[System]
6 or High Powered

Higan (pronounced Hee-gan)

Race: Ramor (prounounced Ra-more) a race with a number of similarities to humans, they are humanoid mammals with the same number of appendages. The only significant differences are that they are more tolerant to temperature extremes and can last for longer periods of time without water, oxygen, food and sleep. Essentially they are an all-round hardier race of people. Their skin is thicker than a humans, and regardless of climate always dark olive in complexion. The average height for males is 5ft and females slightly higher, and their eyes are somewhat larger on average than a humans. Their life spans range around 60-70 years, even with their modern medical technology.

Gender: Male

Age: 28

Height: 5ft 2"

Weight: 80kg

Appearance: Higan has the characteristic dark olive skin of the Ramor, with broad shoulders and a noticeably muscular body. His eyes are green and his hair is buzz cut and dark brown. He has wide friendly features with an honest looking face, though splashes of scarring tend to mar this image somewhat. The scars are small and livid, running across both of his cheek bones in a seemingly random pattern. They came from exploding glass. In his cockpit he wears a simple pilot outfit which is dark green in colour. The technology of the Ramor has allowed them to produce high-durability weave armour, so despite the seeming simplicity of his clothes they provide him with roughly the same protection as a Kevlar vest.

Personality: Course, honest, rough, determined, intelligent, witty, good humoured.

Physical Traits: Higan is physically impressive, though well within human capability. He can bench roughly 300kg and run at 15mph, his extensive endurance training allows him to remain fighting fit for extended periods of time. His senses are roughly similar to a humans, though he has slightly greater vision, especially in low light conditions.

Skills: Higan is a soldier of the 12th Division, a.k.a L.A.S light armour and support. He has been trained for roughly 10 years to become adept at a number of combat orientated skills, namely.
Hand to hand combat
Firearms training
Endurance training
Scout training/Survival training
Ranger/Sniper training
Demolitions
Artillery
Armoured Support Platform (ASP) piloting

Background: Higan is a member of the 12th division of the Grent Republic's Army, a militaristic state in an alternate earth torn asunder by war. He is unmarried, after recently breaking up with his girlfriend and fiancée of three years, he was born in the republic to an officer of the army and found his path marked out for him.

Equipment: A.S.P
14" Steel Combat Knife
.50 calibre revolver, 6 shot chamber, 6 additional rounds.
Survival Kit (first aid, GPS, flare gun, etc.)

Higan's main combat capabilities are drawn from his A.S.P, or Armoured Support Platform, which is in colloquial terms a one-man mechanical unit with walker capabilities. It looks roughly like the image below.

A.S.P (130)
The A.S.P is actually in Ramor terms relatively low-powered, serving in a support and scouting role alongside mainline forces.
Height: 12ft
Width: 5ft
Weight: 30 tonnes
Length: 4ft

Armaments: The A.S.P is equipped with primary, secondary and tertiary armaments for a number of different combat scenarios.

Primary: 105mm Rifled A.S.P Gun (basically a tank gun) capable of firing HEAT warheads (similar to 3BK-31) smoke canisters and anti-personel rounds (which fire multiple flechettes). Due to the relatively small storage space for ammunition on the A.S.P 130 it may only carry five of each of these rounds. It can fire roughly twice per minute. Rounds are ejected when spent underneath the barrel through an automatic sliding door.

Secondary: 40mm anti-material rifle, RPM 20, 100 rounds, can be separated from the Mech without breaking, but it weighs just under a tonne and can't be fired by anything other than the mech.

Tertiary: Anti-Personnel Suppression, Chaingun, .50 cal, 300rpm, 1200 rounds.

Armour: The A.S.P 130 is constructed using plates of titanium sandwiching plates of depleted uranium with alumina tiles worked in (similar to Chobham armour). This gives it a relatively light-weight body while offering significant protection from anti-tank measures. The RHAe values for the armour are as followed.

Front: 800mm
Back: 400mm
Sides: 300mm
Arms: 250mm
Legs: 500mm
Optics: 100mm
Joints: 100mm
Top: 200mm

The Armour is specially designed to resist heat. It does not conduct electricity into the electronics or pilot area. Internal heating systems can adjust for extreme drops in temperature up to -100 degrees, at the cost of hydrogen fuel.

The A.S.P is also equipped with an Active Protection System, which, like modern day tanks, is capable of confusing heat-seeking and other guided missiles with large concentrations of infra-red.

Damage control systems: The A.S.P is equipped with a number of automatic systems similar to those seen in a modern day tank, ammunition is kept in self-contained storage spaces linked to their respective weapon, reducing chance of self-destruction. Fire is automatically fought by internal systems.

Filter System: The A.S.P is essentially a mobile bunker, filtering hostile elements from the air.

Optics: The A.S.P is augmented with an optical sensory unit with a 180 degree depth of view directly in front. This includes a zoom function of up to 60x, night vision, thermal vision, and electric vision. The main weapons are connected to this system and can target and adjust in 0.20 of a second. The pilot still has control over when to fire, and can over-ride targeting systems to manual control if they wish.

Computer System: Linked to Optics, the computer system on the A.S.P can provide the pilot with data based on a rough estimation of a target. It can estimate things like, thickness, speed and weapon calibres.

It has a backup system in place in the case of damage to main optics (which are located roughly where the head would be on a human.) where the armour peels back from directly in front of the pilot's head, allowing him physical view of around 90 degrees in front through a bullet proof double paned window. This is obviously a major weakness, and is only to be used as a last resort.

Physical Traits:

Strength: The A.S.P only has one available hand unless it abandons its secondary weapon. Regardless, with just the one hand it can lift up to twenty tonnes of weight. The crushing grip of the hand can easily bent metal or destroy rock. The legs of the walker are significantly stronger, capable of lifting up to 50 tonnes of weight each. Though the machine can't 'kick' it can jump up to fifteen feet into the air.

Speed: The A.S.P has been clocked moving at speeds in excess of 70mph, which is impressive for a walker, it is the fastest Armoured Support Vehicle in Ramor. Its acceleration is 7 seconds 0-70 mph.

Agility: The A.S.P is capable of manoeuvring in tight quarters, but regardless its size is still a limiting factor on its agility. Though far less cumbersome than a tank, it takes almost twice as long for an A.S.P to turn around than an ordinary human, it can however adjust its weapons incredibly quickly and its arms can move at roughly human speeds.

Speaker System: The A.S.P may project the pilot's voice through external speaker systems on the chest plate.

Comm Link: The A.S.P has com links similar to those in use in the modern day military.

Power System: The A.S.P is fuelled by a Ramor speciality, hydrogen gas fuel canisters with an effective life span of 20 hours in active use. They are stored at the rear and bottom of the mech (obviously protected by the back armour) and are roughly 60cm in diameter. They will explode if hit. This fuel source can be detonated by a self destruct sequence if the Mech is rendered inoperable or the user does not wish to be captured.

Entry Points: The A.S.P is entered normally through the front carapace, the Mech kneels while in disuse and the driver climbs the legs to enter the cockpit. If the Mech falls on its front special procedures blast a hole in the back armour for quick escape.

[User]
"Target located, 800 meters and clos-" Once again Higan's nifty front/back/everywhere seat driver was cut off by evolving circumstances it wasn't prepared for. Two pinpricks of light had revealed themselves to the Optical systems, though not yet Higan himself who was still using ordinary vision on the main screen. He looked up in confusion, as if he could see his own Optic systems through the roof of the cockpit. Nothing was going to be easy with this one apparently, he slumped momentarily and then got moving again. Eventually, a good five seconds later, the Optics systems remembered their job and flickered to Electric vision automatically. In the far distance and gaining ground was the grounded form of Slimy, who seemed to be moving around erratically far ahead.

The Mech raised its rifle into position, Systems calculating the distance. It was impossible to predict where Slimy was going to be a second from when the shot fired, but there were some high probability guesses to be made. Higan paused for only a moment.

"Alright then let's see if we get lucky eh?" He laughed, preparing to unleash hell upon the slick creature before it could fully escape him. The Mech lumbered after the beast faster now, darting past larger trees and through smaller ones. With the rifle in position he fired, the round shooting forward. The difficulty with the lower nature of the shot was that it had thicker parts of trees to burrow its way through, so it lost more power and speed then he would have liked. Still, the round would probably burst into Slimy's general vicinity, splintering the trees around him and maybe even scaring the nasty bugger. To actually hit him though would require a lot of luck, the Mech wasn't exactly spraying and praying, but it was firing into zones rather than bodies, so a direct hit was always going to be unlikely. Perhaps ten percent with each round.

For as long as the chase continued and Slimy remained in view, Higan would fire rounds off every three seconds, though if he was reduced to 80 rounds remaining with no discernible hits or damage he'd have to settle for just chasing the beast.

[Assistant]
The monster seemed to know where each bullet was going to be. Its echolocation warned it at only half the speed of sound. Its frequency had to hit an object and travel back. So powerful was the creatures hearing, however, it could feel the faint traces of a change in air pressure whenever something faster than its echolocation was released. If you climb into a bath, the water rises. If a bullet enters the air at high speed, however small, there is a shift, one that the monster could detect almost instantly. This sense perhaps bordered on the supernatural, so keen it was, and the monster knew that it had at least a second to avoid any projectile coming its way. At a closer range it wouldn't be able to react in time, but at this distance it was safe. It noted how the metal thing did not have a perfect idea of where it was going to move. Perhaps...

