I've read some Kant, but not enough to claim any sort of expertise. That statement actually comes from the personal conclusions I've drawn from being immersed in Bible study since I was little.
Theology is pretty interesting.
This may be a bit too off topic pleasenobullyGMtan but what line of thought led you to that conclusion?
Sorry, I just get a bit excitable when I'm intellectually intrigued. People on the internet just usually aren't into philosophy and metaphysics and stuff xD
Personality Outwardly, Tian is affable and reasonable. Because they understand the limits of humans, they do not get angry uselessly at them. By intervening in the desires and problems of others, they try to set people on the right path while preserving their sense of self. They acknowledge the meaninglessness of attempting to do this, but still do it anyway. Rather than make her existence “someone who helps others for the sake of helping others” they are someone who “helps others for the purpose of helping even more”. In that way, they’ve surpassed even “that” kid. Despite that, they are not someone above humanity through sheer will and duty, so they aren’t comparable to a certain French Saint or English King. Rather, they are a distortion that has fallen in line with the idea of a Saint, so they can surpass the limits of a Saint while still remaining one.
While they seem like a normal person, they really aren’t. She’s a distortion resembling an average human. Though their existence isn’t hollow, they still have a large hole inside them. For a Heroic Spirit, they’re an excellent master to have in terms of personality. They remain positive, and are the type to be overtly kind when there’s no good reason to be. Because they’re agreeable, they can tolerate being bullied, but because they are a Saint, they can’t tolerate the bully. Even if they’re rather gentle, it isn’t a problem for them to pummel their enemy into submission then heal them later.
Rejecting the Golden Rule of preserving mystery for the collective, they performed many genuine miracles for the populace. They do not stand idly by and watch humans suffer or die, and in that they could be called brave. She will not hesitate to stand by her Servant in combat, and won’t hide away like a Magus. For a person who has seen many oddities, a large and bloody ritual like the Holy Grail is just another one. Just like they have always prioritized “Good” over “Pragmaticism” previously, they’ll do the same here. They have a strong sense of justice, and disdain those who lie to themselves, even for a greater good. In that way, they’re utterly incompatible with modern Magi. Though they seek answers and questions to find answers for, they could be called the opposite of a Magus.
Family History -
Biography This person is not a Magus, and they “feel” one would get around them would be that of a Monk or Hermit. Their appearance is distinctly Chinese however their magecraft puts even this into doubt. They could be called a “Student of the East” rather than a “Student of Buddhism” or “Student of Shinto” etc. While a certain grim monk realized the absoluteness of the origin, and was forced to leave and thus live the life of a Magus, this one took the path of asking rather than realizing. Floating from battlefield to battlefield in a world of death, they looked only for a single answer.
Seeing the rise and fall of four Empires and the resulting limitless calamity, they lost faith in the absoluteness of society and the collective. They looked inward, toward the individual and the limitless desires held within humans. In that way, they became a monk, than scholar, then “recreator of miracles” over the course of their lifetime. But because their origins are in theocracy, they never became a magus, rather, they could be called an existence closer to a “Hermit who is no longer a Hermit”, in other words a Saint. They wandered across the entirety of the East seeking out answers and performing miracles. By the modern era, the end of magecraft was becoming apparent. If humans truly changed to “something else”, would it be “Evolution”(Mutation) or “Progression”(Ascension)?
With that question creating context, they came to the Holy Grail to gain one answer from the omnipotent wishing device. Or perhaps it could be called a demand.
They know what it really is, and that’s why they sought it out.
Origin Thirst
Elemental Affinity Aether
Quantity of Magic Circuits E
Quality of Magic Circuits D
Od A
Sorcery Trait Mystic Eye of Thirst Right eye. A demonic eye that allows one to see others desires and thus intent, from the mind and up to and including the astral plane. Has no use on automatons or sentient pieces of wood. However it transcends this ability and is capable of “manipulating desire” as well. With a normal person any range will do, but magi will resist with their magic circuit. If physical contact is made, the magic circuit becomes irrelevant because it has reached the level of a conceptual weapon. They can manipulate, remove, or add desires freely, or manifest them spiritually, mentally, or physically in any form they like. Its function is similar to “programming”. They only need to see their target in the “minds eye” to do as they wish.
Sixth Immortal of Huainan(Pure Eye) Prediction of the future based on calculation through past experience. A form of precognition and clairvoyance humans can use. Of all the kinds, this is the most “human-like”. In other words, a type of clairvoyance. Among Magi this is supremely valuable, and to a Saint, it’s a critical thing that allows them to predict a tragedy or suffering in advance with pinpoint accuracy. In doing so, they can save people even more efficiently.
