Fandom Fate/Ethereal

[Iskandar]

"Welcome... My dearest masters... to the Holy Grail War! Do try not to die, and if you do indeed keel over, try not to get blood on the floor!"​

Plot: The Clock Tower has managed to find the 726th Holy Grail and bring back to London, hoping to start a Holy Grail War that heavily favors the Mage Association, but disaster has struck the Mages Association! A rogue group within the Association named Cum Laude et Pro Bono, managed to catch wind of this extremely hidden agenda by the Association, and have stolen the Grail and the details of the War from the Mages Association. The stealing of the Grail had seriously damaged the Mages Association’s plans, and have tasked their best and brightest member in finding the Grail and eradicating the Rogue Faction. The seven chosen masters have also gone missing, the Association believing the rogue faction has kidnapped them in order to start the Holy Grail War. What will happen to the seven people already chosen by the Grail to be masters? How will the mage tasked with finding the Grail fare? Who will win the fabled Grail and have their wish granted?

Setting: London, 2025

--------------------------------------
Hey Guys,

After nearly(maybe actually more) a year, I have decided to return to RPN. College has been amazing and I love it, but lately I've been craving some good old Roleplays, so thus, my return. (After writing the plot I can tell I am extremely rusty!) This Roleplay will feature a rather wide cast including the masters, servants, characters from other Fate series and a plethora of NPCs. If you've any questions or criticisms please let me know in OOC.

 

[Iskandar]

Night Zero​

Each Master would awaken in a dimly lit room that resembled a prison cell. All the would remember was being confronted by a man in a top hat before being knocked out and taken to their prison. The door to their cage closed shut and locked tightly. Right outside the cage was a Television, as well as small box. The Television quickly flickered on, and a man appeared on it. The entirety of his face besides his pearly white teeth and blonde mustache were not visible. He wore a dark black suit with a purple tie and some indistinguishable lapel pin. His mouth curled into a cheerful, almost creepy smile as he began to give a speech to each of the masters:

"It's a chilling and rainy winter night in the city of London, almost cold enough to start snowing. The city was bustling with life, tourists from all over gathered at the usual places. Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. Like rats infesting a house, these tourists made the city disgusting. That is beside the point though. My views on this disgusting shithole of a city have no role in this story... Anyway, this city of eight million people was in frenzy, as Christmas was nearing closer and closer. Five days to be exact. During tonight, something... otherworldly... will occur. Well, more otherworldly than the typical night in London. London is the base of operations for the Mages Association after all, and all kinds of otherworldly events occur here. Of course, the average person had no idea of this, and the Clock Tower liked to keep it that way.

The event I speak of is something far greater than the Mage Association and their pathetic ambitions. The event I have been alluding to all this time is of course that of the Holy Grail War. An event that would wreak havoc on the city for the upcoming days. Countless would die, countless would be hurt... Chaos would run wild. It will be glorious, truly glorious! THE DEATH TOLL WILL BE ASTRONOMICAL! TRULY! IT WILL BE GLORIOUS... HAHAHAHAHA... Ahem... Apologies for my outburst... Anyway... this is where you come in... my dearest... friends... You seven Magi were originally going to fight on behalf of the Association... in some... honor-bound and fair fight with no true drama or action. Pitiful. Thus, me and my associates stepped in to... liven up the War. Make it real, ya know?

So, after this little recording stops, the cages will open automatically. You will grab the box next to this TV, and you will open it. If you do not open it, I will dispose of you and find a suitable replacement. In this box is the rules and details of this magnificent event. After that, you shall summon your servant, and from there... you can decided that on your own. I expect absolute mayhem and unadulterated bloodshed, ya hear me? Make this the best Grail War to ever occur! Tata!"

The recording stopped, and static played loudly on the TV, but the cages did not open like this mysterious man promised. The static abruptly stopped, and the man appeared once more, "Oh, and one last thing. Do not try looking for me. You will have no luck. When the time is right, I shall approach you. Until then... Tata!"

The TV this time turned off completely, and the cages opened into the room with the TV and the Box. It was quite evident that each Master was in a separate location, but they all roughly resembled each other. Run down, dirty locations, most likely abandoned due to the amount of broken glass, flickering lights, and displaced furniture. The box sat idly by the Television, waiting to be opened by each of the seven masters.

Inside the little box next to the Television was three things; A catalyst necessary for summoning each servant, and two note cards. The first one had this scribbled down on it:

"Hello, good sirs and madams! I hope you are glad to be out of your cage! Anyway, on this note card are your instructions to summon your servants. The sooner the better. If you choose not to, or have any protests to this, well... I shall dispose of you and find someone new. If you go into the room to your right, there is already a summoning circle in place, all you have to do is place the catalyst in the middle of the circle. Then you shall perform a chant, any chant really, and bang, your brand new servant! Fresh from the dealership."

The second note card simply said:

"Good luck!"

Xel Xcelgamer Gaius Danius Griinia Nano Dragonruby Arne

HyperDimension Pyosimros The One Eyed Bandit QuirkyAngel Girouette simj26

 

[Xcelgamer]

Jacki woke up her head hurting slightly “Ahhh, whoever kidnapped me has a bullet waiting for them” As she stood up, dusting herself off a TV turned on in front of her. As she half listened to the instructions and explanation of what happened, she took in what little of the person was shown “Blonde moustache, creepy smile, dark black suit, purple tie and a weird pin. Right, now I know my main target” She said to herself, as the man finished up and the door opened. Before she opened the box next to the TV, she checked Jack to see if all her stuff was still in him, which lucky for her it was and she took out her cane and opened the box and started reading the rules and details. “Hmm, yeah, ok, magic circle… put catalyst… any chant will do, what an asshole” She murmured to herself


“Ok! Let’s get to summoning” She said smiling “Jack, the box and its contents are all yours” She then put the box in front of Jack which it ate gleefully “Oops, need the catalyst” She said as she grabbed the box, pulled out a whale’s tooth and let Jack re-eat the box “Huh, a whale tooth, I wonder if I’m going to be a Master of Ahab” She said to herself as she placed the catalyst in the circle “Ok, then” She said as she put down her lamp, placed her cane on her left forearm and cracked her knuckles “Let’s do this. Double bubble, toil and trouble. Please bring a Servant on the double, so I can kill a bastard with so much less trouble” Jacki said as her chant. She continued doing so until the magic circle brightened and sparked with magic energy “Hahahahahahaha, yes, first try” She said excitedly as a Servant began to materialise in front of her before she calmed down, straightened herself as much as possible and picked up her stuff

QuirkyAngel

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Rider

Being summoned to a rundown room next to what appeared to be an opened prison cell was one of the last things Rider would have expected. Was his Master a criminal? A prisoner? It was hard to say exactly what the situation was without more information.

