Every ten years in Fuyuki City, the Holy Grail War is fought between seven magi. The winner of the grail receives a wish for themselves and their servant. Each magi summons a servant - a historical/legendary/mythological champion with powers pertaining to their legend and class. The seven classes of heroes are as follows: Saber - The protector class. Righteous and just, the Saber class servant is heavily armoured and exceptional at close melee fighting. The Saber class' special ability is that it can use healing magic on itself or its master. Archer - The ranged class. The Archer class servant is very observant and can usually travel without its master. The Archer uses projectile weapons and fights from afar. Its special class ability allows it to hit opponents from a great range. Lancer - The agile class. The Lancer is noble and courageous. It uses long-ranged melee weapons, such as lances or spears, and is lightly armoured, making it a very agile fighter. The Lancer's special class ability allows it to jump really high and minimises injury if falling from heights. Rider - The mounted class. The rider usually fights with a mount of some kind. It uses almost any sort of weapon that can be wielded while riding, or fighting alongside its mount. The rider class is a team fighter and its class ability is whatever the riding bonus of its mount is - (flight, really quick run speed, jump, teleportation, etc.). Caster - The magician class. The caster class usually fights from afar, sometimes not even entering battle directly, but sending summoned minions, or planting magical traps for its enemies. The caster servant's class ability is Territory Creation - it can create and change its environment to suit its sorcery, and can also summon magical objects/items. Assassin - The stealth class. The assassin fights from the shadows, striking only at the most opportune moment. It is a weak fighter unless it gets the jump on its enemy, which is why it targets masters more than servants. The assassin servant's class ability is that it can easily blend into its environment and even go undetected by magical traps and spells. Berserker - The warrior class. The berserker is a reckless fighter. It is usually the strongest servant, wielding almost any weapon imaginable, but is quick to die if not controlled properly. The berserker's class ability is Uncontrollable Madness. For a short period of time, the berserker becomes incredibly strong, but is uncontrollable by its master or even itself. Only one player can play each class, there are no doubles. Classes are first come, first serve. The game suits a maximum of seven people (unless you want to play a character without a servant). Your servant will have to be a historical/legendary/mythological character. Everything that is written in history and everything that is legend can be true when the servant materialises. Your servant's abilities will reflect what that person has done in his/her life, or is fabled to have done. You may also include changes to the character's story/myth to suit your goals/abilities better. You can be extremely creative with this and stretch the story/myth in any way you want. Noble Phantasms Your servant's Noble Phantasms are their strongest abilities. A champion can have multiple Noble Phantasms (1-3), but only one Supreme Phantasm (an ultimate ability), which should be based around things that the hero is well known for. For example, in the anime, the Saber character is usually King Arthur, and uses the Supreme Phantasm: 'Excalibur'. You could do almost anything you want with the Noble Phantasms, including change terrain, bring people to another dimension, shoot a massive projectile, get an enormous weapon, etc, etc. However, using your Noble Phantasms will almost undoubtedly reveal who your character is, as you have to say the name of the ability to use it, which alerts other servants to your weaknesses. Also, Noble Phantasms use an incredible amount of mana, so may not be practical to use all the time. In a fight you might be able to use a noble phantasm two or three times, and a supreme phantasm only once. Your Magi character Your magi character is your original character for this story, and it can have any backstory you want. These are the usual circumstances in which a person finds themselves a participant in the Holy Grail War: Family Tradition Greed They belong to an order of Magi who usually participate Completely inexperienced and chosen by fate The existence of Magi and magic is generally unknown by the majority of the population. Your magic arsenal can include whatever you wish, but it's exceptionally weak compared to the servants. Most Magi know healing magic, to be able to fix their servants up after battle, magical trap and detection spells, for securing their territories, and some use powerful gems to cast spells, but gems are rare to find/have. Setting: Here is a map of Fuyuki city: http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111010011341/typemoon/images/a/a8/Fuyuki.png Everything on the left is residential, which is where the temple and the school are. Ignore where it says the specific people's residence. Hidden away in the outskirts is also Einsbern castle. The Einsberns are a wealthy magician family who usually participate in the Holy Grail War, but they've mysteriously chosen not to this time. On the right side of the city, you will find the commercial/business buildings where a Skyscraper is currently under construction near the station in the centre. The Church (Sanctuary) is also here. The game is set in modern times, so everything that exists today can exist in the game. Fuyuki city is in Japan, but your character doesn't have to be Japanese. Rules: 1. The GM, can sentence any character to death at any time. Reasons for being sentenced to death: i. Not playing your class properly. Example: you're fighting in broad daylight as the assassin against the berserker. ii. You're in a situation that would be almost or completely impossible to escape. However, don't fret, because every player will have three lives. When a Magi summons a servant, three magical seals form somewhere on their body to bind the servant to the magi. When you are sentenced to death, you may use one of these seals to somehow escape the situation (you could just instantly teleport to a safe location if you want). When you have no more seals left, you will die the next time you're in a death situation. Also, in terms of roleplaying, your servant may turn on you when you have no more seals left and kill you to take your mana to become stronger and try to achieve their goal by themselves. Your seals are the only things binding them to you in good will. 2. Fighting during the day in open public spaces will have penalties, as the Grail War is supposed to draw as little attention as possible from civilians. 3. Fighting can occur anywhere in the city (or in the outskirts), but beware of the effects the terrain/setting can have on your character. 4. No omnipresence. Even though you're reading what everyone else is doing, please only react to what your characters would know. The exception here is if you use familiars to spy on people (caster), but don't abuse this, because it can have negative repercussions. 5. Take as much as you dish out. Everyone's servant should be somewhat equally matched, so don't play like you're dodging every attack and you're invincible. If you survive the fight you could heal up anyway. 6. Players inside the 'Sanctuary', which is the Church, are not allowed to be attacked. 7. Your Magi can die as well as your servant. If the Magi dies, the servant dies as well, unless it binds itself to another magi. So, the servant has to protect the magi. Unless all of your seals are used up, then the Servant is free to go by itself. Character Templates: Magi: Name: Sex: Age: Appearance: Short Backstory: Magical Abilities: -- Only send servant information to the GM, do not post in the discussion thread -- Servant: Name: Class: Brief History/Legend/Myth: Noble Phantasms: Supreme Phantasm: PM me both the servant and the magi, but don't post the Servant in the Discussion thread, as their identity should be kept secret for as long as possible, so their weaknesses aren't known to everyone. Saber - Taken Archer - Taken Lancer - Taken Rider - Taken Caster - Taken Assassin - Taken Berserker - Taken
