Grim Collide - Failed Ascension of the Altruist (Fate/Stay Anime Mashup)

[PrestaDGTation]

This is an interest check!  If we get enough excited people, or enough old players back, we'll fire away!  Have fun!

The Grim Collide - Failed Ascension of The Altruist  (Fate/Stay Anime Mashup)

The Grim Collide is an anime mashup, loosely based on the Grail Wars from Fate/Stay Night.  You'll pick two anime characters, one being a human Master, the other an Otherworldly Servant.  Yourself and at least six others like you are then thrown into a sprawling, sorcery infused, city-wide death match!  The last one standing gets to wish for literally anything they desire.  Think Hunger Games, but instead of fighting for food, you're fighting over a Blank Check From God!!

There are rules, and there are rule breakers.  Both are encouraged.  This is intended to be a competitive freeform game in which character death is expected, thinking outside the box is rewarded, and the universe will be forever marked by the victor.

This RP concept has been run once before, but it ended because posting rates stagnated.  Failed Ascension of the Altruist is a sequel, with the old game's events having been written off screen.  If you want to see who came before, I encourage you to click on the link above.  Those characters are claimed until further notice, but message me if you want one of them.

Now, it's possible, although extremely unlikely, for pretty much all of you to survive to the completion of the game.  In fact,

It's Happened Before.

Our story begins in the 8th Grail War, also known as the First Failure.  7 Masters and Servants appeared, but one of them broke tradition.  Instead of fighting, this Master devoted himself to healing other combatants.  It wasn't thought possible, to apply human medical science to a mortally wounded Servant.  But this Master managed to save several.  He saved too many, in fact, and the Grail failed to appear.  The War drew to a close.  The victor was cheated of his prize, and the survivors hid themselves away.

3 years later, the 9th Grail War began, and promisingly so.  Sadly, that promise was quickly subverted, and the War later became known as the Second Failure.  The survivors of the 8th Grail War reappeared.  And while casualties did occur, that meddling heretic was still healing too many of them.  The Overseer of the 9th War, Noir Chloe, was actually an elite assassin that had been explicitly contracted to murder the healer.  She did present his corpse, but it turned out to be an exact genetic duplicate.  By the time they'd realized it, it was too late.  The Grail failed to appear once again.

Now, 2 years later, comes the 10th Grail War.  The Society of Magicians that watches over the contest has reached what might be called an astonishing level of frustration.  This time, they mean to ensure that every Master and Servant is murdered, even if they have to do it themselves.  Their hope is that the Grail, long starved of the proper ritual, will now overflow with the abundance of death they mean to enact.  But, they are patient.  Perhaps this time, the combatants will have a little more sense than they have previously.

Which is why the NPCs are going to be extra murder-happy this time around.

If all of this sounds fun, please continue reading, because it gets better from here!

Characters

All major players are allowed to choose and play as two characters, which can be selected from any Anime.

Gasp!  Even from Dragonball?

  Yup!  Even from Dragonball!  Go ahead and choose Brolly as your Servant, if that floats your boat. 

But, wouldn't that make the game torturously unbalanced?

  No, actually!  Your Servant's abilities and strengths will all be roughly unchanged, yes.  But their energy will be determined by the Master Characters.

  Using Brolly as an example, he'll still be an insane flying wrecking-ball of a man, able to cause explosions by staring at something angrily enough.  Those are advantages.  But because the human that summoned him is roughly equal to the other Masters, Brolly's damage resistance and stopping power will only make him formidable, as opposed to invincible.  He simply won't have the energy for light-speed combat, or for city-wide and planetary destruction.  Adding to that, since he's drawing from his Master's energy pool, prolonged fights as the Legendary Super Saiyan will exhaust both of them.

  And, as an aside, controlling a servant like Brolly is going to be difficult as hell.  Asparagus, anyone?

The Master - The key participants in the Grail War are known as Masters.  These humans often have a magical disposition, heritage, or at least a strong life-force, even if they haven't been aware of such things until now.  They are typically exceptional people, bearing some seen or unseen trait that makes them worthy to possess the Holy Grail.  However, they are still only human, and at least loosely governed by the limits of their species.  Their primary role is to strategize, command, and provide energy to their Servant.  Finding a Master in combat on the front lines is sometimes seen a sign of desperation, or foolishness.

