Fandom Fate/Ultimatum (IC)

[LostHaven]

Opening post coming soon~

Rules
1) I am always right.
2) If in the case I am ever wrong, refer to the rule above.
3) Don't metagame.
4) Godmode in moderation.
5) No, Ruler, I do not have a moment to talk about your 'Lord and Savior'.
6) Don't lewd the dragon girls. I know it's tempting with the tentacles and all, but just don't do it.
7) Go and fkn kill each other already.

Team Saber:
Estelle ( Hanarei ) & Saber ( Birdsie )
Team Lancer idefk anymore???!!!
Ryuga ( Gundam Watcher 27 ) & Rider ( Prince_ )
Team Archer:
Lee ( Takumi98 ) & Archer ( Crow ) pls make it as soon as you can.
Team Caster:
Noob ( Thepotatogod ) & The Loli ( Mion )
Team Assassin:
Alwyn ( Birdsie ) & Assassin ( BlightGiver )

 

[LostHaven]

Spoiler: Avenger And The Beast

Awoken from aeons of slumber, the river itself stirs. A grotesque, protean grey river of living flesh - ridden with limbs, maws, and appendages that infest the sentient body of raw matter.

The surface of the eldritch body ripples and parts, as a single, pale hand pierces outward from within the sea of flesh, extending outwards wildly and grasping for a hold. It grasps the edge of a rocky edge, vibrant, crimson and claw-like nails that extend out from deathly fingers dig into the surface, struggling to free itself from the abominable body of slime. Two fiery-red horns emerge, followed by a head of platinum hair, tangled with clumps of the sickly grey slime. Finally, the girl emerges from the grotesque pool, drenched, but otherwise bare.

As she opened her eyes for the first time, she was greeted with a deep, dark and damp cavern, filled with a foul stench that was indescribable. It wasn't a putrid smell in the normal sense. It was more of a horrid, uneasy feeling that shook her to her very core. Without a word, a dress of black, gold and crimson materialized around her naked body, seemingly from out of thin air. ''Awoken... Excellent.'' She turned her head wildly, seeking for the origin of the monotone voice. It seemed to come from all directions, and yet nowhere. ''Avenger. Do you recall your name?''

Avenger... So was that her temporary name? What was her 'True' name? She tried to recall. Yet, where memories should have been, was an empty void. ''I can't... a War for the grail... Where?'' Only disjointed words escaped her lips in place of sentences. The more she tried to remember, the more the stabbing agony in her head intensified. That, accompanied by an inexplicable, burning sensation that raged in her chest. Her whole body was on fire. Her blood was already in flames.

''You died a second time. Brought you here. Attempted to repair Spirit Core. Damaged beyond complete repair. Parts of self missing.''

''Died...?'' The voice didn't seem to be lying. What's more, the sensation that plagued her chest began burning even more fiercely. Even though her mind had forgotten, perhaps her heart still remembers. Every fiber of her being told her the voice was not lying. ''Who are you? Do you know my name?''

''Beast. Calamity. Purpose to bring demise to humanity. Need assistance. Will be able discover Avenger's identity along the process.''

Humanity... Avenger clenched in teeth. That's right. She finally remembered her own goal: it's utter purgation. There wasn't a single doubt about it.

''The end of humanity. That was my goal, wasn't it? This is what the rage in my chest is saying, right?''

''Correct. Humanity did much wrong to you. Therefore wished for its purging.''

As Beast said this, Avenger meanwhile found herself staring at the pool of flesh she had crawled out from. ''I finally understand now,'' she murmured quietly. ''You're Beast, an Evil of Humanity.''

''Affirmative. I am The Father of Miscreation, Abhoth.'' Beast replied in his same, monotone voice.

''Yeah yeah, whatever you say. Something tells me you're my ally, and I'm going to trust my instinct since I can barely recall a thing. Plus, as hideous as you are, I don't get half as pissed looking at you than thinking about humans.''

''Will assume previous sentence was compliment.''

''It wasn't.'' Avenger replied bleakly, slowly beginning to make her outside of the suffocating cavern.

''Where-'' Beast's voice briefly rang inside Avenger's head before being abruptly and loudly cut off by Avenger.

''I'd guess it's been a while since I was dead. I'm going to warm up by stirring up a bloodbath. What? You got a problem?''

''Negative. There is no problem as of present. Request to bring back as many corpses as possible.''

''Good. I see we have some amount of understanding...''

 

[Thepotatogod]

--Ray Chance--
Location: Berlin Tagel Airport --En route to-> Hotel Berlin.
{Open For Interaction}( LostHaven )

Out of everything that Ray would've expected to do with his life, going to Berlin was one of the places the young American would've never thought to visit in his lifetime until now, thanks to the sudden urge he had to go there. He wasn't at all interested in what Germany had done to the world, nor did he have some business stuff to do there. Which brings him to the question that nagged him the entire flight.

What the hell is he supposed to be doing there?

A thought that popped up as he exited the airport, receiving a note that says that his luggage was taken to Hotel Berlin, which is at...Err..."How the hell do you read this...?" Ray muttered in utter confusion as he tried to mouth the address he had to go to. Lutzowpl? Lutzowpl. Yes, Hotel Berlin around Lutzowpl. It would take him around 22 minutes if he chooses to call an uber, which is a LOT quicker than the 32 minutes he has to wait just to get there by transit.

"Alright, Uber it is." Ray nodded to himself as he took out his phone and called up an uber which was, luckily, nearby. Actually, the Uber was also a taxi driver parker in front of him. Lucky. Entering the taxi cab, the driver spoke to him in english.

"Where to?" The cab driver asked. Ray would probably butcher any the pronunciation if he told him directly, so Ray instead handed over the note to the drive, squeezing his arm through the small space he had as a wall separated the backseat to the front seat, leaving only a window where the two could interact. And without a word, the car moved, headed for Hotel Berlin. Ray leaned on the car door as he took in the sights that the car managed to pass by. For about a month or two, Ray would be staying in this place with the homebase being Hotel Berlin at Lutzowpl...

Somehow, Ray has a gut feeling that he has to 'meet' someone here in Berlin. He doesn't know who or how he would meet this person, but it'll be something he'll have to do since his gut feelings essentially predict the future, according to what he experienced back then. During his highschool days, he passed the hardest exam given by the most cruelest, most dickhead of a teacher he had in his life. Not just passed, mind you, he ACED it by trusting these gut feelings of his that seems to point to the right answer every time except for those where he thought he had the right answer. Not only that, but when he was forced into the basketball team, he was the MVP through and through as his gut would always guide him to where he should try and toss the ball. Sometimes it'll fail, sure, but most of the time, he avoided having the ball being stolen from him. It was...A unique experience to say the least. He felt his stomach clench and churn all over during those predictions, and most of the time, he would just muscle through it, seeing as he wouldn't have the chance to call a time out to see what's up.

Now that his gut not only told Ray to go to Berlin, but to also meet somebody there?...Is he going to meet his true love? The blissful Ray giggled at the thought, blushing faintly as if to deny the thought. Surely, love wouldn't be found in Germany, right?

And it was true, love WASN'T found there. Instead, Ray would be caught up in a whirlwind of events that would have his grasp on reality turn upside down...

 

[Gundam Watcher 27]

Servant - Lancer
The Revival
Interactions: Prince Wolf (Servant - Rider)
Mentions: LostHaven (Servant - Avenger)

Location: ???, Japan
....

What happened?

Who am I?

Am I... Dead?

A girl with raven hair and red eyes would awake, amidst a field of flowers. Golden Sunflowers, color obtained from being in the sun for a while, and taken great care of.

She sat up, holding a hand up on her forehead, as if she had a headache.

Why am I here?

Was I asleep for a long time?

Ngh!

She suddenly gripped her head with both hands as her head hurt. Something important was running through her head. Memories of herself as a boy, wait! She doesn't remember being a guy! She also remembered scenes of death, sacrifice, and a guy with spiky white hair slashing into her chest with a sword.

Was she, remembering someone else's past? Just who was she?

She got up, before spreading her wings- hold up! The girl looked behind her, they were black feathered wings... Like an angel.

Did she always have these?

The girl would look around, before seeing a house in the distance. The building... It felt familiar to her. She would retract her wings, before stepping forward. Thank goodness, she knew how to walk!

She got to the enterance of the building, worn down and covered in vines. The building must have been vacant for years. She opened the door, and stepped in.

Inside, there was a portrait of a young male, maybe 18? He had black hair and red eyes. What was really odd was his hair had two odd head ornaments protruding from it. She felt something light in her, Like something was starting to remember who she was.

She noticed the name.... 'Ryuga Tohsaka'.

"I see you found the long deceased Owner of this place."

The girl turned around to see a man, an elderly gentleman in a black suit with red tie. His hair was buzz cut, and he held some kind of.... Is that a spear?

"Who are you?"

The girl had asked as if this was a dangerous person. Someone not to mess with.

