The First District of Vienna was the least residential of all of the city's many districts, and yet was often full of activity and life. While only few would ever think to live there in anonymity under normal circumstances, the Holy Grail War was not in any way "usual circumstances." As a battle between seven Masters and their Servants, the Heroic Spirits of humanity's past summoned as familiars, the Holy Grail War was a very recent phenomenon. Further, its location in the City of Dreams was entirely unique - never before had this ritual been performed outside of a small island country in East Asia.

Representatives from many diverse backgrounds had been chosen - both by human organizations and by the Grail itself. Each would get the chance at completing the Grail and earning a single miracle - a wish that might grant them something beyond anything they had ever grasped. Among these Masters, Philia von Einzbern did not have a wish for herself. Rather, she was designed, created to ensure that humanity was saved through this ritual... admittedly, not as directly as some of her fellow homunculi, dead these past twenty years.

Luckily, she still had connections with certain archeological groups, as well as access to the bank accounts of the Einzbern clan. These two resources would allow her to perform the ritual she was about to begin - to summon a Servant, that the Holy Grail War would be won and the Einzberns would finally complete their mission. Her apartment, located on the edges of the First district - near to the Ringstraße, where once the city walls had stood - was not the height of luxury, but it was defensible and practical. It was the most efficient living area available to her. Thus, as the waning moon shed dim silver light over the city, Philia was finally prepared to execute the summoning.

Apartment, Innere Stadt, Vienna

Lugal-e ud me-lám-bi nir-ğál.

Every line of the poem was known to her. The epic that told the tale of Ninurta's exploits, of the great Assyrian hero-king's victory over the terrible demon Asag. The warrior with unparalleled strength and might from a time when the Age of the Gods had still yet to end. That was the Heroic Spirit she determined would possess one of the highest probabilities of bringing about success in this aberrant Heaven's Feel ritual. And the catalyst she had acquired to summon him was the tablet sat on the altar before her, a fragment of a clay tablet found in the ruins of Nineveh. It was a tiny thing, almost unidentifiable amongst mere rubble.

You, Antelope of Heaven, must trample the Mountains beneath your hooves, Ninurta, Lord, son of Enlil ...

Yet one difference was present in the fragment. Cuneiform script had been marked into its surface, and the Akkadian words that it had preserved on its surface for many millennia was immediately recognisable.

Lugal-e ud me-lám-bi nir-ğál.

Once, in ancient ages, the complete fragment had told the tale of Ninurta in its entirety.

The original owner of the catalyst had claimed that it was one of the oldest fragments to have been discovered in Mesopotamia. However, whether or not it truly hailed from the Age of the Gods was unknown to both of them. There was a risk to its use as a catalyst for the summoning ritual, but Philia had not been given a suitable timeframe to prepare one that possessed a greater probability of success. Thus, she considered the risk to be acceptable.

Even if the great Ninurta failed to manifest, the possibility of another Servant related to the catalyst appearing was still incredibly high, simply based on the age of the artefact. Her contingencies for such an occurrence were not entirely foolproof, however, so her goal of summoning the hero-king was still the most optimal.

The clock ticked quietly in the darkness of her apartment.

It was time to begin the ritual.

In the pale moonlight, Philia von Einzbern engraved her circle. She admired her handiwork, checking for mistakes that would reduce the success rate of her summoning. There were none. She moved onto the next step.

Ye first, O silver, O iron.
O stone of the foundation, O Archduke of the Contract.
Let the descending winds be as a wall.
Let the gates in all directions be shut, rising above the crown, and let the three-forked roads to the Kingdom revolve.

Red liquid flowed rapidly through the grooves in the floor. The powerful lifeblood of an Einzbern homunculus, drawn from her own veins over the course of a week, filled the carving full, taking on the form of the summoning circle. Philia watched impassively as it completed itself. She moved onto the next step.

Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut.
Five perfections for each repetition.
And now, let the filled sigils be annihilated in my stead!

Philia von Einzbern was no longer an individual. Her circuits, her very body itself, had become nothing more than an extension of the ritual. She had returned to her origin, a mere tool for the completion of the summoning. The mana in the air was absorbed into the tool, transforming into the od that would fuel the circle within that which had once been nerves.

"Set."

The tool can be damaged. But the tool does not comprehend pain. It has no need to comprehend pain.

It will not be stopped by its slow self-destruction.

Even as it degraded from the inside, it would continue. The mana drawn from the atmosphere shall be converted into the fuel for the circle, the engine that drives the summoning of the Heroic Spirit. Once enough has been collected, it will move onto the next step.

