for Tudun, divine flames, Saint Graph Replication, Saint Graph Alteration, divine realm replication, and automated house cleaning.
"R**mba? I've been using that technique for over 700 years!"
... or so he says.

On the third matter; a tale of the Sun and the Moon's eternal struggles.On the third matter; a tale of the Sun and the Moon's eternal struggles.

The light of the Heavens descends upon the Earth every day. That much is a basic fact.
And yet, if the Sun were to flare and incinerate the Earth, would that be "just any day"?
This Immortal says: no. No it would not.
The Moon has been the Earth's companion for almost as long as it's existed. When the Sun descends and the oceans boil, the Moon can shield the Earth. The Moon has no atmosphere or water to boil, so it can protect life.
In this world, decadent radiance begets divine pleasure. Love for oneself is equal to love for God.
The impartial Sun reaps what has grown on this planet, taking passion for itself as if it is the farmer who sowed the crops and tended to the bushels.
Resistance! The Moon will not rest idle as the Sun plunders the Earth.
But the Sun holds so much power. Millions upon millions of energy units pour from the 10-as-1.
How can the centre of this solar system be defeated?
Who is qualified to stand before God?
What does it truly mean to reap from humanity?

The third interlude; an expose on what makes me who I am in your history.The third interlude; an expose on what makes me who I am in your History.

Hm, who am I?
The lord of both Yin and Yang.
The great Artist, who holds the Sun in his chest.
The advisor to the Emperor and his Ministers.
The diviner of calamities against the nation.
The founder of the eternal bureau.
The enemy of a ridiculous cat.
The sealer of a radiant fox.
The opponent of the drunken boy.
The immortal who sits on the sunlit peaks.
The most spectacular individual in the epoch of peace.
You must've guessed it by now, right?
My True Name?
Does it even need to be said?
It does?
Should we run a poll?
That's a bad way to make decisions, you say?
Well alright, I suppose I'll give you my real True Name. Well, I did give it to you. I just gave you the wrong transcript.
Anbei Qingming was a false name.
The great Onmyouji, the master of the Bureau, creator of the Seiman, and Immortal on Penglai...
Abe-no-Seimei, present and accounted for!

On the fourth matter; a tale of when light falters in the desert.On the fourth matter; a tale of when light falters in the desert.

The skies have gone blank. The stars are no longer in creation. They have already fallen, fallen far into the Serpent's maw.
An eternal conflict, ground to a halt. The Solar Disk has become part of the world.
Shine, O' glorious Disk. Give fertility, glory, and unity to the ancient empire.
Glow, O' glorious Sun. Give warmth, light, and peace to the lands.
Dim, O' stationary Star. Give sleep, comfort, and protection to the people.
Die, O' solar Pyramid. Give curses, death, and hatred to all the Earth.
A hopeless fight under a sky that has no Sun.
Consuming is another form of ending isn't it?
If so, then the evil of this land cannot be averted. Delay as much as you will, offer up everything you can eat to the Sun, and postpone the ending.
The Buddha's guidance can no longer be found.
What lies behind the glorious facade?
What is the cause and effect of the Hell on Earth?
Why did the Sun stand still?

The fourth interlude; an expose on some of my biggest spells, if you will.The fourth interlude; an expose on some of my Noble Phantasms, if you will.

Juugohiki Nezumi to Juugoko Mikan - Sessouseki Doujisarashi

Fifteen Rats and Fifteen Oranges - Humble Priest Stone Douji Doxxing

Type: Anti-Spirit
Rank: A
Range: 1~100
Maximum Number of Targets: 3 opposing spirits

Concisely; 十五匹ネズミと十五個蜜柑 ー 拙僧石童子晒.
The embodiment of three of Seimei's most famous anecdotes.
His embarrassment of the Buddha's most humble priest, Ashiya Douman.
His locating and sealing of the dynasty-destroyer, Tamamo-no-Mae.
And his locating the most dangerous Oni of the time, Shuten-Douji.