For the second time that day, the monster made a mistake. It had taken a bite out of its own wounded gut to regenerate enough to stop the bleeding, but no mucous could glaze over the deformed scar tissue. The mucous helped it to slither over rough objects. A pointy rock caught its damaged underside as it scurried along and tore the wound afresh, just as a lucky bullet came whizzing right at it. Silently the beast ducked, the round passing so close the monster could feel the heat of it on the tips of its ears. It stopped to chew off one of the bony protrusions on its right arm which normally framed and flexed the membrane. Another bullet right for it. It threw itself to the left before charging on. To an observer, the creature would have still seemed calm. It was noiseless and punctual. On the inside, though, its hatred seethed like worms of fire. The metal thing had intruded recklessly into its forest, was tearing down its trees, attacking so freely and with impunity. Never before had the Magna Pater felt such loathing. It no longer felt the urge to kill for merely food or sport.

Beneath the tar and pitch folds of its brain, nightmares dinned like a million black bats. If it ever caught the metal thing with its pants down, so to speak, it would show it that down in the dim recesses of the Earth, there were many things too terrible for the imagination to conjur.

It was halfway to its lair, but hadn't managed to gain more distance on the enemy, having lost what little space it had earned. The mech was still three-quarters of a mile behind. A cold sun had risen up, but its light did not penetrate the foliage.


[System]
Alias:
Goddess of the Summons

Gender:
Female.

Domains/Portfolios:
Magic (Summoning)

Domains/Portfolio Description:
The Domain of Magic, a Domain which holds many secrets and mysteries. A Domain which can both create and destroy, heal or injure. Astarte uses arcane energy to influence the world and her subjects, but her specialization lies in using such energy to call forth various creatures from her own personal plane of existence; creatures which range from dogs to ghouls and to awe inspiring phoenixes.

Alignment:
Indifferent. Astarte doesn't believe in the existence of good and evil, and just does what makes her happy.

Personality:
Astarte doesn't think much about herself, if at all. In her own words, she's just 'there', experiencing things and enjoying what life as a Goddess can offer her. She enjoys using her hands and her avatars can often be seen both building things and creating shoddy art in their spare time. To Astarte, nothing's more important than seeing her creations grow and mature; she also deems it important that they become a positive influence on the world, eventually.

She often wonders how it would feel to be a mortal and go through the life she's provided for her creations. She gets somewhat lonely whenever she thinks of the topic.

Appearance:
- Preferred form

- Form when speaking to mortals

Musical Theme:
Meant to Be

Description:
Astarte, the Goddess of the Ranges, is a very approachable Goddess. She's friendly and helpful to those who mean well to her and her creations. She's also a romantic, often showering her favorite mortals with things to love and cherish for as long as they live.

[User]
Name:
Arguis

Might
0
3 used to level up, another used to place his power inside the Orb.

Level
2

Domains/Portfolios:
Knowledge
(Nigh Omniscience)

Musical Theme:

Normal:
Feather

War Theme:
Enfin Apparu

Arguis watched as the rest of brethren were being born. It was not a surprise for him, since the second he came into existence he knew of almost all things. It was impossible to surprise Arguis, but that did not mean he could make the situation fun for him anyway. He watched Astarte come into existence, the goddess of Ranges. She had the ability call forth her own creations, Summoning Magic to be specific. Her power would be extremely useful on the field of battle. The summoning of powerful beasts would help in future battles, that, he knew. He also knew that it would be a power sought after by his brethren, hence power struggles.

Arguis could not help but chuckle when he heard Astarte utter the first word ever in the universe. Although he saw it coming, it was hilarious to actually heat it come out of her mouth. "Wow!" Arguis breathed as he wiped a tear from his eye. "You'll get a kick out of that in a few hundred years when you see that in the history books." He said holding his belly, trying to quell the pain in his stomach from all his laughing.

Then there was Undasis, the Woman of the Waters. She would not be useful until they actually had a planet to put water on. Once that happened, then the real fun would begin, one third of the planet would be water, making her a very powerful ally and enemy. Not to mention the fact that Kraken was an unsatisfiable beast with a plan to take over the world, at least in the near future. His plan would probably be detrimental to Arguis, so war between them was imminent.

Ferghus was then born, the god of Forges and Fire and what not. He would be like Astarte, sought out after like a piece of meat thrown into the midst of hungry dogs. His power would land him in the middle of a battle he wanted no part of. Loyalties were thrown out the window for him, he worked for those who gave him what he wanted, but that could also prove detrimental.

Sauranath the Dragon god. To Arguis, he saw no use, sure he was a dragon, but as they grew older then tended to be, a bit cynical. Sure there would be plenty of wise dragons, but what use were they when the had him. Arguis felt that his birth into the universe was wasted. He would bring nothing useful into the universe besides some flying reptiles. If Arguis could convince Astarte to chain him and his kind up, they could be used as summons, unfortunately, Astarte's power could only be used for her own creations.

Arguis then glanced at Escre, god of Life. Now this was an extremely useful god, his knack for creation would also be sought after, but he was a much more serious god. It would hard to just walk up to him and ask him to do something, unless it was. Escre was similar to Vowzra, he really did not understand them, although he knew a lot about them. Having knowledge of them was much more different than having an understanding.

Chaos and Order were just there, they basically kept everything in balance. The gods that kept the universe in check would be Vowzra, Escre, Arguis, and Evelynn, although she was on of those gods he did not understand.

Arguis was thrown out of his thoughts when he saw Invictus summon an orb of energy. Arguis already saw this coming, he already knew that the ball did, and what would happen when he touched it, that did not mean he was ready for the feeling it would give him. Arguis watched Vowzra as he touched the black sphere, the egg in which would birth the world into existence. The ball came to Arguis, and without hesitation he placed his palm on the ball. Instantly he felt something that even he could not understand. It was as if he was being sucked into a black hole, his whole being was being broken apart, as if every atom that made up his body was being pulled into one small point. As quickly as it began it dissaperaed, the ball left him and went on to his brethren. Arguis watched it go, a thin string of his essence was connected to his palm, which was still trailing behind the orb. "Never doing that again." he mumbled despondently.

[Assistant]
Escre - the Great Spirit
Might: 0 - 3 used to level up, 1 expended to empower orb

When the words of its creators pierced the ethereal emptiness, Escre froze, rapt at attention. It needn't have heard more to discern that it had been summoned. Without even considering the possibility of an alternative, Escre made an immediate about-face and drifted back toward the region of space and possibility that contained the unimaginable beings called Invictus and Fate. As it ascended, it felt the beat of godly spirits coming closer, and a sweeping look from side to side confirmed that the other deities, too, had heeded the call. This did not astonish the warden, of course, for none of them could flippantly disregard the will of the gods of gods. Those that Escre had not before seen drew nearer, and for the first time, the tempo of their spirits, too, reverberated through it. Escre hung in the nothingness, waiting with bated breath for future instruction.

It said, did, and thought nothing as it witnessed the miracle. Truly, the furthest-flung spheres of the imagination were but baby steps for the majestic, infinite power of Invictus and Fate, for as Escre's pale eyes fixed unswervingly on the gathering orb, its power chilled Escre's own spirit. This was the raw stuff of creation, a fickle and uncanny substance capable of making or unmaking anything. Insignificance was not something Escre and its kin were made to feel—unless their gods of gods willed that the lesser gods knew their place.

In the rhythm of the orb Escre began to detect a pattern, something only a grandmaster of spirits might feel. The singularity of endlessness within that orb strummed an ethereal tune, not unlike the beat of a soul but ever more intangible, like beating a drum versus picking up water. The futility of understanding it frustrated Escre, trying to convince it that it was nothing but a mere cog in the machine, without a separate existence, and only part of something bigger. That could not be right. Escre could not question its creators, but it could wonder at the threads of song weaving through the nothingness. The gods of gods had given the Great Spirit a purpose; if it was not its own being, then it could not carry out that purpose. As the universe orb finally stood still, perched at the fingertips of Invictus, Escre whispered into the dark, I am.

The orb came its way third, after visiting and partaking of Vowzra and Arguis. Escre let go of its lantern and scythe. The others had placed their palms on the orb, evidently in order to give it something of theirs. Escre wasn't quite sure what the orb would do after collecting something from each of the gods, but it understood that unknown result as a cooperative venture. For a moment Escre stared at the orb, unsure. What could it give of itself to something so important? It held up its hands. One was empty metal, and the other empty cloth. In essence, Escre was emptiness, devoid of body...but plentiful in spirit.

Escre bowed its head slowly, and with utmost gentleness pressed its head against the orb. Colors and sounds exploded through its mind, the wavelength and frequency of a trillion spirits beating in harmony, and just as quickly they were gone, leaving only a ringing pain in their wake. Escre floated back, but the orb had already whirred off to its next subject. The warden's mind was fuzzy, but its spirit now beat as brightly as any of the other gods.

Perhaps even more.


[System]
Alias: Arsenal
Age: 17
Powers: None

Weaknesses:
-Lacks Super Abilities: Arsenal is not a meta-human and lacks the abilities many of his companions (and enemies) possess. This also makes Roy somewhat easy to kill by conventional means.

-Highly Addictive to alcohol/drugs: Roy has an addictive personality. He is currently recovering from the consequences of his addictions to fetanyl and alcohol.

Skills:
-Agile: Roy has years of self-training in acrobatics, as well as a few years of training under the watch of the Green Arrow.

-Expert Marksman (Archery): A natural talent of his. Roy has expert proficiency with a bow and arrow.