"I was the owners.... Aquaintence." He said that as if it was a painful memory to him.

"Ryuga, he was a good kid... But blinded by his own rage. He... Lost two important people to him, and if it wasn't for another persons interference, he would have lost his chance for forgiveness."

The man sat down on the hardwood floor, cross legged and laid the spear down.

"You, remind me so much of him, and his friend. If only they were still alive...."

He coughed hard.

"Mister? Are you okay?"

He waved it off. "My lungs don't work like they used to. I'm fine though." He then pushed the spear to the girl, before looking at her. "It won't be long before I too, kick the bucket. That Lance is the only thing remaining of Ryuga and his life. That Weapon, was what ended both his life, and an enemies life.
I will forever remember that battle, and no one from the Tohsaka Family is around to carry on the life that they are destined to continue."

He started getting tears in his eyes.
"You are possibly the only person I can trust with this weapon. I can tell you are a magus, possibly aiming to participate in the war to come...."

He coughed more, this time, redish fluid and black mass left his mouth as he hacked.

"Mister!" The girl ran to him as he fell sideways. The girl knelt down and used one arm to bring up his head. "Don't worry about me. I lived long enough. I am happy to pass on the legacy..... Please..... Please win the war.... Win for the Tohsaka..... win for my son......"
The old mans life left his body, a empty vessel.

The girl laid the man down and went to pick up the lance. Closely examining it, she felt drawn to it. It was like a magnet that was pulling her close.

She soon felt more of her memory returning. She was not believing this.... Yet it felt real. She was in fact, Ryuga Tohsaka. She was the owner of the this place, yet she was supposed to be dead.

Ryuga chuckled to herself. "To think I would be revived as a woman.... I still have questions."

It was indeed true.
Why is she back?
What happened in the last war she was in?
Why and how did she become a girl?

She can at least get one answer out. A grail war was coming. If only she had a location of where it will be at.

She knew a servant was required too. Perhaps she should Summon the Servant now before she got her answers.

-minutes later-

Ryuga had buried her father outside, a private funeral where she had once again apologized for being blinded by rage and was trying to kill him in the past.

After the funeral, she went inside to the basement. She smiled as the Summon pentagram was still there. Now she just needed a catalyst. She looked around the basement at the stuff there she could use. She decided to go with the bicycle chain and Halloween mask which looked like Sub Zero's from MK11.

Standing in the pentagram, she held both items out, as they liquidized, hitting the Summon circle as she chanted.

I offer two catalysts to bring fourth a servant. I offer part of the my own Mana to bring you fourth. If you can sense my call, appear now, my servant!

​

 

[Birdsie]

Alwyn Llewellyn

Southeastern Charlottenburg​

Arrival in Berlin

After doing the last of his business in the Clock Tower, Alwyn boarded the 06:40-9:45 London-Berlin.

As it happened with old European cities, Berlin was huge, and not that densely packed. To his surprise, however, it had little magi in the area. The oldest family moved out not too long ago, as a matter of fact. Like a hunter, Alwyn seized the opportunity with steel teeth and bought the title of 'Second Owner,' giving him spiritual authority over the land of the entire city, the deed for its leylines, and other powers regarding the matters of the Moonlit World.

His contacts managed to buy him a comfortable, two-floor manse: four bedrooms, two baths, a spacious basement with two entrances, and several minor luxuries: an all-catering kitchen, pool, elegant conservatory. Par for the course for one of his influence.

As a cover, he bought stock in one of the local service companies. It'd seem like nothing less than a business trip to any of the blind fools.

The concierge got him an elegant limousine from the airport to his base of operations. After arriving, Alwyn didn't waste time looking into the furniture of his new residence. Instead, he immediately got to work.

He walked into the lobby and focused on the activation image for his magecraft, then incanted, "Search Excel."

Options popped into his mind, as prana began to course through his Magic Crest. Old databanks of stored spellwork, recorded within a phantasmal vine.

The creature compliantly writhed underneath his flesh, silvery brambles slithering along channels they carved out years ago. Pulses of energy passed through them with exquisite care, finding a database of Bounded Fields.

And that's what he spent his morning on. Five Bounded Fields were placed in an hour, fundamental but exquisite:

- One to repel the unenlightened folk away (excepting those that had actual business here, such as the mailman.)
- One to warn him of any pockets of foreign prana in a large radius; at least two city blocks (including other magi, or their familiars.)
- One to lock prana flow around his workshop and confine it to that space (to make his workshop almost undetectable and let him regain his prana faster.)
- One to lock down the flow of foreign prana in the area. In practice, this would make spells cast by other magi dissolve rapidly, make enemy familiars in the area die, and increase the pressure on enemy Servants.
- One which was less of a proper Bounded Field, and more like a set of 'astral walls' to prevent enemy Servants from just passing into the property in spiritual form. This would also affect Wraiths, Apparitions, Poltergeists, and other bothersome entities.

They were simple Fields, in terms of complexity and construction, but solidly layered and compounded. He'd upgrade them later; either tomorrow or the day after that. At any rate, breaking them would take at least an hour for each Bounded Field, unless he was dealing with an expert.

Tomorrow, he would begin contracting familiars to seek out other Masters. Patrolling would come, too, but in a city this large, it'd be inefficient. For now, Alwyn decided to focus on summoning and meeting his partner for the Holy Grail War.

He took his trunk to the basement, laid it open on the table in the middle and took out the components in an orderly fashion, setting up the ritual.

Servant Summoning

First, he carved a small and fine circle on the stone floor, which he filled with mercury. A metal in liquid form, the only one of its kind. And also a metal that easily poisons the body, bringing death. Perfect for an Assassin.

He took a mortar and pestle and crushed a star opal, producing black, luminescent grains. He added a handful of milky chalcedony and mixed, creating a powder that looked like the night sky with stars scattered across. He dumped the contents onto the ritual.

Time for the last component - the catalyst, to summon the strongest Servant possible. It was the leg bone of a lamb recovered in an archeological dig in the areas of Egypt. His theory was that it was related to the Old Testament, to the Exodus. Whatever Servant this summoned - Ramses, Moses, a myriad others - would surely be powerful and primal. He laid the bone in the dead center of the circle and got to work on finalizing the process.

He took a jagged-looking ritual dagger from his set.

"Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Let it be filled fivefold for every turn, simply breaking asunder with every filling," he incanted, letting the circle glow black and white.

He slashed the dagger across his palm, letting blood fill the edge of the circle, turning the glow red gradually. His hand burned, but he continued chanting.

"Let silver and steel be the essence. Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation. Let my great master Llewellyn be the ancestor." A great power emanated from the magic circle, wind currents beginning to leaf across the pages of books and spreading the blood further into the ritual circle.

"Raise a wall, against the wind that shall fall. Close the four cardinal gates. Come out from the crown. Rotate the three-branched road reaching the Kingdom." The blood reached the middle of the circle, flaring with a nasty red glow as it seeped into the lamb bone lying in its center.

"I shall declare here. Your body shall serve under me. My fate shall be with your sword. Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail. If you will submit to this will and this reason… then answer!" The wind exploded, causing Alwyn's clothing to flutter.

"In desperation, I seek to swear an oath to which you conform! I will be all the good in the World! I will destroy all the evil in the World! From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power, come forth from the ring of restraint, Protector of the Balance!"

The red glow of the ring blinded Alwyn for a moment, but he didn't close his eyes, desperate to see the form of his Servant.

BlightGiver (Assassin)

 

[BlightGiver]

Azrael

From the Middle East, religious belief held strong faith of gods, djinn, angels, and afterlife. Yet the one concept that always pervades them, and all over the world, is death itself. Worshipped by cults, and feared by the living, it was a state of being evil and manipulative people wished upon their foes. Starting back with the first assassins of the Middle East, swiftly killing political opponents became commonplace. But death is not so picky; it comes to all, one day or another. And this time, it was coming to fight a war.

The summoning ritual performed splendidly, the mana flowing through attracted one desired servant. Dark fog spewed from the summoning circle, choking the room in a blanket of blindness. All to hide the Servant slowly rising up, as if from the underworld; the 6 ft tall Servant materialized, placing the bottom of his weapon's handle on the floor. "Thou who hath summoned me, I bid thee greetings." The Assassin raspily declared.

The fog disappeared, sucked up underneath the Assassin's cloak to be reused later. It's appearance uncanny of most heroic spirits, if one could even remotely refer to this one as. Dusty and rotten, the Assassin hovered above the ground. It's cloak ending tattered and ripped at the bottom, it was obvious this thing belonged in a grave. With it's right arm bare, one could see the distorted flesh that covered it's body. Scarred, marred, and decaying, it's rotten hand remained clasped pointed at the Master who summoned it. Opposite was the macabre weapon it wielded; a scythe, consisting of the same rotten skin of it's body. Grasping it with his left hand, the scythe was seemingly fused to be a part of the Assassin's body; slightly moving with each minor convulsion of the Assassin's arm. Devoid of any flesh on it's face, the Assassin bared an eternal expression, with no humanity visible within his eye sockets.

