Create-A-Servant 3

[Kamera]

amazing, 4 pages and only a single sheet posted. why did you even make a servant idea containment thread if all discussion eventually come back here.

[DelRey]

Nine lives doesnt bother and the weird part is it is not even his servant. The self-proclaimed Fortuna secretary just outsources the production to Fortuna itself.
But yeah, enough. You got more Feedback for your confucius and Nimrod stuff than others get feedback for their sheets. Let Fortuna do the part of actual creativity and decision making

[NINE-lives]

Half of it was just spent arguing about stupid shit with koga.

[DelRey]

And that is not part of this thread too
Conversations here and there are no problem. But when it expands to this levels just talk over private messages or visitor messages.
This extends to Koga. The CaS thread is not a place for questions about our favourite philosopher or roman emperor. There was another thread for that somewhere else here in the forum

[Kabalisto Koga]

And that is not part of this thread too
Conversations here and there are no problem. But when it expands to this levels just talk over private messages or visitor messages.
This extends to Koga. The CaS thread is not a place for questions about our favourite philosopher or roman emperor. There was another thread for that somewhere else here in the forum

okay i understand but i havent found that specific thread , but i must admit you are quite an art affine person as you made some artist be it in the visual or the musical form.

[DelRey]

Mehkitteh:
So, lets try to bring back that for what the thread is for.
First of i read your sheet earlier but had not time to comment and hoped others would do. It would have fit in the contest.
I think the clairvoyance rank is too high, i mean why would someone of her mediocre reknown have a higher rank than all the other big names we have so far?
High speed poetry opens the door for a fun summer alt later down the line. Assassin alt because she killed all in epic rap battles of fgo history.
In her np im not sure why python plays a role there. I mean apollo had the authority over it as well, so why take typhon in there too? But thats just semantics
Fun sheet, i hope to see her in a version that concentrates on rapping somehow

[MehKitteh]

I think the clairvoyance rank is too high, i mean why would someone of her mediocre reknown have a higher rank than all the other big names we have so far?

Wouldn't someone like the Oracle of Delphi, one of the largest, if not the largest and most famous seer in Ancient Greek that is consulted by most of people in Greek Mythology (Heracles visited her after he went mad, Oedipus' prophecy was from her, among others), be more than 'mediocre renown'? My vision for a 'vanilla' Phemonoe (that is, when she is summoned as a Caster), she'd have Clairvoyance Skill at EX (that also means that she does qualify as a Grand Caster, but that's another can of worms), so I just slid her Ranks down accordingly, seeing clairvoyance is such an integral part of her identity.

In her np im not sure why python plays a role there. I mean apollo had the authority over it as well, so why take typhon in there too? But thats just semantics

While it is true that Apollo has authority over the divinations, specifically in the Oracle of Delphi's case, they enact divinations after a lengthy ritual followed by the inhalation of the fumes of Python, in which they get their visions from Apollo. This suggests that at least partially, Python's existence also have a hand in their future-sight abilities. Or at least that's what I'm going for.

[DelRey]

Well then both were my mistakes.
Didnt know she was just one of many. When i heard stories it was usually just "to the oracle of delphi" and always just assumed its another girl.
And i read typhon, not python.
Today i learned

[Kabalisto Koga]

Wasn't python killed by Apollo to free the Oracle place ?

[NINE-lives]

This thread is pretty empty now. I’m guessing everyone is busy in the big contest.

[Vance]

Mm, might have a sheet posted in a few days for halloween.

[BnEl15]

Me too, next part of my project is almost done.

[DelRey]

i am just stuck with the direction of a sheet
when that is done i should have three sheets pretty quickly

[BnEl15]

Top-level creator's note

Part 4
There are times where I put 100% edge into my sheet (Hong Xiuquan), and other times where I put 100% angst into them (Oichi). Now... wanna see what happens when I put 150% edge and 150% angst simultaneously? Read on to find out!

Anyway, I'm not kidding when I say this sheet deals with some... dark and heavy stuff, so better get ready for that. Honestly this is starting to feel less like a Spooktober project and more like an excuse for me to go completely balls out on writing.

Directory
Part 1 - Mahendradatta: The Forsaken Widow
Part 2 - Airlangga: The Sin of Not Knowing
Part 3 - Mpu Bharada: The Kingmaker's Journey
Part 4 - You are here

Alter-Ego of Lightless Tragedy
-- Daughter of Evil --

"You summoned me! A mere phantom such as myself, chosen by the Grail to stand alongside heroes of myths and legends... Ah yes, just as I thought, this feeling... it really makes me sick. HOW MUCH LONGER DO I HAVE TO FIGHT!? FOR THE SAKE OF THOSE HYPOCRITES WHO KILLED ME AND MOTHER, NO LESS! Monsters in human skin who parade on and on and on about honor, virtue, and justice, while selfishly crushing an innocent girl's happiness in front of her eyes simply for standing up for herself after a life of misery inflicted by those very same people! Now, look me in the eyes and answer me this, 'Master'... Would you honestly have me fight for their sake?"]


Source

"Tell me, do you comprehend the depths of your folly? Have your kind finally come to beg for forgiveness and salvation after the hell you've put us through? Or have you come to embrace your own hypocrisies? To admit that deep down, you're no different than the monsters you've created? Hmph, that won't do. Scums who put on masks and preach of 'justice' to hide the unsightliness in their own hearts should just burn and die a thousand miserable deaths in the deepest corner of hell."

