[IC] Fate/Reborn [First Holy Grail War]

[Shamitako]

The sun sets on the distant horizon as a mysterious energy gathers in the city of Seigishi. Most of the inhabitants are blissfully unaware, but there are some in the city who can not only detect the swirling maelstrom of energy, they are deeply concerned about its origin. Any mage in the city, and anyone with any inclination toward magecraft at all can feel a strange, unfamiliar sort of mana suffusing the entire area. A few attempt to tap into the field, trying to discern the origin. They are slammed backwards out of it, only receiving two impressions; the first of an overwhelming desire, somehow unfocused but impossibly strong. The second is a distinct thought, as a consciousness simultaneously alien and almost domestic brushes against theirs:

You are not worthy.

The energy rises to a crescendo and then seemingly vanishes with no lasting impression. However, to a select seven, a sense of urgency is impressed. Now is the time, they think.

Time for war.

Siegfried

A young magus hurried through the streets, a journal in one hand and the other used to push past anyone he encountered. He stuck out quite harshly from the crowd; his height, complexion, and eyes all mark him as a foreigner. He suddenly took a left into a building that seemed run-down; it was the home of a few people without the money or time to obtain a more suitable dwelling, including the European who was rushing into the basement. He passed through a doorway marked with a few strange symbols and almost threw the journal down on a table, all the while muttering about “leaky fields” and “shoddy foundations.” He lit a few candles, lighting the room enough to reveal a strange circle sketched onto the floor. Digging in a bag underneath the table, Siegfried drew out a few vials of mercury. He began to carefully pour the quicksilver into the lines previously marked, all the while channeling energy into the substance.

After he finished the task, the magus looked over the circle for a moment. He picked up the journal and urgently flipped through it, looking back and forth between the pages and what he has just drawn on the ground. Finally satisfied, he flipped to the last page and began reading the chant written there, one hand outstretched toward the center of the circle.

“Let silver and steel be the essence.

Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.

Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall.

Let the four cardinal gates close.

Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.

Let it be declared now;

your flesh shall serve under me, and my fate shall be with your sword.

Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail.

Answer, if you would submit to this will and this truth.

An oath shall be sworn here.

I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven;

I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell.

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 bright light flashed, and a figure appears before the first Master of the first Holy Grail War.

Onyx

“Anya, what’s wrong?” The voice of Onyx’s nursemaid cut through the blackness

She didn’t understand the question, everything was fine, though it was a bit dark.

“I’m fine, but could you turn on the light?” She replied.

“Um, what do you mean? The light is on.”

“But it’s pitch black”

A puzzled look crossed Anya’s face, her eyes were open, but she couldn’t see. Then, quite suddenly, she felt like she could see everything at once, as though the entire world were flowing into her mind.

“Anya, calm down, what’s happening?!” Her nursemaid called out.

Onyx’s eyes snapped into focus, determination burning in her deep brown eyes. Her whole life she had been trained for this one day, though she hadn’t known until just then exactly when or what she was trained for. Now that she knew what to do she had no intention of waiting any longer. She stood from the chair she had been sitting in and shoved her nursemaid aside, rushing down to the kitchen.

“Anya, what are you- Urk!”

Onyx withdrew the knife from her nursemaid’s side and began forming an intricate circle on the tile in the shocked woman’s blood.

“Don’t worry, you’ll live.” She muttered distractedly.

Once she finished the circle she ushered her still stunned nursemaid out of the room. She then stood before the circle and held out her hand. Beginning the chant that her vision had taught her.

“Let silver and steel be the essence.

Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.

Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall.

Let the four cardinal gates close.

Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.”

As she uttered the incantation crimson lines began to carve their way across the back of her hand.

“Let it be declared now;

your flesh shall serve under me, and my fate shall be with your sword.

Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail.

Answer, if you would submit to this will and this truth.”

The circle of blood began to glow brightly, turning the entire room a dull red.

“An oath shall be sworn here.

I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven;

I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell.”

A smile creased Onyx’s face as the crimson lines formed into a shape resembling a spider.

“From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power,

come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance!”

The circle flashed bright white and suddenly a figure stood before Onyx. Her smile widened as she knew her time had finally come.

Alright, so here’s what needs to happen. If you’re playing a Master, describe your summoning ritual. You can grab the chant from the script of either Fate anime, visit the typemoon wiki, or use the one I just did. Your Master would have received the information on how to perform the ritual through some sort of dreams or visions, or just simply have the inspiration come to them in a flash. It’s up to you. The ritual ends with a bright flash and the Servant appearing. (This should be the last line you write in your first post.) Optionally, you can describe your journey to Seigishi.

If you’re playing a Servant, wait for your Master to perform the summoning ritual, then introduce your character and ask, “Are you my Master?” or some variation thereof. After that, the Master should accept the contract by saying yes (after they ask any questions), and then the RP can really begin.

Here are the final Master/Servant pairings (Masters do not automatically know the true names of other Servants, but can instinctively read the parameters of one. Try to avoid metagaming if possible):

Illiana (Rose)

Saber - Nayru (Lexi)

Onyx (Lexi)

Archer - Vixen (Hukuna)

Janus (Arkhidon)

Lancer - Noriko (Murdoc)

Vance (Flux)

Rider - Lily (Acqui)

Siegfried

Berserker - Ashnard (Huk)

Frog (Bfroger)

Caster - Sylva (Flux)

Yukine (Acqui)

Assassin - Debronee (Yagami)

[Arkhi]

Janus had narrowly escaped detection after stealing from another store this month. The food should hold me over for another week if I ration well, he thought. Ever since arriving in Seigishi, he had been living comfortably, albeit by the skin of his teeth. It only took getting his hands dirty every once in a while to this up. So long as he had his health, everything would work out. And that bored him.

After retiring to his retreat, he placed away his supplies and laid on his bed, his grin slowly fading. He wanted to try something crazy. Not life-threatening, but something to satiate his boredom. He propelled himself up with wind magic, grabbed his hoodie, and began tinkering with an old wooden cabinet.

