BlightGiver
Professional Brick Thrower
The world of Fate/Metamorphosis pulls from many various Fate series (of personal preference), to create a linear timeline of events preceding the story about to set forth. The most notable series are as follows: Fate/Zero, Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel, and Lord El-Melloi Case Files. There may be occurring references to aspects and events from these series, but understanding them or not will have little to no effect on the story of Fate/Metamorphosis. The following will be a comprehensive, albeit brief (for your convenience to show only the most important events to know), timeline.
Third Holy Grail War- 1939 Fuyuki, Japan
During this War, the Avenger Servant, Angra Mainyu was summoned by the Einzberns. As the Zoroastrian representation of shouldering all the worlds evil, he contaminated the contents of the Holy Grail after he was killed off early in the War. No longer would it grant wishes and give path to True Magic. Instead, now it was a source of destruction for everything on the planet, with Angra Mainyu still inside, attempting to be released via the events in the 4th and 5th Holy Grail Wars so that he could curse everyone on Earth to death, just as was his purpose.
Fate/Zero- 1994 AD-Fuyuki City, Japan
In Fate/Zero, we have the 4th Holy Grail War taking place in Fuyuki City, Japan. Seven Masters partnered with seven Servants duke it out for the promised Holy Grail that can grant all their wishes.
Among them are Kiritsugu Emiya and his homunculus wife, Irisviel Einzbern. Together, they have a homunculus daughter, Illyasviel Einzbern. Partnered with the Saber Servant, Artoria Pendragon, they fight the other Masters to secure their right to the Grail. However, Kiritsugu's homunculus family was created to be vessels for the contents of the Holy Grail, so that the Einzbern's could have direct access to the Grail's magic and ultimately, immortality.
Another Master, Waver Velvet, an inexperienced mage lacking in confidence, performs some sneaky tactics to catalyst summon the Rider Servant, Alexander the Great.
And finally, the Holy Church sends Kotomine Kirei, an interesting Executor to guide over the War, ensuring that the resulting battles do not lead to civilian casualties. He is a strange man with hidden tendencies, secretly finding joy in the suffering of others, though he is not fully aware of this at this time.
Another important Master is Tokiomi Tohsaka, Rin Tohsaka and Sakura Matou's father. He summons the Archer Servant, Gilgamesh. Additionally, he lets go of his daughter Sakura Tohsaka, who is adopted into the Matou family to become the heir of their magic crest.
Zouken Matou, the grandfather of Shinji Matou and now Sakura Matou, summons an Assassin class Servant. What's most important, however, is that he subjects Sakura to horrific experiments in order for her to bear the Matou magic crest, keeping her in a pit of crest worms and other bugs. Begind the scenes, Zouken also was turning Sakura into a Vessel for the Holy Grail. She lives a tortured existence with the Matous until 2004.
Conclusion: The 4th Holy Grail War ended in complete chaos. Most other Masters and Servants died. Kotomine Kirei became Gilgamesh's Master and killed Tokiomi. Irisviel is used to open the Grail, which started to spill its contents into Fuyuki. Kiritsugu and Kirei fought to the death, with Kirei dying. Kiritsugu had Artoria destroy the Grail they earned as the War's winners, closing off the opening to the Greater Grail. The contents that had spilled caused fires and destruction, tainting anyone that it touched. Kotomine Kirei and Gilgamesh were submerged in the contents, resurrecting Kirei and making Gilgamesh reincarnate into a flesh and blood human. Shirou Emiya's biological family is killed in the fires, but he's found and adopted by a distraught Kiritsugu. He instills the idea of becoming a hero of justice into Shirou's mind.
Lord El Melloi Case Files-2004 AD England
Waver Velvet was in trouble with the association. Because he had stolen the catalyst for summoning Alexander the Great in the 4th War, the Master who previously had it, Kayneth Archibald. In the 4th War, Kayneth had to summon a weak Lancer as a backup, which ultimately led to his death. Being the Lord of the Department of Mineralogy at the Clocktower, his loss was heavily felt. And since Waver had stolen the catalust for what should have been Kayneth's Servant, he was seen as responsible for Kayneth's death.
Reines Archibald, the heir to become the next Lord El-Melloi was too young at the time, so she had Waver become Lord in her stead until she became old enough.
Now serving as the new Lord, Waver taught at the Clocktower, being seen as an average teacher at times and solving various dilemmas.
Along came Gray, an interesting girl from Wales who was the result of experiments to ressurect King Arthur in mind, body and soul. She was to become Artoria and wield the sacred lance, Rhongonmyniad. Though, if this came to fruition, she would disappear since King Arthur would be in control of her body.