Step one: the Douji Doxxing.
Lord Seimei's first step is to ascertain the location of his enemy in 12 dimensions, inclusive of time. The precision of his calculations of these values will substantially improve the effect of the end result. A stationary target is extremely simple; a rapid target such as a certain Rider in his chariot, or a crimson-wielding spearman, or especially the likes of the hidden Assassins, are all much more difficult to track the location of in so many dimensions. However, he refuses to lower it by even one dimension out of pride.

Step two: the Tamamo Truthing.
Lord Seimei unravels the truth of his opponent, divining their karmic balance, physical structure on the molecular level, total energy (inclusive of mass), and then forms a precise inverse as a spell formula. A contradiction that would, like antimatter, utterly annihilate an enemy if it were to fill the same space, but just as much, given that it is only a formula, it can do nothing on its own.

Finally, the Douman Disgracing.
Lord Seimei forms a minuscule Bounded Field in his enemy's body, no larger than a fingernail, with the Tamamo Truth formula engraved on its surface. Utilizing the principles of Bounded Field destruction, Seimei introduces a destabilizing energy into the field, which causes it to shatter and externalize the formula into the space of the person. Opposites converge and repel.
An assured kill.
An ugly kill.
But a kill nonetheless.

Hourai Nikkou Seimei Gono Shinshou

Fivefold Blessings of Seimei from the Sunlit Immortal Mountain upon the Divine Generals

Type: Anti-Unit/Anti-Army
Rank: EX
Range: 999
Maximum Number of Targets: Everything the light touches

Concisely; 蓬莱日光晴明五野神将.
A representation of Seimei's true self. The immortal who holds the Sun's divine lineage in his blood.
Lord Seimei is said to be the child of a Kitsune, who are the servants of the Golden White Face. In Tibet, these servants take the form of sacred vultures, Khandroma. Khandroma are those who circle the Vulture Peak, where the Buddha gave his sermons as the greatest of all immortals, on a mountain analogous to the peaks of Mt. Penglai. The peaks of mountains are in turn where the Sun rests in the evening, and from where it rises in the morning.
In other words, Lord Seimei's greater living self, still alive as a Shen Xianren, drops a huge load of power down from the peaks of Penglai.
The Servant Seimei is merely a facsimile, a Divided Spirit that the greater self created on a whim. Consequently, when he unleashes his full power by invoking his divine heritage and immortal nature at the same time, his greater self responds.
"Wooo, go me! Little guy go! I've got you covered, my scrunkly little self!"
... Lord Seimei was always a bit ahead of his time.

The divine blessings of Seimei flood his allies with his enormous magical energy, like doping but with less needles and far more ecstatic feelings. Ranks increase in every field, Noble Phantasms can be freely employed, and even a temporary revival effect can be enforced.
The land on which Seimei's lesser self stands "becomes Penglai", allowing him to fully access the Privileged Domains, but there are still limitations to how much magical energy he can move at any one time.
"Lord Jiang Ziya certainly knows how to make the most of the limited power of a Servant vessel. I wouldn't have thought of that solution, even with the full power of the Privileged Domains."
Despite his ego, he still respects his peers.

On the fifth matter; a tale of an evil most familiar.On the fifth matter; a tale of an evil most familiar.

A familiar city, the burning edge of a story's start.
So close, and yet, so far from reality.
A what-if that could never have been. The Holy Grail's clutches are fixed upon someone different. Hatred begets hatred; love begets love. The cycle of retribution is, itself, Samsara.
Burning and quenching. A repeated cycle of cursed flames and holy waters. Where one goes, so must the other.
Unlimited agony, followed by impossible bliss. The sword of reality revolves through the lives of the common folk heartlessly, as Mystery becomes observed, and an ancient ritual falls victim to its own machinations.
Giving sapience to a wish-granting machine was truthfully a boon and a bane.
All the pain, suffering, and evil in the world coagulate here, just past the midpoint in the epic.
And from the beyond, a familiar face returns.
Even in the isolated history of this acnode, such a thing should be impossible.
Before you arrive at this point, should you have the opportunity, ponder upon the original cause and effect.
What is Chaldea?
For what purpose were Rayshifts prepared?
The watchful eyes of the stars will look over your answer sheet carefully.

