He was... Certainly impressive. Watching a Heroic spirit materialize into the world was a rare kind of treat. Notably it wasn't the one she would have preferred, as this, Atalanta, and Paris were the only servants with enough association with golden apples to have such a catalyst call out to them. Though she really did wish she had something from Heracles. Maybe he could have been a Rider, and taken her for a ride on C- Focus!
Ariadne had to admit, the feline ears, the masculine figure, and the fact that he was sniffing the air pointed at Hippomenes. Again, options were narrow. "You may refer to me as Master. Or Ariadne. Either is fine, but if you combine the two, that would be even nicer. So yes, call me both. Master Ariadne." Her smile was practically infectious. After all, this was her first step into the war at large, and such a chaotic atmosphere was sure to grow.
"Now, if you are who I think you are, we should settle on figuring out..." She paused and bit her lip at the word. "Strategize, so that we can be ready." Another pause... "Ooooooor, we can both welcome you back, by getting something to drink. I'd suggest wine, but I'm saving some of this for a ritual before the war properly begins. We can get a drink someplace else in town if you wish. I'm sure there are many foods you would wish to taste."
He ignored the pleading. The woman had become a slave to the whims of another, and as such her life was in the hands of another. Her body, more than her mind though. A king was well in their right to treat any under them as a slave. At least, that was one of the rules of his time. The time of King Xerxes, where all men under a king were slaves who could die on a whim. Naturally, he felt no reason to do such, but the other man in the room... Strange, and Xerxes wasn't sure if he liked him yet. Probably not.
Xerxes took the offered cup as it slide across the table. His hand was larger than the cup by a fair bit, and he was as delicate as possible as he lifted it to his lips. He would have preferred wine over the hot leaf juice he had been offered. Tea was for healing, not planning. Wine would take the edge off, allow one to think more freely. Though that was another time, another place.
"I feel our circumstances are going to be interesting. The location we have chosen is in roughly the center of the city. This means all news shall be passing through us. But, it means we are the most likely to be in the middle of another foe's battle." Xerxes said after a long time to think about it. "I would like to spend this day going out. Possibly find allies, strengthen our cause. After all, there is no doubt another force already making their move." He reached up with a hand, and dragged it through his brilliant white beard. As if stroking it might give him some inspiration. "I shall keep you up to date on if I find any allies." This was a partial desire to find allies, and more a desire to be out of the room. Watching a young lady die horribly over the course of several hours wasn't his desired way to pass the day. Were he feeling generous, he might have removed her head, and eased her passing.
Standing, the Rider adjusted his coat. "I shall leave you with this." He handed over one of his gloves. It was probably a size too big. "It shall warn you if another finds you." With that though, Rider stepped out of the room, ducking his head a little to avoid the doorframe.
"Is this it? Your ad for the spare room made it look... Bigger." "It's an entire floor, how much bigger can it get?" Ariadne was... Not displeased by the chosen abode, since after all it was probably the most popular pub and/or liquor shop in the entire town. She was almost ready to call it the ONLY pub/liquor shop, but there might be another she wasn't aware of somewhere. Then again, she was a more 'living in the moment' kind of person. So she hadn't done excessive amounts of research. "Well, this is fine anyway." She said, turning to Otoko Hotaruzuka and applying a small bow in his direction. "It is only a temporary arrangement after all, I do not plan to be in town for more than a week or two. Maybe a third to wrap up affairs if required." "Right, well you already paid for the time, so I guess whatever weird stuff you're up too... Not my business. Just don't trash the place." Hotaruzuka said, and let out the longest sigh possible. The two of them were probably polar opposites as people. While Ariadne considered herself a dedicated, and easy-going person, she could tell that Hotaruzuka was somebody who saw hard work first. She didn't judge. What she was about to do was very much hard work.
