Sanctum/Apotheosis Discussion

What's your name?: Miranda Raldenforth (Codename: Echo)
What do you do?:

So many mages are inherently selfish creatures, treating the acquisition of magical power and its use to gain political power over others as a means to itself. The current sociopolitical structure of mages, backed by the Mage Association, has gained an uncomfortable equilibrium: several powerful families, who have passed down their magic through many years, have magical and political dominion over many weaker families, with each family becoming more powerful over time at roughly the same rate. But every so often, there are outliers: non-entities without the guidance of the Mage Association to keep them in check gaining access to a powerful magical artifact or spell, one family deciding it deserves more than it has and performing an ill-advised ritual, and the like all threaten to disrupt the system that has kept magic tame, safe, for so long.

Echo deals with these outliers.

The Raldenforth family was once a lesser-known house of mages, yearning for greater status despite their comparatively short lineage. They began to refine a series of "anti-magic" spells, with the eventual goal of finding a way to turn a family's magical power against them or transfer a portion of it to the Raldenforths. The Mage Association, however, got wind of these plans, and through a combination of targeted assassinations and the threat of destroying their family's name entirely, was able to stop the Raldenforths from progressing. However, seeing the merits (and potential dangers) in the style of magic they had created, the Mage Association struck a deal with the Raldenforths: in exchange for a seat at the table at important inter-family meetings, the Raldenforths would donate their most promising child each generation to the Mage's Association for training. Miranda was one such child, trained from an early age to assassinate the targets that needed assassinating, sabotage rituals that threatened to disrupt the delicate order of society, and be an enforcer for the Mage Association. A mage-killer.

Without the Association's direction, when she's not hunting targets as the shadowy bogeyman Echo, Miranda tends to be rudderless. However, she is intent on learning more about her family's history, information that the Association has withheld from her in the fears that it might sway her allegiance.

What's your age?: 20
What are you good at?: (Skills, abilities and what sort of magic you practice)

Miranda's magic focuses on disrupting, reflecting, canceling, or copying the spells of others, in addition to being acceptably proficient at physical or ranged combat if magic fails her. Her trademark effect is generating a field that disrupts the casting of magic, causing spells to trigger prematurely or backfire. A mage intending to throw a fireball may instead find their hand on fire, their forcefield spell may generate a forcefield inside their body, or their summoning ritual may activate before the contract protecting the summoner can be completed. Larger-scale rituals are more protected against this method of attack, as are enchanted objects, but here Miranda's training comes into play: she has been trained with enough knowledge of rituals and enchantments to know how to sabotage them, canceling key effects or redirecting their targets, without being able to cast them herself. Her biggest weakness is non-magical attack, which is why the Association has kept the extent of her abilities a secret and sent her out only after closely analyzing her target. But any mage that relies too strongly on quick casting or complex rituals will find themselves virtually defenseless against her.

What gives you trouble?:

On the combat end, Echo is reactive in nature, able to prevent most magical attacks from connecting but poor at starting the fight herself. Her usual technique is to sabotage a spell or ritual already in progress, or to goad a magical attack from her opponent. Her training in physical combat is enough to overpower most civilians, but any mage that makes a point of practicing it is likely to give Miranda a run for her money. Mentally, Miranda has been brought up following the Association's way of thinking, but is surprisingly naive, prone to deception or trickery if she doesn't kill her targets outright.

Where are you coming from?: Think I've said most of this already: an enforcer of the Association, who also does some mercenary work on the side if it doesn't go against the Institute's interests. Trying to learn more about her family, and the Association's relationship with it.

Where are you going?: Right now, she's investigating the interaction between her anti-magic and alchemy, which threatens to disrupt the current order by making magical tools available to a wider variety of people.



Name: Lester Makar (goes by Les) ( appearance )
Occupation: Not part of the mage’s association. Crime lord and street magician.
Age: 23

Skills: Lockpicking, pickpocketing, sleight of hand, stealth things. He can use his magic to create a doppelganger of anyone he’s met and can command them to carry out actions, though it can only last up to 10 minutes and he can only have one at a time. He can see through the doppelganger if he chooses to, and can possess them to take direct control, though this leaves his body vulnerable. He can use a clone of himself to swap places with as well, though it costs a lot of mana. Les also utilizes various forms of illusion and stealth based magic. He can use basic electric magic, but that’s the extent of his offensive magical capabilities. Can use minor physical enhancement spells. He carries a gun with him.

Weaknesses: Les doesn’t know many offensive spells and lacks substantial magical might. He’s also still fairly ignorant of the extent and power of the mage’s association, leading him to overestimate himself and underestimate the association.

Backstory: Les started off as a simple thief wanting a better lot in life than a homeless shelter. Everything changed when he picked the wrong person to mug. The person he tried to mug was a mage, and the mage used his magic to defend himself and ultimately try to kill Les to uphold the no witnesses rule. Les barely escaped and was left with a bad burn scar on the side of his neck. After that incident he became obsessed with the strange art of magecraft and tried figuring out how to use it for himself. One day he spotted a girl putting away a strange book in her bag. He got lucky and managed to the book and quickly ran off. The book turned out to be a tome. It took him months before finally figuring out how to unlock his own mana circuits and use the tome.

First he used magic to efficiently steal more things and make his life easier. He then started recruiting people and gained a following, becoming somewhat of a crime lord. He filled in some of his crew on the secret, and used them to help him gather more info on mages. They pickpocketed random people to see if there were any clues, and eventually found a few people with mage IDs, leading to Les learning about the mage’s association.

Current Goals: Les harbors ambitions of taking down the mage’s association, viewing them as nothing more than a posh organization who thinks they’re better than everyone. Currently he’s trying to subtly spread the awareness of magic as a street magician in London without making himself a target.


Name: Sybil Lucania (no longer considers herself to be a Lucania though)
Occupation: Member of the Church
Age: 25

Skills: Specializes in divine magecraft. Proficient enough to summon a lesser angel, though has never attempted it. Well versed in healing and shielding spells. Before she switched her focus to divine magic, Sybil practiced and became proficient in creating various familiars to fight for her. She doesn’t use that ability as often anymore. Has a fairly large mana pool.

