Fandom Fate/Exitium: Stained Grail War

[Kuru Kishi]

Theta stood there for a moment gazing upon his newly summoned servant. It looked to be a woman. She looked a bit too beautiful to be a warrior. Yet at the same time she had an air about her. Like the absolute aura of deception itself. It felt like the voice of a killer reassuring it's victim, but holding a gun at the back of its head.


"I am Saber." She said. Theta sighed to himself. A vague answer right off the back. Whatever. Theta figured she must be confused about what is going on too. He looked up to see a sword pointed at him. Saber then demanded he bring her tea and cakes of the age. Theta rolled his eyes. Not even five minutes in and she was already making demands. Also, what did she mean by tea and cakes. What time period did she come from? Any tea from this age would taste like crap, and as far as cakes go, well I doubt they were covered in concentrated sugar back then. Luckily for her, he had his own stash of snacks that he took with him everywhere.


"Fine, come and sit down."said Theta. He snapped his fingers and a table with two chairs were formed out of darkness. On top there was a pot full of tea and a plate with cookies. He was saving this for another time since in his pocket realm everything would stay the same until he brought it out. Even the tea was still steaming just like when he put it in there.

 

[Havoc]

Saber glanced at the table and chairs that materialized. "Hmm." She pondered, moving her gaze to the tea and cookies atop the black table. 'Certainly not cake, but . . .' She silently conceded and took a seat in the chair closest to her, intent on sating her sweet tooth. She made a point of withdrawing two ornate cups from within her own storage as if she had been challenged to see who kept more inane things on their person at any one time. 'I'd win.', she thought with a needlessly large grin on her face. She moved to fill both cups, pouring the steaming liquid into the first and then the other a moment later with practiced delicacy.


She scooted the plate of cookies over closer to her and picked one up, scrutinizing it. She devoured it in two bites, daintily sipping her tea afterwards. Lowering her cup, she fixed the man with a firm gaze and cleared her throat. "Tell me, Summoner," she spoke with a commanding tone, purposefully avoiding the proper term for their current relationship. "Why did you summon me?" While the war itself only vaguely interested her, what always captivated her, each time she was allowed to experience it, was what she had come to refer to as 'the human element'. The unpredictableness they all seemed to have that separated them from being such as Elpis who was nothing more than the personification of Hope. While she seemed human to many, her 'personality' was nothing more than a mish-mosh of traits she picked up from those who she had fought alongside, champions of hope. 'Why, of all the possible summons, did this man summon me?' She doubted the answer would be simple, if he even knew why to begin with.

 

[ValkyrieRose]

Rosettetook a breath, annoyed at his refusal. "You should have just sai what you wanted then...or will you refuse a meal your host went of her way to prepare?" She asked, She watched her strange servant examine the maps, glad that he was finally doing something useful. "It's a relatively new city, as far as ages and eras go." She said. "This city does, however, contain multiple ley lines, perfect for casting magic. If I was a Caster class servant, I woul set up base here." She said, marking the temple. "That is, if their smart. I have no intel yet as to the locations of anyone, though I do have scouts." She says, 'Scouts' referring to some familiars she had out looking for command seals. It wasn't much to go off of but..well, what can you do? Good help was hard to find.


"Oh, these people? Don't worry, they will be perfectly fine. They are just different than the usual people you are used to. The undead have their uses, after all." She said. "You probably didn't come across vampires in your time, did you? I would guess not...we're a rare breed, after all." She says with a smile. "Well then, does any location i particular strike you as worthwile?"

 

[Kuru Kishi]

Theta thought to himself, trying to find the answer. To be honest, he didn't really know. Yeah, there was the whole families revenge ordeal, but he really didn't care about something that old. He could try and get his own revenge on his father, but he knew that wouldn't be satisfying for long. So what exactly do he want? The only thing he knew was that his heart had been darkened and only one thing could bring him true pleasure. Triumph. He welcomed a challenge and saw it as a way to make himself stronger. Even that was too vague an answer, but he knew his true desires would awaken in the war.


Theta shrugged."I just wanna win this war. Apparently there's a wish at the end of it all. Whatever I want will be clear to me then." He realized his answer was too vague anyway. Then he looked up at her and smirked. "Besides, what's the fun in simply telling anyways?"

 

[Alligot]

@ValkyrieRose


There was no flashy entrance. No crashing through the roof, landing in a cool position amongst furniture. No sudden attacks. The result might have been underwhelming, except...