Within minutes, he created a hexagonal wooden ritual circle, laced with fabric from the hoodie he ripped apart. With a splinter of wood, he pricked his finger and let a drop of blood free fall into the center of the circle before lighting the fabric aflame with a match. It had only occurred to Janus then that this was unlike anything he'd done before. But why stop mid-way? With mind at ease, the flame had finally reached full circle. He began chanting:

"Let silver and steel be the essence..."

[Rosesong]

It's been a year. That was the thought that went through the mind of the blonde haired girl as she walked through the streets of Seigishi. Though it had been far longer since she had left her family, traveling on her own in hopes of attaining the status she had today; a Water mage that had gained a level of proficiency high enough that others sought her out to apprentice under. However, it had been a year since she had woken up with red tattoos adorning her neck and the overwhelming desire to travel to Seigishi. A year since a purpose had awoken inside of her, apart from knowledge.

A stumble brought Illiana's thoughts to a halt as she fell to the ground, tearing a hole in her long jeans. Perhaps... I need rest, she conceded to herself. It had been over 24 hours since her last stop, but she couldn't control that. Her excitement had just been too great to finally reach the place that had monopolized her thoughts and actions. Taking a turn into a small, local garden, the woman leaned against a tree and took a moment to rub her feet. Closing her eyes and enjoying the warmth of the sun, Illiana's breathing evened out, and soon she was fast asleep.

Images began to flash by, burning themselves into her memory. A circle with intricacies woven into its design. Words spoken aloud, a ritualistic chant tugging at mana, teasing it into the visible planes. Light growing stronger, becoming a brilliant white--!

Gasping, Illiana bolted upright, woken from her sleep with the realization of what her purpose in Seigishi was. Closing her eyes once again, she began to painstakingly recreate the circle that she had seen from her dreams, tracing the lines into the ground with such ferocity that it left small grooves in the once smooth ground. As she perfected the smallest details, her hair spilled around her, brushing the ground softly as she crawled around to make additions. Satisfied that the circle was as detailed as her mind showed her, she carefully took a hose from watering the flowers near by, filling the newly formed crevasses with the clear liquid.

Thrusting her hand over the circle, Illiana began to speak softly, repeating the words that she had heard spoken in her dream, her voice slowly growing in strength as her confidence grew.

“Let silver and steel be the essence.

Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.

Let black be the color I pay tribute to.

Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall.

Let the four cardinal gates close.

Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.”

As she recited, the water that she had placed into the circle began to glow with a dull light, reacting to the incantation and the energy being placed into it.

“Let it be declared now;

your flesh shall serve under me, and my fate shall be with your sword.

Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail.

Answer, if you would submit to this will and this truth.

An oath shall be sworn here.

I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven;

I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell.”

With more mana manifesting itself in the area, Illiana's hair, which normally hung down, had started to move upward, floating unaided around her; the woman, however, had taken no notice, never once moving her hard grey eyes from the circle that she had created, its glow slowly becoming more prominent as the words spoken took their effect. Taking a deep breath, Illiana spoke the final words to the recitation that had imprinted itself into her mind.

“From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power,

come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance!”

The final word of the ritual brought about a brilliant flash of light. A small smile graced Illiana's face as the light died down, a figure now standing in front of her.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Ashnard

"Overwhelming Madness. Must kill... must feed, drink blood. Kill... KILL!!!" Rapid thoughts of murder, death and feasting all flooded the mind of Ashnard. The only thoughts that were in his head. He noticed not where he was as he held his skull from the immense pain and the mad ravings of his brain. He howled in agony being forced into his Wolf form. Not that he minded, but the transformation burned and was agonizingly painful when forced.

The Beast took over the sane parts of his mind, all that was left was the murderous intent, primal instincts and urge to kill. It was all that was left inside the man and what could be argued... that only thing within him to begin with. It wasn't until he changed into the horrible beast he really was that he even began to look around at where he was. The giant brown wolf man's eyes darted around his surroundings quickly hungrily, as he frantically tried to place where he was. He breathed heavily and disgustingly as he sucked for air violently. He was dreadfully tired from the transformation and his breathing certainly made it clear. That's when he noticed the figure standing before him. His senses only know catching up to him as he saw a pathetic human in front of him. He hated them. They were weak and disgusting. The thought permeated the domain that was his mind. It was one more basic instinct that remained within his mind. But, the wolf remembered something else... something he had answered. A Call... it was what pulled him to this world. He could have sworn once he had a recollection of why. Why he'd... work with a human. But it was lost in the maelstrom of dark thoughts and murderous intent. As he tried to recall it only got fuzzier, less clear. He felt his mental facilities disappear as if dust blown away in a brisk wind. Reason fled and all that was left was the drive to murder, to eat, to kill, to destroy, to give into the basest of desires. It was all he knew now. But he looked at the man in front of him... just out of reach of his muzzle... he could easily snap off his head and chew on his grey matter. But, something compelled him not to. Even though most of his body wanted him to devour this human... one part of him wouldn't let him do it.

The wolf howled in protest though... angry he couldn't eat. He stared for a second longer than before asking a single word question. It was all he could manage in his current state. "Who?" he addressed the man before him.

((will do my other when I get the time... sorry Lexi XD.))

[Chevaleresse]

Janus and Noriko

As Janus finished his incantation, a brilliant light flared before his eyes. It would have illuminated the entire room if it wasn't so bright that the magus was forced to avert his gaze. Before him was a woman - or girl, she appeared to be in her late teens, or early twenties at the oldest- with a remarkable appearance. She was a few inches shorter than Janus himself, though her face was level with his as she floated slightly off of the ground. Her bright (but not particularly light) blue hair was in two very long braids that seemed to almost move on their own behind her, if it wasn't for the slight amount of wind that buffeted him. Her dress appeared to be made of layered scales, or perhaps leaves, with a white coloration except for blue borders. It split down the middle to show a fairly tight pair of black leggings, though oddly she was barefoot.

The most striking thing about her appearance, however, was the four spears floating in the air about her. Each had a large, triangular head made of some dark metal and almost seemed difficult to wield as a weapon. She grabbed one of them and set the butt into the floor in front of her with a thunk, and she looked directly into the eyes of the one who had summoned her. Her jade gaze was stern and commanding. She asked one question in a voice matching her eyes:

"Are you my Master?"