Nameless Saint Evasion rather than stealth. Hard to remember any details about them, seen as a normal person, or as part of the scenery. Even if they use supernatural techniques and items or have command mantra, this applies. At a base this is a passive effect that they don’t need to “activate”. By expending energy, it’s possible to walk through average traps and bounded fields without issue. Very similar to a certain native american master in this function, and that’s the true terror in this ability.
During combat, it can be repurposed to obscure their figure in a haze. In doing so, precise tracking of their movement and position become very hard. It’s like looking at a constantly shifting mirage with obscured features. It’s hard to even acknowledge them as human outwardly.
Holy Body By practicing absoluteness of spirit, body, and mind, deterioration of their physical and immaterial have been slowed. They are a being who achieved “extinguished while alive”, or perhaps something very close to that. Their physical attributes and senses are exceedingly high from constant use, so neckbeard magi who pretend they’re strong can’t compare. The need for food, drink, and sleep are also practically non existent. Their body and mind simply don’t tire anymore, and any sort of mental interference is useless. Even if a part of them is detached, it will remain “alive” for a very long period of time; this allows easier self healing by reattaching the damaged portion instead of building something new. However if it’s something smaller than a limb that becomes inefficient in terms of time and energy.
A burden of the body and mind.. Proof of sainthood, of becoming something like a human who has surpassed humans. Their body isn’t immortal but it is becoming a “distortion” while still human.
They’re that kind of monster.
Spirit Removal With a simple hand movement, spirits and monstrous things are crushed like it’s nothing. A technique that is similar to the Shinto method of spirit purification, but they’ve adapted it into their own system. Among abilities, this is first rate, and it exceeds the Fuyuki Temple barrier in potency and precise function though it isn’t a barrier itself. Even if a spirit isn’t crushed, its power is diminished greatly for a vast time.
Based around the concept of ringing bells.
Blessings of Good Fortune Multiplies someone's fortune by many times. It can lead to a day of being “King of the World” or a season of bountiful harvest. As expected of a Saint, they do not use this on herself, but rather “those who need it”. Without a doubt it can be reversed as a form of punishment.
Bread and Fish Follows along the concept of multiplication effect of miracles. They can multiply “nourishment” in something humans can eat or drink. In other words, they can make a single piece of bread feed many people, increase its size, or make more bread. Also improves the quality of the food itself by many times and completely purifies it. Can be applied to drink as well, and it’s not impossible to change flavor and substance along a certain line.
Astral Healing Not an average form of healing. It doesn’t use a time curse like vampires, or repair damage physically. Rather, by targeting the soul in the astral plane, it restores the body to its “true image”, that of its blueprint, the soul. A very cost effective technique that uses the souls records to reconstruct a person's body accordingly. Even if the physical damage is absolute, as long as they are “alive”, it can be repaired. However against damage to the soul itself things become harder to fix and it takes lengths of time along with great effort. The odds are still better than when a certain priest removed familiars from a girl who had them integrated into her body.
Moon Walk Works along the same theory as the items used to allow witch’s to fly on brooms, that is to say reduction of gravity. A passive ability that can be automatically adjusted without trouble mid combat after its initial activation. Allows for extreme movement by reducing weight but keeping momentum.
Solidified Air “Solidifying Space”. A technique that also applies to water,, etc. It allows them to walk on the air, or water. Not limited to just their feet either and it can also be used like magnetic boots. Passive after activation, obviously.
Equipment Self inflicted poverty is righteous; however they hold two holy artifacts as expected of a Saint along with basic clothes;
The Eighteen Pinewood Fragments of the Cloud Dweller Small pieces of wood with countless accumulated years. Simply by being present in a building or space, it will repulse spirits and put massive pressure on those that enter that will eventually crush them. However for spirits who “hold” it, it insulates in a manner similar to being in a “that” temple barrier. Similar to the runic protection used to protect a certain demon hunter, however they're far more potent. Not actually Eighteen Fragments. Also probably not "that" swords fragments. However, at this point it's probably a good shadow of it.
Plain Cloak Comparable to the frock used by lowly church executors. However in terms of care it's a high level item created out of quality materials and “spells”. Even at close range, low level attacks and bullets will be meaningless, and it blocks all types of damage. The main protection is in the defensive mysteries attached to it, so it “protects” even where it doesn’t cover. Conveniently auto-repairs and auto-cleans, following her will without a single complaint. Keep on fighting, cloak-kun.
Skills
Eastern and Western Scholarship(Student of The World) Comprehensive knowledge on general subjects from math to the theories of magecraft. Within an instant they can read and understand the contents of a book. By doing this to many books on the same field, one can say they paint a picture of the entire subject. However in reality this is more like a 3D hologram than a 2D image. This is an important aspect of their precognition abilities as a result.
