ManyThings

Fate/Crimson Dusk - War of Light, Grey, and Dark

I have a post ready but at this point August is mostly interested in moving along with the briefing, so might it be more appropriate for me to wait until other pre-business interactions wrap up?

Fate/Crimson Dusk - War of Light, Grey, and Dark

Ah, that's what I was waiting for. I think it's about time Caster's Master arrived (or not...?) and we get down to business, but I could do a short post some time tonight or tomorrow.

Fate/Crimson Dusk - War of Light, Grey, and Dark

Alright, that makes sense.

Fate/Crimson Dusk - War of Light, Grey, and Dark

You mean like two-way eye contact? I'm pretty sure you can still read that stuff just looking at the back of their head. Other than that I feel like it was mentioned at some point that you can read class skills once you know their class and personal skills once you see them used but I can't find it properly explained anywhere on the wiki. I don't remember any good examples besides when it comes up in relation to concealing abilities like Lancelot's smoke or Mordred's helmet, so however you want to run it is probably fine.

EDIT: Secret of Pedigree implies some stuff about how it works, but makes it seem like the norm is way too transparent.

Fate/Crimson Dusk - War of Light, Grey, and Dark

Just going to ask prematurely, how does "Master-Vision" work here? Like, how much of a servant's stats can we read when we see them?

Fate/Crimson Dusk - War of Light, Grey, and Dark

August Thane

Headmaster's Office, The Clock Tower

August was somewhat taken aback by the Paladin's response, but the way he talked about killing and dying made him wonder just how old this man was, and how much of that life had been spent in combat. "Maybe my word choice was too heavy. I just hope, like Leon said, that we can rely on each other's abilities to contribute to the effort in the upcomong battle." August considiered saying more, but before he could, he heard the sound of the office door opening behind him. Looking over his shoulder, August saw a woman survey the office before announcing herself. The name didn't mean anything to him, although the way she said it gave him the impression she might have been someone prestigious. She didn't appear overtly intimidating like Anderson, but August supposed she could have been dangerous withoit being obvious about it, much like Leon. Then again, perhaps it's unreasonable to assume that more than half of the Masters of Black will be irregular combat-mages. He considered introducing himself, but the way Teresa positioned herself after she sat seemed to indicate she had little interest in conversation. August wondered what sorts of Servants each of his allies would summon, and awaited the arrival of the remaining three.

Fate/Crimson Dusk - War of Light, Grey, and Dark

August Thane

Headmaster's Office, The Clock Tower

August had never heard of “God’s Stick" , although Executioners of the Church had a broader reputation for skill and ruthlessness, and the man’s appearance further drove home the point that he was likely a brutal killing machine. “Black Hand” had a familiar ring to it, however. August was sure he had heard about an American Mage who had gained a reputation for his skill in magical duels. Although Leon’s appearance didn’t exude an aura of violence the same way Anderson’s did, August chose to operate on the information he had gathered beforehand, rather than judging a book by its cover. As he seated himself, August turned in his chair to greet his new comrades. “Good to meet both of you. I’m August Thane. I don’t have any nicknames to speak of, but I like to think the Clock Tower knows me as a reliable agent.” August was dressed business casual, and although he wasn’t a man of ceremony he managed to put himself together sharply, being experienced in the art of dressing to impress society mages. "I hope we can all come to trust each other soon enough." August leaned back in his chair, glancing at the door in anticipation of the arrival of the remaining Faction members. So far all three present had an unusually high affinity for combat compared to most mages. If my intel about executioners is accurate, Anderson should be able to wield numerous small blades with terrifying efficacy and be capable of destroying all manner of unholy abominations without issue, not to mention likely having inhuman physical abilities. Meanwhile, the rumours about the Black Hand Magus suggest he should be able to perform magical attacks with very high power and skill. Finally, my own use of weapons is somewhat unorthodox for a Mage, but I can lay down a effective assault, especially if I have time to prepare. August had half a mind to ask his new allies if they felt there would be any opportunity to use their combat abilities when the power of Servants was on the playing field, but figured it would be better to keep morale as high as possible at such an early stage.