Once Gray grew old enough, her face changed into an exact copy of Artoria's, meaning the experiment was working as planned. All her clan needed now was for her to fuse with a mystic code that was a copy of Artoria's mind and the soul of Artoria, who was going to be resummoned in the upcoming 5th Holy Grail War.
Before this could happen, she and her friend, Add, a sentient mystic code that contained the sacred lance Rhongomyniad, left her village with Lord El Melloi II after his visit. She took on the role as his apprentice to keep her away and safe from her village. Together, they solved many crimes committed by mages under direction of the Association, ultimately revealing that Gray can have Add release the sacred lance for her to use, albeit temporarily. It is a highly destructive weapon, so for she keeps Add in a birdcage and doesn't recite the chant to release the lance's power, unless truly necessary.
Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel-2004 AD Fuyuki City, Japan
This is when the 5th Holy Grail War occurs, reaking havoc on the entire city. Shirou, Rin, Sakura, and Zouken are all Masters here, with interesting Servants at their command.
Shirou, just like Kiritsugu, summons Artoria Pendragon, though it was more accidental since the summoning circle was left behind by Kiritsugu.
Sakura Matou summons the Rider, Medusa, who cares a lot for Sakura more than a Servant normally would.
Rin Tohsaka summonsva nameless Archer, who happens to be Shirou from the future. He had become a Servant for the Counter Force, the collective subconscious of all humanity that tries to ensure its survival. This is the route that being a hero of justice leads Shirou down, being summoned endlessly to resolve conflict after conflict. He is sick of it and always figured that getting rid of his past self would prevent him from becoming a Servant in the first place.
Zouken Matou, more eager than ever to manipulate this war from the shadows, summons another assassin, Hassan of the Cursed Arm.
Finally, Kirei Kotomine resurfaces as a Master, this time with the Lancer, Cu Chulainn. He still maintains the guise of overseeing this War, since no one ever found out what happened to him in the 4th War.
The 5th War goes down a strange path, since Sakura is a vessel for the Holy Grail and Angra Mainyu. A dangerous shadow serving as an aspect of the Grail's contents follows and influences Sakura at times. A dangerous entity, it demands mana and lots if it. It absorbs Servants left and right, whilst also making Sakura Matou kill innocent people.
After events come to a head, the only remaining Servants are Rider, Archer and Assassin. Saber had been consumed by the shadow and used as a warrior for it, albeit as Artoria Alter.
After their first encounter, Shirou had lost an arm and was bleeding out. On his own last legs, Archer severs his own arm and has Rin and Illya transplant it to Shirou, this being a relatively easier process than one would expect, since they were both the same person. However, with Archer's power and magic circuits in the arm, Shirou was at risk of losing himself to its power if he uses it.
Later on Sakura had let the shadow consume the reappeared Gilgamesh. Being so powerful a Servant, his mana quickly hastened the process that the shadow had going on. You see, this whole time, Angra Mainyu had been reincarnating itself as a monstrous creature, who could curse billions of people within a short time span after it is born.
As the War dragged on, Shirou had been opening up his feelings about Sakura Matou, falling in love with her and vowing to protect her, even though she had killed so many, in contrast to what a hero of justice would do.
After some misfortune, Sakura had killed Shinji and been fused with the shadow to become Dark Sakura, reaching the beginning of the end for this war.
She had kidnapped Illya after displaying her malicious power to her sister and Shirou, finding a use for Illya as a sacrifice, since she too was the Grail's vessel. With little choice, Shirou teamed up with Kirei Kotomine to rescue Illya, during which Kirei also obliterated Zouken's main form and severely injuring Assassin.
Kirei's true intentions were now becoming clear. He wanted the new demonic Angra Mainyu to be born, so that he can find happiness in the doom and gloom to befall upon humanity. However, his life was quickly put on a timer, with Dark Sakura injuring his heart, giving him only hours to live.
Up to this point, Shirou also had no choice but to start using Archer's arm, giving him connection to his future self's power, including tracing weapons and manifesting exact replicas of them. Though it too was cutting his life short, the overwhelming power beginning to damage hs own body.
With one final push, Shirou, Rider and Rin traversed into the cave where Dark Sakura and Angra Mainyu were awaiting them, with only Saber Alter as their guard. Thankfully, Dark Sakura had already finished off the Assassin and Zouken's crest worm form, killing him for good.
