Crimmy

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

Yo!

I'm a friend of @NarayanK. I've been hearing about Heroes of Beacon forever, and now that there's some open spots, I figured I'd check out what all the noise is about.

How y'all doing?

@Nevix

hello compadre

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

So hey, don't know if there's still room around here, but if there is I'd be interested in hopping on the crazy train, assuming that's kosher

@NarayanK

@Tominas

welcome compadre

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

@NarayanK@HereComesTheSnow@Ayazi
Shuai Taidan - Hallways

In a Warriors game, the lamentable legions of lasses would inevitably be capably countered by courageous champions of the correct, and no matter her incorrection imaginings of the calamitous condition in which horrified Hana sought to hide from, the fundamental laws of video gaming could not be so easily exterminated by evil. A rowdy rancor reverberated throughout the hallway, punctuated by the eerie, ear-splitting exclamations of the detestable dames.

And then, it stopped. Ceased. The frails had fallen flat onto the floor.

Another door opened. This time, it was gentle, depositing the handsome form of Shuai Taidan into the hall. He was a smiling young man, his long, pink-tipped black hair tied back into a flowing ponytail behind him. Large, bright eyes took one glance at the defeated damsels, before looking towards Hana.

"Wow, the Hottie Rangers must have been in town!" he remarked innocently.

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

@NarayanK

Shuai Taidan - Hallways

"Stop right there, you diabolical damsels~!"

A door slammed open with immense force, the loud slamming of wood against a wall heralding the sudden arrival of a costumed character who had chosen, in all their wisdom, to combat roll between the frail, fleeing filly and the malicious mob of malcontent maidens that sought to evilly ensnare their escaping exploitee. He rose powerfully to his feet, Bruce Lee noises echoing through the hall as he adopted the valiant and audacious attitude that was associated with his heroic bearing (one that could easily be found on highly merchandisable action figures).

His warm coloured helmet, slightly askew, was quickly adjusted, and once more he spoke, seeking to halt the horrendous hags before they could begin hostilities with the hysterical Hana.

"Hottie Ranger Red!" he declared (still very much in character), posing and allowing the crimson smoke to billow out from behind him. "Cease your attack at once, or I shall be forced to use force!"

His acting, on the other hand, was atrocious.

Fate/Awakening World

PHILIA VON EINZBERN

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.

Fate/Awakening World

PHILIA VON EINZBERN

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."

Fate/Awakening World

PHILIA VON EINZBERN

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.

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

@Krayzikk@Awesomoman64

Have fun, team captains.

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

@Lazo@Forsythe@harinezumikouken@Suku@Awesomoman64@Krayzikk@Abillioncats@Kaithas@SevenStormStyle@Crimson Raven@FlitterFaux@Eklispe@HereComesTheSnow@Plank Sinatra

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

"You are forgiven," declared the priest of gains, absolving the tardy feline child of his failure to arrive at the time designated for the beginnings of their daily quest to achieve peak physical form. Though discipline was necessary if the flock sought to hone their bodies into the great, robust ideal, the large, shirtless man knew that mere seconds of time lost was not worthy of prostrating oneself before the altar of Muscle Heaven.

There was no gallantry in being such a stickler.

However! The member of his flock had still been bereft of timeliness! It would be noted, so that if it were to repeat again and the boy found himself adrift from the righteous path, he could shepherd him back towards the gains. Without discipline, Muscle Heaven would be no more than a far away dream.

"AWAKEN, YOUNG MAN THERE," he suddenly spoke, voice booming as a powerful, muscled arm was thrust in the direction of the sleeping boy amongst the flock. "Football is afoot!"

Yet he could see the confusion and hesitation amongst the students. An unfamiliarity with football was evidently present. Thus, it was his duty, his task, to enlighten them upon its rules. Upon his grand shoulders was the burden to spread knowledge to the youthful flock. One who sought the gains must not abandon the pursuit of learning either.

In an instant, an ovular ball was within his grasp. He held it aloft, rippling frame clear to all as he directed their attentions to the object in his hands.

"This is a football," was his declaration. "Today, you all shall play a match against one another with this. Seven shall each team be, lead by the individuals Benjamin and Trad, and your task -"

Four posts were on each side of the gym. The outer two were shorter than the inner two.

"- is to score as many points for your team."

They needed to know the rules.