-Proficiency in wide array of weaponry: Roy has trained with a variety of weaponry over the years, especially as Oliver's sidekick. This makes Roy dangerous in nearly any situation with nearly any weapon.

-Martial Arts Proficiency: Training under the Green Arrow, Roy's regimine was strict and included proficiency in martial arts to keep the sidekick safe in case CQC was necessary.

-Proficiency in Gadgeteering: Roy's unique skill and expertise in crafting gadgets is one of the primary abilities that sets Roy apart from his former mentor. Roy helped to craft Oliver's trick arrows, and uses his skills to develop his own gadgets and trick arrows to help him fight on the same level as meta-humans.

Roy Harper was 4 when his father died. His father was a forest ranger who worked near the Navajo Reservation. A raging fire had broken out in the region, and Roy's father was one to always put other's lives first. He rushed into a burning building to save a child, and later that evening died from his injuries. Roy was taken in by the tribe, given he had nowhere left to go.

Roy gained an informal training in archery after the child picked up a proper bow and arrow at the age of six and proved to have innate talent. Roy continued developing this skill, primarily on his own, whilst also partaking in bouldering and displays of agility. By the age of 14, Roy had clearly demonstrated a defined vigilante skill set that would lead to his adoption as Oliver Queen's sidekick.

Roy developed another impressive skillset at the age of 11, namely his skill in working with electronics. Roy's adoptive father worked at a small electronics shop, and the man taught the child the inner-workings of computers and phones. At age 12, Roy managed to build himself a computer from spare parts and his access to the internet intensified his love for electronics. Roy taught himself how to design various gadgets, managing to build himself his own cell phone and begin designing trick arrows on his own.

At the age of 13, Roy began to steal from local liquor stores. Roy blacked out on one of these nights, and awoke next to his dead adoptive father with a bow and arrow in his hands. Roy left the reservation and never looked back, making his way to Star City. It was there that Roy was living on the streets and using his skills to not only make money for himself (helping build burner phones, minor hacking, etc.), but also to try and do the right thing. Roy stepped up during a bank robbery nearby by using his own bow and arrow for the first time in months to help the Green Arrow.

Oliver Queen adopted Roy, and the two began their partnership for about 2 years. Early on as Oliver's apprentice, Roy took on the title of Speedy (a nickname given by Oliver) and joined the Teen Titans as an early member of the original team alongside such talents as Starfire and the former Robin. During the two years working with Oliver and the Titans, Roy became increasingly compromised from his addictions, until Oliver found out and renounced him. The Teen Titans similarly revoked Speedy's membership until he sought proper treatment. At the age of 16, Roy was all on his own with no home and no friends. He did, however, choose to clean himself up to prove that Oliver Queen was wrong.

Roy went to rehab for five months, and immediately joined an AA support group once he completed the regimen. He sought to prove he could turn his life around and be a hero to those in need. Recently, Roy adopted the persona of Arsenal and began working as a vigilante once again, using the resources he had left when working with the Green Arrow as Speedy. It was only a matter of time before the Titans would find the young vigilante and bring him into the fold once again.

[User]
---

San Francisco: Titan's Tower

Raven focused her mind and was only concentrating on her breathing and had finally centered herself when she heard wet feet slapping against the concreate roof of Titan Tower. The teen opened an eye and watch the red clad teen in sunglasses move to the ground to dry off. She didn't mind him and was about to begin her mediation, however, he began to speak to break the silence. Raven made a mental note, trying to be unnoticeable makes you noticeable.

It was a long moment before Raven, is this an insult, or an attempt at humor? She allowed herself to feel the other teens emotions, she could feel guilt, jealousy, happiness, and hopefulness. The empath, however, did not feel spite and decided he was trying to be humorous.

"No, I do not have an alias, for I do not have a secret identity to protect. My name is Raven, though, I guess I should make an identity to protect, I will have to think about it." Raven said giving no emotion in her voice. She studied him as her violet eyes moved about the teen's body, he was fit and looked as if he had been in several fights, in all honesty he was quite handsome. "So what name do you give yourself, the Red…" her eyes went to the quiver on his back then continued. "Arrow, or maybe it is the Crimson Boy?" This time a smile did escape her at least for a moment.

Before the crimson archer could reply another boy dressed in red stepped out of the elevator and she turned her focus, it was like he was the epicenter of an emotion bomb. She couldn't help but think of a child jumping and wave for its mother's attention. The empath's smile completely vanished in to detached boredom as her mind slithered back behind her walls. Only now could she sense the magical power coming from this boy, he was emitting the power of the gods.

Raven didn't have the chance to think over what the boy's magical energy meant when yet another hero clad in red made a grand entrance. Seeing these powerful heroes nearly filled her with hope, maybe they could change her destiny, maybe they could defeat her father. No, hope is just an illusion, hope did not get things done and I will not trick myself into letting my guard down for hope.

[Assistant]
---

---

Garfield was a bit depressed (and relieved) that Roy and Kori had walked off and left him alone. However, looking at the leader of the Titans who's first few actions were have a resting stoic face and sitting down in a chair talking about something Garfield couldn't manage to make out.

Not just that, but once the elevator had opened once more. Garfield couldn't help but notice a rather pretty, but pale, girl. She had a gothic and dark look to her that told Garfield to not screw with her. Watching Roy walk over to her, Garfield bit his lip, wondering what the outcome of that would be.

After her, it was ... another kid around Garfield's age. Garfield didn't expect this but, but felt a bit more comfortable to know he wasn't the only younger teen in the group. It wasn't long util that same kid came over to Garfield and gave out his hand to shake, saying his name was Billy and other friendly stuff.

The green teen was definitely surprised that he was simply singled out of the crowd by Billy. Then again, Garfield was green skinned, green haired, and green eyed. Garfield reluctantly smiled and shook Billy's hand.

"Hi. I'm Garfield, nice to meet you too." He said, rather shyly. "Yeah, what a team!" Garfield said, his reluctant smile grew more geniune.

What a team..

Suddenly as Garfield thought, his mind was brought back to where he was as a blur of red span into a couch which had caught Garfield off guard. Another hero who knew where he belonged, Garfield figured as the red speedster took off his mask with a great smile.

Garfield then turned back to Billy, "My alias is Beast Boy, by the way. Yours?"


[System]
* Age: Unknown; physically around 12.
* Gender: Female
* Appearance: I'm a nasty surprise, I'm a devil in disguise...
* World of Origin: The Fate/ side of the Nasuverse; primarily /Apocrypha and /Grand Order.
* Personality: "Jack" is a rather contradictory young girl. Pure and innocent yet cruel and savage, her rational mindset conflicting with her emotional weakness, she repays kindess and cruelty alike with equal measure. Despite her outfit, she is shy and doesn't like going out in the sun, much preferring the cover of night. She always seems to refer to herself as "we" and "us", and strongly yearns for a mother figure.
* History: Jack the Ripper is an infamous serial killer, whom little is known about aside from the fact that he murdered several prostitutes in the Whitechapel area of London during the late 19th century. The true identity of the Ripper was never discovered, and even today who he was or even what his real name was are unknown. However, his infamy was so great that his spirit ascended to the Throne of Heroes to become a "Heroic" Spirit, who amongst other things could be summoned as a Servant during the Grail War... Revealing that "he" was, in fact, a "she"; the legendary serial killer was in fact a young homeless girl with mother issues.
* Abilities: As a Servant of the Assassin class, "Jack"'s possesses superhuman physical capabilities. Whilst her strength and endurance pale in comparison to the Saber class, she more than makes up for it with her speed and agility. Due to being an Assassin, she also possesses the ability to conceal her presence, not only allowing her to easily hide in cover or shadows but making her immensely difficult to detect via supernatural means; in addition, and unique to her amongst Assassins, those who encounter her quickly forget all about her, including her appearance and capabilities, although this fails to work on those in regular contact with her. She possesses the Mental Pollution ability, which means that due to her fractured mind she possesses a good deal of resistance to mental interference and mind control, and thanks to the Surgical Procedure ability she has a crude understanding of anatomy, surgery and medicine. As a Servant, she possesses Noble Phantasms, items that represent her legend. Specifically, Jack possesses two such Noble Phantasms:
	+ The Mist: Darkened Misty Metropolis: Taking the form of an antique lantern, by activating The Mist "Jack" can create a field of thick smog, obscuring the landscape and providing cover to those within it. However, the smog is also a curse that will cause anyone within it to begin choking and doubling over in immense pain, eventually culminating in a painful death. "Jack" can designate who is affected by this curse, however, and if she doesn't want someone to be hurt by it they won't. For the purposes of this RP, the curse only really affects nameless henchmen-level characters.
	+ Maria the Ripper: The Holy Mother of Dismemberment: A set of four long knives "Jack" carries around her waist. Whilst they are mildly powerful magical weapons in their own right, by calling the name of this Noble Phantasm she can activate a powerful killing curse which, under the right circumstances, will kill the target instantly as the knives manifest inside their body and vivisect them. However, the circumstances are rather strict, as the killing curse will only affect a female target on a misty night, and for the purposes of this RP the smog produced by The Mist does not count towards these circumstances. Whilst physical defence is all but impossible against the killing curse of Maria the Ripper, a strong resistance to magic and curses can allow the target to negate its effects.
* Other:

[User]
Goldibanne, Face of Innocence(?)