Abilities-

  Command Seals  -  All Masters have three Command Seals, sigils that prove they've been chosen for the Grail War.  These Seals paradoxically represent the bond between a Master and Servant, and the ability to break it.  Spending a Command Seal will force a Servant to obey a single command, even if it goes against their moral code, self-interest, or basic survival instincts.  They are closely guarded, and losing all three is a sign of disqualification.  While the Servant may remain loyal, you cannot truly win the Grail without at least one.

  Mana  -  Spiritual energy, in other words.  The Servant is empowered and anchored by the energy of their Master.  However, the Master controls the amount in play.  If a Master so chooses, they can starve their Servant, forcing them to weaken into a state even less powerful than an average human.  This is especially useful for very strong or unruly servants, as they can cut off the supply and force the Servant to stand down, or even dematerialize.  The opposite is also true, however.  During the War, any energy a Master gives his servant will be subsidized by the Grail Itself, allowing Servants to perform feats that are far above anything the Master is capable of, without exhausting them as quickly. 

  Exceptional  -  Even though a Master is only human, it doesn't mean they are helpless.  Spells, abilities, skills, unique weapons, and powerful friends all play a role.  Masters are still usually inferior to any one servant, but they have some means to accomplish their goals.

Early-Series Tenchi Muyo, Excel, Osaka, and 'Police Girl Phase' Seras Victoria are all acceptable.  Naruto, 'True-Vampire' Seras Victoria, and Izuku Midoriya are not.



The Servant - The actual business of warfare falls to the Servants.  These beings are usually native to alternate realities, where superhuman is considered merely exceptional.  When summoned by a Master, a Servant's body is replicated by the Holy Grail, and is then bound to serve through oaths, command seals, and their Master’s energy.  The powers and fighting abilities of Servants have been known to stretch the limits of the human imagination, and they are only really limited by how much power their Master is capable of giving them.  Even so, not every Servant enjoys their service, to say nothing of actually agreeing with their Master’s personality and tactics.

Abilities-

  The Seven Classes  -  Servants are summoned as one of 7 classes.  Saber, Lancer, Caster, Rider, Berserker, Assassin, and Archer.  Only one of each Archetype can be summoned during each War, and the Servant must somehow fit within their prescribed role.  The ritual isn't extremely picky, although some thought should go into it.  An Archer doesn't have to use a bow, but should at least be a fair hand with ranged weapons, for example.  However, each archetype offers distinct advantages and disadvantages.

Classes

  Saber  -  Often called the Strongest Class, a Saber is a powerful close range melee combatant.  Strength, Agility, and Skill are all a peak performance.  Additionally, they also share Rider's ability to intuitively understand how to control almost any mundane vehicle or mount.  However, Saber is incapable of assuming spiritual form, and must remain materialized.  A Saber should know how to use a sword.

  Lancer  -  Lancers are proficient with long-range melee weapons, and typically have higher speed than even a Saber.  They have no other noteworthy abilities or disadvantages. 

  Archer  -  Proficient projectile combatants, the Archer is most noteworthy for its Independent Action ability, which allows them to rely less on the energy of a Master.  This allows them to survive longer without a Master, but because the Master can't ration Archer's energy as easily, it can make them very difficult to control.

  Caster  -  As one would expect, Casters are powerful magic users.  They are capable of Building Territory, which includes both establishing a place to boost their power and altering reality within that space.  They are typically poor close range combatants. 

  Rider  -  Riders intuitively understand how to manipulate any locomotive vehicle or animal, including horses, dolphins, school busses, chainsaws, planes, giant robots, goddam dragons, flying clouds, and roller skates.  They focus on speed and sudden, overwhelming power.  Sadly, they lack the prolonged close-combat bonuses their opponents enjoy.

  Berserker  -  Perhaps the most well-known Class for advantages and disadvantages, the Berserker trades his sanity for a vast increase in power.  Once the battle begins in earnest, a Berserker will never relent until someone is dead, often threatening the energy reserves and even life of their Master.

  Assassin  -  These Servants rely on stealth, more than anything.  They have the ability to conceal their presence, making them difficult to track down.  Like Rider, they don't benefit from any particular enhancement in prolonged combat.  They are known for targeting Masters instead of Servants.

