There are stupid questions, but if you pretend you were just joking you should be okay.
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6 yrs ago
The best business pitch is to throw the business ball past the business batter to the business catcher.
1
like
6 yrs ago
I sometimes hear about someone having skeletons in their closet. Ok? How do you know they're still in there? You can't just assume a skeleton is gonna stay still. This is your house, not a graveyard.
Two men, Master and Servant, walked side by side towards the church that was to be their base. They had arrived in the area not thirty minutes ago by helicopter. There had been significant delays, as Lancer had demanded to study their transport, in addition to every other thing they came across. Had Decival not been so accommodating, it likely would have been a deal-breaker for their contract. Now, both men gave off a "cold" impression, as the Servant had been outfitted with high-class modern clothing.
"When I heard we were setting up shop in a church, this is not what I pictured, and I have seen pictures of churches before." Decival's gaze passed over the various odd features and extensions of the holy building. Lancer, though, mainly focused on one in particular.
"How odd. You haven't yet told anyone of my identity, have you, Master?" The high dome definitely seemed like it was designed to watch the stars. Ironic, as Lancer no longer had any reason to look that way. Perhaps it would make a good vantage point for scouting, anyway.
"I did not. Your secret is safe with me until someone on our side asks. I see what you mean, though. That is not a normal church thing. None of it is. I don't even think it's normal for this church." the barest hint of excitement touched Decival's voice. They both understood that this meant the first stage of war, battlefield preparation, was already underway.
"We're coming in." Decival warned those inside before opening the doors of the church. A look at the interior only further cemented the idea that major modifications were being done, as nearly all resemblance to a house of God had been lost in favour of new defences and facilities.
"Impressive. Exceedingly so." Approval shone in Lancer's voice as he surveyed the room. Perhaps he found some rightness in the idea that a holy place had been dismantled in favour of function and utility. "I wonder... This may be the work of a fellow Servant. If a hero of industry is here, we will have much to discuss."
"But if they had to take apart the pews..." Decival frowned, and began moving in search of the workshop where these things had been made. "All the materials will be gone soon. We will have to work something out with whoever has been doing the prep work, and it might involve someone stealing paper clips."
A brief silence fell over the pair.
"That was a joke, Lancer. You see? Because it would be inefficient to-"
"Moving along, Master."
Both of them, with heads full of plans, set to work in the allied complex.
Age: 31 Gender: Male Master of: Lancer Command Seal Location: Back of his right hand. Origin: Accumulate
Personality: Idiosyncratic and full of curiosity. Decival's manner could be referred to as "inhuman," but this is not so shocking among magi. He could be called cold or aloof, but this would be inaccurate. He cares too much for everything he sets eyes on to express it. His own magecraft cannot elicit a reaction from him, but he seems to be amazed with the feats of others. Once again, it is simply because his self-respect is high. Since the art of curses is highly neglected in Western Europe, he finds a Grail War to be a fine opportunity to prove its usefulness.
He is unable to look down on anyone, and his extensive time in the bunker means he is excited to meet the people of the world, mages or otherwise. In regards to the Grail, he sees it as something which should be desired by anyone, whether they have a wish or not, purely for utility.
Biography: Multiple families of magi find that their recorded history contains an ancestor creating an artificial life form that could have gone on to be the first Tetraleonid. In any case, Decival and his predecessors have are distinctly unnatural, not entirely unlike alchemical homunculi. While generally known to be pseudo-nomads in and around Finland, the Tetraleonids created a sealed underground complex in Iceland three generations ago and are rarely seen outside of it. In fact, it is believed that Decival's mother has never left the complex, and his father, an unwanted second child from a smalltime lineage, has not left it since marrying her.
