#“if this party member is not damaged on the enemy's turn reduce their damage by [number]” so her abilities play around that

[cactusdying]

did i mention that i have children btw. did i

extra doodles under the cut

ft. fan roids flavor npc and mimkin by tairbaz and dummy by thegreendiji

ft. sasha by marmo

[burr-ell]

cool vex'ahlia facts

general:

-regularly talks to and gathers information from relevant npcs

-is constantly on the lookout for traps or enemies whenever the party is traveling, and routinely guides them particularly when they're in her favored terrains

-regularly casts pass without a trace on the party to make stealth challenges trivial

-makes sure that the staff at greyskull keep are well-paid and frequently gives them bonuses and raises (to the point that even jarrett once told her that her generosity was respected but unnecessary)

specific:

-buys everyone winter clothes to keep them warm in vasselheim

-makes a shot to get them out of a trap in vasselheim with a roll of 35

-keeps the group grounded and balanced in whitestone, keeping them from going to either keyleth's noble or scanlan's violent extreme

-goes out of her way to research the raven queen to help vax feel better when she's the one who died

-comes up with the trench trap that takes out members of the goliath herd so the rest of the party can get into westruun

-releases grog from the raven's slumber necklace at just the right moment for him to deliver the killing blow against kevdak, saving all of their lives, and rolls a NAT TWENTY to intimidate the herd into bending the knee

-gives up 500 gold for a resurrection ritual for a child who was killed as collateral damage

-works out strategies with zanror for how to fight umbrasyl

-does almost 100 points of damage by herself on the first attack round against umbrasyl

-firmly says that most of umbrasyl’s hoard should go to the people of westruun and actively prevents grog and scanlan from taking more

-tells amelia about reginald's death and supports grog's gift of 400 gold to her

-comes up with a plan to get them across the gilded run to get to the shademurk bog

-gives pike and scanlan the broom so they won't get stuck in the boggy terrain

-leads negotiations with tooma and the other dragonborn to form an alliance against vorugal, and graciously apologizes when it turns out VM made a grievous and insulting mistake

-suggests pitting yenk the goristro against vorugal so they can more effectively take out a dragon and get a vestige in one fell swoop

-lands the killing blow on vorugal

-ensures that they don’t take too much from vorugal's hoard and asks tooma for permission first

-spends 15,000 gold to free two aasimar boys from slavery in the city of brass

-does almost 100 points of damage by herself in one round again, this time against thordak

-destroys thordak's soul gem, reducing his power significantly

-puts her mind and soul at risk to learn more information about opash and what raishan was trying to do on the island

-picks a lock in a goddess's library that was meant to be nearly impossible

-gives scanlan vital aid in his challenge with ioun

-indignantly stands up for scanlan against a dockmaster's prejudice

-persuades a man out of kowtowing to vecna

-comes up with a plan to get inside the earth titan's body even though she's scared half to death of what's to come

-lands the killing blow on anna ripley, delilah briarwood, and sylas briarwood, effectively completing the list that percy could not

-only worships gods with big dicks

i'll have to amend that one name, though, just to be fair. it's lady vex'ahlia, baroness of the first house of whitestone, grand mistress of the grey hunt, coinmistress of the council of tal'dorei, and leader of vox machina

[agnerd-bot]

"King" Mordred Alter, False Ascendant to the Throne(Avenger)

Ascension Stages:

First Stage: Mordred Alter is noticeably older than their Proper Human History or Dream World counterparts, wearing armor similar to that of the Goddess Rhongomyniad, albeit with Mordred’s own helmet in place of the Lion Kings. Perhaps most noticeable is the fact that this Mordred wields both Excalibur and Clarent simultaneously.

Second Stage: Mordred’s armor now gains a deep red cape that goes down to their knees. Excalibur and Clarent now seem to have dulled, with small hairline fractures noticeable along their blades. The helmet has been removed, revealing a weary smile on their face and a gold and silver crown upon their brow.

Final Stage: Excalibur and Clarent are swapped out for Carnwennan, the white-hilted knife gleaming with magical energy. Mordred’s cape has been torn to shreds as a sinister aura surrounds them. Blood stains their shining armor as they bear a maddened smile on their face.

Theme:

Fatal Battle Theme: The Death Of God's Will (Full Mix + Voice Lines)

Traits:

Class: Avenger Alternate Class: Berserker, Caster, Saber, Assassin True Name: Mordred Pendragon(Alter)/King Mordred Source: Arturian Legend Region: Wales Alignment: Chaotic Evil Attribute: Earth

Known as: The King Who Was Never Meant to Be, Usurper King of Knights, Vile King of Camelot, The Bastard Who Defied Fate

Voice Actress: Sawashiro Miyuki

Deck: QAABB

Parameters: Strength: A Endurance: B+ Agility: B+ Mana: A++ Luck: E NP: A-

Passive Skills:

Magic Resistance A++:

Mordred’s already impressively high Magic Resistance has been bolstered even further due to the magecraft they have learned from Morgan Le Fay, allowing them to deconstruct enemy spells with ease. For the magic that they can’t handle on their own, Mordred has the Holy Dagger Carnwennan to nullify any magical harm taken.

(FGO Effect:) -Increases own debuff resistance by 23%.

Avenger B:

The anger and bitterness of Camelot’s people drives Mordred further. Each angered sneer, each hateful glare, each venomous word that drops from their people’s lips only serve to push Mordred further and further in an attempt to prove them wrong. Mordred Alter will do whatever it takes to prove they have surpassed their father and have become an even better king.

They will bring Camelot into a new golden age, even if it means dragging their citizens into it, kicking and screaming.

(FGO Effect:) -Increases own NP generation rate when taking attack by 18%. -500% Chance to reduce party's debuff resistance by 8% except self. (Including sub members) [Demerit]

Oblivion Correction C+:

No matter where Mordred runs to, or where they try to escape, it is inevitable that there will be a King Arthur there to overshadow them.

(FGO Effect:)  -Increases own critical damage by 7%.

Self-Replenishment(Magic) A+:

As this incarnation of Mordred was taught by Morgan le Fay in the arts of magecraft alongside their teachings as a knight, they have a well-versed knowledge of their own mana efficiency and how to best use it in combat, able to constantly refresh their pools of energy in a fight to keep fighting for long periods of time.

Because of these teachings, coupled with the blessings of the Holy Sword, Mordred has been able to live far past the expected lifespan Morgan had given them, allowing them to further their knowledge in both the Holy Weapons and their own Magecraft.

(FGO Effect:)  -Charges own NP gauge by 4% every turn.

Active Skills:

Defiant of the Winds of Fate A-:

It is said that the fall of Camelot was destiny. That at the Battle of Camlann, the death of King Arthur would lead to the collapse of the kingdom itself, leaving nothing but pain, misery, and loss in its wake. However, Mordred managed to defy that destiny. After slaying King Arthur with her own Excalibur, and defeating the Witch-Queen Morgan le Fay when she attempted to take the throne for herself, Mordred ushered in an era of peace and prosperity for Camelot, defying the prophecies set for them long ago.

Where fate says there is destruction, Mordred will bring prosperity. Where destiny says there is death, Mordred will bring healing. Where the future says there must be sorrow, Mordred will bring joy. So sayeth the King of Camelot.

(FGO Effect:) -Increases own Buster performance for three times, three turns. -Apply Guts to self for two times, five turns. -Reduces all enemies' defense for three turns.

Revolutionary Charisma B-:

Charming, handsome, and witty. These were the traits that made Mordred able to weave their lies and tricks in the kingdom of Camelot. With but a few words, they convinced several of Arthur's finest champions that their king was unfit. With some well-placed manipulations, the Round Table came to believe that Arthur's Camelot was nothing more than a sham. Even souls like Guinevere came to ally with Mordred, believing that rule under Arthur was one of simple war and bloodshed, and only through Mordred's leadership could Camelot come to peace.

However, after the Battle of Camlann, many had lost their faith in Mordred, the horrors of the war leading many to believe the new king could only bring misery and pain. Many of Mordred's people turned against them, believing the new king to be nothing but an opportunistic usurper. As such, this skill is not a rallying cry to the side of a king, but an insidious killer to bring an entire nation to its knees. It is a skill suited to wreaking chaos and havoc, turning brother against brother, friend against friend, kingdom against kingdom, leaving Mordred standing at the end, alone.

(FGO Effect:) -Increase party's attack for three turns. -Increase party's damage for three turns. -Inflicts Confusion status for 3 turns to all enemies --(30% Chance to activate the debuff below every turn. When activated, 500% Chance to seal their skills for 1 turn.) -Inflicts Confusion status for 3 turns to all allies[Demerit]. --(30% Chance to activate the debuff below every turn. When activated, 500% Chance to seal their skills for 1 turn.)

Destroyer of the World’s End A:

The power of a child of both the King of Knights and the Witch-Queen of Albion. Rather than specializing in knightly chivalry like their father Artoria, or magecraft like their mother Morgan, Mordred has found a way to properly combine both, allowing them to even match the power of the Holy Spear Rhongomyniad in combat, which is what allowed them to defeat their father Arthur at Camlann. As surviving the war that was meant to kill them allowed Mordred to live longer than they had in Proper Human History, they've managed to hone this power to the point where they can match both Morgan and Artoria in their respective specialties.

This is the power of Mordred, the King Who Was Never Meant to Be. A king driven to madness by the cruelty of the world and the wickedness of those who tried to manipulate them for their own selfish desires. No more will Mordred be another person's puppet. No more will Mordred stand in the shadows of the ones who came before. The Usurper King will stand, facing down even the end of the world if they must.

(FGO Effect:) -Charges own NP Gauge. -Increases own critical star absorption for 3 turns. -Increases own critical damage for 3 turns. --Grants self On-Attack-Activate buff for 3 turns. --Gains critical stars when attacking with Buster Cards. -Increases damage against Savior to Humanity enemies.

Noble Phantasms:

Noble Phantasm: Excalibur & Clarent - Twin Swords of the Rightful King

Rank: A++ Maximum Targets: 1000 Range: 1-99m Classification: Anti-Fortress

In one hand, the silver blade used to knight kings and denote peace.

In the other, the golden blade forged by the gods to light the way.

While both swords were once used as symbols of heroism and goodness, now they are wielded by a cruel and petty tyrant, stolen from their rightful owners. Clarent, stolen from its rightful resting place. Excalibur, used to slay the very king who was chosen to wield it. The Pretender King of Knights, Mordred, wields both of these blades, having forced them into servitude long ago in order to exact their own mad vision of domination. These blades that once served as emblems of justice and chivalry, now turned to oppressors, slaying members of the Knights of the Round with complete impunity.

Under normal circumstances, the use of these swords by one not deemed worthy would result in these weapons dropping a rank in power. However, with Mordred’s magical skill, they managed to find a way to retain the power expected of these blades, even with a false claim to the throne. Channeling their abilities through these sacred armaments, Mordred Alter uses both swordplay and magecraft in conjunction with one another. Every strike is akin to a clap of thunder. Every slash is alight with the flash of lightning. With these weapons in hand, the King of Greed is akin to a living force of nature, carving apart any enemy in front of them with horrifying bloodlust.

But despite the raw magical energy that comes from these sacred weapons, one can sometimes see them tremble in Mordred’s grip. As if they are begging, screaming out to be released from their contract, and be returned to their rightful home.

Noble Phantasm: Carnwennan - Shadowed Blade of the Witch-Killer

Rank: A- Maximum Targets: 1 Range: 1-49m Classification: Anti-Unit

One of the three holy weapons said to have been given to King Arthur by God, alongside Caledfwlch and Rhongomiant, stolen from King Arthur’s armory After Mordred killed her. While lacking in obvious destructive power in comparison to the Holy Sword and the Holy Spear, the Holy Dagger makes up for it with its versatility. In the original Welsh tellings of King Arthur, it is said that Carnwennan’s wielder is able to cloak themselves in shadow, rendering them invisible to the world around them. The user can also summon pillars of shadow to attack enemies, as a counter to Rhongomyniad and Excalibur’s pillars of light. The blade can also extend, moving large distances and even curving around corners in order to attack an enemy at a distance.

The blade has a second property, made famous by Arthur’s use of it to slay Orddu the Witch. The White Hilted Dagger has the ability to nullify other magical abilities when wielded, able to dispel curses with a single touch, puncture magical shields as if they were paper, and grievously wound any Phantasmal Creature if it strikes true. In addition, whenever Carnwennan destroys something made of Magecraft or with innate magical ties, it absorbs this power into itself, allowing Carnwennan to grow stronger over time, eventually matching its sister weapons if it reaches a certain point.

While Mordred prefers to wield Clarent and Excalibur to prove their legitimacy as king, Carnwennan is the weapon they are most proficient in, given their talents in Magecraft and preference for underhanded combat.

Noble Phantasm: La Mort Artu - Thus the Usurper Claims Victory

Rank: A- Maximum Targets: 1 Range: 1m

Classification: Anti-Arthur

A Noble Phantasm that is emblematic of the action that defined the knight Mordred: the death of King Arthur. By combining the holy power of Arthur's armaments with the transcendent magecraft of Morgan's teachings, and reinforcing both with Mordred's own unshakeable willpower and unquenchable hatred, King Mordred gains the power of a fearsome thunderstorm capable of wiping out all of Britain in one fell swoop. This immense power is then concentrated within Mordred's blade, turning it into a weapon capable of matching and potentially surpassing the Tower at the End of the World, Rhongomyniad, at its full strength. Mordred even claims that if they were able to land a killing blow on the King of Storms, it would be enough to erase her from the Throne of Heroes entirely.

The main drawback of this technique is that it consumes incredible amounts of prana to use, meaning that Mordred is left on a very short timer when it is active, potentially risking death in the process. Furthermore, because of the single-minded obsession required to use this technique, each incarnation of Mordred Alter can only use it against an opponent that they have come to well and truly hate, to the point that their destruction is all that will satisfy them, usually in this case some form of Artoria, given their status as an Avenger.

(FGO Effect:) -Applies Target Focus to a single enemy for three turns(activates first).-Increases own damage against Round Table Knight or 'Saberface' enemies for one turn(activates first). -Applies Ignore Invincible to self for one turn(activates first). -Remove Anti-Enforcement Defense from all enemies(activates first). -Deals damage to one enemy that ignores Defense buffs. -Charges own NP gauge(effects increase with Overcharge). -Inflicts Curse for five turns to all enemies.

Voice Lines:

Summoned: Greetings. I am King Mordred, Avenger Class Servant and child of Artoria Pendragon and Morgan le Fay. I stand as the King of Camelot, and the one who will bring it to prosperity. Truly, it is an honor to make your acquaintance… Master.

Level Up 1: Not enough. Damnit, this still isn’t enough to surpass my father…

Level Up 2: My powers grow stronger. Hahahahaha! If only Mother could see me now!

1st Ascension: Ahhhhh, that’s better. It’s nice to finally get out of that helmet for a while. Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Mordred, King of Camelot. If you need me to help you save mankind, then I shall lend Clarent and Excalibur to aid you.