The council met in darkness, just as they always had. Every ten years the Order of the Grail sat in a meeting to discuss details with the moderator. The moderator, as usual, was a priest, and this was his first Grail War. The young father stood in the middle of the ten hooded old magicians with a spotlight beaming down on top of him. "Have all the preparations been made?" asked a lowly voice - it could've come from any of them. "Yes sir - everything's been taken care of," Father Hiroshi replied confidently. "Good. Then the magic of the grail should already be upon us. The first of the servants will appear soon. Hurry to your post, Hiroshi, for now it is all in your hands. Only you have the power to bind and sever servant and master, as well as offer sanctuary to those who wish it." Hiroshi nodded steely, still not knowing who to face exactly, but he kept calm and still. "There is one thing I would like to bring up before we adjourn, gentlemen," none of the hooded men moved or showed any particular sign of interest in the father's comment, "my predecessor, Father Yamato, tells me that the Grail --" "We will deal with the Grail when it is time." The same stern voice as before interrupted, now with a hint of anger. "History must repeat itself." "And what of the Einsberns?" This time it was another, much more lively voice. "The Einsbern place will easily be filled with another magi." "But surely they will try to interfere," the second voice argued. "If they do, you Hiroshi, must stop them." The young priest nodded again. "Understood." "Then let the games begin!"
Xayide Xayide strode into the grand hotel, fresh off her private jet, with her chin jutted out defiantly and her gaunt face dominated by huge blacked-out sunglasses. Her jet-black hair was pinned up in a high bun with a single pure-white strip hanging by the side of her face. Two concierges trudged behind her with her trunks of designer luggage, trying to keep up with her speedy gait. At the reception desk, the skittish secretary nodded and stuttered, "Ms Xayide, y-your room is ready for you, just g-go right up." Xayide swept by with a brief nod and headed for the elevators. The secretary breathed a huge sigh of relief. The last secretary had made the mistake of not knowing who Xayide was. That secretary was fired and had to leave Fuyuki to find work elsewhere because no one in the whole city would hire her. Xayide was a very powerful woman. A couple minutes later, Xayide was alone in the penthouse suite, lounging on a white leather couch with a half-full glass of delicious red wine. She looked out the floor-to-ceiling window at the city laid out below with a strange, hungry look in her stormy gray eyes. She wanted more, she wanted it all. After resting for a little while longer, Xayide swigged the rest of her drink and got to business. Xayide had failed to procure the Grail too many times before--this time she would not fail. It simply was not an option. Xayide waved her hand and the electronic blinds over the big window shut themselves and with a slight gesture she made all the lights in the swanky apartment turn dim. Lastly, she cleared out a space and made a circle of clear, milky and sparkly stones. Then she took out a sharp bone knife. "I summon you, across time and space", Xayide whispered, holding the knife over the flesh of her bare white arm. "Appear to me, you have my faith. I call upon you, Nico Minoru--come to me!" With a quick slash, Xayide spilled blood from her arm onto the circle of precious stones that she had created. The stones began to glow and shake violently. The stones moved as they vibrated, widening the circle to the size of a small pool. There was a flash of brilliant white light--and there she was, Nico Minoru. She was a teenage Asian girl dressed in a rock T-shirt with the sleeves torn off, baggy red-and-black plaid pants and high platform boots. Her face was round with shapely cheekbones and naughty V-shaped eyebrows. Someone had hacked her silky black hair short and it was covered with a purple bandana. "Nico...you are my servant", Xayide said softly. "You will help me find the Grail, and we will rule the other Magi. Me as their leader and you as my right hand." Nico nodded and chewed her bottom lip anxiously. A jagged rune appeared on her right cheek and two more on the back of her hands, glowing brightly. Then the runes dimmed and sunk into her skin.
Karin Karin was walking home from school. She lived close, so it only took about ten minutes, but these were the winter months, and as it grew colder, it also grew darker. It was only 4pm and the sun had almost set. She wasn't a fan of the dark. That's not to say that she was scared of it, but would rather not be outside during it. Karin was a typical teenager - she went to school, she did her homework, and she spent most of her spare time on Facebook, listening to music, or reading books and manga. She had a good amount of friends at school, even though she was a bit reclusive, and got along with most people well. Nothing strange had ever happened to her. That is, until recently when she helped her parents clear out her late grandfather's house. Amidst the antiques and strange relics in his attic, Karin happened across an intricate necklace with an orange gemstone. She wore it for a while and managed to find everything she and her parents were looking for within minutes - she'd never even seen half the things in her life. Since then, whenever Karin wore the necklace, she never forgot where anything was, and could always find what she was looking for. An odd phenomenon, she agreed, but she hardly objected to it. It was nice being able to find exactly what you needed, when you needed it. She came to a crossing as the pedestrian lights turned red. As the sounds of the latest J-pop craze reverberated in her ears, Karin felt a small thud against her chest. She looked down to find the necklace glowing. That had never happened before. Karin quickly did up the top buttons of her uniform to hide the necklace and glanced around to see if anybody had noticed - it appeared that no one did.
Father Hiroshi *Knock knock* Three times the door of Xayide's suite resounded with the rapping of a fist. "Who is it?" She called through the darkness. "Room service." "I didn't order any--" Before she could finish her sentence the door burst open and a young japanese man stood in the frame, clothed in the dull grey robes and cloak of a priest - a cross hanging from his neck. He quietly closed the door behind him and took a quick look around the place, at Xayide, and then finally settled on Caster. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Father Hiroshi, and I'll be moderating this grail war." He didn't wait for her to reply before speaking again, "I'd like to congratulate you on being the first with a summoned servant. But I wouldn't get too cozy just yet." He smirked. "Also, I understand that you were in a previous grail war - is that correct?"
