Master of ???
Sláine Druiminn
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but could you please kill them soon? I forgot to water the Dryad before we left..."Name: Sláine Druiminn
Titles: N/A.
Appearance: Sláine is incredibly pale and lacks any real pigmentation, hinting at his nature as a Homunculi. He is covered in scars along his arms, the result of using and maintaining his Mystic Code. He looks like a young teenage boy, maybe 14 years at the oldest. His skin feels rough to the touch, almost like a potato, while his hair is crisp and breaks easily. Typically dresses in a white dress shirt and black pants, though prefers to wear overalls while in private and with his Servant.
Sex: Male
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
History: There is one primary goal among Mages - to reach the Root. It is the goal most pure for a user of Magecraft, and one which an extraordinarily small number of mages have ever succeeded in - maybe only a handful at most in all of history. The reason for this astronomically small number?
The Counter Force.
The closer a mage family gets to reaching the root, the more likely they are snuffed out by the Counter Force in some way. A Counter Guardian summoned to stop the especially ambitious, an errant match or candle burning years of research, or even a Magic Crest failing to transfer to the next generation. It is so extreme and potent that one must dump vast amounts of resources and spend generations in order to find a workaround or some way to hide against the force.
The Druiminns thought of another method. Rather than hide from the Counter Force, they chose to become as visible as possible. If they grew close to it, became a part of it, then they might be able to search for a path to the Root completely uninhibited.
That is the basis of their magecraft - aligning themselves with the elements, to the point of integrating with the planet itself. They believed, that by becoming one with the planet, they could use energy from a continent's worth of leylines or even the Counter Force itself in order to punch a hole directly to the Root.
And they were incredibly effective at what they did. They brought all manner of mages into their fold via marriage, desiring to have varied Elemental Affinities and heirs with more than one affinity. Unlike most families, they had quite a large number of heirs, and while only the most Elementally gifted was given the Crest, the others were still trained to serve as researchers for the family magecraft. They nearly achieved their goal in the 1600s with the birth of Róisín Druiminn, a human that was capable of using a Marble Phantasm - something completely unheard of by that point. Combined with her skill at Healing Magecraft and her Elemental affinities of Wind, Water, and Earth, she was the pinnacle of the Druimmin clan.
Everything changed with the Industrial Revolution. Gaia's prevalence shrunk even further, and the Druiminns that sought to align themselves with Gaia quickly followed suit. It started with slightly weaker circuits, then less and less Dual Affinities, before it became clear that the family was on a downward spiral to obscurity.
It was at this point that the Family's tactic of having multiple children really backfired. Those not chosen as heir branched off, taking with them precious resources and research. Inevitably, all that was left was their most basic arts, stemming from the ancient Druids. The family decided to block themselves off in their ancestral home, layering their mansion and massive garden within Cloosh Valley, Ireland behind dozens, if not hundreds of bounded fields.
The Druiminns began to alter their forms much more drastically than before, fusing with the plants that they grew within their hidden grove. Their Integration Magecraft made this quite the easy adaptation, and while many sacrificed mobility and comfort, the elongated lifespan and slight boost to Magecraft was more than worth it. However, this shift to a more sessile lifestyle necessitated assistance - someone to move and care for their new forms, as well as to perform any tasks that required someone to move more than 5 feet.
This directly led to the creation of the Druiminn 'Homunculi', variants of Mandrakes that were grown and prepared using botanical methods rather than alchemical. While nowhere near as sophisticated as the Einzbern variety, the Druiminn homunculi possessed the Attribute of integration that the Druiminn clan was known for, making them incredibly variable in form. From thin flexible forms reminiscent of branches and vines to hulking monsters that could be mistaken for a tree, the Druminns had dozens of Homunculi for a variety of different tasks.
Sláine wasn't built for a specific purpose in mind - a generalist 'Gardener'-type. His goal was to maintain and care for the tens of thousands of plants within the Druiminn Estate, as well as provide care for the older members of the clan. He was formed to be submissive and subservient to his masters, a natural trait that rendered most Druminn Homunculi unthinking and golem-like in mannerisms.
Sláine's creator, Amelia Druiminn, took a close fondness to the creature, however. Unlike most Druiminn mages, she deeply cared for her creations. She relied on only Sláine after the death of her first homunculus, and only her creations had any real degree of intelligence. She went so far as to implant a specially cultivated phantasmal plant species within Sláine - an honor usually restricted only for actual members of the family, rather than mere homunculi.
The Homunculus spent his days learning the bare essentials of Druiminn magecraft, whilst caring for the plant life that dominated his environment. While never truly loved accepted by anyone outside of his creator, it was an existence far kinder than what most Homunculi ever experience.