Siegfried and Ashnard

The man took two surprised steps backward. He wasn't sure what manner of spirit he had just summoned, and he briefly wondered what the hell he thought was going to happen and why he hadn't taken more precautions. Despite this, he quickly regained his composure. He looked over the being before him, information about his capabilities seemingly appearing out of nowhere. I've summoned a. . . Berserker? By the name of Ashnard. I know that name. I doubt that I can effectively reason with him, but. . . "I am Siegfried Eberhardt, and I have summoned you to fight in the Holy Grail War." Grail War? Where did that come from? Yet, it felt right. Whatever the source of his previous information was, it seemed to tell him of the upcoming battle. If I'm truly insane, I wouldn't know. Therefore I must continue as if I am not.

[Shamitako]

Nayru

There was a pulsing sound not of reality. The being felt as though its mind were being stitched together after being cast to the wind for an eternity. The pulsing slowly became clearer, forming into a distinct chant. Alongside it the being's mind became clearer, she felt herself forming into a distinct person. Her mind filled with the knowledge she would need in the coming days. Knowledge of her past, knowledge of the present, and knowledge of what was to come in the future. She was Nayru, Goddess of Reason and the Mind. Though she had been torn from her place in the heavens, she still retained much of her great power. Her right hand pulsed white with the icy power of Reason and her left glowed a dull purple with the soul of her Mind. There was a bright flash as she fully materialized as a servant. Summoned by a powerful magus to fight and obtain the Holy Grail.

Before Illiana stood a young woman. Despite being clearly still in her teenage years, her lavender eyes held the wisdom of one who had lived for millennia. Her cherry red hair was cut short and hung almost perfectly straight, falling evenly on either side of her stone-cold face. Her pale arms were covered in lacy markings that glowed the same lavender as her eyes. Her hands appeared softer than the softest wool and her nails were painted, the right hand white and the left purple. Her upper body was adorned in a pair of crossed sashes colored pale green. Her skirt matched this colors and split below the thighs into ribbons that swayed lightly in the breeze. Her feet were bare outside having similar marking to her arms.

Nayru stood in a small community garden. The air was crisp and clean, the smell of flowers and herbs manifesting deeply within her nostrils. In front of her there was a woman, presumably the one who had summoned her. She knelt down, the ribbons of her skirt parting over her knee to reveal that the markings on her feet traveled further up her legs. She bowed her head and held her left hand behind her back, reaching out towards the woman with her right.

Finally, she spoke, "If you are my master who has summoned me here to fight in this war for the almighty chalice known as the Holy Grail then place your palm against mine and seal with me our pact. I pledge my Blades will guard your back and pierce your enemies so that together we may obtain the Holy Grail."

[Rosesong]

Shock was something Illiana was unused to, yet this... girl, if she could even be called that, with the maturity and wisdom her eyes held, had left the blonde woman temporarily speechless. As she watched the girl extend a hand, she realized that words had been spoken, and in her stupor she had completely ignored them all. Straining to recall, Illiana recalled the words my master, war, Holy Grail, and pact.

Unsure of what any of this meant, the young woman stared at the girl, only acting when a longing tug ached in her mind, almost pleading with her to take Nayru's hand and complete the bond. Nayru? Illiana questioned herself, trying to figure out where she had pulled a name from. As she hesitantly took the hand offered to her, sealing the pact that Nayru had spoken of, more information about the girl that had materialized before her began flooding into her mind, and instinctively she closed her eyes, trying to slow her thought processes to be able to comprehend everything that was occurring.

"N-nayru?" Illiana questioned in a soft, trembling voice, shakily moving a strand of hair away from her face. "What is this war you speak of, and what is the Holy Grail?" Thinking quickly, she added in a soft tone, "And what do you mean 'my master'?"

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Ashnard and Siegfried

The beast snarled; An ugly guttural acknowledgement of what the man had said. The mention of the Grail War gave him a moment of clarity which he quickly and rather rudely pointed out "Even if you're my master... I don't like filth like you. Humans are garbage... Not worthy to stand in my vicinity. Once I get what I want... I'll kill you too." He snarled again... a disgusting noise as the sanity he had for nearly a second... vanished. It winked out of existence. The Beast was the only thing there again. His murderous intent was all that could be felt, even towards his own master. The restraint from him was palpable. Siegfried knew that if things were different... Ashnard would have tried to tear him to pieces already. Enough of the man side of him remained to not just slaughter him in cold blood or his immense hatred... the reminder of the contract he had made to be here. But, if it weren't for that... He might have tried to pluck Siegfried's head from his shoulders. What emanated from the beast... was pure hatred... It seemed to be the last emotion it understood. It stared at him with pale green orbs from the darkness. Flashes of blood red swirled in them... bloodlust. It was all the beast knew. It's hatred could either be a powerful weapon... or a tool that spelled the end for them both.

Vixen and Onyx

"This will be an exercise to try my patience... I already know it." The only thought as the Vixen of the Forest felt herself begin to materialize. Into a strange world... much like her own in some ways. A place of magus... hidden from the norm of society once more. Though... there was much different as well. Lucky her... she was no stranger to hunting the magical. This war seemed much to easy, much too simple for the likes of her. But, that was to underestimate the foe. That was never a good plan, one never knew what an enemy could do until they saw it and not only that, but how they used it as well. Once they knew the extent of that... one knew their foe and could judge them. But she cared not. She would end this fight quickly.

Strangely, Onyx noticed first that a chair started to appear right before the figure entirely formed, a tall hard-backed swiveling chair to be precise. The overly fancy kind much like that seen in a CEO's office, or behind a Mob Boss's desk. Next, the figure. A Pale blue flash of light, nearly blinding to the eye. A woman, about mid-twenties getting close to the late of the number now sat there. She wore a battered red shirt over her top and black shorts that reached down to her knees. They were nearly a form-fitting material, but nothing to close to the form. Over top this get-up, a tan cloak that when standing up would easily drape over her entire form. Her most impressive feature however... her shockingly electric blue hair. Clearly sticking up behind her back a Long rifle, old and worn. But clearly a tool of precision and power. It bore the marks of many upgrades and improvements... homemade of course. It was a weapon with a story, not a random piece of junk. Even if it did look like one at first glance, it was wrong to overlook it as just junk. It was clearly... storied, tried and true. On her hip, another firearm much the same. An old style Revolver, just as battered and worn. A veteran as much as the Rifle on her back. One could say the two were like old war pals, two that had been through everything together and as such didn't know how to leave one another's side any longer. The woman's eyes were closed as she held in her right hand a small zippo lighter. It was nothing special... jsut a plain sliver case. She flicked the lighting mechanism over and over leaving the spark breathe for a second before flipping the lid and killing the flame. All without looking once.