Stepping out of the summoning circle as the light faded, Rider let his eyes roam a bit before landing on a young redhead. His master, no doubt, seeing as there were no other occupants in the room.

Rider dropped to one knee, silver hair falling over his shoulder. A formal, submissive gesture in recognition of his new status as her Servant, though his eyes didn’t look away from the short girl’s as he continued to silently assess her.

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Rider started in greeting. Compared to many other Servants of the Grail War, the silver haired man was dressed simply. ‘Linen’ cloth, brown boots, and a white traveling cloak. If not for the sword at his side one would be hard pressed to call him a warrior at all. “I am Rider and I have come to assist you in this Grail War.”

Xcelgamer

 

[Xel]

Alexander BismarckUnknown Cell​

The man let out a groan, groggily bringing a hand to his face as consciousness slowly returned to him. His eyes scanned the dimly lit room trying to remember what brought him to this moment. As he got to his feet he noticed a television spark to life beyond the bars of his cell. As the figure spoke he took the few strides to the bars, peering between them to watch and listen. It was clear that the man on the screen was either their abductor, or someone related. Listening to what he had to say would be the obvious course of action. "London, huh?" Well that at least narrowed down where he was. As the figure continued to carry on he couldn't help but shake his head and glance down at his hand. Related to the war, as he suspected. Being told that they would be fighting in an altered war brought a frown to his lips as his eyes fell on the aforementioned box by the screen.

As the man finished.. for the second time, the cell doors opened. Walking forward he quickly opened the box, his frown growing at it's contents. Skimming through the two cards he casually tossed them to the ground. It was the rather old looking item that caused his deep frown. He had worked diligently to procure himself a proper catalyst. A powerful servant to help win the war. Yet that was taken from him, instead he'd be getting some random servant and just have to hope for the best. With a sigh he snatched up the red piece of cloth and made his way to the designated room, loosening his tie as he went. Just off this little charade he knew he was dealing with some highly organized group. Not just anyone could pull something like this off. But dealing with that would have to wait.

Setting the piece of cloth at the center of the circle he stepped back beyond the outer edge. Raising his arms he began to pour his mana into the prepared summoning circle. He knew full well the chant was largely worthless, as did the man on the screen. Given that he didn't even know who he was trying to summon that gave him even less reason to bother. So rather than worry about a fancy chant he simply called out in a booming voice. "Come forth, Heroic servant, and aid me in this war!" Between his magic, the catalyst, and what counted as a chant the circle lit up a brilliant light, calling forth the unknown servant.

Abandoned Room
Interactions: HyperDimension (Assassin)​

 

[Dragonruby]

Elias groaned as he slowly came to, consciousness much like a beat of a drum... Alright, that really didn't make any sense, but fuuuuuuuuck everything if he didn't feel like he had the worst hangover right now. How much had he drank last night? He had been drinking, right? If not, then there were a lot of questions he desperately wanted answers to...

Luckily, the pain seemed to fade quickly, and whatever room he found himself in was dim enough that he didn't give himself a migraine by opening his eyes. It seemed like a prison cell of some sort, which by itself wasn't particularly surprised. It wouldn't be the first time Elias found himself waking up in the drunk tank of whatever local police station. The issue was that this seemed a lot more like an old-timey sort of prison cell... Which meant that he likely wasn't actually in jail at all, and instead someone had gone and kidnapped him. Whatever curse he was going to make at his strange predicament was quickly replaced by a much louder and more passionate curse as the old CCTV screen flickered to life, suddenly flooding his cell with much more light than he had been accustomed too and triggering his hangover into a full blown migraine.

"FUCKING GODDAMMIT WHAT THE SHIT!?" Elias ranted as he lashed out with his foot, trying to kick the TV over, only to miss and fall over backwards onto the floor. He laid there, quietly fuming as he contemplated how he'd just been beaten by an inanimate television while his only company was some asshole ranting about some nonsense on the TV and the migraine that had yet to entirely fade away.

It took him a bit of time to actually bother paying attention to the man on the TV, but the mention of the Grail War quickly caught his attention, and he tilted his head up to actually try and look at the screen now. "The fuck...?" he asked eloquently, squinting his eyes at the monitor before lifting up his hand to see the Command Spells scrawled on the back. He thought he felt his heart skip a beat. Hell, maybe it actually did, he had his foot halfway into the grave already anyways. Either way, the man leapt up to his feet, and was almost immediately upon the box, opening it to get at its contents, and nearly just as fast he was in the next room over, preparing his summoning.

Elias stared at the summoning circle, catalyst lying within, as he rolled up his sleeve. The man on the television had clearly been a madman, or at least somewhat deranged. Was it really right for him to be playing into his games, or aid in whatever the hell he was aiming for? The Grail War was his best chance at life, but could he really take someone else's to save his own...? He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had to try. He began to chant, holding out one arm as the circle began to glow with the mana he had begun to pour into it.

"Turn again, and again, and again, and be turned thrice over,"

"By blood and soul be bound,"

"A contract forged by laws unwritten,"

"Let fate bind my will to yours,"

"From the most evil of sinners, to the most worldly of saints,"

"I offer you a vessel with which to take form,"

"Come forth, o' spirit of man, and bleed and breathe once more!"

Pyosimros

 

[HyperDimension]

Assassin​

"AAAAAAH I HATE THEM, I HATE THEM ALL." The young woman cried out into the void as she was being called for once more.

She had been done with humanity, not just her own but the whole thing.

So why was she being called again?! "Tch, so be it. Not like I have a choice here..." The lamenting of a woman who had figured she was done with it all when it was her time to leave the world of the living. After all she had left it on her terms... Once everything else was in ashes of course.

"Wait a minute..." A pause in her whining... Perhaps things didn't seem so bleak after all.