Either way, as soon as the door was closed, she set herself to work. She had a lot of setup, and a lot of stuff to take care of in advance. She had to set up her bounded field. Tightening a ribbon around her hair to help apply some focus to her life, she set to work. She would be foolish to summon before she had her bounded field set up. It wasn't hard work, but as the clock hit 8AM, she was only just putting on the important final touches. "There we go, that should be enough." She huffed, and clapped her hands together. She wanted to be sure she didn't draw any unwanted attention, especially considering the place she had chosen to set up as a shop was right in public view. Though, it was for the best. Bacchic karma adored a place of party and savage humanity. This bounded field would act to draw in all that good will, and amplify her magecraft through it.
"Alright, now for my servant." While Ariadne had worked on her bounded field, she had also been keeping her summoning circle in mind. Objects had been moved to clear the center of the room, and it being rather barren made that easy to begin with. The latent energy of this place was more than enough. She didn't need a rich leyline to achieve what she needed. She needed a place suited to her system of worship. This place, as a pub, fulfilled that. No matter what part of the world, Bacchus reigned supreme in parties. Pulling from her bag, she let her catalyst lay on the ground. Three seeds, from a golden apple. Not the ones of chaos, but ones from the golden apples offered to Atalanta. She would have preferred one of the other catalysts her family possessed... But They wouldn't let her take the helmet of Theseus, or the gauntlet of Heracles... She'd just have to make due with the apple seeds. That was fine.
"Let silver and steel be the essence- She began the chant. Her hand reached out towards the symbols she had drawn. The summoning circle was set in place, and magic flowed through her. Her circuits ignited, and she began to channel. "An oath shall be sworn here. I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven; I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell."
Wind swept up, and the air crackled with lightning. To any onlooker they might notice the odd flash from behind the curtains of the upper floor. But it hardly mattered. The ritual had begun. The ritual was nearing its end. "From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power, come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance!"
SUMMON THE HERO OF GREECE! SUMMON A HERO WITH NO EQUAL!
Name: Xerxes I Title(s): King of All-Nations Class: Rider Gender: Male Era: 519 BC - 465 BC Attribute: Man Alignment: Lawful Neutral _________________________________________________________________________________________ Personality: King Xerxes is a man who had to give up on certain dreams. He once viewed a conquest of Greece as his ultimate paradise... His Oceanus if one would compare him to the hero Alexander the Great. And yet, the reality of the world denied him that dream. Denied by men like Leonidas, or the political turmoil in his own homeland. He had to lose again, and again. Surrounded by many who were incompetent to lead. He is a pragmatic man, who seeks to elevate those who draw his interest. Maybe this is why he took interest in Artemisia, or Leonidas. Powerful individuals rejected by others because other undeniable flaws as people. He offers people all that he can, as if hoping to tease out more of their potential. This all exists around one important aspect. His dreams. His ambitions. Almost unwillingly to let his desires go. But sometimes, he must. Oh how he loathes that. Giving up on something. But sometimes, it must be done.
Objective for the Grail: Nothing comes to mind. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Biography: He is Xerxes. Born in purple. The son of Darius the Great. His heritage is that of Darius, and Cyrus the Great. He is to be adored. He is to be perfect. To bring together the greats of his time, into a single point. To be, Xerxes, king of All Nations. His father died in the battle of Marathon, and the young man was made king. He vanished into the deserts for a while, to undergo a ritual of strength. To find strength with the Magi so that he might be the leader people believed he would be. He returned, granted visions beyond all others. He was told things, directions. And so, with those visions, he began the siege of Greece, to accomplish that which his father could not. The persian king was thwarted by only one. The young king saw in his eyes the only figure he would ever view as a rival. One who fought his impossible armies, with so little. The man... Leonidas. He is the one who left a scar on Xerxes face. In the years that would follow, he would regret the death of that man. He would wish to meet him again. Because in that time, the only success... The only joy he would feel in the conquests to come... Was the day he conquered over those Spartan three hundred. From there... His military campaigns brought him no joy. There was no joy to be gained when whatever he gained would be lost soon after. He conquered Athens, but it was lost a year later when an incompetent general failed to hold the city. He watched riots in Egypt unfold, and watch incompetent leaders fail to maintain the peace. He was surrounded by failure, and part of him wondered if he was the root. No! He was not to blame! He was king Xerxes! He would show the world his power! He gathered the world, and created magnificent palaces! He drew the minds of the era to bring new advances to his lands. He gathered beasts from the farthest corners, and tamed them to his will. He gathered, and gathered, to prove that he was the great king of his time. He was stabbed in the back... He was so busy trying to be perfect, that he had failed to see what should have been obvious. Assassinated. He died... Wondering if anything he could have done... Would have been enough. He was never enough... Despite this, he was the greatest king of his era. But he never believed he was worthy enough to be worth it. The throne called him. The King Xerxes answered. King of All-Nations. This is who he is.