2nd Ascension: Nothing changed this time around, huh? That’s fine for now. In due time, I’ll be able to show you my full potential as king.

3rd Ascension: Wha…?! Why am I wielding Carnwennan now?! Damnit, I should be armed with Excalibur and Clarent! How else am I supposed to prove myself as king?! …no, no, it’s not your fault. I suppose that I am better suited to using the Holy Dagger instead of the Holy Sword. Regardless, this is a major pain in my ass… But I suppose I can make do.

4th Ascension: My father never really cared about me… My mother saw me as nothing more than a tool… The people of Camelot all hated and reviled me. And yet? Here I stand as king, in defiance of all expectations of me. Heh… Hehehehehe… Hahahahahahaha! If only they could see me now! All their heads bowed before me!

Fight Start 1: Lay down your arms and I shall show you mercy. Otherwise, I will end your life here and now.

Fight Start 2: As king, it’s only right that I take the stand at the front lines.

Fight Start 3: Hahahahaha! Finally! It was getting boring waiting for some action!

Fight Start 4 (Fatal Battle): You… You! You took everything from me! My kingdom! My love! My right to rule! If I can’t reign over Camelot… If I cannot be accepted by this country… Then I can at least watch you die by my hand!

Skill 1: Destiny has no hold on me!

Skill 2: Oppressors cannot control me!

Skill 3: Not even Mother or Father can stop me!

Command Card Select 1: I am… most unsatisfied.

Command Card Select 2: Fine, I guess I’ll step in to help.

Command Card Select 3: I’ll carve you to pieces!

Noble Phantasm Select 1: Rain down, Lightning! Roar out, Thunder!

Noble Phantasm Select 2: I will carve you apart… And leave nothing but blood and mist behind!

Noble Phantasm Select 3(Against any ‘Artoria’ enemy): I slew the King of Knights once. I’ll simply do it again! Now prepare to die, Father!

Attack 1: Drop dead!

Attack 2: Shut your damn mouth!

Attack 3: It’s useless! Just give up!

Attack 4: I’ll crush you!

Attack 5: Carve them to pieces, Carnwennan!

Extra Attack 1: Let’s see what breaks first… Your spirit! Or your body!

Extra Attack 2: Can you handle this?! No escape!

Extra Attack 3: Be it sword or sorcery… I reign as the king of all!

Noble Phantasm 1:

In my right hand, I bear the sword of kings, Clarent!

In my left hand, I bear the sword of gods, Excalibur!

As the true heir of Camelot, these two sacred weapons bend to my will!

And so too shall all kneel before me or die at my hand!

LA MORT ARTU!

Noble Phantasm 2:

My father was the King of Knights.

My mother was the Witch-Queen.

And I… have surpassed them both.

Now, I stand as the true King of Camelot.

La Mort Artu.

Noble Phantasm 3(Against any ‘Artoria’ Enemy):

No more am I going to be left behind in your shadow.

No more am I going to pick up the pieces of your legacy.

It doesn't matter if Camelot burns to the ground…

It doesn't matter if all of humanity turns against me…

When this is over and done with…

I promise you, 'Father', the world will forget you were even mourned.

The Legend of King Arthur… DIES NOW!

Damage from Noble Phantasm: BAAAAASTAAAAAAAAARD!!!

Regular Damage: Khhhh! You little-!

Defeated 1: Bullshit… THIS IS BULLSHIT!

Defeated 2: You…! This isn’t over, damnit!

Defeated 3 (Fatal Battle): Why…? Why?! What did I do to deserve this…? Do you hate me that much, Father?!

Victory 1: And that is how a true king gets it done.

Victory 2: Is that all? Barely even worth remembering…

Bond Level 1: Thank you for taking the time to be with me. I understand that you are busy as the Last Master of Humanity. I know I am a king, but still, it's humbling to know that someone like yourself is willing to spend time with someone like me. ...it's nice, having someone to talk to again.

Bond Level 2: Excalibur and Clarent... The blades that belong to the king. After the death of Arthur, I took them for myself as a sign of my right to rule over Camelot. Unfortunately, the swords of kingship don't seem to agree with me on that front. Never in my life have I seen either of these swords scratched, let alone cracked... Am I truly that unworthy of kingship...?

Bond Level 3 (Clear "The Altered Realm of Swords and Sorcery: Britannia"): *sigh* So the truth is out, huh? Shit, this is a pain in the ass... I was hoping that I would be able to keep up this charade for a little while longer. Then again, it was so annoying having to play 'the good king' for so long. So, 'Master'. The Knight of Treachery is here, at your service. Or rather, you are at my service.

Bond Level 4 (Clear "The Altered Realm of Swords and Sorcery: Britannia"): You… Why do you look at me with those eyes? Like I am some kind of abandoned child? Like I’m some sort of stray that needs pity?! I am a King! I am the villain who slew King Arthur! I am the monster that reigns over Camelot! And yet you still think of me ...no matter. You'll turn out like all the rest. One way or another, I will make you kneel.

Bond Level 5 (Clear "The Altered Realm of Swords and Sorcery: Britannia"): …you really do see the good in all things, don’t you, Master? I suppose that is undoubtedly your most admirable trait. Be that as it may… Never look at me with those pitying eyes again. I have my pride, both as a knight and as a king, and if you dare insult that pride, I will not hesitate to end you. But if you will treat me with the respect I am owed? Perhaps there is a place at my side for you.

Dialogue 1: It’s nice, isn’t it? Having a bit of time to relax and have peace? Most of my life I just knew combat, so being able to sit around and do nothing is nice, isn’t it? …it’s too quiet around here, I’m bored.

Dialogue 2: I am at your service, Master. If there is an enemy before me, I will crush it at your command.

Dialogue 3: I know that contractually, you are the Master, and I am the Servant, but at the same time, I am still your king. Don’t get any bright ideas, got it?

Dialogue 4 (Clear "The Altered Realm of Swords and Sorcery: Britannia"): So many Servants in Chaldea, so many pawns to play with… All ready and willing to be sacrificed upon your orders, ‘Master’. … Hah! That look on your face was pretty frightening. Don’t worry, I just wanted to see how you would react.

Dialogue 5 (If you have any Artoria Pendragon(Saber)): So the Once and Future King has come to Chaldea. How lovely… Hm? Oh, don’t worry, Master. I suppose I can play nice with my Father for now, if you need me to. That being said… I will crush her again when the time comes. Then, everyone will understand just who the true King of Camelot is.

Dialogue 6 (If you have Artoria Pendragon(Lancer Alter) after Clearing "The Altered Realm of Swords and Sorcery: Britannia"): The King of Storms… That phantom I summoned back then to run rampant as a Berserker. …did she really mean those words she said to me back then? No, it doesn’t matter. She is King Arthur, and I am Mordred. In the end, we are to be enemies.

Dialogue 7 (If you have Mysterious Heroine X or Mysterious Heroine XX): Another one of the Fathers wandering around Chaldea, I see. Is that ballcap of yours meant to be a disguise or something? …what? “I am no Artoria, I am the spacefaring defeater of Sabers and hero of the Servantverse?” GET REAL! If you’re gonna hide your identity from me like a coward, at least give me a reasonable excuse instead of that crap!

Dialogue 8 (If you have any other ‘Artoria’ Servant): …Master. I’ve noticed we have a bit of a… multiplicity issue. I seem to be seeing several versions of my Father wandering around Chaldea. One is dressed as a showgirl, another seems to be my father as a child, and yet another seems to be a man. Not to mention the multiple evil Fathers walking around. …we have how many here?! I see. Excuse me, but I have to go step out a bit and scream my head off. I’ll return shortly. *click* AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Dialogue 9 (If you have any ‘Saberface’ Servant): Hello, ‘Father’. How about we settle this once and for… …huh? Wait, you’re not- Then who are- DAAAAAAGH! DAMNIT, I’M IN THE WRONG ROOM! YOU! You didn’t see anything! *SLAM!*

Dialogue 10 (If you have any ‘Round Table’ Servants): So this is the Knights of the Round Table from Chaldea. Still as loud and obnoxious as always, no matter what universe, isn’t it? …I admit, part of me wishes I hadn’t divided the Round Table into two during my rebellion. Only a handful of us survived, and even then, none remained in Camelot. It was kind of lonely running the kingdom by myself, y’know?

Dialogue 11 (If you have any ‘Enemy of the Round Table’ Servants): Ah, I’ve heard of you! Yes, a great and powerful enemy of Camelot, one that brought even the great King Arthur to their knees! Of course, I was the one who managed to kill her for good… Hm? Oh, nothing, just talking to myself. Say… how about you and I get to talk a bit? I’ll treat you to some good booze and we can talk shop about reducing Camelot to rubble, hm?

Dialogue 12 (If you have Lancelot(Saber)): So this is the Lancelot of Proper Human History, is it? Hah… I guess, no matter the timeline, you’re still the same, huh? An idiot of a man, too chivalrous for his own good, even if it means his own misery. Hey, care for a spar? I wanna see if you fight as good as the Lancelot of my world.

Dialogue 13 (If you have Lancelot(Berserker)): Lancelot…?! …to think that someone like you would end up like this. …I’m sorry, old man. I should’ve been with you.

Dialogue 14 (If you have Mordred): I gained everything we ever wanted in life… the throne… victory over Father and Mother… even the blade Excalibur is mine! So why… Why do you continue to give me that expression?! Why do you look so much happier than I am?! HUH?! ANSWER ME!

Dialogue 15 (If you have Mordred(Rider)): …a surfboard? Really?! And are you really using Prydwen for your stupid summer games?! NO I DON’T WANT TO STEAL IT FOR MYSELF! …I have my own anyway.

Dialogue 16 (If you have Baobhan Sith): The adopted child of the Lostbelt Morgan le Fay. A spoiled brat of a girl who trails after the Witch-Queen out of some unreconciled loyalty to her. I see, so this is my Lostbelt counterpart, huh? …huh? This brat is supposed to be Tristan?!

Dialogue 17 (If you have Lostbelt Morgan): Oh. It’s you. The ‘good’ version of Morgan le Fay. As witchy as ever. Still beautiful, which of course you would be, with all your magic and sorcery. … You may have the rest of Chaldea fooled, ‘Mother’, but I don’t buy your act for one second. The very instant you dip a toe out of line, I will hunt you down and make you wish I killed you.

Dialogue 18 (If you have Merlin or Lady Avalon): Poor, poor Merlin… forever the observer. The watcher. Forced to gaze upon the mountains upon mountains of failures you’ve created from the confines of Avalon. Tell me, did you know of the truth of my birth? Did you know my fate was to slay the King of Knights? Did you know that was why my father nearly attempted a genocide? …of course you did.

Dialogue 19 (If you have Florence Nightingale): That nurse… she looks at me strangely… I feel simultaneously afraid and comforted by her presence. Ghh! She’s looking this way! Quick, hide me!

Likes: Have you ever gone sailing, Master? I’ve only done it a few times when I was young, but I always feel like the water’s surface is soothing. As if even in the harshest storms, I would be fine. Hmph. Perhaps it is the one blessing my Mother ever gave me… Or perhaps it’s just dumb luck.

Dislikes: Those other mes… those damn idiots. With their smug faces… their arrogant smiles… Everything about their existence is a pestilence that doesn’t deserve to exist!

About the Holy Grail: The Holy Grail… So many of the Round Table sought it out in some form or another. Even my Father sought to attain it for herself, only to fail. In that case, I think I’d like to take it for myself… Perhaps then I can… Hm? Oh, nothing, just talking to myself.

During an Event: Oh, an event is going on? I suppose I should escort you there to see what is going on.

Birthday: Yes, yes, happy birthday and all that. Enjoy your cake and your festivities, and all that stuff. Some of us actually have important things to do. 'What are they?' …shut up.

Profile:

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Deceitful. Cruel. Evil. Greedy. Treacherous. These words have long followed the name ‘Mordred’ for centuries. Since the betrayal of King Arthur, Mordred Pendragon has gone down in history as one of the most infamous traitors to ever live. This Servant is the living embodiment of that very same reputation, being a vile and wicked schemer with an unending lust for power.

A Mordred from an alternate timeline, raised in earnest by their mother, as opposed to their Proper Human History counterpart being abused and ashamed of their heritage of being the child of the Witch-Queen of Orkney. A master of combat, and a genius in Magecraft, this Mordred succeeded in their rebellion against King Arthur, slaying the King of Knights and taking the throne of Camelot as the last of the Round Table.

Bond Level 1:

Height/Weight: 171cm • 65kg Source: Arthurian Mythology Region: Wales Alignment: Chaotic • Evil Gender: Nonbinary

While normally Excalibur's pseudo-immortality would leave Mordred at the same age physically as the time they wielded it, because the Holy Sword is actively rejecting them, they lack the blessing of Excalibur. Instead, this version of Mordred has matured as if they had chosen the Holy Lance, though noticeably lacking the incredible defense Excalibur would normally grant.

"While it is a pain in the ass to lose the immortality of Excalibur... Who needs it when I can just smash any enemy in front of me to pieces?! Besides, look at me! I rule!"

Despite the seemingly higher intellect and maturity, this Mordred is just as childish and petty as the other Mordreds, Holy Sword or no Holy Sword.

Bond Level 2:

"Mother... What the hell is going on here?!"

"Oh, dear... It seems I taught you well, my daughter. Too well."

"Don't change the subject on me! You... Did you seriously try to kill me?! Why?!"

"Isn't it obvious? You were the only thing standing between me and the throne I was owed. That was stolen from me by Uther and given to Artoria! I was the rightful heir to Camelot, and I was denied it!"

"I know that! That was why you wanted me to kill the king, wasn't it?! So a child of Orkney could take back the kingdom?!

"Still so slow on the uptake, Mordred? A pity, I thought I raised you better than that. I didn't want you on the throne. Honestly, I was hoping you and Arthur would end up killing each other. Unfortunately, you survived..."

"So everything you told me... All the care you put into raising me?! All your teachings?! All of it was just so you could get me to kill Father?!"

"Sadly, yes... You were just meant to be a weapon, Mordred. And what a weapon you were. I'm so proud of you..."

SHING!

"GAH, YOU LITTLE BASTARD!"

"You... Mother... No. Morgan! You have committed treason against your king. Stand down now, and I'll spare your life. Otherwise I will kill you!"

"'King...?' What a joke. You aren't even half the king Uther was, much less anything like Arthur. You are just a pathetic weapon meant to sit tight and obey! Do you hear me?! You're nothing more than a filthy homun-!"

SCHLICK!

Bond Level 3 (Clear "The Altered Realm of Swords and Sorcery: Britannia"):

Despite the era of peace Mordred's rule brought to Camelot, it was never enough. Their citizens feared them, seeing Mordred as a bloodthirsty tyrant. Their knights despised them, seeing Mordred as a terrible machine. Nothing Mordred did would ever be enough to repent for the terrible bloodshed and misery the War at Camlann caused, with many crying out for the return of King Arthur to the throne.