Before Aura stood an imposing, frightening figure. Easily seeming over six feet tall, the servant seemed to tower over the master. They were clad in heavy red lamellar plate, traditional to ancient samurai. Yet, instead of a typical demonic mask, they wore a vibrant white porcelain one under their helmet, like a strange mannequin. On their hip stood two swords of widely varying lengths, and in one hand they held a vicious-looking polearm.


The servant glanced down towards Aura, a masked gaze that once terrified the battlefield. A gloved hand rose, carefully prying the mask from under their helmet. One would expect a grizzled, war-weary face, hard lines and a true man's scowl. What was revealed were attractive, feminine features, and a small smile.


"There shouldn't be any mask, any deception between a retainer and their servant, don't you agree?" She said, a shrewd tone definitely present in her voice. She tossed the mask aside, sending it shattering into a hundred tiny, ornate pieces against the wall. And as if on cue, her armor did the same, cracking and breaking around her, before falling and... outright disappearing. However, even without armor, what was left behind was still rather formidable. A well-built woman of rather tall stature, with long, perfectly-black hair. She wore a simple robe-like garment, one that someone who has watched a samurai or kung-fu movie in the past would likely recognize.


"Are you my master? The one who summoned me?" As she spoke, the servant's smile slid away, and her tone adopted a formal edge.

 

[Havoc]

The grin previously on her face returned at her Master's last comment. She picked up another cookie between her thumb and index finger and took a bite. "You know," She spoke while shaking the cookie lightly in his direction. "We might get along after all." Finishing the delicious sweet, she took another sip of her tea and carefully wiped her mouth delicately. "Know this though, Summoner. If your goals are still questionable once we inevitably win this war, I will wish to counter whatever you wished, without even knowing what it was. My wish is to see the continuation of the world for as long as possible. I won't allow the folly of man to shorten it." Her tone was serious and her stare dared him to question if she'd do such a thing. 'I will ensure the perpetuation of myself above all else . . .'


After a terse moment she spoke again, this time in a reassuring manner. "You will win the grail, have no doubt about that Summoner. Just be prepared and it will be fine." With that said, she finished the tea in her own cup and poured the remaining cup's contents back into the kettle. The cookies quickly followed, disappearing off the plate for her consumption later on. "If you don't know your own goal in this war of grails, I suppose it would be too much to assume you have a plan?"

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

Somewhere, in the outskirts of Fukyuki city, a blonde haired male stood by his lonesome. He was in a safe place, as he constantly checked to see if anyone else was here beforehand and even then, he was still in his element. The shadows from the numerous trees should keep him safe should someone come. His emerald green eyes observed the magic circle he drew.


"This should do it..." He said to himself, with an excited grin.


He had already met the priest earlier in the day, and got himself registered. The boy was excited to finally meet his new Servant and thus, he begun the chant.

"Let silver and steel be the essence.


Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation."

He then closed his eyes.​

"Let green be the color I pay tribute to.


Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall."


He pointed to the sky.


"Let the four cardinal gates close.


Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate."


Both of his arms then extended to both of his eyes and he yelled the final part of the chant at the top of his lungs.


"Let it be filled! Again. Again. Again. Again. And AGAIN!!!


Let it be filled fivefold for every turn, simply breaking asunder with every filling!!!"



​

He gave a sigh after he was finished.

​

God, i hope i did that right... He thought to himself. And then suddenly, a pillar of light appeared from the circle, and someone appeared.

 

[Kuru Kishi]

Theta nodded in response. "Don't worry, I do not desire to end mankind or anything. If anything I'd be making sure 'He' doesn't..." He looked down and thought to himself. He mission was to bring his father the Grail. What his father would do with it, he had no idea. Whatever it was, it wouldn't be good for anyone but him. He says he wants revenge on the three families. Since they are the three strongest Mage families, once they are gone the Remoras would be the strongest. Something tells Theta it wouldn't end there. He couldn't bring his father the Grail. What to do with it then....


He shook himself out of thought. "Ahh, as far as a plan goes, I have something in mind. There's a reason I summoned you here. You were summoned from Pandora's box. I couldn't do it in Greece, but I figured on this sky scraper you would be closer to the heavens. That should give you some sort of boost or something, that plus I had the entire artifact instead of just a piece." He walked over to the edge. As high as they were, they could see the entire city. "Also from up here we have a serious advantage. We should be able to see the light from any summoning or notice any battles. For now we observe the competition and find any weaknesses." Theta turned towards Saber with a grim look. "Also, if possible I want to keep a close eye on the priest. He may have tricked the others but I've grown up in darkness so I know it when I see it. That man is dangerous."