"Oh~? An excessively large knight in shining armor and his wolf have joined the fray~?" Goldibanne giggled, even as she forced a ribbon of molten gold up between one Animate Dead's legs, slicing upwards with a sizzling sound to divide it completely in half up the middle. The corpse collapsed to both sides, smoking, as Goldibanne realized further zombies approached her from behind, more still coming from the front as well. Grinning, she piroutted and leaned back on one leg, projecting one hand forward and one hand back, and sending each of her whips of gold slicing through flesh, causing Animate Dead to collapse in dismembered heaps of body parts.

"Fufufu~ Such a collection of unique people~ Goldibanne is impressed~"

She danced back as another corpse grabbed for her, shifting from one foot to another as a flash of gold took the upper half of its head cleanly off. Ah, they were just like garbage, weren't the?

... Oh, and that new girl... such a unique fighting style! Using saws in such a way, and singing? How elegant and wonderful, certainly, Goldibanne would have to speak to her.

[Assistant]
13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi- The City Above the Clouds

As the sounds of fighting grow closer to those who approach, a pair of characters-- a man with what seems to be a human-sized puppet and something more akin to a mass of coagulated oil with a masked tacked onto it(albeit with some weird appendages sticking out of it)--appear, blocking off the pathway to the fighting. Glancing at those arriving, the man shakes his head in disapproval.

"This is no place for children right now; something is amiss, and I can't have anyone interfering with my observations. Truly, this phenomenon is a strange one, and I refuse to lose even a moment's time with my research."

With a flick of his wrist, the puppet springs to life, seemingly ready for combat if necessary.

"Since I'm in a good mood today, I'll ask you politely: turn back now and head indoors; if you refuse, then I am fully prepared to force you to do so myself."

The blob, on the other hand, turns its masked face towards the same people the man is addressing, just as ready to fight as the puppet seems to be.

Unknown City, Somewhere in the U.S.: Where Chaos and Paranoia Reign Supreme

The combined efforts of the group make quick work of the horde of zombies, leaving a giant pile of infected bodies lying in the middle of the road. The sounds of gunfire draw closer from the north, but before long, the source made itself clear: a large, camo-painted truck plowing through the streets, a large machine gun mounted on the top. The one manning it, a Caucasian man about six feet tall in what seemed to be a military outfit, seemed to be thoroughly focused on the enemies on their tail.

Namely, a group of mutated beasts, numbering about thirty or so, making a beeline for them.

"Shit!" the driver, an African American man wearing a similar outfit, shouted, attempting to swerve out of the way from the group that had just entered the location. "Who the--?! Chris! How's the rear coming along?"

"Not good, not good at all! They're too mobile and moving too erratically for me to get a lock on them!"

"Well, you'd better start trying, or else these people in front of us aren't gonna be alive for much longer!"

"People? Alive? What are you--"

"I don't know either, but we don't have TIME to ask right now! Just SHOOT!"

[User]
--------------
13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi
--------------

Alex followed closely as the group of teenagers headed to where the fighting was at. The sounds of combat grew closer but suddenly, two figures stood in their way, stopping the group dead in their tracks.

One was a fair-skinned male sporting blonde hair and wearing an equally-colored mask (the masquerade kind). His clothes resembled those found in the Renaissance, its primary colors being purple and white. With him was a tall, female of milky white skin and short, blonde hair wearing a pink dress, a large pink... hat that appeared to have two metal protrusions, also pink in color, that was as long as her. Alex spotted that her hands were larger than her head and her robotic activation told him that this woman was more metal than man.

The other figure was something Alex was more familiar with. It was a shapeless mass, pitch black in color. It had a circular, white mask with only three holes for a 'face'. Strange appendages stuck out of it. Alex thought was a pile of biomass if he ever saw one. It was something he had seen before but never actually fought against one. Still, a fight was coming on.

Alex cracked his knuckles as spoke to his comrades. "Looks like we're not talking our way out of this." He remarked before continuing. "Mind if I take on the robot?"

[Assistant]
Kinji Takigawa, in Kagutsuchi

STAR NINGER SHURIKEN!

THE CHANGE!

Standing on a roof, having done the stereotypical ninja run to arrive, Kinji placed a golden shuriken on his phone. With the steely gaze of a veteran monster hunter, he glared at the masked puddle and puppeteer.

"Usually, when ya got some spook and some varmint with a puppet tryin' to keep you away, that's exactly where you need to go, so... Shuriken Change!"

Guitar music straight out of a hoedown played as Kinji spun the shuriken. The spinning image of a sheriff's badge appeared around Kinji's feet, rising up and encasing him in golden light as he held his guitar-sword-gun once again. The mask of a cowboy hat, star-shaped faceplate, and golden armor encased his head as he leapt into the air, playing a riff on the guitar as he landed, golden spandex appearing around his body.

"HIDING DOESN'T STOP PARTY NIGHT! THE SHINING STAR- STARNINGER!"

The sound effects were quick to punctuate this statement: STARNINGER- WOW!

[User]
Tachibana Hibiki, Holding Determination in Her Fist

As Hibiki came to a halt, faced with the figures who seemed intent on a fight, her first inclination was not even to activate her Symphogear. She didn't even slip into a combat-ready stance. Even though two of them didn't seem human, one of them was, and that meant one of them could be talked to, right? And since that... blobby thing and the puppet thing only seemed to be responding to the fact that he was ready to fight... Hibiki took a deep breath as she stepped forward, ahead of the man who had just transformed and landed(into a Sentai hero?!) and the other man who was getting ready to fight too.

"We can speak to one another, so that means we don't have to fight, doesn't it?" she began. Oh, she knew that before... before she'd had to fight with those she could talk to. When she could no longer get the message across with her voice... she had to get it across with her fists. But there was never any reason not to try!

"I can't say I know exactly what's going on here," she continued, "But I know it's something bad! If you need to observe something, that doesn't mean we have to fight! There's people in trouble, so please, let us go ahead and help them!"

[Assistant]
Kohinata Miku

Sometimes, Hibiki was an idiot. This was one of those times: forgetting that Miku could fight now was one thing, but telling her to stay safe by standing in a random place in a strange city that they knew nothing about was a new level of 'forgetting to think'. How would she even find her way back here? All of this was why, rather than standing and waiting for Hibiki, she kept pace with her friend, right up to the point of reaching a man playing with dolls and something that looked even more horrifying than the Noise.

The... cowboy... guitar-playing spandex ninja and the American seemed all too ready to get into a fight straight away, but maybe the apparently violent researcher would listen to Hibiki. Something about the way he was speaking reminded her... uncomfortably of Ver, so he probably wouldn't listen. Miku had no idea if Arakune could even understand them. Given how likely it was that Hibiki would be ignored again, she reached a hand into her shirt and pulled out the relic.

This time, she wasn't going to wait and watch Hibiki be in danger.

---

Sir Artorias the Abysswalker

With the initial horde of bodies cut down to size, Artorias turned to the others that had chosen this path. The girl in a dress appeared to have the ability to shoot liquid gold for some unfathomable reason, yet the ability could hardly be said to be of no use here. The other one seemed to have some strange sorcery activated by song--yet after encountering some of Oolaciles' own unusual spells, it wasn't terribly surprising. Not after having been out of the world for this task. Meanwhile, the swordsman was, fortunately, strong enough to swing the lump of iron that was his blade--and hopefully the humans were just that, and not branded with the Darksign.

Questioning where they should search for the source of this world's troubles was simplified by the arrival of yet more humans in some strange contraption, who he expected to have the ability to explain what was happening. Or give directions. First, their pursuers had to be dealt with and so, ignoring the idea of going around, Artorias took a short running start before leaping clean over, smashing his blade into the ground... and through several of the creatures. A swift slash later, and Sif landed in the small circle of 'clear' space.

Hefting his shield, Artorias prepared to draw their attacks to give everyone else a clear shot.


[System]
Formal Wear:  (just the male)
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Bender?: Yes
Bending Style: Earthbender
Personality: Kind, Gentle, Caring, and Formal
History: Li has a twin sister named Lei who, along with himself, were born into the Avatar Cycle. He looks out for his sister alot, he is only 10 minutes older then his sister and likes to act as the older sibling.
Other: Loves his sister.

Formal Wear:
Name: Lei Xiao-Ling
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Bender?: Yes
Bending Style: Earthbender
Personality: Tomboy, Laid-Back, Kind
History: Lei along with her twin brother Li,, was born into the Avatar Cycle. She is more laid back then her brother who is more proper. She dislikes most formal events "Woah woah woah hold on there creator! I just dislike the dresses! I love the events, there is always food!" -clears through- I mean she dislikes dresses, "Much better!" but her brother makes her wear them. "This is true."
Other: Loves her brother to pieces but hates when he throws out his proper mumbo jumbo.

Pets:
Aumaro(Male)

Raine (Female)

[User] Kailani exited the arena building and eventually managed to flag down a cab back to her apartment. As she entered her home, she sighed. She did not like this city living. She was used to the open polar fields and ice caps. She smiled as she looked inside her closet to find a dress. She would love to explore the Earth Kingdom more. Or maybe the Fire kingdom. She had heard about forests and would love to see trees towering above her. Not like the smaller park trees she had seen. Lani shook the thoughts from her head and began to dress. She always had loved flowing, fancy dresses, ever since she was little. It reminded her of water; they flowed and bend like a water stream. Lani stood and looked at herself in the mirror, smiling slightly. Now to find out where this party will be.

[Assistant]
-At the home of Mako and Bolin-

"Well here we are. We have a spot over there for when people arrive." Mako said as he pointed to an open area in the middle. "Let's see now where are those movies of mine?" Bolin said as he looked through a pile of stuff. Li look at Lei as Lei nodded and approached Mako " Excuse us Mako we have to go meditate" Lei said "Ok I understand" Mako said as Lei and Li went to the middle and got in a meditation position and shut their eyes.