Let thy body rest under my dominion, let my fate rest in thy blade.
If thou submitteth to the call of the Holy Grail, and if thou wilt obey this mind, this reason, then thou shalt respond.

The circle begins to respond.

The summoning is nigh.

I make my oath here.
I am that person who is become the virtue of all Heaven.
I am that person who is covered with the evil of all Hades.
Thou seven heavens, clad in a trinity of words,
come past thy restraining rings, and be thou the hands that protect the balance-!

From the Throne, the hero arrives.

A call, echoing up to the Throne of Heroes as a desperate plea for salvation. Ah. In this place of heroes, of legends, many might desire to answer such a call to come back into the world once again to exert their might in the face of adversity. To prove themselves as the champions that they were in days long passed. Yet in this case, there was an artifact involved, one that only a few heroic spirits might hear the call of due to their ties to the object in question. Surely the great Ninurta heard the plea of this one master, whose desire was to bring the great hero into the world once more to fight their enemuies, but alas he was not the one to respond to the call she gave out.

Rather, a different figure heard the prayer in this master's heart for the salvation of mankind through magic, and saw fit to grace her with their very presence. It could also say they were of course the first to respond to the call, actually.

Within the summoning circle a great, blinding flash of light emanated and a brief gust of ancient-smelling winds, obscuring the view of what servant had just been brought into the world...and then, as the light faded, the visage of Philia's servant would stand before her. A tall woman, seemingly almost amazonian in height, stood before her with a sheer confidence and presence that left no doubts about who she was as a person and how she carried herself as an individual. Her light gray hair and blue eyes seemed regal yet striking, even under the gaze of the the waning moonlight pouring into the room though the window, whose curtains had been parted by the gust from the summoning. A sleek, black bow with a set of long, beautifully engraved outline of red wings stretching along its length was held in her left hand, seeming to briefly shimmer with a power as the light from the summoning died down. And as her appearance underneath ancient garments and armor readily showed, large and voluptuous bust and all, her gender was female, and rather attractive by many standards.



As the servant looked over to her master, seeing the homunculus' expression and seeming state of being before her, a great smile arose onto their face, one filled to the brim with pride and some excitement lingering on her lips. The smile grew even more as she noticed the fragment of the tablet of Ninurta's tale sitting next to her, leaning down to pick up the piece with a sort of nostalgia glimmering in her eyes for a moment before she clutched it in her right hand.

"Heh. To use a fragment from the remains of my own great library to summon me! I must say i admire the thought, though to be fair perhaps you sought to summon the great King Ninurta instead of me?" the female servant said with a chuckle, looking back at Philia whilst her smile turned into a cocky smirk of sorts, tossing the fragment of tablet in her hand up and catching it again in her right hand before continuing.

"Haha! Fear not! You are in the presence of a great hero still! The Greatest King of Assyria! The King of Knowledge! The God Slayer! I, who razed Susa and their grounds to ash with my might, and who is blessed and favored by all the gods of Assyria without question! I, who amassed the knowledge of the past in the greatest library the world ever knew! I, who learnt the magic of ancients past and crushed those who stood against me, mortal or divine! It is i, Ashurbanipal, who shall serve as the 'Servant Archer' in this conflict!" Archer said proudly, puffing her chest out at her proud proclamation of her titles and deeds to her master, as well saying aloud as that name in which she took so much pride and accomplishment, that name that scholars and kings alike should (to her) fear and quake in the presence of!

"Ah, but to remain proper...are you indeed my master?"

@Crimmy@endwaar

Apartment, Innere Stadt, Vienna

The summoning was complete.

The tool of the ritual was once more an individual. An individual that, had she been truly human rather than a shallow facsimile of one, would have been disappointed by the result. The risk that had been inherent to her hastily-obtained catalyst may have been judged to be acceptable, but even tempered expectations did not change the fact of the situation: Philia von Einzbern had failed in manifesting the hero-king of Assyria; in its place was another figure entirely.

Aššur-bāni-apli.

It was not an unexpected Heroic Spirit that now occupied the Servant container of the Archer class. Given the origins of the catalyst in the ruins of Nineveh, the likelihood of the tablet fragment having been once part of Ashurbanipal's great Royal Library was staggering, and for that reason, it was not Ninurta who stood before her, but the King of Knowledge himself, called back into the World by the history exuded by a piece of his greatest work.

Except that Ashurbanipal appeared to be a woman.

Illuminated in the pale moonlight pouring through the apartment window, the regal hero that stood within the remnants of the summoning circle could not be anything but a woman. Even if history remembered the King of Assyria as the son of Esarhaddon, it was undeniable to Philia von Einzbern that Archer was female.