Weaknesses: Most of her big spells either take a lot of time to set up or a lot of mana (or both), so she'll be on the defensive more often than not. Insecure about her and her family, and has been feeling a bit of anxiety since the last Sanctum War.

Backstory: House Lucania was once a high-standing magus family based in Italy. However, seven years back a huge scandal surrounding House Lucania came to light resulting in their loss of political power, wealth, and expulsion from the Mage’s Association. Sybil, with her world shattered, cut ties with her family and wandered around alone and lost, searching for a new purpose in life. She then found herself on the doorsteps of a church, where she met a missionary named Anata Maui. Anata became a mentor figure to her, and from then on Sybil dedicated her life to the Holy Order.

Current Goals: Continue serving the Church, perhaps find and talk to the Masters of the last Sanctum War to find out what happened to Anata. Is currently an assistant to the Church’s council representative.


Name: Bridget Bishop ( appearance )
Title: Salem’s Judgement
Class: Caster
Apparent Age: Looks to be around late 30s, early 40s

Stats:

Strength: E-
Endurance: E
Agility: D
Mana: A
Luck: D

Skills:

Magecraft (A): Proficient in casting illusion, dark, and fire magic as well as some basic shielding spells.

Witchhunter (B): Spells become more effective against other Casters and mages.

Induce Paranoia (C): Those within a mile of Caster feel an increase of dread and become very wary of those around them, whether they be a friend or foe, potentially clouding their judgement. The effect it has makes it so people are more likely to turn on mages, whether or not they’re aware that the person is a mage or not.

Noble Phantasm:

Pandemonium in Salem ~ The Witch’s Last Laugh (A+)

Caster kills herself to summon a Reality Marble in which paranoia is raised to the extreme, causing those within to turn on each other whether they be enemies or allies. Perception becomes distorted and fears are preyed upon. Those of strong will can somewhat resist the effect while the weak willed can be driven to insanity. The other victims of the Salem Witch Trials appear as enemies. Some take the form of beasts while others are enemy Casters of lower caliber. The landscape of the Reality Marble generally takes place in a foggy, somewhat distorted Salem Village, though depending on the individuals in the Reality Marble the landscape may look different. The spell fades away after 10 minutes, or when all the witches are killed.

Backstory: Strange things started to take place in Massachusetts, starting in Salem during the late 1600s. Children started having strange fits, neck and back pains arrived without warning, people lost control of their bodies, and some claimed to have saw strange animal forms roaming around. There was only one explanation: witchcraft. The townsfolk scrambled to find the perpetrator, and eventually the clues led to Bridget Bishop. She was tried and was found guilty. But alas, poor Bridget was innocent. It didn’t matter though. She was to be hanged.

As the rope was tied around her neck, something caught her eye. She made one final plea.

“It’s not me, can’t you see! She’s right there! She’s right-” The noose cut her off. Those last words made the townfolk wary. Was she really innocent, or were those simple desperate cries of a convict? Or perhaps, there were more witches. Hysteria continued, and more deaths followed. All were innocent.

Eventually, the panic died down and everything resumed to normal. Not for Bridget though, for death was a peculiar thing. There, she learned the truth. What she saw before she died was real. A maiden with sick green eyes, twisted the light around her. A true witch. And there were more like her. And thus, Bridget Bishop found a new purpose as a Servant of Sanctum. To do what her fellow townsfolk failed to do: hunt down and destroy witches.

Never mind the fact that she herself became a witch.

Current Goals: Caster is looking for someone to form a contract with so she can stay materialized and carry out her purpose.


Name: Ivan Tsarevich
Title: The Hero-Fool
Class: Rider
Apparent Age: ~25
Stats:

Strength: B-
Endurance: B
Agility: A
Mana: C
Luck: A

Skills:

Magic Resistance (B): When Ivan’s Noble Phantasm “The Little Humpbacked Horse” is active, Ivan is immune to weak spells and the effects of powerful spells are highly diminished.

Riding (A): Ivan is able to skillfully ride any vehicle or creature.

Heroic Heart (D): Ivan’s kind and heroic nature helps him prevail over more malevolent figures in battle and charm others.

Noble Phantasms:

The Little Humpbacked Horse (B-): Ivan’s talking, magic horse. When mounted, Ivan gains access to the magic resistance skill. Ivan’s horse has the ability to sense most incoming attacks and can warn Ivan about them.

Baba Yaga’s Carpet (C+): A flying carpet that was a gift from the witch Baba Yaga. Raises his agility rank to A+ and grants him the ability to fly. However endurance is lowered to C. Takes the least mana to maintain.

The Grey Wolf (B+): Ivan’s third mount is his strongest, taking the form of a large wolf. Agility is lowered to A- but strength is raised to A and endurance to B. It also takes the most mana to maintain. If Ivan chooses (or is forced to), he can have the wolf consume his other Noble Phantasm “The Little Humpbacked Horse”, causing the wolf to grow stronger and faster resulting in agility being raised to A, strength being raised to A+, and endurance raised to A-. Ivan also gains access to the magic resistance skill. However this effect only lasts 24 hours before reverting back to normal, and Ivan’s horse will not be regained.

Sword Kladenets (C): Ivan’s magic sword. It has the ability to guide itself towards its targets so it is easier to hit them.

Backstory: Ivan is the hero of many different Russian folktales. Often he is the youngest son in his family. Sometimes he’s a prince, other times he’s a peasant. But he’s always a kind, brave individual with a simple yet positive outlook on life, and is even charming at times. This has helped him gain the assistance of many magical creatures such as the humpbacked horse and the grey wolf, and has even been aided by the witch Baba Yaga. Even when malevolent figures such as his older brothers or the deathless being Koschei manage to kill him, he comes back prevailing in the end and wins the hand of a beautiful maiden.

Current Goals: Ivan doesn’t really have any big goals. Currently he’s helping whoever he can and enjoying his time on earth. Perhaps if evil were to arise, he will search for a mage to help combat it.



Name: Lizzie Borden

Title: The Outcast of Fall River

Class: Berserker

Age: 32

Stats:

Strength: D+
Endurance: C
Agility: D
Luck: A+
Mana: E

Skills:

Mad Enhancement (A): Can be triggered by just about anything. You attack her? TRIGGERED. You insult her? TRIGGERED. You accidentally step on her foot? TRIGGERED. If you make her even a little mad or upset you may have accidentally activated this skill. Which is not good. Because it changes her Strength, Endurance, and Agility all to A immediately. So, uh, you may wanna run. It activates the Subject of Speculation noble phantasm and also tends to drain a low-medium amount of mana from the master depending on how long it’s active.