Weapon: Xerxes possesses any weapon that his soldiers would. Simply, this means, he can wield spears, swords, and even a bow and arrow. Simply put, he's got a lot of weapons. But none of them are of high quality, so they are unlikely to hold up in a high powered battle. Xerxes can also summon a rhinoceros as a basic mount to ride upon. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Parameters: Strength: B Endurance: B Agility: D Mana: C Luck: B _________________________________________________________________________________________ Class Skills: - Rider A: All vehicles and all creatures but those of Phantasmal Beast and Divine Beast-rank can be used as mounts. - Magic Resistance C: Cancel spells with a chant below two verses. Cannot defend against Magecraft on the level of High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals.
Personal Skills: - Revelation B+: A Skill to "hear the voice of heavens" and take optimum action; a Skill equivalent to Instinct, a sixth sense regarding battles. However, 'Revelation' accommodates all matters related to the achievement of a goal. Xerxes received two revelations in life. The first urging him to go to war, and the second following that when he hesitated. As there is an anecdote of him dressing a relative up in his clothing, and making them sleep in his bed, he can share this skill with one other person by letting them wear an article of his clothing. Though it would be at a lesser value than his own. - Ruling Over Heroes B: His name means "Ruling over Heroes." Heroes from other nations would flock to his command, and he would reward them with extravagance. He would elevate them to the heights that others could not. He even famously made this same offer to the Spartan King Leonidas, which was declined in a fashion that Xerxes never quite got over. This skill is a mutation of Charisma, granting greater offensive and defensive bonuses to those who serve him. If they attempt to betray him, the suffer a heavy demerit instead. - Imperial Privilege B: An ability that, due to the insistence of the owner, Skills that are essentially impossible to possess can be obtained for a short period of time. As a ruler 'Born in Purple' who deserved to rule because he was the first born of Darius 'the King,' rather than his older brother who was the first born of Darius 'the commoner.' The required skills for Xerxes are swordsmanship, fine arts, military tactics, archery, and various others that likely won't come into play. _________________________________________________________________________________________ NOBLE PHANTASMS
Title: Destruction of Greek Athens - They Plundered the Temple and Burnt the Whole of the Acropolis. Rank: A NP Type: Anti-Fortress Range: 1~50 Maximum Number of Targets: 999 Description: The destruction of Athens, burned by command of Xerxes. Perhaps as punishment for the death of his father? Or perhaps something more. To prove he could when no other great heroes would rise up against him? This is a recreation of the destruction of that city, an overwhelming attack, in two phases. When unleashed, a single arrow is notched, and fired into the air. It comes down from above, guided by the hand of his God Ohrmazd. That single arrow becomes the destruction of Athens, and the destruction of the greek god's temples. This noble phantasm crashes down onto a territory, spreading out rapidly and destroying a territory. The cursed fire will consume all that lay within that territory, dealing damage over time to anything that does not immediately succumb to it. The fire is cursed, and will burn without end, and finally after a while, a second strike. If the first strike does not work, a second is ushered in. The second strike is a final blow, just to be sure. Though the second strike is only anti-army in rank, rather than the initial Anti-Fortress strike. Once it hits, the second strike transforms the area into "the ruins of Athens." There, Xerxes and his army are refreshed with greater strength, as this is a territory where his legend is most well recalled.