*tink* *pssssth* *clink* repeat.

She kept doing this without opening her eyes and fiddled with it for awhile. She hadn't seen the person before her... but she knew they were staring directly at her. She knew how this worked. The master or whatever. She wasn't very fond of that name. No one was her master and no one could surely force her to do that which she didn't want to... unless they wanted serious recourse. However this Grail War dictated that she pretend. Not very happy about it... but she needed that wish, it was important. She could play this charade for a shot at that. "So... I'll assume you are my master or whatever... let me get one thing straight." she said holding up a single finger. "I do things my way. You got an issue with that... my gun will sort you out. You understand... Master?" she had yet to open her eyes, though she now shifted in the chair as she leaned back into it. She crossed her right leg over her left and crossed her arms. She continued to flick the zippo over and over again. "Or do we got a problem?" Her voice... as it was this entire time... a cold winter's breeze. It stung with how cold it was.

[Chevaleresse]

Siegfried

I've made a terrible mistake, summoning this creature. However, it - he, I suppose - can still be used. The magus brought his left hand up for a moment. On the back of his hand were those strange tattoos. . . Command Seals. He raised the hand and stretched it in the direction of the man-beast before him. No. He let the hand fall. "I recommend that you keep me as long as possible, lycanthrope. Consider me trash or not, I supply the mana that maintains your existence. A being of your power could not exist for long without a sustainable source of mana, and I doubt any other magus has the will or desire to contract with you."

The young man was unsure that this Berserker could even comprehend what he was saying any more, but he hoped that it would be enough to keep him alive for the moment. "I intend to locate targets for you to hunt. Remain here until I have done so, unless you have some means of concealing yourself from mortal eyes, in which case you may follow." His voice did not waver for a moment, but his fear was betrayed by the way he backed out of the room, only turning once the door was closed. He headed up the stairs and out to the streets, occasionally ducking into an alleyway to trace a small set of runes using a bit of chalk he kept on his person. They wouldn't last more than a day or two, but he didn't have time to set up a more advanced and permanent method of detection. They would have to do.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Ashnard and Siegfried

The Lupine beast snarled at the words the human spouted at it. He had already made his intent clear. Siegfried was only an ally until the grail was within reach. Once it was acquired, He'd tear the man limb for from limb. He wasn't about to share victory with a human. Scum... they all were scum. Trash beneath his feet. Food for the Wolf, nothing more. His hatred for them burned like wildfire and it wouldn't ever stop, it would only keep burning. But second came the hunger. He starved to sink his teeth into flesh and rend it from bone. The hunger made it even harder for him to keep his cool. As such he converted to his spiritual form. He did it entirely out of instinct even though he had never done it before. He became Invisible something that most servants summoned by the grail could do, however his insanity let their be one flaw in it unlike others. His hatred and overwhelming hunger could still be felt in the world.

The dark gloomy presence followed Siegfried, emanating immense amounts of pure hatred and hunger. It was like being followed by a Beast that was muzzled but was still trying to eat you. Only his Command spells and their contract was keeping Ashnard from just killing him. And he knew that as the beast followed even in it's Spiritual form. Ashnard didn't hide it a single iota. At the very least he couldn't be seen. He hoped that the man would find him an enemy to chew to shreds soon.

[Code: PIRULUK]

Yukine

Most people are given gifts on their 18th birthdays, some sort of memento to commemorate their maturation as an adult. Yukine, however, had something taken away on that very day.

It would be a lie to claim she recieved nothing: she recieved her first client on that day. Her first paycheck, her first tip. But what she lost - dignity, freedom, purity - that was so much more.

She cried, tears of sorrow, clutching the old, large, well-worn book to her naked body, curling up under the sheets where the unloving man had taken her, then left her. A stinging wetness tinged her cheeks, a companion to the uncomfortable wetness of sweat and fluids that covered the rest of her light skin.

Clutching the book closer to herself, Yukine lamented. She cried at the rape of her dignity, her chastity, her humanity. Would her mother be proud? She certainly hoped not. That weak woman, who watched her own daughter be raised as a whore, yet never did anything, said anything to try to protect her child; Yukine had naught but contempt for that woman. Would the management care about her pain? Certainly not. Perhaps they would allow her tears for now, provided it did not affect her next client.

Yukine slowly sat up into a seated position, hugging the blanket, feeling the stale air in the dark room on her skin. All she wanted - for even in her current state of humiliation, her last vestiges of human dignity still permitted for desire - was for someone, anyone, to care. To care about her and her pain. To care about her not out of obligation, not out of professional concern, not because she was worth something or other, but simply because she was human.

At this moment, a red-hot pain seared through her skull. Purpose, meaning, knowledge and impulse possessed her all at once. Her mind as numb as it was from her recent experience, naturally submissive as a result of her upbringing, she followed the impulse that overtook her, giving herself to it freely.

Locking the door to the room, she searched throughout the room for anything sharp, settling on a long, solid, steel hairpin. clutching it tightly, she inscribed a magic circle on the wooden floor of the room, scratching the pattern into the grain, following the images that came with the impulse guiding her. With the pattern finished, she raised her left hand over the circle, and, with her right, plunged the hairpin into her palm, creating a momentary gush, then a steady trickle, of blood into the centre of the magic circle.

Taking a deep breath, she spoke the words that had materialised in her mind.

"Let silver and steel be the essence.

Let stone and the Archdukes of Contract be the foundation."