Class: Alter-Ego
Other Classes: -
True Name: Ratna Manggali
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Origin: Javanese and Balinese folklore, Indonesia (10th century)

Parameters:

STR: E
END: C
AGI: C
MGI: B
LCK: E
NP: C

Likes: Her mother, justice, punishing human hypocrisies, finding love
Dislikes: Ignorance, hypocrisy, perpetrators of injustice, her mother's teasing
Talent: Black magic, torture, forbidden rituals
Natural Enemy: Airlangga
Armament: Staff, spellbook, dagger
Catalyst: An offering to the goddess Durga, along with the fresh blood of an infant who has yet to touch the ground (though this has a greater chance of summoning her mother instead)

Class Skills

Distortion (B)

A Skill that forces the distortion of the class the Servant was originally called forth in. He or she would receive the other class' specialty as proof. Conversely, at least one among the set of the original Class Skills has declined. An unstable existence which barely qualifies as a Servant, rather than altering her supposed Class, this Skill forces her to manifest as an Alter-Ego despite a number of other Classes she could theoretically qualify for. Her desire for vengeance burns bright, but not bright enough to manifest as an Avenger. Her connection to her mother is true, but not true enough to qualify as a Faker. Her hatred towards humanity is powerful, but not powerful enough to be summoned as a Pretender. These issues ultimately stem from her lack of fame, as even in her own homeland, she was known as nothing more than "daughter of the Demon Queen Rangda". As such, she can only be summoned due to this connection, and she is treated simply as another "aspect" of Rangda, resulting in the Alter-Ego Class. As a Servant, she possesses the Class Skills of the Avenger, Faker, and Pretender Classes, but these Skills are very weak and unstable. Thus, all things considered, she can only manifest as an Alter-Ego due to it being the only Class even remotely willing to accept her... at least, that is the case within the confines of Proper Human History.

"Pathetic as it is, it's true. The fact that I am standing here before you now must mean that you've summoned my mother at some point, and her connection to me brought me forth. In my own legend, I was nothing more than a victim, after all. In some versions, even less than that. Did you know, Master, that I don't even exist in some versions of the legend? Or that in other versions, they retconned the story so that I was a damsel in distress who was saved from my mother, married the disciple of that bastard monk, and lived happily ever after? Can you just IMAGINE the AUDACITY of it all!? To dismiss my suffering as if they never happened!? As if the story ended with the wise, virtuous, and oh-so-powerful Hero-King Airlangga defeating the Demon Queen and bringing peace to the Kingdom!? Worse, in the other version, they made up a whole different character to live a happy life, the very same life that THEY took from me! At this point, it's not that they didn't know about my suffering. It's more like they don't want to know!"

Oblivion Correction (D-)

A Class Skill of the Avenger class. People are creatures that forget many things, but an Avenger never forgets. The critical effect of Avengers who attack from beyond one's memory is strengthened. Due to the effects of Distortion, under most cases, Alter-Ego only receives the disadvantages with none of the benefits. She could remember every slight, every wound, every painful act done against her, yet the attack boost she receives is abysmal compared to the unending sorrow and hatred brought by this Skill.

"Why someone like me would answer the Grail's call to save the Human Order? Pfft, 'save', yes, what kind words you use, Master! The very idea that you thought of me that way is enough to make me want to vomit. No, Master, I have no desire to 'save' them from anything. It's just that their fate right now... is far too forgiving. After everything they did..! AFTER EVERYTHING THEY DID! Do they really think they could just blink out of existence one day!? No, no, that's not enough. They must suffer longer. They should burn and die a thousand deaths in a hell of their own making, after everything they've put us through. Only then, after I've proven that justice truly does exist... perhaps only then my happiness would..."

Camouflage (D-)

A Skill that allows a Servant to disguise their Class and parameters, made possible through the connection shared between Alter-Ego and her mother. She could imitate her Class, appearance, and parameters, but her mannerisms could not be anymore different compared to her mother. Honestly, the only reason she could not be instantly identified even when using this Skill is simply because her complete lack of fame.

"Mother... if mother is a Demon Queen, would that make me a Demon Princess? The title is a wonderful one to have, and technically speaking, I am a princess before... everything happened. But fate is a cruel thing, isn't it? Or rather, humans are cruel. We cannot blame the threads of fate for everything, after all. Now... I don't even have the luxury to think of what could have been. If I must wield my mother's mask to enact my vengeance... so be it."

Anti-Human Order (E-)

An ability that puts a stop to everything created by humanity, as well as the laws that work in humanity's favor. It is a Skill originally possessed by the Beast and Pretender Classes. Experiencing the true "evils" of humanity, endless suffering perpetuated by those who branded themselves as "heroes" and fought in the name of "justice", Alter-Ego's hatred towards humanity runs deep. This Skill should have been ranked considerably higher in theory, but her lack of fame, the effects of Distortion, and being summoned in a sub-optimal Class has reduced this Skill's effects to its bare minimum rank. During her life, this feeling of boundless hatred had nowhere to go, and her life was snuffed out before she could act upon them. Yet as a Servant...

"Why am I doing all this, you ask? Why I hate, killed, and inflicted suffering upon others? It's simple, really, or have you forgotten already? Because that was the only thing you taught us in turn. To hate, to kill, to punish, all for what? To make yourselves feel good? To bask in some twisted sense of moral superiority? I know not the reason, but... is it wrong for me to indulge in your own little games?"

Personal Skills

Mother's Teachings (B)

A composite Skill denoting Faker's status as daughter of the Demon Queen, encompassing everything her mother taught her. Denotes mastery in Magecraft, Shapeshifting, and Illusionism. While Alter-Ego's abilities are slightly less refined compared to her mother's, years spent under the Demon Queen's tutelage had turned her into a force to be reckoned with. Alter-Ego is capable of complex transformations, highly convincing illusions, and various types of magecraft fit for a so-called Demon Princess (though most of the time, she wields spells with themes of morbid cruelty and body horror).

"I remember times where my mother would gaze absentmindedly into the distance with a sorrowful look on her face. Occasionally, she would reminisce about her youth, a much simpler life as a princess from a kingdom just across the ocean, back when she was free- or, well- as free as a princess could at the time, at least. Yet she would immediately catch herself, claiming that she can no longer dream of those distant days... Don't you think that's unfair? The kingdom took everything from her, and now she's forced to guard the balance between good and evil for the rest of eternity. She was certainly a demon, and at this point, perhaps I am the same. Yet despite all that... even demons are not exempt from sorrow and suffering."

Affection of the Demon Queen (A)

Nearing the end of her legend, it was said that the Demon Queen Rangda invited all eligible bachelors across the land in a contest for her daughter's hand in marriage. Unsurprisingly, not many suitors were willing to attend due to the Queen's terrifying reputation. Those who did attend, she deemed "unworthy" after a series of tests, and brutally smote through the power of Durga's black magic. The blessing of an overprotective mother, a small part of the Demon Queen's authority is embedded within Alter-Ego's Saint Graph, replicating this effect, albeit to a lesser degree. Simply put, anyone who would get close to her, either platonically or romantically, must earn her mother's approval (though it's unclear what her standards are). Otherwise, their luck would gradually decrease. In more... urgent situations, this gradual process is skipped entirely, and a single calamity (such as a life-threatening accident or a fatal illness) would instantly befall the target.