  Spiritual Body  -  Most Servants are capable of dematerializing, allowing them to move around invisible and intangible.  They cannot use any material sense or carry any material objects in this form, although they can continue to communicate with their Master.  Moreover, even while materialized, Servants are almost impervious to any non-magical damage, making knives, bullets, clubs, and even rockets irrelevant when used by mortal bystanders.  Servants are advised to be careful with that, as you never really know when a Servant or Mage is around.

  Mind Games  -  Although not as important in this RP, it is still a tradition to call a Servant by the name of their Class, as opposed to using their Real Name.  This prevents others from gaining vital knowledge about a Servant, which could be easily used against them.  Additionally, Servants are able to detect one another's presence, although pinpointing the Master is something else entirely. 

  To Thine Own Self  -  A Servant is a unique character, and should be played as such.  Rather than serve blindly, a Servant will have their own experiences, their own ethics, and their own motivations.  Building a bond between Master and Servant is important, but it doesn't always happen.  A Master and Servant turning on one another isn't unheard of.  Remember to stay true to character.

Ains Ool Gown, Monkey D. Luffy, Sailor Uranus, and Vash the Stampede are all perfectly acceptable.  Brolly, All Might, and Battle Angel Alita can be summoned, but their strength and speed will be balanced against their Master's energy levels.  Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, Ochako Uraraka, and Mister Satan are better suited to be masters.  God Characters such as Lord Beerus, Griffith and Pillar Emeraude are not likely to be approved.  And Saitama, who could kill those God Characters trivially, is banned.

 

Use this to make your character

Name:  Put your Master's Name here.
  Player:  Who's playing this character?
  Series:  Where is this character from?
  About:  A few words about your character's appearance and personality.  Anything you feel a need to mention!
  History:  What was your life like before the Grail chose you as a Master?  What has life been like since becoming one?
  Strengths:  A Master is a being worthy of participating in the War.  List two or three strengths your character has.
  Weaknesses:  A Master is only human.  Name two or three weaknesses you feel your character has.
  Mana:  Based on the personality, history, strengths and weaknesses you've listed, how strong do you consider your character's mana?
  Your Master's Wish:  Why do you want the Grail?  Everyone has a reason to fight, even if it's only to win.
  Preferences:  If things start to get hot and heavy, what's your pleasure?  What's your poison?
  Additional Notes:  Broken rules, secret schemes, quirks, families and giant weapons.  Anything else you feel like mentioning?
  Display this profile?  I want you to PM me your sheet, and I'll post your character profile up.  Most of it, anyway!  Do you want me to display your Master's Profile, or hide it?

Name:  Put your Servant's Name here.
  Class:  What Servant Class are you?
  Series:  Where is this character from?
  About:  A few words about your character's appearance and personality.  Anything you feel a need to mention!
  History:  What was your life like before the Grail pulled you from your reality, and made you a Servant?  What has it been like since becoming one?
  Strengths:  A Servant is mighty, a fitting champion to fight for the ultimate prize.  List what you consider your strengths.
  Weaknesses:  A Servant is imperfect, a transient tool of higher forces and weaker Masters.  Name what you consider your weaknesses?
  Mana:  Based on the personality, history, strengths and weaknesses you've listed, how rapidly does your Servant consume mana?  How long could they go without a Master?
  Your Servant's Wish:  What will do you, once you win the Grail?  Everyone has a reason to fight, and Servants have wishes, too.
  Preferences:  If things start to get hot and heavy, what's your pleasure?  What's your poison?
  Additional Notes:  Broken rules, secret schemes, quirks, catalysts, and giant weapons.  Anything else you feel like mentioning?
  Display this profile?  I want you to PM me your sheet, and I'll post your character profile up.  Most of it, anyway!  Do you want me to display your Servant's Profile, or hide it?

  Remember to PM me your sheets, so I can hide them!  Also remember to consider a few things, such as strategies, mutual goals, and if or how well your masters and servants get along.  They don't have to!

Rules of Engagement

Choose Your Weapon (aka Extra Bennies.  You can pick 1 perk from either the Master or Servant list) -

Masters and Servants are not entirely selected at random.  The Grail War evolved, at least partially, from the enmity of various Magus Families.  In respect for that tradition, or perhaps to spite it, the Grail will sometimes select members of the great Magus Families to participate.  I've listed 7 families below, each with their own spell types, weaknesses, and perks.