-In the spirit world-

"Huh? Where are we?" Lei said as she looked around to see her surroundings "Li! Where are you? Li!" Lei called out as she looked around. "Lei?" said Li's voice from behind Lei "Li?" Lei said as she looked behind her to see Li. She ran up and hugged Li as Li gently pat her head. "Where are we?" Lei asked "I think we're in the spirit world, sis" Li replied "But how? We've meditated before, but we've never been here!" Lei said in confusion "It's just like father said, things happen for a reason, much like when people meet. They meet for a reason." Li said "Your father is a very wise man" said the voice of a woman. "It's true he has alot of wisdom" said the voice of an older man. Li and Lei looked behind them suddenly to see an old man and a waterbender woman with another woman with long black hair. "Who are you three?" Lei asked "No way, impossible. Li said in confusion "Who are they, Li?" Lei asked as Li pointed to the old man [/b]"Genral Iroh..."[/b] Li said as he pointed at the girl with long black hair "...Asami Sato.." Li said as he finally pointed to the waterbender girl "...and Avatar Korra." Li finished as Korra bowed in respect "It's a pleasure to meet the first twin avatars." Korra said. "But Mako said you guys went missing, well you and Asami that is." Lei said Well to be honest when we were at the party that night we decided to live in the spirit world" Asami said "You have a very long journy ahead of you both." Iroh said "However, the journey of you two must not be made alone, for danger is in the journey ahead." Iroh added.

-Back at the party-

"Everyone should be arriving shortly" Mako said "I can't find my movies! Bolin yelled. "Akito, Zakeo go quickly get into something more formal before the guests arrive." Mako said.

[User] Kailani quickly found the address of the pro-bending brothers and called a cab. She watched the buildings and roads pass by on the way there. The cab slowed to a halt, she perked up looking around. Lani quickly payed the driver and exited the vehicle. She approached the door, hesitating. She guessed she was nervous. Pushing those feelings aside she rang the doorbell.

[Assistant] Luta sighed figuring she should probably leave. She hated being early for things, especially if she was traveling there alone. She walked out of her appartment and whistled. Len came quick enough and she got on. It was a little more difficult in a dress to ride Len since she had to ride side saddle, but he was cheaper than a cap. She arrived at the Ferrit brother's place shortly after Lani had and ended up standing there kind of awkwardly with the other female waiting for someone to open the door. Suprisingly enough Jess and Dmetric arrived shortly after her by cab and she loosened up as bit. She wasn't really a party person and she didn't really enjoy formal clothes. So she was already feeling strange, then add on the strange female that was very obviously from one of the water tribes herself, and she was more than uncomfortable. However when her friends arrived she felt much better waiting for the door to be opened.

[User]
Kailani turned and saw the team members of the Water Dragons. Nervous, Lani raised her hand and did a little wave.
"Hello... Um... Nice game." She sighed and slumped forward. "Sorry... I just moved here and you guys were my first pro-bending game." Lani smiled nervously.

[Assistant]
If being ignored wasn't the worst thing his father could do, it was these formal parties. Zakeo was a little bored, having thrown on hand-me downs that looked... ok at best. Yet as unhappy as they made him, he was elated to know those old videos were well hidden. His lips would remain sealed on their location, as if he'd never even heard up Nuktuk.

"So is that the chick who fell through the roof of the arena? And.. her brother? What's with the meditation?" Zakeo asked Akito, one of the few people in his family that would actually listen to him.

[User]
"Yes Sir." Aki answered his father going to his old room when he lived here. He wondered hat type of people were gonna show up besides the Water Dragons. As he reached his old room he quickly opened his closet retrieving a very old fashioned fire nation formal attire. Aki actually liked the way it fitted him and how it looks formal but could be worn during combat.

After getting dressed Aki returned to a worried uncle in an easter egg hunt for his old tapes. Akito smirked whispering to himself. "I love you uncle but I won't allow you to torture our guess with those movies." Hiding them before leaving was the best idea he could ever think off. His quick planning saved generations of soon to come parties from his uncles movies.

After awhile Aki met up with his brother and noticed what looked like two earthbenders meditating. "Yeah I believe that is the chick who feel from the ceiling." He said looking closely at the girl. "She has a brother.....wait that's not the serious question that needs to be asked as of now what I need to be asking is why are they meditating...in the middle of the room no less?" Ski had a lot of questions which is odd cause he usually doesn't.

[Assistant]
"We are nearly there, you can put me down now!" Liang exclaimed and tried to get down from Gen's shoulder. "Seriously! Puuuut me down already!" Gen just walked forwards like he didn't even hear her while continuing a little conversation with Shin. "Well after that I joined the MP and all that... Nice work, don't really like the whole filing reports stuff, but it gets the bills paid. So, how's the healing gig been treating you?" The earthbender tilted his head a bit.

Shin shrugged his shoulders and placed his hands in the pockets of his jacket - he had lent it back from Liang just so he'd have atleast something that looked a bit more formal. "Well... It's... I've traveled a lot - seen places, met new people... Made some money on the side." The waterbender smirked and glanced around. "It's that building over there, right?" He inquired while pointing at the right place.

Liang's face went beat red again - there were other people outside - most likely other guests - and there she was, being carried around on the shoulder of a goofy earthbender like some ferret! "Gen! Let me down at this instant or there will be consequences!" The tall earthbender just rolled his eyes and smirked. "Well, if you say so." He more or less tossed the former firebender off from his shoulder.

After gathering herself from the ground and getting most of the dust form her coat Liang straightened up. "Ok, I could have thought my choice of words a bit better there..." The trio approached the gathered people - atleast some of whom Liang recognized as the Water Dragons from earlier. "Heyyy! You guys had a nice match!" She exclaimed with notable excitement and glanced at both of her former team mates while whispering "Ok, one more pose for old time's sakes..."

Gen rolled his eyes and did his best again to remain very dis-interested looking, still he couldn't keep a small smile away from his lips. "Gen Gan-Jin" He bowed his head slightly and obviously mentally prepared himself for the pose. Shin was smiling his very open and charming smile as he swept his hair away from his face with his left hand in a notably over dramatic and well rehearsed manner. "Shin Yu." He lowered his hands to his side and gave a quick glance to Liang who quickly adjusted the prosthetic arm to rest on her hip. "Liang Xian." All three took quick deep breaths, stepped back and made a team pose that was rather goofy, but kinda awesome at the same time while exclaiming "We are the Leaping Lion-Turtles!" They held the pose until Shin lost his balance and fell on Liang - who in turn bumped against Gen... and the trio came crashing down to the ground. They all burst in laughter while Liang did her best to politely ask Shin to get off of her from between fits of laughter.


[System]
Age: Appears 18
Gender: Androgynous Male
Race: Hex
Status: Rebellion. Ex Enslaved
Bio: How useful would it be to have access to the secrets of photosynthesis? An end to the fuel crisis, global starvation, the works. Certainly, the one to stumble across such a find would be heralded as the next saint...even if it costs one boy a few sets of skin. His tissue samples could have proven useful specimens in unlocking that philosophers stone, if only the scientists knew what tests to run instead of cutting blindly. Luciel learned to use his powers to heal early on, since tests often left him raw from sampling. All it took was one act of sympathy; a flower, to lighten the mood.
2 years since the massacre which his escape resulted in, he endeavors to continue his retaliating strike by undoing the evils of mankind wherever they may rear their hideousness upon the Hex.
Luciel comes off a tad eccentric with bouts of effeminacy, finding it easier to lie about his gender rather than explain himself. This also hints to the ingrained cynicism which he does well to hide, developed during his time spent in captivity...as most of the Hex often acquire, it seems.

Powers/Abilities: Phytogenesis/Arborkineses (Manipulation over plant mater in its basest of senses)
-Breath of Life~ Luciel's power starts with the understanding of life potential. Most commonly used to bend the genesis of a simple seed into various tools and weapons with enough creativity, the idea behind the power is to control the process of growth. This can expand to the human genome, although human cells function in their own way contrary to plants. This power manages little more than aiding in regrowing damaged flesh for most fauna. His power requires a catalyst to force energy into, being unable to simply summon plants.
-Metabolic Independence~ Similar to photosynthesis, Luciel is mostly unreliant on conventional food for sustinance. However, this requires exposure to direct sunlight for extended periods of time which have stripped his skin and hair of most of its pigment. Even then, this is only a supplement, allowing him to go up to three weeks without food. (water is still a must)
-Ascencing~ Being in tune with life energy which his powers rely on, Luciel can feel life energy in close proximity. This can be excused as a sort of supernatural empathy, although emotions don't factor into the sense. Strength, vigor, weakness and malady are the strongest of tells.
-Wild Growth Summons~
=Sleeve Ace: Shrubotth
Class: Summoned Monster
Subtype: Plant (Vulnerable to fire and slash damage. Hardy and resistant to light-based energy)
At the cost of roughly 30-60-90% of Luciel's energy, he bestows savage sentience to a mass of plant material. Once the process is complete, Luciel lacks any control over the summon as it exists merely to grow, consume, and continue to grow.
(Stage 1)30%: Standard beast which grows to take up as much space as possible, perishes over the course of an hour.
(Stage 2)60%: Aggressive beast which grows slowly and defensively with means to attack and consume the unwary. Perishes over 3 hours
(Stage 3)90%: Malicious beast which grows in layers, expanding from within to protect its core. Meanwhile, it will grow to seek out consumable material which it employs poisons and traps to subdue. Its aim is survival and destruction. Perishes over 9-12 hours unless burnt down to its core. For very good reasons, Luciel never uses this stage.
Luciel commonly stands at 5'7. Their clothes consist of vibrant plant material shaped into eccentric designs and colours; silky-soft to the touch and surprisingly durable.