WIth mere minutes before it would all end badly, Rin pushed through to Sakura, reconnecting them as sisters and snapping Sakura back to her senses momentarily, though Rin wqs too injured that Sakura thought she had killed her. Shirou also pushed through, as Rider finished off Saber Alter.
Once confronting Sakura, Shirou declared his love and vowed to protect her again, reminding her not to throw her life away like this. Manifesting a copy of Medea's Rule Breaker, a sword that literally breaks the rules, severing contracts and abilties, Shirou stabbed Sakura with it, cutting her contract to Angra Mainyu and freeing her from its control and influence for good.
Rider took Sakura and Rin to safety, as Shirou faced off against Kirei Kotomine one last time. Both weakened, Shirou had to pull more and more power from Archer's arm to keep up, but was manifesting swords cutting out through his body from the inside as he did. Shirou proved victorious, but was about to perish, if Illya had not shown up to save him. Sacrificing herself to cast the Heaven's Feel spell, saving Shirou's soul as his body deceased. Angra Mainyu also perished as the cavern collapsed, killing it for good.
Later on, Rin had to explain what had happened to the Mage's Association, being subject to their discipline. It wasn't all bad, for Sakura and Rin acquired a magical mannequin body for Shirou's soul to inhabit. Once transplanted inside, it turned into his biological body from before, which still functions as a normal human body. It takes a lot of mana to keep the effect going, though thanks to Sakura still having access to the Grail's mana supply, she can keep Shirou like this and keep Rider manifested indefinitely.
The World of Fate/Metamorphosis 2023 AD
The Mage's Association and the Holy Church have never been seeing eye to eye before, but nowadays they are nigh outrightly hostile to each other. You can expect that both the events of the Holy Grail Wars and Kotomine Kirei made them distrustworthy to each other.
Waver Velvet still maintains his position of Lord El-Melloi II for the time being, since Reines Archibald doesn't want the position just yet. This makes him the go to for discussions and teaching along with the other Lords of the Clocktower, thpugh Gray is still happy to get to work with him, safe now that Artoria isn't around. Though, her face still remains a copy, albeit an aged up version.
With the sudden death of Lord Rufleus, the Clocktower is scrambling to not only find out why and how, but also to get his replacement all set. Their hands are currently tied, so they left the dirty work to Waver and Gray. Having a bad feeling about ill tidings, Waver convinced the other Lords to allow the creation of a temporary team to aid in this endeavor. It would also help save face with a team consisting of people from various departments and branches, even the Holy Church.
Behind closed doors, the Lords hope this will help ease tensions between them and the Holy Church, lest they become complete enemies of the Assoication as a whole.
Third Holy Grail War- 1939 Fuyuki, Japan
During this War, the Avenger Servant, Angra Mainyu was summoned by the Einzberns. As the Zoroastrian representation of shouldering all the worlds evil, he contaminated the contents of the Holy Grail after he was killed off early in the War. No longer would it grant wishes and give path to True Magic. Instead, now it was a source of destruction for everything on the planet, with Angra Mainyu still inside, attempting to be released via the events in the 4th and 5th Holy Grail Wars so that he could curse everyone on Earth to death, just as was his purpose.
Fate/Zero- 1994 AD-Fuyuki City, Japan
In Fate/Zero, we have the 4th Holy Grail War taking place in Fuyuki City, Japan. Seven Masters partnered with seven Servants duke it out for the promised Holy Grail that can grant all their wishes.
Among them are Kiritsugu Emiya and his homunculus wife, Irisviel Einzbern. Together, they have a homunculus daughter, Illyasviel Einzbern. Partnered with the Saber Servant, Artoria Pendragon, they fight the other Masters to secure their right to the Grail. However, Kiritsugu's homunculus family was created to be vessels for the contents of the Holy Grail, so that the Einzbern's could have direct access to the Grail's magic and ultimately, immortality.
Another Master, Waver Velvet, an inexperienced mage lacking in confidence, performs some sneaky tactics to catalyst summon the Rider Servant, Alexander the Great.
And finally, the Holy Church sends Kotomine Kirei, an interesting Executor to guide over the War, ensuring that the resulting battles do not lead to civilian casualties. He is a strange man with hidden tendencies, secretly finding joy in the suffering of others, though he is not fully aware of this at this time.
Another important Master is Tokiomi Tohsaka, Rin Tohsaka and Sakura Matou's father. He summons the Archer Servant, Gilgamesh. Additionally, he lets go of his daughter Sakura Tohsaka, who is adopted into the Matou family to become the heir of their magic crest.