"I-... I would not be summoned without a reason?! Yes. Maybe. Possibly." Was it a straw of hope that had been grasped in her hands?

"If I am to be summoned here. There could be a chance! He might be here! My Husband! My Love! MY -!!!!"

A flash of light. Her thoughts broke apart as her body took form in this dark and dreary place. What the hell kind of place was this for a summoning of a servant. Oh well... Speaking truthfully one such as her probably deserved worse anyway.

And so her form took place. A woman dressed in red clothing, not clothing that a noble lady would wear nor one who was ready for battle. Tight red clothing that was best described as the kind of things you would probably guess are well suited for sneaking around in. The most noticeable thing was her large, dark red cloak. That seemed to be a few sizes too large for her, it could practically cover her whole body depending on where she was standing and would droop down to touch the floor when she was still. That was because it had belonged to her husband before hand.
Of course for now the hood was down and so her blonde hair and beautiful red eyes could be seen very clearly.

"Awaaaaaaaa~...." Assassin stood there standing rather awkwardly as a strange noise escaped her mouth. She had not expected the process to be over so quickly and well, it had caught her mid in the middle of something. Well. What to do what to do... She turned to look up at the one who summoned her. A gruff old man. Definitely nothing like her beloved hubbie. A low pitched noise almost like a growl but closer more to a babies stomach rumbling.

"I suppose you would be my master then huh?" An obvious question that she felt had to be asked for some reason...

"I think it would be safe to guess that you probably don't want to stay in this place for anytime longer than you have to and believe me neither do I. So master what do you say we get out of here and introduce ourselves in someplace more fitting and much much more comfortable huh?"

Xel

 

[Nano]

mera cronwell.

Mera crumpled the two note cards with a sigh of pure exasperation. Chaos? Death toll? Whoever this blonde ‘stache was, he didn’t appear to have a very good sense for casting roles. For someone who just barely agreed to participate in this goddamn war, having to exert extra effort to join in on some slaughterfest was beyond the scope of her motivation. Unfortunately, she had no grasp of the current situation, so she’d have to default to complying with the maniac for the time being. Of course, that was only until she had a proper assessment of the situation. As a proper, functioning member of ordinary society, to kill—even for the purpose of saving her own skin—would leave her with a bad taste in her mouth.

As if to emulate her thoughts, the blonde stared at the box with a look of absolute distaste. This distaste, however, quickly morphed into a look of mild confusion upon gazing at the box’s contents. That is, an age-worn coin sat itself neatly within its container. Picking it up and turning it this way and that, she frowned. Currency was an item common to various figures. For all she knew, it could have been a literal coin or something symbolic of greed. Did the maniac from the TV not care enough to at least provide a catalyst that would give some clues?

A sarcastic smile crept on to her facial features. The world of magecraft was as absurd as usual. She didn’t even know why she bothered to question anything anymore.

Upon locating the aforementioned summoning circle, Mera haphazardly tossed the coin onto its centerpoint. Slowly, filling the circle with her mana, she thus began her chosen chant, “I beseech thee to descend upon this offered vessel and bestow thy talents at my ancestor’s behest-”

—Or rather, she recited what little of it she remembered.

Having paused for a full second, Mera recalled the words of the first card which mentioned that any chant would do. If that were the case, perhaps nothing would matter? With this in mind, she awkwardly continued, “Err, well. Come forth.”

Tags: Girouette ​

 

[Gaius Danius Griinia]

Ren jolted awake and threw a card with incredibly fast reflexes. The playing card then sunk a few inches into the concrete in front of him. Shaking his head a little, Ren tried to get a read on the situation. He was locked up in a cell of some kind. Oddly enough they let him keep his stuff. Usually kidnappers would take almost all of their captives items to prevent escape. There was a sudden flicker of light as a television in front of the bars turned on. The mustachioed gentleman on the screen began to rant about carnage and destruction on a grand scale. Greeeeat.... first I agree to this war to pay off my parents debts and now I've been kidnapped by a psycho in order to enact his plans of anarchy thought Ren as he pulled his fedora over his eyes. Then the screen turned off, leaving Ren in silence. Using a card, Ren throws it above the television and releases its contents. This leaves a bunch of bricks to land on and destroy it. Taking the box and cards, Ren heads into the next room.

Looking over the magical circle, Ren pulls out the catalyst. Placing it in the circle, Ren begins circling the catalyst. This was it, the moment he summoned his Servant to fight in the Holy Grail War. A war in which he would either kill or be killed. However at the end of this would be Ren's prize. Upon obtaining the Grail, he would use its power to end Holy Grail Wars forever. With this, he would give the Mages Association their comeuppance. Those who had wronged his parents AND his mentor would lose what they sought FOREVER. Hardening his heart, Ren then began the ritual. "Come forth and vow to me. We are cards in a rigged deck. The hands dealt to us by fate have never been fair. I ask that you become my Trump card!" cried Ren as he poured his mana into his catalyst as a series of brigh lights signaled the summoning of his Servant.

Mentions: Iskandar

 

[Xel]

Alexander BismarckAbandoned Room​

He averted his gaze as the brilliant light apexed, by the time he looked back the light had all but dissipated and left in it's place was a young woman. Clad in form-fitting clothing and wearing an oversized red cloak it was evident to anyone that this was his servant. Certainly less impressive looking than who he had originally planned on summoning forth, but then everything he knew of the War told him not to judge based on appearances. Not just anyone could become a heroic spirit, so this woman was clearly quite capable in life. He perked a brow at the random noise she released upon being summoned but gave it little more thought as the girl spoke up.

He gave the girl a curt nod in response. "You are correct, I would be your Master." He would at least acknowledge that fact before turning his gaze around the bleak chamber once more before returning his gaze to the girl. "Forgive me, I had originally intended to hold the summoning ceremony at my home. But recent events forced me to perform it here." He would have to explain the details to her later as he very much doubted she knew anything of the changes in the war. But he agreed with her idea in leaving this place, so his full explanation would have to wait along with their proper introductions. Turning his back on the girl he waved his hand, the air in the open doorway began shimmering and distorting. Where once the room with the television once resided, now there was only a comfortable, warmly lit living room. He walked forward, stopping right before the door to turn back to the woman before walking through the doorway.