 

[Havoc]

The identity of the 'he' her Master referred to intrigued her, but she chose to remain silent and inquire about it later and focus on the other topic at hand. "While I commend your forward thinking, this location works both for and against us in much the same way. While we may be able to see summonings below, my own summoning was just as likely to draw eyes upwards. We also have to hope they don't conduct the ritual somewhere where the light wouldn't be visible." She paused briefly, considering saying more on their location, but decided to let him assess current risk versus reward situation.


"Tell me," She changed the subject back to what he had first spoke of, and part of the reason for the location for the ritual. "If you know what catalyst you used was and conducted the ritual 'closer to heaven' do you not already know my identity, or at least have some guess, floating about in that head of yours?" Saber began walking the perimeter of the roof, gazing out over the city quietly for a while before spotting a church she assumed was the one with this priest in it. Holding her hand out to the side, she closed her hand around the grip of her sword. "He should be removed." She prepared to leap off the building and then paused. "Unless priests serve dark gods in these days?" She spoke it as a question. While the grail granted her knowledge of the current world, one could not account for each individual church and location. Hope bore no ill-will towards dark gods, after all, it was often their machination that kept her alive.

 

[Kuru Kishi]

Theta shook his head. "No, priests do not serve dark gods. However that priest is different. I cannot tell who he serves." He stood on the edge of the building. The wind picked up and his shirt began to blow a bit. He thought to answer her two other questions. He actually had decent answers this time. He was sure she would be satisfied.


"About the summoning location. I have already considered all of those facts. That is precisely why this location is the best. The battle has already started, you see. If they are careful, they will summon in a place that cannot be seen. If they do not, they didn't think about it very much. This means strategy wouldn't be their strongest suit. Also, if they see us what will they do then? Are they hotheaded enough to rush into battle or will they sit back and watch. Just by watching these initial actions I can get into the enemies mind. It's the first step to victory." He paused for a second. He had just said a mouthful and wished to not bore Saber.


As for who she was... He had some sort of idea. Her words contradicted themselves and it was confusing him. She wants humanity to continue living, but seems to prefer dark gods. He put his hand to his head. His vein was pulsing out just a bit and his head began to get hot. He thought deeper about the type of aura she gave off. Like a bright light, but one that could not exist without a deep darkness. That plus she came out of Pandora's box...


His head snapped up and his eyes widened. Then they narrowed a bit as he turned to Saber. He quietly said one word. "Hope."

 

[ValkyrieRose]

For a moment, Aura could only stand there, looking at the figure that towered above her. Aura wasn't the shortest person in the universe, she as of middling height... but this being almost towered above her in a creepy manner. For a brief moment, the person before her had been in a slightly scary mask, although Aura couldn't say why exactly it was scary..maybe it was just the fact that that such a masked, towering figure had appeared before her in such a light... but she couldn't afford to show fear, not hear.


Aura was quick to regain her composure, however. Despite the suddenness, a figure appearing before her was expected...it was the purpose of the spell, after all. “You're correct... trust is what we need more than anything.” She said. It was true, if the Master and Servant were at odds from the word' Go', it wouldn't have boded well for her chances to win this. She needed to survive, and that meant she needed to trust her partner. “I am the one who summoned you. My name is Aura Tohsaka... I am not the strongest master, or even the strongest mage. I know next to no spells and am probably the weakest of the masters.... but thank you for answering my summons.” She says with a smile. Her servant was very beautiful in how she looked, and her black hair matched her own... Aura even had a similar mask, one that she had used to travel to the church.


Looking at her... Aura knew she could become stronger as well. It was something she had to do, something she was prepared for. “Despite all that, I'll try my hardest not to let you down. Would you like a short while to rest, or shall we inspect the city together?”


..


Nimue felt an eagerness, an excitement before she even fully materialized. There had been nothing flashy when she appeared, just a short burst of light and thus, the blue haired woman stood, facing the one who called her, sizing him up at a glance. As far as magic went, she felt enough to sustain her and some of her magic with relative ease, depending on the spells she chose to use. She could feel the pact that had been made when she received the summons... she briefly wondered why it was her to appear. Did they share something similar, or was a catalyst used? Though interested, it wasn't even worth asking.


She stepped out of the circle, one of her hands making a circular motion, drawing the water within the air, and just paused, manipulating it as she thought about the various things, like the location where she summoned. It was a good location, quiet and undisturbed. At least she wasn't somewhere stupid, like somewhere high up.