Fugue State (C): It is considered that Lizzie Borden may have committed the murders of Andrew and Abby while in a fugue state. If Mad Enhancement is active for over 5 minutes, Lizzie enters a fugue state and won’t remember what happened until at least 24 hours later or unless she sees the severed head of someone she killed.

Lesbian??? (D): It is theorized that Lizzie was a lesbian and ended up killing her stepmother and later her father with the help of the household maid, Bridget Sullivan, after being caught in a relationship with her. If Mad Enhancement is not active and there are two are more woman within sight, Endurance ranks up to B.

Presumed Innocent (D): Although she was the prime suspect, Lizzie wasn’t convicted of killing her parents. In fact, she was a regular churchgoer and left a large portion of money to the Fall River Animal Rescue League upon her death. Whenever Mad Enhancement isn’t active Lizzie is quite reasonable and rather sweet. She is able to charm people of similarly reasonable attitude and calm those who are unnerved or sad.

Noble Phantasm:

Subject of Speculation (B)

The murders of Andrew and Abby Borden were never solved causing many theories to be raised around them. Although Lizzie was the main suspect, it was never proven causing people to question how they thought of her. Activation of this noble phantasm causes the people around Lizzie in a 10 yard radius to become confused as to who she really is and what her alignment may be. The longer someone is exposed to it the more distorted a view of her they’ll have. If someone is exposed to it for over an hour they will think of her as an insane murderess and fear her immensely. Mana drain depends on how long the noble phantasm is active. A few minutes only requires a minor amount of mana, but an hour can require a medium-high amount of mana. This noble phantasm automatically activates whenever the Mad Enhancement skill is activated or Lizzie’s Hatchet is used.

Lizzie’s Hatchet (C)

A hatchet-head with the appearance of having ash and sawdust deliberately applied to it was discovered in the basement of the Borden house with a handle that looked like it had been recently broken off. This was assumed to be the weapon used to kill Andrew and Abby Borden. As Lizzie’s noble phantasm, it acts as a regular hatchet with the exception of an increase in accuracy and the ability of the handle and hatchet-head to detach from each other in the event that one piece gets stuck/trapped/is rendered unusable and respawns the missing piece. Low mana cost for use except for a low-medium mana cost increase for replacing a missing piece. However, using this noble phantasm automatically activates the Mad Enhancement skill and Subject of Speculation noble phantasm.

Backstory: Lizzie Andrew Borden was born in 1860, six years after her sister Emma, in the town of Fall River, Massachusetts where she ended up living her entire life. However, her hometown ended up ostracizing her after both her father and stepmother were murdered. Being the only one at home besides the maid and having shown a hatred for both Andrew Jackson and Abby Durfee Grey Borden, Lizzie was the prime suspect. However after the deaths of her parents, Lizzie had been prescribed regular doses of morphine to calm her nerves. This caused the private inquest held only a few days after her parents’ deaths to be ruled inadmissible in her trial in June of the next year. Something which was quite fortunate for Miss Borden.

The trial was long and tedious and was filled with contradictory statements on both sides. It was especially hard on Lizzie who fainted when her father’s and stepmother’s severed heads were brought forth as evidence. After fifteen long days since the start of the trial and an hour and a half of deliberation, the jury declared Lizzie Borden not guilty.

There was no rest or relief for Lizzie Borden though. No one else was ever accused of killing Andrew and Abby Borden and many people still assumed she had done it. Instead of returning back to the home where the murders occurred, Emma and Lizzie bought a house in a nicer neighborhood which Lizzie named “Maplecroft”. Several years later, Emma and Lizzie had a falling out and Emma moved out of the house leaving Lizzie alone with a crowd of people who assumed she was a murderess.

At long last Lizzie found relief and rest when she died of pneumonia in 1927. The details of the funeral were not published and very few people attended.

Currently: Lizzie is currently desperately searching for a master to provide mana for her.


Name: Morgiana

Title: Ali Baba's Clever Slave Girl

Class: Saber

Age: 15

Strength: A

Endurance: C

Agility: A

Mana: C

Luck: B

Skills:

Eye for Danger (A): Perception boost. Morgiana easily picks up on deceptions and plans by their enemies that place her master in danger. She can pick apart lies simply by looking at someone as they speak. In life, she saved Ali Baba's hide many times by catching wind of the many assassination plots formed by the 40 thieves that wanted him dead. She went on to thwart every single one, in the process killing 38 of them (the remaining 2 being killed by the thieves' own boss, whom she later also killed). Additionally, within a 20 meter radius around her and her master, presence concealment of A rank and below becomes useless.

Magic Resistance (D/A+): Resistance to magic comes innately with all Saber-class servants. Normally, Morgiana's magic resistance is minimal, but when she is sword dancing she can deflect even powerful spells with her sword and either send them off course or, in some cases, send them right back to their casters. While normally her noble phantasm drains her mana, catching certain spells allows her to take some of the energy for herself.

Charm (D/A): She'd managed to win over Ali Baba's son, after all. Morgiana has a naturally magnetic personality, a pretty face and a figure that goes well with her dancing. Those who meet her for the first time suspect no ill intentions from her, even if she plans to kill them as per her master's wishes. Although she's a bit too young to cater to her male targets' preferences, she's nevertheless perceived as too innocent and adorable to be a threat. In addition to her magic resistance, her charm also gets a boost when she activates her noble phantasm. Even servants who she had been fighting previously may become smitten and possibly let their guards down. Mileage may vary depending on the individual target. Some servants just get more agitated.

Busy Bee (E): In life Morgiana was a slave, specifically a domestic servant and dancer. She's well versed in servitude and will eagerly perform monotonous tasks such as cooking gourmet meals, washing clothes, walking dogs, searching for wire taps, washing dishes and performing dances for her master and his/her guests. She can do all of this without ever tiring, given that she is provided a tiny amount of mana. These tasks will be done with maximum efficiency, although she can't be expected to do this at superhuman speeds (hence the E rank). She is also capable of performing these tasks with a maid outfit, but it's advisable not to ask her to do so. Just a precaution.