After entering the room he made his way towards the minibar along the far wall. "I don't suppose you would fancy a drink?" He called over his shoulder, fetching a bottle and pouring himself a small glass, along with one for her should she accept the offer. Regardless he turned to face her, taking a sip of his drink before speaking up, the door behind them once again shimmering until the bleak chamber was replaced with a hallway. "Now then, let us properly introduce ourselves. I am Alexander Bismarck, your partner for this war." He gave the woman a nod, hoping she'd be forthcoming with her own introduction for he didn't even know what class he had summoned, let alone who he summoned.

Living Room
Interactions: HyperDimension (Assassin)​

 

[Iskandar]

Saber
​

A bright flash of light illuminated the room and lasted for several seconds before a semi-tall woman stepped out of it. The woman wore a rather unique outfit. She wore a cowl that was dirty and worn out and it covered her entire back and shoulders, two dark black gauntlets with matching boots. It appeared that her matching breastplate and helmet were missing, instead her white and gold leotard that had seen better days was what appeared. On her right hip was a rather large sword in its sheath, and in her left hand was a beautiful harp. It was clearly the best looking thing the woman had owned. It was a bright white, and looked as if it was from the heavens itself.

The woman took another step forward before stopping to observe the room in silence before directing her attention at the man in the fedora. She would look him up and down, noting every little detail she could before offering a curt bow and finally speaking to the man, "I am Saber and my job is to help you win this war."

"I can assume that you are the one that has summoned me to this... desolate place." The woman paused, looking around the room once more, "So, you're my master, eh? Do you have a name by any chance, or shall I merely call you master? We should also think of leaving this place, unless this is your base of operations..." She offered the man a wry smile, a calm and almost lazy look on her face.

Gaius Danius Griinia

 

[Gaius Danius Griinia]

Ren watched as the summoning circle called forth his Servant. Appearing before him was a young woman with a calm expression but a firm posture. Her odd leotard aside, she wore a sword and a harp. Ren didn't even need to guess which Servant she was. The woman then gave her name as SABER. Ren smiled cooly, he had pulled what was considered the BEST Servant Class. Tipping his fedora, in a non-ironic and completely unmemeworthy way. Ren really disliked western stigma that fedoras were only worn by neckbeards. Traditionally, they were the headwear of the hard-boiled. Those who dedicated their lives to making the harsh decisions to help their clients and close the books on tough cases. "Kanzaki Ren. Its nice to meet you Saber, seems like you'll be my partner on this case" said Ren as he flicked his fedora out of his eyes.

Upon hearing her curiosity regarding their current location, Ren shrugged. "It seems I was taken for my abilities as a Master. The catalyst I was promised was probably taken by whoever kidnapped me. Though they wouldn't inform me of what catalyst I was given so I can't be sure if I was meant to summon a Saber such as yourself. For now we'd best make our way out of this place so we can reconvene at the safehouse that my contact set up. He was a Master in a previous war so I think he'll be helpful" Ren replied before pulling a card from his sleeve. Using a little reinforcement, he deftly cut the bars of the cell. Stepping out of his holding cell, Ren beckoned Saber to follow him as he tried to find a way out of there.

Interactions: Iskandar

 

[Arne]

Nangong Liuyun​

Even before Liuyun even opened his eyes, the boundless Qi inside his body had already expanded through the whole room, surveying the whole area while its user silently tensed his muscles, prepared to use his opponent's presumed laxness towards a sleeping enemy to strike when they least expected and make them realize how much of a mistake it was not to immediately murder him as soon as they somehow managed to get him unconscious. Unfortunately for him, though, as soon as his Qi spread out he realized his preparation was for naught. Quite surprisingly for someone who presumed himself to be a prisoner, there were simply no guards around. Be it in the same room as his cell or in the surroundings and rooms his Qi could reach, there wasn't a single living soul to release his anger on.

Before he could properly discount his repressed anger on the environment, though, the television outside his cell turned on, showing the recording of a well-dressed foreigner - Actually, wasn't he the foreigner? After all, this was Britain... - who was seemingly the leader of the organization who was hosting the holy war - or at least that was what Liuyun assumed from the few moments he paid attention to while stretching himself and checking his body for any residual poison or wound. By the time he arrived at the part of the box and how they had to open it, Liuyun was already more than feed up about the man's discourse, choosing to directly smash the cage's door away with a punch before he even finished the sentence and walking towards the box while grumbling something about British people and their inability to shut up.

He only gave the cards a small scam before directly throwing them away and directing his attention to the catalyst instead, realizing it was a fragment of what seemed to be a western firearm - not something he was quite familiar with. Something that even the relatively ignorant Liuyun couldn't help but slightly frown at that, mostly because he noticed how relatively young it was - after all, that stuck-up weakling Adam had at least told him that older servants were generally better amidst all his useless semantics - but also because of his own personal dislike for the kind of object, for guns were quite naturally the object of hate from most martial artists and thus not something that was liked by the household who raised him.

Naturally, though, just this much wasn't enough to stop the ever-so-confident Liuyun from going ahead to summon the servant anyway, after all, he was more than strong enough to carry the team - at least in his mind. Just like that he directly went to the summoning room and positioned the catalyst according to the instructions given by the card, only stopping when it came to deciding on a chant - after all, he was no Buddhist monk or Daoist layman to properly memorize those elusive sets of ancient gibberish - attempting a couple of the poorly remembered Buddhist chants he heard in his infancy for a few minutes before he finalle lost his patience and just turned to yell at the summoning circle instead. "Who cares about damn chants anyway!? I, Nangong Liuyun, command you to come down and serve me!" He said, his Qi raging in reaction and triggering the formation, who in turn started to emit an intense brightness.

 

[Iskandar]

Saber
​

Saber was quite confused when the man had randomly tipped his hat. She was quite perplexed by this action. Saber tilted her head slightly after Kazaki introduced himself and flicked his hat this time, instead of the previous tip. Even though servants were from previous time periods and should know nothing of the time period they were summoned to, they in fact did know about the time period they were summoned to thanks to the Grail. Thanks to this information, it gave some questions that Saber wanted to ask her master and ask she would, "Why do you tip your fedora? According to the Grail, usually people of poor hygiene tend to do that... Are you one of those people? I think they're called neck beards and keyboard warriors... Oh! Are you perhaps a white knight?? I did not realize knights were still relevant in this era." Saber pondered on her question to Kazaki, trying to find the answer by herself.