The fifth interlude; an expose on who I think I am.The fifth interlude; an expose on my Personality.

Abe-no-Seimei is a genius of unmatched calibre, the greatest magus in the entire Eastern hemisphere, the supreme master of all Onmyoudou, and lord over all creation.
At least, that's how he advertises himself.
The truth is that he's a young man at heart, regardless of his immortality. That's not to say there is no maturity in him, but he has chosen to embrace his chaotic nature as a kitsune, and his lawful nature as a bureaucrat all at the same time. He cares for even his rivals, loathes injustice, and especially repudiates improperly filled forms causing people distress. He is an ally of the people, from the greatest emperor to the lowest beggar. The Demonic Sphere of the Heian Era required constant opposition, and only when the Oni calmed down and the Primate Sphere expanded properly did he finally chose to abandon his original mortal body. Rather than ascending through exploitation of the Underworld's bureaucracy, as Shijiexian do, or by meditation and understanding, he became a Shen Xianren, alternatively read as a Zhen Xianren. A singular being who has both the humanity of a Zhenren and the superior perspective of a Shenxian.
Consequently, while he cares deeply for the people, his sense of empathy and normality are inherently skewed by his divinity. He cannot fully relate to the humans he so loves.
But unlike his fellow inhuman immortal, the magus trapped in Paradise, there is no chance that Seimei will ever betray mankind.
He would sooner cut off his tails than allow such a disgrace to besmirch his spirit.

With regards to his Master, he will usually prefer to act as their extremely active and friendly advisor.
Whether his advice is worth listening to or not is a question better left for one's own judgement.
After all, foxes just want to have fun.
... so Seimei says.

On the sixth matter; a tale of love, both timeless and imaginary.On the sixth matter; a tale of love, both timeless and imaginary.

I have to say, it's rather rude. You got a sneak peak at this one already! Blasted snake, I'll eat him. And his pretty little bird too.
Ahem. Apologies, I didn't mean to say that.
Out loud, at least.
This story is one that speaks of love.
God's love is infinite, and so his love for a spouse would be incomparable. Worlds and galaxies would be his wedding bands and jewels for a spouse.
However. If God's love is infinite, then his grief when his love is forced to be severed would be equally enormous.
No matter how much mankind progresses, no matter what paths they take, never again would he and his wife be united.
The timeless grief would beget eternal suffering.
If mankind's glory and birthright is the power to choose, then God's retribution would be the utter control over all that exists. A deterministic universe where God has already chosen your torture.
Even if 109 years passed, destiny would never change.
God's fantasy would remain imaginary. Even a master of gifts would never be able to return what was taken.
Some day, perhaps he would find the love he once knew.
And yet...
who is the true culprit?
Who is the mysterious Graf?
What lengths would God go to in order to return his beloved wife to existence, even with his infinite power?

The sixth interlude; an expose on who I really don't like.The sixth interlude; an expose on who I really have Opinions about.

Caster of Limbo: Dolt and dottard. I take a well-earned break from the arduous task of managing the Bureau of Onmyou for one week and this clown walks in and starts a Holy Grail War centred on the Imperial Palace.

Ashiya Douman: My single most talented rival. Naturally, he falls far short of me, but he truly did give me a challenge every now and then. I don't hate him, but I will take every chance to bully him again~

Tamamo-no-Mae: Hey, hey, it's nothing personal, you were the one trying to murder the imperial family. What am I doing with these tails? I have as much right as you, sourpuss.