Leaving the circle, it was clear that being too close to this Servant smelled like being in a mausoleum. As he got closer to his master, Assassin clanked his scythe's handle against the floor. "It seems obvious as to the conditions you most certainly face." Assassin figured, each sentence leaving his mouth with a hollow resonance. "And if getting your wish fulfilled is what you seek, I am at your aid to ensure it."

Respectfully bowing, Assassin properly introduced himself, "I'd avoid offering my true name so early on, though my appearance might produce a clue. So, I am the angel of death, Azrael. Taker of souls, and guide of the dead; at your service."

Birdsie


(And before someone else makes this reference...)

 

[Birdsie]

Spoiler: tl;dr

Alwyn has a mental breakdown, realizes he's socially and culturally fucked if anyone discovers this, and then politely apologizes for his mental breakdown and introduces himself, asking if Death has a humanlike thought process by way of convenience.

Alwyn Llewellyn

Llewellyn Mansion​

Alwyn's face blanched, saliva refusing to pass through his throat. Everything felt dry on his lips, as his eyes centered on the form of 「DEATH」standing in front of him in an expression of dread.

Death is a certainty. Death is absolute, he realized unconsciously, as something dark and ghastly began to grip his heart. Like the hand of a demon tightening his blood flow and calling upon a primal fear of man, telling him the end is near. Telling him the end is in front of him. The one who gathers and harvests that which outlived its growth.

Alwyn had absolute certainty he'd summoned the force slumbering within mankind's awareness. The cauldron through which all souls funneled themselves back to the Root of Everything.

Needless to say, the magus was speechless. Most of that speechlessness came from Azrael's appearance, but a small part of it came from the cultural implications of the deed.

What he'd committed would be considered heresy in magus society: summoning and contracting Death itself shouldn't be possible, or replicable. Not even a Heroic Spirit proper, nor a spiritual body. More like a concept: an artificial angel given form thanks to the graces of the planet and man's belief. He somehow managed and gave that concept form as a Servant, or perhaps it already existed in that vista somewhere, without mankind knowing about it. Like a Daemon.

Talent or random chance - either way, if any of his enemies discovered this, a Sealing Designation upon him was as certain as the Death in front of him. Unless he dressed it up in pretty words, like saying he summoned 'Azrael,' who isn't actually Death, just a man who represented death.

Death itself promised it'd help him achieve his wish. It introduced itself, proclaimed it was at his service. Somehow, the lack of warmth in its voice was even more reassuring than if it'd had a melodic timbre.

The very fact, the concept of Death, promised aid to this forgettable and temporary magus, who'd live for maybe thirty or forty years more before passing on his Crest to his son to continue his work.

The very reason why magi passed on their knowledge to the next generation instead of continuing their work eternally until they reached the Root of Everything.

The very prime existence that included nearly everything within the Human Order; existences that knew an end in time.

All of that stood in front of him, and said it'd help him achieve his wish. He couldn't be insane, or making this up. This was real, and somehow, it didn't feel as grandiose as he'd expected.

Alwyn smiled, then fell over onto his butt and started laughing and crying at the same time, no longer caring about appearances or the pride of a magus.

It wasn't humorous laughter. It was hollow. Using the words 'filled with' and 'an emotion' to describe it would be wrong. It was an empty, uproarious laugh, as if a broken man was laughing at the impossibility of fate.

It took him about fifteen seconds to get it out of his system, after which he wiped his tears with the sleeve of his jacket and started to get on his knees.

"I apologize for my outburst," Alwyn said, still giggling under his voice. "When preparing for the Holy Grail War, I obtained a catalyst: the bone of a lamb from Egypt. Naturally, I expected it'd produce a Heroic Spirit related to the Exodus. Moses, Ramses, perhaps Aaron?" He giggled again, shaking his head in disbelief.

Alwyn stood up, seeming to have a new gusto for life as if he'd just survived a near-death experience. In a way, this statement was true, so who could blame him?

"The reason I laughed is because there is a popular saying in mage society. 'To be a magus is to walk with Death.' That's why I laughed: because when you stood in front of me, I finally understood the arrogance of those words. After all, I'm the only magus in the world right now who can say that about myself and not lie in either a literal or figurative fashion."

He gave Death a small bow, with an utterly pleased smile still plastered on his face. "My name is Alwyn Llewellyn, although my ancient surname is Lugobelinos. Feel free to call me Alvin or Al, if it so pleases you. I originally intended to work with my Servant as equals. I'm sorry to say that I'm not certain whether, um, you - as in, Azrael - have the same thought process as humans? I think it'd be good to clarify this right now."

BlightGiver

 

[LostHaven]

Savber
An Irregular Summoning

Ragnarok was an absolute fate. Though all branches of time and fate lead to the end of Gods, there existed a single outlier - an anomaly that was to be corrected. That was his destiny - he who staved off Ragnarok. Despite the absoluteness of the stars, he cheated his own purpose and defied his fate that was to defy fate. A paradox, a nonexistent value that was erased from mortal memory, and the pages of history. His ascension to the Throne of Heroes should have been impossible - nothing more than a namedrop within the legend of Siegfried, and the dreadful dragon Fafnir.

So then, what had lead to this?

Saver gazed emptily at his hands, armored with a pair of steel gauntlets. At first he had guessed it the tortured visions of Helheim, yet evidently, it was not the case. His mind still yet clung to the idea that what he now sees before him were nothing more than tricks of the eyes, though his other senses would speak otherwise. His first instinctive act was to survey his shadowed surroundings, for his Master. Yet, not a single human was in sight. He could hear nothing of humans - only the quiet whispering of the cockroaches, and silent breathing of spiders. He then looked down at his feet - yet, there was no circle to be found. In its place, was a damp dirt ground, and upon the trees sung only birds comforting their young.

He closed his eyes and tried to picture his blade. After all, it was beyond foolishness to wander an unfamiliar landscape unarmed. He would either have to be a complete waste of flesh to be that idiotic, or just optimistic. Unfortunately, Saver was neither. He opened his right palm, and concentrated on the image. Sure enough, it materialized from the hilt up. First a silver, mace-like pommel, then a hard, leather handle. Then, an ornamental star-shaped guard embedded with a ruby, red as the flames of Muspelheim. Finally, the blade. It materialized outward from the guard, black steel darker than the scales of the dragon which consumes the World Tree. His trusted blade and partner - Ridill.

"What in Hel is with this situation?!" Saver groaned in misery, "why the fuck was I dragged into this?!" To begin with, why in the world was his class 'Saver'? What's more, such class should never have been summoned in a normal Grail War, and neither should he ever be able to be summoned as a Servant. "This really is a pain in the ass... What's this about a Ruler? Did the Grail break down big time or something?" He hypothesized jokingly. The idea of the Grail 'malfunctioning' was somewhat absurd - he likely wasn't summoned for no reason. All he knew was that a regulator was also summoned. A Calamity? No - if an Evil of Humanity had manifested, the Counter Force would bring forth a Grand Servant, not some saint or a 'messiah'. "Do I look like a messiah to you?!" Saver randomly began to shout at the sky, addressed to nobody in particular. "If you wanted a Saver, go summon Muhammad or something!"

Saver let out a discontented huff of air following his venting at the sky, and placed his blade over his shoulder. "Ok. This is fine. I'm fine with this." He grumbled angrily, brainlessly walking in the first direction he set his eyes on. "So this is Germany, right? Why was I thrown into a forest instead of the middle of the action? By Odin's beard, fuck my shitty luck"

 

[BlightGiver]

A̶̤̫͖̟̻͆͐z̴͓̫̓̆͌̆̾͑͑͒̚̕r̸̳̀̓̽̏̇̎̀̚á̸̧̰̟̺̰͙̎̎̐͛̀̋̈́̕ͅe̵̟̦͉̦̪͙̩̹͛̈̐̉̍ͅl̵̨̟̈́̌̐̾̊̅͘


Azrael was a being of calculation and honesty. Having existed, yet also not, living alongside every human, every plant, every cell; he felt nothing for them. No hatred, no malice, no joy, no sadness; to him, everyone was equal, especially at the end of the rope. And there he would be, relieving souls of their fleshy confinement with a swift strike. It was not usual that he would walk alongside the living, instead of 3 steps behind them. At least, that was what he remembers of anything.

"Those humans....their names are familiar, though, they would not be able to help. Just like those today, they wished to cheat me. As you can expect, I got to them." Azrael described, talking as if he stood next to each historical figure their entire life. Perhaps he did, for even a split second, where one's belief became too strong, that their life became all about him. "Just like today, they were afraid of the world. Crafty in mind, but not in heart, they played their part in forming religions with me in mind. Live forever, or live on after ceasing existence; that is what they all get wrong. There's nothing on the other side, except me."