The sole allies Mordred had, Sir Lancelot and Lady Guinevere, had left long ago in shame and disgrace, hating themselves for their participation in the Fall of Camelot. Mordred had gained everything they had ever wanted. The throne, the Holy Sword, the crown. And yet, nothing was ever enough to escape the shadow of Arthur.

Desperate and embittered, Mordred eventually decided that the only way to improve their own reputation was to destroy Arthur's own. Using their skill in Magecraft, they summoned an alternate version of Artoria Pendragon, the Altered King of Ghosts, to ravage Camelot, trapping her under Madness Enhancement.

The people would all see the image of the beloved king destroying Camelot, and Mordred as the savior defending Camelot. Then... Then they would love Mordred.

Bond Level 4:

Why...?

Why do they still cheer for you over me? Why do they still claim you to be the Once and Future King? Why do they still hate me?! I'm supposed to be the hero here! I'm saving them! I'm protecting them! From you! And still, they sing your praises, and drag my name through the mud?! Where's the justice in that?!

I've given everything to help Camelot thrive! I've killed so many people... My friends... My brothers... My mother and father... And for what?! For a kingdom that won't accept me?! For a throne that constantly rejects me?! For people that constantly put me in your shadow?! Even in death, you still look down on me! Even after all I've done, everyone only remembers me as the one who killed King Arthur!

Arthur...

Arthur...!

AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTTHHHHHHHHHHHHHHUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

...I understand now. Mother was right. You really are nothing but a thief. You stole my glory. You stole my kingdom. You stole my future from me! Everything I do is tainted with your influence. No matter what I do, I will always be compared to you, seen as inferior to you, seen as the evil that will oppose you. Fine then. If the world will only know me as the one who slew King Arthur... Then I might as well live up to this. This time... I will end the Legend of King Arthur permanently.

Bond Level 5(Clear "The Altered Realm of Swords and Sorcery: Britannia"):

Deceitful. Cruel. Evil. Greedy. Treacherous. These are the labels that humanity has given to Mordred. These are all humanity will ever know the knight Mordred to be. After realizing this, Mordred has chosen to cast off all attempts at being a just king, and has fully embraced the idea of being the wicked Knight of Treachery that opposes their father. A cruel and wicked tyrant that seeks to end the very idea of 'King Arthur', no matter the cost and no matter the hatred they get in return.

To that same end, they battled with their father, the Altered King of Storms, in a recreation of their fated duel at Camlann. Father and Son, King and Usurper, once again dueling to decide the future of Britain. The King of Storms took no joy in this battle, once again being forced to face their failures as a king and a father. The Knight of Treachery, on the other hand, threw themselves at Artoria without remorse, not caring for a moment how their body broke or how much blood was spilled. All that mattered was killing the person that stood before them once and for all.

"See Father?! I told you I was better than you! I told you that I would be the better king! Now... Say it! Say that I am your better! Say that I am your rightful heir! Say that I am worthy to be your son! SAY IT ALREADY!"

Extra (Clear "The Altered Realm of Swords and Sorcery: Britannia"):

At first glance, Mordred Alter couldn’t be more different than their Proper Human History counterpart. One is blunt, rude, and callous, the other is clever, polite, and seemingly friendly. One is all too happy to settle a conflict with fist and blade, the other will at least attempt a diplomatic approach before battle inevitably comes. One was a simple weapon, built only to kill and die. The other attempted to become more than that, a ruler that would bring Camelot into an era of peace and prosperity.

At their core, however, they are the same person.

Despite being the one to kill their father, they admire them, desiring nothing more than to follow in their footsteps. One to try and help relieve their burden of being a king, the other to try and help carve a path towards peace and prosperity. Both follow a path of chivalry, despising those who trod upon the innocent and weak, even if their own demeanor makes them seem as though they are the same. They are arrogant, proud, and boastful, not believing that there is any potential for failure on the road they walk, carrying themselves with the dignity and pride expected of a true king.

They want to be respected, to be acknowledged, and to be loved.

But one does not gain such things through force or power. One cannot make it happen by their own will. It is as impossible a task as counting every single star in the sky across the endless universe.

But that’s what Mordred does best, isn’t it? Seek the impossible to make it their own.

[boinkingbattlemechs]

Marauder II

First built in 3012, the Marauder II is a successful attempt to take the firepower of the Marauder and combine it with the reliability and ruggedness of an assault chassis.

In 3010 officers of the famous Wolf's Dragoons mercenary unit contracted with Blackwell Industries of New Valencia on the project of modifying the highly successful 75-ton Marauder into a 100-ton assault 'Mech. Working from existing plans the design phase proved to be very short, the process of reinforcing the Marauder chassis turned out to be easier than expected, enhanced by the removal of the finicky and temperamental General Motors Whirlwind Autocannon for a much simpler Large Laser. First appearing with the famous Zeta Battalion before spreading to Alpha Regiment, the Dragoons' enemies soon learned to fear the appearance of Marauder IIs as foreshadowing a major advance, as for the remainder of the Third Succession War it remained the exclusive property of the mysterious Dragoons.

This changed after the Fourth Succession War when Colonel Jaime Wolf authorized Blackwell to increase production and allow outside buyers access, on the provision that each sale had to be approved by the Dragoons.

Though customers like Barber's Marauder II would help drive the considerable interest and demand for the powerful assault 'Mech, they would also damage its seeming aura of invincibility following their ignoble destruction by Clan Jade Falcon on Koniz in June 3064. Seeking to rekindle interest in their flagship 'Mech following its disastrous showing on Koniz, GM/Blackwell noted the Vicore Industries triggered refresh of "classic" designs to develop a more powerful and visually refreshed model. The resulting MAD-4S variant was the first widely available Marauder II, Wolf's Dragoons' easing of sale restrictions partly motivated by profit but also as a means to punish the Lyran Alliance for the theft of the Blackwell developed light fusion engine, as of 3067 selling the 'Mech to all interested parties save those the Dragoons were fighting against in the Chaos March; the Word of Blake and the members of the Trinity Alliance.

The demand for the Marauder II would only increase in the Jihad following the Blakist destruction of GM and Blackwell's production facilities for the 'Mech as part of their vendetta against the Wolf's Dragoons, with many salvaged examples in use among the nations of the Inner Sphere in a large number of variations following the Blakists' fall, the most notable being the MAD-6D developed by the Federated Suns and shared with the Republic of the Sphere.

As the Dragoons' Marauder II factory on Outreach didn't survive the Jihad, Irian BattleMechs Unlimited purchased the design plans from the Dragoons and, after retooling their Awesome lines on Irian, began producing the newly acquired design. During the Dark Age Era, the Republic of the Sphere ordered Irian to shut down many of their 'Mech production lines, including the Marauder II - however, they never ceased producing them.

With the Marauder already a powerful and popular 'Mech, the Dragoons' goals with the Marauder II were to enhance its abilities by strengthening its chassis to carry a much heavier armor and weapons load. The 'Mech was then armored with nineteen tons of Valiant Lamellor armor, giving it protection that rivals that of the Atlas and fitted with thirteen additional heat sinks, a total of twenty-nine, to allow a more ferocious rate of fire. Retaining its progenitor's Vlar 300-rated engine, with the MAD-5A built around an extralight fusion engine to save more weight for weapons. To make up for the reduced mobility, the Marauder II was outfitted with three Chilton 600 jump jets that give it a jumping capability of up to ninety meters.

Retaining only the two Magna Mk II Medium Lasers, the 5A variant of the Marauder II carries as its primary weapons a pair of Magna Firestar ER PPCs in its arms which give it a powerful long range punch compared to the 4A. The ER PPCs are backed up by a right torso-mounted Mydron Excel LB 10-X Autocannon which gives the Marauder II the tactical flexibility of using both solid and cluster rounds. Curiously the 5A is built with CASE only in its right torso, yet its three ton LB-X Autocannon ammunition bay sits in the left torso, leading some observers to suggest another projectile weapon field kit variant was being contemplated.

[darkvioletcloud]

Louisa is real, guys!! Look, she's been there since the beginning!

Just kidding, I came up with her skills and backstory, all below the cut.

Trigger warnings for brief descriptions of violence, abuse, suicide and depression, all that stuff. Nothing we haven't seen in Fear & Hunger, though I am a bit afraid I may have gone too far in certain places. I apologize if anything comes across as insensitive or offensive.

Skills:

Keen Eye (Passive)

Louisa has a higher chance of finding better items when scavenging, and sometimes finds an extra item.

Disable and Run (30 Mind)

A punch to the torso of humanoid enemies initiates an automatic run from battle while also doing a decent amount of damage. When back on the overworld, the enemy in question will be stunned for an extended period of time, allowing the party to start an escape.

Maternal Embrace (35 Mind)

Sometimes a hug and a shoulder to cry on is what someone needs. Hug a party member in the overworld to restore their mind and heal certain status effects. Reduces Louisa’s mind due to having to process and worry about the issues the hug recipient tells her about.

Home Cooking (Passive)

Unlocks recipes for Mind and Body-restoring food Louisa learned from her Vatican-born Nonna. Nothing is as calming and healing as a home cooked meal!

Focaccia Bread

Biscotti

Mushroom Risotto

Passionate Guard (25 Mind)

Take the hit meant for another party member. You take less damage, but the mental strain and anxiety from this attack will wear down on you.

Not sure how balanced these would be, and I didn't think of what the stats for the Home Cooking foods would be. It's just an idea!

(The following sections would be in a scenario where all contestants are playable, as it references having Tanaka as a party member, just a heads-up! Please also heed the trigger warnings.)

Initial Interaction and Recruitment

Louisa can be found at the train at first and doesn’t seem too upset about the train not working, despite saying she was meant to meet up with her parents at the Prehevil downtown station. She says it’s fine and that she’ll manage, and not to worry about her. She’s fine on her own. She’ll give the player some biscotti and wish them well.

If you return to the lake on the evening of the first day, Louisa will be standing on the shore and a cutscene will initiate. The player will ask if Louisa is having trouble finding her way downtown, and she says she’s right where she needs to be. She takes a gun out and the player can either attack her right away or ask what she’s doing. Attacking her initiates a battle where she won’t fight back, instead each of her turns will prompt dialogue of her saying that she’s going to be with her son very soon, and asks for you to make it quick. Looting her will give you her belt, a photograph of her with a man and a teenager, and another helping of biscotti.

If the player talks to her instead, she holds the gun and says she came to Prehevil to die. She wanted to die by the lakeside where she used to sit and read as a child. She laments about how she couldn’t protect her son from her husband and is as bad as he is, letting Leon be hurt, and how she was destined to be a terrible mother.

The player can talk her down and take the gun away from her. This can prompt another opportunity to kill her, or to recruit her. The player can give her a hug and, depending on the character, can comfort her in different ways.

If the player doesn’t prevent her from committing suicide, she’ll shoot herself in the head from under the chin and collapse. She can be looted for her belt, biscotti, and the photograph. Daan’s medical diagnosis will comment on how her breathing isn’t the typical agonal breathing. Not sawing off her head will lead to her body disappearing by the next morning, only reappearing in the chapel of the third day.

Moonscorching

Entering the chapel on the third day shows Louisa collapsed on the floor. Half of her face has been blown apart and by her side is a fallen cherub’s body, which she pets on occasion during the cutscene. Louisa will talk about how her first child was a little girl, saying “She was so quiet”, with the implication being she delivered a stillbirth. She says how she killed her daughter. She doesn’t know how, but it was her fault, it was all her fault. She rambles on about how she’s the reason Leon died and how she killed him by letting him leave to go to war.

Despite dialogue being initiated, nothing can stop Louisa from Moonscorching. She cries about how happiness always slips through her fingers right when she grasps it, and Alll-mer has forsaken her despite her faith. She asks you if she’s suffered enough, if she can finally be at peace. She’ll turn into Compassion, and each line of dialogue states how she already feels like she’s happy, as she can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s finally over, and she’s honored that someone is helping her for once.

As A Party Member

If interacting with a certain bookshelf in the bookstore, Louisa can pick up a book and say she had her eye on that particular one for a while. If Tanaka is in the party, he’ll ask her what it’s about, and she’ll stumble on her words and say it’s a romance about a Bohemian girl that gets caught up with a warrior from Edo and that it’s just a silly book for ladies. Tanaka presses further and it’s let slip that the book contains quite a bit of erotica.

In response to O’saa’s comment about escapism, Louisa will say that he’s right and mumble about how that’s the reason she didn’t go on to do anything in her life. If she didn’t indulge so much in fantasy, she could’ve done something with her life and go on to pursue higher education. If Abella is in the party, she’ll say there’s nothing wrong with indulgence, and how escapism doesn’t stop a person from learning. She’ll also say it’s never too late for Louisa to pursue her passions.

If Tanaka and Marcoh are at the train and practicing boxing, Louisa will be watching. If interacted with, she talks about how she’d like to join them and learn some self defense, but she’s too nervous to ask.

An interaction with Marcoh would prompt them to discuss food together, with him saying that a lot of the recipes she knows are Vatican in origin. She enthusiastically admits she’s half Vatican on her father’s side, and she learned a lot of her recipes from her Nonna.

If both Louisa and Henryk are saved and Louisa isn’t recruited, and neither are moved to PRHVL Bop, she’ll be found helping him prepare food outside the train.

As A Playable Character

Marina will call Louisa “the snoring lady” when she first wakes up, and Louisa can apologize and say she hopes she wasn’t too loud.

When entering the train again after the initial outside interaction, Louisa can converse with Caligura in a unique encounter, where the flavor text states that he puts Louisa on edge. His frown and posture are all too familiar to her, and if he’s pestered too much and leaves, Louisa will instantly feel relieved. If interacting with Marina right after, the player can tell her that Louisa is afraid of Caligura.

Character History

The soothing sound of the railtracks... You are not used to such a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere.

You can't help but let your mind wander. You reminisce about what has led you to this point in life…

You were born in Prehevil with the Soul of the Enduring, raised under an Alll-mer roof and went to an all-girls school. There was always a rift between you and the others. You were the weird girl, always the odd one left out. While the others braided each other’s hair and chatted amongst each other, you sat by your lonesome and devoured books.

A target had been painted on your back at some point. One of the girls had spread a rumor about you, and your isolation grew. As you walked home one day, you were stopped by a boy a year older than you, a boyfriend of one of the girls who looked down upon you.

One thing led to another, and the boy initiated a fight. A cowardly move, a bigger boy attacking a girl like you, yet you had to defend yourself somehow…

Hit him and run

You ended up socking him in the chest. Wherever you punched him, it must have messed him up.

The boy collapsed on the ground with the wind knocked out of him. While he wheezed and caught his breath, you ran off back home.

(Gain Disable and Run.)

Fight back

Though his fist cracked against your face, you spat your blood back at him and fought back.

It was a tough fight, and by all accounts, you lost, judging by all the bruises.

However, you gained a reputation that day - you weren’t afraid to get your hands dirty.

Not to mention, you figured out you were pretty good at throwing a punch or two.