It is important to note that each bloodline has a specific ethnic heritage, which might otherwise give away your character's family tree.  That's why it's okay to be distantly related, having the perks of the bloodline with the ethnic distinction almost completely bred out, so that your Master Character is unchanged.  Know that if you have a full lineage to a Magus Family, other Masters can go poking around in your genealogy to discover your abilities.  The only houses that are exempt from that are the Matou, who frequently adopt and imprint themselves on other mages.

Can you make your own family?  Well, certainly!  It will be a young, minor, or freelance house, however.  And I'll need to approve it.

 

Master Bonus: Families and Bloodlines

The Major Houses:

  Einzbern - An insular German Bloodline, the Einzbern Family are known for their skills in Alchemy, specifically the creation, refinement, and manipulation of precious metals.  They are often able to eschew the process of thaumaturgy to achieve their end goals rapidly.  Their magic blends well into medical professions, particularly with organ transplants.  Sadly, members of this family have a horrible track record of being killed early on, as their magic doesn't translate well to the rage of combat.

  Unique Ability - Homunculus:  No one makes them better than an Einzbern.  In addition to your Summoned Servant, you have a custom crafted artificial minion that dotes upon you, and that is completely loyal to you and you alone.   While this is not a separate character, you can describe their abilities and specifications as an NPC, which the GM will manage based on your in-character directives.  Your homunculus may be stronger than an average human, and may present a threat for a Master, but it is no match for a Servant.  You'll have to decide how best to use them.


  Matou - An ancient Russian Bloodline, chased from their homeland and into Japan.  The Matou have been in steady decline for years, often forced to adopt promising magi into their household in order to maintain their arts.  They have great knowledge and resources, although their actual methods are rather suspect.  The Matou utilize Crest Worms, imparting the knowledge of the arts not through cultivating the mind, but by assaulting the body.  An effective, if brutal, technique.

  Unqiue Ability - Guise of Symbiosis:  The Crest Worms of the Matou function as internal conduits, which allow even someone with no magical ability to boost their spellcasting energy to extreme levels.  However, the Crest Worms also feed on such energy, dampening the Master's apparent abilities.  This allows a Master with apparently no energy at all to suddenly reach surprising levels.  Additionally, if a Master suffers a serious injury but is able to get his mana up, the Worms may be able to restore his body to full operational condition.


  Tohsaka - A Japanese Bloodline, the Tohsaka are best known for their use of Jewel Magecraft.  This allows them to store spells, energy, and information inside precious gemstones.  Well they are well-connected and resourceful, the Tohsaka Family is often left teetering on the edge of bankruptcy by trying to pay for their expensive spell craft.  Every jewel explodes as it is used, forcing them to walk a delicate line.

  Unique Ability -  Sparkling Stockpile:  A Master is capable of casting spells into gemstones, and storing them for later use.  Sadly, the Tohsaka can't afford to let this get out of hand, so a Master is only capable of storing 5 such spells at any one time.  Additionally, however, they are capable of using certain gemstones to communicate over long distances: a secret method that is almost undetectable.

Lesser Houses:

  Archibald - An English Bloodline, known for being aristocratic and proud, devoted to the idea of 'perfecting' the heir to the mysteries of its house.  Members of this bloodline are often elite members of the Society of Magic, and even being able to use the name Archibald garners some manner of respect.  Even so, their blue-blooded arrogance often puts them out of touch with the realities of the Grail War, and that pride once nearly destroyed the house entirely.

  Unique Ability - Perfect Scion:  If there is one virtue you can give your family, it's their high standards.  You've been trained.  Choose one additional spellcasting ability, which your Master will be able to use as an expert.


  Edelfelt - A Finnish Bloodline, mercenary-like and known for proudly putting their nose in other's business.  They are masters of a spell called Gandr, which is mostly like a pistol shot.  Possibly in honor of their family, a powerful Gandr spell is known as a Finn Shot, which is capable of knocking a Master unconscious if it hits.  Sadly, being the best in the world at such a simple spell hasn't helped matters.  They have a strong prejudice against anyone from the Tousaka Clan, and a slighter but evident distain for Japan in general.

  Unique Ability - Ore Scales:  You have a sibling with the same magic potential as yourself.  In the past, one such pair was able summon two Servants of the same class.  If your Master character dies, your sibling may be easily able to pick up when you left off.