Noble Phantasm:

Sword Dance (Anti-Self, A): A Noble Phantasm that can be activated either while performing for an unsuspecting target, or while already engaged in combat with an enemy. Unlike other Noble Phantasms where a large sum of mana is depleted upon activation, Morgiana's Sword Dance burns mana steadily over time, meaning the longer she has to perform, the more draining it becomes. Once she's begun the dance, her Charm ability increases to A rank and she becomes significantly more resistant to magical attacks (in that she can catch spells and deflect them). It takes a great deal of focus (or apathy) not to be entranced by the dance, which often makes a spectacle of whatever particles surround her. In life, Morgiana used such a sword dance to kill the last of the 40 thieves when he least expected it, at the climax of her performance. With this noble phantasm she often repeats the same trick, catching her foe at his or her most vulnerable before landing a critical blow with her sword. Shielding one's eyes can lessen the dance's effect, but it also makes it a lot harder to land a blow on her.

Background: Morgiana was once a lowly slave girl serving a man named Cassim. She performed domestic service and occasionally danced for his entertainment. It wasn't exactly a glamorous life. Cassim was a greedy man, but there were far worse men that could have been her master. One day, while he was out, Cassim was killed by a band of forty thieves and the rights to Morgiana went to his younger, more compassionate brother Ali Baba. Although this new master was humble and treated her well, he had no motivation to set her free.

Ali Baba and his wife one day came across the lair of the forty thieves that killed his brother. The body's remains were strewn across the outer walls as a warning to others. With the help of his son and Morgiana, he gathered the remains at midnight and made off with them, but a proper burial couldn't be performed while Cassim's body was still in pieces. Morgiana had the morbid, although ultimately effective idea of stitching the corpse together so a proper funeral could be held without the town knowing that Cassim was murdered. She paid a tailor to walk blindfolded to Cassim's residence and stitch him together, and not long after her former master was laid to rest.

The thieves woke up and found their victim's body missing, so they set out to kill Cassim's rescuers. Their first spy marked Ali Baba's house with a symbol that would signify for the rest of the thieves to kill all those inside, but Morgiana saw this and marked every building in the village with an identical symbol. Frustrated, the thieves' leader killed the spy and sent another, who chipped at Ali Baba's doorway and ordered his peers to target a house marked as such. Again, Morgiana caught wind of the plot and spend the next evening chipping away at every house she could (almost getting arrested in the process). And again, the thieves' leader killed the second spy.

The chief of the thieves grew tired of this shenanigans and tracked down Ali Baba's residence himself. He arrived at the household with 38 oil jars- one filled with actual oil, the rest each with a thief inside armed with a dagger. As Ali Baba conversed with their unexpected visitor, Morgiana nonchalantly filled every last jar with boiling oil, killing all 37 assassins in a single night. Naturally, the last remaining rogue was furious to see his minions all dead in the morning, so he armed himself with one of their knives and decided to take matters into his own hands. The still oblivious Ali Baba offered his guest a dance performance by Morgiana herself, and the criminal figured this to be an easy opportunity to get close to the man and end him. But the clever slave girl distracted the thief with a marvelous sword dance, and at the moment he was most smitten with her she slashed through the neck with her blade. Ali Baba restrained her and nearly had her hanged for murdering his guest, but his son soon discovered the knife hidden in the man's robes. Morgiana explained the incident, as well as the 37 corpses in the oil jars outside. As thanks for saving his life, as well as the lives for his wife and son, and finally for avenging Cassim's murder, Ali Baba set her free and offered her his bachelor son's hand in marriage.

"Well, it's a step up from slavery", she figured.

Current Goals: After centuries of being once again a slave to Sanctum (and whatever mage that decided to summon her as a heroic spirit), Morgiana is now once again relishing the scents of freedom. Despite this, she's now forced to once again find a master- that, or fade away. She's on the lookout for someone she can trust, but time's running short.


Name: Webster Krauss / Codename: Tryst / Alias: Mason Gray (http://prntscr.com/fnass3)

Role: Currently a Mercenary, ex-Executor from the Mage’s Association

Age: 27

Skills: Portal Creation (Own Invention), Swordplay, High Mana Reserves, Physical Conditioning, a handful of Tracking and Offensive spells from his time as an Executor

Weaknesses: Arrogance and ambition, Lack of support from a plurality of the Krauss family, Growing realization that he’s never going to be able to accomplish what he set out to do, Extreme awkwardness communicating with people because he grew up in a bubble, One-Dimensional Fighting Style

Background: Webster was the heir apparent to the main line of the Krauss family, firstborn son to Johannes and grandson to Zoraya. Because of the young boy’s unusually vast natural mana reserves, Johannes had high hopes that Webster could become a magus powerful enough to restore the fading Krauss family’s place at the forefront of the mage’s association. He began instructing Webster in the traditional Krauss force-field magic at the age of 5, eager to hone the toddler into a capable magus in time for the next Sanctum war, only to realize that the boy’s mana made it almost impossible to cast a proper forcefield – Webster poured far too much energy into the spell without a modicum of control, creating unstable and dangerous constructs that were prone to collapsing suddenly. Disappointed, but still unwilling to part with his hopes that Webster could achieve greatness, Johannes allowed him to break an old Krouse family rule and seek the help of outside tutors to try and develop his skills. This permissiveness paid off, as the young Krauss found his mana volume incredibly well-suited towards space-warping magic, an uncommon discipline because of how energy-intensive its spells are. By applying these effects into his unstable forcefields, he created portals: volumes of mana compressed into a plane, just like a traditional Krauss forcefield, but instead of resisting motion, they used mana to redirect it (along a 4-dimensional path to a defined exit point). Webster knew when he created his first successful portal, at the age of 9, that he had finally found magic that he alone could master; a technique that would win back the respect of his family. From then one, he focused mainly on improving his physical conditioning and swordplay during training hours, while secretly practicing with his portals by night to improve their range, size, precision, and speed of creation. It took 4 years before he was confident they were battle-ready; now, it was time to set out and prove that.