This was the true Ashurbanipal that had been contracted to her.

She held up her left hand, allowing her Servant to behold the three, ornate markings that had carved themselves deep into her pale white skin. They seemed to gleam in the darkness, the crimson lines pulsing with a magical power that could bring Heroic Spirits to heel like mere familiars. The greatest creation of the Makiri, a Mystery that stood testament to the strength of the Human Order.

And by the connection between her seals and Archer, the proof that she was a Master in this Heaven's Feel.

Her even gaze met that of the hero's.

"I am Philia von Einzbern," she declared simply. "I am the Master of Archer."

"Haha! Indeed you seem to be my 'master' for this war, as it were. It shall be a glorious conquest, laying low out enemies and seeking to mete out our wishes unto the Holy Grail once we alone stand in the end!" the female Archer said aloud, booming her her voice, though as she took a better look at Philia and began to think on the matter, it was easy to recognize what she was...and a few odd things about her for that matter, "Though such a lack of reaction at all to my glorious appearance is a little worrisome! Even a bit of frustration at not getting fair Ninurta would be something to work with. Hmm, perhaps your makers were not to keen to develop your personality well, as i can recognize the skilled handiwork of magecraft that formed you when i look upon you.

Letting out a hearty laugh in the wake of her words, the king then dismissed her bow away in a brief shimmer of golden dust. It was not like she said this simply to state the obvious, but rather as a king and scholar who was noting the matter mentally for future consideration for some purpose or another. As to what considerations that might play into on the Archer's end, that was perhaps up in the air when it came to things. She was an ancient individual, a person of mighty strength, a figure whose true gender perhaps was evidence that some of her might be an enigma to the modern world.

"Ah, but the contract has been sealed regardless. So, homunculus that has summoned me so, what is your first stratagem or action you wish to take in this conflict? In my time i took charge of my people with an iron fist, and none could command me, but even so i kept some advisors around to hear what others might think on matters of war and the like. So i will hear your thoughts on this matter, simply for my consideration."

And with that, the mighty king folded her arms, looking intently back into the homunculus' eyes with a will of steel and force of authority that shone like diamonds were it to be captured in physical form.

@Crimmy

Apartment, Innere Stadt, Vienna

The manifested king appeared to a very headstrong individual, one that considered themselves entirely sovereign. When taken into consideration alongside the Archer's class skill of Independent Action, the probability of Ashurbanipal rebelling against her Master seemed to be rather high. It was thus unlikely that, despite having acknowledged Philia's role, the Servant would be entirely pleased with being commanded, particularly by somebody they recognised to be a homunculus.

That was irrelevant.

With the Command Seals, Philia von Einzbern was still de facto a Master in the Heaven's Feel ritual. Claims to the contrary were without any bearing on the true reality of the situation. However, dismissing the beliefs of the Servant so readily were unlikely to bring about an optimal path to success.

The facts would not change.

Red eyes met the king's shining gaze without hesitation. Where the ancient Assyrian's eyes exuded sheer power and authority, Philia von Einzbern's were devoid of any emotion or life. Her eyes were crimson in the moonlight, like a pair of beautiful rubies, but no matter how breathtaking a sight they were, they were empty. There was nothing else to them. The homunculus, and every part of her, simply was. She existed, a mere doll that stood unchanging against the tests of time.

A tool for the sake of Heaven's Feel.

"An optimal course of action," she began simply, succinctly, "is to survey the city for possible battlefield locations."

Philia von Einzbern quietly strode past the summoning circle, reaching for a booklet sitting upon an aged wooden end table. Even in the darkness of the apartment, it was recognisable as a relatively recent tourist guide to Vienna, one that comprehensively highlighted certain major locations within the city. Most importantly, however, was that it contained a map, and it was to that page that the homunculus flicked to as she returned to Ashurbanipal, holding it out to her Servant.

"Geographical knowledge will assist in both engaging enemies," continued Philia, her tone unchanged, "and determining the location of the Lesser Grail and to ensure her safety."

For a Heaven's Feel ritual to exist, a Lesser Grail was necessary. As a result, it was probable that one of the Justeaze-type specimens had successfully escaped the destruction of the castle. That she was safe from harm. For the sake of the Einzberns and human salvation, it was thus of the utmost important to prevent any other factions from acquiring her.

That was the task Philia von Einzbern sought to carry out.