Xayide Xayide raised her chin defiantly at the rude clergyman that dared to break into her suite. She was dressed in a metallic silver robe and her hair was let down so that it framed her narrow face in dark waves. Her single white streak was like a lightning bolt in a stormcloud. Her caster servant stood behind a high-backed wing chair, her watchful eyes locked on the intruder. "I was in a previous Grail war", Xayide answered the priest coldly. "I was unsuccessful, but this time I will win. Now, tell me why you are here before I strike you dead." As she spoke, Xayide stroked her glimmering amethyst ring. It glowed with a faint purple light at it's center; she had not used it today, which meant she could activate it to shoot a laser at the priest. Not that she would need to use it: Xayide's wicked brain had already churned out more than a dozens ways to kill the intruder. "Xayide...?", Nico Minoru said, her hawk-like eyes still on the priest. "It's fine, he's not a problem", Xayide snapped. To the priest she said, "Speak. Now." The lights in the room started to flicker ominously in response to Xayide's temper.
"Ladies and gentleman let the show begin!" Fox shouted and suddenly he was blown off his feet. Fox had just summoned his servant. It had been an odd day to say the least.....then again odd days weren't exactly a new thing to Fox but then again what else would days be if you were a magus. Fox hadn't been in the city very long. But since he had rented out a room in an apartment building and was currently in the basement of that building. He had just summoned his servant. It was quite a clean summon except for the fact his suit jacket was on fire. Fox patted the flames out as he stared at the Archer he had just summoned. Fox wasn't ugly or anything....far from it. But even he had to admit the servant before him was a dashing fellow to near inhuman levels. The Archer was tall and built with slim muscle. His hair was golden and his eyes like blue fire. He was dressed in armor which looked as if it came from ancient Greece. He was weaponless but Fox could feel his hawk like eyes ready to use whatever item he might be carrying. Fox frowned not because he was displeased but because his suit was scorched. Fox had tendency to dress like a magician from the 1900s. Archer looked at Fox with a stoic expression "Are you my master?" He asked. Fox's expression brightened. "Yes indeed I am." He replied tipping his top hat. Fox took great bride in his hat. But he knew that winning this grail war would only be another feat to his list of feats. Archer nodded calmly at Fox to signify there contract and sure enough once Fox removed the white glove on his hand he had the command seals. Fox stretched and motioned for Archer to follow him. "Come on Archie I'll make us tea. Then we can talk grail war." He said cheerfully as the two made there way back into his room of the apartment. Archer seemed offended at being called Archie. "I would prefer if you called me by my class name or my real name." He said his eyes narrowing. His glare didn't bother Fox in fact the magus didn't seem to notice it. He simply smiled to himself.
Father Hiroshi "Now, now," Hiroshi spoke calmly, "let's not get carried away. I'm simply here to introduce myself as the new moderator, and to extend my help should your circumstances become like the last Grail War." He paused. "It's interesting you particularly tried to summon the Caster servant this time." It was almost completely dark, and soon the other servants would arrive. Hiroshi knew exactly who the chosen magi were, and he knew he had to get to a couple of them in particular as fast as he could.
Xayide Xayide settled once she was sure the priest was only there to talk. She leaned back into the padded Victorian couch and folded her legs under her bottom. "Sit", Xayide ordered, elegantly picking up her wine glass by the stem. "You too, Nico, he's not going to attack us." The servant cast one more distrustful look at Father Hiroshi before perching on the arm of a chair. But she sat ram-rod straight, her whole body tensed in case something happened. She was like a coiled snake, ready to strike. "You want to help me?", Xayide asked the priest as she sipped her wine. She was a huge lover of wine. "What are you willing to do to help me? And isn't it cheating to interfer with the game?" "And what do you get out of it, bub", Nico budded in, her dark almond-shaped eyes narrowed to angry slits. Xayide sighed, and said, "Servant, you are too tense, it's giving me a migraine! Please, go take a walk, cool off." Nico shrugged and stalked out the door, grabbing a black trench coat on her way out. "Be back in fifteen minutes!", Xayide called after the teen sorceress. With a heavy sigh, she said to the priest, "She's a teenager, full of raging hormones. It's best to just let her blow off some steam once in a while. Now, speak your mind before I decide to change my mind and throw you out my window." Xayide swished her glass of wine toward the wall-to-ceiling window across the room. It was unclear whether she was serious or not.