Decival's training in magecraft was fairly light at first, with his mother being almost completely focused on "raising him right" and exposing him to art and mental challenges. With his father's assistance, he was able to keep up an effective understanding of magecraft until age 8 when his mother completely switched gears. He proved to have quite a knack for alchemy, and brought the minor curse-based elements of the Tetraleonid arts to a much more prominent level. He showed a high interest in the outside world and made several forays out for the sake of obtaining materials. Decival began making advances on the Clock Tower at age twenty, boasting a comprehensive knowledge of his craft and offering various things from teaching services to item crafting. Although he had some odd practices and was never ever allowed to teach, he managed to build up a sufficient relationship that he was called upon for the sake of supporting Association magi in the Holy Grail War.
School of Magecraft: The Tetraleonid style of alchemy is greatly lacking in regards to the transmutation of materials, particularly in an "active" sense that could be used in combat. Rather, Decival uses alchemy largely in a slow and preparatory manner, focusing on gathering, storing, and manipulating various energies and forces. His secondary art, brought into focus largely by him and used in conjunction with alchemy, is curses. While he has some proficiency in fast-activation offensive curses, his expertise is in using his two crafts together, gathering grudges and storing them or giving them form.
Amount of Magecraft Mana: A-
Gandr Shot (13/day): A simple and quick to use curse that functions as a projectile, reducing a struck target's physical health. Rather that following the path of raising a Gandr to dealing real direct damage, Decival instead boosts it to inflict nausea, pain, and sickness.
Disperse (7/day): With hasty useage of Tetraleonid alchemy, "energy" attacks like fire, lightning, and pure mana can be countered and negated.
Coercion (4/day): A curse that can be washed away with magical energy during casting. In other words, something only useful on normal humans or weak/subdued magi. Once in place, it is much harder to shake off, and allows for control of a target's body and even magic circuits. Rather than mind control, it is physical in nature.
High Disperse (2/day): Similar to Disperse, but on a larger scale. A barrage of "energy" magecraft or a single massive spell could be defended against. With a dash of curse, it can be used to meddle with the power inside a foe's body, momentarily preventing their use of magecraft as well as causing a severe chill and general loss of energy.
Decival's alchemy is applied with prep time using special materials and mana from the environment, and as such cannot be properly defined by instant activation and daily uses. He can hastily put together various kinds of items depending on how long he has. Most notable are curses given form as "imaginary demons." A demon's capabilities vary wildly based on the effort of its construction and additional things infused into it. However, the grandiose name should not mislead one into thinking these are anything more than high-end familiars along the lines of golems.
Other: Decival has a knack for painting. While not at all a fighter, he is somewhat durable and resistant to physical trauma and conditions. Also, he has brought along a number of minor things from the family complex.
Raw Metals: Decival's skill with material alchemy is still enough that he can transmute these metals into components for the physical portion of a mystic item he crafts. Enough for about five handheld constructs, or something bigger.
Curse Grenades: The most basic combination of curses and alchemy, medium-power thrown explosives that scatter a damaging curse over the area. They are useful as a method of repeatable attack that do not rely on daily castings, but Decival only has fifteen of them unless he actively takes the time and energy to craft more.
Specialized Canister: A handheld tool for more easily containing things for later use in alchemy. A versatile tube that can hold objects or energy in a safe and stable way.
Class Name: Lancer Nicknames: Matematico Primario Alignment: Neutral Good Servant of: Weapons: His Noble Phantasms. His thoughts. Wish: For mankind to open their minds to new information..? As he learns more, his desire changes.
Magic Resistance D (EX): The ability of the three knight classes to cancel unfriendly magecraft targeting Lancer. Normally, he can only negate single-action spells, but as he gains a better and better understanding of a school of magecraft, he slowly moves towards the level of being able to ignore it entirely.
Natural Born Genius A++: A Skill stemming from one's unparalleled natural knowledge. Allows the use of most Skills, excluding those inherent to the body (such as Divinity) or ones unique to particular heroes, at proficiency of C~B Rank. Since Lancer made advancements in so many different fields, he has access to a wide range of abilities, but those related to the supernatural may not be accessed.