Wishing for the grail, having fun, forming bonds, was not what death does. Whether one worships death or runs away from it, the ultimate conclusion always catches up. Essentially, Azrael only knew what he is, and where that ends up. His time on this earth would ultimately be short, until he too had to return to another kind of existence. 'A means of death for me, how ironic,; Azrael thinks, listening to Alwyn as his mind tried to piece together what to say and do next.

The phrase Alwyn noted brought something slightly close to a tender feeling in Azrael. "Magi are curious in a way." Arael began explaining. "Many fear death, many don't. Many worship perishing, whilst other's worship the warmth of life. Never realizing that they don't even play a small part in the rhythm of the universe. Perhaps this may be the beginning of reformation, but I am everything but optimistic; for good reason. Ultimately, working together will be an intriguing experience, indeed."

Azrael clunked his sycthe against the ground, allowing his Master more time to inquisitively pry. "I do not see the beauty in life, nor the beauty in death; I just am. Words need not be spoken further, I'm sure. And please, do not take this as an insult to humanity; I've just made plenty of observations over millennia." Yet, despite focusing more on his inevitability, Azrael changed the tone. "However, that is regardless of the fact I have a master now; your will is mine to follow for the near future. I only ask you absolutely refrain from bragging about being the master of death. I still have a reputation to uphold." He requested, it being intriguing that even a neutral force of the natural cycle was still human in some way.

Birdsie

 

[Thepotatogod]

--Ray Chance--
Location: Outside Hotel Berlin, Lutzowpl.

As Ray fell asleep in the simple taxi cab, he began to see what is essentially a vision. He sees some kind of magic circle, one that's been used as an illustration in a DnD session and on his webcomics. The circle suddenly glows, changing colors rapidly like some kind of drug induced hallucination. Suddenly, light filled his vision, and a silhouette of a little girl was caught in his sights, obscured by smoke. Along with it, sounds of what he can tell was clashing metal and things flying, much like how a GM would describe a scene of a war.

Just as the smoke cleared, his vision was caught short, and Ray woke up by his body being flung forward, crashing onto the back of the driver's seat directly on the nose.

"Ow ow ow..." Ray groaned in pain, rubbing the bridge of his nose back and forth.

"We are here." The driver said, bringing Ray's attention to the hotel that was, indeed, right in front of the car doors to the right.

That was one way to wake up, seriously.

"Right...Thanks." Ray nodded, leaving the cab. He walked over to the driver's seat and handed him a small wad of cash--around 100 dollars in total. Just then, the car left, leaving him to ponder just what that dream meant as he stared onto the building.

This is where Ray will be living for a month.. Let's hope whatever it is his gut was nagging him to do here will turn out good.

 

[LostHaven]

Avenger
Somewhere In Midst Berlin (Hotel Berlin) | Thepotatogod

Avenger prowled the rooftops and streets, a sour expression spread across her face. "Damn it all, what's the point of being here if I can't make a bloodbath?!" Avenger groaned to seemingly nobody. Her first urge was to slaughter a mass, but that Beast's telepathic communication had an astounding range. His incessant nagging was beginning to grind on Avenger's nerves, and her blood was now just simmering below boiling temperature.

"Draw attention. Dangerous, tactically unsound. Emphasize focus on masters of Grail War. Sense signal of master nearby. Servant not yet summoned. Optimal target. Bring back alive."

Avenger scowled at the sounding of Beast's voice in her head. Who did the pool of meat think he was, to order Avenger around like that?! "You just tell me where he is, how I do things is my own business." Avenger spat out at Beast, tone brimming with annoyance. Why wasn't she allowed to kill every last human she saw? Most irritating of all, why was she even listening to Beast? She didn't want to. Every fiber of Avenger's being told her to throw herself into a rampage, and yet she still found herself holding back the insatiable thirst for a little action. "Where is this 'servantless master' you won't shut up about, then?"

"750 meters southwest. Was moving at rapid pace. Now halted. Follow and bring back without causing chaos."

And there he goes again, stressing about not making a mess or something. Avenger let out an even louder groan as she followed Beast to her victim.

----------

And there he was, a blissfully unaware-looking man, staring aimlessly at some large, flat-looking building with the word 'HOTEL' on a massive sign over the corner and front of the building. "Hey, can I kill him now?"

"Broad daylight. Reckless. Enter spirit form, enter victim's room. Then act. Bring back. Alive."

"..." Avenger bit her lip viciously. She wanted to kill him. She wanted to tear out his organs. Gouge out his heart and devour it whole. In fact, human heart sounded delicious right now. With an expression of extreme reluctance, Avenger faded into obscurity.

 

[Thepotatogod]

--Ray Chance--
Interaction: LostHaven
Location: 6th Floor, Room 9. Hotel Berlin, Lutzowpl.

"Hm?" Ray glanced over to a corner of the building, reacting to the odd tingle in his stomach. Weird. He could've sworn he heard a voice that stood out to him in the midst of all the other people, or lack of them, walking in and out of the hotel. Better yet, why did he get a stomach ache right now? A faint one, sure, but it's something. "It's probably nothing." He shrugged, making his way inside the building. There, he saw his luggage; a simple green trolley with custom stickers from various Animes and Webtoons, the most prominent ones being RWBY, and a shoulderbag which houses his laptop, chargers, sketchpad and drawing tools. Along with those two, a key was placed ontop of the trolley in a plastic bag with what he could assume is his room number, '69'; Basically, the 9th room on the 7th floor. 6th if you're counting the next floor as the 1st.

"Nice." Ray commented with a childish grin and chuckle, grabbing the key and pulling the trolley up to the elevator, wanting to go to the floor where his room is to truly drop his stuff before he go sightseeing or something.

The elevator ride took only a few minutes and shortly afterwards, he arrived at his destination. And so, he walked. Ray walked with his trolley on tow and the key to his room on the other, tossing and catching it idly until...



Gurgle.

Ray's stomach began to churn, a sudden spike in discomfort was made known to him as he approached his room. Perhaps it's his cue to get to the bathroom? Regardless, he thought nothing of it, until...

Gurgle!

Ray's stomach grew more and more uncomfortable, prompting him to rub it, thinking. 'Maybe I shouldn't had eaten those beans mid-flight...' He thought that, shrugging it off until...

GURGLE! GARGLE!

A few inches away from the door to his room, and Ray's stomach is going nuts, causing a chill to go down his spine. He glanced around to see if anyone's following him...None. Must be his imagination or something. This uncomfortable feeling...He felt it at times when he's in grave danger. Such as that time he almost got ran over by a truck when he was 5(which, made things worse as he DID get run over, but lived.), or that time when a member of the opposing team in basketball almost made him trip and break his legs, or that one time when he felt like he was about to get robbed and he narrowly avoided death by taking a different route home near the police station....And maybe that one time he saw a dead body in the neighborhood dumpster. This discomfort usually means his life's in danger...But how? No one's following him, the building seems safe without anything that stands out as broken...Then, as he reached out to the door and put the key in, the pain spiked tenfold.

Imagine getting punched in the liver AND getting kicked in the balls at the same time. That's how Ray feels right now, hesitating to even turn the key. Only one thing is on his mind as he slowly turns the key...

'Please just be a dead body...' Ray thought repeatedly, hoping to just feel severe discomfort rather than dying...

 

[LostHaven]

Avenger
Room 69, Hotel Berlin | Thepotatogod

If only what awaited Ray were a mere corpse. Hell, he'd be luckier than as of current if he ran into an assassin finishing off his job!

The door turned backward, creaking eerily as it swung open, to reveal a young girl who seemed to be at the age of Ray, in an odd dress of black and gold that seemed to mirror what one would expect from a mobile game. She was deathly pale, so much so that she may as well have been a corpse. That though, was not the most bizarre of features. Two crimson horns protruded from her platinum hair that trailed onto the ground and a pair of blood-red wings that extended from her back. A cosplayer?

Not that Ray would have any sort of time to make any thorough examination of the girl anyways.

Her lips arced into a small grin, even if it were for a second. Then, without warning, Avenger lurched forward, her iron grip and alarmingly long nails clasped tightly around Ray as he was forcefully abducted into his own room, the door slamming behind him. Then, he was thrown onto the bed full throttle in one rapid motion, Avenger quickly following suit by pinning him down by the neck.

Yeah, probably not Ray's idea of 'finding love' or whatever.

Avenger's face contorted from what could almost be mistaken as a gentle expression to one of pure malice - lips spread into a grin of utterly inhuman proportions, baring sharp, almost vampire-like teeth that could probably tear the poor man asunder, eyes widened with an incomprehensible hysteria. Avenger brought her left index finger toward Ray, stroking her dagger-like nails across the length of his neck gentler than a feather - for any more than that, and the Ray would probably have been exsanguinated in a matter of seconds.