Title: Athanaton Ten Thousand - Immortal Ten Thousand Soldiers Rank: A NP Type: Anti-Army Range: 1~99 Maximum Number of Targets: 500 Description: The immortal Athanatoi corps of Xerxes, his army of ten thousand elite men turned into a Noble Phantasm. Having existed as historical fact, the legends established in later years causes their nature as indestructible and immortal to be emphasized. Transformed into moving corpses and walking skeletons. They gather together to form a 'war machine of death' that blocks out the sun with a barrage of projectiles. The overwhelming force of such an attack exterminates Xerxes's enemies with a "terrifying blow of magical power." It moves only under the commands of Xerxes, and it's devoted to annihilate the enemies of the king. Conceptually, it is the exact same noble phantasm as the one used by the later king, Darius III. The primary difference is that Xerxes led the army in their prime. When they faced their greatest foes, and watched them grow alongside him. As such, the army is far more pristine. Unlike the obviously undead force that obeys his descendant, the army looks like a true fighting force, with their faces hidden by masks of silver.
Name: Ariadne Acratophorus Title(s): Gender: Female Age: 46 (She still looks about 18. Don't judge her.) Alignment: Lawful Chaotic (Doesn't make sense, does it?) Rank: Fes
Objective for the Grail: To Preserve the Mystery of the World, and to punish all who might endanger it.
Personality: Chaotic, whimsical, her world exists around the next interest. She's not a horrible person, but she operates under her own rules. The laws? Whatever pleases her. And sometimes, if it seems fun to break those rules, she will. She isn't outright malicious, and like a cult leader she tries to sway others to her cause. Inviting them to her, and drowning out their senses. Is she evil? Not really. Her goal is the betterment of humanity. That just happens to be a case of 'What's good for me is good for humanity.' So take that as you will.
Biography: The Cult of Dionysus is a marvel. A worshiping cult of wine, party, and freedom. To surrender yourself to a primal state of being. This is the source of the Acratophorus family. People who went in too far had to band together. And amongst them, they became the leaders, who led the cult. Those who fell behind them became a part of their family. There was no time for pain. When it was you and they... In beautiful ecstasy. Freedom forever. The origin of what would become the Acratophorus family who worshiped the god Bacchus. Who would reach out, and take his mysteries, and protect them from the world. Perhaps that is why the Dionysus Mysteries have remained so strong, even in the modern era. This family became a cornerstone of a community. They became a traditional family in time, and despite their origins accepting anybody, those anybodys became important somebodies. Teachers, students, drinkers and priests. At least that's their story. The claim they tell themselves. The reality is more likely that they are a more modern cult of Dionysus, rather than one from the age of Gods. Though the truth is rather buried. In order to preserve their knowledge, they became one of the earliest families to side with the Wandering Sea. Their resources put to attempting to push the cult of Dionysus back to the old days. Enter Ariadne, the latest in a line of daughters who would carry such a name. It still held great mystery, and importance to the god they loved after all. She was a natural prodigy of a sort. Probably would have been a priestess of a grand revelry if the times were different. But there was something that she took very seriously at a young age. The preservation of magecraft, it's histories, it's understandings. To never let it drift away. If she did, she would fail her duty in preserving the god her family worshiped. She has left the Wandering Sea to get involved in the recent Grail War. Seeing it as both an opportunity to possibly learn magic from the Age of Gods, but also to win, and to use her wish for the purpose of drawing that lost magic back into the world.
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Magic Circuit Switch: Smell of Fermenting Grapes
Number of Magic Circuits: B Quality of Magic Circuits: B
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Elemental Affinity: Wind _________________________________________________________________________________________ Magecraft: - General Magecraft Everybody knows this stuff. HA! What a joke. Who needs it? Me, I do. It's useful.