The king took the small, insignificant pamphlet, printed upon a somewhat slippery feeling paper material, looking at it for a second with a raised eyebrow. Yikes, humanity had gotten lazy on the map making, it seeming, but for what would be called a "tourist" this would seem suffice to give a basic layout of the area. Paltry compared to a well-made tablet with all of the information on it in proper measurement, ah, but perhaps she was a tad biased on the matter. Not that she cared if she was biased on it. She was the king, and the king could care less about such things, though as a scholar she was somewhat mildly interested in this thing she had been handed. Once she was done reading it over multiple times, a fast thing for as servant like her to do, before gently setting it to the side so her master would be able to look back at it.

"The lesser grail is perhaps a homunculus or golem of sorts then, specialized to this task at that, from what i am hearing and can ponder on the matter. But what if another enemy has already acquired the Lesser Grail's vessel, hmm? Or another party that might seek to influence the war? Hmm, doll who shows no light of life in her eyes? This is something you need to consider, to keep in mind," the king said, stalwart but serious in her tone, her adamant confidence not backing down for a moment even despite the three command seals upon the homunculus' hand.

"The greed of men, among other such human feelings, are aspects that influence the motivations and actions of those involved in a war such as this. To understand the human mind, that is an important thing among others to note in conflicts and wars like this. Logic alone cannot suffice if we are to win, and to secure this 'Lesser Grail' individual as you so stated wanting to do. With that in mind, you must come to better understand humans, to better understand the mindset of your prey."

To be frank on her end, it was rather boring to have an emotionless doll as her master. Hmpf. What sort of subject couldthis master of hers ever end up being, if she could not feel the throes of humanity impulses? Fear, joy, anger, these among other things that composed the human mind and allowed for one to understand their spirit. Perhaps this would be something to work on for this master of hers amidst the war's course, or at least something that herself as the king should supervise and attempt to stimulate. Surely this doll had the capability to feel, locked underneath those circuits and bones of hers.

Honestly, she somewhat was reminded of Enkidu, puppet of the gods, shaped as it was in the legend of the Golden King himself. Heh. But as thin a comparison as it was to make, even that "mud puppet" had been able to grow in ways the gods had not forseen. So what was to say this comparably shoddy craftsmanship of magi could not do the same potentially? Haha! And she could theoretically be this doll's Gilgamesh, in some sense! What a laughable and pitiful metaphor to make of this, but how it amused Archer so!

"Ah, but we must needs return to the point in question. Indeed, surveying potential battle sites is one thing needed to eventually secure victory for our cause," Ash said aloud, her voice booming with regal fervor and authority, looking back into the ruby eyes of the seemingly unfeeling doll before her, "Is that the business for tonight then? I go and seek to secure a lay of the land? If so, i desire to not go too far out tonight, in case some foe sensed my summoning."

@Crimmy

@Holy Grail
Apartment, Innere Stadt, Vienna

"If another party has found her, then they shall be rid of," Philia declared. That was the obvious solution to such an issue if it were to arise. It was the logical path to take in order to most quickly and efficiently ensure the safety of the Lesser Grail. There was no need to take emotions into the equation when they would have no effect on the course she would choose. What an enemy thought and what they believed meant nothing to her at the moment, and if they did, she would simply act in a manner that would best take advantage of them. However, she did not need to consider them now.

She had yet to discover who they were. Wasting time on what they hypothetically could be like was nonoptimal.

"A likely faction in this ritual is the Church," she continued, moving to her window. At night, the only lights that illuminated the city were those of other dwellings or the lamps on the street. However, they were still enough to allow her clear sight of the church spire that rose out of Vienna's centre, the Stephansplatz. She did not know if the Romans were participating, but making contact with its representatives was a logical first step. "We should first meet with them. It is likely that we may encounter other participants in the process."

Hopefully, it would not occur. Yet it was something that needed to be considered.

"From there, we should head south and explore Liesing. The lower population density increases the likelihood of a magus being present."

---

Rid of? Even she could guess at that, but truly this doll looked to lack in the human emotions department. Maybe she felt that her logic was all she needed in this conflict, or that understanding such things like human emotion and drive might never be of value except to exploit later or the like? Twas' a shame, downright stupid if the king were to voice her mind on the matter. She could understand the application of logic from her standpoint as a learned scholar, but as a king she felt that this neglect of emotion and adoption of cold logic would eventually backfire splendidly. All an enemy would need to understand is that this empty doll only worked off of cold logic to be able to exploit that themselves in some manner. Indeed, to understand your enemy was to be able to better conqueror and subdue your enemy, to better leave their soldiers flayed on the battlefield and their cities razed to naught but dust when you met them in combat. Perhaps this master of hers was not the best draw to have gotten in her mind, albeit the mana she was getting was more than suitable as compared to an average magus.