The summoning (part 1) Two parts moonstone, crushed and ground to a fine powder. One part bloodstone, crumbled to dust. Thirteen shitake mushrooms from the base of Mt Fuji, dried, crushed, and sprinkled into the mix. One kilo of uranium oxide or yellowcake. Precisely 66.6 ounces of gunpowder. Two issues of Scientific American, one of National Geographic, an American sixth-grade Science textbook, and a printout of Einstein’s second theory of relativity, shredded, pulped, and dried. Brock gave the various ingredients a lengthy turn in a blender, reducing them to a fine powdery solution. “This better work,” he muttered under his breath as he took a quick sniff and nearly gagged and sneezed at the same time. He paid a sizable sum for this summoning ritual. If it didn’t work, he would track down that witch and rearrange her face. In the meantime, Brock just hoped this didn’t burn his apartment down. He still had five months left on the lease. Following the instructions, he laid down a steady bead of powder in an intricate pattern in the middle of his living room, frequently referencing the illustrations to ensure he got it right. When everything was perfectly aligned, he laid a sparkling, rainbow-colored gemstone in the center and drew out a knife. From a small slit on his palm, he let three drops of blood fall on the stone before quickly wrapping the wound and retrieving a box of matches. Pause. Deep breath in. Exhale. “Well… here goes…” Brock cleared his throat and read from the script, uttering words that weren’t words, at least not in any language he knew. Dammit, should’ve asked her how to pronounce half this crap, he thought as he struggled through half a dozen pages of text. After the last syllable fell from his lips, he lit a match and let it fall upon the magical ring, which instantly went up in smoke with a loud ‘bang.’ Startled, Brock staggered back and fell on the sofa as the smoke cleared. The gemstone was gone, as was the powder, leaving magical sigils scorched into the hardwood floor of his rent-controlled apartment. “Shit,” he snarled, praying it would buff out. All this and he stilll had no summoned minion? A very furious Brock Issen grabbed the nearest thing --his flatscreen TV-- and ripped it from the wall, prepared to chuck it out the nearest window, but the apartment suddenly went dark. He froze, still clutching the 52” LCD in his strong hands as all the lights went out. Even the neon advertisements lining the streets and the sounds of city traffic outside went dead. Curiosity defeated anger. Slowly, the man set down the television set and went to his balcony. As he stepped out into the chilly evening air, he was greeted by absolute silence. Cars stood still in the streets three stories below. Their drivers climbed out and raised the hoods of their useless vehicles. Brock drew out his cell phone and found it was also dead. All the electricity in a mile radius had just up and left. “Whoa,” he said under his breath as a wide grin slowly spread across his face. Deep rumbling laughter slowly bubbled up inside him. Somewhere out there was his servant. He'd done it. "The Grail's already mine, they just don't know it yet," Brock declared as he looked out toward the distant lights.
Father Hiroshi Xayide invited Hiroshi to sit, but he preferred to stand. Then her and Caster fired questions and snappy remarks at him before getting into a drama of their own. When everything cooled down the priest finally spoke. "I merely meant that in case you lost your servant, I would be there to offer sanctuary. Standard procedure - I'm sure you remember." He turned to leave. "You know where to find me."
Xayide Xayide glared after the man who left her apartment. "I won't need sanctuary, you religious fool", Xayide growled, clutching her glass so tightly it exploded. Then she waved her hand and a vacuum vrooomed to life and banged into the door, slamming it closed. "Now I need some more wine", Xayide said as she stood and stomped off to pour herself another drink. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nico Minoru, the Caster Nico stalked the streets of the city, her breath turning to a puff of fog in the chilly night air. Xayide had given her permission to go for a walk, but Nico didn't know this place and she got a bit lost. She thought she knew the way back--all she had to do was keep heading toward the tallest building, which was Xayide's hotel. But she kept heading into dead ends or taking a wrong turn. "I'll just fly there", Nico grumbled. She stood in the stoop of a building and closed her eyes--and a long black staff hung with arcane ornaments jutted out of her chest. It took a blood sacrifice to summon the Staff of One, but Nico's lip was already bleeding from her chewing it so much so she didn't need to cut herself. "Ugh...I'll never get used to that", Nico murmured as she took the staff in her hands. A gold orb at the top of the staff glowed with an ominous red nimbus that slowly faded. A passing homeless person gave her a funky look and she said, "Boo!" The hobo yelped and took off like a frightened chihuahua. Nico chuckled and looked up at the tall building that was Xayide's hotel, thinking about what spell to use to get up there... ...When suddenly all the lights went out. Nico went into the offensive. She incanted, "Light!", and a beam of alien red-violet light from nowhere shown on her surroundings. The light had no source, it was simply there. "Now to figure out what the hell is going on...", she grumbled.
The summoning (part 2) “What’s so funny?” a voice said from behind him. Brock suddenly wheeled around and found himself standing face-to-face with a tall thin man, dressed as if he’d stepped straight out of a silent film. His black hair was slicked back and his blue-grey eyes studied the first-time summoner with a rather disappointed expression. “Who the hell are you?” Brock said, squaring off, as if bracing for a fight. “I should say the same,” the man replied, straightening his sweater vest. Behind him, the lights began to return, one by one. “I take it you’re the one responsible for this little spat of spacetime tomfoolery, hmm?” Brock relaxed and his I’m-gonna-win grin came rushing back. “Yup. So, that means you’re my servant… Caster.” He looked the man up and down as they stepped back inside, off the balcony. He draped an arm over his new friend’s shoulder. “I figured you’d be taller, Al, but this’ll do. You don’t mind if I call you Al, do ya? We’re gonna make a great team, man.” “Well… no… I don’t think that’s going to work,” the man said, thumbing his chin as if considering something, “seeing as how I’m no caster and my name isn’t ‘Al’...” Brock suddenly stopped. “Wait, what, you’re not Albert Einstein?” The man gave him a look that said, you’re kidding, right? “But the… the magazines… the science journals… the summoning… I thought for sure…” Brock balled his fists and muttered expletives under his breath. “Damn that witch!” “Now now, no need to fret. Let’s put our heads together and figure this thing out,” the man said. “What can Einstein do that I can’t? I mean, I must give credit where it is due: he was right about atoms. I was wrong. Fair enough. But that doesn’t make him better than me…” “I need somebody smart and he was the smartest science guy EVER,” Brock said, hammering his fist into his palm as he paced the floor in frustration. “Debatable,” the man replied. “Next you’ll be saying Edison was the greatest thinker of our time. Ha! I think not.” But Brock ignored him and went on: “I need a tactician. Somebody to back me up. I do the bruisin,’ you do the thinkin.’ I had this shit all planned out, man, and now it’s ruined ‘cuz I got the WRONG GUY!” “And I suppose this must be some sort of strange alternate world where great scientists make great tacticians,” the man said lazily. “Yes, you do need a thinker, boy. That much is clear.” “I ain’t stupid,” Brock muttered, narrowing his eyes on the man. “That’s not what I meant,” the man replied, placing a hand on his Master’s shoulder and looking him squarely in the eyes. “All I’m saying is, you were barking up the wrong tree. Don’t complain about what manner of fruit falls from the branches.” “I ain’t a dog. What the hell are you tryin' to say, man?” Oh, God, this is hopeless, the man thought, but hid his disappointment well. He smiled and patted the large man on the shoulder. “Of course not. You’re a Master. Now, let’s get that Grail, shall we.”