- Dionysian Mysteries The sacred rites of the Greek God, Dionysius. The Dionysian Mysteries were a ritual of ancient Greece and Rome which sometimes used intoxicants and other trance-inducing techniques (like dance and music) to remove inhibitions and social constraints, liberating the individual to return to a natural state. It also provided some liberation for those marginalized by Greek society: women, slaves, outlaws, and non-citizens. In their final phase the Mysteries shifted their emphasis from a chthonic, underworld orientation to a transcendental, mystical one, with Dionysus changing his nature accordingly. By its nature as a mystery religion reserved for the initiated, many aspects of the Dionysian cult remain unknown and were lost with the decline of Greco-Roman polytheism. The primary means of using these mysteries is to call upon them to reduce a person to their natural state. While once upon a time they might have had the strength to reduce a man to a bull or goat in physical form, it instead now reduces their mental inhibitions. Bringing chaos, savagery, and sending them wild. A man who was a scholar and teacher might strip off his clothing and strike another dead with a rock he found on the ground if in too deep. Or, to make a woman dance about, seducing others to surrender their minds and dance. Dying once the music, and their lives have ended. But, it can liberate one from pain. Healing wounds with a cup of wine. It is the magical power of freedom itself. With this magecraft, one can even tap into the powers of the underworld, or strengthen the human body to ignore pain. Or to raise some to a heightened awareness. Its uses are as endless as a drunken mind.
- Familiar Craft Standard familiar craft. It is only raised from the standard level in that through her Bacchic Rites, she has created beasts of man, and goat. Artificial Satyrs that are utilized at a kind of personal guard. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Magic Crest: While the family lineage makes claims that they go back to ancient Rome when Bacchic Rites were first introduced. Though the reality is far less flashy, and the crest is only around 900 years old, despite protests that it is far older. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Equipment:
- Satyr Bodyguards (Familiars) x2: Her personal bodyguards. Two artificial Satyrs, who cannot speak, but can be disguised in such a way to be mistaken for an average, if really bulky, man. Their personal strength is on par with that of a body builder, and they can utilize most man-made weapons. Their use as bodyguards is most necessary when Ariadne is out in public. - Bacchic Wine Glasses: A large cask of wine, and a set of other glasses. The cask of wine is the centerpiece, and will fill with wine on its own through the wine houses of the Acratophorus family. The glass goblets can then be filled by magically pulling from the cask. Simply put, it's a never ending goblet. Magecraft can by utilized by using the cask as the catalyst. Filling a cup uses magical energy. - Kantharos: A drinking horn made from the horn of a bull. Traditionally used for drinking, but with some slight changes makes a useful hunting horn. It's origins as a drinking horn have imbued it with the quality of drunken revelry, and madness. When blown into, the echoing sounds can fill nearby people with delusions and warp their minds. Making them wild, savage, or just looking for a good time. It's a powerful source of mental-interference.
Exceptional Benefit: Supply Line - Acratophorus Family (And associates)
Personally, I'd kind of like if the history was written down, rather than linked. Nothing kills my interest in a character harder than being linked to the entire epic, or the wikipedia page. Flavor it up a little or something.
I have some ideas for masters and servants, so consider me interested. At the moment, I have something for just about any class, so I'm flexible depending on what other people want to play.