Eh, ups and downs were a thing, as the modern world would perhaps suggest it. For now, there was starting their efforts in this war. Perhaps time would help this manufactured being grow to become stronger. Because if she wasn't strong enough, in mind or in magic or in body when it came down to it, she would be claimed by the cold hands of death all the same as anyone else in this conflict. The same went for herself, of course, but the king could not be bothered or intimidated by such a thing. In fact, the challenge before her was...exhilarating to ponder, as perhaps some interesting hero or figure might cross her path in all of this. Ah, what it would be like to bring her might against those from areas of the world her empire had not yet touched!

"Hah. As you will then, little doll. I shall humor this plan, and carry us to this Church you speak of," Archer spoke in a booming voice seeped with authority and presence, stepping next to her master and looking out the window as well, taking note of the sights and details visible from there, "I assume that great spire, if the Grail's information is accurate for me, is the church in question? Haha! Then off we will go! Care not if an enemy finds us, for you have the protection of the greatest king of Assyria!"

Archer quickly moved to open the window, popping it open with speed and allowing the cold night air to come in upon them. Ah, how much it was like the desert nights or a night upon the plains! Reminiscent of home to a limited extent, at least.

Then Archer swiftly leaned down, scooping up the stoic homunculus in her arms, before moving out of the window with care, onto the ledge of the window, and using just small, careful jumps off of small surfaces to quickly make her way up to the roof almost without a sound of sorts. Glancing about the cityscape before her, the night lit up by lights here and there, Archer smiled, breathing in deeply.

And then, she began to leap forwards, to being to move from roof to roof, building to building, her master held bridal-style in her arms. Walking? pfft. This would be the fastest way at night to get to the desired location!

Moving to:

@Crimmy

As Archer made a few flying leaps through die Innere Stadt, she felt a faint flicker on the edge of her senses - a Servant, she thought, perhaps a couple kilometers away - but it faded swiftly, perhaps moving out of range. It would not do to go haring off to hunt such a foe just yet, but she noted that it was to the east... where her Throne-granted knowledge told her both Leopoldstadt and Donaustadt lay.

As Archer approached the central square - Stephansplatz - she noticed that the roof of the Cathedral itself was far too slanted to easily land on, and that the taller of the two towers was covered in scaffolding. This would put the two women at risk of discovery, something that the Throne had informed her was not a good choice. As such, she deviated from her intended course, leaping to the shorter of the two towers, on the northern side.

The two had a chance to admire the mosaic design of the roof for several moments - Philia recalled that the tower had an old story associated with it - that when it's cap was being built, long after the south tower had been finished, it was said that one of the builders heard the voice of the Devil in the wind. She did not recall the specifics of what had happened, but it was something of mild interest. It was not likely that there would be a Heroic Spirit that could use that tale, but if there was, she might need to consider it more closely.

Regardless, the Church itself was below them. Perhaps it would be wise to go down the tower and meet with one of the representatives...?

@Holy Grail
Roof, Stephansplatz, Vienna

Although being carried bridal-style across the rooftops of Vienna on a moonlit night were not within any of her expectations for how their journey would go, Philia von Einzbern's reaction to being suddenly scooped up was no more than a simple, audible jolt of surprise, one that was quickly smoothed over as she adapted to the sensation of being carried. It may not have been a method of transport she would have considered in any other situation, but there was surprisingly little discomfort in it, with Archer's powerful arms maintaining a stable hold of her body as they leapt through the air. Even the chill of the wind was less prominent than she had thought it would be.

Landing on the northern tower was a logical choice. The homunculus mentally approved of her Servant's decision, noting that it would be far easier to conceal their presence from any members of the public that were still present this late in the evening, as well as enemy Masters who may have been watching the Church. She moved the latter thought further up on the list of issues they would possibly need to resolve: given the likelihood of other factions in the Heaven's Feel ritual to know of the Roman Catholic Church's policy towards Grail, it was not unwise to assume that they would be observing St. Stephen's Cathedral for any suspicious activity. In order to not draw any attention, which was admittedly unlikely, they would need to be inconspicuous in their movements.

"We should head down," said Philia, her eyes cooling observing the mosaiced rooftop and the towers for a moment. There were numerous Devil-related incidents associated with St. Stephen's, such as the legend that the wind and rain that plagued the skies around the Stephansplatz (fortunately yet to afflict her and her Servant) was the work of that being. They were interesting tidbits of information to consider, but there was little need to focus so heavily on them at the current moment.

She planned out her course of action.

The objective was to meet with any representative of the Roman Catholic Church present within the cathedral, which would effectively serve as neutral ground due to the unwillingness of most magi to bring the wrath of God's men upon them. Important considerations when entering included maintaining a discreet presence, both to hide from the public, and to minimise how much information any factions watching could glean from their appearance.