Karin and Rider The glow didn't seem to stop, so Karin hunched over her shoulders and crossed as the lights turned green. She stopped her music and picked up her pace, becoming increasingly wary, hoping that no one would notice her. Her house was only a few minutes away. Then the thudding against her chest happened again, and again. It now felt like a second heartbeat, faster and faster it pounded until suddenly it simply floated up, poking through her blouse. Karin ran. It felt like the necklace was trying to lead her somewhere, but all she wanted to do was get home. She turned the corner and could see her house in the distance. She began to sprint, and then noticed that the necklace was pointing straight at her destination. Maybe it was simply leading her home. But she knew where home was. This was odd. Suddenly the necklace began to pull at her, digging into the back of her neck. It wasn't painful, just strange, but then came the stinging. On her shoulder it felt like she had been cut three times. Karin stopped in the middle of the street, wincing, and frantically tore the necklace off. She stood holding her shoulder, unable to see from the angle exactly what had happened, and she could feel nothing with her fingers either - there were no incisions, just a painful burning. Meanwhile the orange glow intensified, and her grandfather's heirloom floated in front of her, as if bidding to follow. It then flew up higher into the air, and like a fallen star shot to the back of Karin's house. She walked slowly, scared, knowing that nobody else would be home at this time. But somehow she felt that she had to see what the necklace was trying to show her. "Hello?" She asked as she opened her front door. There was no reply. Karin decided to make her way to the back of the house. There was a mirror in the front corridor, to which she turned to have a better look at her shoulder. The pain had lessened but now there were three red marks coming down from her neck. She gasped and tried to touch them, but still felt nothing other than skin. Maybe it was a weird rash of some kind. She pressed on. Upon walking into the kitchen, Karin noticed a man standing in the back garden through the sliding door. He was by their pond, and his back was faced to her, but as soon as she took another step he turned, as if he knew she was there. The man was huge, and not just tall, but ridiculously muscular and bulky. His face was gaunt, and heavily bearded, and his hair long. He wore a wolf-fur cloak that reached the ground, under which his torso was exposed apart from the leather harness that kept his medieval shoulder-pads in place. His leggings were heavily armored, including a belt that looked like that which a wrestling champion might wear, only made of iron and intricate steel; his boots went to his knees and were a mix of fur and metal. At his hip hung a sheathed broadsword, and on his back a shield. He held the glowing amulet in his left hand; Karin noticed that his right was simply a stub. She panicked, and quickly hid behind the countertop. What the hell was going on, and why did this scary man have her grandfather's necklace? She heard him as he walked, coming closer and closer, then he spoke in his low, gruff voice. "Come out magi! I am your servant of the Rider class!" What was he talking about? Karin didn't want to ask, but the man had said he was her servant, so he might not harm her - surely servants were meant to follow orders. "What do you mean, magi?" She shouted, and then put her hands over her mouth, as if in disbelief of what she had just done. "Don't be coy!" A response came, "We have a lot to do - the Grail awaits us!" "Grail?" Karin asked again. Now she got up and had a look at the man once more. Closer he was even more frightening, as scars that looked like he had seen many battles plagued his exposed torso and face. "Come on, don't tell me you don't know what the Grail is!" the man taunted. "No, and I don't know what you mean by magi either - I don't know any magic or anything! And I don't know you, so unless you want me to call the police, you best leave immediately!" "Are you serious?!" The man boomed. "Nothing? Not even healing magic?!" He looked her up and down, extremely disappointed. "What the hell am I supposed to do with you?" Then Karin remembered the necklace. "I don't know what you had intended to do, but now that you mention it, I do have some magic after all." Rider raised an eyebrow at her. "There!" Karin pointed at his hand, "My necklace helps me find things - it's how I found you!" Rider let out a loud laugh, which made Karin worry about the neighbours. "Then this should be easy! Simply use it to find the Grail for us." Karin hesitated for a moment. If this man had really intended to hurt her, he would have done it somehow already. And the way he spoke made it sound like he needed her. Also, he had now piqued her interest about this Grail thing. She took one step at a time, keeping her eyes on Rider, until she reached the door, then slid it open. A cold breeze blew in. "Give it to me," She ordered. And he did. Karin put the necklace on once more, and thought of this Grail. She had no idea what it looked like, but that never stopped her before, only this time, nothing came to her mind. Completely blank. "It's not working." Rider nodded. "No, that would've been too easy." He thought for a moment, raising his stub of a hand to his chin. "I know! How about we use it to locate the other servants!" There are others? Karin thought. And then suddenly something came to her. Three things actually, and she knew exactly how to find them. "There are three, but they're in the city." Rider smiled maniacally. "It's a little far," Karin added. "That shouldn't be a problem."