"Goals are scored through the centre of the two tall goalposts. Each goal is worth six points. If the ball hits the post or passes between the goalpost and shorter behind post, only a point is gained. The ball can be passed by kicking, in which the receiver shall be granted a free kick if they catch it on the full (a mark), or passing by punching the ball to one another, which grants no benefit to the receiver. To dispossess a foe of their ball, you must tackle them by wrestling them to the ground. If this is successful, you will be granted the football."

And if they were still confused, pamphlets were provided.

Fate/Awakening World

MASTER OF ARCHER - PHILIA VON EINZBERN

Attributes

Strength: B
Agility: B
Endurance: A
Mana: A++
Magecraft: B

Skills

Einzbern Knowledge: As one of the last homunculi of the Einzbern Family, Philia is one of the few remaining possessors of Einzbern’s two thousand years’ worth of knowledge and improvements. As a result, she possesses an incredible repertoire of information that she can apply to numerous situations, but its true purpose is to serve as the basis of the recovery of the Einzbern’s ultimate goal.

Swordsmanship: Over her journeys, Philia managed to obtain a longsword made of Rhenium. She is particularly skilled in its usage, and when coupled with her strength as a homunculus, is a very frightening foe in close quarters for even the strongest of magi (and even against a Servant not of the Knight classes).

Driving (Rank EX): In her twenty years of travel in search of the Vessel, it has been necessary for Philia to grow familiar with all sorts of vehicles. As a result, there are few vehicles she is incapable of operation, although she is most familiar with a car, having been made with the purpose of driving the Einzbern caretaker around in her earliest days.

Firearms: Although not somebody who uses firearms on a frequent basis, Philia is at least familiar with their usage.

Thaumaturgy

As an Einzbern homunculus, Philia was created with the ability to make use of the factory’s specialty: alchemy, the manipulation of the flow of matter. It was through this magecraft that the Einzbern were to produce homunculi and construct the Grail, but it can be turned to combat uses via the field of Transmutation. Philia can fluidly transform materials for her own purposes with ease, such as forming weapons from even a random branch.

While not her main specialty, Philia is also familiar with the usage of Healing Magecraft, especially due to her knowledge of the inner workings of the human body.

Backstory

A creation of the Einzberns. The homunculus named Philia was one of the many homunculi birthed for the sake of reproducing the Third, and while a result of the advances made in the process of creating Lesser Grails, she herself was not a Justeaze-model. Instead, she was a liaison, a being whose purpose was to obtain knowledge and resources from those outside the Einzberns.

And it was due to this role that she was able to survive the factory’s destruction.

When the Einzberns fell, Philia had been far from the castle, buying reagents from a magi contact. She felt the loss of her creators immediately, and rapidly returned to home to find all she knew in rubble. Bereft of her primary purpose, Philia shifted her priorities towards reviving the Einzberns, scouring the ruins for anything that remained of the Terminal and taking them into herself. She knew not the specifics of any other survivors besides her, but there was one thing she could feel:

That there was a Lesser Grail still alive.

For the next twenty years, Philia scoured the globe in search the Justeaze-model she knew would assist her in the revival of the Einzberns, all the while gathering as much information and resources as possible on any remnant of the Fuyuki Grail’s location. Her recent creation before the Einzberns’ destruction and given purpose had allowed her to live longer than most of her ilk, and thus she found herself doing odd jobs here and there during her long search.

It was in those long years that Philia worked as a spellcaster, a career that contributed greatly to her familiarity with combat. She logically assumed that by choosing a position that would allow her to meet magic users all across the globe, the likelihood of finding any sign of the Lesser Grail would be far greater. Indeed, it would be when she was serving as a bodyguard for a Clock Tower archaeology expedition that she heard rumours of a Grail ritual being held, and after several weeks of research was able to confirm its existence in Austria. Any other information, however, was beyond her abilities to obtain.

Yet knowing the power behind the Grail, and the fact that its presence would mean that the Lesser Grail could possibly be near, Philia made the decision to leave her work and participate in the Grail War. The risk was great, but the probability of being able to successfully activate the Third for human salvation was higher than it had ever been before. By handing over Einzbern homunculus creation techniques to members of the archaeology expedition, she was able to acquire a catalyst for a powerful Servant, an Assyrian king, for the sake of the war.

Her purpose was clear: bring back the Einzberns and achieve salvation via the Third.