Shuten-Douji: A troublesome pest. She may have been the greater of the two, but I found that it was Ibaraki-Douji who would cause more problems in the long run. After all, her connection with that boy from Watanabe......

Ibuki-Douji: The holy origin from which Shuten-Douji sprang. The divine dragon who claims power over all of creation. If it had been you instead of her, I doubt we could've defeated you.

Fujiwara-no-Michinaga: My esteemed supporter. How's the dog?

Students of Onmyoudou: Given how you all have a defined Saint Graph, I doubt there's much I can feasibly teach you. Besides, I don't wanna teach right now, the old man's making martinis with my name on 'em.

Jiang Ziya: My equivalent from a nearby nation. He cooks the best fish in the Immortal world, you should try it. You have? Private fishing trip? Oh my.

Loki=Rod: As a fellow who has lost his wife from various circumstances, I can't help but feel a bit of sympathy. Hm, is that what that feels like? How annoying.

Fenris-Suetus: I sense a kindred spirit of sorts... In other words, a good boye....

Sukunabikona-no-Kami: Oh hey look, it's lord onsen~. How about you and I head off for a while, I could do with a stretch and soak. These old bones don't work like they used to without it.

The Horned God: One question if you would, Mr. Horny: What's your opinion on Cernunnos' enormous fluffy mass?

████████: While carrying the veneer of being an ally of humanity, you plot to subjugate them all in a faux paradise. For someone connected so broadly, your perspective of what humans can do is far too limited. From the peaks of Mt. Penglai, I will keep my eye on you, o' Queen of Possibility.

The Holy Grail: The Grail? That funny little thing? Haha! Master, you're killing me here! I'll need to meditate for the next thousand years to recover from how funny that is! "Omnipotent Wish-Granter" Pah! Omnipotently wishgrant these NUーー (Lord Seimei was expelled from the dining room).

On the seventh matter; a tale of the sundering of both time and space.On the seventh matter; a tale of the sundering of both time and space.

Hm, so you are headed to the Kyō-no-Miyako after all. How funny. Well, maybe I'll see you there.
The Minister of the Left has been approached with a most enticing offer. The eternal protection of the Capital, a nation that will reign for not just a thousand years, but until the cosmos collapse.
Limitless power corrupts limitlessly. The August Fujiwara has never truly understood this concept.
And thanks to both the Fujiwara and the interloper, the entire era has become a cacaphony.
The Holy Grail, a tool designed to empower the lord of the lands, has instead created a whole new system.
The Great and August System for the Summoning of Servants in Pursuit of the title of the Champion of Mt. Fuji's Most Glorious and Auspicious Competitive League.
In short, the Competitive Summoning System.
A world where humans can wield Servants freely, treating them as mindless tools without punishment. The system itself is geared towards an endless cycle of combat.
A mysterious jester is the sole free Servant left in this land.
At the pinnacle of the world, where Heaven meets Earth, a great palace has been built to suit the Minister of the Left. Ritual stones were seen being carried up, and a stranger in foreign clothes has been seen coming to and fro with the Fujiwara.
Just what is going on?
What caused the degenerate summoning system?
In a world without Rogue Servants as aides, how will Chaldea cope?

On the eighth matter; a tale of the mastermind.On the eighth matter; a tale of the mastermind.

The finale, from what I see.
A utopic hellscape. A forever-kingdom made by the Devil for the sake of one person.
A false Round Table, a terrifying domain where murder and massacre are synonymous with love and kindness.
The Devil's territory will always be a hell-realm.
This is the den of evil, the hive of sin. The Devil's minions and their Servants have returned to this land, where all is permitted. Their lord has called to them, and the Mark of the Beast pulses.
Carrion, carcasses, children, and charcoal.
Naturally, these things are all of interest to the denizens of the Infinity Kingdom Camelot.
In a world completely cut off from human history, in a world designed as both a paradise for one man, and as a superweapon to annihilate the continuous course of history, what hope is there for salvation?
Bend your knees, fall prostrate, and pray.
The Mother of All Sin is the acting lord of these lands. There can be no ending other than death.
Will it be death for Chaldea?
What prosperity can be found in a calamity?
Can countless deaths create an eternity?
Does the devil truly lie in the details?