  Iselma / Harway - The Islema are a Slavic bloodline devoted to the idea of vanity and beauty.  The Harway, meanwhile, are not mages at all, but something closer to the Illuminati.  A tremendously, ridiculously wealthy family that seeks to control the Grail so as to thwart any threat, real or imagined, against their vast corporate and political empire.  They sought to marry into a Magus Family so as to participate in the War, not realizing that they were only enabling the vanity of the Iselma Family while doing so.

  Unique Ability - Defy the Gods from the Zenith of Babel:  You have substantial human advantages.  Wealth, power, and beauty are yours, almost in excess.  Sadly, you have no significant magical aptitude.  Your Servant is weaker than it should be, and you must use your resources and cunning to scheme your way to victory.  Your family is watching, and will cut you off if you disappoint them.


  Fraga -   An Irish Bloodline, and among the oldest of the Magus Families.  Their lineage dates back to mythic times.  They are prominent users of Runes, and possess exclusive access to a certain Noble Phantasm.  Regardless, the majority of your family seems content to live out their days in a small coastal village, having little or nothing to do with the Society of Magic.  The fact that you have been chosen for the Grail War at all could be an earth shattering event.

  Unique Ability - Fragarach:  Your Servant possesses the ultimate Counter-Move Noble Phantasm.  A sword that will answer the strongest attack of another Master or Servant, by rewriting time itself so that it kills them before they use it.  This Noble Phantasm can only be used against the very strongest attack the opposing character has.  Because of the nature of this skill, it is very important that you keep your lineage secret, and pick your target carefully.  You only have 3 uses throughout the game.

 

Servants, meanwhile, are summoned.  A ritual isn't necessary to summon a Servant in the Grim Collide, as the player has the ability to choose the precise identity and class of his Servant outright.  However, adding certain details will help.  A Master that spends a little time trying to at least find familiar things for the Servant may increase their bond tremendously.  Adding to that, there are other advantages one can gain through having the means and insight to create the proper conditions.  Most of this is done with Catalysts, which assist summoning and add extra abilities.

It is important to take your Servant into account when considering these Catalysts.  Some Servants won't benefit at all from such things, as they will add a superfluous ability to an already frightening character.  On the other hand, some Servants will find these perks exponentially useful, as they shore up weaknesses that the character has in their canon incarnation.  Even so, your Master must have an in-character reason why he has such things.  Did he research something and re-create it?  Did he discover it, not knowing its value?  Perhaps he stole it, but from whom?  Or perhaps, he knows someone from the Servant's home universe.  All of this should be explained.  Makes for good backstory and character tension.  Nyee hee hee.

Note that the Catalysts provide guidelines, so I'll want to approve your final ability.  You can make other Catalysts, of course.  So long as why you have them is explained, and I approve the final ability.

 

Servant Bonus: Catalysts

  Catalyst: Familiar Space - Summoning a Servant is an ordeal, for both sides.  But if a Servant's first impression is a place that at least looks like it could be home, he will be able to use more energy throughout the war.  Additionally, if a Master dies before a Servant does, then the Servant will be able to survive longer in this space.  Your Master will need an in character reason why he has such a thing.

  Catalyst: Melee Weapon - Especially useful for summoning Saber or Lancer, a Melee Weapon Catalyst may grant peculiar, martial advantages to close range fighters.  The Catalyst should be something that resonates with your Servant Character, and your Master will need an in character reason why he has such a thing.  Ex: burning weapons, invisible tools, etc

  Catalyst: Long Range Weapon - Especially useful for summoning Archer or Lancer, a Long Range Weapon Catalyst may grant peculiar, tactical abilities to medium or long fighters.  The Catalyst should be something that resonates with your Servant Character, and your Master will need an in character reason why he has such a thing. Ex: status ailments, long range targeting, etc.

  Catalyst: Circlet - Especially useful for summoning Caster or Rider, a Circlet Catalyst may grant immense, Noble Phantasm Abilities to strong fighters.  In the past, Noble Phantasms never occurred in the Grim Collide, making this ritual something of a rule-break.  The name of the Catalyst is somewhat misleading, in that it doesn't physically need to resonate with your character at all.  It only needs to spark a memory of some kind, either canon or original, which provokes the Noble Phantasm to manifest.

  Catalyst: Chariot - Especially useful for summoning a Rider or Saber, a Chariot Catalyst will grant peculiar, high mobility advantages.  The Catalyst should be something that resonates with your Servant Character, and your Master will need an in character reason why he has such a thing.  Ex: Pink Lions with Pocket Dimensional Storage, Flying Unicorns, etc.