Brock and Lancer In the kitchen of his apartment, Brock grabbed an energy drink from the fridge. His guest requested water. Brock poured the man a tall glass and handed it to him. “So, what’s our first step?” the man asked as he accepted the drink. “Don’t know,” Brock replied with a shrug. “Dude, what class are you, anyway?” “Hmm… now there’s an interesting question,” the man said, taking a long swig of water before setting the glass down. “I certainly don’t feel like a Caster, even though that seems to be what you were expecting.” “Would’ve been perfect,” Brock said as he popped open a can of Red Bull. “I run in swinging and you back me up with fireballs and lightning bolts and shit like that.” “If that’s all you wanted, an Archer could’ve done the same,” the man said dispassionately as he studied a broom in the corner. He picked it up, testing its weight. “The Grail has imparted some knowledge on me, enough to know I’m not a Caster or an Archer. That much is clear,” he said, taking a few swings. “Saber?” Brock said, with a pleased grin as he watched the man’s sloppy swordsmanship. “’Fraid not. Saber just doesn’t feel right. How about…” the man took a few jabs at the air, stabbing forward and thrusting with ease. “Lancer…” Brock considered it for a moment. He finished off his drink, crushed the can in his meaty fist and tossed it in the garbage bin. “Lancer, huh? I guess I can work with that. Now just tell me who the heck you are, dude. Can you fight, at least?” “How rude. At least introduce yourself first,” the man teased. “Brock. Brock Issen,” he said quickly. “Your turn, bro.” “Lancer,” the man said, setting down the broom and offering his hand. “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Issen.” “I meant your real name, jackass.” “Perhaps it is best I didn’t,” Lancer replied. “What if you accidentally spoke it during battle? The less you know, the less our enemies can find out.” “Whatever, man. I bet you ain’t even that important. Probably some nobody,” Brock said. “But can you fight? See these guns,” he said, flexing, “I don’t want you slowing me down, pal. Do you even lift, bro? I can bench 450, easy.” “Unless the Grail weighs 450 pounds, I fail to see the relevance of this,” was Lancer’s mocking reply. “That is the only thing we will ever need to lift, ‘bro.’ You remind me of a fellow I used to know: Thomas Edison. Inefficient, clumsy, liked to throw everything he had at a problem. Brute force is not the answer, my friend. Through the proper application of theory, we can solve any problem, overcome any obstacle.” “Sounds good. But less talk, more action,” Brock said, bouncing up and down in anticipation. “Who we gonna hit first?” His gloved fists punched at the air like a boxer. “We let them come to us, like flies to feces,” Lancer replied, gesturing toward the door. “Let’s go for a walk. I hardly think you’d like to see the Grail War begin in your apartment, yes. A walk would be quite nice at this hour. It clears the mind and makes room for higher mental functions. Also, I’d like to see what wonders this new world has before the Grailseekers tear it apart. The summoning has imparted some rudimentary knowledge on me, but I want to see this world with my own eyes.” It sounded like a good enough plan. Brock grabbed his coat from a hook and they descended three flights of stairs to the street, where the traffic lights were just beginning to light up again from the recent outage. The cars, however, were still dead and would need to be recharged somehow. The streets were clogged with them. Lancer was quite pleased with himself.
Rider vs Caster They flew on the back of a giant wolf. Well, Karin would've described it as giant, but sharing a seat with Rider gave her very little room. The wolf was a translucent blue colour and easily blended into the night sky. When Rider had first summoned it with the blow of a whistle, Karin didn't know what to think. Was she in dream? Could this all be real? But the man had spoken of magic, which she wasn't completely unfamiliar with. Her grandfather's necklace was glowing once again around her neck, leading them to the closest of the other servants. She didn't know what would happen when they met them, but hopefully something good. She decided she would just go along with it for now. "Down there!" Karin shouted as she held onto Rider's belt, wind whipping in her face. Rider directed the wolf to fly downwards, into a part of the city that seemed to be experiencing a power failure. They landed softly behind a group of corporate buildings. It seemed to be abandoned. Rider leapt off the wolf and began fitting the round shield on his back to his right arm. Karin suddenly became worried. Then the necklace twitched. She looked to her left. On the steps of one of the buildings stood a girl - she looked no older than Karin herself. "Rider!" Karin shouted, pointing at their acquaintance. Rider smirked, having finished tightening the shield firmly to his hand-less arm. "You stay with Hati," he referred to the wolf, "I'll take care of this!" He then walked towards the girl, all war-like and ready for a fight. Karin gulped and waited to see what would happen. "It's a bit dangerous to be walking around without your master, isn't it?" Rider told the girl, halting approximately thirty metres from her. The girl, Nico Minoru, looked up at the haughty warrior that approached her. He should have been warned by the strange red light that surrounded her, the way she didn't flinch from him or the tall staff she carried. Nico was not scared. In fact, she grinned and said, "Do you want trouble, Mister?" She pointed her staff at him, the gold orb glowing ominously. "If you've got even two brain cells to rub together, bub, I'd suggest you turn the other way. I don't need my master to protect me--I've got that covered." Rider laughed vulgarly. "Judging from your weapon and lack of armor, I'd say you're a Caster, which doesn't give you much of a chance against me in close combat." He drew his sword. "Oh well, better to stamp out the weaklings as soon as possible!" With a heavy roar he charged at Caster, shield first, and closed the gap between them in a heartbeat, swinging his sword upward diagonally from his hip. Nico remained calm and turned the Staff of One horizontally. "Firestorm!" A roaring inferno exploded from the end of her staff and surged toward the charging Rider, scorching anything in it's path to crisp barbecue. Nico grinned lopsidedly as she watched her spellwork do it's job, her black trench coat flapping behind her like great crow wings. "Rider!" Karin shouted over the flames. Rider flew back, tumbling and rolling over and over on the hard concrete. It felt like he'd been hit by a truck, even though his shield took the brunt of the blast. He stood up feebly on one knee, coughing up blood, and sniggered. "Nice shot, kid," he said, wiping the blood from around his mouth, "but you won't stop me from changing my destiny. It seems I'll have to fight fire with fire." "Rider stop!" Karin's voice sounded again. She didn't know exactly what was happening, but if this girl was dangerous enough to do that to Rider, who knows what she'd do to her. The servant was having none of it though. The giant man dropped his sword and stood to his feet, he then put his fingers to his mouth and whistled loudly. "SKOLL!" From behind Caster another wolf appeared, flaming red, and charged for her. Skoll hit Caster before she had time to turn around, knocking her into the air, and then came up beside Rider, who mounted it. The fire wolf growled and poised for a second attack. Nico grunted as she struggled to stand after being pummeled over--her hands were scraped raw and her chin was cut, too. "You'll pay for that. Freeze!", Nico spat angrily, raising up the Staff of One. Ice rapidly grew up the elemental wolf's legs, turning it to a solid glacial statue. Rider quickly dismounted and dismissed Skoll before the ice completely enraptured him. Then he felt his feet leave the ground and then was smashed back down into it. "Stop!" Karin called. Rider looked up at his opponent as she aimed her staff at him again. "Agony", Nico said coldly. Pain throbbed, stung, and washed all over him, and his body had gone numb in places, but he grit his teeth and waited for the attack - there was nothing else he could do. Once again his body was lifted into the air, and then hurled over Caster and straight into the building behind her. "RIDER - NO!" Karin screamed at the top of her lungs. Suddenly the pain in her shoulder had come back, where the marks were, and then everything began to fade away. The next thing she knew she was back at home, in her room, with her servant laying unconscious on the floor.