"A master from a previous war? Those are quite rare. Either he was the winner, or he somehow survived. He is either extremely lucky, or extremely unlucky." Saber stated at what little information Kazaki had given her. Saber would quietly watch as her master looked for a way out of the building. She remained quite, letting the man make a fool of himself before opening the door that led out of the room, "I think this is the way out... Or I could just punch a hole through the wall and we go out that way. Whichever you would prefer." Saber offered Kazaki a simple smile.

Gaius Danius Griinia

 

[Gaius Danius Griinia]

"Dearest Saber, I'd rather play the fool and exercise caution than walk outside the front door of a cell thrust upon me by a madman. As for your earlier comments, the fedora is a symbol of intelligence and hard-boiledness. It only takes a few asshats wearing these to ruin it for everyone else" said Ren as he pulled a skeleton key from a card and unlocked the door before exiting out into the street. Dusting off his jacket, Ren pulled out his phone from another card and got the two of them an Uber. Saber could just stay in spirit form if she wanted but right now Ren needed to get to his contacts safehouse. Having a Master who had survived a Grail War on his side would ensure his victory. At the very least it would give him a wealth of information to draw on. As a magus investigator, Ren would have to make harsh choices if he wanted to survive in this war.

As the Uber arrived, Ren got in and asked Saber to keep watch on the ride over. Silently communicating with her, Ren gave her the low down on their contact. "He's a survivor of a Grail War that ended with nobody winning the Grail. Since then, he's been wandering the Earth preventing rigged Grail Wars and taking down corrupt mage systems. He was an associate of my mentor and I've met him a few times. He's agreed to help me because.....of personal reasons between us" Ren looked away for a second. While Saber was his partner, he'd need to spend a bit more time with her before he opened up a little more. When they got to the building complex, Ren paid their driver before heading inside. Once inside Ren checked out the place before wandering over to the advised room. The room itself was simple and would accommodate his and Saber's needs. Closing the door and sitting down, Ren feels a blade press against his neck. Tiredly smiling, Ren introduced their contact. "Saber.... Meet Hyuga Jun... former Master of Saber in a previous war. Magus Killer and Destroyer of Grail Wars"

Interactions: Iskandar

 

[Pyosimros]

Archer

Mentions - Dragonruby
- -

The brunette awakened in an unfamiliar setting. It was what she could only describe as a prison cell—it was cramped, dusty, and above all else cold. Above her hung one small lightbulb, producing just enough light to make out her surroundings. The archer's head turned from side to side, still soaking in her new environment—it wasn't entirely the location she'd hoped to be summoned in.

Given a few additional seconds, she later turned her attention to the man that'd summoned her: a red-head possessing an average stature. "I'm Archer, it's a pleasure meeting you," she began, extending her hand out to shake. "I assume you're the person who'd summoned me?"

Archer didn't quite give the man an opportunity to answer—she wasn't looking for one anyways. Her eyes scanned the room once more, before she opened her mouth to speak. "What...is this place? We should be looking for a way out. I assume you don't find this place very comfortable...I don't," she said rather simply.

The most obvious route to escape was the door in front of them, a route Archer began to try first. She walked her way to the front of the cell, grasped the door handle, twisted the knob, and pulled. There was...nothing that had happened, it was clearly locked. However, undeterred, she applied more force this time, yet still the door refused to budge. Archer gave a short huff in only temporary defeat, turning around to face her master—hoping he had any escape plan.

 

[Xcelgamer]

“Welcome to this time my dear Rider. I am Jacqueline Franziska Aphrodite Bo Besh Stein the 3rd. But I prefer Jacki, my normal name is both too long and a name I dislike” Jacki said as she curtseyed before she picked up her lantern and she started circling Rider, examining him all over “Hmm, ok Rider, colour me interested. Now let’s get outta here and find a place with a view” She said as she found a door and opened it and found herself in The Shard “Oh this is perfect, come along Rider, I live in one of the rooms here. Let’s go” She said as she continued “Now, Sir Rider I have no idea how much you actually know. So here’s the skinny, I summoned you because I was thrusted into a Holy Grail War. Up this way, please” Jacki said as she pointed her cane towards the elevator. “Anyway, so this institution I work for plans these out, so everyone is prepared. But then apparently the seven Masters got captured by some genocidal maniac, who rather all of us kill a lot of people, than just the other six” She continued as the two of them rode the elevator.

"However he has made enemies with a top assassin, that being me." She ranted on as they continued up the elevator. "Oh, so sorry sir, I have gone too long about myself, tell me about yourself. Oh here we are" She said as the elevator doors dinged and opened to the penthouse "Do you drink? 'Cause after this small ordeal I definitely need one" She said as she placed her cane on a chair and her lantern on the dining table before going to the bar and started making herself a martini.

QuirkyAngel

 

[simj26]

BERSERKERThe same serene light as always appeared from the summoning circle as all the other Servants up to this point had. However, that was where the similarity ended. “AMAZING! WUNDERBAR! SUCH CONCISE EXECUTION!” With this announcement, the Chinese man’s Servant seemed to rip through the light, stepping forth into the dank cell, hands outstretched, as if welcoming her own existence into this world, a manic grin plastered across her face, her form struggling to materialise as quickly and suddenly as she had busted through the veil that brought her forth. It was undeniable that she was from a particularly recent war, given the telltale drab grey German uniform, and the twin, jagged SS on her collar. If her announcement had not been clear enough, her expression certainly told all there was to be told about the boiling madness that was beneath her skin, just waiting for a moment to rip its way out of its human form. She swept her hair behind her with a flourish, and cast her gleeful glare upon her Master. “AHA! SO YOU ARE TO BE MEIN FÜHRER?! EXCELLENT! SUCH LACONIC PRACTISE WILL NOT BE LOST ON ME!”