As she reached the midpoint of the chant, her own conscious mind took over for a split second. Not enough for her to cease what she was attempting, but enough for some of her true desires to leak into the spell.

"...An oath shall be sworn here.

I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven.

I shall have dominion over all evils of all of hell.

I will devote myself to you.

I will not betray our cause.

You will serve as my companion,

to befriend and to confide.

From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power,

come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance!"

((note: The added bit of the chant is just to add more to Yukine's character, it doesn't have to affect anything at all, though if Servant-san wishes to play along, I will be more than happy and grateful to oblige.))

[Shamitako]

(OOC: This is Nayru's theme BTW:

)

Nayru

Nayru grabbed firmly the hand that extended to hers and stood.

"Great, now that we've got that overwith, let's go stab someone." She said, a friendly smirk spreading across her previously emotionless face.

She could tell that her master was going to need a lot of explanation before she grasped the situation. But first Nayru needed to look less conspicuous. She released her master's hand and took a step back. A spark started at her feet and quickly grew into an aura of sparkles that traveled up her body, replacing her clothing as it went. Her feet were given purple heels. Her legs became covered by deep blue jeans. She wore a green and lavender plaid button down shirt with long sleeves that ended in lace. Onto her face sprung narrow red glasses. Thanks to her Goddess Incarnate skill, she was able to take on the appearance she had worn when she had been torn from the heavens, she felt it would come in quite handy now for conversing with her master in public. She looked down at her master, appraising her skills. She seemed powerful enough, Nayru was certain they could win if they played their cards right.

"Okay, now, I can tell you don't really have any idea what's going on, that's to be expected." She began, "Long story short I'm a servant created from a Heroic Spirit of legend summoned through the power of a magical device called the Holy Grail and maintained by your mana. You and I are going to go and fight other pairs of servants and masters. Once we've killed all six other servants we get the Grail with which we can have a wish granted.

"I know it's a lot to take in so take your time preparing yourself. But there is one thing I would request of you: Please refer to me as Saber, or at the very least Natalie, using my True Name will give away my abilities to our foes, and for me that's an even greater hindrance than it is to most. However, thanks to my relatively mundane Noble Phantasms, I doubt anyone will be able to figure it out without our revealing it, which gives us a distinct advantage."

Nayru realized she was already getting into strategy talk even though she had told her master to to take her time.

"My apologies, I'm getting ahead of myself, why don't you tell me your name?" She said, her smirk fading back into her usual stonefaced look.

[Bfroger6]

"A sprinkle here and a sprinkle there! Hahaha!" A silent laughter echoed through the empty hospital basement. The flickering, broken light above buzzed on and off repeatedly, shining its sickly blue glow on the stuffed, white room and the sole figure standing in the middle of it, next to a transfusion bag filled with blood. The figure held a knife in one hand and a depleted bag of blood in the other.

"It isn't enough, though." The figure whispered to itself softly, tossing the empty bag on the floor below. The bag blotched down, any remaining blood in it spattering on the floor. The figure sighed, spending a moment to look at the drained bag before glancing over at the incomplete circle drawn on the floor in front of itself. It still wasn't like he saw it in his dream... Hastily, Frog checked his black/white hoodie for any red spots left by the liquid. Having been convinced none had defiled his clothes, he crouched and reached out for the second bag. The boy, 18 years old, examined the bag under the flickering light, his eyes shining behind the glasses which, along with his messy brown hair, framed his face. Standing up, he grabbed his knife again and drove it into the bag. It popped open as easily as the first one and he continued drawing the circle with his bare fingers...

As soon as he was done and sure the picture was the same as the one he had dreamed of countless times in the past several months, Frog rested his arms on his chest and grinned. "Perfect." He said, proud of his creation. The knife shined by his right foot. Now... the only thing left to do was say the words. Wiping his hands on a nearby towel, the boy reached out into the pocket of his hoodie, pulling out a small notebook. Opening it on the middle page, he saw the words that had also appeared in his dreams. He had taken his time to write them all down, because... why the heck not? Besides, it would be a disgrace if he missed a verse or something of the such. He took a deep breath, putting one hand above the circle while in the other he held the notebook so that he could read the words inside clearly. "Ahem!"

"Let silver and steel be the essence.

Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.

Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall.

Let the four cardinal gates close.

Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.

Let it be declared now;

your flesh shall serve under me, and my fate shall be with your sword.

Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail.

Answer, if you would submit to this will and this truth.

An oath shall be sworn here.

I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven;

I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell.

From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power,

come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance!"

As the spoken words flooded the room with magical energy, the circle on the floor began glowing a pure white color. The light rose in intensity as the neon glow of the ligtbulb above began flickering even more violently. As the final word left Frog's lips... the room disappeared, bathed in the brilliant, magical light which emanated from the circle. The last image before everything was washed away was Frog's grinning smile and the reflection of his glasses...

[Flux]

Sylva

In the midst of the fading light emanating from the summoning circle, a figure was materializing. She was short, only a few inches above four feet tall. It was a young girl, presumably around 10 years old, perhaps a bit younger. She wore a silky white dress with pink-trimmed borders, and her small feet were covered in boots of brown leather. She wore a silver circlet around her head, a dazzling blue gem present in the center. Her black hair was parted to the sides of her face, reaching down to the middle of her back, and there was an innocence that only a child could have present in blue eyes. She was a cute kid, really. But if one looked a bit closer, there were slight differences... the most notably of which being the pointed ears poking out from behind her hair. In addition, while she at first appeared as no more than an innocent child... She gave off an aura like that of one who had lived much longer. Beneath the innocence, her eyes beheld an endless array of knowledge and wisdom, as if this childlike body were a mere shell for a much greater being...

She blinked once, turning her head to glance about the room. Left, right, and then... her gaze focused on the young man in front of her. She looked up into his eyes, closing her own and giving a bright smile. She clasped both hands behind her back and stood on the tiptoe of one foot, doing a quick twirl before speaking in a bright young voice.

"Well hello, mister! Might you be my master?"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vance

"RRRRRIIIIINNG!!!! RIIIINGGG!!!"