Philia craned her neck up to look at Archer.

"Do you have any other clothing?" she asked, noting the clear Near Eastern fashion sensibilities of her Servant. They were millennia out of date with what was viewed as acceptably chic in modern Vienna. "It may be necessary to reduce your profile in case any Masters or Servants are nearby or observing the Church."

It was equally possible that a faction could attempt to ambush them before they entered the cathedral. That was another situation they would need to prepare for. When faced against unknowns, however, there was little they could do but act with caution, and keeping Archer's identity difficult to ascertain was one particular path they could take.

---

Hah! Such an adorable squeak of surprise that came from her master! Seemed the doll could at least feel that much, eh? It gave some amount of pleasure to the king to hear such a thing, but of course with the task at hand of descending down the tower steps in order to see who this Church representative who had decided they would mediate over this conflict would be in order. Hmpf, if only to be proper about things, though as king she should have proper authority over a conflict such as this! Were this back in her age, she would have razed this building to the ground and forced the surrender of all opposing parties without question! Such was the way of things in her life.

Of course this area of the building she had landed on, in this tower in particular, was odd feeling as it were. But shrugging this off entirely for the time being, Archer looked down at her master and give a confident, beaming smile as the matter of hiding her identity was brought up. Pfft! The grail had brought her no clothing of which to use for this occasion, and the thought of swiping some from a local was so petty it made her nearly laugh aloud! Such silly things that Throne was giving her information on for this!

Why bother to get down and go into the front doors....

"Haha! Why give them the chance to see us walk in the front, when for now i can take on my spiritual form! Much less...," the king said, moving over to one of the windows of the smaller tower, which window was hidden from view, "When there is a far better method by which to enter and avoid detection by the public!"

....when there was a perfectly good window or several right here to enter through?!

Archer swiftly delivered an inhumanly swift blow to the window, the minor sound of breaking glass caving into the tower emanating into the night as a result. It was not loud enough for the people below on the streets and on the surrounding buildings to hear, due to the location of the window, but anyone near that tower might have heard it from the inside. Easing herself and her master in through the window, once they were inside the Archer-class servant set her master down on the floor whilst she herself quickly took on her spiritual form and vanished completely from sight. She did every bit of this without an ounce of hesitation on her part, taking pride in her strategy to avoid being seen potentially in front of the church at all!

'Now then, little doll! We shall make our way down to the supposedly neutral moderator of this conflict, and perform what business we have here tonight!' Ash communicated to her master through their mental link, her confidence and pride oozing into her tone as the words came through into Philia's mind.

Apparently property damage was not a thing that the king cared to think of in this situation....

Moving to:



@Crimmy@endwaar

The sound of glass shattering was softer than might have been expected, and after repairing the window, the stairs down were entirely uninhabited. Several doors stood in their way, but the two easily bypassed the security that was, if not outdated, at least not quite advanced enough to stop a determined homunculus and her Servant.

Upon entering into the main basilica-structure, the two were given the privilege of seeing the beautiful interior of the cathedral, full of detailed sculpture and stained glass. Naturally, it would be more beautiful if the sun's bright rays shone through the glass, but even still it was quite charming... if somewhat foreign to Archer's senses.

The two were given several moments of silence before they heard soft footsteps from the aisle. When they turned to look, a woman was standing behind them, a brow arched in a mixture of skepticism and annoyance. When she spoke, it was in a tone just bland enough to be cutting. "My, my. Four unexpected guests in one night. More lost lambs seeking guidance?"

She sighed, seeming disappointed as she continued in something of a stage whisper. "Even though the last two were so stubborn..." She lifted her eyes back to look at Archer and Philia, her expression seeming more or less uninterested. "What is it you seek in this holy place, lost lambs? Should I call out to the guards that thieves have arrived to steal from the church? Or are you perhaps here for some other reason?"

@endwaar@Holy Grail
Roof, Stephansplatz, Vienna

Philia was not particularly certain on whether or not damaging the windows of one of the most important Christian buildings in Austria would be considered to be an attack on the Roman Catholic Church's neutrality, but whether or not it was, the first course of action she undertook upon their entrance into the building was to rapidly repair the shattered window with her alchemy, weaving the glass back into the pane as if they had never been present, leaving no physical evidence of their trespass.

"There were better methods," was her mental response to her Servant, but beyond that, there was no more for her to say on the topic of the window. While she did not agree with breaking windows, there was no way to change what had occurred. They within the Church now. In the future however, it would likely be for the better that they did not commit any further acts of unnecessary vandalism.