  Catalyst: Knife - Especially useful when summoning an Assassin or Caster, a Knife Catalyst will grant peculiar, devious abilities to a fighter.  The Catalyst should be something that resonates with your Servant Character, and your Master will need an in character reason why he has such a thing.  Ex: Poisons, Shadow Manipulation, etc.

  Catalyst: Mask - Especially useful when summoning an Assassin or Berserker, a Mark Catalyst will grant peculiar, protective abilities to a fighter.  The Catalyst should be something that resonates with your Servant Character, and your Master will need an in character reason why he has such a thing.  Ex: Shape Changing, Juggernaut Charges, etc.

  Catalyst: Reliquary - Especially useful when summoning a Berserker or Archer, these remains will grant peculiar, perceptive abilities to a fighter.  The Catalyst should be something that resonates with your Servant Character, and your Master will need an in character reason why he has such a thing.  Ex:  Sixth Sense Perception, Twisted Sanity, Memories of Past Wars, etc.

 

Surviving Defeat -

This is a game with many fatalities.  In truth, however, only the deaths of the Servants are necessary for the Grail to appear.  Masters may wish to surrender, or may find themselves without a Servant, or may simply run out of Command Seals.  These men and women can take refuge in the neutral territory of the Overseer, who will assist them and protect them until the war is concluded.  Not that they are entirely safe in such a place, of course.  The Overseer is not one to be trusted.  Although, if he has the means to re-equip you, he may give you a second chance to win the War.

As for when the Master dies before the Servant, things are more complicated.  A Servant needs energy to anchor them to this plane.  Without it, a Servant will weaken by the moment, and will eventually perish without some replacement source of energy.  How quickly this happens depends on a Servant's Class.  Saber, who cannot dematerialize, will exhaust and perish within about 2 hours.  Archer, who relies very little on his Master's energy to begin with, can last for a little over a week.  If they can find an alternative source of energy in that time, or even a new Master, the Servant can continue.

The Holy Grail -

Despite being the reason for the War, the Holy Grail Itself is something of a mystery.  Even those who are familiar with it find it difficult to explain.  The Grail allegedly chooses the Masters, creates and subsidizes the energy of the Servants, and reabsorbs the Servants as they perish.  This influx of energy is what actually powers the Grail, and gives it the ability to grant wishes.  It is, by all accounts, a far cry from the Holy Artifact one would expect it to be.  Even so, the ability to get anything you want is worth risking a confrontation with the Grail's true nature.  Those that wish upon it leave a mark on the world that doesn't fade.

Locations -

While I'll make most of the key settings, you have the ability to claim and describe any place you like in the city.  Apartments, parks, night-clubs, bays, forests, temples and bridges.  All of these will become settings where characters can meet and interact.  Some of these spaces, however, will have greater significance.  High energy places like temples, churches, and lay-line intersects will be more hotly contested.  Meanwhile, characters with family connections will be in charge of their ancestral homes.  Those with extreme resources, such as members of the Harway Family, may choose to concoct elaborate mansions, castles, and palaces as locations.  All of these are important, and I encourage you to have fun making at least one location where you can retreat to.

As for the actual RP, most locations should initially be marked with an image and location tag.  Some locations will be moved to their own threads, as they inevitably become busier. 

Breaking the Rules -

Here's where we honor the true spirit of Fate/Stay Night.  Almost every rule is breakable, so long as you have a good reason for breaking it!  Reasons like..

- Everybody has a little mana!
- Saber can learn to use a rifle and throw grenades.
- Seras Victoria could become a full vampire, mid-game!
- A Command Seal can force a Servant to commit suicide!
- A Servant can survive for a little while with no Master!
- Blood has mana in it, right?  Yes?  Cool!  Hell, I wonder what else does!
- Alliances can be made against other characters!
- Those allies can be backstabbed!
- My character can get better at casting magic!
- There are other Servants running around without a Master!
- The Overseer bleeds like the rest of us.
- You don't have to win the Grail War to survive it.
- You may also have minions, poison drinks, stray F-150s and old fashioned arson to play with.
- Chloe is an assassin for hire, right?
- Presta can't have thought of everything!

Things Presta did think of!

  These are my hard line rules.  The only things that cannot be broken.