Vance's alarm sounded, startling the man to the point where he fell off of the couch where he had been sleeping. He lay on the floor for a period of time before slowing rising to a sitting position, simultaneously turning off that annoying alarm. His hair was a mess, and there were bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. He stretched out his arms where he sat and let out a ferocious yawn before releasing a heavy sigh.

"Damn... It's already 2:00 p.m." He released another sigh, speaking audibly. "Why do I have to be the one to do this? They're the ones interested after all. Can't I just give them these things?"

He raised his left hand, looking at the strange markings. They had appeared two days prior, yet he somehow already knew their name.

"Command Seals..."

He wasn't sure how he knew. It had just come to him naturally, no different than recognizing a dog as a dog or a car as a car. He ran a hand through his black hair, slowly rising to his feet. He slumped across the living room, making his way to the other end. The room was a mess, though that didn't matter to Vance. He reached the armchair on the other end, though it was what was behind it that concerned him. He looked down at the strange circle. It had appeared to him in a dream, and when he consulted the elders of the family about all this, they had told him to do what the urges seemed to imply. There had been nothing but greed in their eyes, really. It was unmistakable.

"I can't even fathom how they can be that greedy... It's just a vision I had, and already their blood is screaming 'Treasure!'

He stopped his thoughts as he let out yet another sigh.

"Though I guess I'm no different. Greed, Sloth... What's it all matter, anyway?"

He looked down at the symbol once more. He had drawn it the night of two days ago, though he had put off the rest for yesterday. That, in turn, had been put off until today. Yet it seemed that there was no more avoiding it. Vance went through the preparations, just as he had seen them in his mind.

"Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Let silver and steel be the essence.

Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.
Let gray be the color I pay tribute to.
Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall.
Let the four cardinal gates close.
Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate."

"Damn, just how long is this?!"

"Let it be declared now;
your flesh shall serve under me, and my fate shall be with your sword.
Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail.
Answer, if you would submit to this will and this truth."

"...Seriously, this is worse than English class."

"An oath shall be sworn here.
I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven;
I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell."

"..."

"From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power,
come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance!"

As the end of the chant was in sight, Vance spit out the remaining words in a blur. When he had finished, he let out a long gust of breath, raising an eyebrow as the circle began to glow. He watched for a moment before returning to the couch.

"Man, that was a drag. Waking up just for that... I think I'll take a nap now. That was somewhat draining, now that I think of it..."

He thought back to the vision he had had. This was supposed to be a spell to summon a servant of some sort... He smiled. That would be nice. His own personal servant. He didn't see why it needed such a dramatic ritual, but hey, this could be worth it in the end! He rolled to his other side, eyes closed as he attempted to drift into sleep. If it was indeed a servant, it could wait until he awoke. Servants were to heed their masters commands, after all.

[Rosesong]

"My... na-- OH!" the blonde woman smacked herself, ashamed that she had forgotten the most basic rules of etiquette. Though, given what had just transpired, with Nayr-- Natalie or Saber, she mentally corrected--, she figured her lapse would be forgiven. "My name is Illiana Prokofiev, it is a true pleasure." Taking a seat again, leaning back against the tree, she motioned for her new companion to do the same. "So miss," she started, shifting her right hand out of the sun to avoid the glare of her ring, "which do you prefer, Saber or Natalie?" Thinking about her words, Illiana wrung her hands together. Once we've killed all six other servants we get the Grail...

"A-also, we have to kill? Is it only the servants," she questioned, still uneasy of the concept, "or will masters be killed too?"

[Code: PIRULUK]

Lily and Vance

A bright flash of light filled the room, originating from a point to which Vance's back was turned. Then, as abruptly as it appeared, it dissipated. Left behind was a singular girl in a wheelchair. She looked no more than 16, with emerald green hair and ruby red eyes. However, the most distinctive features of her appearance were her limbs. Specifically, her lack thereof. Her arms ended at her shoulders, her legs ended at her thighs. She sat comfortably perched atop her wheelchair, and took in the room around her.

"Ooooh, this is a pretty nice place."

Using magic to manipulate her wheelchair, she spun in circles several times, testing the extent of mana control she possessed as a Servant. Satisfied by the result, she turned towards the man on the couch - presumably her Master - and began to introduce herself.

"Dear sir, are you my Ma-...oh."

The man was fast asleep. Lily wheeled herself closer to see his face. He was pretty cute, if a little unkempt.

"I suppose I'll just wait then."

Lily contemplated retrieving and affixing her prosthetics before the man woke up, but decided against it. It would be fun to see the man react to the fact that he had a limbless Servant.

Settling down comfortably into her mount, she looked at her new Master with a gentle smile, waiting for him to awake.

[Bfroger6]

The light enveloped the room and all that Frog could think of was how brilliant it was. And it was all his, was it not? He had created it, he! For what purpose, though? Did it matter? What mattered was that he was special! The red markings also proved it! He was better than someone somewhere, possibly a lot of someones somewhere! Like the magic he could do! And now... to see the results of the circle from the dreams! Come, revelation! Give me the world!

"..." Frog hadn't noticed, but he fell on his butt during the lightshow. He frowned for a bit, rubbing his eyes under the glasses, before shaking his head and looking up, only to be met with another figure standing in the darkness.

The picture was still for a moment, as the magic still weighed heavily in the air around, but mere moments later, the lights flickered back on, revealing the figures one to another.

It was a girl. A really young one, at that. She stood there, where his circle was drawn. He blinked in confusion for a moment, the first thought which popped into his mind being that she was someone who interrupted him, but then he saw what the girl did. She glanced left... and right. Frog followed each of her glances, further taking in the apparition's features. She was a kid, but what would a kid be doing in a hospital at like... 2 am in the morning? Was it 2 am? Frog instinctively reached into his pocket to grab his phone, but he stopped when the girl's eyes locked themselves on him. What she said made him realize what this was all about.