"To think my mother would still interfere with my love life even now... doesn't she realize that this clashes with the rest of my character? Still, marriage, huh... a long, long time ago, I dreamed of becoming a bride. Walking down the aisle with the love of my life... it was such a nice dream, but now... I have no right to dream of such happy fantasies. Not yet. Not until I could be sure that my happiness would finally last this time around. That's why... Could you accompany me on this bloody path for just a little while longer?"

Endless War of Good and Evil (False) (E)

A fragment of the Demon Queen's power. The Demon Queen Rangda is an avatar of evil, fated to battle the Divine Beast Barong, the avatar of good, for all eternity. Thus, it was said that whenever one of the two fell, so long as the concept of "good" and "evil" still exists within the minds of humans, they will always be revived to continue their endless battle. If possessed by the true Rangda, this Skill functions similarly to Independent Action and Battle Continuation, allowing her to function independently without a Master and survive severe wounds. If summoned in her homeland, these effects increase even further, bordering on Independent Manifestation, allowing her to freely resummon herself whenever she is defeated, simply because there is no conceivable future when she can truly "die"... At least, that's how it is for her mother. Alter-Ego only possesses a tiny fraction of this power, manifesting as a minor healing factor and low-ranked Battle Continuation.

"To be denied eternal rest, no matter how much one yearns for it... Humans are quite the paradoxical bunch, aren't they? They despise evil, yet they cannot bring themselves to destroy it once and for all, claiming that the balance between good and evil is 'necessary' and all that. To that end, my mother must continue to play the part of a Demon Queen. No matter the era, the Demon Queen must live on to tempt humans to stray from the righteous path and embrace the darkness... it's not such a complicated problem if you think about it. Evil is unnecessary. They are unsightly, painful, a blight upon humanity. Yet they exist anyway. Humanity cannot reconcile this contradiction that they, for all their talk about honor, virtue, and the like, could commit such atrocities. That's why they need a scapegoat, and that role was forced upon my mother. If the Demon Queen were to die... who else could you blame for your sins but yourselves? Surely you humans cannot have that now, can you?"

Noble Phantasm(s)

Humanity, Bring Your Evils to Light
Kris Dusta

"Oh dear, to think you humans would still keep up your pretense of righteousness even now... You... JUST HOW SHAMELESSLY HYPOCRITICAL CAN YOU BE!? Aah, but that's all right. Yes, this pathetic farce, I shall allow it for just a little while longer. After all, it only makes it all the more fun for me when you finally break. Now, lament! Drown in anguish as your sins are unearthed! Kris Dusta!"

Type: Anti-Unit
Rank: C
Range: 1-2
Max Targets: 1 person

A simple ornamental dagger gifted to Alter-Ego from her mother. While the Demon Queen Rangda is known as the avatar of evil, she's generally not considered as someone who "created" evil itself. While she may tempt humans to sin, ultimately, she simply "unearthed what was already there". Similarly, she is not known as a punishing deity either. She simply unearthed evil, and whether humans would wholeheartedly accept it or harshly punish themselves over it is left entirely up to them.

Embodying a fraction of Rangda's authority, this dagger works with the same principle. It hardly qualifies as a weapon due to its limited range and minimum offensive potential (Alter-Ego's abysmal STR parameter does not help matters). However, the slightest cut from this blade imposes a curse upon the target, one that "unearths their evils". From the moment damage is inflicted, any "evil" acts that the target believed themselves to have committed, no matter how much they deny or justify them, will forcibly resurface, taking the form of illusory shadows taking the form of those they've wronged or voices reminding them of their regrets. Gradually, these hallucinations may bleed further into reality, and the target may find the faces and voices of other people they encounter replaced by those of their perceived "victims". If left untreated using certain purification methods, these illusions may eventually overwrite their perception of reality within a few days, trapping the target in their own personal hell. By then, there are only two ways to overcome this "hell". The first is to wholeheartedly accept their

guilt

sins

, for better or worse. The second... is to take one's own life.

Hypocritical Path of Ruin
Rurung Leyak

"Aah, AHAHAHAH, OF COURSE, OF COURSE! You humans really can't resist that desire for power now, can you!? Just as I thought, even now, they're all the same! Hmph, very well, as mother taught me... feel free to indulge yourself and bask in power, until the day it brings you to ruin! Rurung Leyak!"

Type: Anti-Unit
Rank: D
Range: -
Max Targets: -

An imitation of a blessing that the Demon Queen Rangda bestowed upon her followers. Basically, she promised them power, and gifted them with all sorts of supernatural abilities and sacred artifacts imbued with black magic. Yet the more they utilize these blessings, the more it would warp their minds and bodies, turning them into the Demon Queen's mindless slaves, horrifying monsters known as Leyaks.

Using the same principle, this Noble Phantasm allows Alter-Ego to enchant various objects, ranging from weapons to accessories, with her magecraft, granting its wielder a variety of abilities they could not normally possess, akin to a specialized version of Imperial Privilege tailored to fit the user's needs. The moment a blessing is activated, the object functions as a tracking beacon, allowing Alter-Ego to discern the target's location at any time. Alter-Ego herself could not explicitly force the target to utilize these items, yet the more they do so, the more she would gain insight to their thoughts. A subtle, one-way telepathic connection is also established, allowing her to subconsciously influence their actions to a certain degree. Finally, the more they use these items, the more their bodies and minds would decay, undergoing a grotesque transformation into Leyaks who would follow Alter-Ego's every command.

Due to limitations from her own Saint Graph, Alter-Ego can only create up to three enchanted items at a time. The rate of which a target would transform varies, depending on one's own self-restraint. These enchanted items, as well as individuals who succumbed to the Leyak curse by extension, can be cleansed using certain purification Skills, although the latter would generally require higher-ranking purification rites.