Webster carefully exited the Krauss family estate in the dead of night, heading towards the slums of the city, where he knew of a warehouse that was used as the meeting spot for a local gang of thugs. He returned a couple of hours later, with a picture of the scene as he’d left it: half a dozen men lying facedown, each spattered with blood, unclear whether they were dead or alive. He’d show it to his father the next day, Webster thought, and explain what he’d been doing; surely, when they learned about his new skills and exploits, they’d see his potential in a new light.

Of course it didn’t work. What Webster got was a thorough dressing down for recklessly using magic outside, breaking the rules, and keeping secrets from his family, along with a revocation of his status as heir to Krauss family. There was talk of revoking his status as a Krauss entirely, disowning the boy and leaving him for the mage’s association; Johannes would not stand for it, but Zoraya, always a stickler for the rules, was in favor, and she controlled a majority of the council. The thirteen-year-old wasn’t even particularly bothered by being disowned – he knew, deep down, that his family would take him back someday. He would begin to earn their respect now, by making a name for himself.

The Mage’s Association had plenty of use for a magus of Webster’s unusual talents, and after just a few months of training, he passed the preliminary tests for becoming an executor. By 16, he was an experienced field mage running solo missions. By 20, he was one of the most prolific executors in Europe, though his stealthy methods and the association’s spreading of misinformation helped keep him relatively mysterious nonetheless. And by 25, Webster finally tasted the victory of having accomplished his dream, when he received a letter from Johannes Krauss, stating Zoraya had been convinced to allow him to return. The Sanctum War was about to begin, and Webster’s combat skill and experience were both head-and-shoulders above any of the other young Krauss magi. Additionally, his mana pool would allow him to sustain even the most intensive of servants. They NEEDED a strong showing in this war, to demonstrate to the rest of the magical community that the Krauss were still a force to be reckoned with. They needed Webster. And he was more eager than anything to finally be the man of the hour.

* * * * * * * * * One Week Later * * * * * * * * * *
How, HOW could sanctum refuse him, after he’d been training for this ever since he started speaking in full sentences?! How was it that a senile old woman, who’d inherited her power rather than earning it, was worthier of being a master than he was?!

Unwilling to face his family after the shame of not being selected, Webster set out on his own that very morning. Convinced that he had nothing more to gain from working for the Association, he sent them his resignation – normally something they’d hunt you down and kill you for, but Webster had the distinct advantage of being very difficult to hunt down and kill. He did his best to ignore the reports about whatever was going on with the war, took on his new persona (Mason Gray), and began work as an expensive mercenary in London. All the while, he’s been keeping his eyes peeled for a second chance to do something great.

Objective: Become the Krauss Golden Boy once again (though he hasn’t yet figured out how), in the meantime, continue working as a mercenary and stay out of the Association’s way because they probably don’t like him.


Name: Dante (i.imgur.com/a5iNdyk.jpg)

Apparent Age: 19

Class: Caster

Stats:
Strength: D
Endurance: C
Agility: B
Mana: EX
Luck: B

Skills:

Apocryphal Identity (C): Everything publically "known" about Dante is in fact a metaphor for the much stranger, yet true story behind his life. By shifting his mindset ever so slightly, he can alter his outward mana signature in such a way that other Mages will receive misleading information about his capabilities. In essence, this means he can cause his detectors to grossly underestimate his power and mana supply so that he appears to be a weak and defenseless servant, befitting the identity of "Dante" the people are familiar with. Those who challenge him in this state are met with a horrific surprise.

Global Communication (C): Mental communication for most mages is limited to a select few people (typically their allies) and a set distance away, but through his cult Dante can communicate without any hindrances to any (and oftentimes every) mage in the world at once, as loudly and as clearly as he wants. This not only allows him to broadcast messages to friends, enemies and bystanders alike, but also lets him seamlessly issue commands to his followers and receive messages from them in return. Don't worry, he can't read your thoughts. Also, note that if you were to somehow kill the majority of his cult's population, Dante loses this ability as he no longer has a medium to send messages through.

Magecraft (A/EX): Dante is a force to be reckoned with when focused on his magecraft. The fact that he held his own while venturing into realms no living mortal was meant to enter is a testament to his skills and ability to defend himself. He has a naturally high supply of mana, mastery in advanced spells in numerous books (primarily those of offensive spells), and enough firepower to kill lesser angels and demons if necessary. This skill increases to EX rank when he activates one of his noble phantasms, simply by virtue of him using spells normally bound to heaven, hell and purgatory, realms forbidden from mortals by Ruler. If angered, Dante is capable of terrible things.

Noble Phantasms:

THE DIVINE COMEDY: The books of Inferno, Purgatory and Paradise are Dante's three noble phantasms. He starts only with access to Paradise, but once all three are unlocked he may only use one at a time. Activating one of these noble phantasms allows him to cast magic that normally can only be found in the realm the respective book describes.

Paradise (A): The original copy of the third and final book of the divine comedy, and the first Dante has access to upon materializing. To mortals it appears as nothing more than a poem depicting the story of Dante as he travels through paradise and atones for his sins, but in reality a plethora of otherworldly spells are encoded inside. It is the book that contains the incantation he used to free the servants and unleash them upon the world, but in addition the book gives him access to divine spells the mortal realm has never seen before. This includes Resurgence, Arrival and Indulgence; spells that tamper with death, life and reward.

Resurgence-- One of the spells hidden within Paradise. Upon the death of a nearby servant, Dante can cast this and seize the body, forcing it to re-materialize. This begins a sort of tug-of-war between him and Ruler, who has already begun to reclaim the servant's soul. While this occurs, the servant will obey Dante's commands and typically fight on his behalf. This typically doesn't last for more than a few minutes, and the servant can only register very simple commands, but they can use their noble phantasm once before disintegrating. Because of the high cost of this spell, it is typically only cast when necessary to secure a victory. If Dante doesn't react quickly enough, or the death comes too suddenly, he will not be able to successfully cast this. Additionally, a clever master will realize that any remaining command seals they might have had when the servant died can be used to take back control of the servant, but this will not save them from being claimed by Sanctum once the battle has ended.

Arrival-- Another divine spell. Casting this will summon a pair of familiars that take the form of armored valkyries with large, angelic wings on their backs. Their stats are D for strength, endurance, agility and mana, and E for luck; stronger than a human, weaker than any servant. They are especially weak to earthly magic and can be defeated by an experienced mage. Good for scouting and distractions; bad for actually killing things.