"Don't make a sound, alright? Or I'll kill you. Actually, I'm going to kill you either way, but I can kill you later if you make this less of a pain. Stay still so I can knock you out. Oh, and you're probably never gonna wake up. I take that back, you're technically going to die here one way or the other. Still, I'd appreciate it if you'd shut your worthless trap though." Maddened words poured out from Avenger's lips, who was still grinning ear to ear. "Trust me, it won't hurt a single, little bit~"

 

[Thepotatogod]

--Ray Chance--
Location: Room 69. Hotel Berlin, Lutzowpl.
LostHaven

Sadly, Ray's hopes were answered by the most hellish of despair. As the door opened dramatically in an eerie fashion, it revealed what appeared to be...A Cosplayer? Whoever it is she was cosplaying was, it looked like a long, silver haired demon in a dress; kinda like a succubus but more regal. Not sure who it was though, nor did he care. How did she get in there, anyway?! Was the security in Germany just this bad?! He would love to turn tail and run now, but the problem now lies in his legs; they're shivering like crazy, as if seeing a monster of sorts.

"W--!" Ray was about to cry out in alarm when all of a sudden, his gut writhed in pain, causing him to try and move his body to the side as the cosplayer lunged forward, barely missing her mark, grabbing his shirt and jacket, ripping the shirt halfway revealing his pathetic chest. He was then pulled into his room and tossed onto his bed, the door closed in their wake, leaving his luggage outside. Hopefully, someone takes that as a sign that something is HORRIBLY wrong. As he was tossed onto the bed, Ray's neck was then pinned onto it by the girl's thoroughly made claw-nails, grazing some of the neck's skin which, in turn, caused them to bleed. He's starting to doubt if this girl's really a cosplayer as the girl's smile revealed razor sharp teeth that wouldn't be possible even by today's artisans who cosplay. That smile made him tear up, coupled with the fact that he was pinned down on his own bed with sharp nails directly on his throat, cutting the skin quite a bit as she brought another one of her nails and stroked his own throat.

Aw crap, aw crap, aw crap!

Ray was practically staring at the death incarnate by the words she spoke, speaking about how she would kill him like some mad serial killer on the loose. At this point, he was practically regretting entering the room now. At this point, he couldn't even do anything; threatened that if he even make a sound, his head will be lopped off his head. Dammit, is there even any way out of this?!

"Trust me, it won't hurt a single, little bit~."

Ray's stomach churned around like crazy, as if it ain't having this woman's bullshit. Ray's gonna die a horrific, messy death, and he needs to get out of this situation, and FAST! P-perhaps theres room for negotiations?

"W-why...?" Ray asked in an attempt to communicate, wincing in hopes that he would not get killed painfully by the girl's sharp nail claws. "W-w-w-what do you want from me...?" He gulped, closing his eyes, bracing himself for the worst. If only he could cry for help, he would, but the current restraints of deadly claws makes it impossible to do so!

 

[Birdsie]

Alwyn Llewellyn

Llewellyn Mansion​

"I would never," he replied to Azrael's plea. He closed his eyes. With a bit of good humor and a smile, he added, "In the first place, even if I were to brag as such, my colleagues would likely force me to embrace you more closely than I originally intended."

He opened his eyes, the smile disappearing into a neutral look, mostly stripped of emotion.

"Granted, I didn't intend to summon Death itself in the first place, but what's done is done. There is no point in loafing and faffing about what was, only focus on what is. Either way, I understand everything you said, and acknowledge it. In fact, I respect your observations about humanity. Let's work as equals, Servant Azrael," Alwyn advanced, stepping forward and offering a handshake. After a second, he withdrew his hand in a jolt of fear and asked, less in fear and more in curiosity, "Shaking hands with you won't kill me, will it? That'd be extremely embarrassing."

If the Servant answered in the negative, Alwyn would nod and proffer his hand to shake again.

"Anyway, Azrael. The Bounded Fields around the mansion aren't too strong because I just put them up today," he explained. "You're free to do as you like, be it patrolling the city in Astral Form or staying indoors. I'll be busy upgrading our defenses in the meantime. Although, if you encounter enemy Servants or Masters, I'd like you to consult me before engaging - unless you get an amazing opportunity, in which case you're free to take it. I'll trust your judgment."

God, he'd never admit it, but saying 'I will trust your judgment' to Death - literally - felt weird. He'd done weird things in his life as a magus: he talked to an alleywayful of sentient cats, beat a magecraft student at the Clock Tower in ritual combat in the rain with bare chests, using nothing but his fists and Reinforcement magecraft; and there was a time where one of his mentors told him to paint one-third of the chimeras purple, one-third green and one-third red, for reasons unknown to him.

Meeting, talking, and now working together with Death itself easily dwarfed all of those experiences, and he could never use it as an anecdote lest he risk an immediate Sealing Designation.

BlightGiver

 

[Birdsie]

Ruler

Hotel Berlin, Lutzowpl​

Two hours ago, early morning​

In an empty graveyard behind a church, space, light, and prana swirled.

There was a brief distortion in space and a flash of light. As it receded, a young man in priestly vestments combined with armor stood in its place. His face had pleasant curves, young and graceful, and yet there was a feeling of inviolable sanctity emanating from him.

Instantly, he fell to his knees. His melancholic voice rang through the empty, soundless graveyard as he put his palms together and closed his eyes.

"Our father, who art in Heaven. Hallowed by thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as it is in Heaven as on Earth. Give us this day our bread of need, and forgive us our debts and our sins, as we have forgiven our debtors." At this point, the young man stops, opening his eyes thoughtfully and looking up at the sky.

Sunlight streamed in halcyon shafts through the dappled branches of the Goldenwood, painting them gold and green. It caressed the young man's face softly as if telling him it's listening.

"I, your humble servant, come with a plea. Oh, Lord Almighty, I implore thee to aid me in this time of need and give me strength in my tasks, as you always have in my times of requirement. And I beg thee to forgive the souls of the foolish, of the indolent, of the defiant, and the insolent. Forgive their wrongdoings, for they do not know the meaning of their faults, and forgive me for my arrogance and sins, for such is the wicked nature of man."

As if having heard him out, the wind picked up and made the leaves and branches crinkle with movement, while the light swirling above the treetops of the graveyard intensified for a moment, then softened and faded out. With that, the young man smiled to himself, closed his eyes, and faithfully finished the Lord's Prayer:

"And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen." He made the signum crucis, then stood up.

"Now then," he said, looking forward. "I believe it's time to see what I can do about those calamities the Grail told me about."

Ruler looked left, then right, and forward, as if scanning the environment. After a moment of silent contemplation, he picked a direction eight degrees to the left and walked directly there, astralizing himself moments before he walked through a grave.

Currently: Hotel Berlin, Lutzowpl​

Ruler's oracular revelations led him away from the Church and through the city of Berlin.

For some reason, it told him specifically to stay away from the Overseer for now and to be careful when walking through the streets.

At several junctures, he materialized on some rooftops to get a panoramic view of the city and map it mentally, get a rough feel of the neighborhoods. It certainly had its charm, but it wasn't quite as picturesque as Roma, or the now-fallen and taken Constantinople.

It felt jarring that the city that was his legacy had been taken and its name - his name - was stripped away, but even so, he didn't blame those who did it. Despite his faith, he was a politician, warrior, and leader in life. He understood the necessity of things such as reputation, honor, and glory.

Or as the modern people called them, 'public relations.' Or in more extreme cases, 'propaganda.'

The world evolved into something hideous and beautiful at the same time. A modern abomination.

As he considered cultural philosophy, Ruler blinked in sudden realization.

Something flashed in Ruler's awareness, his Revelation making him look away from the streets and seven city blocks east. He turned on the spot and reached out mentally. Ever so faintly, he felt a pocket of prana in that direction, condensed and...

Evil.

"In the day?" he asked himself, more disappointed than anything. "They're risking detection. That's too bad. Whatever they're up to can't be good. Lord, have mercy."

Ruler loaded energy into his legs and feet in a slight crouch, then jumped across the street to another rooftop, half-astralizing to keep himself invisible.

If someone knew what to look for, they'd see a slightly bluish blur moving at the speed of a ball fired out of a cannon against the backdrop of a blue sky with white clouds - not really very distinctive.

He kept doing this for several city blocks, finally reaching a place called Hotel Berlin. The evil was more distinct here, on the 7th floor. It'd probably feel his presence in the area soon, if it didn't already. He wagered that it was busy doing something else, and he had time to prepare an ambush.

Nonetheless, Ruler didn't loaf about. Instead, he set up his attack.

Ruler conjured four Black Keys into his right hand, clenching them in his superhuman fingers.

He focused. His eyes gained a sky-blue glow of truth, his revelations guiding his aim. He whipped his right arm left, bending his elbow and shoulders to gather force---

And he released, snapping muscles straight with ultra-fine precision and superhuman force, causing the sound of a whip-crack as the air distorted with the speed of his throw, rattling the bodies and ears of the people below who thought someone fired a gun in the area.

--- Four Black Keys whistled a subsonic hum as they flew through the air, their trajectory curving at the midway point.