And it was that reason that Sláine was perfectly satisfied with sacrificing his life. One of the last subspecies grail wars left standing, the Irish Grail War (jokingly referred to as 'The Lancer Cup'), was finally reclaimed by the three founding families. When news that a Prime Holy Grail War would occur in Japan, the Druiminn family realized that this was the perfect chance to reclaim what they had once lost. Or better yet - to go even farther and finally attain their goal of becoming one with the planet. The only thing it would cost is a single Homunculus to act as a 'master'.
Sláine was not chosen. While he was one of the best homunculi from the Druiminn at the time, they felt confident that they could create one far superior within the year. While Amelia was relieved and began working on the new Homunculus, Sláine for the first time in his life was disappointed. And angry.
He was formed 7 years ago and has already lived over a quarter of his lifespan. He wanted to do more for the clan, rather than just be another gardener. After pointing out the fact that they may not have enough time to produce a new homunculus and train it, the Druiminn clan finally shifted to training Sláine in preparation for the war.
He learned more Magecraft in that year than all his others combined. Nothing comparable to the great mages that had been studying their entire lives, or course, but saying he had mastered the Druiminn healing magecraft wouldn't be too much of an overstatement. Leaving his home and headed to Japan, he hoped that the Catalyst that his family had prepared would be enough to give him an edge over the competitors in the war.
Due to the reclusiveness of his family, he does not much knowledge of the 'meta-game' of grail wars. He will most likely attempt to summon a Saber or Berserker, since 'those are the really strong ones, right?', not considering things like a high magical energy cost.
Personality: Sláine is reserved and kind, rarely acting in sadism or any sort of ill will. If he could manage, he'd prefer to avoid killing as much as possible over the course of the war, though his timid nature will likely make him fold if he Servant demands it. This isn't because he doesn't want to kill, however - he would just prefer to avoid showing his Servant's abilities as much as possible. This is most likely an implanted belief from his creators, as Sláine struggles to place any value in life that doesn't directly help him or the Druiminns. He isn't a fan of torture or anything, but he will show zero remorse if his actions cause innocents to die, and would not be above feeding his Servant souls if he thought he could get away with it.
He holds an almost fanatical love for his creator, Amelia Druiminn, viewing her almost like a god. Insulting her is an excellent way to provoke him, with especially off-color remarks potentially making Sláine waste a Command Seal in order to attack the aggressor. He has a similar reaction to insulting the other members of the Druiminn clan or any allies Sláine may make in the war, but nothing will invoke as visceral of a response from him.
As far as Servants are concerned, Sláine works best with those that will take the leader role in the partnership, finding comfort in being given orders as that is what he is used to. Unlike most Mages, Sláine's personality makes him uniquely well-suited to working with less agreeable (read: Asshole) Servants, as he is capable of taking their insults and demands with a smile on his face. However, unless his Servant builds a real bond with him, Sláine will never really see them as a person. To him, Servants are intelligent and willful, but they are still forced to obey Command Seals - he only cares for his Servant because he needs them in order to win the grail.
Very receptive towards alliances since his Magecraft is purely supportive in nature, but it will take a lot of work to really get close to him. At the end of the day, alliances are temporary, and there can only be one real winner.
Mildly racist against the English. Nothing extreme or set in stone, but there may be a little tension if he summons an English Servant.
Sláine's wish for the grail is to grant his creator access to the Root. Considering it takes the death of all Servants to accomplish this, it will take a lot of work on his Servant's behalf in order to change Sláine's mind.
Quality of Circuits: B
Quantity of Circuits: B
Elemental Affinity: Earth
Attribute: Integration
Magecraft: General Magecraft:In addition to some of the basics of Magecraft, Sláine also learned spells to tell direction, draw water from nearby plants, and view memories from plants and animals.
Healing:By integrating his magical energy with a target, it is possible to encourage healing. While not as fast as some Magecrafts, plant matter can be integrated into the target during the process in order to allow the same level of functionality while giving time for the flesh to heal, at the cost of a slight vulnerability to fire. The stronger rituals can even heal completely devastating injuries, such as regrowing missing limbs and vital organs or curing mystical venoms (though something like Hydra venom would take more Magical Energy than he can give while supporting a Servant). Much more effective in areas with high plant life, where Sláine can siphon off of their lifeforce.
Can be applied to plant life in order to act as some manipulation over plant life, allowing for the creation of a shield from a nearby tree, or hiding one's tracks with overgrowth and grass. Sláine is trained in removing the curse of Hungry Grass.
Scream: Sláine is more like a very modified and overgrown Mandrake rather than a typical alchemical Homunculus. As a result, he retains the Mandrake's ability to release a devastating scream, though it is far weaker than what would be seen in a normal specimen. If Sláine tried really hard, he could probably scream loud enough to stun most opponents for a few seconds, or even cause actual damage to animals and phantasmal species with sensitive hearing like the Cu Sith.
Even just one Scream will damage his vocal cords and require Sláine to rest - multiple in a single day could easily render him mute.