The journey down into the cathedral's interior was a quiet one, but Philia found herself taking in the appearance of everything around her as they made their way down. It was a beautifully ornate building, particularly the sculptures and stained glass windows that appeared upon their arrival at the main basilica-structure, but none of it was exactly important to her. Her keen observations of her surroundings were mostly for strategic and tactical purposes; any other impressions she held towards their aesthetic value were not at the forefront of her mind.

The nun and likely representative, on the other hand, was.

"We are not thieves," Philia replied immediately, distinctly noting that Archer had materialised beside her. If the lack of reaction towards the strange appearance of her Servant was any indication, then it was very likely that the member of the cloth before them was a representative of the Church who was familiar with the concept of Heaven's Feel. "We are here as participants in the ritual being performed in this city."

The homunculus was direct and straight to the point. There was no need for her to mince words or pretend anything. Archer had already been witnessed by the nun, and if the mention of another pair having been present earlier, it was possible that other participants in the ritual had contacted the Church representative as well.

Thus, she would do the same.

"I see." The woman's tone was slightly amused, as though Philia was a child acting in a particularly precocious manner. "I suppose I shall introduce myself, then. I am Sister Karen Ortensia, and I am appointed as overseer to this 'ritual,' as you name it." Her introduction is accompanied by a sweeping gesture, intended to encompass the whole of Vienna - a gesture whose effectiveness was only mildly disrupted by the fact that her expression remained as bland as ever.

"So, lost lambs... What is it you seek here? You, of all people," she addressed Philia specifically, "should be familiar with the ritual you are engaged in, and you," she looked to Archer, "are still here. Do you seek to surrender already?" Karen's tone became slightly mocking, though her expression remained as polite and distant as ever. "I would not mind, of course, but it would seem somewhat... premature."

It was clear to Philia that she was being recognized for what she was - a homunculus of the Einzbern clan - but whether or not this 'Sister Karen' knew anything more of her than that was difficult to discern. For her part, Archer could not tell much about the woman - she wasn't a particular threat, for certain, at least for now.

---

"Haha! For one with expressions as blank as my doll of a master, you do have more attitude to you than many might assume on first glance! It amuses me!" Archer said, giving a hearty laugh after this 'Sister Karen' was done addressing them in a polite, yet distant, but overall mocking sort of manner that, while it would usually anger her, was amusing to hear with such a blank face as this woman in the church's garb seemed to have, "Ah, but our business here is something this doll here would know, as i have allowed her request to come here in this instance!"

As arrogant but proud as a king ever was, Archer did not hold back on her words about the situation. Though alien in nature, she liked the extravagant decorations of this place of foreign worship as well! Perchance she had a way to adapt such things to her era, and her own nation might have been compared to...hmmm....ah, yes, Solomon's Temple! The Throne let her know it was a grand place made of fine things, and such should be the case for a building built by the order of the king! But all this aside, this woman had said some interesting things as well, perhaps some basic bits that she as the king could simply request for confirmation of, as was her right! After all, even basic information would be good for the remaining war effort!

"Still, you did mention that there were two more who had come here, with us making a total of four for the night thus far. So might i confirm with you that those other two were indeed another set of master and servant, hmm?" the female servant said, noting the woman to not be a particular threat to her, especially if she merely wanted to kill such a person on a whim, though her position in this conflict was of course one to keep in mind for the future and such.

For this moment, she would let the attempt to insinuate the king would surrender pass them by, a gift for this overseer of the conflict as it were. Should the king feel offended enough, then it would only take faster than a heartbeat to squish this woman into pulp with her skill alone, obliterating bone into tiny splinters, squishing muscle like it was wet potter's clay in her hands, and sending what remained of her organs rent and splattered upon the walls in gory detail as a warning to those who would dare incite the king's wrath!

@endwaar@Crimmy

The nun(?) took a moment to examine Archer with a careful eye, as though assessing her. A faint smile ghosted across her lips before she inclined her head. "What a confident time-lost lamb. A doll, is it?" She touched a hand to her cheek before arching a brow slightly. "Well. You aren't wrong, certainly. I wonder who you are, lost lamb, to be so... polite to your Master."

While Archer examined the cathedral, it did occur to her that her grandfather had almost seen the Temple of Solomon, and indeed, had taken as ransom much of that glorious structure's gold and decorations. That had been before her father and uncles had murdered him, of course, but there had been signs even at the time that some curse had struck her grandfather.

Karen's voice broke her out of her contemplation. "But to ask such a question would be most rude of me. As to your other question, well..." She lifted a finger to her lips, her now-characteristic small smile briefly hiding behind it. "You would ask a member of the Church to violate the confidence of those who seek her out?"