They broke the glass on the windows of the seventh floor. The nail-like swords were aimed with uncanny precision; one at Avenger's head, one at the neck, one in the right side of the midriff, and one at her ankle. They were sure to hit if she didn't dodge. They were sure to not hurt any bystanders, except for giving their ears a slight ringing for a few seconds if they were close.

Ruler didn't waste even a second of time, leaping across the street, half-astralized, and aiming with his feet for a building opposite of Hotel Berlin.

He hit the wall, stuck to it, then leaped off of it with additional momentum, like a vengeful blur, the Wrath of God itself, straight into the hotel room window, brandishing a greatsword.

He swung at where his Revelation predicted Avenger's neck would be after he threw his Black Keys.

According to Revelation, the odds of successfully killing her were approximately lower than ten percent, but he felt he had a good chance of harming her, it being a surprise attack and all.

LostHaven Thepotatogod (RULER INTERRUPT BITCHZZZZ! Feel the Might of Christ, you scum-sucking scum-fucker! As for you, young magus boy: Ruler is here to save you! And to explain the rules of the Holy Grail War once Avenger flees in terror.)

 

[LostHaven]

Avenger
Fleeing From Ruler (Reluctantly) | Birdsie Thepotatogod

"Why~?" Avenger chimed in response to Ray's pleading. "Why indeed?" She repeated, her grasp over Ray's throat relenting as she brought her bloodied hand toward her lips. Then, she began to slowly clean the blood from her hands, licking it off from her fingers and nails. "That pile of meat and tentacles said something about your mana being delicious. I guess he wasn't lying after all."

Then, without warning, Avenger suddenly felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand. Even she could sense that something else was coming. And it probably wasn't Beast. Then followed the thunderous clamor as four heavy dagger-looking weapons broke through the window at an alarming speed, aimed toward her vitals. "What the-" Avenger cursed to herself as she moved to defend herself. The moved her left hand toward her head, deflecting the first and second Black Key with her nails, which snapped in the process. She moved her right hand toward the dagger aimed toward her midriff, in time for the blade to just impale her hand. The last key managed to pierce her in the ankle. That wasn't the end of her assailant's assault, however. The man would then swiftly bring a greatsword down upon her neck. Avenger rolled to the side and off the bed in a panic, but not before grabbing Ray and throwing the poor human toward Ruler.

She would then retreat to the corner of the room, nonchalantly pulling the two black keys out from her hand and ankle. Her eyes were now burning with madness, her entire being practically enveloped in bloodlust. "Hey, can I kill him?" Avenger asked Beast. Though, in Ruler and Ray's perspective, she would be talking to nothing.

"Unwise. Servant, Ruler. Overlooked possibility. Partly to blame. Chance of Avenger slaying Ruler: 7.63%. Chance of Ruler slaying Ruler: 8.17%. Chance of both parties severely wounded: 66.97%. Chance of both parties' demise: 12.22%. Highly recommend retreat. Avoid conflict. Variables unpredictable."

Avenger let out a 'tch', scowling. She brought her right thumb upward and bit down on her fingernails. "But I want to kill him. I want to tear his heart out of his beating chest." Avenger, in her frustration, bit down on her nail with so much force that they completely snapped, though her teeth would continue to bite down on her bottom lip, a small streak of crimson beginning to trickle down her the side of her lip.

"Situation dangerous. Immediately return. Will devise strategy first."

And there she goes again, listening to that good-for-nothing pile of tentacles even though she hated listening to others. "Fine." Avenger growled as she made a swift leap out of the window, before promptly fading into spirit mode.

Looks like Ray was saved.

 

[Birdsie]

Ruler

Hotel Berlin​

Ruler interrupted his swing as Avenger dodged and threw Ray at him. Ruler shifted his posture, arresting his entire momentum and softening his stance.

He grabbed Ray out of the air with one hand and pushed him to the side and sligthly back, while also holding him close to prevent Avenger from easily targeting him. Ruler kept his sword held high in the other hand to keep Avenger from getting any stupid ideas.

Ruler's eyes kept glowing a sky-blue color, with a gradient into a lighter shade of cyan, but they were focused on no specific point, subtly turning from one to another. A telltale sign of actively using his Revelation Skill extensively.

His squint increased at Avenger as she spoke to someone who wasn't there.

Ruler began to question, but the voice of heavens didn't tell him much in response. Half-baked answers, which he already knew. A great evil somewhere.

So Avenger and Beast are working together, he deduced. That makes things more difficult.

As Avenger fled out the window, Ruler felt compelled to follow, but then realized that if he walked into Beast's lair without information and back-up, he was begging to be ambushed and killed like a lamb. Revelation agreed with this notion.

Once the threat had passed, Ruler let go of Ray as well as his sword. The blade dissipated into blue mana particles in the air. His eyes stopped glowing, returning to a natural coloration.

"You're injured," Ruler noted, looking at Ray's neck, where Avenger's fingernail left a nasty cut. "Allow me."

Before Ray could protest, he touched the edge of the injury with two fingers and poured a small measure of prana into it. Without an incantation, the cut left by Avenger sealed itself with tender flesh and skin.

Ruler instantly felt the gap in his mana stores replenish themselves, as the Grail poured additional energy into him.

Constantine was not a magus, per se, but if there was a miracle described in the Bible, odds were high that he could perform some version of it, and more. He knew enough about mental interference to give seasoned Executors a run for their money, and enough about Bounded Fields to ward off a True Daemon. He learned most of this knowledge in life, practicing the miracles under Eusebius of Nicodemia, but many of them were... enhanced, by his ascension to the status of a Heroic Spirit. If Ray weren't in the room, getting rid of Avenger would be as simple as pinning her shadow with Black Keys and chanting the full Baptism Rite over and over until her Spirit Core underwent sublimation.

Doing that with a bystander in the area risked Avenger going out of control and doing something drastic to him. The last thing Ruler wanted was for someone to play the hostage card on him, even though that technically just happened without anyone realizing.

Nonetheless, Ruler turned to look at Ray and let his eyes take the young man in full, wondering why Avenger would want him for anything particular.

"Are you a Master in the Holy Grail War?" Ruler asked to test the waters. "If you're not, I will have to remove your memories for your own safety. If you are, show me your Command Seals as evidence."

Thepotatogod LostHaven

 

[Hanarei]

Estelle Svehla
Dingy Apartment, Berlin​

Spoiler: A Day and Summoning Before

The Day Before... Berlin

The door to the cab opened up as a young woman stepped out from it. Her hand lifted up brushing through her red locks. Her shoulders were left exposed as her light blue top was a bit more loose, the front kept lifted up enough as to remain decent while still being comfortable. The skirt flowed down her legs stopping just below her knees. A small blue satchel sat on her side, the woman quickly lowering unfastening a strap with great ease as she lifted a set of cards what appeared to be typical tarot cards. She closed the door waving to the driver as they drove off leaving her alone on the street giving a look over the city she was situated near a park.

So this is the place... I would doubt the stars would be visible... though it matters not. I know where the stars are aligned even if the lights might hide them.

Estelle shuffled the cards in her hands, seeming quite adapt at handling the cards. It was quite clear she had plenty of practice over the years. She stopped shuffling as she lifted a card up, glancing upon it. She placed the card back in her deck shuffling it very briefly before sliding the deck back in the small satchel putting the strap back in place. She had the right place for the summoning... now she just had to wait for the right time. A light smirk was on the woman's face. While she had come there do to more serious reasons... it didn't change the fact she planned to at least enjoy the city a bit.

The Night Before...

Even within the public park the light from the city managed to piece through the threes. While it wasn't super bright... the type of light did give an eerie feeling being there. It was far from the natural night light of where she lived. It was yet another reason why she generally disliked the city, even if she had to admit she had some fun given the bag of Souvenir she hadn't had the chance to place in the room she rented a block away from the park. She got a little... carried away with her sightseeing, though not enough to make sure she got back with time to spare to set up the ritual. A summoning circle was drawn upon the ground. Several candles were lit around the circle. Her eyes glanced up into the sky, lacking the ability to clearly see much of the night sky though instinctively knowing where they are located.

Estelle walked quietly towards the center holding a small but special tarot deck. While most prepared Magus would have a proper catalyst to summon the servant of their choice, it wasn't at all the ways he planned it. Fate was her domain, it it was by Fate of which she would allow guide the Servant she would summon... granted with a lot more pull then some novice haphazardly stumbling in and managing to somehow summon a Servant to their side. While not a prodigy of sorts as the Mage's Association might consider it, she wasn't at all some low ranking Magus either in terms of her capabilities... even if the way her magecraft worked was rather unusual. She shuffled the cards drawing one from the deck. Not even looking upon it she placed it down in the center. She dropped the remaining cards as they flared up in a strange white glow vanishing as the Mana from within trickled into the card in the center as well as the circle. She took a step back holding out her hands.