  1) - I'd like to have some kind of connection between the Masters and Servants.  At least a nod to the genre, the personality, or some kind of common ground.  Osaka and Goku are a good pair, because even coming from vastly different realities, they share a common, erm, intellectual discourse and love of fine cuisine.  xD Another example..:

   Yes:  Spike Spiegel summoned Vash the Stampede.  He's been turning him in for Bounty Money, breaking him back out, and doing it again in seven countries, just to make sure the Grail War isn't a total wash!  AWESOME!
   No: Spike Spiegel summoned Card Captor Sakura, because those are the player's favorite animes.  ...they have nothing in common, and every battle is screwball awkward.  See what I mean, there?

  2) - Character Death

I'm serious, here.  This is a War, and what's more it's a competitive RP.  Only the last one standing will win.  Fatalities are expected to occur, and I need all players to be cool with that.

Now, there are some caveats.  If your Master loses a Servant, you can head to the Overseer (played by me) who will either keep you safe or hook you up with another Servant, if they are able.  The Overseer remains on Neutral Ground, and is scary strong for a human.  However, the Overseer is not invincible, and if someone really wants your melty bloods, they can try to get it, even there.

There's also a caveat for Servants that lose their Masters.  Losing your mana supply is crippling, but you don't die instantly.  If you can find another Master with sufficient energy before you starve out, or another method, you can start fresh again.  Just check with me, because if you do that, I might want to insist that another player try to take the role of your Master.

The last caveat involves a certain Healer.  If your Master or your Servant are mortally wounded, there is a chance that the man responsible for screwing up Two Grail Wars will appear and put you both back together.  This is far from a guarantee, however.  And even if it does happen, it will have severe ramifications.  This caveat doesn't apply if the Healer has been killed.  If you think the Healer is dead, and he shows up anyhow, then you know someone's been fooled.  So have fun with that.

3) - No System means Honor System

  I don't want a system in this game.  It screws me up.  So, there are no Mana Tallies, no life bars, no agility scaling, stuff like that.  But that does mean we're on the honor system.  Fights should be fun, but two people should work out how they end up.  If there's a dispute, I'll step in and either make a judgement call or a dice roll, depending on the circumstances.  That also goes for mana, crippling injuries, worldly resources, and so forth.  I'll be happy to remind you, but by the time I get around to telling you so, you'll probably wish you'd kept a ledger.

  If you decide to crash a fight, that's totally your prerogative.  Sneaking up on two fighters and picking them both off while they're in combat is a legitimate strategy.  However, you're going to have to spend at least one post describing the how you know, when you got there, and what you did to get close enough unseen, before you actually make your play.  Drive by killings will do nothing more than piss people off, so at least line up your shot before you take it, mmkay?

  If we find Freeform doesn't work for people, then you'll be play testing a home-brewed system of mine.  Nyeh heh heh.

4) - Serge Protector

  I feel like I may have beaten this to death, but you have to keep an eye on your Master's energy reserves when going whole hog, especially with a very powerful character.  At worst, it will kill your Master Character.  At best, it will exhaust and weaken both of you.  And there may be points where you simply don't have energy for what you want to do.  I reserve the right to apply my serge protector to any move that's a little too crazy.

  5) - Forum Housekeeping

  ...You all do know what Type-Moon is known for, right?  And given how many times I yelled "JUST FUCK, ALREADY!" at Tohsaka Rin and Shirou, this should probably be pretty simple.  Yes, sex is allowed.  Some characters will even get extra energy from it, so it's rather encouraged!  I'm just going to ask that people put headers in red if something yummy is happening in the post, just to be polite.
  RESPECT ALL OF ELLIQUIY'S RULES.  RAWRZ.
  I like games in the Extreme Section, especially because it gives me the freedom to write the actual Holy Grail the way it's meant to be written.  Foreboding, ne?
  I am looking for a relaxed game, and I'll admit I sometimes have trouble posting.  But if we can have everyone do once a week, at minimum, that'll work great.

  6) - You can win this one.

  This is a competitive game with a clear start and end.  It's over when or if the last remaining Master / Servant combination causes the Holy Grail to appear, and with what they decide to do with it.  If this does happen, the RP might get another sequel.  But like some bizarre Hunger Games Anime Mash-up, the previous winners and/or survivors will still exist.  And so will the effects of their wishes.  It's a thing!