Berserker took in a deep breath, then exhaled, taking in the damp scent of the dungeon, and, without warning, drew in close to her Master, like a snake to its prey. She leaned in close to her Master, studying every inch of his body, her hands clasped around her back. One may mistake this for a foolish expression of adorable interest, but the eyes on the German were not one of romantic interest, but rather ones of scientific processing. She nodded once or twice, giving satisfactory ‘Very good’s and ‘Marvelous’s as she did so, before she straightened up, barely coming up to half of her Master’s head and spoke, her voice having significantly reduced in volume. “Such genetic composition is lost on your race, Führer, it almost disappoints me! Jedoch!!” She turned, and made a point to raise her hands in yet another extravagant flourish. “It is my pride and joy to serve such a strapping specimen such as yourself! As long as you are my Führer, and I, your Servant, I will crush all those in your way! Shall we to war then? Or shall we commit the mistake of lazing about in couches and lounges, partaking in the comforts of human gluttony, just as the thousands of failures before us, awaiting death to strike?” She took a deep bow. "Whatever you ask, I will, as they say, put Heaven and Hell to motion to do it."

Arne

 

[Iskandar]

Saber
​

"I suppose being cautious is a good quality. I too was cautious during my journey and adventures, but I do think that situation is different from this one. You have me after all! A servant, summoned to fight in a war that will cause destruction and chaos." Saber pounded her chest as a show of pride, "Though I suppose fearing death and injury is just an inherent quality humans have. Cowardice is something we all have, no matter how brave one is."

Saber pondered her master's reply about her master's comment on fedora' before asking yet another ignorant question, "But aren't all the people that wear fedoras asshats?" Saber paused and examined her master once again, "Then again you don't have acne or a strong amount of musk... You must be the exception." She shrugged to herself and followed Ren out of the building before watching him step into a car. Saber looked at the car and deemed it to be kind of a crap vehicle, with the driver blasting some questionable music who would probably try to talk to you the entire drive. With this information in mind, Saber decided to enter spiritual form.

As Ren informed Saber of who his contact was and how they had an agreement to work together had piqued Saber's interest. What kind of person were they truly is what really interested Saber. Determining what kind of person someone truly is can shed light on a plethora of things. Saber made no advances on the "personal reasons" part, as it was quite clear that Ren didn't wish to speak on such topics. Instead she would continue to remain quite until the two had arrived at their destination.

Once they had arrived and stepped out of the vehicle, Saber would materialize, this time in an outfit more suited for the time period. She followed Ren into the building complex and sensed the presence of another in the building, but was not really pressed to find it and deal with it. Saber just assumed that it was this associate of Ren's, and thus she remained unbothered by it. Upon entering the room that most likely would have been the center of Team Saber's operation, she would notice that the other presence was in the room with them. Saber would be unfazed at the man pressing a blade at her master's neck. She crossed her arms and examined the man after Ren introduced him, "Quite a foolish man, are you sure we should be dealing with someone idiotic enough to threaten your life whilst I am here?"

Gaius Danius Griinia

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Rider

Getting to his feet, Rider dusted his pants a bit before following his Master out the door and into the place called the ‘Shard’. Quite the contrast from the area he’d been summoned in. Rider remained quiet, listening and absorbing information while Jacki spoke. At the same time, his eyes wandered as he examined the various designs of the modern world. He knew what they were, of course, but seeing them with his own eyes with a different matter all together.

Up the elevator.

To Jacqueline’s penthouse.

Rider was content to follow, seeing as he knew no other place to be.

He was surprised to learn Jacki was an assassin—as he’d never really seen one wear a dress quite so colorful—but he supposed a deceptive appearance was one of an assassin’s trademarks. Particularly a female one.

Taking a seat where Jacki set her pumpkin-shaped lantern, Rider replied to her inquiry. “I do.” And, seeing as she asked about himself, Rider continued. “My father was a merchant, you see…a fairly wealthy one at that. So, yes, I’ve tasted wine. I’ve also tasted various exotic beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, in my travels. Too much addles the brain, but the right amount can soothe the weary soul.”

He watched Jacki make the drink. The mixing of beverages into a cocktail wasn’t prevalent in this time and Rider wouldn’t even pretend to know what sort of concoction the magus was making. It didn’t matter. He doubted she was trying to poison him. Not like a Servant like him could really be poisoned anyway. At least, not by normal means.

“I, too, don’t like the sound of this maniac,” Rider sighed. All he wanted to do in life was be normal, but it seems like he couldn’t even be summoned to a normal Grail War. He looked out the window at the city below. “Getting civilians involved in the Grail War is both dishonorable and unnecessary. Such chaos can only be desired by one possessed by a sinful demon. A powerful one at that. If you oppose such a person then I will stand by your side.”

Xcelgamer

 

[Dragonruby]

Elias was left rather surprised at how informal his summoned Servant was about all of this. A simple introduction, a handshake, and then... That was it really. Wasn't there supposed to be a bit more pomp and circumstance that usually went into these things? That was the sort of stuff the mages of the Association usually enjoyed, but he supposed his little video introduction had implied things here would be otherwise. Nonetheless, he shook Archer's hand, a bit of a confused look on his face, as he greeted her in turn. "I'm Elias... Elias Cryan..." He paused for a moment, unsure of what else to say, though Archer quickly filled it in with some rather pointed questions about their current surroundings.

He could only look on bemused as Archer tried the door, only to find it locked. "Aren't you supposed to be the superhuman familiar here...?" He asked her back with his brow quirked as she seemed to look at him expectantly. He simply shook his head, and waved for Archer to back away before reaching into his coat pocket and withdrawing a small wooden sphere. A brief moment of focus and it flashed with a blueish light which was accompanied by a shifting of the air as he forcibly shoved one of the numerous spirits that constantly followed him within it. A flick of his wrist sent it hurtling towards the door and on impact, it exploded in a bright flash of white light. Elias shielded his eyes from the explosion, peering out from behind his arm as the air settled. It'd hardly been an earth shattering explosion, barely enough to even rock the foundations of their cell, but it was more than enough to blow the door quite literally off its hinges. "Well...?" He asks, glancing towards his Servant as he steps out the door and up a stairwell. "You coming?"

The cool evening air was certainly refreshing after being cooped up inside some unknown dungeon, and Elias breathed in greedily as he used it to perk himself up. While eager to get away from his prison, he didn't bother going too far, meandering his way towards a nearby park and dropping down on a bench where he drapes his arms out on either side of him as he leans back and stares up towards the night sky. "Right, so... Grail War..." He mutters aloud, mostly to himself. He looks up and over towards Archer again, pointing a single finger towards her.