"Let silver and steel be the essence. Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation. Let the stars form the walls, as fate allows the one true path to shine. You serve your destiny, and thy destiny is by my side. My oath is to serve the good of the world to and to stifle the evil threatening to undo it all. I know not your name, but I know our paths entwined by the will of the heavens themselves. From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power, come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance!"

A gust of air and a flash of light enveloped the area ever so quickly as the candles all flickered out at once....

A yawn escaped from Estelle's lips as she groggily opened her eyes. The small window was rather dingy though even the dirt wasn't enough to hide the sunlight that had long since risen. She shuffled a bit on the bed slowly slipping out from the sheets. She wasn't a morning person at all... a typical day starting for her when others might of partaken in their 2nd meal of the day. Her white tank top hung one strap over her shoulder with her dark blue shorts hugging around her legs. She wore a bit more garments then she would normally in her sleep, both being a little less at ease being around so many more people then normal and some other worldly reasons.

She stretched out as she wandered up to the mirror in the rather small apartment the dust sitting upon it though not being dingy enough to prevent her from using it . Her hand slipped down instinctively rather then for the comb but her cards, shuffling through them and drawing one. Her eyes looked upon it quietly before shuffling it back in the deck. It was a habit of her to always look at her deck when she awoke to get an idea of the day it would be. She lived very much by the cards... at least to some extent.

"Well.. I suppose going out for a bite to eat wouldn't hurt. It beats being stuck here... I didn't exactly yank the owner's hand to rent it out because I was expecting to stay her long as much as it was just a cheap place to rent while I spent most of my time out." She spoke rather nonchalant not at all seeming to show an ounce of worry or urgency as she wandered slowly over to look through her clothing debating what she would want to wear that day. She tended to always start her day rather slow normally and there was little now that would change that habbit. She tended to like to procrastinate when it came to getting things done early on. She turned her head back pausing in her search to look back.

" So... is there anything you wish to do today?" She spoke what a normal person might think would be addressed to herself... although in her case she knew another lingered.

 

[Thepotatogod]

--Ray Chance--
Room 69. Hotel Berlin, Lutzowpl.
Birdsie LostHaven

Ray did not like what he's hearing. Instead of a logical answer such as 'because I want to' or 'because I was told to', the mad woman answered because she was told that his mana was delicious by what he can assume to be the Flying Spaghetti Monster--a reason that's just as ridiculously mad as the woman herself. Just then, his stomach churned a different direction, prompting him to clench his teeth for the worst, closikg his eyes.Ray hears glass shattering, something impaling flesh, and an odd, high pitched ringing that one would hear when one strike a triangle but times a billion. Opening one of his eyes, he saw that the woman somehow managed to get a...Key stuck in her hand, most of her nails broken down.

"W-what the...?" Ray opened both his eyes alarm, looking around. He caught a glimpse of yet another silver haired intruder bearing a greatsword clad in armor and some drapes. It was then that he was thrown at the intruder with no regard for his safety.

"WAAAAH!" Ray cried out before being caught by the man and swiftly but gently placed behind him, prompting Ray to simply peek out of the stranger's drapes to see what's going on. The mad woman continued being mad, this time, speaking to someone who isn't there like some sort of lunatic. She seems to protest to this imaginary being and tossed herself out the window. "W-WHAT THE FUCK?!" Ray cried in alarm as he then turned around and peeked out of the now broken window, looking down to see where she's landing. Much to his surprise, there wasn't a body. The civilians are pretty much oblivious to what's going on. "W-what the fuck is going on...?" He asked no one in particular as he caught his breath. He was saved from certain doom...For now. Just then, the other intruder spoke.

"You're injured. Allow me." The man spoke in a kind and, once again, regal tone. Like a kind king on patrol, giving him first aid that his minions would do.

"Wait, wha-EEP!" Indeed. Before Ray could even voice his concern, his wound was caressed by the man's fingers. He felt the cut seal itself in almost an instant. If Ray had to describe it, the man had 'un-cut' his wound...Somehow. It's an sensation. Like pinching the cut itself and somehow, miraculously healing itself.

"S-stop that!" Ray swatted the arm that healed him away, rubbing the portion of his neck where the cut was. "Thanks for healing me, I guess..." He didn't forget to give his gratitude, but now his room is ruined and it's all their fault. Heck, at least it's better than dying from a lunatic. He was then asked if he's a Master in the Holy Grail War.

"W-what?" Ray gave his answer, already giving a tell tale sign that he has no idea what that even is. "I-I don't know what the hell that even is!" He shook his head, panicking as the man said that he would have to erase his memories. "W-wait! Before you do ANY of that..." He put his hands in front of him, shaking them before giving an inquiry. "Can you at least tell what the hell is going on? Why the hell did that crazy cosplayer chick break into my room? What did she mean that my mana was delicious? Where the hell are the cops?!" He asked, panicking by the speed of things. At the same time, Ray felt like he could trust the guy. He's at least better than Mrs. Stabby McSucc here.

 

[Birdsie]

Ruler

Hotel Berlin​

Hearing out Ray's cries of protest, Ruler closed his eyes in silent contemplation as if awaiting an epiphany to strike him.

The silence dragged on for a moment, and Ruler's eyes tightened even in their closed state.

"I see," he stated, without any particular emotion. When he opened his eyes, they were a touch kinder than before. "You have no idea what's happening, do you? How very unfortunate. The Grail often drags in stragglers to fill unassumed ranks. Either way, don't worry about that woman; she won't come for you as long as I'm in the general vicinity. For now, I'd suggest you sit down, so I can explain."

Taking his own suggestion, Ruler reclined in a chair and closed his eyes again, taking a few seconds to gather his thoughts.

"Let's begin by answering your questions, then. It is most likely that you have, without your own knowledge or engagement, been swept up into a magical ritual, known as Heaven's Feel - or more recently, the Holy Grail War. The one who assaulted you is Avenger, and from what I know, her intent was to kidnap you and use you as a ritual sacrifice. When she said your mana is delicious, that's exactly what she meant - human souls can be used as a battery for energy. As for the police; I suggest you do not involve them. They cannot do anything here, and if the police begins investigating suspicious events, I will have no choice but to hypnotize them and any witnesses to remove any evidence. That would take much effort and divert me from focusing on more pressing tasks, such as working towards Avenger's elimination and investigating exceptional circumstances surrounding the ritual."

Ruler looked up at Ray. "Now that I have answered some of your questions, I have three of my own. Firstly, are a magus? Can you perform magecraft? Thaumaturgy? Psychic powers? Unexplained phenomena? Does any of that ring any bells?"

"Secondly, have any markings appeared on your body in recent days? They should be colored red and on the back of your left hand if they did, but this situation is uncanny enough that even this common phenomenon may be different from my expectations."

In a more pleasant voice, Ruler said, "And lastly. What is your name? For now, you are free to call me Ruler, as that is my official title. I didn't have much time for pleasantries when fending Avenger off."

Thepotatogod

 

[BlightGiver]

A̶̤̫͖̟̻͆͐z̴͓̫̓̆͌̆̾͑͑͒̚̕r̸̳̀̓̽̏̇̎̀̚á̸̧̰̟̺̰͙̎̎̐͛̀̋̈́̕ͅe̵̟̦͉̦̪͙̩̹͛̈̐̉̍ͅl̵̨̟̈́̌̐̾̊̅͘


Azrael was pleasantly surprised his master comprehended his reasoning and way of thinking. 'Humanity sure has changed since then.' he noted, watching as his master extended for a handshake. The immediate recoil didn't seem insulting in the slightest, especially when Alwyn voiced his concern. Azrael cleared the air, "I'd call it a misconception. Shaking my right hand will have no effect. But doing so with my left causes death on contact; it absorbs mana, adding it to my own. So, stay away from my scythe, and you'll be perfectly fine."

With the mention of Bounded Fields around the mansion, Azrael had a bit of a culture shock. For a mere moment of exchanging pleasantries, he had forgotten that he now existed to fight in a war. Those he dared to take the souls of would fight back with full force; with much trickery from any number of spells. "I must say," Azrael voiced his thought. "It's common for people to fight death to the bitter end, but literally doing so like this is humorous to me. I shall guard the grounds outside of the mansion for now, but will remain vigilant if I sense any disturbances in the city."

Azrael bowed and took his leave, dematerializing in a whiff of necrotic dust. He would have much on his plate for the foreseeable future; protecting a master, winning a grail, killing servants and masters. All whilst still on the clock of reaping souls. "What a time to be alive...." He joked, parking himself in the highest tree for the time being. Looking out across the horizon, it felt somber. The breeze at this height was slightly stronger than on the ground, so it served to blow his cloak to great effect.

The modern world was an amalgamate of ideas and cultures, becoming so far off what Azrael knew of the Middle East over 6000 years ago. True, he wasn't anywhere near that locale, but he knew that his presence would be unwelcome here. People would wish for death to die, instead of doing it's job. Servants and their masters would wish for death to die, adding another point to their tally. All whilst aiming for immortality; the one word being absurdly unnatural, even to Azrael. "Plants wither, animals get eaten, humans pass on, microbes die from medicine, planets crash together in pieces, stars supernova, the universe too, will die in darkness." he pondered, resting his chin on his right hand. "Eternal life is not allowed to exist; we must ensure it stays that way."