(Gain Bare-Fisted Proficiency)

Your mother was reasonably upset as you came home with your school uniform all torn up and your face covered in blood. As she bandaged you up, your father praised you for standing up for yourself.

The fight made you a social pariah. You graduated the private school friendless and alone, but with the reputation of being not someone to mess with. You bulked up a bit and gained weight, both in fat and in muscle. Everyone called you ugly, and you believed it.

Your parents took you to Vatican City the summer before you entered high school, to celebrate your achievements. After all, that’s where your father was from. You met your grandparents for the first time. They lived in a cute area near the local bookstore.

Your parents were going out one day for a date between the two of them, leaving you to either entertain yourself, or to stay with your Nonna, who wanted your help with making dinner.

Go to the bookstore

Staying home would be like staying with strangers. Who knew if your grandparents even liked you? Would they find you to be an unlikable freak as well?

You went to the bookstore and spent the day peeking through fiction and nonfiction alike. You wrapped yourself up in a book of poetry, and ended up purchasing that, alongside a book on Alll-mer with an interesting cover.

(Gain New Poems of Love and Torment and Skin Bible - Alll-mer)

Cook with Nonna

You decide to cook with your grandmother. Though you were never much of a chef before, you caught on quite easily, and passion sparked within you.

The two of you spent the day preparing freshly-baked cookies, homemade bread, and a risotto for dinner, complete with mushrooms picked out of the garden.

As you sat at the dinner table with your parents, you told them how much you enjoyed cooking, and asked if you could help with dinner more often.

(Gain skill Home Cooking and book Recipes of the 15th Century Vol. 1)

You slipped back into isolation in high school. The first half was full of more bullying, now made worse due to the school being co-ed. More often than not, you came home bruised and bloodied.

You skipped class a lot and spent time hanging around coffee shops and stores, always with a novel in hand. On some days, you’d read by the lake, your favorite place. You neglected your schoolwork in favor of staying safe, and in that meantime, you got through quite a number of books.

One day when you were 15, a young man caught your eye. Tall, dark-haired, with a charming grin and dressed up so nicely. He smiled at you and approached you at the coffee shop, asking you what you were reading.

The man swept you up in a heart-fluttering haze. He bought you a drink and chatted with you. For the first time, you found a friend.

You skipped school more often to see him. You two would hide in the park to kiss and fool around. He’d curl your hair around his finger and say how beautiful you were. He promised that when you graduated, he would marry you right away.

And you did. When you were 18 and he was 24, the two of you married at a small chapel, surrounded by your families and his friends. He said you could live your life however you wanted. You wanted nothing more than to live happily with him. And so, you settled into the life of a housewife.

You moved away from Prehevil to start a new life. The two of you tried building your family right away. It was hard, but a few years in, you found yourself expecting. It was truly a blessing from Alll-mer.

You couldn’t wait to welcome the new addition to your family. Really, you could do without the nausea, the lightheadedness, anemia…

She arrived early. She was like a doll in your arms. Completely still. She never had a chance to take a breath.

You blamed yourself.

You fell into a depression. Your husband was caring and concerned, as he always was. The two of you tried again. Maybe this was a test from Alll-mer, to see if you truly cared about your family. And of course you did!

Finally, the two of you were blessed with a child. You named him Leon. You cried over even the littlest sounds he would make. Your family was complete.

Leon was all smiles as he grew. The boy radiated positivity and happiness. You were there to see every milestone of his.

Your husband was delighted at first, but as the years went on, something changed within him. He didn’t smile at you as he did before. His temper shortened. You tried to satisfy him as best you could, but you weren’t trying hard enough.

Leon knew something was wrong, and you knew that he knew, yet you still put on a false smile and told him mama and papa were okay.

As Leon grew, he became the exact opposite as how you grew up. He was studious, friendly, and outgoing. He stayed out late with friends and came home with stories of what he learned in school, and how fascinated the subjects were.

You knew why he stayed out, though. If he was home, he risked being struck by your husband. If you intervened, you would be hurt as well. With Leon out of the house, you took the brunt of the abuse.

One evening, as you were cleaning and your husband was reading the paper, Leon came home giggling and hazy-eyed. He had been out partying with his friends. He stumbled into the living room, right in front of your husband. Your husband shot out of his seat and grabbed Leon by the collar, shaking him and spitting at him. At one point, Leon was struck in the head with your husband’s pistol, splitting the skin open.

You knew that once he was done with Leon, your husband would turn on you next. It was your fault Leon was like this, after all.

Slip away while your husband isn’t looking

You left the room and locked yourself in the bathroom as you heard your baby boy cry out in pain from your husband’s actions.

You prayed to Alll-mer to grant mercy to Leon, yet you ask for no forgiveness for yourself. You’re a coward, after all.

Soon, all went quiet, save for the occasional hiccups and sobs from Leon.

(Gain Escape Plan)

Defend your son

You put yourself in between your husband and Leon. With tears in your eyes, you chastised the man you once loved, a man who had been gone for so long and was never to return.

Leon watched as your husband struck you and slammed you against the wall.

You felt no pain. You didn’t care if you broke your nose or lost a tooth, just as long as Leon was safe. Besides, you were used to this. It had been a while, but this wasn’t anything you weren’t familiar with.

(Gain Passionate Guard)

Your life was never the same after that incident. Your husband was a monster in the home. Leon didn’t come home on some nights. Your eyes glazed over as you tried escaping into the books you once loved, but the words would fall on tear-filled eyes.

Leon left home one day, enlisted in the army to defend against the Bremen Empire. The day he left, you gave him a hug and a kiss and sent him on his way with fresh focaccia and biscotti. He smiled back at you, with that loving, silly smile that he had back when he was young and innocent. For a moment, everything felt okay.

Leon never came home.

It was just you and your husband. Leon’s funeral ended with your husband screeching at you about how it was your fault the two of you didn’t have kids anymore. You didn’t process his words.

Finally, there came a day when you had enough. As you bandaged up a cut on your arm, you made a plan. A train to Prehevil left your town in the middle of the night. You would pack your bags in secret and leave. Make your way to your hometown and find peace there. Nothing left to live for anyway. You were not going to live a life suffering at the hands of a monster.

You were going to live with your parents again, yes, that was the excuse. Maybe you could see them once more…

You packed a change of clothes and a photo of your family, your last memory of Leon, smiling brightly at the camera.

There was still space left in your bag once you finished. What would go in it?

Stock up on medicine (Gain 2x Blue Vials and 2x Cloth Fragments)

Find something to read (Gain Alchemillia Vol. 1)

Find some extra cash (Gain Lucky Coin x1 and Shillings x10)

Your plan was to slip out in the night as your husband fell asleep. You steeled yourself and slipped out of bed.

Your husband hadn’t fallen asleep. He sat up and asked what you were doing.

You may have slowly failed school, but you weren’t stupid. You had his gun, smuggled under your pillow while he was showering.

You felt sick as you pointed the gun at him and told your husband you were done with him. He was not the man you fell for, and you were not the naive little girl that he once thought you were.

With a final goodbye, you left, and caught the train right before it left the station.

If you were going to go out, it was going to be on your own terms. As you rested your head against the window, you thought about the lake, your special little place. It would be a nice, relaxing spot, yes, to spend your final moments…

B Ending

How funny, you came to Prehevil to die, and yet you ended up being the only one to leave. The light at the end of the tunnel remained forever just out of grasp, and you still remained crawling towards it.

You couldn’t bear to live after everything you had done. You, sinful and stained, attempted once more to commit the unspeakable.

The gods laugh at you. Your attempt failed and you were hospitalized for months. Half of your face was mangled and scarred, your hands lost some motor function, and you began your long journey of recovery and rehabilitation. No matter how hard it would be, you would push yourself through it. The technology that helped save you fascinated you the entire way through.

The regrets of your past haunted you. You realized you never blossomed, remaining in a cocoon sewn shut by the life imposed by your husband and your lack of ambition.

You went back to school. A woman at your age, learning with children that your son should have been in the ranks of. If he couldn’t bloom, then you would, in his place.

You found your passion for science and emerging technologies. Not just passion, but skill and intuition. You used that passion to fuel yourself through this education, tutoring your fellow students and helping the next generation, while also doing for yourself what you should have done long ago.

[aptericia]

Octopath II gameplay tips!

I'd been thinking about this for a while, but since I have mutuals who are playing 8path2, here's a list of advice and things the game doesn't explain!

Incorrect/vague skill descriptions:

The Warrior skill "Enervating Slash": The description is flat-out wrong. This will remove all positive status effects from the USER, rather than the targeted enemy!

"Increased intensity spells" courtesy of the Scholar job: So wtf does this even mean? It gives you a counter that causes the next x number of AREA TARGET SPELLS to be "intensified". For instance, the Cleric's "Heal Wounds" skill can be intensified, but NOT the Apothecary's "Healing Touch" skill. For elemental-based spells, such as Fireball, this causes it to trigger twice (or three times if using Alephan's Wisdom).

Throné's EX skill "Disguise": When used on an ally, Throné takes on their job(s) and learned skills. Sadly, because she doesn't also take on their equipment stats (to my knowledge; I haven't actually verified this), it means she's usually not optimized for their fighting style.

Partitio's EX skill "Share SP": This also has a flat-out wrong description. He gives a percentage of his SP to EACH party member, not just one. For instance, without boosting, he will lose 25% of his max SP and every other party member will gain whatever that amount is. And yes, they'll get it even if it puts them above their normal max SP! Partito rocks!

The Apothecary job’s “Preventative Measures” support skill: Rather than nullifying status ailments for the first 3 turns of battle (as the description says), it nullifies the first three status effects to target the user. So if the user isn’t hit with a status effect until turn 4, it will still be nullified, but if they’re hit with 4 status effects within the first three turns, the 4th will still take effect.

Battle interface:

"Status ailments" include Poison (take damage each turn), Sleep (unable to act until hit), Unconsciousness (unable to act, period), Blindness (greatly reduced accuracy), Terror (unable to boost), Silence (unable to use skills) and Confusion (target a random ally until hit).

"Positive status effects" and "negative status effects" include buffs/penalties to stats, as well effects like temporary HP regen, Sidestep/Vengeful Blade charges, etc. Note that the Cleric skill "Sacred Shield" does NOT appear next to the character's name, and therefore does not count as a "positive status effect"

The order of enemy weaknesses is something you'll see mentioned in any guide/trivia about the game, and it's incredibly helpful. Weaknesses are always listed in the same order: Sword, Polearm, Dagger, Axe, Bow, Staff, Fire, Ice, Thunder, Wind, Light, and Dark (SPD ABS FIT WLD). So for instance, if I determine that an enemy is weak to daggers and the dagger icon is in the first square, I know that enemy CANNOT be weak to swords or polearms, because those would be listed first.

Traveler talents:

Don't forget that Osvald's Study Foe talent reveals more weaknesses each time he encounters the same enemy!

Remember to have Partitio in your party in order to take advantage of his Business Partners talent! For instance, if Parti's follower gives a discount when buying things, this applies not only to NPCs he Purchases from but also shops if he happens to be in the party. Similarly, you may want to pick up a follower that earns more from sales before you sell off a bunch of junk. And if his follower gives a refund at the inn, you can refill your whole party's meters for free as long as you keep Partitio in your party.

Dancer skills that will activate Agnea's Dance Session talent include: Lion Dance (Dance Session targets the ally), Peacock Strut (Dance Session targets the ally), Dagger Dance (Dance Session targets Agnea), and Bewildering Grace (Dance Session targets a random party member). Ruinous Kick, Stimulate, and Sweeping Gale will NOT trigger a Dance Session.

If you want to go into a dungeon you're just under-leveled for, try taking both Throné and Temenos and clearing it at night. Blessing of Darkness and Moonlight Judgement together can give a huge advantage, especially once you're higher-level.

Miscellaneous:

Caits and Octopuffs have absurdly high evasion and elemental defense, but give you massive rewards if defeated. They will often flee the battlefield if ANY enemy has taken damage by the time their turn comes around. Usually the best way to defeat them is to hammer them will all your strongest magic, as spells can't miss and have a minimum damage of 1. Use of Stimulate, Leghold Trap, and the A Step Ahead support skill can come in handy to push their turns back. As @limayde mentioned, Medium and Large Soulstones can also defeat most of them instantly!

Healing (via skills) is based on the caster’s elemental defense. Therefore, it’s a good idea to give your healers equipment with high Elem. Def!

[blackknightax]

Research slows me down. I Don’t know any of the remaining franchises very well so i gotta look into them. We had Mother’s Day not to long ago so let’s do the mother franchise. So, Ness and Lucas represent this franchise and… I admit, to me, they’re just smash bros characters. I know there are several big people in the video game fandoms that LOVE this series, mostly Earthbound, or rather, Mother 2. I can name 3 but I’ll only mention 2, this being Youtube’s Stephen Georg, and the creator of Undertale Toby Fox. So people are VERY passionate about this franchise. Easily one of the most vocal fandoms I know of, not usually in a toxic way that I know of. But I’m not an RPG guy so i don’t go out of my way to play this franchise, it doesn’t help that only one of them released in the west for a very long time being Mother 2 which released as Earthbound. So that being said, let’s get to the topic at hand!

We are meant to choose, well, I am meant to choose another character from this franchise to add to smash. So, let’s do that. Automatically, I do not want a PSI user and i can scratch off characters like Kumatora and Paula, this is because most of Lucas and Ness’s moves, actually come from these girls. I’m gonna go off topic and say that I do not play Lucas or Ness, I don’t like using PK thunder to recover, I don’t like PK flash or PK freeze, I like PSI magnet in theory but never think to use it when I play them, I’ll be the one to admit, I don’t play them, because I am not good at them, not that I’m good at smash at all, but I’m Awful with these Mother Series characters, as both of them I just use PK fire spam and hope of the best. So all that to say, I want a non PSI character for this. For this purpose I’ve chosen…

Duster from Mother 3. I’ve chosen this character due primarily to how fundamentally different from Lucas and Ness he will be. I admit I almost chose Porky Minch but, much as I love Porky’s theme that was used in Brawl, I think playing as that, would be so strange. Also this character feels more interesting anyhow. In game Duster is a bit of thief character and he outright uses thieves tools as weapons in combat. Also apparently this character walks with a limp but he’s still one of the faster party members. So let’s make a move set, shall we?

For his Neutral B he will use the siren beetle, he will release it as a projectile rather than throw it. When hit by the siren Bettie, the enemy will be forced to turn around, like Mario’s cape swing but as a projectile.

For his Up B he will use smoke bomb, mostly because there isn’t a much better option. When using smoke bomb he will teleport a distance after disappearing. Think Shiek’s Up b since i can’t imagine it would work any differently.

For his Side B he will use wall staples. He will dash forward holding them, if he collides with an enemy he will place the staples on them causing a short stun for follow up attacks. If the collides with a wall while using this (like the side of the stage) he climb up till he reaches the ledge.

For his Down B he will use scary mask. He will put it on and do some kind of scary pose, causing a short flinch and reducing attack damage very briefly but also does massive shield damage.