  Alternately, it's possible for no-one to win.  At some point in the game, the Overseer will start to get very anxious.  There is a reasonably generous window of opportunity to summon the Grail, but this anxiety will mean that window is closing.  If at least four Servants are still alive by the time that window closes, it means the War Fails.

Fugitives and Survivors

  This is information your characters will have from the Overseer, regarding how important actually killing people and winning the War this time around is. 


Fugitive Masters:  The Healer

  "You know him as the Healer, that ingrate who's managed to stall out the last two Grail Wars with little more than good intentions.  His actual identity is Black Jack, a mercenary surgeon.  If we're being completely honest, he's rather easy to admire.  Any obstacle, threat, or limit, he seems to have a habit of breaking, so long as the end goal is saving a life.  That includes Servants, which should be impossible to heal with human medical science.  He's brilliant.  He's brave.  And he's noble, to an extent that can't be overstated.  Just the sort of Master that is worthy to make a Wish upon the Holy Grail.

  "Of course, he's too noble, which is why he's currently our primary enemy.

  "In the last War, we contracted a secret society of assassins, who sent their Very.  Best.  Agent.  To act the Overseer.  Chloe brought us his body, sure enough, and we even tested it to make sure it was him.  But the bastard is still alive.  A man that can make a perfect genetic clone of himself, just to stand in as a corpse..!  That little stunt has not only infuriated the Society of Magic, but it's pissed off Chloe as well, who apparently is being sent back in to finish the job.  He's a menace, and we don't know his whereabouts.  But we're going to provide you with incentives to track him down and put an end to him.  The first of which being that if you don't, the Society of Magic will do it ourselves.  Angrily, I might add.

  "Black Jack’s Servant was Lancer.  We never learned his name, but our records say he was easily 3 times as large as a normal man.  He wields a massive Great Halberd, and has the ability cause earthquakes at will, rupturing the very ground around him.  But worse, Lancer is remembered for being, how shall we call it, a Family Man.  He had a habit of offering alliances to other Servants and Masters he defeated, drawing them into a single group.  We don't know how many he has, but our sources predict that almost every Servant or Master the Healer has saved is currently one of his allies, making killing the both of them even harder."



Fugitive Masters: Asuna Yuuki

  "Ah.  This one's a curious case.  Asuna was given Command Seals in the 8th Grail War, but at the time, she was comatose.  Some incident regarding a full immersion VR Simulator, that has her mind trapped inside an MMORPG.  Apparently, she actually performed the summoning ritual inside the game world.  We didn't expect her to last long, to be honest.  Hospitalized Masters are usually easy marks.  But apparently, we underestimated just how strong Asuna really is.

  "Her Servant was Caster, a young woman with asymmetrical hair, who sometimes appears to us through electronic devices.  We don't understand her abilities, but it seems like she's able to use Build Territory to an alarming degree, manipulating reality at will.  She's even managed to bring Asuna out of the Game World.  Not, you know, getting her out of her coma or anything.  I mean literally pulling Asuna's cognizant Game World Persona into real life.  And she is a terror.  In that form, she possesses abilities almost on par with a Servant.  Supposedly, she's made a name for herself in there.  If you're ever so unlucky, you'll find out why.

  "As for Caster..  Well, before every War, there is something called the Sleeping Sickness.  This is actually Caster's doing.  She's drawing energy from anywhere she can, getting herself ready.  She's strange when active, sometimes coming across as completely different people.  We don't really understand her motives, to be honest with you.  It would make sense, for her to be aligned with The Healer, but our intelligence says that isn't the case.  Caster seems more interested in keeping Asuna safe.  A few of the Servants that have actually had the pleasure of encountering her, say she pities Asuna, and her wretched luck.  Myself, I'm not so certain Asuna's luck is the problem.

  "What?  Where can you find them?  Weren't you listening?  It's a Caster that warps reality, and her Master is comatose.  Asuna is gone.  Probably hidden away in Caster's Territory.  Be careful around this pair.  There's no telling when or how they'll get to you."

 
Other survivors are out there.  Perhaps the Overseer knows more about them, perhaps not.  If you can find them, you could ask Lancer and Caster, who are sure to know all about it.  They may make you wish you hadn't been curious, though..

[Metraxa]

Hm, I'm interested. I'll have to think on this one.

[akirakaneda]

Cool idea