Fate/Crimson Dusk - War of Light, Grey, and Dark

August Thane

The Clock Tower

August already knew the way to the headmaster’s office, although he had never met the man who he would be dealing with once he got there. The halls of the Clock Tower were all too familiar to him, and as he traversed the corridors he saw a few familiar faces and shared a couple of knowing glances. The prestigious families that dominated the European Magecraft community were always trying to one-up each other in terms of both magical knowledge and social standing, and while August had been called on occasionally to fetch artifacts in a more official setting, most of his jobs were private errands driven by the Clock Tower’s politics, and such work often involved non-disclosure agreements. On a calmer day, August would have pondered what dark dealings or strange rituals might well have been occurring behind each of the hundreds of finely-crafted doors that lined the hallways of the Clock Tower, but this day in particular held an urgency that caused him to walk with intense purpose towards his destination. Today, August Thane would join his allies in cementing themselves as the Masters of Black in the Great Holy Grail War by summoning their Servants.

August’s work had always been focused on the retrieval of rare and valuable magic items and the occasional runaway mage, with combat being a common occurrence, but rarely a requirement. While his policy was always to approach things with confidence and courage, he was feeling somewhat out of his depth, having been requested to participate in a battle on this scale. Although I suppose I won’t be doing much of the fighting, August reminded himself, not for the first time. It was unusual for him to be forced to accept the existence of an unassailable wall, but he was fully aware of the power gap that existed between Heroic Spirits and humans. In the upcoming war, he would be filling a support role, while the true battles would be fought by legendary heroes. Legendary heroes… will my own servant really count among their ranks? August was determined to make himself useful among his teammates, but found the relic his father had provided him with to be underwhelming. The catalyst lay along with a few other items in the briefcase August held securely under his right arm. The shattered and weather-worn quarter of a ship’s helm had initially excited him, as he assumed his family’s penchant for treasure-hunting would have provided them with some ancient and valuable relics. Names like Queen Anne's Revenge, Golden Hind, and The Argo came to mind, but when Charles revealed the true nature of the hunk of wood he planned for his son to use, August was more than a little disappointed. His father had insisted that The Rime of the Ancient Mariner was closely based on true events, and that the titular character would make for a powerful Servant, but August couldn’t find much justification behind these claims. While it was true that the poem recounted many miraculous and strange events, the Mariner himself didn’t do a whole lot, and it was doubtful how much of the power that existed around that man would translate into his own power when he manifested. If nothing else, he should be pretty survivable, so maybe he could function as a sort of tank. Even if the poem really is just fiction, I'll get a Servant the Grail sees as right for me, so I'll be able to participate in the war, regardless. Nonetheless, Charles had promised that the broken wheel would aid him, and there was no chance he would intentionally sabotage his own family in regards to such a critical matter.

It was just as August affirmed his own decision in his mind that he arrived at the door he was looking for. He knocked sharply on the well-polished wood, and once he received an invitation, swung the door wide and stepped inside. There were three people already inside the headmaster’s office, but there was no question in August’s mind which one was Director Orson. He had seen enough prestigious mages that he could recognize one even if they were dressed in rags on the side of the road. August strode toward the desk where Director Orson sat, giving the two other men a professional smile and nod as he passed them by before extending his hand to the Director. “Good afternoon. You must be Director Orson.” After briefly confirming his identity and possession of a catalyst with the Director, August turned to take a seat among the other men who were no doubt among his fellow masters-to-be. He considered striking up a conversation, but decided to await the arrival of more of their teammates before diving into introductions and planning.

Fate/Crimson Dusk - War of Light, Grey, and Dark

@vancexentan By the way, are the masters expecting to perform the Summoning at this meeting?

Fate/Crimson Dusk - War of Light, Grey, and Dark

So it begins! I'll start formulating a post tonight, although it might not get up until tomorrow.