As part of the chivalry of ld, she gave a slight curtsy. “Greetings, Master. I am Nimue, and I enter this war as a Caster class servant.” She says. “Is there a place that isn't open where we can talk? As one who falls under the Caster, I have the prerogative to create a territory. It would be my advice to do this as soon as we can so we have a safe place to operate. Is there a source of water close by?” She asked with a smile

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

The young man smiled at his new servant. He felt relieved. She didn't seem like she was the confrontational type; in fact, she seemed like someone he could get along with perfectly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Nimue." He responded politely. "My name is Akiyama Yukiteru. But my friends call me Yuki." Yuki reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a map of the city. "Hmm..." He muttered as he scanned the paper. "We should be here." He pointed at a spot on the city map, the outskirts. "There's a body of water nearby west of here. It looks like it may be a lake. If we don't have a quicker way to get there, the walk should be around 2 or 3 minutes. Will that do?" He put the map back into the pocket of his jacket and looked up at her.

 

[Alligot]

@ValkyrieRose


"Then the pact is formed. My body, my blade, and my loyalty are yours." The servant replied. "I am Tomoe, and I, too, am not the strongest servant. My magic resistance is so horrid that even you could harm me, and it completely negates the bonus I get as being one of the knight classes. My stats are not exceptional, and I lack a purely offensive noble phantasm. So, do not feel too bad. We're both in the boat of mediocrity together." Tomoe parroted Aura's speech, her tone half-mocking, half-humble. She didn't speak with disrespect, but with mild humor.


The samurai walked past her master, heading towards the door. As she opened it, she turned to Aura, saying, "I have just been summoned, Master. There is absolutely no better time to scout. Come, we can discuss more as I evaluate the battlefield."





She paused for a moment, as if suddenly remembering something. "Oh, wait - Master, where are we? And what era is this?"


Judging from the peculiar way that Aura dressed, one of them were going to stand out, Aura in her unladylike garb, or Tomoe, wearing the traditional kimono that all samurai of her status wore.

 

[Havoc]

"Tch. Cheater." Saber waved a hand to dismiss her words and then brushed the free strands of hair the wind blew into her face back behind her ear. 'Only so many things could come from Pandora's Box anyways.', she figured. She didn't particularly care whether he knew or not, but the fact that he came to the conclusion based on the small amount of information gave her some small reassurance that he was at least somewhat capable. Knowing or not knowing, her job remained the same. "That's right. Elpis, Hope, the one thing everyone clings to when all is dark and grey." The urge to boast about how everlasting and ever present she was rose with the words she spoke, but she pushed it down and stopped herself from saying any more. Instead, addressing their previous discussion about plans and the other participants in the war.


"While I won't argue it's an important aspect, they may be trying the same tactic that you are employing. If they know they have a powerful Heroic Spirit they may choose to openly summon as a method of intimidation or even more so if they have a Heroic Spirit that is not well known, but has a certain ability in which they can ensure victory, they may try and provoke an attack by using the assumption it's not a strong Servant." While Hope was no strategist, she had learned much from being a part of some. Strategists had to hope for the best, but plan for the worst. 'Not a good way to live. It all starts bleeding together at some point or another.' A small sigh escaped her lips. Without knowledge of the other Masters she had little grounds to assume which of the two ways they might act, or if they'd act in accordance with anything they had discussed. 'Perhaps he might.'


"Summoner, is it possible you have any knowledge on those participating? Identities would be best, but simple possibilities would give us places to keep an eye on besides the priest you spoke of. If we have a vantage point here, we should use it to the best of our abilities." Looking out to the edge of the city and slowly moving her gaze inwards, she went through the Servants she would be competing with. "I would especially like to take care of Assassin. His subterfuge grants him a unique advantage I doubt others will have and is thus a large threat to you." All of her opponents would pose their own set of unique challenges, but she disliked the thought of the opportunistic Assassin avoiding battle only to deal a fatal blow to her Master when she could not defend against it.

 

[Kuru Kishi]

Theta closed his eyes and tried to remember everyone he saw. He had been watching from the shadows as everyone registered to see if he recognized anyone. He recognized three of them, but only because his clan was spying on the three families. He opened them and nodded to Hope. "Yes, I know of three of them. However it does not extend further then their names. Kana and Aura Tohsaka. Kana is the true heir and should be very well versed in magic. I am not sure how potent she is, but she could potentially be a threat. Aura, on the other hand, shouldn't even know any magic. At least she learned none from her family. Yet for some reason the Grail chose her... We must keep an eye on her. Perhaps her weakness can make her available for an alliance. We may even be able to get info on Kana through her. Then there is Takeshi Matou. I do not know much about him, but the Matou family has always been shady. I would not be surprised if he had some tricks up his sleeve."