Saintly “Charisma” Not genuine charisma. They have a kind heart that can sooth others. Like a flag bearer who acts as a beacon, their function as a Saint makes this a requirement. However, this isn't the same as the charisma of a King. In the end with their experiences empathizing with people is trivial, but their eyes make this absolute. However even counting all of their oddities they can become closer to the average person than a certain dragon King.
Athletics Because of their body, its redundant to call this a "skill". But in areas with little wealth such as the "third world" that still resemble the world hundreds of years ago, sports are a very cheap outlet. Because of that they have high talent in most sports, and definitely aren't a pansy. Could've gone professional if they hadn't joined the monastery.
Martial Arts(Defensive) A genuine master of this art. However the focus of their ability is "defensive". But this isn't what one would think it means. While they don't typically attempt to kill their opponent, they do try to disable them. The best way to prevent things from becoming lethal for any party is to end the fight as quickly as possible. Thus this fighting system is designed to cause as much pain and damage as possible without outright killing. To them pummeling an opponent into the ground is fine because they can just heal them later.
Breathing and Walking In the modern era, the mutation called magic circuits are used to enact phenomena. This is the system magecraft, otherwise known as Thaumaturgy is based upon. The real meaning of "Thaumaturgy" is "miracle", within the Greek sense this means marvels and miracles worked by magicians and Saints. However magecraft is not the creation of miracles, rather it is the recreation of miracles. Modern magi are reliant on self hypnosis, a magical foundation, and a circuit to connect to that foundation. In doing so, they can sacrifice magical energy to enact a recreated miracle. This can be called the heart of executing magecraft in the modern era. After connection with divinity faded away, it could be said this is the only way for humans to even mimic miracles beyond science.
However this is not the case. In the far east which is seen as irrelevant to the mages association, there is an alternative system. By "absorbing" the outer world through your own breath, it's possible to connect your interior world with the exterior world. It is a secret technique among secret technique worshiped as holy in the East, a way to take in or expel the Gods within a single breath. With a simple movement of the body or a single breath, nature interference can be achieved. It's a method beyond the limitations of the simple incantations in the west. One could even say the existence of one who has mastered Breathing and Walking causes natural interference with the world around them.
However being a genius in this skill really is a rarity, and it takes more than a lifetime to understand several techniques. A system completely foreign to modern magi, but this is probably because the concepts of Breathing and Walking and Thaumaturgy are opposed in that Breathing and Walking doesn't easily lead to the final destination, [ ], in a cost effective manner.
Thus to a real magus it's a worthless ability.
Saint Saints changed society by inspiring others to do good through their miracles. Miracles make the people complacent and lethargic, ruining them. But a Saint who is not a beacon for others to follow is not really a Saint at all. A person like that just saves who's in front of them; in doing so, you’re just a fool who doesn’t want to see someone frown. A Saint cannot be selfish selflessly, but they also can’t be selfless selfishly. In other words, a true Saint is the culmination of the “good” in humanity that transcends humanity itself, in the process becoming less than human. If that’s the case, then among heroic spirits, Saints are the idealized “perfect ones” who oppose the idealized “imperfect ones”, the anti-heroes and demons of humanity. Just as All Evils of the World is a burden that can be thrust on a normal human, All Good of the World can be thrust on a normal human. Despite being opposite, in the end the burden and result is the same. Because it is a delusion made by humans that cannot actually exist, it’s a childlike wish that makes it an impossibility.
In the end, a Saint is just a beacon to follow that can never be “reached”. Because they are final beacons humans follow, Saints are the ultimate culmination of what it means to be a Heroic Spirit. But, Heroic Spirits are the ultimate culmination of what it means to be human, and Saints cannot be called human because they’re an idealized shining light to follow. This is the final paradox of being a “Saint”. Though it is a beautiful thing, it’s beautiful because it cannot exist. Much like how a dying flower is at its most beautiful, it’s a fleeting dream that can only exist for a single instant. Because of that, even when a thousand miracles are committed or just one, humanity won’t change.
Solving this question. . .
No, rather, surpassing it would combine the material with the immaterial and bring perfect divinity into an imperfect world. While preserving mankind's free will and right to a future, one can send them spiraling toward a path of enlightenment. This is by making the beacons of humanity perfect ones. This is by making the brightest and darkest moments of someone’s life eternal. Anyone but a truly evil person will be pious and upright the instant before they die.
This Saint’s desire is to make that moment into a never ending eternity.