Mystic Codes:Parasitic Vines: Dorn Morrigan: Less of a Mystic Code and more of a physical part of Sláine's body, this artificial plant species implanted inside of Sláine is a coiling mass of vines, thorns, and flowers. They act as a sort of Prehensile Circulatory System, moving blood throughout his body while also being manipulated at his will. When Sláine is cut, he can forcefully push the Mystic Code out through the wound, allowing him to use the vines to attack or map out his environment. They're strong enough to support up to 100 kg in weight but can only hold 70 kg without strain. and while they are only as durable and sharp as mundane plant thorns, their high speeds can make them an effective weapon against other Magi.
The Mystic Code can be extended about 100 meters in a single line before starting to negatively impact Sláine's ability to circulate blood, and he can store a total of 7 Flowers before needing to remove any. The Mystic Code rapidly generates new vines and flowers (around 50 meters of vines and 1 flower daily), but destroying large sections of it at once or setting Sláine on fire could kill him from blood loss.
The real use of this Mystic Code is its ability to steal a natural attribute of other living things by forcing one of the flowers into them. This includes things such as a person's physical health, the stamina from someone who just slept, or the nutrients from a plant. Only qualities can be stolen, not parts of the body and soul like Mystic Eyes or Magic Circuits. It also can't steal something learned, such as a skill or memories. The process is temporary in nature - within the span of a day or two at most, the stolen quality will slowly diminish, returning to the person it was stolen from as the implanted flower dissolves in the host's blood. Physically removing the implanted flower with surgery or Magecraft will instantly restore the stolen trait, though can be quite difficult depending on where the flower is implanted.
This process can be done in reverse, which is usually what Sláine uses his Mystic Code for - a means of transferring his own stamina, health, and other attributes to his allies.
Artificial Dryad: Another artificial phantasmal species rather than an actual magic item. Dryads are known for their shyness and ability to hide, and this trait even exists among their young. The Druiminns, in their eagerness to render their ancestral home even more difficult to uncover, have sought to replicate a weakened form of these beings within the age of man.
Emits a constant Bounded Field, causing the eyes of enemies to simply slip over small details and objects (such as the Dryad itself). While many servants and even some knowledgable Magi can circumvent or negate this easily, it does mean that valuable objects like small mystic codes could be stored near the sapling, and thieves would be unlikely to find it. Too small to develop a real personality or intelligence, but that also means it can still fit in a pot and be moved.
Hungry Grass: A type of blood-sucking plant, Hungry Grass is native to Ireland and was known for inflicting an insatiable hunger in those who walk in the grass for long. This, however, is the fate that befalls those who step on small amounts of the grass without any protection. If one were to step in a sizeable amount of Hungry Grass, they would have their blood slowly sucked out from their feet, the sharpened grass piercing through most leather and attempting to restrain their victims before draining them. And of course, even if a victim were to be saved, they would still suffer from the unending hunger until the curse of the grass is removed.
Should an animal die in a very large amount of Hungry Grass, there is a chance that the creature will be brought back as a weak undead, stronger and more durable than the average member of their species at the cost of dexterity and intellect. They are filled with the grass and act mindlessly, their only purpose to feed on blood and move the grass to a far-off location before dying. This is how Hungry Grass naturally spreads, though this method made it incapable of ever leaving Ireland.
Hungry Grass has been targeted extensively by the Church, leading to its near extinction. The Druiminns, who are native to Ireland and were hidden behind a powerful Bounded Field, were capable of cultivating their own private stores of Hungry Grass. Hungry Grass normally takes several weeks to grow, but when watered sufficiently with blood, usable quantities can be grown in a single day. Sláine only brought it at the behest of the Druiminns, but is unlikely to use it without provocation from his Servant. But considering its rarity and inconspicuousness, it can serve as an excellent trap.
Non-Magecraft Abilities/Items: Medical Knowledge: Sláine is proficient at patching people up, a combination of ingrained skills as a Homunculus as well as genuine passion. He can perform First Aid very effectively, dress most wounds and prevent infection with supplies that can be found in nature, and even perform simple surgeries, such as removing bullets. Due to the lack of proficiency with technology that most people possess, Sláine is mostly restricted to simple tools and supplies.
Gardening: The Druiminn family used to be one of the primary advising staff in the Department of Botany of the Clock Tower during their brief membership in the Mage's Association, specifically being the heads of the Department of Agriculture. They mostly taught the proper methods of growing various plants, both mundane and phantasmal, as well as some of their more basic uses. Sláine inherited this knowledge and can grow plants with incredible skill, even in places where by all rights they should be unable to grow. Not too much use in conflict as brief as a grail war...
Reagents: The listed Phantasmal plant species are just the ones usable by Sláine himself - he has brought along a host of seeds and saplings from dozens of different plants. Should he enter an alliance with a Master or Caster that can brew potions or make use of the plants, they will likely find anything they may need within his garden. Or, should they kill him, they'll be able to commandeer it for their own use.
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