Indulgence-- A spell that, though useless in combat, was nevertheless never meant to leave paradise. In its natural state it flows through heaven and places its targets in a state of bliss. In practice in the mortal realm, it effectively emulates paradise by putting its target into a deep sleep and spoiling them with pleasant, pleasurable dreams. Waking up becomes a somewhat difficult endeavor, but never to the point of placing the target in danger. It would have been a good spell to use as a distraction or tranquilizer mid-combat, if it weren't for the fact that it can only easily be cast when the target is lying motionless and at least somewhat relaxed. It will most likely be used as simply a recreational spell by Dante's master and his allies, but in some rare cases it may come in handy to cast on prisoners in their sleep to keep them inactive for longer. This is one of the few divine spells that can easily be learned by a mortal; though it is similar to many sleep-related spells on earth, it was specifically designed for use in paradise only.

Vector-- A divine combat spell. Fires a volley of white-hot arrows that ricochet around walls. Especially powerful against phantoms, witches, demons and other eldritch creatures.

Blessing-- A holy spell for the purpose of protecting mortals. It blesses a mage or bystander with a protective barrier that shields them from the attacks of any undead entity. This includes servants, as they are technically resurrected spirits. Can only protect one person at a time, and doesn’t protect against attacks from the living.

Freedom (We won't be casting this one again, don't worry)-- A spell named by Dante himself. Quite simply, it rips a hole in the gates of Sanctum itself and allows passage through it. As one might imagine, the amount of mana required to cast this spell is unimaginable. It requires a powerful caster on one side of the divide, and a civilizations' worth of mages on the other, all casting simultaneously. As per Dane's designs, he had an internationally based cult ready and waiting, passing down his teachings in the mortal realm for centuries in preparation for the casting of this one spell. The rip in the gates doesn't last for very long, but it's plenty of time to release every last one of the spirits trapped inside. Half of the mana is spent to actually open Sanctum; the other half is used to materialize the servants. It is a massive undertaking.

Pugatory (A): The details are unknown, but we can assume that this gives him access to spells he learned as he traveled through Purgatory.

Inferno (EX): Like Purgatory, Inferno is currently a mystery to us. All we know is that it is an EX ranked noble phantasm, meaning there is a tremendous secret that the realm is hiding from us. Pray that we need never learn of it.

Backstory:

Centuries ago, Dante was a member of the mage's association, and an overly curious one. What we do know is his most famous work, the Divine Comedy: A story detailing the story of a fictional character also named Dante and his travels through Hell, Purgatory and Heaven on the road to spiritual atonement. The mortal realm had always been taught that this character was a figment of the imagination of the real Dante Alighieri, an ordinary politician with little more than a silly red robe and a talent for poetry. In reality, it was the poet that was the character-- invented by the wandering mage as a way to cover his tracks. What better way to ward off suspicion than to brand yourself as a work of fiction?

The true Dante we know very little of. He had once been a master in the Sanctum War, according to the association's records, but upon defeating the six other masters and their servants, he and his own servant vanished into the wind. With the help of the soul of his deceased friend, he ventured through the circles of hell, learning of their eldritch magic and leaving behind a book titled Inferno in the mortal realm. Hidden within the pages are, supposedly, the secrets of dark magic, but no one has ever been able to decode the work. After passing through hell, Dante traveled through purgatory, again leaving behind a book named as such and pushing forward into heaven. He never returned from his journey in paradise, but by the time he had begun the trek he had already founded a secret society with which he had established a mental link. Through them he wrote the book of Paradise, with the instructions for casting the Freedom spell, but never again set foot in the realm of man.

Well, not until today.


What's your name?: Jackson Blair

What do you do?: Jack's life has changed dramatically since the war. He holds a steady job teaching magic to mages without a family connection, and still dabbles in crime from time to time, however he's managed to settle down in a condo on Long Island. He's been getting better at his magic and style.

What's your age?:26

What are you good at?: Jack is still a good trickster who knows how to pull a good scheme. He's phenomenal at illusion and AoE magic through the use of his collection of roses. He is elusive and agile without his magic, and his magic only amplifies these traits. Jack is also good at persuasion and communication.

What gives you trouble?: Jack is scrawny and can't fight well, he also is not super in shape so he has low physical stamina. Jack is very selfish and outside of a few very trusted people, he takes instructions from no one. His magic only works as a means to an end, and he isn't that good offensively, and larger servants can just ignore his party tricks and crush him.

Where are you coming from?: Jack spent his post childhood as a thief, cheat, and a crook then was suddenly thrust into something much larger via the sanctum war. He fought as a Spade until the factions dissolved to combat the rogue Oshiro Patriarch. Celtchar, Jack's servant and close friend, was slain in battle, leaving him devastated, and despite ultimately defeating the evil, Jack left adventure behind. After a few months of trying to get back to his old life Jack realized he needed to move on. He began to tutor young mages and moved into a condo, where he lives now.

Where are you going?: Jack is living his life and running his business. He considers himself fairly removed from the world of sanctum and hasn't spoken to any of his former teammates in the last year.

---

Name: Julia Bellinger

Role: London Magic Academy student

Age: 17

Skills: Julia is an elemental mage with lots of practice in most of her field. She specializes in fire and landscape altering magic. She's very athletic and physically strong for someone her size. (She's pretty small)

Weaknesses: She's quite small, and very defensive about her skills and her size. She likes to be trusted and other's perception of her is really important to her.

Bio: Julia wasn't involved in the war and is from a fairly minor family in the magical community, and therefore hasn't done much in regards to sanctum anything. She is a good student at the academy and spends most of her time doing schoolwork to try to ascend the ranks of magic's best and their children. She has a few friends but mostly keeps to herself.