Source

Description

Alter-Ego's True Name is Ratna Manggali, a Balinese princess, daughter of Queen Mahendradatta (later known as the Demon Queen Rangda), and younger sister of the Hero-King Airlangga.

Simply put, Alter-Ego is a young woman filled with pure, unadulterated hatred towards humanity. Hypocrites who preach of their self-righteous standards of justice and virtue, while continuously denying her happiness and concealing their unsightly deeds, going so far as to completely erase or retcon her existence in numerous versions of her (more accurately Rangda and Airlangga's) legend. Due to the trauma born of injustices she faced in life, she is highly neurotic, paranoid, and emotionally unstable, convinced that the evil humans aim to hurt her again. Thus, her actions are largely motivated by the belief that "I must hurt them before they can hurt me", which... doesn't always help matters, to be honest. In battle, she does not seem to display much in terms of planning and complex strategies (despite having decent proficiency in it due to her mother's teachings, if she actually bothers to calm down), instead preferring to impulsively rush into the battlefield, foregoing the versatility of her magecraft for sadistic raw damage and body horror to inflict the greatest amount of fear and pain to her enemies (especially if said enemies include those she deems "evil", according to her definition). Of course, this impulsiveness tends to work against her in most situations. Yet should one ask her for a deeper reason for her actions... she does not seem to fully know it either. She would cite her hatred towards humanity, and the tragedies she suffered, yet its unclear how much of her actions were done to spite humanity, and how much were things she mistakenly considered to be "normal things that normal humans do", due to her... tragic upbringing. All in all, being denied of her theoretically more optimal Class (Avenger), being summonable only due to her connection to the Demon Queen, possessing relatively weak parameters and no immediate offensive Noble Phantasms, and having to "borrow" 90% of her abilities from her mother (only to receive heavily watered-down versions of said abilities), it's as if the entirety of Proper Human History had decided to conspire together to deny her chance at vengeance, for whatever reason.

Very rarely, those especially close to Alter-Ego may witness a different side to her. An innocent young maiden who dreams of romance and becoming a bride, followed by the simple happiness of mundane life. More fitting of someone her age, she secretly enjoys romantic gossip, heartfelt stories, and is annoyed by her overprotective mother's insistent attempts to "find her a proper man". Yet the moment this side of her reveals itself, she would immediately catch herself and revert back to her unstable paranoiac Demon Princess persona. According to her, that side of her implies vulnerability and hope, and she has no right to dream of such things the way things are now. The moment she displays vulnerability and lights the tiniest spark of hope in her heart... she fears that everything will come crashing down once again. Thus, "that innocent young girl must not exist". Due to how long she had been maintaining this persona (if it could even be said that way), she's not even sure which of them is her "true" self anymore. Is she a princess who was forced to adopt the mask of a demon, or a demon who hopelessly dreams to be a princess? Alter-Ego does not know.

Should she manage to somehow get her hands on a Holy Grail, Alter-Ego has numerous wishes to make; to free her mother from her eternal prison, for more people to acknowledge her suffering, to undo the tragedies that befell her, for her brother to finally understand the things she went through... Yet knowing how pathetic she is as a Servant, she had pretty much given up on such wishes. Believing it to be a hopeless endeavor, and that she's too far gone anyway. Now, she only wishes to inflict an inconceivable amount of suffering to her brother, the man who abandoned her, only to destroy her happiness moments away from her attaining it.

Lore (warning: long):

Source

Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful woman by the name of Ratna Manggali. Her beauty and virtue was known throughout the land, and many desired her hand in marriage. However, her mother was a terrifying witch by the name of Rangda. An ugly old woman who had made a pact with the war goddess Durga through heretical rituals, enough to stand on the level of a Demon Queen. These suitors were terrified by Rangda's reputation, and so Ratna remained unmarried. This, in turn, only enraged Rangda, who saw it as an insult to her daughter's honor. Angered, she used her mastery over black magic to terrorize the kingdom, causing various plagues, natural disasters, and an army of Leyaks to devastate it. Eventually, her actions reached the ears of the Hero-King Airlangga, and his most trusted retainer, the wise sage Mpu Bharada. Concerned for the safety of his people, Airlangga knew that the Demon Queen must be stopped. However, her magecraft was too powerful for him to take her down directly. After consulting with the sage, the two came up with a plan. Rangda's magecraft is rooted to her connection to Durga, symbolized by a spellbook she carries with her at all times. Take it, and she should be considerably weakened. And so, our two heroes began putting together a strategy to accomplish this.

One day, Rangda decided to hold another competition to find a suitable husband for her daughter. Unsurprisingly, almost no one was willing to participate. It was here that Mpu Bharada enlisted the help of his disciple, a man by the name of Mpu Bahula, to participate in the contest. A talented soldier and scholar, Mpu Bahula easily won the competition, and thus he was engaged to Ratna Manggali. The engagement celebration was held for seven days and seven nights, and during the celebrations, the pair fell completely in love with each other.

Airlangga and Mpu Bharada decided to enact their plan on the final day of the celebrations. While Rangda was distracted by the proceedings, the two managed to take away her spellbook. Realizing their plan, the Demon Queen flew into a murderous rage and fought with all her might. However, without her spellbook, she was no match for our heroes. Thus, Rangda was slain, Airlangga and Mpu Bharada was showered with praises and gratitude as they returned to the kingdom, while Mpu Bharada and Ratna Manggali were wed and lived happily ever after...

It would have been nice if things ended this way... is that what you think? For a story to end with the dastardly villain slain by a legendary hero, who triumphantly brought peace to the land, while the woman named Ratna Manggali got to live happily ever after with her prince charming, completely disregarding the fact that he only married her to kill her mother.

Alas, life is never that kind. The Ratna Manggali of that story is not me; only a mere puppet created by storytellers to remove nuance and erase the tragedy that is my life, perpetrated by the 'heroes' they admire so much. I refuse to let their oversimplified, pathetic, deceitful attempt at manufacturing a 'happy ending' overwrite of every last drop of pain, sorrow, and hatred I've experienced. Hearken, Master, for this is the true tale of a girl driven to despair and slain in the name of 'justice'...