Class:Caster True Name: Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (Raphael) Alignment: Chaotic Good Bio: Raphael was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur. Together with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, he forms the traditional trinity of great masters of that period. Raphael was enormously productive, running an unusually large workshop and, despite his death at 37, leaving a large body of work. Many of his works are found in the Vatican Palace, where the frescoed Raphael Rooms were the central, and the largest, work of his career. The best known work is The School of Athens in the Vatican Stanza della Segnatura. After his early years in Rome, much of his work was executed by his workshop from his drawings. He was extremely influential in his lifetime, though outside Rome his work was mostly known from his collaborative printmaking. After his death, the influence of his great rival Michelangelo was more widespread until the 18th and 19th centuries, when Raphael's more serene and harmonious qualities were again regarded as the highest models. ____________________________________________________________ Parameters: STR: E | AGI: C | END: E | MGI: A | LCK: A | NP: EX ____________________________________________________________ Class Skills:
- Territory Creation A+: Vasari says that Raphael eventually had a workshop of fifty pupils and assistants, many of whom later became significant artists in their own right. This was arguably the largest workshop team assembled under any single old master painter, and much higher than the norm. This is partially true. These pupils and assistants were in reality a collection of automatons he had created himself. Ones that could copy his delicate brush strokes. Covering them in paints and clothing to make them impossible to discern from humans. as such, his workshop is greater than any other workshop of his time, including that of the fabulous Da Vinci. Thus the rank. - Item Construction A: A Caster-class Skill. It is the Skill to manufacture magical items, from implements of war to items for daily use. Also, this Skill requires time to gather components and manufacture items. Raphael is a genius of the arts. A mastercraft who's works echo through history. He was the pioneer of the arts in his time. It is possible for him to make automatons that are perfect replicas of people, to a point where one might live with one for years, and not even realize they're fakes.
Personal Skills:
- Natural Born Genius A: A Skill that shows one who has 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 A~B Rank. As a genius of his era, there is no doubt in the mind that Raphael deserves such a skill. But it is limited in a way. As he is not the 'omnipotent' genius of Da Vinci, nor was he a wild eccentric, he is fit only to be a genius, rather than a wild madman who would possess this skill at EX. - Familiars (Automatons) C: Raphael is never alone. Rather he is surrounded by his pupils. A series of automatons that exist to copy and replicate his genius work. Because they went on to become talented artists after his death, these automatons are all viable casters in their own sense. But as their genius comes from Raphael, they are effectively incapable of creating things that he himself cannot make. - Pioneer of the Stars EX: The unique Skill given to heroes that became turning points in human history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered "impossible" turn into "events that can be realized". A genius of the arts, who followed the rules, but somehow managed to create something beyond them. He is one who works within the confines of human knowledge to create true art. Impossible to replicate.
Noble Phantasms:
Title: Dilexisti nobilissimus: Most Famous and Most Loved Rank: EX NP Type: Anti-Horrendous Architecture Range: - Maximum Number of Targets: - Description: The genius of Raphael is in how even a sketch was deliberate. Detailed. Inspired by both the area around him, and the area it should occupy. Including his presence and perspective in a location. This is why for a time, he was the most adored architect in all of Rome, even surpassing the beloved Da Vinci in fame. As such, his noble phantasm is no doubt the ability to improve upon the structure of the world around him. This is a Reality Marble, born from either the genius of Raphael, or perhaps an inhumane presence built into the core of his being. Or maybe he just willed it as such to challenge Leonardo. This is a world that exists as 'The Mind' of Raphael. A collection of all buildings, structures, and domains he had ever seen or imagined in his lifetime. A city, a world composed of his works that stretch into eternity. Raphael becomes in effect master of a domain. In this defined area, often mapped out in his mind, he can manipulate all aspects of said space. Moving alleys, or the internal elements of a location about with the simplest of ease. For example, taking an alleyway with a dead end, and simply adjusting the spatial parameters so that this alley can go from one side of a city to another, and drop one off at a nearby museum when it's over. Even the act of climbing a set of stairs can lead one to run in place forever, gaining no ground or distance. It even becomes possible to leave one room in a building, and enter the same room. It just makes sense to Raphael that his world can connect in such a way. While active, all allies to Raphael gain an 'internal compass' that allows them to navigate the impossible labyrinth. Skills like divination or Clairvoyance though may help one navigate the maze, but even then success is not completely guaranteed in finding the way out.
Extra Info: - Raphael utilizes quite a few simple weapons. Primarily ones that can be hidden under his clothing. For maneuvering, he utilizes a series of mechanical spider-legs that can be ejected from a pack on his back. Otherwise, he utilizes a series of elemental weapons that are hidden under the sleeves of his jacket. - Raphael considers DaVinci to be another of his rivals. It is unknown if she feels the same way. - Raphael likes that a turtle was named after him.