Item Construction (mundane but advanced Inventions) Disengage Human Anatomy Understanding Incitement Knight Tactics Marksmanship Martial Arts (Pankration, Chinese, Swordsmanship, etc.) Military Tactics Modern Sciences (a wide variety of things unlikely to be useful in a Grail War) Riding Self-Suggestion Single-Mindedness Torture Techniques
Innovation of Understanding A: A ability granted from a strong association with the dispelling of myths and the expansion of knowledge to the heavens, even if it is not wholly deserved. All sorts of things can be analyzed. An understanding of the mystical can be used to give good advice to the users of abilities regarding their technical elements. Against opponents of high mystery or divinity, combat power is increased.
Pioneer of the Stars EX: A very literally deserved skill based on his reputation in the eyes of humanity, which stretches beyond his actual achievements. All difficult voyages and challenges are made achievable, even if it is only a transition from a 0% chance to a 1% chance.
Orbit B: An unusual ability. Lancer can quickly revolve his position around a targeted solid object or person at extreme speeds far surpassing his natural movement.
Base Parameters Strength: D Endurance: D Agility: C Magical Power: C Good luck: A Noble Phantasm: A+
Name: Antico Cannocchiale Rank: C Type: Anti-Unit Range: 1~3/infinite Description: Lancer's very own telescope. It is a tool meant for observation, with its length and significance only barely qualifying him as a Lancer. At the same time, his class in turn makes it into a viable melee weapon, with its "magnification" ability acting as a plus modifier to Lancer's strength in regards to attacks made with it and allowing it to clash with heroes' blades without even degrading in viewing ability. Of course, it is also top-notch as a telescope that can be used to see clearly in any conditions and reveal all sorts of secrets. An important tool for Lancer's observation of battles and abilities that brings out the best of his analysis, and counters attempts to hide from his sight from sources C rank or lower.
Name: Profondo Spazio Re Rank: A+ Type: Varies Range: 0~100 Description: The absolute culmination of Lancer's status in the eyes of humanity, going far beyond what he achieved in life. Wisdom regarding the location and positioning of celestial objects taken to its extreme. Miniature existences of such objects as perceived by mankind can be temporarily conjured for battle. Things like "shooting stars," "moons," and "planets" may appear and be launched on the battlefield, obviously being extreme miniatures of the real things due to ancient humanity's lack of a sense of scale when looking skyward, so stars are just motes of light while a planet would be the size of a large building. In other words, these are the variations appearing in myth and folklore rather than the genuine article, something that annoys Lancer to no end.
With a true name release, Lancer's ultimate anti-fortress attack in the form of a "sun" can be materialized.
Although he is somewhat young, his legend is strengthened thanks to associations with the mysteries of the heavens that have caught humanity's wonder for all of its existence.
Okay, finally I came out with a Master. Hopefully what I did with his magecraft was okay, since not everything fits with the "x per day" format even if it's usually a pretty simple and clean way to do things.
Decival Court Tetraleonid
Age: 31 Gender: Male Master of: Lancer Command Seal Location: Back of his right hand. Origin: Accumulate
Personality: Idiosyncratic and full of curiosity. Decival's manner could be referred to as "inhuman," but this is not so shocking among magi. He could be called cold or aloof, but this would be inaccurate. He cares too much for everything he sets eyes on to express it. His own magecraft cannot elicit a reaction from him, but he seems to be amazed with the feats of others. Once again, it is simply because his self-respect is high. Since the art of curses is highly neglected in Western Europe, he finds a Grail War to be a fine opportunity to prove its usefulness.
He is unable to look down on anyone, and his extensive time in the bunker means he is excited to meet the people of the world, mages or otherwise. In regards to the Grail, he sees it as something which should be desired by anyone, whether they have a wish or not, purely for utility.
Biography: Multiple families of magi find that their recorded history contains an ancestor creating an artificial life form that could have gone on to be the first Tetraleonid. In any case, Decival and his predecessors have are distinctly unnatural, not entirely unlike alchemical homunculi. While generally known to be pseudo-nomads in and around Finland, the Tetraleonids created a sealed underground complex in Iceland three generations ago and are rarely seen outside of it. In fact, it is believed that Decival's mother has never left the complex, and his father, an unwanted second child from a smalltime lineage, has not left it since marrying her.