(Subject to various edits, but you get the idea. Kinda done in a rush >_<)

[User] Ace winced in pain as she felt he dark mist enter her scarred throat, she gasped as her throat, lungs, and heart tightened even further for a moment causing her heart to even stop, before finally releasing and allowing her heart to continue pulsating. the pain in her chest subsided and Ace's expression relax as she let out a sigh of relief, her eyelids twitched but she didn't open up her eyes.

[Assistant] Apollo heard the commotion and came downstairs to see what was going on. He was shocked at what was going on. He had never seen that kind of Hex power before. It made him tense up some reason, the power was almost a mirror opposite of his. He then walked up to Luciel and said "is she ok?"

[User] Ace furrowed her brow as she winced again, then opened her eyes dazed and looked around sleepily. she looked over at Luciel, "did you save me? ....thanks. and sorry you had to carry me again..." she smiled. though she was able to sit up she knew that she still wasn't at full power and should only do small things at the moment. she then shifted her attention to the new face in their growing group and replied quietly, "i see your ok.....that's good.....i thought that explosion killed you.....but you seem to be fine so all is well...." she smiled faintly.

[Assistant]
When ace began to gasp for air, was the point David quickly put away his beans and ran for the kitchen. There was a small medical supply box with the stuff most homes have. Cotton balls, disinfectant. Painkillers. He never took the time to see what they'd need. Instead he just ran with the entire box back into the living. Luckily, Ace was doing a little better than. She just finished speaking to Apollo. He gave her a small smile, as he carefully put the box back down and walked back up towards his comfortable seat. Where he continued eating his beans.

Dude, we are DEFINITLY NOT sharing with you. David thought as he returned to matters at hand: sleeping. He had a principle: don't invade someone else's personal space. Sure, they broke into a house and would steal some stuff. But adults could always buy that stuff again. But for kids and teenagers, things were different. He remembered how a female friend was scared to sleep in her own bed after a burglar simply stole some money out of there. "About sleeping: Luciel, I suggestion you and I stand look-out. I'll stay up till 1. After that, I'll wake you up and you stand as look-out. Just so we don't get caught by surprise. And about sleeping: There are a few beds upstairs. But I'd advice against taking the pink one. Or the one filled with boy's band posters." he told the group. While continuing to eat from his beans. After that he turned to Ace and said: "You better get something to eat. I got some canned beans here if you like." he said, holding a still closed can up.

[User] "Food...? Ah! Yes,please!" She replied as she sat up; she reached for can of beans, practically drooling. "I can't remember the last time I had something to eat!" She noticed the first aid kit and asked, "did something happen to me? I don't remember what happened after I ran up to check if our new friend here was alright." She made a gestured with her hand at Apollo.

[Assistant]
Luciel loomed over Ace as they relaxed. It was sometimes hit and miss with using his powers on things other than plants. The reasons and ways it ranged in varying degrees of...ineffectiveness...confused the Hex.
In the past, he hadn't had much use for healing people.
Still, in his state of being lost in thought, he jumped at the boy who had come out of seemingly nowhere as far as Luciel was aware. "Y..yeah, I think she will-" he was about to say, slightly unsure until watching her stir. "Oh, hah! It's not a problem" Luciel chuckled in response to her thanks. If anything, he was a little cross with David for not offering to help...while still toting that expression of hex entitlement in response to Luciel's response to the teasing. It was good to know your allies' weaknesses, it made the game that much more interesting. The concept of 'allies' taunted Luciel as he thought about how quick David was to scramble for a first-aid kit, wondering if the response would be the same if he were to be in that kind of state.

Luciel set the can down on the coffee table, certain he'd probably end up taking the section of the couch which he currently occupied, anyway. "A solid plan" he mused, trying to think of a way to discredit the plan. It wasn't necessarily with spite in mind, just that it would be easier to plug holes before trouble hit the fan so the bucket wouldn't leak it all over those who didn't want it...or however the saying went.

"I will probably fix something for myself when I am on watch" He said in regards to the beans. Hopefully, assuming there weren't any surprised, he could probably throw a breakfast together for the crew, seeing as how he had last watch. Luciel wasn't too concerned about eating, still invigorated by the hike and the sunning he'd gotten in that time. His guess was that he could probably hold off from eating for another two or three days. "A glass of water would be lovely, though" he said, adjusting his stockings before getting up and going to the kitchen to do just that. On the way, he slowed to give David a look over, raising his eyebrows for a second once he knew he had David's attention, making eye contact during the gesture to strike the point home.
It was no guess that Luciel found David...interesting.

[User] Apollo just nodded his head at what Ace said, not wanting to admit that the explosion came from him. He then decided to follow Luciel to the kitchen where there was food. Apollo just grabbed some canned tuna and then he returned to his spot on the roof of the house. He opened the can using a small beam of light and wolfed down the food. He then laid back down on the roof and looked up at the sky. "I'm going to miss this view" He said to himself thinking about when he will return to the prison after he has completed his mission, even though he doesn't realize his targets are the very hexes that he is now staying with.

[Assistant] Ace grinned and watched Apollo leave the room. She then reached for the can of beans again and replied, "gimme gimme!" Making herself look like a little kid wanting a toy or a treat. Her attitude had improved greatly since she was first released from the prison despite all that has happened in her first day of freedom.

[User]
David's entire froze in place, with a spoon full of beans half way in his mouth. With his eyes he was following Luciel's gaze. Not with a very friend look. More like 'What-are-you-up-to-look'. Only when Luciel vanished from his sight did David finish his spoon and released a sigh of relief. That guy gives me the creeps. I swear, if I ever find him sleeping in the same room with me, he's dead. David thought. In the meantime he grabbed the can-opener and spoon. After opening the can for Ace he handed her with the spoon in it. "Be careful you don't cut yourself. And don't gobble it all up in once."

After all that he went upstairs towards the parent's bedroom. He found a sport bag surprisingly fast. For a matter of fact, he found several. "Daddy is probably an avid sporter." he smiled, remembering how his own father loathed every form of physical exercise. He grabbed 3 bags and went downstairs, dropping one in the living and taking two into the kitchen, where he found Luciel again. For a second, he looked straight at the guy. Like a dog establishing dominance. Maybe...Yes. I'll try it. "See those bags?" he told him. "Fill one with canned goods." It was meant as a test command. To see if Luciel would obey, or protest. Never the less, he kept looking at the plant-boy, trying to pierce him with sharp eyes.

[Assistant]
Luciel opened and closed cupboards, getting a feeling for his options in terms of food. Hearing Ace in the other room, he felt a little bad that he hadn't really had the notion to be cooking stuff until just then. Still, he felt responsible for her, which drove him to look for a few specific things. He started heating a pot of green beans while sipping at a glass of water.
Apollo came in to grab a can of tuna. Not a bad idea; Luciel considered looking around for sardines and some crackers just as David stormed in, tossing the bag on the floor. Leaning against the counters, Luciel lifted an eyebrow as he looked at David over the raised edge of the glass. Taking his sweet time to respond, he bit into an ice cube, setting the glass down. "Eit vould probably be a idea to take pots vith us as vell" he commented without moving to acknowledge the demand, letting his accent shine as to add a sensual edge to his words as his eyes locked with David's. The bioluminescence of his eyes eased from amber to a light hue of red. "Cooking iz good for morale...also, we vill need means to pad eit all to stay quiet vhile ve are on zeh move" he went on, breaking eye contact as he approached the bag, opening it to see how much room he had to work with as well as a display of non-threatened docility towards David. He picked the bag up and set it on the counter before going back to his water. "Ehnt vaht are you going to do vith zeh ohzehr bag?" Luciel asked, lobbing the power struggle back into David's court by merely implying that there were two bags and apparently David was the one who wanted to have the ideas even though Luciel's suggestions were sound.

At that moment, that Luciel was about to take another sip, his eyebrows perked up and he set his water down, remembering what he was doing. "Mmh! *swallows a mouthful of water* So, I'm making a little something special for those who have gone without a warm meal~" he started, the teasing taking a more sincere tone since he assumed David was one of those. Gesturing to the setup he was working with, one larger pot boiled water, the green beans were warming nicely and a skillet began to sizzle from the oil he'd tossed into it. "Have you ever browned ground beef? It may not be fancy, but a can of cream of mushroom soup will make them think it is~" Luciel chirped with a wink, implying that he'd appreciate David's help with something that would probably be more palatable than a room-temperature can of beans.

All in all, Luciel didn't seemed phased at all by David's attempt to control him. If anything, he used it as an excuse to try to get David to cooperate.


[System]
Age: 16

Personality: Jai can be brash and impulsive, often letting her emotions control her actions. She prefers decisive action to long debates, and often gets frustrated if progress is bogged down by minutia. That being said, if given an environment that fosters peace, Jai can enjoy long stretches of solitude and thought, often getting lost in her own head on the open seas, her preferred terrain. Jai loves the sea, the wind, the waves, and the adventure that comes with it. Her freedom is the most precious thing to her, and anywhere she can be her own woman is home enough in her eyes. Jai despises authority and being ordered around, finding structured groups and regiments stifling. Jai also hates being confined, enclosed spaces are not her friend. She is able to get along with a group well enough, provided they are all there by choice and nobody is being forced into something they don't want.