"Your... Master?" He asked the girl. The title of master echoed in his ears for a second. Despite never having heard anything on this matter, he somehow knew what she was. He... summoned her, didn't he? The circle was for summoning! So wait... that did make him her Master, did it not? He gulped down and stood up, grinning. "A Master, you say..." Raising to his full height of not so impressive 176 centimeters, he looked down on the girl, crossing his hands. The height difference really made him feel superior, to be honest. "Tell me something first, though. Did I... make you with that circle thing? Cause like... that would be super cool, you know! And that would make me your Master! Oh, oh, and does it have anything to do with these?" The boy raised his left hand in utter excitement. The red markings engraved on the upper side of his hand were still there. Grinning all the while, he pulled the hand back and leaned it against his hip, waiting for a response. This was just... awesome! He couldn't even contain himself!

[Shamitako]

Onyx

Onyx stood silently while her servant toyed with her lighter, it was actually useful that she did so, as it gave Onyx time to process the information flooding her brain. When the silence was finally broken Onyx couldn't help but grin. Finally, someone who spoke their mind without restraint, she could work with this. Though she did feel the need to give her own silence for a moment as revenge. She walked over to the wall and flicked off the lights, a single candle on the stove remaining to light the kitchen. The reflection of the flames danced on the tiles and highlighted the blood Onyx had formed the summoning circle from. She then spun around, her blonde hair fanning out for a moment as she did so.

"Very well, Archer," she said finally, her grin widening, "I care not how you win the war, so long as you remember whom you are winning it for."

She extended her hand, fingers down, revealing the crimson spider crest--her Command Seals--on its back.

"Also I do hope you realize I'm not entirely useless, I've spent my whole life preparing for this after all, it'd be a shame to let you have all the fun."

The shadows of Onyx and Archer danced along the walls in the candlelight, bending and twisting in all forms of convoluted manner. It was the perfect scene to highlight the beginning--and eventually end--of her life. Though it seemed impossible for one who hadn't smiled in a decade, Onyx's grin widened even further.

Nayru

"Well met, Master Illiana. How you wish to refer to me is up to you, I care not how I am addressed." Nayru said, "I would say Saber is more of a title whilst Natalie is more personal, so it depends on how close you wish us to become, Master."

She grimaced at the question of killing. She had no real like for the act, it seemed completely unreasonable to simply slaughter other beings without care.

"Again, I suppose that is up to you." She continued, "While it is not necessary to kill other Masters, I'm sure you've already discerned from observing me that Servants are extremely powerful. In many cases it would be much faster and less taxing on us to slay the Master than to take on the Servant, as distasteful as it sounds. If you do not wish to do so I hardly disagree, though it would make defeating certain servants a much greater challenge. Also would you mind if I stopped talking in my 'Goddess voice'? Like, It's nice and dramatic for the whole summoning thing but also kind of tiresome."

[Flux]

Sylva and Frog

"Tell me something first, though. Did I... make you with that circle thing? Cause like... that would be super cool, you know! And that would make me your Master! Oh, oh, and does it have anything to do with these?"

Sylva frowned as she thought of a response. She didn't have exact details on their relationship herself, but it did seem like she was much more informed than this man.

"Well... You didn't so much make me... It was more like... hmmm..." Her face twisted in concentration as she tried to think of a suitable term. After a moment, her eyes lit up with an answer. "Summoning!" She broke into a wide grin as she thought of the word. "Yes, summoning! You see, I come from another time and place, and that circle is what summoned me across the very planes of existence to meet you here! You, the master and I, the Servant. Those marks on your hand symbolize the pact we have to make in order to maintain this partnership.At least, that's the way I understand things..."

Her expression became more serious. "It seems we're supposed to compete for some kind of Grail. I don't really know much about that, though. Perhaps you have some information about that sort of thing..." She couldn't imagine that her Master was entirely clueless about the situation. He knew the summoning ritual after all, and he would have had to learn that somewhere.

She paused for a moment, seemingly coming to some sort of realization. "But we haven't even exchanged names!" She exclaimed. "Where I come from, most people called me 'The Lady of Twilight.'" She pouted. "I don't really like being called that very much though. I just want to be Sylva! That's my name after all! " She twirled around in childlike glee, pausing after a moment. "Though it seems I am known as Caster while I'm here." She met the man's eyes once more. Her eyes were wide in a curious gaze, one that may seem intrusive on anyone else but a child. "But what should I call you, mister?"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Vance and Lily

It was nighttime when Vance awoke again. He rose slowly into a sitting position, stretching his arms and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He let out a yawn, slowly opening his eyes. It was dark now, that was the first thing he noticed. Not too late though. The sun had probably just set. He gazed around the room, taking in the mess, before his eyes finally noticed what was right in front of him.

"WHA-?!"

He would have jumped backwards had he not been seated on a couch. Still, his reaction tilted the couch onto its back legs, hanging in midair for a moment before crashing back down. He peered through squinted eyes at the person in front of him, convinced that something was fooling his eyes.

"She has no limbs."

He leaned forward, as if believing he was mistaken.

"Nope. She definitely has no limbs."

He nodded to himself for a few moments before stopping abruptly. Had he just said that last part out loud?

"U-um..."

His face flushed red. He hurriedly clasped his hands in front of himself, bowing forward apologetically. He may be lazy, but that didn't mean he was impolite. Well, not on purpose at least. He had been in shock by her appearance earlier, but now that he took a closer look, he realized that this girl wasn't actually very old. Definitely younger than he was. Her hair and eye color were... unique, to say the least. Still, she was fairly pretty, for a human with no limbs at least.

"Sorry! But, um... are you perhaps lost? Did you get the wrong house? They do look pretty similar around these parts..."

He had already completely forgotten the event that had taken place earlier that day. It wasn't unlike him. He tended to remember only things he deemed important. Vance sighed. Why did he always get thrust into these situations?

"Listen, if you really want, I can help you find the place you're looking for."

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Vixen and Onyx

"If you were useless... I doubt I'd be sitting here." Vixen said, her emotion of choice still a bitter coldness. "Just don't get in my way, I work best alone. I don't care for working with others, they just get in the way. I'm sure you know that... or maybe you don't. If you want me to remove Masters as well, speak now. I'd be best I know the perimeters you wish for me to be meeting than wait for later. Unless of course you want to deal with the Masters yourself."

She kept flicking the zippo over and over, it didn't add much but it certainly created a soft orange glow around the upper part of the woman's body now that it was dark. She still leaned back not opening her eyes.