Theta stepped down from the ledge. Then he remembered someone else caught his eye. "Oh yes, there was one more. A woman by the name of, Isaveil. It seems she had already summoned her Servant at an earlier time. Her servant must be exceptional due to the benefits of the summoning grounds. It was not inline with rules, however she got off with no protest from the priest. She must be cinnected with one of the three families. Unfortunately, I doubt any of the people I've seen will summon Assasin. We must be careful not to be noticed until we can locate him. I suggest we abandon our current positions."





He began to move towards the door on the roof. They would head down into a room that he had rented prior. Even if someone had noticed their summoning, they would not be able to see their faces at the height they were at. Located them inside a hotel would not be a possibility. If they attempted to destroy the entire building... Theta smiled to himself. His hand balled itself up into a fist at his side. Well if they were that crazy, this whole thing might turn out to be fun after all. "Alright let's go." He said opening up the door. He turned and looked at Hope, noticing her clothing would not fit in very well. "And change your clothes. If you walk around like that you'll give us away."

 

[Archer]

@CrimsonEclipse


Kana prepared the summoning circle within the foyer of the Tohsaka mansion. She had cleared the room of furniture and had placed a bounded field around it that blocked energy from leaving, so that she would have her presence be anonymous for the most part. The circle was made of a bright crystalline powder, which now glowed with an ethereal purple hue as the summoning inched nearer. At it's center was a worn spinal chord dug up from a remote are of Ireland. Kana dusted her hands with satisfaction, noting that everything for the ritual was now complete. She stepped back briskly, viewing it swiftly and checking that all things were in order. Kana held a silk pouch in her right hand, full with prana infused jewels crushed into an extremely fine powder. An entire decades worth of prana was stored in here, and all in preparation for a possible grail war.


Kana breathed in, feeling her muscles tense before pouring in with a familiar electrifying explosion of energy which she felt before any usage of magic. She exhaled, her mind becoming clearer and more active, the world around her growing clearer and livelier. Kana felt eager now, ready and confident to a fault, a result of her explosive origin perhaps. Kana grasped the silk bag tightly before slinging it at the summoning circle while holding onto the bag with her fingers. Finely powdered ruby crystals shimmered in the air, glowing brightly as their energy poured forth into the summoning.


Kana closed her eyes and held out her hand towards the circle, as if conducting her mana into the circle. She forcefully chanted out the summoning ritual, with a pride and steadfast belief borne from being a proud heir of the Tohsaka family.





"Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Let each be turned over five times, simply breaking asunder the fulfilled time.


Let silver and steel be the essence. Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation. Let my great master Schweinorg be the ancestor. Raise a wall, against the wind that shall fall. Close the four cardinal gates. Come out from the crown. Rotate the three-branched road reaching the Kingdom.


– I shall declare here. Your body shall serve under me. My fate shall be with your sword. Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail. If you will submit to this will and this reason…… then answer!


– 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! – From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power, come forth from the ring of restraint, Protector of the Balance!"

 

[ValkyrieRose]

Nimue was glad she had gotten a nice master, or one that seemed so, at any rate. “Yukiteru...that's an intresting name.” She says with a smile. As he pulls out a map, she bends over to examine it. “I thought I sensed as much, I'm just not yet acclimated to being in this world again.” She says. “A lake is more than perfect... it's ideal.” She said. Ah, to be around her element, it filled her with a slight excitement. “Let us head there, then. The faster we get a truly safe place, the better off we will be.” She says


A few minutes later, when they arrive, a since of peace enters her. Just seeing a lake reminded her of her home, so long ago. The cottage along the shore where she trained every day, both alone or with Merlin. That felt like ages ago... and it probably was. Her first act was to turn to her master, making a short motion over his head, then tapping him. “You have my protection now, Master. You may walk on waterm or breath under it.” She says with a warm smile, then proceeds to walk out to the lake. She does a slight twirl on the waters surface, then closes her eyes as she places her hand own on it, and begins to set up her Territory.


…


“I guess a similar Master calls for a similar servant.” Aura says with a slight laugh. “Still, thank you for being upfront with me about this. I doubt I can face them in magical combat, but I can deal with mages in the manner of humans.” She said, eyeing her Anti-Material Sniper Rifle, which was across the room. “We'll have to set up a situation in which only a servant can act. That shouldn't be too hard, if I use my bullets correctly.”