"I suppose you're proof enough that I wasn't getting my chain yanked around... I really wasn't expecting to have to do something like this on short notice, but fuck it, I'll take what I can get. We'll be working together from now on, so... Well... You're here, so you've got a wish, right? It's not anything that involves destroying the world, or bathing it in fire, or anything? Cause that'd be good to know before we got started with anything."

Pyosimros

 

[Lucem]

There was a lot to process in such a short amount of time. As soon as he regained consciousness, the lingering pain that assaulted his head tried to prevent him from opening his eyes. Unfortunately, he couldn't afford to take a nap and hope the pain would be gone the next time he woke up. The throbbing headache began to subside when his hazy vision returned to normal, but he still had to deal with a horrible stench that permeated the dimly lit area. He was also stuck in a cage. That was the most important thing.

Before he could even begin to question this strange situation, a television flickered to life, revealing the hidden visage of a mustached man. The man was quick to begin his explanation, leaving no room for Ray to interject. Although, it was unlikely that he'd get an answer from a recording. Even if his apparent kidnapper was somehow able to hear him, he didn't seem like the type to give out useful details when asked. It didn't take long for him to figure out that the smiling stranger was completely off his rocker.

Despite the man's questionable mental state, Ray had a general idea of what was going on. In short, a group of maniacs decided to hijack the Holy Grail War. Part of that plan included capturing the participating Masters. They must've been well-connected if they were able to discover all seven identities and set everything up without being discovered. They also didn't view any of the Masters as a potential threat, despite their actions potentially incurring the wrath of those that didn't take kindly to being stuffed in a cage. That meant that the members of this group must've been very powerful or very stupid. Regardless of their strength, he could say for certain that they had an inflated sense of self-worth if they thought they were worth hunting down. Their grand plan wasn't even worth thinking about in the grand scheme of things. Their involvement was completely irrelevant.

Dusting off his mantle, Ray exited the cage, not giving the circumstances behind this war another thought. Even if there was some lingering contempt for them after being treated so roughly, the new orchestrators didn't matter. Regardless of who was responsible for what occurred behind the scenes, he still had his goal. Whether it was the Mages Association or a bunch of terrorists with a shared god complex, he still intended on winning. He'd still do it his way, their desire for drama be damned. He didn't intend to hurt people that weren't involved. He wouldn't waste time on things that held no value. He just needed to prove himself.

Ignoring the crunch of broken glass beneath his shoes, Ray collected the box that sat near the television. He wasn't interested in suffering through the ramblings of an insane man, so he quickly skimmed the note card before turning his attention to the included catalyst. Unlike previous Grail Wars, the catalysts had been pre-selected for the Masters. He didn't care about what the organizers wanted out of all this, but he had to admit that this was vexing. The Servant he summoned would contribute to his chances of success, so having something so important decided by someone else put him at a disadvantage.

The catalyst was nothing grand. Rather than an ancient sword, a fine piece of jewelry, or some mystic artifact, he had been given a book. While clearly old, its condition led him to believe that it was fairly new when compared to other catalysts he had in mind. It was also written in Italian. The title gave him a good idea about the contents without needing to open it. Based on that, he'd either be working with an author or a heroic spirit with a history involving witchcraft. Either way, it seemed like he'd be summoning a Caster. He could only hope he wouldn't be fighting in a battle royale with a writer. No, even if that was the case, he'd still need to rise to the occasion. It didn't matter what Servant answered his call. If he couldn't win, that simply meant that he wasn't worthy. Even if the odds were against him, he could only blame himself.

Quickly moving into the adjacent room, Ray gently placed the book in the center of the summoning circle. Taking a deep breath, the young magus cleared his mind of all distractions, steeling himself for what would be the true beginning of the Grail War. Once he began, there would be no turning back.

"Thou, who art etched into the annals of history. Rooted in wicca and rebellion. Enemy of authority. I offer thee my all." Ray bit down on his thumb until blood escaped his broken flesh. Careful not to let the droplets fall prematurely, he continued the aria. "I ask of thee to heed my call. To rise above all else and trounce opposition with the power of will. To do all that is necessary for the sake of desire. If thou dost accede to this pact-"

Ray let out a heavy sigh as he buried his face into his non-bloody hand. "What am I doing?" There was no need for all this. It didn't matter what aria the summoner used. The grail was supposed to handle all of that stuff by itself. Despite knowing that, he was still passionately rambling with nobody to listen. He had been committed to this act for so long that it was hard to let his guard down and behave more like himself. Even though he was about to enter a war zone, this was one of the few times he was able to breathe. If he won and proved himself worthy of acceptance, those moments would probably vanish completely.

Running his hand through his crimson hair, Ray raised the other above the summoning circle once again. In that moment of vulnerability, he let down his facade and let out a genuine plea that wasn't hidden behind a false air of prestige. "Please."

The blood fell.

The One Eyed Bandit

 

[Gaius Danius Griinia]

"Be calm Saber, Hyuga hasn't had proper company in so long that he's forgotten how to act around others" said Ren as he moved the blade away from his face. Hyuga sheathed his chokuto and squinted at Ren. "Casually wandering in to ANY location, even those of your allies could get you KILLED in a Grail War" replied Hyuga as he pulled off his hood. Adorned in a black combat uniform with a cloak supposedly made from a Phantasmal Beast, Hyuga was certainly a sight to behold. His eyes were a deep red, the color of a ruby. The near perpetual look of stoicism on his face made Ren wonder if he EVER smiled. "Though Saber and I didn't come for smalltalk. I need any information on how to deal with a Grail War" Ren took his hat off and placed it on the table. "Or in this case, a RIGGED Grail War?" replied Hyuga. "How are you aware that the Grail War is rigged?" Ren asked Hyuga with a curious look on his face. "I kept my eye on you as per the wishes of Terada, your mentor. Once I saw you had disappeared after being summoned for the war, I knew something was up. I had our eyes in the sky track your location until we found you exit that abandoned building. After which I had agents posted around here until you came" Hyuga gestured to his wrist mounted device. "I'm sure you're aware of the purpose of the Holy Grail War... and its rules?" Hyuga sat across from Ren and began questioning him. "Only that Seven Heroic Spirits are summoned by Mages to fight for the Holy Grail... which grants a wish" responded an uneasy Ren.