Zouken Matou, the grandfather of Shinji Matou and now Sakura Matou, summons an Assassin class Servant. What's most important, however, is that he subjects Sakura to horrific experiments in order for her to bear the Matou magic crest, keeping her in a pit of crest worms and other bugs. Begind the scenes, Zouken also was turning Sakura into a Vessel for the Holy Grail. She lives a tortured existence with the Matous until 2004.
Conclusion: The 4th Holy Grail War ended in complete chaos. Most other Masters and Servants died. Kotomine Kirei became Gilgamesh's Master and killed Tokiomi. Irisviel is used to open the Grail, which started to spill its contents into Fuyuki. Kiritsugu and Kirei fought to the death, with Kirei dying. Kiritsugu had Artoria destroy the Grail they earned as the War's winners, closing off the opening to the Greater Grail. The contents that had spilled caused fires and destruction, tainting anyone that it touched. Kotomine Kirei and Gilgamesh were submerged in the contents, resurrecting Kirei and making Gilgamesh reincarnate into a flesh and blood human. Shirou Emiya's biological family is killed in the fires, but he's found and adopted by a distraught Kiritsugu. He instills the idea of becoming a hero of justice into Shirou's mind.
Lord El Melloi Case Files-2004 AD England
Waver Velvet was in trouble with the association. Because he had stolen the catalyst for summoning Alexander the Great in the 4th War, the Master who previously had it, Kayneth Archibald. In the 4th War, Kayneth had to summon a weak Lancer as a backup, which ultimately led to his death. Being the Lord of the Department of Mineralogy at the Clocktower, his loss was heavily felt. And since Waver had stolen the catalust for what should have been Kayneth's Servant, he was seen as responsible for Kayneth's death.
Reines Archibald, the heir to become the next Lord El-Melloi was too young at the time, so she had Waver become Lord in her stead until she became old enough.
Now serving as the new Lord, Waver taught at the Clocktower, being seen as an average teacher at times and solving various dilemmas.
Along came Gray, an interesting girl from Wales who was the result of experiments to ressurect King Arthur in mind, body and soul. She was to become Artoria and wield the sacred lance, Rhongonmyniad. Though, if this came to fruition, she would disappear since King Arthur would be in control of her body.
Once Gray grew old enough, her face changed into an exact copy of Artoria's, meaning the experiment was working as planned. All her clan needed now was for her to fuse with a mystic code that was a copy of Artoria's mind and the soul of Artoria, who was going to be resummoned in the upcoming 5th Holy Grail War.
Before this could happen, she and her friend, Add, a sentient mystic code that contained the sacred lance Rhongomyniad, left her village with Lord El Melloi II after his visit. She took on the role as his apprentice to keep her away and safe from her village. Together, they solved many crimes committed by mages under direction of the Association, ultimately revealing that Gray can have Add release the sacred lance for her to use, albeit temporarily. It is a highly destructive weapon, so for she keeps Add in a birdcage and doesn't recite the chant to release the lance's power, unless truly necessary.
Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel-2004 AD Fuyuki City, Japan
This is when the 5th Holy Grail War occurs, reaking havoc on the entire city. Shirou, Rin, Sakura, and Zouken are all Masters here, with interesting Servants at their command.
Shirou, just like Kiritsugu, summons Artoria Pendragon, though it was more accidental since the summoning circle was left behind by Kiritsugu.
Sakura Matou summons the Rider, Medusa, who cares a lot for Sakura more than a Servant normally would.
Rin Tohsaka summonsva nameless Archer, who happens to be Shirou from the future. He had become a Servant for the Counter Force, the collective subconscious of all humanity that tries to ensure its survival. This is the route that being a hero of justice leads Shirou down, being summoned endlessly to resolve conflict after conflict. He is sick of it and always figured that getting rid of his past self would prevent him from becoming a Servant in the first place.
Zouken Matou, more eager than ever to manipulate this war from the shadows, summons another assassin, Hassan of the Cursed Arm.
Finally, Kirei Kotomine resurfaces as a Master, this time with the Lancer, Cu Chulainn. He still maintains the guise of overseeing this War, since no one ever found out what happened to him in the 4th War.
The 5th War goes down a strange path, since Sakura is a vessel for the Holy Grail and Angra Mainyu. A dangerous shadow serving as an aspect of the Grail's contents follows and influences Sakura at times. A dangerous entity, it demands mana and lots if it. It absorbs Servants left and right, whilst also making Sakura Matou kill innocent people.
After events come to a head, the only remaining Servants are Rider, Archer and Assassin. Saber had been consumed by the shadow and used as a warrior for it, albeit as Artoria Alter.