“We're in Japan. In the 21st century.” She said. She appeared at Tomoe, looking at her garments. “Hmm... you may be able to pass as a cosplayer but... I hear Servant's can take an ethereal form, can you do that until I buy you some clothes?” She asked, putting her jacket on and heading out the door while she talked to do just that.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

When they finally made it to the lake, Yuki began to look around. Hmm. This seems like a safe place to- His thoughts were interrupted by a tap on the head. "You have my protection now, Master. You may walk on water or breath under it.” His servant told him. "I can breathe.... Underwater?" The male asked excitedly as he ran to the lake, grinning stupidly and dunked his face in the water.

 

[Havoc]

Saber gave a huff, disliking the direct command. The fact that it was one she couldn’t complete didn’t help. “You’ll have to forgive me if I haven’t had time to gather a proper wardrobe for traipsing about. If you’ll recall, you only just summoned me. So, unless you’d rather I wander around in Victorian style dresses, which I don’t believe would help with subtlety, you might see about getting some brought to me.” She certainly didn’t disagree with the fact that she’d stick out like a sore thumb in the current setting, but given she’d only been here a few minutes, there was little she could do at the moment. “I will keep out of sight until then.” She faded away from view, taking on her spiritual form.


Despite being slightly miffed about his command, she was pleased to see he was taking things seriously enough to at least watch for other Masters and even consider possible troubles or alliances. She didn’t disagree with his logic, but she considered it part of her job to offer as many opinions and points as she could so they could be ready, come hell or high water. She spoke for his ears only, unseen and unheard by all others, as she followed him down off the rooftop. “I believe it would be in our best interest to handle the Tohsaka situation quickly. If they are of the same family, it’s within reason they will ally with each other. Though they may have already done so before the war began . . .” Two members of the same family participating in the war was not something she expected. While it wasn’t what she would call ideal, it could be played in their favor. Though there was equal chance it would go horribly wrong and lead to their deaths. “Nevertheless, if we can meet an agreement with one, it almost assures us safety from the other as well. If we cannot, I highly suggest putting a focus on eliminating the lesser threat: Aura, from the sounds of it. The possibility of her summoning Assassin is decent as I see it. If she doesn’t know magic like most other participants, she may have summoned Assassin based off its low parameters. This makes our focus on her, regardless of alliance or elimination more crucial.” She paused for a moment, letting him process her words as she thought on his previous ones with an invisible frown. “You said the last one, Isaviel, already had her Servant summoned? Could you garner anything about it?” She knew she was hoping for a lot, but that was simply part of her.


“We need to act quickly, but not carelessly. My suggestion would be to attempt contact with one of the Tohsakas in the next day or so and attempt to arrange something. While any info we gather is useful, we should put a focus on finding out anything we can about her Servant. Even if it is Assassin, so long as we meet on neutral grounds I’ll be able to protect you should they pull something.” She was confident in that fact. ‘So long as he doesn’t have homefield advantage, the edge is mine. Might have to do the same with Caster . . .’ There was an audible sigh at the lack of information she had, and despite talking down about the Assassin class’ abilities, she knew underestimating any Servant could lead to her death. This was more than a war of strength. She remained silent afterwards, mulling over what little information she did have. Suddenly, it dawned on her. 'That simply won't do.' There was a critical Master he failed to mention. "Your name, Summoner. It's only fair now that you have mine." The reasoning was slightly unnecessary, but she intended to stop any chance he had to argue. She got what she wanted, and human names weren't as easy to figure out as hers.

 

[Alligot]

@ValkyrieRose


Tomoe gave a slight frown, but still faded into dust at command. "I would insist you hurry. It makes me feel... uneasy, to be like this." The spectral guardian hovered around Aura, her keen eyes diligently watching for threats. While Tomoe was far from excellent in many factors, one unique skill she had was her protection. As long as she was physically manifested, she could either deflect or weather any harm that comes onto her master. This didn't apply in her spiritual form.


"I had assumed we were in my home country. I could feel it when summoned, the extra strength it infused within me. Of course, a more obvious tell would be the fact we're both speaking Japanese." She cheekily replied. "No, no, I wanted to know what province or city we were in, and what clan and Daimyo rule them. Knowing the battlefield we fight upon is essential."