"That is as much as you need to know. Any additional knowledge will simply weigh you down and prevent your victory. Now tell me what happened to you when you went dark" Hyuga looked away from Ren and placed a hand on his arm. "I awoke in a cell and was treated to a message I assume was from my kidnappers. They desired for the Seven Masters to battle it out on the streets without a care for rules or innocent lives. After which I summoned Saber using tools and supplies given to me to the same group. Then I came here... thats the size of it" Ren playfully poked Saber as he finished his story. Hyuga then threw a collection of papers onto the table in front of them. There were images of people on all of them, though some had been crossed out. "These are the few remaining members of my old team. They'll be arriving in London soon to support you. Let's have you study up before they arrive" Hyuga said as he placed Ren's hat back on his head.

Iskandar

 

[Arne]

Nangong Liuyun​

During his whole life, Nangong Liuyun was unmatched. Not to talk about the Liu generation of his family or other youngsters, even the seniors around him never had a chance against him - in the end, no matter how much he handicapped himself, simple humans couldn't hope to compare with him. Even further down in his life, after finally coming to contact the supernatural world through his encounter with a magus, no one really managed to make the peerless - at least inside his head - Liuyun feel naught but a bit of tension, not even enough to properly get his adrenaline to pump, leading him to simply assume that he was, indeed, matchless. When the bright light he summoned faded, though, that changed: In that exact moment, he was utterly terrified. As soon as he saw the relatively tall, pale woman stepping out of the blinding light in a grandiose gesture, every single bit of his being instantly tensed up as his survival instincts instantly kicked in, telling him that if he were to even try fighting this not especially threatening woman he would unmistakably die and urging him to get as far away from this madwoman as possible as soon as he could. Naturally, though, he didn't.

Even though he felt the cold sweat starting to drench his back as the woman enthusiastically started to address him while showing a distorted facial expression that seemed to demonstrate the utmost amalgamation of madness and glee, so perfectly fused that you couldn't even tell where one ended and the other started, he didn't waver. In fact, ignoring all the instinctive responses his body adopted, what was unconsciously shown in the Chinese man's face was an unrestrained smile: a demonstration of glee emanating a ferocious excitement that wasn't far from his own servant's when it came to intensity, for it demonstrated how truly gleeful he really was for finally finding a place for his skills to be used and to feel like the chosen one of his bloodline once more after years of living as a common, if not especially unqualified, civilian in spite of how much he denied that was his goal inwardly.

Naturally, though, it didn't take more than a couple of seconds for the well-trained Liuyun to recover his composure (or rather the closest to composure someone can have while covering half of their face with a hand) and address the more pressing matters, namely the servant that now started to analyze him rather closely - something that he wouldn't really mind if not for how creepy her gaze felt. "While I'm quite flattered by your... Enthusiasm, we have much more pressing urges to address first." He uttered, purposefully avoiding his urge to comment on how independent of race his superiority was to instead address his servant's rising battlelust. "While I'd love to go after those so-called Magi at once and end this play, I don't really know how to attract all the flies at once and revealing my presence would just make it easier for them to run away instead. Chasing too many rabbits at once only leads to losing all of them, and this isn't a risk I'm willing to take when it comes to war." He moved his hand moving to stroke his chin as if caressing an invisible beard, the slight smile in his face denoting how clearly delighted he was about the situation even as he seriously thought about their course of action.

"If anything, I'd rather wait till the man who brought us together tries to do it again to act - let him do the hard work of gathering the ingredients and just enjoy the meal. I'm sure that will be enough to teach that fly not to interfere with my business again, don't you agree?" He said after a moment of deliberation, his smile growing wider for a bit as before he directly walked towards the exit without a second thought, not even stopping once to check if berserker would truly follow him and just announcing their destination instead. "Either way we're bound to wait for a while till our prey reveals itself, so, for now, we shall rest in my temporary residence. Hopefully, it won't be long until this game starts for real."


simj26

 

[Xcelgamer]

“Excellent, now I know I have a bottle of Vermouth around here somewhere. Also more like a psychological problem rather than a demon” Jacki said as she ducked underneath the bench and pulled it out and small bottle of gin “Oh excellent I have two.” She continued as she pulled out a second bottle, she opened one of the bottles and made two martinis, stirring them and glancing at the unopened bottle. She then put the bottles away cleanly and sat down next to Rider and passed him one of the glasses “Here you go, one Martini a la Kingsman. Also yes, while I do agree that getting civilians involved in a Holy Grail War is an absolutely terrible thing…” She said before taking a sip of her drink “HOWEVER! This provides me with the perfect chance of bumping off certain people off.” She said as she grabbed her pumpkin “Jack, normal phone please.” The pumpkin opened its mouth and a fancy touch screen phone slide out. “ Now please understand I’m not planning to kill personal enemies, I don’t have time any” Jacki giggled at her own joke as she pulled up a collage of people and showed it to Rider “All these guys and gals are super corrupt, like, to the point they would have their own personal places in hell. You said it yourself your the son of a merchant so I’m sure you’ve met these types of people.” She said as she took another sip of her drink. “So here’s my plan, the idiot that forced us into this Holy Grail War wants us to kill people and unless we do this guy won’t come out. In other words we pop large bullets into these corrupt bastards, he comes out we kill him, kill the other Masters and Servants butta bing butta boom, you get to go free and I get my wish. So how do you like the sound of that?” Jacki said, she then downed the rest of her drink as she put her phone back in Jack, picked up both her cane and lantern and walked into a room with full-bodied pictures of the people she was targeting

“Ok, so these ten people are the people we’re going after. The first two are politicians taking money from this guy.” Jacki said pointing with her cane “That guy is major crime lord. These two are quite the bastards, big company guys, forcing their employees to work with long, hard hours with minimal pay while they line their own pockets.” She continued to point “Some racist, sexist and a lot of other terrible ist’s politician that want women to be in the kitchen forever and then there’s this bitch.” She pointed to the last picture “Now this woman, she is a card, she is a killer however unlike me she loves to kill for fun, however since she’s a witch the police can’t catch her, so yeah she’s the biggest target, oh and the other six Masters and Servants, of course, however I have very little information on them, including you” Jacki finished as she leaned on her cane and waited for a response

QuirkyAngel