After their first encounter, Shirou had lost an arm and was bleeding out. On his own last legs, Archer severs his own arm and has Rin and Illya transplant it to Shirou, this being a relatively easier process than one would expect, since they were both the same person. However, with Archer's power and magic circuits in the arm, Shirou was at risk of losing himself to its power if he uses it.
Later on Sakura had let the shadow consume the reappeared Gilgamesh. Being so powerful a Servant, his mana quickly hastened the process that the shadow had going on. You see, this whole time, Angra Mainyu had been reincarnating itself as a monstrous creature, who could curse billions of people within a short time span after it is born.
As the War dragged on, Shirou had been opening up his feelings about Sakura Matou, falling in love with her and vowing to protect her, even though she had killed so many, in contrast to what a hero of justice would do.
After some misfortune, Sakura had killed Shinji and been fused with the shadow to become Dark Sakura, reaching the beginning of the end for this war.
She had kidnapped Illya after displaying her malicious power to her sister and Shirou, finding a use for Illya as a sacrifice, since she too was the Grail's vessel. With little choice, Shirou teamed up with Kirei Kotomine to rescue Illya, during which Kirei also obliterated Zouken's main form and severely injuring Assassin.
Kirei's true intentions were now becoming clear. He wanted the new demonic Angra Mainyu to be born, so that he can find happiness in the doom and gloom to befall upon humanity. However, his life was quickly put on a timer, with Dark Sakura injuring his heart, giving him only hours to live.
Up to this point, Shirou also had no choice but to start using Archer's arm, giving him connection to his future self's power, including tracing weapons and manifesting exact replicas of them. Though it too was cutting his life short, the overwhelming power beginning to damage hs own body.
With one final push, Shirou, Rider and Rin traversed into the cave where Dark Sakura and Angra Mainyu were awaiting them, with only Saber Alter as their guard. Thankfully, Dark Sakura had already finished off the Assassin and Zouken's crest worm form, killing him for good.
WIth mere minutes before it would all end badly, Rin pushed through to Sakura, reconnecting them as sisters and snapping Sakura back to her senses momentarily, though Rin wqs too injured that Sakura thought she had killed her. Shirou also pushed through, as Rider finished off Saber Alter.
Once confronting Sakura, Shirou declared his love and vowed to protect her again, reminding her not to throw her life away like this. Manifesting a copy of Medea's Rule Breaker, a sword that literally breaks the rules, severing contracts and abilties, Shirou stabbed Sakura with it, cutting her contract to Angra Mainyu and freeing her from its control and influence for good.
Rider took Sakura and Rin to safety, as Shirou faced off against Kirei Kotomine one last time. Both weakened, Shirou had to pull more and more power from Archer's arm to keep up, but was manifesting swords cutting out through his body from the inside as he did. Shirou proved victorious, but was about to perish, if Illya had not shown up to save him. Sacrificing herself to cast the Heaven's Feel spell, saving Shirou's soul as his body deceased. Angra Mainyu also perished as the cavern collapsed, killing it for good.
Later on, Rin had to explain what had happened to the Mage's Association, being subject to their discipline. It wasn't all bad, for Sakura and Rin acquired a magical mannequin body for Shirou's soul to inhabit. Once transplanted inside, it turned into his biological body from before, which still functions as a normal human body. It takes a lot of mana to keep the effect going, though thanks to Sakura still having access to the Grail's mana supply, she can keep Shirou like this and keep Rider manifested indefinitely.
The World of Fate/Metamorphosis 2023 AD
The Mage's Association and the Holy Church have never been seeing eye to eye before, but nowadays they are nigh outrightly hostile to each other. You can expect that both the events of the Holy Grail Wars and Kotomine Kirei made them distrustworthy to each other.
Waver Velvet still maintains his position of Lord El-Melloi II for the time being, since Reines Archibald doesn't want the position just yet. This makes him the go to for discussions and teaching along with the other Lords of the Clocktower, thpugh Gray is still happy to get to work with him, safe now that Artoria isn't around. Though, her face still remains a copy, albeit an aged up version.
With the sudden death of Lord Rufleus, the Clocktower is scrambling to not only find out why and how, but also to get his replacement all set. Their hands are currently tied, so they left the dirty work to Waver and Gray. Having a bad feeling about ill tidings, Waver convinced the other Lords to allow the creation of a temporary team to aid in this endeavor. It would also help save face with a team consisting of people from various departments and branches, even the Holy Church.
Behind closed doors, the Lords hope this will help ease tensions between them and the Holy Church, lest they become complete enemies of the Assoication as a whole.