What's your name?: Celtchar

What do they call you?: Wielder of Luin // Formerly the Lancer of Spades

What class are you?: Lancer

What's your age?: Looks to be around 28

What are your stats?:
Strength: A+
Endurance: C
Agility: B
Mana: C
Luck: D

What's your Noble Phantasm?:
Luin, Spear of Bloodlust (Anti-Unit, C~A)

Lancer’s spear, the legendary Luin, is an absurdly sharp spear much taller than Lancer herself. It is also incredibly heavy, and few but Lancer can wield it. Whatever blood Luin draws from an enemy is instantly transformed into a deadly and corrosive poison, so even a scratch from it can kill. Lancer is not immune to this poison, and a drop of blood from an enemy is enough to kill her. It is constantly wreathed by flames that come off of it in sparks. Upon killing an enemy, the flames grow larger, inflicting more damage upon opponents and increasing the rank of the spear. However, the large flames burn Lancer as well, and they travel down the spear for each enemy killed. By the time this Noble Phantasm reaches A-rank (around three enemies), Lancer’s hands are on top of Luin’s flames, and she will die if he does not quench them.

Hell’s Torrent (Anti-Army, A-)

If Lancer throws her spear when it is at the A-rank level, it will release its fire at whoever it passes over, not even needing to hit someone directly. The potent combination of fire and toxic vapors is enough to kill defenseless magi and even weaker Servants. Lancer himself will also be damaged by the oppressive conditions, and will be essentially defenseless until he retrieves his spear after it is thrown. This Noble Phantasm requires a large amount of mana from both the Servant and Master, and is unlikely to be used more than once or twice in the Sanctum War.

Blood Cauldron (Anti-Unit, E)

A cauldron of blood that Lancer can summon is his only method of controlling Luin. Dipping Luin in this cauldron will quench its flames, resetting it to a Rank-C Noble Phantasm. In addition, the large cauldron of blood is capable of absorbing any toxic blood that remains on the spear, keeping Lancer safe from the spear’s ill effects. It takes a few seconds to successfully summon the cauldron and tame the spear, and if the spear is damaged or destroyed by an enemy attack, Lancer will be left with no way to control his weapon. The blood in the cauldron is toxic and corrosive to the touch.

Where are you coming from?: Celtchar was a mighty Irish warrior but remembers very little of her memories except as a servant. She's infamous for being an unwieldy but incredibly powerful servant as has slaughtered many enemy servants in her time. In the war, Celtchar fought for the spades but after the betrayal joined her master to attempt to stop anyone from getting the key. She was killed in battle by an Archer's arrow and her consciousness slipped back into the void.

Where are you going?: Celtchar ultimately exists to fight and serve, and her resurgence back into the world changes none of that. She hopes to find a benevolent master, but doesn't know how long it's been or who she has been called to fight. However she intends to fight.... and win.



Name: Skyla Robinson (i.imgur.com/vWR1q7c.png)


Role: A student of Jackson Blair, and a mage of dubious origins but serviceable magic circuits.


Age: 18


Skills: Eagerness to learn, good stamina, studious and has a high potential for magecraft. She's currently best versed in shields and healing magic, but knows some combat spells as well.


Weaknesses: No formal training in magecraft prior to being taken under Mr. Blair's wing last year. Hasn't learned any advanced spells and is still learning the basics. Keeps to herself and often doesn't communicate, and especially refuses to speak of her past.

Background: One morning, a red haired girl named rang the doorbell of the condo of Jackson Blair, a former master in the final Sanctum War. She identified herself as Skyla Robinson and stated that she had been told of an experienced mage who lived somewhere on Long Island, and she had pursued him in the hopes of becoming an apprentice of his. Skyla revealed very little about her past, but said simply that she needed to learn to defend herself in the event of the worst-case scenario, whatever that might be. The man was suspicious of how little she spoke of herself, but reluctantly took her under his wing. He was shocked, and more so concerned, by the complex and elegantly crafted magic circuits that naturally ran under her skin. In terms of potential they rivaled those of the mages of the three major families of the Association, House Conzette, House Oshiro and House Krauss. Nevertheless Skyla was a complete amateur in the arts of magic, having only practiced starting two years prior to meeting him, and obviously couldn't possibly match blows with any experienced mage, but the potential she displayed was enough to catch his interest. Skyla is now one of his students, and she's beginning to become very curious about the Sanctum War he had participated in-- especially Cody Lazarus, for whatever reason...


Objective: Learn to fight and defend herself, someday meet this "Lazarus" or any other former member of the Club Faction, as well as other motives she refuses to speak of.


What's your name?: Anne Kenrin (https://prnt.sc/fp12rt & also this thing in progress that will never be completed: prntscr.com/fp0j7f)
What do you do?: Student at the American Mage Academy & volunteers at an animal shelter in her spare time (irrelevant).
What's your age?: 17 (age in S/D was 15 not 18 like the initial form says bc that makes more sense)
What are you good at?: Strong in elemental magic in general, but decided to focus on fire. Also carries a short, magic conducting (one way) dagger at all times.
What gives you trouble?:
- Restraining the effects of newer spells & managing mana usage
- Occasionally is too brash & has slight anger issues (but a lot less than seen in S/D)
- 99% over Cody Lazarus (but don’t bring it up)
Where are you coming from?: A mage who was thrown into the Sanctum War with no experience and given command over the Saber of the Clubs, Anne learnt the basics of magic and the way things worked a much more difficult way than most did. After the war, she joined the American Mage Academy to learn more about magic & develop her elemental skills.
Where are you going?: Graduate & then probably join up with Cody, Kirin, and Hera for work & to help them out in general.


Name: Cody Lazarus (http://i.imgur.com/IPkRZT1.jpg)


Role: Along with Kirin Oshiro, Cody Lazarus is a council member of the Mage's Association and, much to the dismay of the other council members, a rapidly growing political force.


Age: 19


Skills: Cody fights with his brains, not his brawn. He's the worldwide leading mage in the art of technokinesis-- a quickly developing new form of magecraft. Cody is capable of casting hacking spells, transporting information nearly instantaneously, uploading data to a cloud network that he can access from anywhere in the universe and commanding an army of aerial combat drones. He builds things, he tinkers with things and sometimes he just downright ruins things when necessary. When combat comes into play, he calls down a pair of drones to fight for him, but he keeps a peacemaker in case things get dire. This gun can fire raw bursts of mana as well as bullets. His drones only fire bullets and/or fight with steel blades.