Decival's training in magecraft was fairly light at first, with his mother being almost completely focused on "raising him right" and exposing him to art and mental challenges. With his father's assistance, he was able to keep up an effective understanding of magecraft until age 8 when his mother completely switched gears. He proved to have quite a knack for alchemy, and brought the minor curse-based elements of the Tetraleonid arts to a much more prominent level. He showed a high interest in the outside world and made several forays out for the sake of obtaining materials. Decival began making advances on the Clock Tower at age twenty, boasting a comprehensive knowledge of his craft and offering various things from teaching services to item crafting. Although he had some odd practices and was never ever allowed to teach, he managed to build up a sufficient relationship that he was called upon for the sake of supporting Association magi in the Holy Grail War.
School of Magecraft: The Tetraleonid style of alchemy is greatly lacking in regards to the transmutation of materials, particularly in an "active" sense that could be used in combat. Rather, Decival uses alchemy largely in a slow and preparatory manner, focusing on gathering, storing, and manipulating various energies and forces. His secondary art, brought into focus largely by him and used in conjunction with alchemy, is curses. While he has some proficiency in fast-activation offensive curses, his expertise is in using his two crafts together, gathering grudges and storing them or giving them form.
Amount of Magecraft Mana: A-
Gandr Shot (13/day): A simple and quick to use curse that functions as a projectile, reducing a struck target's physical health. Rather that following the path of raising a Gandr to dealing real direct damage, Decival instead boosts it to inflict nausea, pain, and sickness.
Disperse (7/day): With hasty useage of Tetraleonid alchemy, "energy" attacks like fire, lightning, and pure mana can be countered and negated.
Coercion (4/day): A curse that can be washed away with magical energy during casting. In other words, something only useful on normal humans or weak/subdued magi. Once in place, it is much harder to shake off, and allows for control of a target's body and even magic circuits. Rather than mind control, it is physical in nature.
High Disperse (2/day): Similar to Disperse, but on a larger scale. A barrage of "energy" magecraft or a single massive spell could be defended against. With a dash of curse, it can be used to meddle with the power inside a foe's body, momentarily preventing their use of magecraft as well as causing a severe chill and general loss of energy.
Decival's alchemy is applied with prep time using special materials and mana from the environment, and as such cannot be properly defined by instant activation and daily uses. He can hastily put together various kinds of items depending on how long he has. Most notable are curses given form as "imaginary demons." A demon's capabilities vary wildly based on the effort of its construction and additional things infused into it. However, the grandiose name should not mislead one into thinking these are anything more than high-end familiars along the lines of golems.
Other: Decival has a knack for painting. While not at all a fighter, he is somewhat durable and resistant to physical trauma and conditions. Also, he has brought along a number of minor things from the family complex.
Raw Metals: Decival's skill with material alchemy is still enough that he can transmute these metals into components for the physical portion of a mystic item he crafts. Enough for about five handheld constructs, or something bigger.
Curse Grenades: The most basic combination of curses and alchemy, medium-power thrown explosives that scatter a damaging curse over the area. They are useful as a method of repeatable attack that do not rely on daily castings, but Decival only has fifteen of them unless he actively takes the time and energy to craft more.
Specialized Canister: A handheld tool for more easily containing things for later use in alchemy. A versatile tube that can hold objects or energy in a safe and stable way.
I myself am still around and aiming to put out a Master either tonight or tomorrow. They'll probably head straight to Poland, maybe beat the gang there and help Mehmed with the base if I'm fast enough.
The two floating people zipping around above Blue Fields had begun to slow down, or rather, it was the invisible metal disk they were standing on that was slowing down. Andrei lowered the scarf from his mouth. Bundled up though he was, his Servant's body really did heat him quite nicely. "Looks like no Archers caught onto us this time. Or maybe they gave up when they saw you?"