All in all, I think Duster would a good character to use for this series, he would be a great character simply to be different from Ness or Lucas. I thought about wall staples as Up B but that felt strange. I don’t know much about Mother 3 and especially Duster as a character who all I’ve done is simply thinking about it from a gameplay perspective, and nothing else. I hope the next ones will be faster. I have most of my characters chosen. Just not Kingdom hearts or Xenoblade because, Xenoblade has been oddly difficult to research…

[slugdragoon]

RPG Role Analysis Series #9 - Paper Mario vol.II

Time to finish out the second half of the party members in Paper Mario 64. Vol.I (Goombario, Kooper, Bombette, Parakarry) here.

Bow - Lady Bow's main attacks are Smack, and at Ultra Rank, Fan Smack, which each do multiple hits. For Smack, each hit deals only 1 damage, so each hit separately gets reduced to 0 against enemies with armour. For Fan Smack, each hit deals 2, so an enemy with 1 armour would cut the damage in half, but she can hurt them with her strongest attack. This makes her not good at all at armour-busting, but she can at least target most enemies. Instead, she gets two other abilities, Outta Sight, which hides Mario and herself for a turn, waiting out incoming powerful attacks, and Spook, which might cause weak enemies to run away. It fits well for a Super Mario Boo, who both scare, and are scared, but Spook is essentially like a luck-based multi-target instant death attack from any RPG, or perhaps a Whirlwind-like attack. Having fewer enemies, without getting experience for defeating them, helps you escape, which fits with Outta Sight as being very rogue-ish, maybe some kind of illusion rogue. Bow's damage isn't reliable in all cases, but she helps hide Mario to help him pace himself and wait out stronger attacks. She also helps sneak by enemies by turning you invisible in the overworld.

Watt - Watt only has one damaging move, her basic attack, Electro Dash, and this one actually has somewhat less power, but bypasses any Defense an enemy has! Power Shock attempts to paralyze one enemy, and later Mega Shock attempts to paralyze them all, stopping them from taking their turn. All of these can hit any kind of enemy. Turbo Charge gives Mario more attack power temporarily, but does not stack. Watt is obviously very focused on stalling enemies, buying Mario more time to do his thing, and has Turbo Charge to help him setup to overcome armour. Watt herself though, can bypass it entirely. She can also help see in dark areas, and reveal hidden things. Given the combination of status infliction and buffing in service of helping Mario land, I almost want to call Watt a kind of bard-like character., or maybe the combination of a blinding-light flavoured paralysis, buffing and illumination of darkness makes her some sort of light cleric.

Sushie - You can swim around on Sushie, so out of combat she's a boat. She can either Belly Flop to target any enemy, but can take relatiatory damage from spikes, or Squirt them with a jet of water to snipe safely. Either way, she can target anyone. Water Block is a ward that increases Mario's defense temporarily, which in this game can nullify the weakest attacks. Attacks that deal 1 now do nothing, and attacks that deal 2 do fully half, giving enemies the same issues that Bow can have. Tidal Wave is just a strong all-target water element attack. Sushie is some kind of warding mage, with a water theme, but can obviously attack, about as good as Bombette, who I called a damage-dealing mage.

Lakilester - Lakilester can float, helping Mario avoid floor hazards in dungeons, like Safe Passage from Dragon Quest, but at will, and for free. His first two battle abilities, Spiny Flip and Spiny Surge, attack one enemy and all enemies, respectively, and can target anything with no risk to Lakilester, but both do less damage than some of the other party member's attacks. Cloud Nine temporarily boosts Mario's evasion, and Hurricane is really just like Bow's Spook and attempts to blow away all enemies. Maybe it's because by the last member, I've seen it all already as was analyzing them, but I really can only compare Lakilester to other party members. He feels like a mix between Lady Bow and Sushie, except with a ward that focuses on evasion instead of defense (both mitigate damage and are very similar), which is also like Lady Bow, except gives Mario a chance to avoid an attack instead of skipping a turn to guarantee it. Besides raw damage output, his attacks are what you want out of only two slots, single and multi-target options without restricting target choice at all. He's kind of a jack-of-all-trades, maybe close to a red mage. Two basic, but different kinds of attacks, one buff, one (potential) instant death/escape spell, and hazard-warding/travel utility on the field, everything he does is different from the other.

That's it! That's every party member in Paper Mario 64, and I'm not planning to cover Mario himself because his constant presence in the party and power level is a core game mechanic, and I don't think he fits a class fantasy very specifically. I think I will do a couple of posts about The Thousand Year Door and compare those party members to these, as they fill a lot of the same roles, but with changes. There are also some unique ones I'd like to examine. Probably will take a look at a few other Mario RPGs eventually, likely Super Mario RPG.

[madamemimic]

Fully completed the definitive edition of LISA the Painful this afternoon. Here are my thoughts. Spoilers under the cut.

Overall I was super impressed with the changes made to Painful.

First, the sprite change for Junior and the edit to Salvation Black’s intro were nice. Lisa’s got it’s fair share of edgy humor, sure, but those felt a little overboard and mean-spirited. Bloodiest Wolf is still… not great, though. I get that he’s supposed to be covered in blood and his skin isn’t ACTUALLY supposed to be that red, but it looks really bad.

The improved graphics and border art make the game way, way nicer to look at. Glad I don’t have to deal with differently-sized pixels fucking up the visuals.

Changes to the battle system are a little mixed, but overall good (and the issues are currently getting fixed thanks to SF’s frankly absurd community feedback response). TP not refilling when taking damage sucks, the alcohol boost is neat, battles are a lot snappier, seeing what status effects actually do is nice, and the flavor text at the top of the screen is super buggy. Again, a mixed bag, but overall an improvement in my opinion. Animated battle backgrounds are also fantastic.

Missing joy addictions getting patched in is nice. Annoying, but it’s what was intended.

I wish there was more new content throughout the game. I was expecting some new enemies and NPCs, but in my experience there really weren’t any up until the superboss. Then again, I might just be misremembering what was actually in the game. It’s been years since I played the original.

Campfire scenes fucking rule. They make your party members feel like actual people. Some of Brad’s dialogue in certain scenes feels a tad stilted, but I don’t care much. Queen Roger, Geese, and Ollie - party members that I never cared about in the original - became some of my favorites thanks to these scenes. Also, fuck Garth to Hell.

The superboss was incredible. The leadup to it was nauseating, the atmosphere was thick with dread, the conversation with Joy Marty was incredibly upsetting… and GOD, that fight. Took me an hour and a half, and I was having a blast the whole way through. So many new mechanics and twists and turns (Marty permanently reducing your party’s stats was a nice surprise) that all add to the helplessness of the encounter.

And the dialogue afterwards, my God. It adds so much content to Brad and Lisa’s relationship, their home life, and the guilt that Brad feels over her death. Fucking fantastic. The music is great, too.

Haven’t done Joyful’s secret stuff yet, but I like the warlord abilities. It doesn’t fix the gameplay issues of only having one party member, but no RPG really can. At the very least, it adds options.

Rest in peace Work Harder. You will be missed.

[catamaurrr-star]

putting genshin characters in hsr part 2 - lynette

type + path = wind/quantum destruction. even tho anemo and wind are like the same i also considered quantum because i like it

basic attack = just like every other character, single target and no other effects

skill = stronger blast attack, consumes 20% hp and regain 15% hp at the start of your next turn (if shes lower than 20% hp and she uses this, her hp will just be reduced to 1)

ult = blast that reduces dmg taken by lynette by 15-20% and puts a dot on enemies that depends on what element they attack with (example: if you use it on an enemy that does fire dmg, it gives them a burn dot, if they do physical dmg, they get a bleed dot(specifically like 2-3 stacks)) if they dont deal a damage type that has a dot(or wind dmg), then they just get 3-5 stacks of wind shear

ascension 2 trace: when using her ult, all party members atk increases by 8/12/16/20% based on how many unique types there are in the team (1/2/3/4)

ascension 4 trace: dots from her ult do 20% more damage

ascension 6 trace: (stolen from her c4) using skill increases speed by 10% for 1 turn

synergies: it really depends on the enemy and how youre building her... if you invest into her dot, other dot teammates like luka/kafka/black swan are good. but if you build her with crit then shes basically good with any supports. you probably want a healer though so that shes not constantly about to die

[keplercryptids]

hi! i just realized i never shared my homebrewed ghuls here. i created these for my d&d 5e game, for a party of five level-12 PCs. ghuls in my world are elemental creatures more than they're undead, and i wanted each elemental type to behave a little differently, as you can see below!

ghuls look like hairless humanoid hyenas with elongated faces, long claws, and runic stripes, with different elemental features as flavor (for example: blood ghuls drip with blood; sand ghuls have eye sockets full of grave dirt; etc). they can shapechange into people or hyenas, but can always be identified by their cloven feet. i also referenced arabic folklore to develop these guys, which is why they must be killed in one hit.

disclaimer: they are DEADLY. okay??? be careful with these ghuls, they have killed before and they will kill again. the pack tactics, death burst, swarm attack and once stricken abilities can lead to a death spiral for your PCs pretty quick. also, they kill to EAT. they aren't likely to stop attacking once a PC is down, because. they're hongry.

if you use these ghuls, i recommend tailoring them to your specific party, especially with regard to how many hit points they have! (i chose 19 because it was the average amount of damage my party members could deal and it was ROUGH, it probably should have been less than 19 tbh lol.)

okay here ya go. (as usual, don't check my math, i don't care lmao.)

Ghul medium elemental

Initiative: +0 AC: 15 HP: 19 Speed: 40 ft in dim light or darkness; 30 ft in bright light

Saving Throws: Str +4, Dex +0, Con +3, Int -2, Wis +0, Cha -2 Condition Immunities: charmed, exhaustion Blindsight: 60ft (blind beyond this distance)

Once Stricken. The ghul must be struck down in a single hit. If the ghul is not reduced to 0 HP on an attacker’s hit, or if the ghul is hit more than once by a single attacker in a turn, the ghul instead takes no damage and an effect is immediately triggered. The effect depends on the elemental type of the ghul:

Sand (air): ghul teleports to an unoccupied space within 30 feet that they can see.

Ash (fire): ghul splits; another ash ghul appears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the ash ghul that was hit.

Blood (water): the attacker suffers a point of exhaustion.

Bone (earth): the attacker takes the total damage that it rolled to damage the ghul.

Pack Tactics. The ghul has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one other ghul is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally ghul isn't incapacitated. Death Burst. When the ghul is reduced to 0 HP, a cloud of necrotic energy bursts out from its corpse. Each creature within 10 feet of it must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the ghul has disadvantage on Attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

REACTIONS

Swarm Attack. When an enemy is reduced to half their total HP, all ghuls within 5 feet of that creature can immediately use a reaction to make a bite attack against that creature.

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The ghul makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 5 piercing damage plus 5 necrotic damage. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 12 slashing damage. Sand ghuls only: If the target is Medium or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 15). While grappling a creature, the ghul can’t attack with its claws.

TRAITS

Shapechanger. The ghul can use its action to polymorph into a Small or Medium humanoid it has seen, a hyena, or back into its true form. Its statistics, other than its size, are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true elemental form if it dies.

Rejuvenation. When a ghul is dropped to 0 hit points, its body will reconstitute after 1d20 hours and the ghul will rise again. Preventing this requires permanent destruction of the ghul's body, by a means that varies according to its elemental type. Sand ghuls must be scattered on the wind; ash ghuls must be burned; blood ghuls must be dropped into water; bone ghuls must be buried.

[mrapplethorn]

Easy Fix to the monotony of Death Saving throws

There are two big problems with death saving throws, as is. I expect you have some experience with D&D and as such, know what I am talking about, but let me elaborate for the people in the back.

Art by Luisa Preissler

For the Players. When a player character goes down, although it is a tense moment that could result in a character death, there is not much to do for the player themselves. Most DM’s only let them roll their saving throws as they lie bleeding out on the floor. That’s not much fun.

For the DMs. If a player character goes down, they can just hop back up after receiving healing from their party members. Knowing that, the creatures in this world also discover this, either after a few encounters or right from the start. Therefore it would be really stupid if those creatures wouldn’t stab this player character when they’re down, turning those temporary downed players into eternally dead players. But this is also not much fun (for your players, it might be fun for you, fricking psycho).

According to the Player’s Handbook (p. 197), when you drop to zero hit points you also fall unconscious, which means you cannot take any Actions, Bonus Actions, or Reactions, you can’t move or speak, and you are unaware of your surroundings. If that weren’t enough, you also drop whatever you’re holding and you fall prone, you automatically fail Strength and Dexterity saving throws, attack rolls against you have advantage, and any attack that hits you is a critical hit if the attacker is within 5 feet.

Let’s change this to something more interesting and fun for you or your players.

Bleeding Out

If damage reduces you to 0 hit points but doesn’t kill you outright, you gain a level of exhaustion and you start to bleed out. The bleeding out condition ends if you regain any hit points. Although you do not fall unconscious while bleeding out you do need to roll death saving throws as if you did, and taking damage while in this state still results in an automatic death saving throw failure (two if the damage is from a critical hit).

The following definitions specify what happens to a creature while it is subjected to the Bleeding Out condition.

A creature that is bleeding out can take only one action, bonus action or reaction on each of their turns and they cannot cast spells of 1st level or higher. Regardless of the number of attacks a creature can normally make, they are only able to make one attack every round while subjected to this condition.

What does this do?

Using these rules changes a few things, the problems with Death Saving throws as they were described at the start of this post of course, but also the things below.

For players focused on combat. Although still limited in what the player can do while at 0 hit points, they now are able to remove themselves from combat by walking away instead of being dragged away by their companions. Or they could make a Boromir-esque last stand, holding the enemy back while their friends get the chance to run away relatively unscathed.

For players focused on roleplay. The fact that your character is still awake, although at death’s door, is a lot more interesting to play than if they were just knocked out, lying on the floor, waiting until one of your friends finally decided to spend their 1st-level spell slot on Cure Wounds.

To me these sound like excellent reasons to at least give these alternative rules a try, but that does not mean they have to work for you or your group. Try them out if you like, they are free, and if you don’t like it, feel free to throw them away.

[deathblossomed]

❀࿐ Verse ( Honkai Star Rail. ) - Combat

Botan is a 4* support unit following the Path of Finality. She deals imaginary damage and her kit focuses on buffing allies and healing damage. Her weapon is a reinforced boat oar, used both as a blunt weapon and also a conduit for her spells. She can ride the oar as seen her in her canon but it also serves as the key to pilot her Astral Ferry.

Basic Attack - Astral Guide - Swings her oar like a bat to deal imaginary dmg to a single enemy

Skill - Bingo! - Pointing her hand in the Spirit Gun formation, Botan aims at a single target. Botan identifies the enemy's weakness and applies one stack of Mejiru Seal. While Mejiru Seal is active, all subsequent attacks deal additional imaginary damage from all team members.