Act 1: A Daughter's Burden

Ratna Manggali was a princess of the 11th-century Balinese kingdom of Bedahulu. Daughter of King Udayana and Queen Mahendradatta, and younger sister to Airlangga, from a young age, she knew that she was never destined to be heir to the throne over her brother. Even so, her position as royalty should still guarantee her a comfortable life. That was supposed to be the case, until a certain incident tore the family apart.

One night, the young princess encountered her mother, alone in the palace halls. The older woman wore a sorrowful expression on her face, which she immediately tried to hide upon seeing her daughter's face. Yet even as a young girl, Ratna knew that something was wrong. She continued to press her mother for answers, despite the Queen's insistence that everything was all right. Finally relenting, the Queen simply answered that the very next day, she must leave for somewhere far away as punishment for committing something that the entire kingdom could not forgive. The princess insisted to come along, but her mother harshly prohibited her, claiming that following her would only lead to pain. Unbeknownst to her daughter, Queen Mahendradatta thought that even if the world should brand her as a witch or a demon, at the very least, her daughter should still be able to enjoy a happy life as royalty. Now, the Queen simply asked her daughter to go to sleep, do not leave the palace before noon the next day, and keep their conversation a secret. The young princess followed her mother's wishes... yet a part of her remained curious. While her brother was still asleep, she secretly snuck out of the palace in disguise at the early morning of the next day. Surprisingly, at the outer gates of the kingdom, she found her father handing out a final verdict to her mother; permanent exile for practicing witchcraft and black magic. And so the former Queen Mahendradatta was dragged outside the kingdom gates in chains, as the people jeered and threw stones and mud at her. Gasping at this horrifying sight, the princess returned to the palace before her father, pretending that she did not leave her room at all in the morning.

From then on, Ratna continued to play the part of a dutiful daughter and princess. Deep down, she disagreed with her father on her mother's punishment, but she also knew that black magic was a serious offense that not only defies the laws of the world, but also the spiritual realm afterwards. And so she dared not protest, preferring to conceal her emotions and keep her grievances to herself.

Yet tragedy had barely just begun. Months later, the Queen may be long gone, but in a way, her shadow remained, plaguing the King's mind to no end. Now knowing that his wife was a skilled practitioner of the dark arts, he began fearing for his life. Back then, he expected the Queen to die alone in the wilderness within a few days, but there was always a voice of doubt in his head, whispering that she may still be alive and plotting his demise. Rumors of a certain mysterious cult causing "incidents" throughout the kingdom did not help matters. Eventually, fear turned into hatred, and the rift between the princess and the rest of her family continued to grow. In better days, the King simply neglected his daughter and focused on grooming the prince for kingship. On worse days, however... he took out his hatred on his daughter, her face reminding him of the Queen, becoming increasingly convinced that the princess had to be working in secret with her mother to plot his downfall. This treatment was not limited to the palace. Throughout the kingdom, rumors soon spread on how the princess was secretly a fellow practitioner of witchcraft and other heretical rituals. This soon escalated, from rumors spoken in hushed tones, into abhorrent looks, and finally physical assault, the same way they treated her mother back then. The people feared her, a girl who had absolutely nothing to do with the dark arts they accused her of partaking in. All the while, the King turned a blind eye to all of this.

Ratna Manggali simply stayed silent in face of these accusations. Her father would not listen to reason, and protesting would only escalate the abuse further. She wanted tried to confide in her brother a number of times, but between her fear of the King overhearing their conversation (and accusing her of "tainting" his most beloved son) and Airlangga's increasing responsibilities as heir to the throne, she never got a single word in, as much as she wanted to. Thus, she could only weep in despair, knowing what her life had become... until a familiar voice spoke to her on one fateful night.

Act 2: A Princess' Decision

The voice introduced herself as her mother, Queen Mahendradatta, who now goes by the name of Rangda ("Widow"). Ratna's mother had witnessed her suffering this whole time, and after some deliberation, she concluded that it was finally time for her to intervene. Of course, she could not directly appear and whisk her away from the palace. However, she left her with a gift; a single ornamental dagger. According to the voice, an opportunity would soon arrive for her to escape, and she'll know it when the time comes. However, the voice also warned that escaping the palace would mean throwing away everything she had as a member of royalty. Finally, Rangda left the dagger in her daughter's hands. Whether she would use it or not was left entirely to her, as "a tool that symbolizes one's determination to cut open their own path". The voice seemingly vanished after imparting that cryptic message, leaving the princess alone in her room once again.

A few days later, the Cult of Durga launched a large-scale attack on the palace, right when Airlangga happened to be absent to look for their base of operations. Fearing for his own life, the King locked himself in his own chamber. Most of the guards were posted in the front lines, warding off an army of Leyaks. Those who remained inside the palace were ordered to guard the King's chamber, while only a single guard was posted in front of Ratna's room. The girl knew that this was the one opportunity that her mother spoke of. She looked at the dagger, and at the guard standing in front of her room. She knew what she had to do, yet doubt still clouded her mind. There was no going back from what she was about to do. Her life had been hell, sure, but to actually kill someone and leave everything behind..? She tried to calm herself, think of good memories and reminisce on fond times she shared with her family in the palace.

"My life may be hell, but at the very least..."
...
...
...

She could not finish that sentence. For the past few years, she could not recall a single good memory, inside and outside the palace walls.

"My life is hell."
That was it.
Her father had abused her, while her brother had abandoned her.
Even the townspeople were no less cruel to her, that cruelty based solely on rumors and hearsay.

She looked at the dagger again. By doing this, she would throw everything away... but does she even have anything left?
She took a deep breath, steeling herself... and called the guard inside, lying that she had a certain request to make.

The guard entered her room, completely clueless of the fate that was about to befall him. The princess quickly secretly locked the door behind her. She urged him to get closer, acting as if she would whisper an important secret. The guard leaned in...

And she plunged her concealed dagger into his chest. Surprised, he pushed her off, scrambling for the door, only to find it locked. Panicking, the princess held on to him and covered his mouth. She continued to stab blindly, desperate to silence him. As it drew blood, the dagger began emanating an ominous purple glow, as if responding to its wielder's desires. Every stab seemed to drain a considerable portion of the poor man's life force.