The UFO, still invisible, had come to a near complete stop over the chosen location. From there, it began a slow and silent descent. Morgan's dexterity and eyesight were amazing, but Andrei could tell he wasn't a "skilled" pilot. He didn't know all that much about what he was flying.
"Well, this is the place. I guess we should be ready to talk our way in, if anybody's actually here this late." The tripod legs of the saucer touched down onto its newest temporary home.
City Hall
Andrei lowered himself through the top hatch and into the interior. "That was some fine flying, Agent. And Emperor, some lovely lookouting!" He pulled off his hat and gloves, his skin burning comfortably in the heated air. "Maaaaaaan..." He unbuttoned his coat and let it fall to the floor behind him. "This climate is gonna take a lot more getting used to than I thought."
Across the cabin, the ramp lowered with a hiss down to roof level. Andrei sighed and reluctantly began to pick up everything he had just dropped as he realized he would be heading right back into the biting cold. Hopefully there was a nearby entrance on top of the building.
"Just because we're outta the sky doesn't mean we're outta the woods, so let's get down to business."
"These things happen." Saber spoke simple, smiled, and shrugged. "I would not expect you to join us against the wishes of your Master. In fact, I would beat you senseless if you did! If you want a friendly duel sometime, Lancer, I'd take you on, but if your attention lies elsewhere tonight I have no desire to wedge myself into your plans."
With that, he moved back into the minivan driver's seat, the specifically chosen model allowing even an impressive form like his own to sit comfortably. He had left the the car running, so with a wave to the newly-met Servant through the window, he made a u-turn and headed back up the street from which they had approached the group. "There's nothing but forest and plains if we continue that way, so let's retrace our steps a bit. I'm sure there's plenty we don't know about our own neighbourhood!"
Not letting a failed encounter slow them down in the slightest, the pair left Lancer behind and drove off into the night.
"Since we're approaching them, we just need to appear less threatening!" Saber dematerialized in front of the gate, leaving his Master outside the walls. A moment later, he appeared inside.
Cheerful imagery of cartoonish lions, elephants, and monkeys lined the walls. Signs gave directions to different animals, and a gift shop displayed numerous wildlife plushies. From his position there was not a creature in sight, but he was certain that this was a sort of park meant for civilians to look upon wild beasts. Saber turned to the inside of the gate and began searching for a way to open it from the inside."If that's all this place is, then what are they doing here?" He muttered to himself. The presence of a Servant and Master could be clearly identified deeper within.
After a few seconds, Saber threw the gates open wide for his Master's entry. "Welcome to the zoo!" He spoke entheusiastically, with only a small amount of regard for the fact that they were breaking and entering. "Though I don't believe we're here to look at captive animals."
They made their way further into the zoo, with hopes of a more successful meeting. "Perhaps a Rider has brought their mount here to socialize, or a wild sort of Berserker..?"
He stopped. Just ahead of them, slightly off the path, lay an unmoving figure. Their attire made it clear that they had been a figure of authority in this place, and given the situation it wasn't hard to figure out what had happened to them.
"..Maybe this will be a different kind of meeting."
Saber let loose his full presence, the unmistakable aura of a warrior filling the area. If this pair were anything more that snivelling villains, they would come to him.
@vancexentan I put this together as an idea of the skills one could get out of Genius, though obviously only one or two at a time.
Item Construction (mundane but advanced Inventions) Disengage Human Anatomy Understanding Incitement Knight Tactics Marksmanship Martial Arts (Pankration, Chinese, Swordsmanship, etc.) Military Tactics Modern Sciences (a wide variety of things unlikely to be useful in a Grail War) Riding Self-Suggestion Single-Mindedness Torture Techniques
@Ryougu Rider is King Cosmos last I checked. It's true that Archer would be a much more fitting class for Galileo, but would it really bother you that much to have him as a Lancer? I'll probably stick to it, it's interesting.
@vancexentan After some thinking I could scrap that element of the skill and leave the strong analytical mind as essentially flavour, then add something like Nobunaga's Innovation where against enemies who are especially mystical/divine he would be buffed up closer to a genuine melee Lancer.