Ultimate - River of Three Crossings - ( The image of a rushing, river encircles Botan, pooling at her feet, entire galaxies are reflected in the water. She holds her oar in front of her, head bowed as if in prayer. She whispers "May the River guide you," and strikes her oar downward into the water. The water splashes up in a wave and flows outward toward her allies. A star lit puddle appears beneath their feet for the duration of the skill. ) Botan calls upon the Sanzu River to remove 1 debuff for each active Mejiru Seal from all party members and increase SPD. If there are no debuffs to remove or if there are more Mejiru Seals than debuffs, the party member's are healed for a percentage of Botan's Max HP.

Talent - 6 Piece Toll - The first killing blow issued to the party is blocked. Botan sacrifices half of her current HP and the targeted party member survives with this amount of HP instead.

Technique - Spirit Detective Toolkit - Applies one of the following random buffs, applied in the next combat instance. Cannot be stacked.

Concentration Ring - Improves ATK by 7% for 4 turns.

Communication Mirror - Improves skills used on allies by 7% for 4 turns.

Demon Compass - Adds one additional Type Weakness to the enemy with the most HP

Mystic Whistle - Applies Imprisonment to one enemy

Mejiru Seal - Automatically applies one stack of Mejiru Seal to a random enemy

Psychic Spyglass - Reduces Toughness for one enemy

NOTES.

Botan can fly with the use of her oar, her idle battle pose is her sitting atop her oar.

Because the combat skills aren't necessarily practical in threads where we're not doing turn based combat, Botan's primary skills will revolve around healing and buffing your character and the use of spirit tools. She's not going to like, automatically revive your character in a thread unless we've discussed some reason why that should be a thing. This just helps frame her combat as if she were a playable character.

Inspo for names and techniques

Shares similar skills and names with her Genshin Verse bc lazy

Skill 'Bingo' in reference to her catch phrase in the English Dub which I just love

River of Three Crossings is the literal translation of the Sanzu-no-kawa, the river from Japanese Budhist tradition in which souls must cross to enter the afterlife (similar to the River Styx in Greece). The river features three crossings, a bridge, a ford, and a stretch of deep snake infested waters. The path you take is dependent on your actions in life (i.e. the worse you were, the worse the crossing)

6 piece toll is in reference to Japanese funeral traditions that state a body should be buried with 6 mon (former japanese currency) in order to pay the toll to cross the river.

Spirit Detective Tools are all tools used for Yusuke. There are seven in total but we only get 6 official tools in the series, so six it is.

Astral Ferry & Astral Guide are named in reference to the word Astral being used both to reference stars and also to a nonphysical realm of existence in which psychic and paranormal phenomenon are ascribed. She sails through the stars and also Life & Death.

[agnerd-bot]

Fate Fanservant: Victor Frankenstein, the King of Mad Science(Avenger)

(Thanks to Kat on Twitter for doing this amazing commission for me!)

Ascension Stages:

First Stage: A black vest is buttoned up over a plain white dress shirt, the sleeves rolled up to reveal stitches across Victor’s lower arms. A dirt and blood-encrusted shovel is planted firmly in the ground as Victor stands a graveyard. A pair of glasses hangs over Victor’s nose as they look forward.

Second Stage: A bloodied lab coat is covering Victor’s clothes, and a white doctor’s mask is covering their mouth. The background has changed to an old laboratory, where a body is covered by a white sheet behind Victor. The shovel has been replaced with a large wrench.

Final Stage: Victor’s body has been changed entirely, with the doctor growing to an eight foot tall behemoth. Metal studs have been inserted into Victor’s neck, and their body has become incredibly muscular. Four studs visibly jut out of each fist, crackling with electricity, and a grim smile can be seen in Victor’s face.

Traits

Class: Avenger Alternate Class: Caster, Berserker True Name: Victor Frankenstein Source: Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus Region: Switzerland Alignment: Chaotic Neutral Attribute: Star Known as: The King of Mad Science, Doctor Frankenstein, The One Who Sought Godhood, The Modern Prometheus

Voice Actress: Mamiko Noto

Deck: QQABB

Parameters: Strength: B Endurance: A- Agility: E Mana: A+ Luck: E NP: A

Passive Skills:

Item Construction B-: In life, Victor Frankenstein was a brilliant scientist who was a prodigy in all fields of science. However, because of their manifestation as an Avenger, this talent has been stunted somewhat due to their obsession with ending their creation's life. If they were summoned as a different class, it's likely this skill would be more powerful, at the cost of Frankenstein's strength as a whole suffering.

(FGO Effect:)-Increases own debuff success rate by 7.5%.

Avenger B: Rage and hatred has become the entirety of Frankenstein's being. Hated by the world for defying God by making life, despised by mankind for the cruelty and hatred to the Creature they made, and loathed by their own creature for refusing to give what she is owed. This rage has become fuel for Frankenstein, pushing them forward as an engine of vengeance, a monster who seeks retribution for those killed by their own creation, uncaring of how the world sees them.

(FGO Effect:) -Increases own NP generation rate when taking attack by 18%. -500% Chance to reduce party's debuff resistance by 8% except self. (Including sub members) [Demerit]

Self-Replenishment (Magic) EX: With divine lightning coursing through their body and the drive to pursue their enemy to any corner of the earth to satisfy their vengeance, Frankenstein is driven to advance further, no matter how much damage their body sustains or how hopeless the situation is. This recklessness coupled with their newfound power makes them a nigh-unstoppable force to be feared. 

(FGO Effect:)  -Charges own NP gauge by 4.2% every turn. -Decreases own Stun resistance by 7% [Demerit]

Oblivion Correction B: William. Justine. Henry. Elizabeth. Father.

These are the people that the beast had killed.

These are the people she ripped away from this world.

These are the people she slaughtered just to hurt me.

These are the people I must avenge.

William. Justine. Henry. Elizabeth. Father.

(FGO Effect:)-Increases own critical damage by 8%.

Active Skills:

Victorious Galvanism A: While the secret of Frankenstein's work is said to have been lost to time, the one shared fact about the process is that it made use of lightning to initiate life. Victor has now become an embodiment of this lightning, sharing the Creature's nigh-infinite stamina by means of converting magical energy into electricity, and applying it in various powerful ways.

(FGO Effect:) -Applies 'charge NP Gauge when attacking with Quick Cards' for all allies-Recover health for all allies

The Beauty of the Dream Vanished A+: After pursuing the secret to life itself for years, Victor Frankenstein was left horrified by what they had created. As time went on, this horror slowly evolved into hatred as creator and creation worked to make the other's life miserable, despising the other for their increasingly cruel actions. This hatred has manifested itself as a skill for Frankenstein, granting them immense power when faced against an opponent born not of natural means. In their obsessive madness, Frankenstein sees all artificial life as potential monsters that risk causing untold misery and strife.

(FGO Effect:) -Increase damage against ‘Undead’, 'Artificial', and 'Mechanical' enemies for all allies-Increase NP Gauge by 10% for all allies-Increase Buster, Arts, and Quick card effectiveness for all allies-Apply 'Terror' status to self(Demerit)-Apply NP seal to self for one turn(Demerit)

All Men Hate the Wretched B: A grudge that spans a lifetime. A hatred that sinks down to the bone. Bitterness and spite is all that keeps the monster going, and vengeance alone will make everything right. Such is the way of Frankenstein. This hatred has transformed Victor into the beast known as 'Frankenstein's Monster', becoming a hulking brute obsessed with retribution at any cost. Nothing will stop them from reaching their goal, and no one is safe if they dare stand in their way. 

(FGO Effect:) -Apply Guts to self(two times, five turns)-Increases attack for three turns-Gains critical stars every turn for three turns

Noble Phantasms

Noble Phantasm: To Be Thine Adam - Frankenstein, Monster and Man Rank: B Maximum Targets: 1 Range: 1m Classification: Anti-Unit(Self)

A manifestation of mankind’s hatred for the one known as ‘Victor Frankenstein’. As time has gone on, the idea of ‘Frankenstein’ has been diluted, with Victor slowly going from arrogant and foolish genius who had attempted to conquer death, to an abusive mad scientist who sought to create a monster for his own terrible purposes. Frankenstein has taken these preconceptions and used them to form a new Mystic Code, greatly improving Frankenstein’s combat capabilities.

Drawing from the common perception of ‘Frankenstein’s Monster’, this Mystic Code takes the form of an eight-foot tall behemoth made of human flesh and thunder. This form was designed explicitly to combat creatures like Frankenstein’s own creation, having the ability to absorb nearly any kind of energy and turn it into a power source for it. Despite the flesh golem’s monstrous size, Frankenstein is incredibly fast in this form and retains all of their intellect, making for a devastating opponent in both mind and body.

Noble Phantasm: Roar of the Living Dead - And Lo, The Creature Lives Rank: B Maximum Targets: 1 Range: 1m Classification: Anti-Unit

It is said that the method by which Frankenstein resurrected the Creature was lost to time, intentionally wiped from the history books by Frankenstein themselves to ensure that no man could ever repeat their mistakes by attempting to play at God. Despite this, many have offered their own theories in their attempt to bring the dead to life, but none have truly succeeded in replicating Frankenstein's legendary feat of creating life.

Frankenstein themself uses a modified and perfected form of reanimation in order to bolster an ally with their mysterious lightning. With this power, they can 'jump-start' an ally, giving a human potential to fight a Servant, and giving a Servant the power to potentially win an entire war singlehandedly. However, the true might of this Noble Phantasm shines when used on the dead. If Frankenstein uses this power to raise recently fallen enemies or allies, they will be reborn by the lightning, becoming a revenant that no mere mortal can ever hope of defeating, at the cost of them losing all sense of former self. Frankenstein dislikes using the full extent of this Noble Phantasm’s power, however, considering it 'unholy' and a symbol of the folly they had committed with their work. As a result, Frankenstein will use it either when they have no option or if they feel that they have ‘perfected’ it.

(FGO Effect:) -Increase one ally's attack for three turns -Charge one ally's NP Gauge by 50% -Apply Debuff Immune to one ally(three times, three turns) -Apply Guts to one ally(one time, three turns) -Greatly increase one ally's Quick Card effectiveness for three turns -If Frankenstein is the only Servant left in combat, resurrect the last defeated ally and apply the aforementioned buffs. -500% Chance for Frankenstein to be Stunned afterwards for one turn.

Voice Lines:

Summoned: I am the genius who has chosen to climb where no man has gone before and make themselves as God, and who in their hubris, was cursed with a plague that tore down each and every person I have loved. I am Victor Frankenstein, Avenger! And I will not cease until my Monster is dead and buried once and for all!

Level Up: Oho? These crystals... What a unique energy source. Perhaps I should study them further... ...pretend you didn't hear that, Assistant.

Level Up(Third Ascension): Each second I live is another turn of the bolt. Each turn of the bolt is a step forward. Each step forward is a chance to achieve the impossible.

1st Ascension: Each patch of skin upon my flesh is a life I had failed to save when I was alive. Each stitch upon my body is a crime I can never repent for. But I must press onward. No matter what, I will press onward in pursuit of my goals.

2nd Ascension: I can hear them... All of them. They ask me to end this tragedy of mine... So I cannot stop until it is done. Then... perhaps then, they may rest in peace.

3rd Ascension: Look at me. A hulking brute built of stitched-together flesh and lightning. I am the monster as human history has deigned me to be, the beast forged by the dead and brought to life by thunder. I am Victor Frankenstein. I am Frankenstein's Monster. And I am... Alive.

4th Ascension: Hmph... To think that you would still remain with me, even with my horrifying appearance and actions. I haven't been treated so well since... ...I thank you, my dear Assistant. Truly, I am in debt to you and your kindness. On my life, I swear to you... The monsters will never win. 

Fight Start 1: Okay, Victor, just calm down... This is just like your usual cadaver work. ...except that they're not dead. Great.

Fight Start 2: You know, my old professors would have a heart attack if they saw me using my medical tools like this… Good thing they’re all dead now.

Fight Start 3(Third Ascension): I am an eight foot tall immortal giant who carries the thunder of gods in my hands. I don't believe this is a fight you can win.

Fight Start 4(Third Ascension): Hehehehe... If only Clerval and Elizabeth could see me now!

Skill 1: Naturally!

Skill 2: Let’s hope this works…

Skill 3(Third Ascension): Come thunder, come lightning… 

Skill 4(Third Ascension): Galvanization ready!

Command Card Select 1: Is that all?

Command Card Select 2: Huhuhuhuhuhu… Ahehehehehehehe…

Command Card Select 3(Third Ascension): Behold the ascension of a new god!

Noble Phantasm Select 1: Well, well… It seems a storm’s coming in.

Noble Phantasm Select 2: They called me mad when I said I’d do this… I suppose they had a point.

Attack 1: Stay down, damnit!

Attack 2: Crumble before my awesome genius!

Attack 3: HRRAAAAAAAAAGH!

Attack 4(Third Ascension): Let’s test the limits of my new body… and YOURS!

Attack 5(Third Ascension): Crash against my immortal body… and SHATTER!

Extra Attack 1: Behold the achievements of Victor Frankenstein!

Extra Attack 2(Third Ascension): I’ll bury you!

Noble Phantasm 1:

Crash down, lightning! Roar, thunder! Let the dead rise again to fight in my name!

Behold, the genius of Victor Frankenstein!

Behold the power that rivals God Himself!

Heaven and Earth shall shriek and wail as one chorus as they utter these words!

“And Lo, The Creature LIVES!”

Noble Phantasm 2:

With each turn of the bolt, with each lumbering foot we place forward, mankind takes the next step to greatness. 

No longer will mankind fear the reaper, no more will humanity shy from death!

Behold, as we throw the very gauntlet of science into God’s face, and take the step towards the ascension of man!

Sing out your war cry, and shout to the very heavens themselves!

ROAR OF THE LIVING DEAD!

Noble Phantasm 3(Reanimation):

To think I would once again have to commit this terrible crime once more…

Fine. I have no other choice here… If I must become a god once more, then so be it!

Let the world call me a madman! Let humanity call me a monster! I no longer care what mankind sees me as!

All I ask in return is that you and the rest of the world will see that I was RIGHT!

IT’S! A! LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!!!

Noble Phantasm 4(Reanimation):

Yes… YES! IT’S READY! THE EXPERIMENT IS SET!

LET THE WORLD SEE THAT I WAS RIGHT!

DO YOU HEAR ME, ‘GOD’?!

GIVE ME LIFE, GODDAMN YOU!

GIVE MY CREATION! LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIFE!!!

Damage from Noble Phantasm: NGHAAAAAAAUUUUUUGHHHH!!!

Regular Damage: Shit, I think that tore one of my sutures!

Defeated 1: Not now… Not when I’m so close!

Defeated 2: No… No, I refuse to die here, do you hear me?!

Defeated 3(Third Ascension): I’ll kill you! YOU HEAR ME, I’LL KILL YOU!

Defeated 4(Third Ascension): But how… This body was supposed to…

Victory 1: No… No… Damnit, these parts are useless to me!

Victory 2: *wheeze* Y… you know, I’m supposed to be a scientist, not a soldier…!