"Why do you choose this? If you don't mind me asking. Surely the Grail War isn't something one does under normal circumstances. Are yours something extraordinary I should be aware about? I assume you have some reason for all this bollocks; Why you choose to put yourself through this? I honestly don't care if you answer. I'm just asking because I can. But, no answer definitely still lets me know the kind of person you are."

[Code: PIRULUK]

Lily giggled as she witnessed her new Master getting flustered and apologetic.

"'Tis fine, dear sir. Such comments are hardly the harshest to have graced my ears. It would astound you how creative people can get when insulting others."

Lily cleared her throat and bowed her head ever so slightly.

"Perhaps we should introduce ourselves? Courtesy dictates I curtsey, but that is somewhat difficult for me considering my state. So, good evening. I am the one called Lily Voirgaire, a Servant of the Rider class."

She smiled, a gentle yet radiant expression.

"Are you my Master?"

[Rosesong]

Illiana blanched, going even paler than a ghost, as Natalie called her 'Master'. "Uh, I think I'll call you Natalie," she mumbled, "and you don't have to call me Master." Sitting up and looking her new... servant, in the eyes, she continued more clearly, "I should hope that we're good friends, Natalie, so a title is unnecessary."

She then closed her eyes, thinking. "You know more about this Grail War than me," Illiana mused, uncertain as to where she got the name but just rolling with it anyway. "How will we know who the other Masters are? And must we kill either the Servant or Master to have success? Surely not both, I hope..."

[Flux]

"Are you my Master?"

"Introduce ourselves? Master? It doesn't sound like she's lost... Wait, Master?!"

It finally clicked. The summoning ceremony earlier that day, a servant... So this was his servant. He sighed. He felt bad about thinking it, but really, what could a servant with no arms or legs possibly do?

"...Yeah, I guess it seems that way... My name is Vance Hollow, though I'd prefer if you just call me Vance." He paused as an idea entered his head. Perhaps he could find out what this servant could do without having to be rude.

"...If I'm the Master, that must make you the servant, right? If you don't mind me asking... What are you specialties, as far as servants go?"

[Noir]

Before the raven-haired girl the unusual began to ensue. In a blinding display of light that followed after the ritual was complete, there was the white figure of a being materializing before her. As the phenomena continued before her, a masculine voice answered her ritual as poetically as her words had beseeched his presence.

"Loyalty and servitude I vow henceforth,

my every move, you shall decide;

My companionship I pledge, forevermore,

for I am yours to befriend; and to confide."

The voice stopped, and the light faded into a dull, scarlet glow. Before the girl now stood a man; he was tall, his attire a black rivaling that of the girl's hair, the most notable of it being a long jacket that trailed to the end of his thighs, revealing only slight traces of cloth and plating underneath. He examined the lass before her with emotionless, scarlet eyes, curtained by strands of spiky, smoke white hair that danced with the corollary force of the ritual, before diverting the red orbs around his body; the body seemed to be reformed, reborn, as he clenched his fingers of his left hand, picking the slightest of scents and sounds, trying to grasp all senses within the dimension he was now in. Within the firm grasp of his gloved right hand was a sword, an unusual blade that the girl had never seen before, the cold grey of the steel edges adorned by rubies, like the sanguine the sinister sharpness of a blade longed to shred out from the warmth of living flesh.

There was an odd, equanimous certainty in him as his scarlet gaze continued to eye Yukine. The girl before her gave him the feeling of purpose; the notion of responsibility. It was her who had called for him. No one else was there in the empty room, and if anyone had summoned him, it would be her. The man's posture lowered to a courteous bow, and the eyes seemed to speak as firmly, as reassuringly, as the mouth moved and gave off the words:

"You summoned me, Master?"

((I'm laate. Also hope this is alright, correct me if I've done anything wrong.))

Edited August 18, 2015 by YagamiNoir4896

[Code: PIRULUK]

Lily and Vance

Lily suppressed a giggle as she witnessed her Master attempting to skirt around the issue of her disability. He may have been choosing his words carefully, but she could clearly see him staring at her stumps. She had, after all, recieved many such stares in her life.

"Well, I can clean and sew, and I can sort of cook, though I'm not particularly a great chef. I'm also good at arithmetic and music. I'm usually terrible at dances though, for evident reasons.

As far as Servant abilities go though... I am adept in various styles of martial arts, and I am really good at handling and understanding machinery. Furthermore, as a Rider-class, I can handle most any mount with ease. My current mount would be... this wheelchair, I suppose, but I've ridden other mounts in my time. A steam engine, for instance."

Lily looked upon her Master with gentle eyes, awaiting his evaluation.

Debronee and Yukine

When Yukine came to her senses, there was a tall, white-haired man standing before her. She stifled a gasp. She had no memory of the ritual, or of the brief period of ritualistic magic she had just engaged in. Therefore, she was understandably surprised to see this tall, silent, intimidating man appear before her. So taken aback was she that she missed his introductory four lines completely. As he gazed upon her with cold eyes, she instinctively shrank back.

Is he the next client? Is he angry that I'm making him wait?

As she mentally prepared herself to apologise and address, the man broke the silence with a surprising query.

"You summoned me, Master?"

"M-Master?"

Images flooded Yukine's mind. Information, pictures, ideas, concepts mingled and mixed in her mind, information about the Grail War. Information about the Master-Servant system. Information about the reward that presented itself.

"I-I suppose I am..."

Yukine honestly had no idea what to do with the information she had just somehow attained. She had never really wanted for much - or rather, she had been raised to not want for anything. Her only truly desired reward was companionship, which - it dawned on her - might have been granted her in the form of the Servant standing before her. But to get to that point, some basic steps had to be taken. Like introductions.

"Um... I'm Yukine, 18 years old. You can call me Yuki, if you'd like. I like the color red, I love reading, and I'm a magus specialising in illusion magic. And...um...I'm a...prostitute."

Her face turned red. It hurt to admit it, to identify herself as such. Tears pooled in her eyes. It hurt to say that, to say what had recently become the truth, the newest truth of her life, but it would not do to try and start a friendship with mistruths and deception.

She braced herself for the man's inevitable derision.