After what seemed like forever, it was done. The guard laid cold and unmoving in front of her, his body scarred by countless stab wounds. It was only after this that the princess saw her own figure in the mirror; her hair was messy, her hands were trembling, and her once white robes were painted a dark hue of crimson. There was no going back now. Taking the dagger with her, she snuck out of the palace amidst the chaos.

She ran and never looked back.

Act 4: A Demon's Reunion

Ratna Manggali continued to run. Her previous life, her father and brother, her title as a princess... she had discarded each and every one of them. Yet unexpectedly, she felt no sorrow. For once, she felt liberated, as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

Ratna continued to run, leaving the palace, the city outskirts, until she ended up in the dark tropical forests of Bali. She lost track of how much she ran, and how much time had passed. Blindly making her way through the forest, she finally reached a clearing. Feeling the exhaustion catching up to her, she decided to take a break, drifting into slumber. It was the best sleep she had gotten in years, without her father's terrifying voice echoing in her mind. Instead, she was woken up that night by the sound of traditional musical instruments in the distance. She stumbled through the darkness of the forest, looking for the origin of the sound. She saw the faint light of bonfires and made her way towards it.

It was nothing like she had ever imagined. It was a festival. Music and laughter filled the air. Yet strangely enough... none of the attendants were human. Ratna spied a number of Leyaks, some vaguely-humanoid entities, and various other manners of ghosts and demons that she once heard in her bedtime stories. She recalled stories of "ghost parades" taking place at certain dates of the month, and now, she was witnessing one such event with her own eyes. Carefully, she approached the festivities... then everything went silent. The music stop, and the spirits ceased their dancing. They eyed her curiously... before making their way for her. The crowd parted, revealing a certain figure at the center of the festivities, an older woman with long hair, wearing disheveled clothes.

Ratna knew it was her mother, yet even she must admit that the years she spent in the forest had not been kind to her. There was a tired look in her eyes, her once gentle features were barely there, replaced by a stoic expression with a hint of sorrow. Her nails had grown, becoming claws that could tear into flesh, and overall, there was an overwhelming aura of dread surrounding her. The woman looked back at her, her expression unchanging, and for a few more seconds, all was silent.

Then she smiled. The terrifying Demon Queen Rangda smiled at her daughter as she ran to embrace her tearfully. Rangda assured her daughter that she was finally safe, and no one else could hurt her, while apologizing for leaving her behind years ago. After so long, mother and daughter was finally reunited, and the festivities resumed in full swing.

Reunion (Source)

Act 4: A Mother's Request

From then on, Rangda taught her daughter everything she knew about the dark arts. The girl was initially reluctant, but recalling how the entire kingdom treated her, and how she finally earned her freedom after being abused by an uncaring world for so long, she accepted. The kingdom must pay. She was no longer the pathetic, powerless weakling that she once was, and the world will know that. Ratna quickly absorbed everything her mother taught her, and in just a few months, she became a decently talented mage in her own right.

Afterwards, the two continued to enact their brand of justice at the kingdom. Attacks perpetrated by the Cult of Durga intensified, and disasters became more frequent. To see the people who mistreated her scream and beg for their lives before the Leyaks tore them limb to limb... Ratna considered it highly cathartic. To see some of the very same people who abused her in the name of "justice" approach the cult, begging to learn the dark arts to inflict harm upon their rivals and enemies... Ratna could only laugh bitterly at their hypocrisy.

For a while, her long-awaited vengeance tasted sweet... yet deep down, she knew that this could not last forever. The cult had several run-ins with the kingdom soldiers ordered to hunt them down. Each encounter always left a bloody pile of corpses in its wake as casualties fell from both sides, and even she had several close calls herself. Eventually, she came to the conclusion that so long as her and her mother's vengeance remained, conflicts between the two parties would continue to escalate, and many more lives would be lost. And who's to say her own life couldn't be among these losses?

Wondering if she had gone too far, she communicated this issue to her mother. Initially, Rangda was quick to brush off her ideas. According to the Demon Queen, humans deserved every last bit of suffering inflicted upon them, after all the pain they inflicted upon both of them, and she was having way too much fun with her slaughter. Concerned, Ratna continued to plead, reminding her mother that the scums who wronged them weren't the only ones caught in their vengeance. Many of their own people fell in battle, and countless innocents were caught in the crossfire. Finally, Ratna admitted that even she began fearing for her own life again. After all, who knew when one lucky soldier or assassin could take her life?

Rangda pondered her daughter's words for a moment, her expression lost in thought... then she relented, not as a Demon Queen, but as a mother. She acknowledged that it was a mistake for her to leave her behind all those years ago. She would not put her daughter's life at risk once again. And so, Rangda promised that very soon, the Cult of Durga would be disbanded, and she would quietly vanish to the Reverse Side of the world, never to be heard from again. Ratna felt a bit sad, hearing her mother would leave her again so soon, but her mother assured her that things will be all right, and the two would one day reunite once again.

Now, before the disbandment of the cult, Rangda had only one request. To see her daughter married to a good man and living a happy life, after the tragedies that she suffered. Both mother and daughter knew that there was no way things could go back to how they were. The palace would certainly be unwilling to accept them, seeing how far they've fallen. But at the very least, The Demon Queen's beloved daughter could finally have her chance at happiness, away from the chaos of it all.

Ratna accepted this offer. Becoming a bride was one of her childhood dreams anyway, one that she never thought would be possible after everything she did. And so, Rangda began her arrangements. For a while, the cult's horrific attacks ceased. Instead, its members spread invitations to all eligible bachelors throughout the kingdom for a chance at Ratna's hand in marriage. The Demon Queen herself closely monitored this selection process. Unsurprisingly, not many applicants dared to show up. The few that did, after a series of tests, were deemed unworthy by Rangda and smote. She could see the greed and desire for power in their eyes, and allowing them to marry her beloved daughter would only end poorly for the girl's future.

After a long time, the two were starting to lose hope... until a single suitor managed to pass the test.