Victory 3(Third Ascension): So this is the power my new body has to offer! Kuhuhuhuhu… I LOVE IT!

Victory 4(Third Ascension): Amazing… I don’t feel any exhaustion, no sickness or pain! This is wonderful! Hah! I should’ve done this earlier!

Bond Level 1: Hmm? You seek to assist me in my work? Or perhaps you wish to monitor me in case I attempt to recreate my past? Either way, it will be nice to have an assistant, I suppose. Shall we begin?

Bond Level 2: Hey, Assistant. Hold this for me. What, have you not held a dead body before? Lift with your knees, not your back, it's much easier, believe me. ...what do you mean, that's not the issue here?

Bond Level 3: What was my reason in trying to create life...? ...don't ask foolish questions, Assistant. I attempted to enter the realm of the gods, and I failed miserably. That's all that needs to be said.

Bond Level 4: ...tell me, Assistant. If you had the chance to bring someone back from the dead. If you had the chance to fix what was made broken. Would you take that chance? I was young. I was proud. I was a fool. I will forever regret the pain and suffering my ambitions caused... But I will never regret the fact that I tried. I will never apologize for wanting to bring her back.

Bond Level 5: Mankind looks upon the works of Victor Frankenstein and deems me a sinner. They call me a monster who abused my creation and deserved the pain and misery I brought upon myself. They call me a fool who attempted to enter the domain of the gods. I say let them say what they will. If they call me mad, then let me be mad. If they call me evil, then let me be evil. None of that matters to me. After all... You and you alone know the true story of Victor Frankenstein.

Dialogue 1: Listen, Assistant. You will refer to me as 'Doctor' Frankenstein. Not 'Mister'. Not 'Miss'. Doctor Frankenstein. And if you mention me not having my degree even as a joke, I will ensure that you are the next body I have on my operating table!

Dialogue 2: Ugh... I hate to be a bother, but could you turn up the thermostat? The weather does terrible things to my health. My family called me a hypochondriac, but I say that I'm just being prudent. Can't be too careful with all the illnesses about...

Dialogue 3: My, my... The weather outside is frightful, isn't it? Perfect weather for some... 'fun', wouldn't you say? Eh? Board games? Well that wasn't what I had in mind, but...

Dialogue 4 (If you have Frankenstein at Stage 3 Ascension): ...hehe. Hehahahahaha! Wonderful! This feels wonderful! This form may look terrifying, but I don't think I've felt quite so fantastic in my whole life! My lungs are expansive! My heart beats strongly! I have actual muscle definition! Look, I can even lift my Assistant with one hand! ...eh? Oh, sorry, I guess I got too caught up in the excitement.

Dialogue 5 (If you have Frankenstein’s Monster): Frankenstein's Monster... My monster. An embodiment of all my sins and failures. One day, I swear... You will be dead and buried for good.

Dialogue 6 (If you have Frankenstein’s Monster post-event): Mother... No. That thing is not her. She is long gone. What remains in her body is something new entirely. Despite my efforts, Caroline Beaufort Frankenstein passed away from Scarlet Fever when I was young. Now all that remains... Is this Creature wearing her face.

Dialogue 7 (If you have Xu Fu, Asclepius, Florence Nightingale, or Charles-Henri Sanson): To think that Chaldea had so many brilliant doctors and nurses walking its halls. ... Er, Assistant? Does my hair look alright? Do you think I should change to a cleaner lab coat? Actually, given my history, perhaps I shouldn't talk to them at all...

Dialogue 8 (If you have the Golem of Prague): I can't believe it... All the effort, all the death, all the time I spent trying to achieve the secrets of life itself... AND SOMEONE ELSE ALREADY BEAT ME TO IT?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! AAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!

Dialogue 9 (If you have James Moriarty): Haaaaah?! Is that  'Professor' James Moriarty calling me a dropout?! Well, you old bastard, I may not have my doctorate, but at least my work was intentionally obscured, rather than being so convoluted no one else could understand what I was saying! And at least I didn’t get fired from my cushy university job because of some stinking rumors! Take your stupid PhD and your goddamned asteroid and shove them up your-*censored for ServantTube*

Dialogue 10 (If you have Mordred, Sieg, or Van Gogh): Tch. Figures that the Creature would hang around creations similar to it. I am disappointed that Chaldea lets such things walk around unsupervised. ... O-oi wait, why are you drawing your weapon? Stop looking at me like that! Assistant! Don't just stand there, do something! HELLLLLLLLP!

Dialogue 11 (If you have Nikola Tesla): The man they also call the Modern Prometheus... A man who has gone through many trials and died unappreciated by humanity. And I, who has lost countless and is remembered as a monster by mankind. I wonder what we could talk about…

Dialogue 12 (If you have Henry Jekyll): Henry Jekyll... I suppose he and I could be considered 'brothers in arms', no? Geniuses who strayed too far off of the path, making monsters that defied the natural order. Jekyll, through psychology, and I through lightning. And yet... I'm surprised he seems so happy. 

Dialogue 13 (If you have Paracelsus von Hohenheim): P-p-paracelsus von Hohenheim?! My life’s work was based on his lost teachings! He could tell me so much on how to advance my work! Assistant, get me my good lab coat! Fetch me my work notes! I have so much to ask! So much to say! Oh… Oh dear, I feel faint-*THUD!*

Dialogue 14 (If you have any ‘lightning-based’ Servants): My Assistant, I noticed that we have several Servants who weaponize lightning in some form. I wonder... have you been taught by any of them? If you're interested, I'd love to show you some of my experiments. ...no, none of them have to do with reanimation. I get it's what I'm known for, but I can diversify my pool of abilities, can't I?

Dialogue 15 (If you have any ‘death-related’ Servants): They say there will come a time when all things die… I say that there will come a time when death itself shall die. That time shall come from my own hand.

Likes: Many would call the pursuit of science after what had happened to me to be absolute foolishness. I say that it is only further reason to press onward. The purpose of failure is to encourage change and drive us forward. I seek to overcome my limits and further understand the mysteries of this world. With that, we can and will conquer anything, even death.

Dislikes: ...cowardice. Letting one's own fear and insecurities overwhelm the ability to do the right thing is the greatest sin one can commit. If one makes a mistake, one has to own up to it. If people die because of that mistake, one has to atone by any means necessary. No exceptions.

About the Holy Grail: The Holy Grail? ...hmph, I don't think so. It may promise many things, nothing good can come out of something that calls itself divine, believe me.

During an Event: The thunder rumbles, and the clouds roll overhead... My dear Assistant, fetch my bag. I believe the time has come for us to have some fun.

Birthday: Life and death are two sides of the same coin. A birth and a funeral. The young and the old. A marriage- ...forgive me, my Assistant, I believe I've gone and talked enough about these grim affairs. Today is about you. So come, let us celebrate another year of your life.

Profile:

Default: One dark and stormy night, a genius toiled in their lab, desperate to unlock the secrets of life and death in order to overcome the grief caused by their mother's passing. They ultimately succeeded in creating life, but the being they made was completely and utterly wrong. Terrified by what they had done, they fled at the sight of the monster they had made. The Creature in turn vowed to destroy their creator's life, killing every single member of their family as condemnation for their creator's sins. With their fear turning into hatred, the young creator dedicated the rest of their life to destroying the monster they had built, and their feud would continue until they had frozen to death in the Arctic.

This is the young genius that entered into God's domain, Victor Frankenstein. As a Servant, each person slain by the Creature takes the form of a part on Frankenstein's body. The curious eyes of William Frankenstein that looked upon the Creature. The innocent hands of Justine Moritz that were forcibly stained with William’s blood. The gentle heart of Henry Clerval who showed Frankenstein unending kindness. Elizabeth Lavenza. The broken heart of Alphonse Frankenstein, who died grieving each and every one of his children. Each gifted part is a reminder of what must be done. A reminder to bury the monster once and for all.

Bond Level 1: Height/Weight: 185.42cm • 63kg/243.84cm • 147kg Source: Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus Region: Switzerland Alignment: Chaotic•Neutral Gender: Genderfluid

While many Servants express annoyance at how humanity has twisted and altered their stories over time, Frankenstein instead finds the various works based off of them amusing. In between their research on the deceased or their attempts to enhance their own body through science, the Modern Prometheus can be seen watching their adaptations on film for 'research purposes'.

"It's nice to know, isn't it? That at least one version of you gets their happy ending?"

Bond Level 2: Normally, Frankenstein would be summoned in their youth as a fairly weak Caster thanks to their feat of unlocking the secret of life and awakening the Creature being the only real accomplishment they have to their name. However, after experimenting on their own Spirit Origin for years, Victor's hatred and bitterness has warped their Spirit Origin into a much stronger Avenger.

Now, Victor Frankenstein is Creator and Creation in one, an undead monster seeking retribution from the one who wronged them. A burning hatred crackles in their soul, giving them life and pushing them to accomplish their grim task of vengeance against the one who took everything from them. Lightning crackles with each breath, and thunder roars with each footstep as the chase continues to the very ends of the earth itself.

In the end, parent and child are more similar than either would like to admit.

Bond Level 3: While the common image of Victor Frankenstein is a heartless, cold doctor who cared not for the suffering of others, the truth of the matter is that Frankenstein was merely a young student at Ingolstadt's most prestigious university. After the passing of their mother, the young Frankenstein became obsessed with the idea of life and death, hoping to reach a point where the line between both would be torn asunder. After two long years studying and experimenting, they succeeded, at the cost of everything Victor loved, and a solemn death within the Arctic Circle.

Despite the traumatic experience their experiments led for Victor, they still continue their work in attempting to bring the dead back to life as a Servant. Long into the morning and late into the night, Frankenstein will continue to unlock the true secrets to life and how to bring back the dead, no matter how long it takes or what cost it comes at. Many wonder their motives for doing so. Is it to create a race of immortal supermen? Is it to prove the world wrong? The one who knows the truth will not say.

Bond Level 4: “Yes... Yes!

It's working! She's going to awaken!

Finally, these years of effort, all this time working to unravel the secrets of life and death! They have all finally bore fruit!

Her body is moving... Her breathing is steady... Her vocal chords seem to have trouble adjusting, but that's fine, we can work on that later.

Oh, it seems that her hair has covered her eyes. I suppose I should...

...

...no.

No, this isn't right. This isn't what I wanted! What... What are you?! 

G-get away from me, you monster! Where is she?! What have you done with her?!

I just wanted to bring her back! I just wanted to bring her back!”

-V. Frankenstein, 17--

Bond Level 5: Humanity fears death, that much is true. They fear the stories that have to end, they fear the lives that are cut short, they fear the connections that are severed. Victor Frankenstein is no different. But Victor Frankenstein takes that fear and channels it into a mad fervor. Death may be feared, but death will eventually be conquered. Death will have no hold over mankind. Death will be no more.

Death... will be no more.

No more will Victor Frankenstein have to imagine young William's life cruelly ripped away at the age of six for being their brother.

No more will Victor Frankenstein have the guilt of consigning Justine Moritz to death wrapped around their neck like a hangman's noose.

No more will Victor Frankenstein have to look on the gravestone of Henry Clerval, burning with impotent rage at their best friend's death.

No more will Victor Frankenstein have to cradle the body of Elizabeth Frankenstein, screaming vengeance as tears stream down with the rain.

No more will Victor Frankenstein have to sit helplessly as their own father wastes away in shame and despair.

No more will Victor Frankenstein be haunted by the ghosts of their past.

“I will endeavor to resign myself cheerfully to death and will indulge a hope of meeting you in another world.”

-C. Frankenstein, 17--

Extra (Clear Interlude “The Patchwork God”): Some people have claimed to see spirits floating around Frankenstein when they walk, a different one each time.

The first is an older woman, yet one who seems as if she had passed on far too soon. They give Victor a wide berth, looking at them with a deep sadness, gently caressing them in their times of doubt and strife.

Her partner is an older gentleman, giving their companion odd, disappointed looks whenever they go on another one of their mad tirades. Despite himself, the phantom cannot help but smile proudly at his child's earnestness.

One is a young child, following the prodigy around, asking them questions at a rapid-fire rate. On occasion, Frankenstein replies to the ghost absentmindedly, before realizing that they are talking to thin air.

Another is a servant girl, dutifully keeping pace with Victor, often giving him a small huff of bemusement as they inevitably forget their tasks. A short whisper from this spectre and the mad genius will inevitably find their way back to where they belong.

The final two are the ones who follow Victor around the most, talking with each other as much as they do to Victor. They appear by their side in times of crisis for the weary hunter, always hoping that they will understand their hopes for them.

Perhaps these beings are a mere trick of the light, or perhaps they are the embodiment of Victor's own guilt-induced madness. Whatever they are, whoever they are, it seems that they manage to assuage some of Victor's pain, even if for the briefest of moments.

[onepunchcatboi]

A Newbie Guide to Tanking

HALO~

I make this guide in the hopes that it helps out new players to Final Fantasy XIV, as the in game tutorial is um, bad. (-｡-;

I also included a general etiquette guide, because when it comes to working with other players, a lot of these things you don't pick up unless someone tells it to you.

Suggestions welcome! However, remember that this is meant to be a general beginners guide, so I'm not likely going to add in anything that's specific to a single /dungeon/raid/boss and such.

Everything under the cut!

Basic Tanking and How it Works

Part 1: How to Pull

As the Tank it's your job to make everything in the room hate you the most! That way they punch your extremely durable face instead of everyone else's more squishy ones!

You do this by creating what the game calls "Enmity", aka the stat of creating enemy aggression, or "Aggro". There are three steps in which the Tank must do this.

PUT YOUR STANCE ON Your stance is the thing that makes the bad guys turn their heads and go "Oh! You're a mother fucker!". You will generate enmity just by having it on. This is called a different thing depending on your job: Defiance [WAR], Iron Will [PLD], Royal Guard [GNB], and Grit [DRK]. You click it once to put the stance on, click it again to turn the stance off [there are a few instances you may need it to be off, they will be explained later]. It's important to put this on because if it's not, no matter how much you attack, other players WILL take aggro and get hurt.

USE AN ENMITY GENERATING SKILL Unlike some other MMOs your mere presence does not make the enemies incensed enough to fully ignore your party members, you must encourage them to hate you and only you! You can do this in a couple ways. There is the Provoke skill, which has the longest range. All Tanks also have a ranged skill which works similarly to Provoke but slightly closer distance and slightly less enmity, Tomahawk [WAR], Shield Lob [PLD], Lightning Shot [GNB], and Unmend [DRK]. [While they are fun and look cool, none of the skills that rush the enemies actually generate enmity] Using one of these once is enough to piss off a group or a boss.

ALWAYS BE ATTACKING Enemies in this game are drawn to the player doing that are doing two things at once: generating the most enmity & doing the most damage. This is important to remember! Because even if you have your stance on and you use an enmity skill, if you are not also attacking with all your might, the enemies will think you are all talk and start attacking your DPS/Healers instead! If you are fighting a group of enemies [and that is more often the case] make sure you are using attacks that are going to hit multiple enemies at once. These are called Area of Effect or AOE skills.