Background: Jai was born into one of the smaller island tribes on the edges of the Fire Island chain. Her parents were fishermen and often took her out on extended trips, where she learned to sail as soon as she could walk. Her family was humble, but comfortable, there were rarely days without food on the table. That all changed when Lord Jiang rose to power and Jai began to exhibit Firebending potential. Firebenders had always been expected to take up positions guarding their villages, but now with a semi-cohesive alliance among the islands there came a huge push for Firebenders to join this army. Jai was recruited by a local lord and taken to be trained as a soldier.

Jai quickly found she hated the life of a soldier. The training, though useful to develop her Firebending, was constant and exhausting. She was expected to show incredible discipline at all times, and to kowtow every ranking officer that so much as glanced in her direction. She attempted to escape the army several times, but was always caught and punished; though because of her age, perhaps not as strictly as she could have been. Her ultimate chance finally came after several years in training, when her regiment passed through her home village again. Finally in a place where she had a home-field advantage, Jai slipped away in the middle of the night, pausing only to leave a note for her parents to explain what had happened, before stealing their boat and sailing away...

Bending Ability: Proficient Firebender. Thanks to her training in the budding Fire Army, Jai has been trained in offensive and defensive Firebending abilities.

Other:
-Expert Sailor: Having grown up on boats, Jai knows exactly how they work. She can expertly plot a course, navigate tricky situations, and read the stars to determine her course.
-Falchion: Her weapon from her time in the Fire Army, and her only remnant of her time there. She is proficient with this weapon, though she does use it for other purposes, such as peeling fruit.

Sample Post: Jai grit her teeth and resisted the urge to cry out as she pulled at her chains again. She'd been locked in the cells for weeks, chained to the wall as soon as they figured out she was a Firebender. Food came twice a day, and if she was very lucky they'd transfer her to cuffs and watch her closely while she ate. Other than that, she was alone. Stuck in a cell with a bed she couldn't even use, forced to sleep and live chained up to a wall like some macabre art piece. Meanwhile her ship was out there somewhere, moored or repurposed, or taken as evidence, or scuttled. She hoped it wasn't scuttled. The little boat had served her well. It had been home for close to a year now, since she'd escaped the Fire Islands. Escape... Escape from rules and authority and blowhards. She'd escaped from that. She'd escape from this too.

She'd been stupid. Stupid and desperate. Jai replayed the events in her mind and she jerked at the chains again, grunting in frustration as hot tears stung her eyes. She'd been hungry. Her last net had finally fallen apart, and she couldn't fix it. She couldn't fish, had run out of food, and had no money to even put into port with. That's when she had spotted them. a few, small boats. Just off the coast of the Earth Kingdom, probably fishermen. They'd have food. Maybe some coin too, if she was lucky. And certainly new nets, or poles. She'd been fancying herself a pirate ever since she'd heard the stories of the Pirate King. A Firebender who made his own rules, captained his own crew and did whatever the hell he wanted. Maybe she could be like that... So Jai had set off. She was going to Pirate those fishermen. She'd been caught. They had a Waterbender with them, and Jai had been taken by surprise. Her memory was a bit fuzzy after that, but she remembered being dragged into port, handed over to guards, and seeing her ship being towed upriver to Ba Sing Se, where she was now. Imprisoned. Chained to a wall. Put on display like the rest of the poor Bending saps in here.

Jai closed her eyes as despair began to wash over her. She should have stayed home. Should have stuck with the Army. She at least had a decent bed there, and her sword, and no chains. She didn't even know how long she would be here. Jai slumped forward, a small sob wrestling its way out of her chest before her eyes shot open and she gasped.

The chain had budged.

[User]
Laoshan Fang
Ba Sing Se, 8 Path Prison: Northeast.

Mentions: @Dblade26@Korkoa

---

---

"'Please and thank you' wouldn't be remiss…" Laoshan went door to door, opening the cells after fumbling with the key-ring where he heard coherent complaints. Apparently, there was a lively one or two, but most of the prisoners were soaked, frozen, and not in a state remotely close to being able to fight. Unfortunate. He used his airbending to pull those still hanging from inside their cages to the platform then undid their bonds, but that was about all the happiness he could afford them. Stragglers would be left behind. Poor buggers.

The monk sucked on his teeth, frowning as he regarded those around him. The blasted headache was back, and his mouth was all cotton. The sooner they got out, the sooner he could find something strong, and he had at best a handful of benders to work with. Most of those present were dead in the eyes, but two in particular stood out: a young air nomad, he could tell by the build and the shaved head, and a firebender with blackened fingertips and snarl like a dragonbadger. She had been waiting for him, bonds torn from the corners of her cell and rage in her eyes. Dangerous. Neither one of the young guns would go quietly. Laoshan liked it. He could work with fighters. "Alright. If you can still walk, we're leaving. If you can't, that's tough, but we can't get weighed down. There's only so much time before the rest of the city guard catches on to what's happening here, so I hope for your sakes you're all capable. Baldy, you're our left flank. Young gun, you're on the right. I'll lead. Let's hop to."

The former monk turned, weight on the balls of his feet. Uneven teeth showed through a slightly maniacal grin. Laoshan had what he came for, and now it was time to split.

[Assistant]
At the Gates of Ba Sing Se

Colour: #ED1111

---

---

If he knew where Zhen had gone - immediately after disembarking, no less - Ren would have had him doing dropstance and surgehops for a month. He'd probably have admitted it was a reasonable idea afterwards, mind, but the grumpy old lizard had a thing about his 'reckless streak'.

Still, capital of the Earth Kingdom and centre of An's power or not, Ba Sing Se was probably the best place to gather rumours that might hint at the Avatar's location or status. It had taken a couple of weeks to get there, most of which he'd spent pulling his weight as a grunt labourer - first to pay his passage on the ship, then in order to travel with a merchant caravan going his way - and suppressing the urge to bend, except in the smallest of ways.

That, obviously, couldn't continue; at the same time, however, he had no desire to be outed to An's forces as a firebender. He didn't know exactly what would happen then, but the rumours suggested nothing good.

Hence why he was standing on the road just outside the Impenetrable City, staring up at the massive gates in consideration. Once he went in, he probably wouldn't get a chance to seriously start firebending until he left again, and given how huge Ba Sing Se was... it could take him weeks to find a lead.

On the other hand, what other options did he have? Wander around aimlessly and hope for the best? Visit all the remote mountaintops and valleys one by one and hope the Avatar didn't move to one he'd already searched?

Sighing, he got into line.

No, he wasn't armed. No, he hadn't committed any crimes by the laws of the Earth Kingdom. No, he didn't have any enemies likely to come looking for him. Yes, he'd stay out of trouble. Yes, he'd report any suspicious activity (hint hint especially Water Tribers hint hint.)

That guard wasn't anywhere near as subtle as he thought he was. Judging from the look his partner was shooting him, she'd be giving him an earful once they were off duty. Still, division in the ranks was no concern of his. At least it indicated there wasn't quite enough fuel for the fire; he'd have a much more difficult time staying hidden if An's thugs were tending the flame too closely, to say nothing of how much less willing people would be to talk.

Briefly offering thanks to Agni (and, after a moment's thought, Guanyin) for how simple it had been to get through, he settled into the well-worn groove of 'patrol walk', a steady gait that could carry him through hours of walking. Best to get the lay of the land first.

---

About ninety minutes later, munching absently on an apple, Zhen found himself walking down a much emptier street than most he'd passed through, and bristling with far more soldiers too.

Distantly, a bell was ringing, loud and strident.

The soldiers started running.

... Well, something was happening.

Finishing his apple, carefully restraining his gait to a sort of loping jog - not an attention-grabbing run, but not attention-grabbingly unworried either - and plastering a concerned expression on his face, he headed in the same direction as An's goons, keeping a careful distance behind them.

Just in case.

[User]
Ba Sing Se, 8 Path Prison: Northeast.
Jampa

Jampa fell in line and took the flank as he was told. "Anything to get out of a prison cell, old man." Honestly, you start one little brawl because somebody disrespects you, and then let that brawl spill out of the tea shop you're in and into the street, and let that street-fight become a brawl, then win that brawl, and suddenly you're thrown in prison? There was truly no justice in the Earth Kingdom. It wasn't that Jampa lived only for fighting exactly, it was just that after he'd been banished from Air Nomad society for the- hah!- the crime of speaking his mind to the Elders a little too loudly regarding their foolish insistence on pacifism in the face of an increasingly dangerous world, his fighting skills and his search for the Avatar were all he had left to him or so he often thought. Therefore, what was most wise was to hone and test them as often as possible and who knew, maybe some day he could find work as a mercenary or something as a result.

But first, he had to break out of prison.

"So, I'm getting my staff, but after that do either of you have a plan? I don't like the idea of going back to prison right after I get out."

[Assistant]
Ba Sing Se, 8 Path Prison

Jai watched through the bars of her cell as the disheveled man made his way down the row of cells, opening them and using some pretty obvious airbending techniques to pull the other prisoners to safety. Good, that gave them two different types and styles, doubling their chances at getting out. The young firebender fought to gain control of her breathing and conserve her strength until the airbender made it to her cell. Pushing herself to her feet, Jai stepped out of her cell as it was opened, taking a long look at her two new companions.

"I need to get to my boat." Jai said in response to the young mans question. "They towed it upriver to here, something about evidence. My sword's hidden there, and I'd like to get as far away from this city as I can once we get out."