Train of thought broken, as a ray of light descended from the heavens far off in the distance. Giving Azrael a sense of nostalgia, he immediately realized this was not a natural occurrence, or a rogue mage's magic. "Master," he quickly informed the busy mage. "A visual anomaly of great luminosity just occurred; do you wish for me to investigate?" Even if the answer was no, due to danger, Azrael's premonitions alluded to that being irrelevant in the first place. He would get caught up in something; whether a squabble with another servant down the road, or anything much worse, no matter what.

Birdsie (somewhat noticed) LostHaven

 

[Birdsie]

Alwyn Llewellyn

Llewellyn Mansion​

"Understood," Alwyn nodded with tacit assent.

After the deathly Servant took astral form, his presence faded into obscurity. Alwyn felt a little winded from the conversation. In thought, rather than body.

It's not that Azrael was disagreeable or that speaking with Death was exhausting in of itself, but rather the experience of meeting such a... a... an existence, could leave a blank room in one's head, where there should have been thoughts and plans. Alwyn let himself rest mentally for a moment, to gather himself together.

After that, he decided to get on with upgrading the Bounded Fields. By the end of the day, the mansion would be impregnable to anyone sans the Magus Killer himself.

A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.

That's what plans are: a list of things that go wrong.

The best way to plan things out is to focus on a goal and make a list of avenues and failsafes for approaching it. What if the security guard isn't there? What if there's two of them? What if a hallway is being patrolled despite what the patrol schedule said? Good planning is full of back-ups, considering what-ifs and above all: flexibility. Sometimes, you have to improvise, and when you do? You best be prepared to cover as many vectors as possible.

But that's offensive planning. How does one plan for a defense, when one doesn't even know one's enemies? There's no easy answer, no best answer, but one that's close to being the best is: be comprehensive.

If you can't address the three main threats due to a lack of knowledge about them, use a defense that has a high likelihood of offering at least partial protection against as many of them as possible.

Alwyn set up a Bounded Field of material reinforcement, that tapped into the rich leyline running underneath the mansion. One of the reasons he picked the place. The Bounded Field increased the mansion's durability; wood as tough as steel, concrete as tough as titanium, steel rebar as tough as sticks of hard diamond. The windows had extra protective layers on them, being literally bulletproof. Some places had less protective layers, where Alwyn had to save on time and prana; places he could refine later. Mostly, he focused on reinforcing the outer walls and windows, and left the inner floors and walls only partially augmented.

As it was, the mansion could take a salvo of modern artillery and only get scratched and shaken a little. The Bounded Field would keep going for as long as the leyline tap was connected to it. He expected that he might get attacked sooner or later, and most attacks are physical in nature. With Servants being very powerful, it makes sense to turn the mansion into a fortress that can withstand some punishment.

With that, Alwyn began to carve runes in the doorways, using them as defensive mechanisms. If the runes detected any unwelcome guests passing nearby without a whitelist, they'd activate and spray every room in custom microbes that will quickly knock a human unconscious. Even a preternatural human, like a magus who reinforced his lungs, or a half-demon. It was, however, admittedly useless against a Servant. Not many ways to defend against that effectively, not in this short of a timespan.

As Alwyn was working on the second set of runic markings, Azrael spoke to him. A visual anomaly? In the day? Alwyn stood up, from where he was kneeling near the low corner of a doorframe with a knife for wood-carving.

The magus pondered for a moment, then decided. "Do so. Don't engage if there are Servants in the area, only observe. If you're spotted and anyone attempts to engage you in combat, flee in an oblique direction; not away from the mansion, but not towards it either. Then take a moment to see if you have any pursuers. If you do not, then return. I doubt it'll go as far as a chase or a fight, though - fighting in broad daylight is very unlike standard Grail War procedure, from what I know. It's quite strange that there'd be anything noticeable happening, so it's probably nothing after all, but we can never be too picky."

Alwyn knelt again, scrubbing bits of wood out of the doorframe to mark a custom rune. He clarified his order, "I believe it ill-advised to fight in daylight, but any information we can gather will be useful when the fighting does begin."

LostHaven BlightGiver

 

[Prince_]

Garm, Rider
Interactions: Ryuga Gundam Watcher 27

Spoiler: Behind the scenes

Garm sat in the gates of Hel, reading newspaper, and sipping a cup of tears of the damned souls. He continued to read, before feeling something tugging on him. He said "Wait, I'm being summoned? Again!" He scrambled around his relaxing area, he grabbed his cloak, and threw it on, as well as frantically polished the skull on it whilst attempting to slip into his boots. He then touched his face, realizing his mask was missing. He said "Shit!" and ran as he felt the pull get stronger. He picked up a can of air freshener, and sprayed it into the mask, before slamming it on his face. He flicked a switch, turning on a fog machine. He took a deep breath in, and finally let the pull take him to be summoned. Then he said "Wait did I leave the stove on?"

Garm emerged from the pentagram in a burst of winter air and chilled mist and began his speech "I art Garm, guardian of Hel's gate, The crimson soaked hound of Hel. Thou hath rend me from mine home, and have bound me to your service. What does thou desir-" Garm's widened, and he leaned, attempting to get a better look at Ryuga. Then Garm said "Ryuga? I'm no expert in human physiology... but... you're back? And... why do you have such massive tits?" Garm dropped the act. In the previous war, he had been formal and spoke in Shakespearean, but after spending time adjusting, he'd finally learnt to speak modern English. Jack was at least successful in that.

He simply waltzed right out of the circle, looked around, and then said, "A bike chain, and a Sub-Zero mask? I would feel insulted, but I'm more impressed at the fact that it worked." He stretched, patted his sword's hilt, and then said., "So, why have you summoned me? What need do you have for me?" He crossed his arms. "You've got a lot of explaining to do... and it smells like death. Did someone die? Also, I'm hankering for some food... do you have a clock around? That might just sate my hunger... you have no idea what you crave whilst you no longer exist in this plane of existence."

School laptop is trash, better posts will come in future.

 

[Thepotatogod]

--Ray Chance--
Hotel Berlin, Lutzowpl. Room 69.
Birdsie

'What gave you the idea, genius?' Ray raised a brow when the peculiarly dressed man told him that Ray doesn't know anything about...Well, everything. He also spoke about a Grail--as in, a fricking cup used in the medival age. Apparently, it's what governs these wars.

"So basically, magic ACTUALLY exists and there's current some kind of Secret War shtick going on." Ray managed to get the obvious as the takeaway and a general summary on what's happening. He's essentially an accidental draw, a sudden blank Wild in an Uno game with the words 'Draw The Entire Deck, Bitch' which could ruin relationships, an unlikely player in this Grail War. That chick, Avenger, wants to use him as a sacrifice or whatever to power something. If his experience in DnD can be applied now, then that thing must be some kind of doomsday device or doomsday Beast. Because of the fact that it's magic, the local police force can't and won't do shit about it. If they even remotely try, this guy, will make sure that they forget it. So essentially, he's stuck here like a sitting duck, running away from that crazy chick, Avenger. She's no Tony Stark nor Captain America, so why is she named that anyway?

It was then that the armored kingly person declared that it is his turn to ask some questions, starting with one which he us already lost at; is he a Magus?

...

What the fuck is a Magus?

"Magus--you mean like, a Mage? No, I don't think so." Ray shook his head, as if to answer the man's inquiry, adding on if he had any unexplained abilities he may harbor. "I'm not sure if this really counts, but I can tell when something's about to happen to me and what I should do about it...I kinda feel stupid not to obey that gut feeling now." He admitted, rubbing his stomach which had finally calmed down. "It's...Kinda what urged me to fly out here in the first place...Right now, I think I'm supposed to be meeting someone else here. It's probably not you though, but you're cool." He chuckled nervously. "I'm not sure when I'm gonna meet this person, but I know it's gonna happen somehow." He said before Rulee asked if any strange markings appeared recently.

"I'm...Not sure about that." Ray shook his head once more, "I do recall briefly seeing a symbol before I flew here, glowing red." He said. "It kinda looked like a tree or something. Honestly, I can't really process what it was since the moment I blinked, the thing was gone." He said before hearing out Ruler's last inquiry; his name. Which is around the time he actually introduced himself.

"Ruler, huh...Strange. It sounds like a Class name in one of my friend's DnD sessions..." Ray expressed a form of familiarity with the title, having used the same title once before. "My name's Ray. Ray Chance. I-I draw stuff on the internet." He introduced himself, soon digging through his shoulder bag and taking out a sketchpad, which was opened to what Ruler could tell is a Summoning Circle. If the Ruler were to question Ray, he would be told that this image just came to him.