Act 5: A Maiden's Anguish

He was a man by the name of Mpu Bahula. A charming, virtuous man with no hint of greed or immorality. Rangda investigated his background further, and found out that he had ties to a sage by the name of Mpu Bharada, who served the Kingdom of Bedahulu as Airlangga's retainer. She was initially wary of him, but Ratna stopped her, believing that after everything the two of them did, they should be the one to extend the olive branch and show the kingdom that they no longer mean any harm. Accepting her daughter's demand with a hint of uneasiness in her heart, she began arranging the engagement ceremony.

The ceremony was held for seven days and seven nights, with the exchanging of vows held on the very last night. During the first six days, Ratna finally got to know her fiancee. Mpu Bahula was a kind young man, not much older from herself. The way he treated her was a far cry from how other humans had treated her before, and every day, she found herself falling deeper in love with the young man. Amidst the festivities, she could see the figure of her brother among the crowd, though Airlangga could not see her face due to the veil she was wearing. She was initially puzzled by his appearance, but shrugged off her concerns, believing that due to her fiancee's ties to the kingdom, his appearance should not come off as much of a surprise. She planned to greet him after the ceremony. Perhaps he would finally apologize, or at the very least, he would listen to her point of view. Regardless of the outcome, it wouldn't hurt to exchange pleasantries.

The final night arrived at last, and the celebration reached its peak. The couple walked down the aisle, while the Demon Queen Rangda- no, the former Queen Mahendradatta looked on with a smile. Ratna took off her veil, ready to utter her vows. She closed her eyes. The thought that such happiness is possible for her sounded so absurd back then, yet here she was. Yes, after all this time, finally-

"THIEF!"

Her mother's voice snapped her back into reality. There, she saw two figures, a sage and a Divine Beast, trying to make off with her mother's spellbook.

Then things quickly went to hell.

Realizing that the whole thing was a plot to kill her, Rangda went into a murderous rage, along with her followers. The once-majestic venue rapidly turned into a slaughterhouse. Ratna looked at her fiancee, asking if he knew all along. Mpu Bahula stammered guiltily, looking for an excuse. Feeling betrayed, Ratna quickly took a knife and slashed his throat before he could finish his next sentence.

Afterwards, the girl frantically looked for her mother amidst the chaos. Yet the one she encountered... was her brother. The man who had abandoned her. Who never bothered to listen to her cries for help. Who only just now reappeared in her life, only to crush the single ray of hope she had left. Everything was his fault.

Airlangga hadn't noticed his sister yet. He was busy fighting off a horde of Leyaks, while Ratna looked on from a distance. Clutching her trusty dagger tightly, she finally decided that he must die. Overcame by rage, she blindly charged forward with a scream... only to be cut down with a single slash.

Airlangga held his sister's limp body in his hands, tears streaming down his face.

Ratna Manggali could feel her vision fading. Her body growing cold. Even the slightest bit of movement felt excruciatingly painful.

She cursed Airlangga. She cursed the kingdom. She cursed humanity, in all their show of self-righteous hypocrisy.

Most of all, she cursed herself. For daring to hope. For having faith in humans. For believing in them. For allowing herself to feel anything beyond utter contempt at the same people who had repeatedly denied her happiness before.

There were so many words left to utter. So many thoughts to convey, and so many questions to ask.
But everything had gone dark, and her body had failed her.
Mustering all the strength she had left, she could only softly mutter one final word...

"Why..?"

Relationships

Christopher Columbus, Ashiya Douman, Liu Pengli:
"Good, good, there's no reason for me to feel bad for ending worthless scum like you. Now... Won't you please die for the sake of my happiness..?"

Samyaza, Hong Xiuquan:
"Monsters who commit atrocities in the name of 'God'... Your false promises of salvation is worthless to me. For everything I endured, God was never there. I was the only one who suffered. Those who justify their evils as part of some benevolent greater power are even worse. Now die."

Osamu Dazai, Franz Kafka:
"You... You want to understand what it means to be human? B-But why!? Why do you hold humans in such high regard!? IF YOU KNOW THE ATROCITIES THEY COMMITTED, IT'S MUCH BETTER TO BECOME A WILD BEAST!!"

Jack the Ripper (Watcher) (Shadow: Richard Mansfield):
"To be branded a monster, to the point you have no other choice but to prove them right... It's a sad thing, isn't it?"

Karna:
"You give, and give, and give... despite how the world had taken everything from you... WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THE WORLD!?"

Oichi:
"Your warmth... reminds me of mother. Can you hold me like this, just for a little while longer..? Yes, just like that..."

Rangda:
"M-Mother, is that you!? To think I'd finally see you again, I missed you for so long! Eh? Marriage? Um, w-what? Er, I mean, that would be nice one day, but right now, um... AH, JUST STOP TEASING ME, DAMMIT!!"

Hyacinthus:
"Hey girl, is your mother a demon? Cuz' you-"
*A powerful thunderbolt suddenly struck from the skies, turning him to ashes*
"He didn't even get to the punchline..."

Rangda (2):
"You what..? N-No, nonono, this can't be right... YOU'RE PERPETUATING THE VERY SAME PROBLEM THAT TOOK YOU FROM ME! Could you imagine how I feel, hearing my own mother, of all people, saying that the balance of good and evil was necessary..? That our suffering was justified..? No, screw that! FORGET THE FATE OF THE WORLD, OR THE LAWS OF GOOD AND EVIL, AND THINK OF YOUR OWN HAPPINESS FOR ONCE!!"

Airlangga:
"Aah, it's you, it's you! The one person I'd like to see the least in here!"

"Even now, it pains me to see you like this, sister... I feel worse knowing that perhaps I could have prevented all of this somehow."

"Pain..? Oh, you know absolutely nothing of pain, brother. For all your talk about 'rising from rock bottom', you were never there. I hid my bruises and wounds, and stayed silent, hoping for someone, anyone to save me from that inescapable darkness. Yet no one arrived. I had to carve out my own bloody path, climbing up by my lonesome. After I reunited with mother and finally saw a single ray of hope after rising from the pits of despair... Did you know who I found at the top..? It's you, of course! My own brother, who had finally reentered my life after his indefinite absence, only to kick me back down to that bottomless pit! Now, answer me this, o' His Majesty the wise, virtuous, all-powerful Airlangga: What kind of Hero King... COULDN'T EVEN PROTECT HIS OWN SISTER!?"