Jai glared at the old man telling her to take up a position, fighting the urge to spat back at him. As much as she hated being given orders, they'd have to work together to get out of here...


[System]
_________________________________________________________________________________________

NOBLE PHANTASMS
Title: Almace: Blade of Heavenly Embrace
Rank: B+++
NP Type: Anti-Army
Range: 1-50
Maximum Number of Targets: 400
Description: Part of a Trinity of Blades gifted to Charlemagne by Wayland the smith. While Charlemagne would take Durandal, the greatest blade for himself, and later Roland, the blade Almace was given to Turpin. The blade of Almace is one that taps into the very judgement of the nine rings of hell. In particular, the punishment dealt out to betrayers. As Turpin used the blade to slay traitors and those who had fallen from God's light.
The Punishment of the final sin is that of the frozen abyss. There is no light of God for those, and with it Turpin controls the very chill of that lack of love. One could easily call it a Sword of Ice that freezes the space that it cuts, allowing it to cover the target in ice even if they managed to dodge the actual strike. Or those that block it will become frozen in a rush of ice that then shatters.
Against demons or those of an evil nature, this power rises. As demons are traitors, and those of an evil nature betray God's love of them. When used against an invincible shield created by demons, the ice formed was a glacir that killed the man wielding it.
When called upon to its full might, the blade is like a blizzard. The air cut reaches an absolute zero, killing anything it strikes, and freezing what it cannot kill in ice that will never melt.

___________________________________________________________________________******____
Nicknames: The Count of Russia
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Master of: Caster
Command Seal Location: His left Hand
Origin: Love
___________________________________________________________________________******____
Personality: Obsession. A blinding obsession boarding on an addiction. It is a flaw, brutal, and unfixed. It is a kind of mentality that has a man turn to a single point, and chase it, ignoring the hypocrisy, or the much better options around him. But such a man is not heartless. Just obsessive, and through that, self-destructive. His tendency to get lost in his work has ruined his personal relationships with others, and it is difficult for him to open up to others.
Outside of his obsessions though, he is a relatively kind, if cruel man. He is ruthless in his efficiency, and sees little reason to spare others pain and suffering if they defy him. It is not evil, it is just the way the world works. People must suffer if they transgress their boundaries for that is the way of things. Yes, even him.

Biography: Ded Moroz, the man the Russians may know as 'Father Christmas.' Sometimes referred to as a demon, long before the word meant something sour. Something evil. He was a hero who fought Baba Yaga, healed the sick, and created a granddaughter from snow. That is the story, and the legend of the Moroz family.
The family lives in Veliky Ustyug, the homeplace of Ded Moroz. He was a wizard of the winter times, who would trek through the snow to bring gifts on the day of New Years. His legend is ingrained into Slavic folktales, and his descendents have followed suit. For some of them, they keep the tradition alive. Putting on a red suit, and traveling out into the cold winters. Placing gifts down chimneys, and leaving before they can be found. Some over the generations have even made claim to using their magic to keep the hag Baba Yaga trapped in her home. Performing the ritual required once a month.
But Vladimir, the latest in a long line of Moroz's is an addict to the old ways. As if it's an addiction, and he drinks from it regularly.
A member of the mage association, he was heralded as a genius at a young age. He proved his talents in early competitions, and married at the age of 23. If you looked at him from the outside you'd say he was an example of a perfect man. Loved, talented, and ingenious. Even teaching the next generation of mages. But, that is an outsider's perspective.
In reality, his research became a dead end. And his obsession to solve the problem cost him everything. There would be weeks, approaching months where he wouldn't leave his workshop. Ignoring his wife and child who became aware of his growing instability. In a shocking turn, they left him, leaving him to his obsession and his ever growing madness. He became cruel to his students, ruthless, and eventually, he left his role as a teacher, so that he could focus entirely on his dead end work.
It seems... Even a man on the end of his ropes can find something to hope for. In this Grail War.

___________________________________________________________________________******____

Magecraft Section:

School of Magecraft: Russian Witchcraft

Skills/Spells List:
- Snegurochka 1: The original, if it can be called that. A doll of snow that is without a doubt, one made by Dez Moroz, but may not be the true original spoken of in stories. This snow girl has been passed from member to member of the Moroz family, and is considered without a doubt the most powerful doll of its kind. It can transform it's limbs and body into razor sharp blades, that slice through stone and rock like a knife through butter. Or to move around like fine snow. This creation is one of the greatest mystic codes of the Moroz family, and some claim it was made using snow from the ice age. A mystery that makes it nigh invulnerable to anything but the strongest of fires. As it is not a traditional spell, but rather a construct, it can be considered to have 'unlimited uses.' Due to this though, the mana required to help maintain the snowdoll in active combat makes it impossible to use any other spell in the process.
- Russian Alchemy: An alchemy that finds itself less in the making of precious metals, and more in the making of life. An alchemy more fundamental in creating homunculi, or poisonous cocktails than in turning coal to gold. Poisons, acids, things that kill. Liquids that preserve the body, or are designed to undo pain.
- Golem Craft: An advancement of the knowledge gathered through familiarcraft. It is the basis of the Snegurochka, and thus the basis of his greatest strength. It is the understanding of Golemcraft that allowed his ancestor Dez Moroz to create the original Snegurochka. It is possible for other golems to be made using other materials, but there is a clear preference for those of the Snegurochka.

Amount of Magecraft Mana: C

Other: His magic is primarily about creating and using items. As such, his only offensive magic tends to be his snowdoll. Which is an autonomous doll. So spell slots would be useless.

[User]
𝚆𝚑𝚒𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚃𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝙼𝚞𝚛𝚊𝚜𝚊𝚔𝚒 𝙷𝚒𝚏𝚞𝚖𝚒"I see, so that's like one of those stories about literal geniuses. Unless we word our requests in a way that can't be used against us, we are bound to be suffer the consequences for a lack of 'context', right? I'll take note of that," Hifumi said to Church Ape. The more he tried to explain their blunders by making it subjectively more complex, the worst he made his case in her opinion. But, by all means, she wouldn't forbid him from trying. Seeing how a supposed Executor of the Church was being wrapped around her finger was at least entertaining enough for the time being.

𝙰𝚛𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚛 - 𝙰𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚊Assassin was lucky that Atalanta noticed a trace of the Clock Tower's smell on him right in the moment he chose to materialize in front of them. Otherwise, he might as well have had a very uncomfortable date with an arrow.

The fanfare of his introduction earned a frown from the Archer. Even so, she dismissed her bow and said, "Archer, Atalanta. Now that you are here, it'll save us the trouble of tracking you down later," in a voice that sounded more like that of an angry beast that had her territory invaded, or their meal interrupted, than that of a human.

Just as a flock of blackbirds cried in the distance announcing the upcoming twilight, Archer said, "We should go back. It's about time we begin this war," and leapt off the tower, turning back into her Spirit Form halfway through the fall.
𝙽𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙷𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜𝙼𝚞𝚛𝚊𝚜𝚊𝚔𝚒 𝙷𝚒𝚏𝚞𝚖𝚒"Very well then, Rider. I'll not hinder you by tagging along. When you and Archer think that it's safe I shall follow. In the meanwhile, I'll be waiting here," Hifumi said to her Servant as they got to the northern edge of the forest and set up a double-layered bounded field on the hillside, cutting a small section of it almost completely out of the world with a boundary line that reached into Imaginary Numbers Space, to protect herself.

"May I ask what you'll do, Miss Paula? Despite this 'illusion' being as much of an amateur trick as I thought it would be, wadding into their territory will probably hinder our Servants' abilities to fight back as they please. Nevertheless, if you wish to 'join the fray', I won't stop you by any means," Hifumi asked Archer's Master as she sat down on a rock, unfurled a scroll, and began to write what seemed to be the continuation of a story in it.

𝙰𝚛𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚛 - 𝙰𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚊Atalanta crouched down and scooped a handful of soil as they stepped into the forest, taking a moment to analyze it. The total silence and stillness of the air inside of it was unnatural enough for her to guess, but the forest soil was what convinced Archer of the truth.

"This forest is dead. There's not a single natural beast living in it," she said to Rider (and probably Assassin) as she quickly leapt on the tree branches and disappeared between the foliage.

"If the enemy's stronghold is in the center of this forest, we should focus on penetrating as deep to the south as we can. Just beware that anything that moves here is certain to be an enemy," she said from the branches above. The extremely low visibility inside the woods was no impediment for Archer who gracefully advanced into enemy territory, unseen and unheard among the sickly-looking trees.

A predator could hunt even when there was no moon in the sky and no wind to carry their prey's scent, and so could Atalanta.

[Assistant]
Kaybernett

Forest Outskirts, West Side

---

Jack approached the lesser barrier and held out the charm he had been given, offering him and his companions a proper look at the edge of the forest. He didn't step forward yet, however. Between the four of them, the Masters were the ones who would need to avoid risk at all costs. If the protections of this place were on a Servant's level, what chance would humans have of surviving? Still, it would have been a waste of their abilities to hide out, particularly if one of their Servants were to fall due to inaccessible healing.

"Your man can do his thing whenever he's ready, Mr. Gardener."

The four of them - two Masters and two Servants, stood ready at the threshold, and it fell to Berserker to lead the charge. Suffering the traps of the enemy, and returning that suffering when the opportunity arose, was the mad warrior's role. To enable the vulnerable magi to follow, Saber had been enlisted as an escort, and backup if Berserker's life came under genuine threat.

"Stay close enough that you can get to either of us in a single move, Saber, and let's see what our ally uncovers."