So how was it? Was my story entertaining? Fascinating? Even slightly interesting?
Maybe you've learned from it. Maybe it meant nothing at all to you.
After all, dear readers, when all is said and done, it will be as if it never happened.
It will all be a phantasmal dream. What happened here will not be worthy of truth.
It will be like a midsummer night's dream.It will be like a midsummer night's dream.





Authorial Notation

Finished just in the nick of time! What, did you think I was going to jumpscare you with a surprise Pretender here? No, I'm not that sadistic, nor self-destructive enough to make all of what I wrote some giant ploy. Besides, I'm not of the opinion that that makes for good writing in most cases. It's better to weave truth in amongst lies. If you succeed in that, your readers will never know the difference between the truth and the lies.

I only have one major note for syncretism in this. And that's the entire syncretism list I concocted, which is possibly the most obtuse way to connect Seimei, Amaterasu, and the Immortals on Kunlun and Penglai.
Behold, something to rival even the illustrious Konjiki Hakuchain:

Seimei, child of a Kitsune (Kuzu-no-Ha)
Kuzu-no-Ha falls within the dominion of Dakiniten
Dakiniten derives from Dakini, known as Khandro in Tibet
Khandroma are depicted as bird-like creatures, including the holy vultures
Vultures represent the Vulture Peak, where the Buddha gave many sermons, and thus is analogous to the peaks of Mt. Penglai as the "mountain on which immortals gather"
thus, Abe-no-Seimei, the Great Onmyouji, became a manmade Zhenren | Zhen Xianren
"it is to my mother, who carries the blood of the Great Dakini, that I owe the title 'Shen'" (shen sounds like zhen, also refers to a type of immortal (shenxian). additionally, "Zhen (true)" from "Zhenren" is 真, which sounds exactly like "Shen (God)" from Shenxian (神仙) in japanese (真人 Shinjin = Zhenren, 神仙 Shinsen = Divine immortal))
Dakiniten is said to be Inari-Okami
Inari-Okami is fused with Uka-no-Mitama as a consequence of being agriculture deities
Uka-no-Mitama is in turn connected to Toyouke-Omikami
Toyouke-Omikami is worshipped at the Ise Jingu's outer shrine
the Ise Jingu is the primary shrine of Amaterasu-no-Oomikami
ergo, Abe-no-Seimei is a Zhen Xianren with the divine qualities of the Solar Amaterasu

So in the end, I didn't sycretise Seimei himself, but rather his qualities and inherent nature. Muse upon this curiosity at your own leisure.

Further note: The priest who imported worship of Dakiniten to Japan (Saichou) primarily used the Lotus Sutra as a foundation for his worship. Said sutra is said to have been penned by Gautama Buddha on the Vulture Peak, and therefore forms another connection between Seimei and the Buddha's Vulture Peak.




And yes, Seimei disrespects Tamamo so much that he maliciously reduced her to just one character (

seki

石

) in his first Noble Phantasm.

[Spelror]

Submission deadline is in eight hours

fuck if I post it by the end of today does it work `^*/

[asterism42]

Past the deadline, sorry

Voting is now open, by the way

[Spelror]

ok i guess.
time to vote.


3 points goes to Best Witch Cuca by Wyvern

2 points goes to Horned Bro by sutaa

1 point goes to Moriya by Random. Will be writing my Star God thing sheet based of it. wish me luck.

Honorable Mentions to Sun God and Company, Matarisvan, Santa, as well as Loki. A very late welcome and honorable attempt to Mr. A

well, guess I came in late so I would be striking out mine. Will be compiling the sheets in a while.


edit:-Still figuring out how to link posts-