Archer's head peaked up as he felt the clash of two servants from afar. He didn't seem startled by it but simply acknowledging it. Fox who had taken off his cape and top hat was sipping on some tea. He only liked wearing his out of date clothing when there were people around to see him. It wasn't anything knew that Fox loved attention but only liked getting it when he deserved it. Such as putting on a magic show, stealing famous paintings and of course soon winning the Grail War. Fox took note of Archer's face. "Something up?" He asked with a confident smirk. Archer shut his eyes and shook his head. "No two servants were battling not far from here but it seems one left the battle." He looked thoughtful and smiled at his master. "Perhaps I should go test their metals?" Archer had a sense of warlike nature to him underneath his pretty boy appearance. Fox shook his head at his servants suggestion. "No not yet. In fact I'd like to wait a bit longer before we make any sudden moves." The magus said with a bored sigh. Fox may have been the one to be acting patient but he hated it. Archer chuckled at his master's expression. "I see well lets hope you can wait around at all. Based on your face you seem to be dying from having nothing to do." Fox snorted and turned on the television. "Please I got plenty to do. There is a plan forming in my head as there always is."
Brock and Lancer, on the hunt “Damn shops never have my size,” Brock complained as he and Lancer emerged from the shoe store. “Remind me to special order those new Nikes when I get home, man.” Lancer said nothing. He paused, watching the sky. “Hey, I’m talkin’ to you. Don’t ignore me,” Brock said, stopping beside him. “The war has begun,” Lancer said ominously. “Can’t you feel it?” “Of course I can, but you’re the one who wanted to go for a walk.” “That was then, this is now. We need to see what’s happening,” Lancer said. “We could gain some useful intelligence… and pick off whoever’s left.” Brock grinned. “Yeah, I’m lookin’ forward to taking on the winner.” He began to walk quickly, gesturing for Lancer to keep up. “C’mon, it feels like the fight’s about two blocks away.” “No, wait!” Lancer caught him by the shoulder and wheeled him around. “Focus… can you feel that? It’s not a balanced fight. This will be over swiftly. Just wait…” He was right. A minute or so later, the fight was over and they could no longer sense one of the competitors. Someone retreated. Brock smiled. “Perfect. The winner is all ours. I’m looking forward to fighting him at full strength.” He began marching forward again, toward the location of the brawl, but Lancer halted him again. “No, that’s the wrong course of action,” he warned. “Can’t you see, this is an opportunity. We should go after the other one.” “The weakling? The one who ran away?” Brock said, confused. “Screw that, man. I’m in this to prove my strength. I’m gonna show these mages they aren’t the boss of me. And the only way to do that is to take down the biggest, baddest mother fu-” “Trust me on this one,” Lancer said sincerely. “You’ll get your chance. A wise man makes friends before he makes enemies. That is why we should go after the weaker adversary. One of two things will happen: they will join us or they will perish.” Brock thought about it for a moment. He knew Lancer was right. The Grail War would be filled with powerful enemies. Charging into it blindly would be suicide. Someone else had already learned that lesson moments ago… “Fine, we’ll go check up on the loser,” Brock muttered as he turned away and Lancer followed. “I think I can sense which direction he fled away in. Let’s go grab my car and see if we can track the coward down.” Minutes later, they were driving toward the city’s residential area.
"Master there is ano-" Archer was cut off as Fox jumped from his seat. The magus quickly put on top hat and scooped his cape off the hanger. "Another servant is in the area?" He asked smiling as he seemed to be preparing for leaving. He was also picked up a cane, cards and various other items he seemed to be stuffing into his sleeves or pockets. Archer seemed puzzled he'd never seen magus with so such....interesting taste in fashion and well weaponry. But no matter he was more concerned with what his master was doing. "You're leaving? Are we going to engage them." Archer asked in a hopeful manner. Fox shook one finger at his servant. "No not yet. We are....or more so I am just going to put on a show." He said opening the door. Archer rolled his eyes. "Sort of like how you lie yourself on fire while summoning me?" He asked Archer could hear his master growl at the comment but other then that Fox seemed unfazed as he normally did when insults were hurled at him. "Just lead the way to where this other servant is going. But please tell me to stop when I'm a good deal away from them. I'll explain on the way." And with that both took off.