Bond CE

A Gift from My Mother


Source

This is the dagger I received from my mother, shortly before my escape. Supposedly, it was a family heirloom of sorts, from her ancestors in Java.
Of course, its nature had been altered by her authority as Demon Queen.

Now tell me, Master, what do you think this dagger stands for?
Is it a cursed object, used to bring ruin and misery? A tool of the dastardly Cult of Durga? A symbol of the Demon Queen Rangda?

My mother told me that this is a tool of justice.
A blessing for the weak and powerless.
A way for our voices to finally be heard, in the only language that our oppressors could understand.
A way for the weak and powerless to cut open their own path and take control of their own fate.

---

Now, picture me this, Master.
A girl, deprived of everything by the world.
The warmth of family. The kindness of friends. Basic human decency.
After suffering for so long, she finally found the strength to stand up for herself.
She took this tool of justice and opened a new path for herself, free from all the pain and suffering inflicted upon her.
She broke free from her chains and stood against the world to seek her own happy ending.

In any other story, that girl would have been regaled as a hero.
In my case, well... it doesn't matter.

I've never truly cared for terms such as heroes and villains, or good and evil.
But...

Is it wrong for me to dream..?

Creator's Notes

With this, the main pieces are set in place. This concludes my Halloween project. Or at least the first half of it. I've thrown some not-so-subtle lines on where things will go after this. I'm also starting to feel kinda bad for calling this a Halloween project, since the last two entries of this project will be... a lot of work, and I'm not sure I could finish them before the end of October.

- Whew, Delrey sure wasn't kidding when he said it's easier to take a weaker Servant and balance them to be more nuanced. This whole sheet is an exercise at taking a very obscure and inconsequential figure, and developing them to a Servant with a full-fledged lore and skillset. Seriously, her only role in most versions of her legend was as a damsel-in-distress to be rescued from her mother's evil clutches, and she had little to no role beyond being beautiful and somehow living happily ever after with the guy sent to kill her mom. On the bright side, having such an obscure character grants you a great amount of creative liberty in writing her lore so long as I abide by the general gist of her (to be exact Rangda or Airlangga's) story, so I ended up writing a semi-OC story by taking different elements of the legends and stitching them together.

- Powerlevel-wise, she's among the very bottom, despite her big talk. First, there were various circumstances equivalent to the world giving her the middle finger for some reason. She still has Mother's Teachings, which puts her magecraft abilities on par with most standard Casters, but this Skill is largely wasted due to her impulsive, neurotic mindset of sadistically brute-forcing everything. Even she knows that the world really doesn't want to see her happy for whatever reason. Due to her dubious existence and overall weakness, she'd be better suited as a 0* Alter-Ego similar to Angra, but I couldn't find a black Alter-Ego card.

- Despite how weak she is, Airlangga has a conceptual weakness against her, enough for her to kill him with just a few stab wounds. This isn't due to her actually defeating her brother or anything like that, if anything, it should have been the opposite. Rather, Airlangga willingly tweaked his own Spirit Origin to give himself this weakness, believing he deserves that much after crushing his sister's happiness. Besides, since her greatest wish is to kill him, having him so easily killable and resummonable in Chaldea helps in minimizing other casualties and keeping her sane (well... as sane as she can be, at least).

[DelRey]

just noticed i somehow switched Camouflage with Distortion in my head. my Milverton used distortion too
after she said Audacity i read her in Valkyrae's voice
I think Distortion could perhaps rank even higher because she gained three class skills, when description seems to suggest one. On the other hand Distortion is like melting into another class container they possess, while she seems to only have Alter-Ego as it is. I think the Class skills were always relatively flexible, perhaps the skill wasnt even necessary.
And after reading the NP she could also work as a bit weird Rider.

have to read the rest tomorrow, too tired now and i still have the long lore section before me

[Kabalisto Koga]

As here were discussed on Surtr as servant have i found in my picture archive two pictures i have picked when i make a Surtr servant long before the Lostbelts

Here are they

and

perhaps are they good enough ?

[NINE-lives]

Funny thing. I’m actually considering recommending todoroki from my hero academia as the surtr faceclaim due to the connection with emotion fueled fire. My other recommendation is any sword wielding male yandere because surtr acts pretty yandere to be honest.

(An massive kilometre tall fire jotunn isn’t really practical for a grand servant)

[BnEl15]

Ah yeah, admittedly I have no idea on how Distortion works aside from seeing what happened to Alcides. Looking back, maybe her situation is more like reverse-Distortion since instead of her being summoned in an "irregular" Class due to certain tampering with the ritual, the world effectively forced her into one specific Class instead, much to her own detriment.

The implication is that she's so virtually unknown and insignificant that the only way she made it as a Servant is by utilizing a tiny loophole of being treated as just a different aspect of Rangda (she existed as her own person in-universe, but was treated like she may or may not exist in Rangda's legend). If only she was more famous, she could theoretically be summoned as a more "proper" Servant under a number of Classes (mainly Avenger, Caster, or Assassin, with vague qualifications for Faker and Pretender as well), but her lack of fame completely denies her that opportunity.

So long as she's summoned in the PHH, she'll always be a weak, unstable existence who just barely made it in as a Servant. It's as if the entirety of PHH coincidentally gave her a massive middle finger and denied her chance at fulfilling her wish.

[Kabalisto Koga]

Funny thing. I’m actually considering recommending todoroki from my hero academia as the surtr faceclaim due to the connection with emotion fueled fire. My other recommendation is any sword wielding male yandere because surtr acts pretty yandere to be honest.

(An massive kilometre tall fire jotunn isn’t really practical for a grand servant)

How are the two pictures after your oppinion i found them quite fitting for one when Surtr is through one noblephantasm looking like a normal human servant until he release . Also i saw you recommend a Loki servant in the idea thread i have made a whole series of Loki in his different classes like here is the link to Loki lily version i would be interested about your oppinion !

- - - Updated - - -

and BnEl15 i will later take a look at your newest work .

[NINE-lives]

Loki has big potential for the beast class in my opinion. My idea is that he embodies the sin of “treachery” in the sense of treachery causing civilization to fall apart due to people not being able to work together.

Loki could also have big waifu/genderbend potential based on him giving birth to fenrir, jormugandr and hel.