As Aura walked, Tomoe followed silently (and invisibly) behind her master, occasionally slipping inside a nearby store or restaurant. Tomoe would say that she was scouting, looking for dangers or a master's territory. But she was incredibly curious, and felt a mixture of surprise, wonder, and eight-hundred-year-old grouchiness along the likes of "All these new generations have ruined Japan". But a question eventually rose in the warrior.


"Now, how much do you know about the enemy? Do you know any of them personally, perhaps?" Tomoe questioned, referring to the other masters. Even with Aura's inexperience - no, especially with her inexperience - they would need as much information about what they faced as humanly possible.

 

[Kuru Kishi]

Theta walked down the dark stairway. He pondered on the things Hope told him. Aura having summoned Assassin seemed highly unlikely. He didn't know what it was, but the two probably wouldn't fit. No... with her lack of magic and weak physique, it would probably be Caster. He would have to contact her tommorow to set up a meeting. "I highly doubt the sisters will team up. In fact I doubt Kana even knows her sister is participating. You see Aura should not be allowed to do magic as is the magus tradition. Only one gets to have a life in magic while the other one is normal. I bet she stole a catalyst from her family, so she won't be witn the Tohsakas. It shouldn't be too much trouble finding her though. I have a contact who is very well verse in tracking magic. She should be able to get you some clothes as well."





He continued down until he was at the wall connecting to the penthouse. He bought it for the next month in preparation and his connection should be there waiting for him. Theta stopped there and took a small black disk that was glowing with a red light. He pressed a button on it and it began to blink. It would glow green when everything was clear. He wanted to be sure no one saw him to keep himself anonymous. He was sure no one would hear him, so he addressed Hope's other question. "You asked my name. In my family, we aren't given names. We choose them after earning them by advancing our magic. My name is Theta. After the Greek character with connections with the meaning of death. This was originally because I was learning necromancy, but I gave that up a long time ago. Only me and a few of my personal team are named after the Greek characters as we have special magics no one else on our family has." A green light began to pour from his pocket. "But enough about me. It's time you met my other teammate."





He rushed down the hallway to the large doors at the end. He pushed them open revealing the large area that would be their home for the duration of the war. There were two floors that could be seen from the entrance. The lower area which was lined with glass that you could look out of and see the city. After walking up the black stairs there were two rooms with a kitchen in between. The entire place was fully furnished. In the lower area a young woman was sitting in the lower area. She was wearing black leather pants and a black tank top. On her right shoulder she had a tattoo of the symbol "Φ". She was sitting in front of a spread of knives and needles. She was cleaning them while taking extra care not to cut herself in the process. She glanced up at Theta as he walked in the door. She was chewing gum and blew a bubble, popping it loudly before she spoke. "Took you long enough. Where's the Servant at? Or were you just screwing around up there that whole time?"

 

[JusticeSword]

Saber and Isaviel have both arrived at their base, a large castle in the middle of an expansive forest, and the homunculus had already begun setting up various traps, seals and all sorts of other things to weaken or even lock out other Servants during her Servant's weaker hours. Most of them were various animals crafted out of what looked like white thread, which if they spotted a Servant or Master, would mob them, preferably the master. A few familiars were also formed out of this thread magic, used as spies so Saber would know to prepare himself.


"So, these will help us win the war?" Saber asked, looking at Isaviel. The girl simply nodded, focusing on the Einzbern craft. "So, we sit here during the night, and strike during the day?" Another nod. "Very well, here I shall wait." he agreed with a smile. The Servant sat there for about three seconds before asking: "Is there anything I can do to help?" Isaviel paused for a moment, thinking to herself.


"Start setting up strategies for any Servants that break through, or explore the castle, it's your choice." Isaviel replied with a smile. Saber nodded, standing and walking outside.

 

[ValkyrieRose]

Nimue would give something between an inward laugh and a groan. She couldn't really stop chanting to do such things- creating a power territory was an act that was going to take a while, plus there was the issue of making it comfortable. The bottom of a lake held nothing normal humans would like, so she was probably going to have to project a few chairs and the like. That could come later. She figured an anti servant field would be pretty handy- giving Servants who tried to get within a certain radius a powerful compulsion to turn back, lowering their stats if they refused to obey it. Coupled with a field to make normal humans ignore the activities of the lake, and a powerful magic boost,, not even mentioning the one she would get from being in the water, she would be quite nearly unstoppable...of course, that was only on the defensive, so she would have to advise her Master of this shortly.