After a moment, she lowered her finger, shaking her head. "But then again, I am no priest, and cannot hear confessions. In answer to your question, the two lost lambs from earlier were not quite like you. They sought out answers, of course, but I could not offer them. I did refer them to Father Josef, though." The dissonantly matter-of-fact tone that she used made the pair wonder whether there was something more to her answer, but she seemed content to let them wonder, at least for the moment.

@endwaar@Holy Grail
Roof, Stephansplatz, Vienna

Father Josef. The name was permanently engraved into her mind, a factoid that they would need to pursue at a later time, after their business with the nun before them was complete. If the presence of two others and the woman's response was any indication, then it could be confirmed without any uncertainty that the Church was entirely aware of the ritual being conducted in the Austrian capital. Thus, it could be assumed that their policies would have them take upon a role akin to the one they played when the Grail had still been in the Japanese city of Fuyuki. However, this interpretation of the Heaven's Feel ritual, though superficially similar to the original, was in possession of one incredibly distinctive difference: the lack of involvement by the founding families.

If the Church had been requested to, or willingly chose to, place themselves as overseers of the ritual, then it was highly likely that they would be in contact with those responsible for bringing the Greater Grail to Vienna. The scale of such a phenomenon was not one that afforded subtlety (particularly given the use of the local leylines, which would possibly infringe upon the land rights of any local magi families), and there was no world where the Church would not intervene in a war after the disaster of the second Fuyuki attempt. However, what she needed to know was whether or not they remained in contact with the organisers.

In order for the Heaven's Feel ritual to be successful, it was necessary to have a Lesser Grail. The logic followed that the organisers would know the locations of any surviving Justeaze models who could serve as one, and by establishing contact through them via a party such as the Catholic Church, she would be able to retrieve her fellow creation of the Einzberns.

"Are you or Father Josef in contact with the organisers of this ritual?" she asked.

Although the topic of conversation was related to the possibility of another Master-Servant pair having visited the Church prior to her and Archer, Philia considered the background of this Heaven's Feel to be far more pertinent. It was of utmost importance to verify the safety of a Grail candidate of the Einzberns. If the nun lacked that knowledge, then the Father Josef individual was more likely, given his position of authority, to possess what she sought.

Further questioning could also yield tactical information on the other Masters as well.

However, it would be illogical to act without completely understanding the context of "why" the ritual was now here in Vienna.

The name meant nothing to Philia, at least for the moment. From the context, she could likely assume that not only was he a priest serving under the Cardinal at St. Steven's Cathedral, but also that he was more aware of the darker side of the world than most priests - most likely involved in some sort of supernatural business.

The homunculus' question, however, seemed to displease Karen, as for the first time since the pair arrived in the Cathedral her expression twisted into a minute frown, though the expression swiftly faded. When she spoke, however, there was a hint of tension in her voice. "Alas, Father Josef knows more about tending to the souls of lost lambs such as yourselves than about any such shadowy figures who would invite such dangerous individuals into our fair City of Dreams."

Well, that seemed to imply that Karen was not actually answering to this 'Father Josef' directly. But before either Servant or Master could consider that in more detail, the nun continued. "In any case, I had thought that the Einzbern clan was sure to be keeping tabs on all individuals who might be involved in such an endeavor." She adopted a tone of mock-surprise, though her expression remained as bland as usual.

"Perhaps you might consider seeking out your own clan's records - ah." She lifted her hands to her cheeks in a gesture of (likely false) embarrassment. "My apologies. I had forgotten." That was a clear lie, but it seemed rather pointless to challenge her on it.

@Crimmy@endwaar
Interior, Stephansplatz, Vienna

"The Church's records will be equally acceptable."

Philia von Einzbern's cold, lifeless gaze bored into Karen with a mysterious, yet still innocuous, intensity. The homunculus was the last heir to the two millennia repository of knowledge and wisdom, but the information contained within was not satisfactory in assisting her achieve her goals. Those responsible for the Heaven's Feel ritual in Vienna were unknown entirely to her. She could not rely on the records of her dead family. However, even if she did not know, it was unlikely that the Church was unaware of the organisers' identities.

"If this Father Josef individual cannot provide an answer, what of you?"

The overly cryptic nun before them had not explicitly claimed any ignorance. Thus, it was logical to assume that, if she had spoken true on the knowledge possessed by the other Church figure, Sister Karen was the likeliest individual to question to gain a better awareness of the situation around this unauthorised Heaven's Feel.

Normal humans would even consider Karen to be suspicious.