Magical Eyes A left eye that is Holy. A right eye that can interfere with the world and themself. The former is proof of being a Saint, a natural result of having a top class spiritual presence. It's said that most Saints are born with pure eyes. Pure eyes differ from Mystic Eyes in that they cannot directly interfere with the external world. Rather, they can only see things that shouldn’t be seen. In this case, what she “observes” is always remembered, down to the smallest detail, and she can easily access this information. With this ability, they are capable of reading a situation in a few seconds and processing it in a meaningful way. By drawing on past experiences, events, and people, it’s possible to “predict the future”, or rather, “predict the most likely possible future in this situation”. In other words, it’s a more natural kind of precognition which is its intended function. Because they’re purposed to “see all and record all”, they’re very pure eye like pure eyes and probably even the astral plane isn't beyond them, however this is because of the synergy between their two eyes.
Regarding the right eye, simply by looking they are capable of “understanding” the emotions, no, desires of others. In this way, they can gain insight of someone’s intent simply and easily. Its function as a mystic code is to manipulate desire, but at a range its efficiency is naturally bad against Magi. However if physical contact is made, the result will be completely different. As a culmination of their abilities, it becomes capable of obscene things. With a single touch they can erase a targets desires 100%, create new desires, or manifest them physically, spiritually, etc. This goes beyond mental interference since its already hit the territory of a conceptual attack. Conceptual weapons aren't especially rare or powerful once you hit the slightly big fish in the small pond called the world, but this one is monstrous in its own ways. Under normal circumstances this couldn't exist, but their unceasing exposure to anguish has resulted in an oddity like this. Like any conceptual weapon, if it connects, there'll be issues. But it can be said that it's a pointless weapon against opponents that can be killed normally. It can be used in a function similar to a certain purifying bow.
Obviously both eyes are the same color. This is already edgy enough.
The Holy Grail Wars A super-item designed to bring about a "true miracle". Based on an omnipotent wishing device, a vessel that mimics the Holy Grail. The Holy Grail itself has been fought over in several hundred wars, all of which have varying sizes. However the Fuyuki system is the only one to use heroic spirits in this manner.
The reality of the Holy Grail War is that it isn't a real wishing device that brings about a pure miracle. In reality, it's just a ponzi scheme, and at the heart of it it's just a normal ritual. It just has a much larger scale than many others, and requires the master and servant as "sacrifices". It goes without saying such a thing is evil at a basis, and Tian acknowledges that fact. To that end, wishing upon the Holy Grail isn't something desire, as it's fools gold in the first place.
02-Eight Immortals of Huainan Not the Eight Immortals you're thinking of. Rather than the legendary Chinese immortals of legend capable of doing amazing feats of magic, these are something else entirely. Rather, these are the disciples of Liu An, a prince in Huaninan in ancient China. Rather than being actually immortal, this was a metaphor used to describe their supposedly limitless talent. Huainanzi, a Philosophical collection was one of their creations. It was an attempt at defining the perfect social-political order and can be compared to some of the Greek classics in the same vein.
Tian You actually seems to have named herself after the sixth immortal, which says more than words ever could. The connection to her eye is. . .?
03-"Thirst" and "Anguish" An important concept in Buddhism, or rather, concepts would be that of "Thirst"(Taṇhā) and "Anguish"(Dukkha). The former leads to the later, and this is the eternal road of humanity. Desire leads to inevitable suffering. This is one of the Truths of the Buddha. It is an important concept that is core to understanding the philosophy behind Buddhist lifestyle. For this Saint, they are not a Buddhist. However they agree with many of its base concepts and principals. The eternal cycle of desire and suffering is absolute as a principal, and only self awareness can lead one away from pain. However the view on this is different by culture and religion, for example Christianity which focuses on "divine connection with God to end suffering". This Saint has been exposed to the religions of the East but also Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, so their ideas are tempered by all of them.
Ultimately the true distinction of all religion is how to rationalize and perceive the world, and "Desire" and "Suffering" is critical to that. This Saint's own philosophy is no exception.
04-376 years 4 months and 3 days
As a basis, they really are an Eastern “Saint” who can perform legitimate miracles. While the people would grow decadent or reject such miracles normally, a nameless “Saint” is fine. Because there is no true attachment between the person and the miracles, the act of creating miracles remains a miracle of its own. Though they made no vows of poverty, it’s expected that someone devoted to the immaterial wouldn’t care for the material. For someone who is a nameless Saint, the result of not being remembered is fine, because they will remember.
No regrets.
Name ??? Height ??? Weight ??? Three Sizes ??? Home ??? Birthday ??? Weak Point ??? Fetishism ??? What do you want from your partner? ??? What color underwear do you like? ??? How do you spend your free time? ???
As a heads-up, since we have a few pairs ready to go and another couple that should be in the same situation by tomorrow, I'll be starting the IC in about two and a half hours. If you have any complaints with this, PM me.