Multiple barriers would take a long time, “Chances are, we are going to be grounded here for tonight, at least until I can finish my territory.” She finally spoke. “With the barriers I'm forming, trying to kill us will be a Herculean Task. Would you like to go to the bottom already? I can make some furniture and the life for you.” She said


–


Aura continued walking, heading over to one of the stores. Occasionally Tomoe would go into one of the stores, claiming she was scouting, and that made Aura smile. “I'd be curious if I hadn't been to my homeland and hundreds of years too, it's okay. We can always grab a bite to eat afterwords.” She said “We can walk around the entire store, If you like.”


Once Aura got to the store, she quickly made some quick choices. Something black would be best, to reduce visibility. Something like she was wearing, probably. Despite not being a mage, she still had that desire to not look like the normal punks that roamed the streets, why is why she always wore something slightly more formal. After getting Tomoe''s measurements, she bought the clothes, then went to a back alley to allow her to change into them.


“This is Fuyuki City, in the ____ providence.” She said. “While we have an Emperor, he's not really in power, more of a figure head. Most of the power is in the National Diet, a group of over 400 people elected by the people, and the Prime Minister holds most of the extra power.” She explained.


“And, well... I do know one of them. My sister is in this, Kana. I don't know what servant or magic she is using, but I'm completly certain she'll be in this. Unlike me, she inherited the Tohsaka magic crest, so she's one of the strongest mages in this fight... killing her won't be an easy task.”

 

[Havoc]

Floating invisibly along, Hope silently considered what Theta said. She lacked a lot of knowledge as to the exact situation right now and would defer to his judgment for the time being. However, if there was one thing she’d learned, it was that family ties were not to be casually ignored. She’d witnessed brother and sister fight for each other only moments after learning the other existed. Blood ties ran deep and often eclipsed rational thinking. ‘I will simply be extra vigilant in his place.’ She decided that the two Tohsaka siblings would require the extra attention for now, though as she learned of the other pairs that might well change. Saber gave a simple sound of understanding to having her tracked and wondered if it was possible to keep track of their movements rather than simply locate them. She would save the question for another time and simply followed her Master through the bleak halls of the penthouse.


The device Theta held drew her attention as it began a pulsating flash. While the grail gifted her with knowledge of technology so she could properly cope with the modern world, it lacked details and the strange device raised nothing but questions for her. Questions that would go unasked as his mention of necromancy made her bristle slightly. While there was nothing inherently wrong with neither death magic nor necromancy, they were both on a very slippery slope and rarely turned out to be beneficial to anything. “That is good, Summoner. The rites of the dead are theirs alone and should not be disturbed.” She relaxed, only to tense again when the light emanating from his pocket suddenly shifted to a solid green. ‘I was unaware progress meant making everything flashy and colorful . . .’ she thought in half agitation, though a part of it was at herself for being startled in the first place. She resolved to take the time to acquaint herself with the world when the time presented itself.


“Other team mate, Summ-“ She started to question him, but he was already off down the hallway and with a small sigh, she followed after him, catching up as he pushed open the doors into a rather lavish area with glass walls. ‘At least watch can be taken as needed.’ With a further glance around the room she gave a small satisfied nod. It wasn’t the most defensible place, but they were elevated, which means they had a vantage point and their height ensured they would be aware of most any attacker before it was too late. Hope’s attention was drawn away from the décor of the room as an irritating snap broke the relative silence. Moving her gaze to the source of the sound she saw a young woman with the ‘phi’ symbol tattooed onto her shoulder. She didn’t seem much like a magus. The way she spoke to her Master irked her and sh let her dark aura spread unbidden throughout the room, thickening the air with her unique sensation. Saber quickly closed the distance to the woman, pausing briefly for the sensation of her aura to sink in. She leaned forward and regained her physical form, whispering in the woman’s ear. “Phi, I presume?” Her voice was intentionally low and dark, for dramatic effect of course.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

Yuki pulled his head out of the water and laughed a bit, wiping his face with his shirt. He was impressed by the spell Caster just used on him. He then simply watched as his Servant create their territory in the lake. It seemed like a perfect base of operations for the two, nobody would suspect anyone to be hiding out at the bottom of a lake, and even if they did, Caster most likely had some defensive measures that he didn't know about, not to mention the power boost she would likely receive from being in a lake. He smiled. It seemed like they were going to be alright for a while. His thoughts were then interrupted by Nimue asking him if he wanted to go to the bottom of the lake.


"To the bottom? Yeah, sure. Furniture sounds great." He responded, staring off into space. "Oh by the way, do you think we should form an alliance with a few people?" He asked.