NOW THAT YOU HAVE DONE ALL THAT-look at the names of the enemies. There should be a little red square next to them, indicating that they are focused on and attacking you. If they are not, don't panic! A few things could have happened:

You might have just missed one

Your Healer used a Regen skill as you were engaging, and enemies just hate that.

Your DPS is doing some bonkers damage to start pulling enmity, good for them!

Regardless of the why, you can either use an enmity generating skill, or just hit them really hard a few times, and they'll be pissed off enough to turn around and hit you instead!

[and for reference, green circle means they are not focused on you at all, and yellow triangle means that your face is beginning to look punch-able!]

Part 2: Managing your Damage

OK, now everyone in the room wants you dead more than they want your DPS/Healers dead. Excellent! Now you move to Step two: STAY ON YOUR FEET. You are made to take all the blows from the enemy and laugh at them! It's time for MITIGATIONS.

All Tanks have several mitigation skills [or "mits"] that they can use to either reduce the damage they take from enemies, reduce the amount of damage their enemies are doing, or temporarily negate damage altogether [only one of these per Tank Job].

Ideally you want to be spacing these skills out, rather than using them all at once. These skills have a longer recharge time [or Cool Down] than your attacking skills, so if you use a bunch, you will more than likely end up halfway through the fight with nothing to shield you but the Healers skills and the speed of your DPS. ALSO, mitigations have a soft cap, that is to say, the game will only allow you to negate so much damage at one time. So at most you can use 2 of these skills at once while still effectively negating damage, anything past that goes to waste.

Now there are too many mitigation skills to go through all of them individually [most are unique to their Tank Job], I encourage you to read all your skill descriptions and get familiar with them. But I will touch on a couple Role ones and the full damage negation ones.

Reprisal: Great for groups and bosses, it will reduce the damage enemies do to your party

Arm's Length: This is not advertised as a mitigation from it's description, but it is in fact quite helpful for large pulls. Because every enemy that hits you [physically] will have their actions slowed by 20%, which means less time hitting you, and more time for the Healer to do their work.

The full damage negation mitigations are great! But a couple of them can be risky to use, and require your healer to be paying attention. They also have very long Cool Downs, so they're meant to be used sparingly.

[PLD] Hallowed Ground: You're impervious for 10 seconds, have fun.

[WAR] Holmgang: You will still take damage, but cannot be taken down past 1 HP for 10 seconds, and also root the targeted enemy in place.

[GNB] Superbolide: This will negate all damage for 10 seconds, BUT it will also take you down to 1 HP.

[DRK] Living Dead: You will still take damage, but your enemies cannot take you down past 1 HP for 10 seconds. HOWEVER, if while using this mit you would have been killed by your enemies, your Healer now has to heal an amount of points equal to your HP points in a limited amount of time, or you die. So say your HP is 5000, and you use Living Dead, and you would have "died" while using it, the Healer now has you heal you for at least 5000 points [within 10 seconds], or you die .

Some tanks like to use simple macros that announce when they are using the Superbolide and Living Dead mits in particular, to give their Healers a heads up. This is up to player preference.

Every so often a boss will decide they've had enough of you kicking them in the shins and will try to get you in one blow. This is called a Tank Buster and will be indicated by a red targeting marker on you [red circles around your character and a red arrow pointing down on them] coupled with a progress bar. Stay calm! So long as you have a mitigation to use when you see it coming, everything will be fine. The Healer will know to be watching your health. Some will of course hit harder than others though, so if you're worried or low on health use 2 mits to be safe!

Part 3: Stunning Enemies & Interrupting Attacks

Now you've got the enemy right where you want them and you're weathering their blows- but oh no! They're preparing to attack the party anyways! It's a huge AOE too. What do you do? You give them the finger and then kick them in the balls! [partly true, most of the time.]

Most enemies in the game have both an auto-attack, and attacks that can be stopped in some fashion by specific skills. There are two different ways to stop an attack, you can use a skill that will Stun the enemy [Tanks and Melee DPS], OR you can Interrupt it [Tanks and Ranged DPS]. Stun and Interrupt are not interchangeable in their use.

So! How can you tell which attacks can be stopped by players? They are the attacks that have a progress bar, showing the enemy has to charge them up before they are actually used. The normal progress bar indicates an attack that can be stopped by Stunning the enemy. For Tanks this is the Low Blow skill [also the Shield Bash skill for PLD]. The flashing progress bar indicates that the attack can be Interrupted. For Tanks this is the Interject skill.

Keep in mind that both these types of skills will also have longer cool downs, so you cannot spam them. This means sometimes you might have to be strategic about when you use them, as some attacks will be more dangerous or troublesome than others. HOWEVER, not all enemies can be stunned, and enemies that can be stunned will become impervious to it after a few uses. You cannot stun bosses period.

You And Your Healer

You may be the biggest baddest person in the room now, but you are not a one man show, and you certainly cannot stay alive without your Healer! Your mitigations can only do just that-mitigate, in the end you have to rely on the Healer to help keep you standing.

You and the Healer are partners in this system. You have to make sure that if you are going, they are following close behind. If you decide to pull a ton of enemies around the corner, your Healer now has to run around that corner first before their spells can effect you.

Most Healers are going to assume you will run and grab all the enemies you can, but if you're finding that you and your Healer are struggling to keep the party alive, you need to tone down your pulls! If the Healer tells you that they are new, or straight up asks you not to full-pull, be considerate of that! Remember, while they have their eyes on you often, they are charged with keeping the whole party alive too! Literally in their case lol

General Tank Etiquette

Dungeons & General Tips

As the Tank it is your job to protect the party and make sure you are the only one taking damage. This also means you set the pace, and lead the group into every battle. This is because it is much easier to pull enemies to you if you are the first thing they see, and are the first to attack. Most players will follow your lead and wait to attack after you have done so. Mostly. So! It's good to remember that your comfort level is important. Go at the pace you feel works for you, let people know you are new if you are worried. Most other players are understanding of this! Many are willing to explain mechanics even!

Additionally since you are the leader, most players will expect you to run in first and generally to keep running until you've decided you've gathered all the enemies you feel like pulling. But! Don't leave your party in the dust. You need you DPS to kill all the things you pulled and your Healer to keep your ass alive X'D

Remember to check that your stance is on before you run in! Most times when you enter a dungeon or a raid its turned off at the start, even if you had it on when you were in the field.

Also, while not a hard rule it's generally advised not to do big pulls in early dungeons anyways [like, Lv 40 or under]. This is mostly to do with the amount of enemies in some areas versus your mitigation options and your Healers healing options. Often at this stage there is simply not enough of these to go around between you and your Healer, and a big pull can sometimes result in a party wipe.

Whether engaging a group of enemies or a boss, common courtesy is to run through the enemy and tank them from the other side [or if you're out in the field, attack from the opposite side of the other players]. This rotates the enemy so that they face you and not the rest of the party, making it so no one else is caught in the majority of enemy attacks. [You do not prevent damage from happening to others by standing in front of them, so attacks can go through you and hit other players, this is called Cleave]

Generally speaking it is also best to keep enemies in one place and facing the same direction as best you can. This makes it easier for the DPS to do their job [especially if they are using casting skills] and easier for the Healer to keep track of you.

Many of the melee DPS have a thing usually referred to as Positionals, meaning they do more damage if they strike enemies from the flank or from the rear. When possible it is good to position bosses so that they can do this, and reposition bosses out of harmful terrain for the melee DPS to strike without harm to themselves.

Speaking of that, do not stand in bad things or perfectly dodge-able attacks! You might be the Tank, but you don't need to tax your Healer while you're at it. They have to worry about other people too! One last note on movement and control of enemies: generally speaking it is also best to grab all the enemies you feel comfortable with and then stay put until all of them are dead, rather than pull a group and kill some and moving to the next one. It might seem like you are saving time by advancing slowly, but in actuality you are making everything harder for everyone else. This is because this forces all the other players to stop and start their actions constantly, which is bad. Why? Because now your melee DPS are having to chase after enemies they are trying to kill [meaning they are only hitting them half the time], and your DPS casters/Healers basically cannot do anything until the party stops again [because they have to stand still for 95% of their actions]. In the end it it more effective to stay until all the enemies are dead!

When it comes to the Limit Break [or LB], you as the Tank will almost never need to touch this button. The Limit Break is usually something the DPS will use to make a big attack on the boss, or in the case of a boss/raid not going well, the Healers can use a Limit Break Three/LB3 [when you have three full Limit Break bars] to revive the entire party. Thus far in the core game encounters, there are only a couple specific cases that utilize the Tank LB 3, and that will not occur until the ShadowBringers Expansion.

Provoke is not part of your attack rotation! If you have used an Enmity skill once in the fight, especially if you opened with it, you will not have to use it again to keep the enemy on you. While using Provoke consistently is not a big deal if you are the sole Tank, it is a bad habit to get into, as it will become a problem in situations where there are multiple Tanks.

Raids

In a Raid, be it a 8-player one [Normal Raid] or a 24-player one [Alliance Raid], you are not the only Tank on the field, making things slightly confusing and sometimes chaotic lol

When you are all facing mobs of enemies, all Tanks should have their stance on to ensure none of the Healers or DPS get hurt. Sometimes the mobs are spaced far apart when you find them, and its easier when Tanks work together to bring them in. Sometimes you may notice your Enmity being pulled, it is [hopefully] the other Tanks.

When you are facing bosses, generally the first Tank to put on their stance and engage the boss is now the Main Tank:

If that is you, cool! Have fun tanking boss!

If that is not you, DO NOT turn your stance on and try to provoke the boss away from the other Tank. That is rude. Keep your Stance off so you don't draw Enmity, you are now the Off-Tank and play the part of a beefy DPS.

If you are an Off-Tank, DO NOT stand next to the Main Tank to attack the boss. This makes you vulnerable to being Cleaved from boss attacks and unnecessarily overtaxes your Healers. Off-Tanks need to be attacking from the flank or the rear with the other DPS.

Main Tank is the Main Tank until they die.

Off-Tanks, if inclined, can help bring any extra enemies that appear on the field to the Main Tank so they do not have to move the boss around. This is helpful to the group because they can now attack all enemies together at the same time, rather than in small pockets. In this case it's okay to Stance On to get the enemies and then Stance Off so the Main Tank can take them.

IF the Main Tank dies for whatever reason, [one of] the Off-Tank[s] must put their Stance on and take control of the boss, they are now the Main Tank.

Some raids will also require Tanks to switch control of the boss off to each other, require Off-Tanks to manage their own mechanics or assist the Main Tank in some way, or even make all Tanks have to position themselves away from the group to take three-pronged Tank Busters that can cleave others! Raids are very diverse so it's a matter of learning the fights. There are many online guides for dungeons and raids you can use for this!

NOW GO! PROTECCA YOUR FRIENDS AND ATTACKA YOUR FOES!! >:3

[ruiination]

IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT && Persona 3 Verse

Natsuki Subaru retreated from the world and left school in his final year of high school. Becoming a hikikomori, he rarely left his room at all. But all of that changed when he left his home late one night to go to the convenience store. He heard a voice whisper to him.

'I love you.' A girl whispered to him right as the world changed around him. The sky darkened and the light look unnatural. Pools of blood formed and coffins surrounded him. There, he saw a girl cloaked in shadow.

'I love you.' A feeling of love swallowed him. And darkness devoured his body.

He woke up 3 days later at the base of a tower that he couldn't even see the top of. There he could potentially meet the members of SEES or simply stay there until the Dark Hour ends. Either way, his persona awakened shortly after. He will end up attending Gekkoukan. It is very possible for him to join SEES or simply be a weird shut in who is trying to slowly ease back into the world.

Subaru has been partially overtaken by a mysterious shadow. Due to this, he has two very different styles of skills.

Arcana: MOON

Persona: ATLAS.

Atlas is a support type persona. Subaru can act as a second navigator who is not as much a 'scan and navi' type and more defensive. He can also enter a second shift in which his persona is overtaken by the Shadow called Satella. This allows Subaru to briefly join the front lines as a fighter.

FIRST SHIFT: Atlas

Shamak: Shrouds an enemy in shadow and blinds them and stuns them for a moment. Enemies will gain the dizzy effect if used in battle. Outside of a battle, it can be used to stop enemies from seeing or chasing the party. If used in battle, the skill takes HP instead of SP.

Premonition: See the next move of every enemy when checking turn order, using this skill takes 50% of Subaru's SP and cannot be used in battle.

Cor Leonis (Static): This allows Subaru to see all allies locations. This ability only works if the other person also considers Subaru an ally.

Cor Leonis (Base Shift): Allows Subaru to take on the physical and mental strain of his allies. Prevents skills from using HP or SP from selected party member and uses Subaru's instead. If used while Subaru is in battle: the effect reduces damage he takes from attacks. Can last until Subaru's HP and SP reach 1

Cor Leonis (Second Shift: Division of Labor): Subaru can spread physical and mental strain among allies to prolong fights. While using this, single target damage will be spread evenly among all allies (weakness will not be applied to those that are not the target) and HP & SP use from skills will be spread among the party greatly reducing the amount used from a single party member. Lasts for 3-5 turns only.

When a party member dies: they can sometimes be replaced by Subaru if his second shift is charged up:

SECOND SHIFT: SATELLA

A dark shadow swallows Atlas, and a girl shrouded in dark takes his place. (Atlas changes to Satella. Absorb Dark / Null ice / (Can learn resist strike) / Weak Light). Subaru's SP will gradually drain by 1 each turn and he will be forced to leave the battle once it gets critically low. 30% of his SP will be returned once the battle is over.

Shamak: Shrouds an enemy in shadow and blinds them and stuns them for a moment. Enemies will gain the dizzy effect if used in battle. Outside of a battle, it can be used to stop enemies from seeing or chasing the party. If used in battle, the skill takes HP instead of SP.

Cor Leonis (Base Shift): Allows Subaru to take on the physical and mental strain of his allies. Prevents skills from using HP or SP from selected party member and uses Subaru's instead. If used while Subaru is in battle: the effect reduces damage he takes from attacks. Can last until Subaru's HP and SP reach 1

Invisible Providence: A shadow fist comes out of his chest and hits the enemy: Deals heavy darkness damage and medium strike damage with high likelihood to crit.- will give Subaru either dizzy, down, or lower his health/sp by a random amount.

Eigaon > Demonic Decree

Recarmda

Evil Smile

Ghastly Wail

Rakukaja > Heat Riser

Revolution

Heat Wave > Akasha Arts

Theurgy: Redo (Charges when party members reach critical HP or are knocked out): Revives the party to full health and reveals the next actions the enemies will take. Can only activate if at least one party member is KO'ed. Automatically activates if the protagonist dies ONCE per night. This will also revive the party member he stepped in for if he is on the front lines and Subaru will leave the battle.

Theurgy: I love you: Shadows cover the battlefield: Deals massive damage to all enemies ignoring resistance, has a 45% chance to instantly kill one foe that isn't resistant to instant KO. Reduces Subaru's hp to 1 after using.