Karin Karin panicked. What had happened just now? One second they were in the heat of battle, and next they were here, back in her room. Rider lay unconscious, sprawled out on her floor. His chest was heaving up and down slowly - he was still alive at least. "Rider?" Karin shook him. He was completely out of it. She hoped he'd be able to sleep it off. "Karin? Are you at home, dear?" Her mother's voice came from downstairs. Then Karin heard footsteps coming up. Shit! She thought to herself. What would her mother think of a half naked man sprawled out on her floor?! Karin quickly jumped into action, throwing open her wardrobe and taking out every piece of clothing she could find. She threw it all on top of Rider, until he was reduced to nothing but a pile of laundry. A knock came at her door. "Karin, honey? Can I come in?" She hesitated for a moment, but then replied, "yes, mum!" Karin's mother was in her forties, but looked around thirty. Sometimes people mistook her for Karin's older sister. But she wasn't alone. Behind Mrs Ishihara stood a young man, clothed in the grey robes of a priest. "This is Father Hiroshi," her mother introduced, smiling, "he's here to talk to you about a school project you're doing with the church." Karin had never seen the man in her life, but with everything that had happened that night, she knew he was somehow linked, and she wanted to find out more. "Oh yes, father Hiroshi," she smiled, "I forgot to tell you that he'd be coming tonight, mother." "Well, I'll leave you two to it," Karin's mother said, "I'll be downstairs." Karin and the priest locked eyes until her mother was out of earshot. "So, are you having trouble picking an outfit, or hiding something rather large?" Hiroshi indicated at the mess of clothes. Karin revealed Rider to her new acquaintance. "Ah, then I am too late. Tell me, Karin, how did you escape the battle?" "I don't know, I just felt a pain on my shoulder, right here," she showed the marks to the priest, "and then I was in my room." "I see. Your body instinctively used one of your command seals to get you out of the fight. It saved your life, but now you are only left with two." "Huh?" Karin questioned. "Please, allow me to introduce myself..." Father Hiroshi told Karin everything about the Grail Wars, and about her Grandfather, who won the Grail War fifty years ago, which is how he obtained the magical necklace that she wore. She was from a magical family, but one that abandoned the art a few decades ago. "So you're saying that I can give everything up anytime I want, and just go about my normal life?" "Yes, if you give up your command seals. However, know that by doing so, you will also give up your servant's wish to obtain the grail." Karin looked down at Rider. In the fight with Caster he had spoken about changing his destiny. It was something that he was adamant about, or he wouldn't have fought so recklessly. Karin couldn't just turn around and abandon him. Besides, winning the Grail would mean she got something out of it as well. She thought for a long moment. "I'll do it. I'll go for the grail." "Excellent." Hiroshi replied, "I will grant you temporary sanctuary, as your servant is weak and disabled. But know that it will only last until tomorrow night." "But I won't need-" "Trust me. They're coming."
Guess who's coming to dinner. The sensation was getting stronger. As Brock’s car prowled the streets, under the orange glow of the setting sun, he could feel the presence of another Master. Unfortunately, he also knew the other person could probably sense him as well. “Stay sharp,” Lancer warned. “We’re very vulnerable inside this… thing.” He didn’t like the car. It was a miraculous means of transportation, but was far too confining. A coffin on wheels. “Yeah, we can walk from here,” Brock said as he pulled over and they both hopped out. It was a quaint little neighborhood, very average. Japan was filled with suburbs just like it. “Funny, I figured the guy would flee to a fortress or a castle on a hill or something,’” Brock mused. “What, did he run home to his momma?” He chuckled. “There is no dishonor in retreat. I suppose the Japanese are finally learning from their past mistakes,” Lancer remarked. “Is it true the Americans unleashed a superweapon on them to end the war?” “What do I look like, a history book?” “The summoning seems to have given me some basic knowledge of your time,” Lancer said calmly, “though I’m still coming to terms with some of it. The atomic bomb, for example. Fascinating. If only I had thought of that…” “Yeah, whatever, stop talking now,” Brock said as they approached the house. It was a simple two-story middle-income residence. He paused, wondering if this Master had a wife and kids... But Lancer passed him by and approached the porch. He paused to slick back his hair and straighten his sweater vest before knocking lightly. Brock stood behind him, scanning the streets in case of an ambush.
Father Hiroshi The door was answered by Karin's mother, who found two men standing on her porch. One was exceptionally tall and muscular, and the other looked to be from another era altogether. They were both foreign - American or European. She wasn't quite sure. "Hello gentlemen," she greeted them, but it sounded more like a question. The shorter one began to speak, but was quickly interrupted by Father Hiroshi, who came from behind Mrs Ishihara. "Pardon me, ma'am, but they're here for me." He checked his watch, "and slightly late as well. Poor timing gentlemen." He eyed them sternly as he walked out the front door and down the steps. He turned to say goodbye. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Ishihara, we'll be in touch soon." He bowed and then turned his attention to the other two, the taller of which had a perplexed look on his face. "Coming?" he beckoned.
Xayide Xayide was running a bath and adding rose petals, when she heard her front door close. Thinking it might be that intruder Father Hiroshi, she grabbed her ring off the marble counter and prepared to give him a tough lesson. But Nico emerged in the bathroom doorway. She looked normal--well, her version of normal--except that her bandana was slightly askew and her chin was cut. Xayide knew the signs of a scuffle when she saw them. "You got in a fight", Xayide said in a flat voice. "Yeah--and the bastard got away", Nico grumbled, picking at her sleeve. Xayide sighed angrily and rolled her eyes; it was just like a teen to not understand the gravity of serious matters. This was why Xayide didn't have children, but here she was catering to a wreckless teenage witch. If Nico wasn't so powerful and talented, Xayide would have picked someone older and more obedient as a servant. "If you were anyone else, I would have killed you by now", Xayide said coolly, taking back off her amethyst ring and putting it on the counter again. "Thanks, I guess...", Nico replied hesitantly. "Anyway, since you're getting ready for a day at the spa"--Nico gestured at the flower petals floating in the tub--"I'll just go take a nap and call it a night, 'kay?" Xayide irritably waved away her servant and went about the process of adding bottles of special oils to her bath water. "I swear, if that girl doesn't help me win the Grail, I'll have her head", she muttered.
A woman answered the door. The relaxed, if puzzled, look on her face made it very clear she was't the Master they were looking for. Actually, she seemed oblivious to what was going on. "Hello gentlemen," she said. "Good day," Lancer said, already concocting an alibi. "My name is-" "Pardon me, ma'am, but they're here for me," another man said as he stepped by the woman. he wore the robes of a priest as he checked his watch, "and slightly late as well. Poor timing gentlemen." Brock narrowed his eyes on the priest. He had read enough about the past Grail Wars to know the role the church played in it. The man's presence here could mean almost anything. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Ishihara, we'll be in touch soon," the priest said to the woman as he left the house, but paused to address Brock and his servant. "Coming?" "Where?" Brock said. "And what were you doing in there? Has someone been eliminated already or were you just explaining the rules or offering protection?" He pointed at the house and the woman in the doorway, but was still talking to the priest. "A Master lives here. Where is he? I wanna see him. Isn't it a little soon for the church to already be meddling in things?" "Too soon to be asking so many questions, I'd say," Lancer remarked. He gave the woman a glance that seemed to say, pardon my friend here. Where are his manners?