Weaknesses: Ever since childhood, his fatal flaw has been his obsession with his work, and as the past few years have gone by, this has only gotten worse. In a parallel timeline where Cody seizes the sanctum key for himself, he goes mad with power and forcefully exposes magecraft to the world, using his fleet of combat drones to attempt to take over before being killed by Kirin. After his fateful encounter with Avenger two years ago, this timeline's Cody sometimes has visions of what he might still become. The more powerful he gets within the association, and the more control his armada has over the organisation's security, the more he risks falling into that corrupted alternate self. As he makes advancements in the craft of technokinesis, he constantly runs the risk of going too far and becoming obsessed with power. When he gets absorbed into his work, as he often does, he relies on his friends (chiefly Kirin and Hera) to keep him intact. Without them, he'll quickly break. Cody is an idealist, and often a naive one. He refuses to cooperate with those who use methods he doesn't morally agree with, even if they're for achieving the same goal as his.


Background: After leading the Club Faction to victory two years ago, destroying the Sanctum Key and ending the thousand-year cycle of Sanctum Wars, Cody Lazarus has quickly become the most controversial member of the Mage's Association in centuries. His policies and propositions are considered extreme, with plans to contact world governments and slowly reveal magecraft to the non-magic world to benefit the majority of the population, effectively uprooting the system they have gone by for over a millennium. The elders are having a hard time shutting him up, however; for one, he is the one who designed, produced and set into action the Lazarus Armada, an army of flying humanoid war machines equipped with conventional weapons (although powered by mana) that protects the association's headquarters and patrols areas of interest under camouflage. He is the former master, and now partner of Roger Bacon, the last surviving servant of the Sanctum wars, who himself has now become a major guiding figure in the association due to him technically being the eldest living member by far. When it comes to easing relations with the council and the other families, Kirin Oshiro helps him out, being the patriarch of one of the big three families. Hera Gregg, Kirin's fiancee and a former fellow master of the Club Faction, has a more mysterious family history and doesn't deal well with the posh and old-fashioned culture of the elders and rival houses, but she serves as an excellent bodyguard and isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. The four of them- Cody, Roger, Kirin and Hera- make up a small but formidable group within the association, and they have a big meeting with the council coming up.


Objective: Win over the conservatives and the elders in the council, continue to improve the Lazarus Armada and someday bring magic to the people and effectively create a new world.


Name: William Tell (http://prntscr.com/fovqfz)

Epithet: The Marksman Confederate

Class: Archer

Age: 29

Strength: C

Endurance: B

Agility: B+

Mana: C

Luck: A

Skills:

Independent Action (A+): Tell was incredibly bold in his defiance of authority, and is famous for his exploits in combating tyranny. Because of this background, and his status as a member of the archer class, he possesses an extreme degree of independent action, allowing him to partially resist command seals, as well as utilize skills and noble phantasms in limited fashion without the assistance of a master.

Marksmanship (A): Tell's ability to shoot with incredible accuracy was absolutely peerless in his time; he can fire his crossbow bolts with effortless precision.

Dark Martyr (B): After his death, William Tell’s story was inspiring to many; unfortunately, centuries’ worth of assassins and other questionable characters (including John Wilkes Booth and Adolf Hitler) were reportedly inspired by Tell as well. This skill increases Archer’s charisma with all who he encounters, but is particularly geared towards immoral or unethical individuals.

Riding (C): William Tell was skillfully able to ride a horse and captain a ship; as a result, he has been summoned with the knowledge and experience to control many commonplace vehicles.

Noble Phantasms:

The Second Bolt (Anti-Unit, B): The most famous episode from William's tales was his defiance of the dictator Gessler, who instructed him to shoot an apple off of his son's head. Gessler asked Tell why he had prepared two bolts for the job (after he had easily split the apple with the first one), and Tell replied that if the first bolt had killed his son, he would've used the second for Gessler himself. Indeed, Tell later kills Gessler with the same second bolt, demonstrating the inevitability of his wrath. This Noble Phantasm creates a ghostly second bolt that follows behind each of the bolts that Archer fires: if the first strikes its mark, the second bolt will fade out of existence; however, if the first bolt is evaded, deflected, or destroyed, the second bolt will take on solid form and home in on the original target with much more speed and force than the first.

Tellsplatte (Tell’s Slab) (Anti-World, C-): When Tell was being transported by ship as a prisoner and was met with a storm at sea, his captors finally agreed to cut his bonds and allow him to pilot the ship to safety; instead, he drove the ship into a coastline of sharp rocks, sinking it while escaping onto shore. This Noble Phantasm allows Tell to manipulate structures that he is contained inside, and works best in smaller areas (like the inside of a car or the hold of a ship) while being less effective in large buildings and entirely useless in open terrain. It gives Archer some telekinetic control over the target’s movement, as well as an ability to visualize and manipulate structure, allowing him to locate or create weak points.

Drei Tellen (The Three Tells) (Anti-Self, B+): During the Swiss Peasant War, and several rebellions beyond, the symbolic portrayal of William Tell as a trio of rebel saviors began as a way of using the Folk Hero’s legacy to boost the peoples’ morale. Multiple assassinations of tyrants, for example, were undertaken by trios of men dressed as William Tell with the hope of uniting the commonfolk with the rebels. When Archer activates this Noble Phantasm, he becomes flanked by 2 shimmering replicas, who possess his stats at a full rank down, lose all skills except Marksmanship, and fire the same ghostly projectiles that appear with The Second Bolt. In this state, the original William Tell is unchanged except for a large increase to his Charisma. This NP is mana-intensive enough that activating it is not advised without a Master’s support, even considering Archer’s A+ Independent Action.

Background: William retains a very limited set of memories from his time in life, with emphasis on two main elements of his character – his refusal to submit to authority, and his love and devotion to his son. Archer went so far as to defy Ruler himself, refusing to fight for his masters when he was summoned and using his Independent Action to limit their command seals’ effect on him. Ruler responded by assigning Archer to be the servant his own descendant in the next war, who he could not help but fight to defend because of his deep-seated paternal dedication. Since that war, in which Archer lost and his master was killed, Archer’s personality has become much colder and more distant. He is more subdued in his defiance of Ruler, but at the same time, he is much more reluctant to develop any sort of trusting relationship with his master, especially if they’re on the younger side.

Current Goals: William currently prioritizes being a solo agent rather than actively searching for a master, and is most comfortable in an almost nomadic lifestyle, always being on the move and never settling down.